October (NF18/TV6/CC12/MM4/ST1)

* Jesse James: (1939 - Western, drama, action) Here's an early color film about America's favorite outlaws, Frank and Jesse James (I'm related to them - through my mother's side of the family). Starring Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda, Nancy Kelly, Randolph Scott, Henry Hull, Slim Summerville, J. Edward Bromberg, Brian Donlevy, John Carradine, and many others. While the direction was somewhat lacking in this movie, the acting was pretty good, and the action sequences (horse chases) were quite good. The story covers the entire James saga, from origins, through bank robbing, up to the end. After railroad agents attempt to forcibly evict the James family from their farm, Jesse and Frank are forced into a life of crime by a corrupt system controlled by rail-barons. Frank and Jesse manage to outrun, outwit and outlast the law, but they can't escape the greed of their own gang. 3 out of 5.
* The Man from Colorado: (1948 - Drama, western) Saw this western on Comcast. That On Demand service is well worth the money. There may be a lot of stinkers in the line-up, but there's also a lot of good movies. Here's a western set in Colorado just after the end of the Civil War. Starring Glenn Ford and William Holden, the film tells the story of two men. Glenn Ford plays Col. Owen Devereaux, a commanding Union Colonel and a young William Holden plays Capt. Del Stewart, Devareaux's right hand man. After the war ends, Del stays by Devareaux's side. Worried about his friend, his fears soon come to realization as Devareaux's moral fabric falls apart. Devastated by the killing in the war, Devareaux has become a one man judge, jury and executioner. At the height of his madness, he sets fire to an entire town in an attempt to flush out the fugitives from 'His Law'. Fantastic acting, pacing and writing. The drama and tension were very well played, but the story took to long to build up the steam that's present in the last 15 minutes of the film., and the characters were somewhat lacking in conviction. 3 out of 5.
* * Star Trek - The original series - Vol. 36, episodes 71 & 72: [Whom gods destroy / The mark of Gideon]: I've been watching episodes of the original Star Trek series for the last couple of years. I watched it as a kid when I was growing up (Yow! that makes me... old?), I loved it back then, and I still love it. My friends and I used to pretend to be members of the 'Starship Enterprise', and this television series was a great source of imaginative exercise while I was growing up. Kirk vs. Garth of Izar. Izar the insane, once famous starship captain. Garth of Izar is imprisoned on Elba II, a poisonous world which plays host for a psychiatric hospital. Kirk and Spock arrive, delivering a possible cure for the mentally disturbed, criminally violent, prisoners at this facility. When they arrive, they are duped by a shape-shifted Garth. His ability to change form at will has allowed him to escape his confinement, and now Kirk and Spock are confined. Garth is hoping to escape Elba II and begin his reign over the entire universe. Kirk and Spock vs Garth of Izar and his insane plans of universal conquest! In the mark of Gideon, the occupants of planet Gideon kidnap Kirk in order to extract a virus from him. The occupants of this planet are immune to disease and germs. They need the virus in Kirk's blood in order to reduce their highly overpopulated species. This particular plot was full of huge gaping holes, and Spock drives a stake through their plans when he violates Star Fleet directives in order to rescue Kirk. Not one of the better episodes.
* King of Hearts: (1966 - Comedy, war, drama / French - Roi de coeur, Le) This charming French film is set at the end of WWI, in an occupied French town. As the Germans are forced out of a quaint French town, they decide to destroy the entire town - with a huge explosion - when they leave. Setting a trap for the British troops set to enter the town, they rig a bunker filled with explosives to detonate when the clock strikes midnight. The British find out about the plot, and send in their best man (a bird fancier who knows nothing of explosives), to defuse the situation. When he gets there, he discovers the Germans gone, and the town has been taken over by the occupants of the insane asylum. This charming comedy pokes fun at war, and the ridiculous futility of such endeavors. The acting is fair, and the writing good. The characters are quirky, loveable and laughable. I enjoyed the movie. 3 out of 5.
* The Kingdom: (2007 - Action, drama, thriller) Saw this one in the theater. A great cast, starring: Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Ashraf Barhom, Ali Suliman, Jeremy Piven and many others. With some really good camera work (aside from the 'shaky cam' handheld footage). The music by Danny Elfman was good (nowhere near his best), but the writing and direction were weak. This movie is a slam-bam action flick which casts it's characters in very stereotypical roles. This movie takes a complex, emotionally charged, politically tender situation, and reduces it to a video game ethic 'Kill 'em all!'. The movie opens with a gripping motive, some terrific photography, and gut wrenching scenes of terrorism. It pulls you into the movie, establishing a powerful setting and motivation for the characters. The middle lags, as a sense of frustration is built and slowly overcome. The highly rushed end game is a typical hollywood shoot-em-up, featuring numerous telegraphed scenes and situations. The movie basically ends up justifying violence as the ends to a means. A failure to say anything meaningful, the only thing this movie excelled at was visions of violence and stereotypical depictions of 'them'. I did not enjoy this movie. As an action flick it was great. Unfortunately, it insults my sensibilities and intelligence by taking the subject matter selected, and reducing the highly complex issues into a typical hollywood shoot-em-up. I give it marks for good camera work and editing. 2 out of 5.
* Freaks: (1932 - Drama) Another 'Cult' movie. Directed by Tod Browning (directed many 'silent pictures', notable for his direction of 'Dracula' in 1931) At first, I thought that this was going to be an exploitative movie; where the 'Freaks' were abused, stereotyped or represented by 'normal' people in costume. In truth, it's a fantastic drama where the 'Freaks' are 'real' people. It's a movie about circus folk. The tale is a tragic one, about love and deception. When a beautiful 'Big person' trapeze artist feigns love interest in the handsome 'Little person'. Hans falls for her charms like a jilted high wire partner. He suspects that she's like all the others, but she convinces him otherwise. His instincts warn him of danger, and his friends try to dissuade him. Blinded by the possibility of love with a 'normal' person, he ignores his instincts and the warnings of his friends. His friends soon discover the true reason why she married Hans. The ending sequence is a dramatic and well paced tragedy. The 'Freaks' in this movie are actual people with physical deformities. Culled from around the world, the director was able to assemble an astonishing cast. The camera work is pretty good, and the movie managed to avoid disparaging stereotypes, while weaving a fantastic tale of love and deception. 4 out of 5.
* Prince of Darkness: (1987 - Horror, fantasy, suspense, sci-fi) Another horror masterpiece from the master of horror - John Carpenter. With a low budget, and a cast of low budget actors (from many of his other movies): Donald Pleasence, Jameson Parker, Victor Wong, Lisa Blount, Dennis Dun, Alice Cooper? and others, John Carpenter manages to create another Lovecraftian Horror flick filled with suspense, dread and terror. In this movie, a group of scientists team up with a priest in order to solve the mystery of a long lost cylinder of green swirling goo. An ancient religious sect, theoretical physicists, and unspeakable horror from beyond. John Carpenter is responsible for the music in this movie, and he did a great job with it. The synthetic dronings of this soundtrack created an otherworldly pulse which drove this movie forward with an excellent sense of pacing. Combined with a bevy of bizarre ideas - self generating life, life in another dimension, parasitic infestation which results in complete physical transformation, tachyon beam transmissions from the future, religion equals science for dummies, zombie like homeless people - this movie is a classic John Carpenter horror flick. 4 out of 5.
* The Package: (1989 - Action, crime, drama, mystery) This one was in my queue, but I caught it on Comcast. Here's a little known, under-appreciated movie, starring Gene Hackman, Joanna Cassidy, Tommy Lee Jones, John Heard, Dennis Franz and others. Filmed just before the collapse of the Berlin wall and the Soviet Union, this cold-war thriller is a great espionage thriller. Gene Hackman plays a career Army sergeant tasked to escort 'the Package' (played by Tommy Lee Jones) back to the states, where he'll be turned over to prison officials at Ft. Leavenworth They fly out of Berlin on a military transport, and 'the Package' is dropped when a group of thugs assault Gene Hackman's character in a men's room. As Sgt. Johnny Gallagher tries to re-acquire 'the Package' he becomes involved in an international conspiracy designed to prevent nuclear disarmament between Russia and the United States. The pacing was great, as was the acting (even if the casting was suspect (especially in the case of Tommy Lee Jones)), and the director managed to find an excellent balance between action and character based drama. I was stationed in Berlin (while the wall was coming down), and I served through the end of the Cold War. This film was a great trip down memory lane (for me), and the plot was a plausible take on the 'lone gunman' conspiracy. I give it a 4 out of 5.
* 1408 - Unrated version: (2007 - Horror, drama) Based on a Stephen King story, this movie stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Mary McCormack, Tony Shalhoub and others. John Cusack plays a paranormal reporter - a debunker. Traveling around the country, he makes a living by writing books about 'haunted' locations. He's running away from the truth. The truth regarding a tragedy in his personal life. He plays a morose character looking for something beyond the living. When he comes upon the 'Dolphin' hotel, he rents room 1408, despite the stern warnings of Samuel L. Jackson's character. Once he's inside the room, things start to heat up. All the action takes place inside the relative confines of this small suite. This movie is a great fright fest, but I found some of the situations a bit contrived. This version of the movie features an 'alternate ending', which I found fitting. Unfortunately, despite all the hoopla, and frightening film work, I found the movie a bit shallow and lacking in original content. The acting by Cusack and Jackson was great, and the soundtrack was excellent. 3 out of 5.
* The Natural: (1984 - Drama, sport) A baseball movie of mythic proportions. Directed by Barry Levinson, and starring Robert Redford, Robert Duvall, Glenn Close, Kim Basinger, Wilford Brimley, Richard Farnsworth and others. This movie place baseball on a pedestal as a metaphor for all that is good in America. The story is one of a young boy who's father teaches him that he must hone his talent into more than the gift he's received. When the father dies, lightning strikes down a big old oak, and the boy creates a baseball bat from that tree. It symbolizes all the strength and conviction in his upbringing. He heads for the majors, bent on ruling them all. Then another tragedy strikes and he's taken out of the game for 16 years. He finally build up enough courage to step back to the plate, and the results are dramatic. This movie is filled with metaphor, symbolism and an overdose of sentimental sappiness. The camera work is great, as is the direction and acting. Unfortunately, some of the casting was ill advised - Redford (aged 48) and Close (aged 37) begin the movie by playing teenagers. It's a strained scene, but I got past it. The rest of the movie is a mythic fairy tale, where the good guy wins in the end, and all evil is vanquished. Despite these drawbacks, I have to admit that it was a very good movie. I give it a 4 out of 5.
* Kill Baby, Kill! (1966 - Horror, drama, suspense / Italy - Operazione paura) Yet another cult flick for your curiosity. I love watching these odd-ball movies. I'm always hopeful to find a gem in the rough, something like Freaks. This one is directed by Italian director, Mario Bava. A prolific cinematographer, director and writer. Mario wrote, directed, and filmed scores of horror films spanning a 40 year career. Here's one of his horror movies. Filled with chatty, stereotyped characters, it's the sets, camera work, rock solid acting and excellent pacing that sets this movie apart. A doctor is called to a small town (in Transylvania?) in order to help investigate a recent rash of suicides. When he arrives, he discovers a town firmly in the grip of fear. Rumors of a local legend have paralyzed the local populace, they're all afraid of a dead seven year old. A child that died - while the villagers looked on without helping - has cursed the citizens of this decaying and godforsaken town. Can Dr. Eswai help them break the curse? Or are they all doomed to a gruesome death? This movie has some great lighting, and the director did a fantastic job setting the mood with fog machines, wind, colored lights, shadows and flickering lights. The music was good but it was a bit too loud, becoming bothersome at times. A few scenes stick out in the movie. One of them is a scene where the Dr. is chasing after a screaming victim. As he chases the screams through a nearby door, he sees a door across the room closing, he strides across the room, trying to catch up with a fleeing figure, he chases through several rooms. We can clearly see that it's the same room, and the person he's chasing looks vaguely familiar. Finally, he catches up with the man, grasps his shoulder, and forces him to face him. In a diabolical sneer, Dr. Eswai confronts his evil duplicate! Some of these scenes were not explored in any depth, but they gave the movie a very creepy feel. The acting was also pretty good. All in all, this was an excellent movie. 4 of 5.
* Greetings: (1968 - Comedy, satire) This movie was written and directed by Brian De Palma. Starring Robert De Niro, Jonathan Warden, Gerrit Graham, Richard Hamilton, Megan McCormick and many others. This art film was a rambling commentary on the social values, morals and climate of the times (late 60's). A political satire on the vietnam war, free sex, the Kennedy assassination, and other social issues of the day. Set in New York, the acting is pretty good, but the movie is disjointed, rambling and lacking in focus. Imitating a French New Wave film style, this movie is a pale version of a Rembrandt. While the fixation on the Kennedy assassination was humorous, and the draft dodging sentiment humorous, I found the rest of this movie listless and dull. 2 out of 5.
* Talladega Nights - The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: (2006 - Comedy, satire) Written by Adam McKay and Will Ferrel, this movie was directed by Adam McKay, and it starred Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Leslie Bibb, William Boyer, Gary Cole and others. Despite the presence of Will Ferrel and Sacha Baron Cohen, this movie really didn't have much going for it. The story is a typical 'Up-Down-Up again' comedy instrument. Will Ferrel plays a stereotyped American Nascar driver at the top of his game. Wallowing in the gluttony of an excessive lifestyle, he flaunts his exuberant and politically incorrect 'Gimme, gimme, gimme' ethic. When his sponsors grow weary of his disrespectful attitude, they hire some new blood (Sacha Baron Cohen plays the highly stereotyped Gay French Formula One racer) to challenge Ferrel's character. When Ricky Bobby hamstrings himself with his own arrogance... You know what, that's enough, the story simply sucked. Completely predictable and stale, I found the stereotypes and performances too far over the top for my tastes. The only joy I derived from this movie was the one-liners and a few of the situations. The use of a cougar as inspiration to regain your confidence was a nice shtick. The colorful ways that the characters imagined Jesus were also humorous. The satirical treatment of corporate sponsors was another plus. El Diablo is Spanish for 'Fighting Chicken'. The movie made me laugh, despite the horrid story, bad stereotyping and poor performances (except Sacha Baron Cohen's). I liked the ridiculous dialog, and some of the crazy situations made me laugh. For a couple of hours I forgot about the worries of the day, and the stress of work just slid away. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* The Painted Veil: (2006 - Romance, drama, history) Paid to watch this one onDemand. This movie is based on a novel, and it's been done before. The first version of this film 'The Painted Veil' was released in 1934. The original starred Greta Garbo and Herbert Marshall, this one featured Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. The performances were excellent, the location shots, camera work and direction outstanding. The only miscue with editing/production was the occasional insertion of grainy black and white archival footage into the magnificent color of this film. The story is one of marriage, fidelity, faith and devotion. Devotion to causes bigger than oneself. When a spoiled rich girl marries daddy's hand picked suitor, she does it only to spite her parents, and immediately begins cheating on her new husband. When he finds out, he confronts her with a desperate proposal. Come with me to China, where I'll be working to put down a Cholera outbreak, or I'll file for divorce on grounds of infidelity. She's ashamed, shunned by her lover, and too arrogant to accept disgrace. She agrees to accompany him to China. What follows is a wonderful journey into the Orient, a well written romance, and a movie with wonderful visual style. This period piece is well layered, personal, subtle and sexy. A great romantic drama without resorting to sweeping themes of historical background. 4 out of 5.
* 28 Weeks Later: (2007 - Horror, drama / U.K.) Paid to watch this one onDemand. Directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, this is a sequel to the freakin' fantastic zombie flick - 28 Days Later. Starring Rose Byrne, Robert Carlyle, Amanda Walker, Jeremy Renner, Stewart Alexander, Matt Reeves, and others. The story takes place 28 weeks after the outbreak in the last movie, and the direction does a good job of recapping what's happened up to this point. With different writers, director, and actors, the movie has a slightly different feel than the first one. While this movie starts out with an explosive opening sequence, it doesn't take much time to be anything other than a runaway series of blood spattered escapes from the hoards of violently insane zombies. The story: England is overcome by an infectious outbreak that transforms people into blood-thirsty, insanely violent zombies. The government calls in the American army to help re-establish control. A group of disease resistant survivors are discovered, but chaos ensues when an outbreak begins inside the 'Green Zone'. A couple military members (an infectious disease specialist and a sniper) do their best to get the disease resistant survivors out of the hot zone. The most startling part of the film was the 'night-vision' trip through a corpse ridden subway. Reminding me of the 'Blair Witch Project', this particular sequence was truly frightening, not just an adrenaline induced frenzy of gore. This movie packed in far more action than the original. While the acting was good, the writing insisted on some suspension of disbelief, and that didn't make me very happy. The politically hot issues associated with the films 'Code Red' solution and the 'Green Zone' parts of the movie seem intentionally crafted to parallel present day issues regarding Iraq. They detracted from the vision of the movie. 3 out of 5.
* Tobruk: (1967 - Drama, war, historical) Not available on DVD? Featuring an international cast, starring Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Nigel Green, Guy Stockwell and many others. This movie paralleled actual events from WWII. When a group of soldiers cross the desert to take out a fuel depot, the action gets hotter than the desert sands. The soldiers are an incredibly diverse group. German Jews serving in the British military are dressed in German uniforms. They speak German, have their own agenda, and are so distrusted by the British regulars that the leader of the group disarms them, points guns at them and openly admits that he doesn't trust them. The group kidnaps a Canadian? officer to help guide them across the desert (he's an expert on the topography of the are). There's also some Italian's and French soldiers encountered at various times throughout the movie. In another nationality flip-flop, a group of British citizens turn out to be spies for the Germans. The tables are constantly turning in this action packed war movie. Great acting, excellent special effects, and solid writing. 3 out of 5.
* Dragnet: (1954 - Drama, crime) Here's a movie based on the original Dragnet television series. Directed by and starring Jack Webb. The movie also included the trusty side-kick Ben Alexander. This movie didn't work very well. Despite the popularity of the television show, Jack Webb wasn't that good of an actor, and he wasn't a very good director either. Jack Webb plays the hard-boiled L.A. police detective from the television series. There's a gangland style shotgun murder, and the L.A. police department pulls out all the stops to solve the crime. The movie opens with a brutal double-barreled shotgun murder, where the killers are revealed. There's no suspense or mystery here, just a prolonged interrogation and investigation re-run. The characters lack motivation, yet they act as if this case is the most important case in the history of L.A. The acting, camera work, and direction are all weak. The best acting came from Virginia Gregg in a performance as a distraught widow, liquored up, down on her luck, and ready to tell all. The movie felt just like one of the original television episodes, excepting for the fact that it was in color, and it lacked the suspense of the television episodes - we knew who the killers were. This is one of those movies where everyone smoked. Jack Webb was a chronic smoker, and he died at the age of 62 from a massive heart attack. The movie gets a 2 out of 5.
* The Invisible: (2007 - Horror, drama, suspense, romance) An American remake of a Swedish movie (Den Osynlige). This movie stars Justin Chatwin (who can't act) and Margarita Levieva (who shows promise) as the two invisible teenagers in this teen angst, b-horror, supernatural suspense thriller. Chatwin (at 25 years old) plays the sensitive, do-gooder, promising artistic son of a withdrawn, materialistic, widow. She can't see her son, he's a reminder of her dead husband, so she paints him into a corner. Levieva (at 22 years) plays a rebellious, maladjusted, violent teen, who's parents seem neglectful and abusive, while school official ignore her misdemeanor attitude. Chatwin decides to skip out on mom, and runs afoul of Levieva's latest scheme to gain attention. He's attacked by Levieva and he band of thugs. After a sound beating, he's left for dead. Now he's truly invisible. As his ghost struggles to find someone who will listen, we're forced to endure a 30 minute theme stretched into a 90 minute conclusion. While the premise is promising, the performances were pedantic. The best acting came from Levieva during a oddly placed segment where she unwinds on the dance floor. The ending was pretty good, but it took too long to realize. All the characters get what they deserve, and act according to pre-defined hollywood ideals. I didn't find it worthy. 2 out of 5.
* The Reaping: (2007 - Horror, drama, suspense) Starring Hilary Swank, David Morrissey and a bunch of unknowns. This horror story wasn't all that scary. Coming on the heels of a horror rash, and a bad one at that (i.e. Omen remake, The Eye 2, The Invisible), this movie doesn't fail to meet the lowered expectations of audiences. I'm a sucker for the supernatural thriller genre of horror, and the previews for this movie caught my eye. Unfortunately, the story is cliched and predictable. Hilary Swank's character is a former ordained minister who's family is murdered during missionary work in Africa. As a result she 'loses her religion', becomes an atheist, and devotes her life to the debunking of supposed miracles. On one such job she's summoned to a po-dunk 'southern comfort' louisiana backwater bible belt hamlet. There she encounters some powerful-bad ju-ju. Biblical style plagues are being sown upon the residents of this backwater burg. The story was one of biblical proportions, but it's confined to a small town in the middle of nowhere. The acting by Hilary Swank and David Morrissey was o.k. but the rest of the cast was less than good. The music was o.k. if not a little melodramatic. The lighting was very dark, but well saturated. These two elements combined to help create a great sense of dread and suspense. The special effects were good. I especially liked the locust scenes. It entertained me, but I didn't find it very frightening. 3 out of 5.
* The Hoax: (2006 - Comedy, drama) Based on a Clifford Irving novel, this movie is based on the true story of a desperate novelist. Starring Richard Gere, Alfred Molina, Hope Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Stanley Tucci and others. Fantastic screenplay. The story is a bizarre, but true tale. A desperate author (Clifford Irving), concocts a story whereby he's been granted sole authority to write the official auto-biography of Howard Hughes. He sells the writes to Random House for a huge pile of money, begins to write the autobiography, and generates some huge media buzz, before things start to unravel. Gere and Molina were fantastic in their depictions of the desperate and daring co-conspirators. The tension increases as the farce becomes fiction, becomes fact. The dramatic character portrayals by the actors in this movie were fantastic. Direction, casting, writing and acting were all top-notch. Unfortunately, this outstanding movie will be ignored by most of the American viewing audience. 4 out of 5.
* * * * Heroes - Season 1 (disc 2): (Drama, sci-fi, mystery, thriller) I don't usually watch television. One of the reasons is my schedule. I work shift work, twelve hours at a time, nights, and weekends. If I found a series I liked, I'd have a hell of a time watching all the episodes. I don't own a TiVo, and Comcast only has NBC on demand. Aside from my schedule, I find most network programming to be poor. Poor quality, poor line up, poor selection, etc. I prefer the movies. With NetFlix, I can watch what I want on my schedule. If I don't like it, I've only myself to blame. Anyway, I've been hearing quite a lot of buzz about this particular series. From friends at work, and reviews online. Given the subject matter, I figured I'd give it a try. Wow! I'm impressed. What's the series about? A group of people, from all over the world, are slowly discovering the fact that they have super powers. Abilities which cannot be accounted for in the general populace. A high school cheer leader with incredibly augmented healing abilities. An artist who sees, and illustrates the future. A politician with the ability to fly. A Japanese cubicle worker with the power to bend space and time. A mysterious mom on the run, who has an extremely violent alternate personality. As these characters struggle with their realization, we're introduced to a terrifying unifying plot. One of the heroes paints images of the future. One of the pictures illustrates a massive explosion, set in downtown New York. Will these heroes come together in an effort to avert this forthcoming disaster? This disc contained four episodes. One Giant Leap," "Collision," "Hiros" and "Better Halves." This is some awesome television. I'll keep watching. 5 out of 5 (for the series so far)
* The Nevadan: (1950 - Western, drama) Here's a rarity. A movie I couldn't force myself to finish. A B-grade, shoot-em-up, formulaic western with very little going for it. I made it half-way through before I decided that I had better things to do. The best part of this movie was the cast (not the casting). Starring Randolph Scott and Frank Faylen. The writing and direction were terrible. The music/soundtrack apparently contained one sappy song that they played in every scene, no sound effects (punches with no sound at all?), and characters as thin as the fake store-fronts in this low budget production. The plot was a miserable one. An outlaw is allowed to escape from custody, he hijacks the horse and suit from a stranger. Then he forces that stranger to accompany him in a bank heist? With impossible plot holes, the character relationships were about as probable as Hitler and Gandhi sharing a dorm room during armageddon. When Randolph Scott plays an Eastern dandy turned bronco busting western enigma, I just about gagged. The acting (except for Dorothy Malone) was terrible. Not worthy of DVD. 1 out of 5.
* A Boy and His Dog: (1975 - Sci-fi, comedy, drama) Post apocalyptic America, after World War IV. A low budget B sci-fi movie with a couple of unique characters and a surprise ending. Starring a very young Don Johnson (as Vic), Susanne Benton (as Quilla June Holmes), Jason Robards (Lou Craddock) and Tim McIntire (as the voice of Blood). The story is quite unique (based on a novela by Harlan Ellsion). Vic and his faithful dog - Blood, are doing their best to survive the wastes of post apocalyptic America. Wandering the wastes of devastated Kansas, they're looking for food, ammunition and sex. Vic is a very simple character with nothing but survival instinct on his mind, his traveling companion - blood, well, that's another matter entirely. Blood is an opinionated philosopher type. Highly educated, with a sharp tongue and skeptical attitude. Blood the dog that is. The two communicate telepathically. On one particular outing they're on the lookout for female flesh. When blood manages to sniff out the prey, Vic pins her down in an underground bunker. Soon she's working him over with her domineering will. She convinces him to follow her down below. To an underground utopia called Topeka. In this underground society, the population is strictly regulated, as is everything else by the autocratic members of the council. They kidnapped Vic (the girl was part of the plan), for use as new breeding stock. Seems that underground living has made the men sterile, and they need Vic's sperm. While vic is hooked up to some sort of 'milking machine', Quilla Jones is cooking up a revolutionary plot which would overthrow the ruling council and put her and a bunch of her boyfriends in power. She mistakenly calculates that Vic would help her kill the competition. The ending of this movie was fantastic. I never would have guessed that it would end the way it did. Here's another one of those crazy, politically incorrect, broad-minded, original sci-fi low budget flicks from the 70's. Not as good as Zardoz, but a fine film to sink your teeth into. 4 out of 5.
* Under Suspicion: (2000 - Drama, crime, suspense) An intense character drama. This movie is based on a book (Brainwash), also made into a French movie called Garde à vue. The American version stars Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Thomas Jane and Monica Bellucci. Here's a character drama that puts Gene Hackman up against Morgan Freeman in an intense psychologically intense crime drama. Hackman's character is 'invited' to the police department (in San Juan Puerto Rico), in order to answer a few nagging questions regarding a recent murder investigation. Hackman plays a wealthy older man, married to an incredibly hot younger woman (much younger). When he 'discovers' the body of a child who's been raped and murdered, the investigation turns in his direction. What follows in an intense police interrogation where his old friend (Morgan Freeman) - the police inspector, his wife (Monica Bellucci), and an ambitious junior detective, all take turns tearing apart Hackman's 'character'. It's a psychologically torturous journey through the intimate thoughts of the characters involved. This is an excellent drama where the direction took great care with the rather unique, self narrated, expository, flash-back scenes. This movie is all about the characters, the emotions, the relationships. It's not really about the murders. While the subject of the murders is sickening, it's only there to create a starting point for all the intense character interactions which we witness in the movie. This movie really stretches the acting abilities of the two main actors. Clearly, Hackman is a superior actor. This role demanded much in the way of his performance, and he never failed to perform. The performances by all were very good. The weapons in this movie are suspicion, innuendo, jealousy, envy, confidence, deceit and secrets. The ending is a true shocker. After seeing this movie a second time, I'm finally starting to see where the characters were taking us. 4 out of 5.
* Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines: (2003 - Action, sci-fi, adventure, thriller) The third movie in the Terminator series. Arnold Schwarzenegger is back again. A blatantly opportunistic sequel. I think this movie would have been better off if James Cameron had directed it. Instead, we find Jonathon Mostow at the helm. Unfortunately, this sequel is flat and uninspiring. A fantastic, full-throttle action flick that is full of one-liners and comedic cliches, but lacking in any real depth of story. The best parts of the movie are car chases, costumes, and character continuation. The last fifteen minutes of the movie are the only redeeming part of the entire film. Kate Brewster's father directs the two protagonists (Nick Stahl as John Connor and Claire Danes as Kate Brewster) to crystal mountain, knowing that it's the only place safe in the event of a nuclear war. The best acting comes from Claire Danes, while Nick Stahl proves to be out of his depth. I give this movie a 3 out of 5, but I had to have it to complete the series.
* Pumpkinhead: (1988 - Horror) Starring Lance Henricksen, and a bunch of unknowns. This low budget, rubber costume, cliched horror movie failed to scare any part of me. Lance Henricksen's performance in this movie was barely tolerable. The plot is a ridiculous vengeance tale. A back-country single dad conjures up a demon when city folk teenagers accidentally kill his only child. You have to suspend a lot of belief when dad leaves his son with the group of teenagers that he doesn't even know. Follow that with some immediate fire-and-brimstome retribution, and you've got yourself a horror flick with no surprises. Bad hair, bad music, poor lighting, and limp acting. The only good part of the movie was Lance Henricksen's mediocre acting. 2 out of 5.
* Gothic: (1986 - Horror, drama) This movie was a tough one to rate. In the end I gave it points for the intense visual experience. The story is quite a mess. A group of wealthy aristocratic young adults (Percey and Mary Shelly, and Claire Clairmont) join Dr. Polidori and Lord Byron at the Villa Diodati, for a night of debauchery, madness and inspiration. Supposedly, this night of crazed indulgence inspired Mary Shelly to write 'Frankenstein'. The 'story' is a series of psychedelic, horrific, drug induced phantasmagoric images. Staged scenes with plenty of dramatic, over the top acting by Gabriel Byrne and the rest of the cast. Despite the lack of coherent writing, the music, lighting, high level of energy, and dark visual scenery was well worth the effort. This film contains nudity, erotic scenery, drug use, adultery, hallucinatory sequences, and a horrific current of sanity on the edge. If Frankenstein dreamt, this might be what he dreams. 3 out of 5.
* The Man who fell to Earth: (1976 - Sci-fi, drama, romance) An alien (played by David Bowie) leaves his home planet, and family, in order to travel to Earth. He's on a mission to save his planet - which is running out of water. When he attempts to land on Earth, a malfunction destroys his spaceship, and he barely escapes with his life. Armed with advanced knowledge, he obtains a handful of patents and establishes an international conglomerate in order to finance his return to his home planet. While he's here on Earth, he gradually begins to transform into one of us. He begins to experience what it is to be human. All the emotions, all the benefits, all the pitfalls. As his character is seduced by humanity, both physically and emotionally, he's captured by government agents and subjected to rigorous examination over a period of several years. The ending is enigmatic, poignant and fitting. Bowie's performance was great, the production quality was low, but the writing was very good. An excellent movie. FYI: Currently in production for a remake. 4 out of 5.
* Martin: (1977 - Horror, drama) Written and directed by George Romero. This is an unusual vampire movie. Martin is a vampire? Really? No aversions to daylight, garlic, holy water, or crosses. Martin looks 15, but really he's 84 years old. Oh yeah, he drinks blood. He doesn't have any ability to charm or paralyze his victims, and he doesn't have any fangs. How does he get the blood? Well, realistically, he stages home invasions, drugs his victims, them bleeds them once they're unconscious. They don't have to die, and he doesn't need blood nightly, just once a month or so. This is a truly interesting vampire movie. When Martin moves in with his elderly relative, the old man knows what he's dealing with. He warns his niece about the 'vampire', the 'family curse', and he warns Martin of the consequences should he kill any of the local residents. Martin's having a hard time as a vampire, for some reason he's accepted this self imposed residency with the family elder. He's beginning to put his life back together, and he's beginning to establish a romantic relationship. That's before things start to go bad. A fantastic, non-traditional vampire movie. It examines some of the problems which surround this curse. The film is full of double meanings, and I love the way it avoids exposition or intentional templating. Great writing, pacing, direction, and music. The ending is striking. 4 out of 5.
* Our Hospitality: (1923 - Drama, romance, comedy, action, adventure) This is a B&W silent picture starring Buster Keaton. The story starts out with a family feud - Canfields vs McKay (Hatfields vs McCoy?). Buster is the sole surviving Canfield. As an infant he's sent out east to live with his aunt, while the McKays are content to win this round of the feud. Fast forward several years and the the Canfield fortune is willed to Buster. As he travels back to the Appalachian homestead, his aunt tells him about the feud, and warns him not to get mixed up with the McKays. On the way back, he coaches with a beautiful young woman. When the two fall in love it's big trouble - She's a McKay. What follows is a non-stop action, adventure romp, as Buster attempts to outlast, outwit, and outmaneuver the bloodthirsty men folk of the McKay clan. Some of the stunts in this movie were simply amazing. The waterfall scenes were outstanding, and the movie was a joy to watch. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the film. Including the narrow gauge railroad with converted horse carriages, the pre-chain and pedals bicycle, and the period costumes, and the 1920's architecture. 4 out of 5.
* Sherlock Jr.: (1924 - Adventure, action, comedy) Another silent B&W film. Directed by and starring Buster Keaton. This one features several camera gags / early special effects. This movie is only 44 minutes long, and it's rather short on story. Keaton plays a projectionist studying to be a detective. The film starts out a bit slowly with the projectionist cleaning up after a show, and then starting another movie. Then the movie picks up as Keaton falls asleep in the projection booth. When he falls asleep he/we/his sleeping self enters the film he's showing and that's where the adventure begins. Excellent demonstration of early film techniques and special effects. 3 out of 5.
* The ninth gate: (1999 - Horror, mystery) Directed by Roman Polanski, starring Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, and a mesmerizing Emmanuelle Seigner. The music by Wojciech Kilar was fantastic. This gothic noir mystery revolves around the main character's investigation of a book. Supposedly co-authored by Lucifer himself, the 'book detective' (Johnny Depp) is hired out to discover the mystery behind this tome. The plot is incredibly rich and intriguing. The pacing is perfect, and Polanski manages to create an eerie creepy feel throughout - without resorting to exploding special effects or cgi. The supernatural elements of the movie are subtle and extremely well done. The camera work, color, lighting, costumes, locations, sets, artwork and props were all outstanding. The ending of the movie is masterful. 5 out of 5.
* Suspiria: (1977 - Horror, drama, adventure / Italy) Directed by Dario Argento, this movie tells the tale of a young American girl, sent to a prestigious dance school in Romania. As soon as she arrives she realizes things are a bit unusual. She soon encounters showers of maggots, a domineering dance instructor, bitter rivalry amongst the girls, demonic possession of gentle guard dog, and some truly gruesome murders. The lead character eventually discovers that the school was once (and still is?) home to a coven of witches. As the lead character attempts to unravel the mystery of the school, she finds herself in greater and greater personal danger. The film culminates in an explosive revelation, which pits the main character against a powerful antagonist. The director did an outstanding job with color, camera work and lighting. Argento created a mesmerizing and haunting mood in this movie. The suspense is as thick as the accents in this gem of a horror flick. The score is outstanding as well, but a bit too loud. Unfortunately, I had no choice regarding the sound track, and I had to watch an English dubbed version, rather than the original Italian. The acting was poor, and the pacing was a bit off at times. Thankfully the other elements were very well done. 3 out of 5.
* Nude for Satan: (1974 - Horror, adventure / Italy - Nuda per Satana) Pure 70's sleaze. Sexy schlock disguised as a horror flick. The story. A doctor is speeding on his way to an emergency when he ends up in a car accident with a beautiful young woman. As he rushes to a nearby castle to summon help, he encounters some odd inhabitants. She wakes up minutes later and heads for the castle as well. Neither of them initially realize that their own evil Doppelgangers are engaging the other party. Very sexy movie, with plenty of nudity (thus the title), sadomasochism, some soft core lesbo action and even some hints at homo-erotic encounters (but no male nudity?). Other than the nudity, the film featured really bad acting, terrible dialogue, and some of the worst special effects I've seen in a long time. That paper mache spider was completely preposterous! If more parts of the movie had been that bad (so bad it was funny), it might have got a higher rating. The music was terrible, as was the soundtrack. Thank goodness for the nudity. Rita Calderoni was hot in this heap of a movie. 2 out of 5.
* The Wild Life: (1984 - Comedy, romance) Not available on DVD - but it should be! Here's a great 80's comedy. From the creators (Cameron Crowe and Art Linden) of 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' A preposterous partying movie. Starring Chris Penn, Ilan Mitchell-Smith, Eric Stoltz, Jenny Wright, Lea Thompson, Brin Berliner, Rick Moranis and others. While this movie isn't as good as some of the other 80's teen comedies. This one is definitely smack dab in the middle of that 80's vibe. The hair, the clothes, the make-up, the music. The story is pretty shallow. Young guy (20?) is finally moving out on his own, but can't quite afford the rent on his own, so he invites a stoner/partying coworker to move in with him. The two of them are opposites, but they soon gravitate towards a middle ground. In the meantime there's plenty of partying, dating high-school girls, and annoying parents and siblings to deal with. A no-brainer movie which embraces the 'Party On' attitude. I give it a 3 out of 5.
* Don't look in the basement: (1973 - Horror, drama (aka The Forgotten)) It's hard to believe that this was an American production. The dialogue and acting were so bad, I thought I was watching something dubbed (That's part of the reason why I watch films in their original language). The pacing was poor, and the soundtrack didn't match the movie at all. The story is one of an insane asylum where things go badly. The movie starts out with an axe murder, and the body count goes up from there. Just after the director of this facility is axed to death, a new hire shows up. Little does she realize just how dangerous the inhabitants are. Unfortunately, none of the plot points were concealed in this over the top gore fest. Nothing that happened surprised me, as it was very easy to figure out where the film was headed. While the ending was fitting, it wasn't very well concealed, and by that point I'd already predicted numerous other plot points. Good premise, poor direction and acting. 2 out of 5.
* Jamaica Inn: (1939 - Crime, drama, mystery, adventure) An Alfred Hitchcock movie which suffers from poor print transfer and horrible sound. Some great acting from Charles Laughton, Maureen O'Hara, Leslie Banks, Emlyn Williams, Robert Newton and others. The story is a somewhat complex tale of skullduggery off the coast of Cornwall, England in the early 1800s. Mary travels from Ireland to the 'Jamaica Inn' in order to live with her aunt. Unfortunately, her aunt's home is the center of a piracy ring. A bunch of thugs, led by her husband, lure ships onto the rocks in order to kill the survivors and loot the wrecks. Mixed in with this lot is a nobleman who masterminds the operation and an undercover constable sent to infiltrate the gang. As I said, it's a complex tale, with good character motivations and some excellent acting. If you can get past the technical problems, you'll find a pretty good Hitchcock movie. 3 out of 5.
* Daywatch: (2006 - Action, drama, horror, fantasy, sci-fi / Russia - Dneznoy Dozor) The second movie in a trilogy. Written (in part) and directed by Timur Bekmambetov, this movie features some fine acting by a relatively unknown (to American audiences) Russian cast. Based on a novel, here is the story of the 'Other'. Light others and Dark others. Two sides in supernatural conflict between the forces of good and evil. Here the dark side attempts to tilt the balance in their favor, threatening a centuries old truce monitored by the 'Watchers'. Enforcement agents on the side of good or evil. This mid transition story is lighter on story, but it's got more and better special effects than the first movie. This movie mixes Russian/Central Asian mythology with a traditional horror/sci-fi epic. Excellent direction, acting, scope and pacing. Carries the same style and feel from the first movie. I highly recommend that you see Daywatch (Nochnoy Dozor), before watching this film. 4 out of 5.