FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
Director Alex de Renzy shows the history of cinematic adult films, from early stag flicks to current shorts.

• Adult Films
• Documentary

Review:
This documentary overview of “p. through the ages” is guaranteed to be of at least limited interest to all film fanatics, regardless of one’s personal taste for adult flicks. De Renzy showcases stag films from as early as 1915 (which feature typically low-brow “storylines” and surprisingly ordinary-looking actors), as well as mid-century fare such as the racy vignette “A Nun’s Story” (which will appeal to hardcore “nunsploitation” fans). Unfortunately, De Renzy allows shameless self-promotion to get in the way of his larger purpose by including personally-directed shorts in the final section of the film. Even worse, he doesn’t seem to understand the concept of judicious editing: rather than choosing strategic clips from each of the various films, he shows them in their entirety, and thus the movie drags on for far too long.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An interesting, somewhat mind-bending glimpse at early 20th century folks engaged in lewd behavior
  

Must See?
Yes. As the first attempt to compile early stag and adult movies into a “documentary” for mainstream audiences (it was reviewed by Roger Ebert and the New York Times), this flick holds a unique place in film history.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review

Synopsis:
13-year-old Anne (Eleonore Klarwein) and her older sister Frederique (Odile Michel) grow up in 1960s Paris.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Coming-of-Age
• French Films
• Siblings

Review:
First-time writer/director Diane Kurys’ autobiographical film about the travails of female adolescence rarely hits a false note. Kurys well remembers the small pains of teenage girlhood: anxiety over getting one’s period, jealousy of one’s older sister, curiosity (and laughable misinformation) about sex, the desperate need for pantyhose when all your friends are wearing it– Slightly less effective are the scenes taking place at the girls’ authoritarian school, where the teachers come across as stereotypes rather than individuals, and the children’s behavior (as well as the discipline that follows) seems excessive. Nonetheless, Kurys must be applauded for telling her story the way she remembers it, and for creating a film filled with so many moments of quiet, poignant authenticity.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Eleonore Klarwein as knobby-kneed Anne
  
• Many memorable, often amusing, glimpses of adolescent angst
  

Must See?
No, though it’s not to be missed by those who enjoy coming-of-age stories.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
Donald Duck and his two avian friends — parrot Panchito and rooster Jose Carioca — present musical information on South America and Mexico.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Animated Feature
• Musicals
• South and Central America

Review:
Commissioned as part of the State Department’s “Good Neighbor Policy” with South America, Disney’s seventh feature-length film is a follow-up to its similarly themed predecessor, Saludos Amigos (1942). Like Saludos, it’s more a series of vignettes than a cohesive narrative, and should be viewed primarily as a historical curio. With that said, some of the animation is pretty far-out (especially in the latter-half of the film), and several of the vignettes — including the first one, an amusing tale about a cold-blooded penguin who emigrates to a tropical island — make the movie worth sitting through at least once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Impressive early experimentation with simultaneous live action/cartoon
  
• Some truly psychedelic animation
  

Must See?
No, though most film fanatics will likely be curious to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Movie Guide Review
• Big Cartoon Database Review
• MovieMartyr.com Review

Synopsis:
A nebbish (Dennis Christopher) from Chicago comes to California in search of sun and surf.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Dennis Christopher Films
• Glynnis O’Connor Films
• Misfits
• Seymour Cassel Films
• Surfers

Review:
From beginning to end, this wannabe comedy contains unappealing characters, awful dialogue, unrealistic scenarios, and an instantly forgettable ensemble plot. I was astonished to find myself turned off by the eminently likeable Dennis Christopher:

and saddened to see one of my favorite young actresses — Glynnis O’Connor — reduced to playing a vapid surfer Betty named Corky.

In fact, I can’t even recommend this film to O’Connor fans, because it’s utterly depressing to see her trading in her previously smart, unusual roles for this one. While California Dreaming has a few diehard fans — check out some of the posts on IMDb, for instance — I suspect this is primarily because of its t&a factor more than anything else.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Good use of location shooting in Southern California
  

Must See?
No. While listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book, I recommend sleeping through this one instead.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
After Ollie (Oliver Hardy) has a nervous breakdown, he and Stan (Stanley Laurel) quit their jobs at a horn-testing factory, rent a boat for relaxation, and find themselves out to sea with an escaped convict.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• At Sea
• Comedy
• Fugitives
• Laurel & Hardy Films

Review:
While diehard Laurel and Hardy fans won’t be disappointed, this film is ultimately more a series of comedic skits (Stan and Ollie in a horn-testing factory; Ollie trying in vain to recuperate; Stan and Ollie dealing with a fugitive convict) than a full-length narrative. The material is mostly unoriginal, and the scene where Stan and Ollie are forced to eat an inedible meal on their ship is downright derivative of Chaplin’s shoelace-eating sequence in The Gold Rush (1925).

Film fanatics will be better off watching one of L&H’s earlier masterpieces, such as Sons of the Desert (1933), Way Out West (1937), or Blockheads (1938).

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The opening scenes at the horn-testing factory
  
• A surrealistic moment as Stan peels a banana without any fruit inside
  

Must See?
No. I’m not sure why this film is listed in the back of Peary’s book, other than its status as one of Laurel and Hardy’s later full-length works.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
After spending a year in the slammer, second-generation Puerto Rican Miguel Estrada (John Saxon) tries to go straight, but finds himself pulled back into a life of crime in New York.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ex-Cons
• Gangsters
• John Saxon Films
• New York City
• Puerto Ricans

Review:
This screen adaptation of Irving Shulman’s 1949 novel fails to deliver on its most basic premise: authentically portraying Puerto Rican culture in New York. While the film starts out strong, the plot quickly takes one predictable turn after the other, with Saxon ultimately being destroyed by his primary vice (women). Saxon is hunky eye candy (a la young Brando), but otherwise utterly unconvincing as a Puerto Rican; his female co-star (Linda Cristal) fares much better as the Cuban femme fatale for whom he throws away his tenuous freedom.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• One of the first cinematic depictions of Puerto Ricans in New York
  

Must See?
No. While it starts out strong, this film ultimately devolves into a predictable crime drama, and is not must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
In 1940s New York, a Hasidic Jew (Robby Benson) and a Modern Orthodox Jew (Barry Miller) find their friendship threatened when their fathers (Rod Steiger and Maximilian Schell) disagree on the impending State of Israel.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Coming-of-Age
• Father and Child
• Friendship
• Jews
• Maximilian Schell Films
• Robby Benson Films
• Rod Steiger Films

Review:
I read Chaim Potok’s The Chosen (1967) for the first time as a teenager, and remember being utterly fascinated by the unfamiliar world of academic Judaism it evokes in such detail. Even more importantly, however, I could relate to Potok’s carefully rendered story about the throes of adolescent individuation, and a teenage friendship formed at least partly out of mutual fascination and curiosity — after all, who among us hasn’t cultivated a companion out of a desire to co-opt a bit of his or her life?

Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised when finally watching this cinematic version of Potok’s novel, which does an excellent job distilling the essence of the book into a Hollywood drama. Robby Benson is admirably restrained here as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, and Barry Miller is equally convincing as his more liberal friend (who narrates the story). Most impressive, however, is director Jeremy Kagan’s presentation of sons and fathers whose loyalties and interests intersect in unexpected ways. While the film is marred by an overly sentimental final scene between Benson and Steiger, it nonetheless remains a fascinating glimpse at friendship and filial devotion during a very specific cultural era.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Robby Benson’s sensitive portrayal as a proud Jewish teenager torn between tradition and personal interests
  
• Barry Miller’s grounded performance as Benson’s friend
  
• Rod Steiger as Benson’s ultra-Orthodox rabbi father
  
• Maximilian Schell as Miller’s Zionist father
  
• A powerful portrait of filial loyalty
  
• A unique historical glimpse at mid-century Jews’ debate over the creation of Israel
  

Must See?
No, but it’s definitely worth renting at least once.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Talking Pictures Review
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Jamie (Jeremy Levy) helps his new friend Franny (Trini Alvarado) adjust to the fact that her parents (John Lithgow and Kathryn Walker) are on the brink of divorce.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Coming-of-Age
• Divorce
• First Love
• Friendship
• John Lithgow Films
• New York

Review:
I’m a sucker for well-made films about worldly children who are ultimately better suited for survival than their clueless parents — and fortunately, Robert M. Young’s delightful Rich Kids is just such a film. These plucky adolescents (who are, as one character puts it, “too old to play doctor and too young to do anything else”) must rely on their wits, the limited information around them, and each other to figure out the reasons behind their parents’ inexplicable behavior, as well as an outlet for their budding desires. The dialogue and acting in Rich Kids — a somewhat disingenuous title, given that these scenarios could happen in families of any class — is both natural and intelligent, and the plot builds to a hilariously credible denouement. While this isn’t “must see” viewing, it’s certainly a delight, and worth watching at least once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine performances by Trini Alvarado and Jeremy Levy
  
• Excellent on-location footage in New York
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s a good little sleeper.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
After winning a full scholarship to a university in Los Angeles, high school basketball star Henry Steele (Robby Benson) finds himself struggling to succeed.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Basketball
• College
• Corruption
• Coming-of-Age
• Robby Benson Films
• Underdogs

Review:
Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary’s book, this Robby Benson vehicle (he also co-wrote the script) offers all the standard cliches of every sports flick you’ve ever seen: an underdog who desperately wants to make it big struggles valiantly to succeed before scoring major points in the final “big game” (whoops! I gave it away). Yet it’s also a bravely cynical look at the corruption so rampant in the world of college sports: Henry is offered an all-expenses-paid scholarship (despite his limited academic abilities), a car, a tutor to help him pass his classes, a well-paying sinecure, and two free passes to each home game (which he’s able to sell for a whopping $300 each). Yet as soon as the tables turn — and the powers-that-be decide he’s no longer worthy star material — he finds himself fighting against the very forces which once buoyed his success. There are no surprises in One on One (again, my apologies for giving the ending away!), but getting to the final triumphant scene of this movie seems to be the whole point of its narrative journey.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Robby Benson’s sincere performance as Henry
  
• A scathing glimpse at corruption in the NCAA
• Melanie Griffith in a small role as the duplicitous hitchhiker Benson picks up in L.A.

Must See?
No. While this is an enjoyable little sleeper, it’s only must-see viewing for hardcore Robby Benson fans.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
An elderly, ailing husband (Ganjiro Nakamura) tries to resurrect his waning virility by presenting his beautiful younger wife (Machiko Kyo) to his daughter’s fiance (Tatsuya Nakadai).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Black Comedy
• Japanese Films
• Jealousy
• Kon Ichikawa Films
• Sexuality

Review:
Kon Ichikawa’s provocative black comedy — based on a novel by famed Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki — makes for fascinating yet challenging viewing. Since characters’ motivations aren’t always clear, we never know what to expect from them, and thus we’re kept in suspense from beginning to end. Kyo’s wifely character is particularly inscrutable — how much does she know about her husband’s plans? — and Ichikawa’s choice not to let us know what’s running through her mind differs radically from the novel (which consists of alternating diary entries written by both husband and wife).

As highly charged as the eroticism is in Kagi, it’s implied rather than flaunted: the characters never explicitly state what’s going on, and instead we must rely on their facial reactions to guess the content of racy photographs, or to understand that a particular character has no clothing on. Symbolism also prevails: in one unusually provocative shot, the aging husband’s dark-rimmed glasses fall onto his wife’s pale chest, hinting at the distance that exists between his lustful gaze and her sensuous availability. While not all of Ichikawa’s stylistic choices work — his freeze frames near the beginning of the film seem like mere affect, for instance — his unique sensibility ultimately adds just the right flavor of absurdity to this darkly comic tale.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An intriguingly perverse, erotically charged saga of familial dysfunction
  

Must See?
Yes, simply as an essential entry in Kon Ichikawa’s impressive oeuvre.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Capsule Review