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Month: March 2007

Endless Summer, The (1966)

Endless Summer, The (1966)

Comments 1 comment

“I couldn’t help but think of all the waves which had gone to waste.”

Synopsis:
Two American surfers (Michael Hynson and Robert August) travel the world in search of the “perfect wave”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Documentary
  • Sports
  • Surfers

Review:
Bruce Brown’s 16 mm documentary about surfing the world’s waves is, as noted in TCM’s article, little more than a glorified home video. Nonetheless, it received reasonable reviews upon its release, and, despite the hokey narration by Brown, has developed a nostalgic cult following over the years. Naturally, there’s lots of footage of the surfers out on the waves, which can get tedious if you’re not a fan — but if you’re going to see one documentary about this hugely popular sport, this should be it.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • An often amusing time-capsule glimpse at one of the world’s most popular water sports
  • Brown’s unintentionally campy narration

Must See?
Yes. This cult documentary should be seen by all film fanatics.

Categories

  • Cult Movie
  • Historically Relevant

Links:

Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, The (1980)

Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter, The (1980)

Comments 0 Comment

“We’d never had any opportunity to do that kind of work.”

Synopsis:
When soldiers return home after World War II, women doing vital work in factories are asked to leave.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Documentary
  • Feminism and Women’s Issues
  • Propaganda
  • World War II

Review:
Countless documentaries have been made about World War II — especially since the debut of the History Channel on cable — but Connie Field’s The Life and Times of Rosie the Riveter remains unique. Filmed at a time when many former “Rosies” were still alive and able to remember their experiences during the war, Riveter showcases first-hand interviews with women who experienced both a unique opportunity to learn “men’s work”, and a devastating loss of empowerment soon thereafter. Field is especially adept at showing how the American propaganda machine churned out rhetoric meant to make women feel guilty during the war if they didn’t contribute to the workforce, and guilty afterwards if they hoped to keep the jobs they’d grown to enjoy.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Judicious use of both archival footage and contemporary interviews


Must See?
Yes, simply for its importance as a valuable cultural document.

Categories

  • Historically Relevant

Links:

Kon-Tiki (1950)

Kon-Tiki (1950)

Comments 1 comment

“What is shown is what actually took place.”

Synopsis:
Thor Heyerdahl and his crew sail across the Pacific Ocean on a wooden raft, hoping to prove that Peruvian Indians may once have settled in the Polynesian Islands.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • At Sea
  • Documentary
  • Scientists

Review:
This Oscar-winning documentary — constructed primarily from 16 mm footage shot during Heyerdahl’s historic trans-Pacific voyage — remains surprisingly powerful viewing. Other than its “voice of God” narration and an opening sequence showing maps of the trip, this film tells it like it is: we feel like we’re right there on the boat with these brave men as they carry out one of the most audacious “experiments” in the history of the social sciences. Click here to read more about the expedition.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • A fascinating glimpse at the Kon-Tiki crew’s trials and triumphs
  • The climactic final moments of the crew’s journey
  • Flying fish landing on the deck of the raft each morning, providing convenient “fast food” for the sailors

Must See?
Yes. This documentary remains a fascinating look at one of the most famous sea voyages ever made. Listed in the back of Peary’s book as a film with Historical Importance and a Personal Recommendation.

Categories

  • Historically Relevant
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

Faces (1968)

Faces (1968)

Comments 1 comment

“I want a divorce. That’s the only thing to do, isn’t it?”

Synopsis:
After announcing he wants a divorce from his wife (Lynn Carlin), an unhappily married businessman (John Marley) spends the night with a call girl (Gena Rowlands); meanwhile, his wife goes to a club with her friends and hooks up with a much younger man (Seymour Cassel).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Bourgeois Society
  • Character Studies
  • Gena Rowlands Films
  • John Cassavetes Films
  • Marital Problems
  • May-December Romance
  • Midlife Crisis
  • Seymour Cassel Films

Review:
John Cassavetes’ first “signature” movie — after his experimental debut film, Shadows (1959), and two additional studio pictures — was this utterly bleak yet cinematically groundbreaking look at a bourgeois marriage in decay. Faces features fine, natural performances by everyone involved, and provides a daringly unfiltered look at class and gender relations in 1960s America. Indeed, “unfiltered” is the operative word here: Cassavetes’ first cut of the film (culled from 115 hours of cinema verite footage) was something on the order of six hours long; he eventually edited it down to 130 minutes; but, truth be told, it’s still a long haul to get through. As admirable as Cassavetes’ unconventional, no-holds-barred approach is here, the story is incredibly difficult to watch: emotions are raw and exposed, women are treated abominably, and (in typical Cassavetes fashion) there’s sporadic physical violence and an emotional breakdown. Seymour Cassel’s “Chet” — a hippie living for the moment — brings the only blast of hope into this quagmire of unhappiness; but even he eventually vanishes, leaving these characters to deal, once again, with the oppression of their stultifying lives.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • John Marley as the successful businessman experiencing a mid-life crisis
  • Luminous Gena Rowlands as the call girl who states, “I’m too old to be lovely — and I haven’t got a heart of gold.”
  • Lynn Carlin (simply wonderful in her first role) as Marley’s unhappy wife
  • Seymour Cassel as the free-spirit who brings romance into Carlin’s life for one brief night
  • A painfully honest look at a marriage on the brinks
  • Effective, groundbreaking use of natural lighting, cinema verite camera angles, and improvised dialogue

Must See?
Yes. As difficult as it is to watch, all film fanatics should see this important movie at least once.

Categories

  • Historically Relevant
  • Important Director
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Flaming Creatures (1963)

Flaming Creatures (1963)

Comments 3 comments

“Do they make a lipstick that doesn’t come off?”

Synopsis:
Underground director Jack Smith presents tableaux of orgiastic sensuality, lipstick application, rape, and dance over an eclectic soundtrack, culminating in a plaster-shaking earthquake.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Experimental Films
  • Sexuality
  • Surrealism

Review:
Jack Smith’s infamous 43-minute underground classic — shot on partially destroyed film stock, lacking any cohesive narrative, and meant to be “a comedy set in a haunted music studio” — is admired by at least one critic (Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader) as a “jubilant, celebratory film” which possesses “the collective force of a delirious apocalypse”. For my money, however, I find the film devilishly difficult to grasp, and probably more hype than substance. Nonetheless, it remains an undisputed icon of experimental film, and should be seen (endured?) by every film fanatic at least once.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • A groundbreaking example of anarchistic filmmaking

Must See?
Yes, simply for its place in cinematic history. Listed in the back of Peary’s book as a film with historical importance and a Cult Movie.

Categories

  • Controversial Film
  • Historically Relevant

(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)

Links:

Silent Running (1972)

Silent Running (1972)

Comments 1 comment

“On this first day of a new century, we humbly beg forgiveness.”

Synopsis:
In a dystopic near-future, the Earth has been paved over, and the remaining gardens exist inside orbiting satellites manned by astronauts on a spaceship. When the ship receives order to destroy the satellites, an environmentally-conscious crewmate named Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) commits mutiny, and does what he can to protect his precious plants.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Astronauts
  • Bruce Dern Films
  • Dystopia
  • Mental Breakdown
  • Mutiny
  • Non-Conformists
  • Robots
  • Science Fiction

Review:
Douglas Trumbull (who created the special effects for both 2001 and The Andromeda Strain) made his directorial debut with this unusual science fiction flick. Silent Running features an impressive lead performance by Bruce Dern, and poses a provocative dilemma: what if you were asked to destroy the only remaining vegetation in existence? Would you blindly follow orders (as do the rest of Freeman’s crewmates), or take a stand and risk your life to “save the plants” at any cost? The bulk of the film follows Freeman’s gradual mental deterioration as he deals with profound loneliness, and tries to prevent his superiors from learning the truth about what’s happened. His interactions with three “friendly” robots on board the ship — Huey, Dewey, and Louie — are campy, but we actually start to care for these metallic creatures after a while, and can relate to Freeman’s fondness for them. The film’s ending generates true pathos: as Freeman makes the ultimate sacrifice in favor of his beliefs, we realize we’ve become just as invested in the outcome as our wacky yet noble protagonist.

Note: The incredibly dated soundtrack (sung by Joan Baez) quickly becomes insufferable, but is all part of the experience of this uniquely-’70s cult favorite.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Bruce Dern as the dedicated gardener who will stop at nothing to protect his plants
  • Impressive early special effects and set designs
  • An amusing yet eerie glimpse — a la Cast Away (2000) — at how loneliness can lead to increasingly wacky interactions with non-human objects

Must See?
Yes. This cult movie — while certainly hokey in many ways — remains a surprisingly effective cautionary tale.

Categories

  • Cult Movie

Links:

Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973)

Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973)

Comments 1 comment

“Everybody’s always telling me ‘Do this, do that’!”

Synopsis:
A debt-ridden womanizer (Ron Leibman) convinces his engaged friend Charlie (Beau Bridges) to take a credit-card-paid road trip with him before he skips out of town.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Beau Bridges Films
  • Comedy
  • Con-Artists
  • Friendship
  • Janet Margolin Films
  • Road Trip

Review:
This little-seen 1970s “buddy road flick” bears an uncanny resemblance to Alexander Payne’s Sideways (2004): both tell the story of radically different male friends (one staid and depressed, the other a flamboyant womanizer) taking a California road trip together; and in both movies, the depressed friend is obsessed with making phone calls to his (ex)girlfriend/wife, while the latter tries to convince him to loosen up and have a good time.

Although Your Three Minutes Are Up doesn’t come close to the brilliance of Payne’s celebrated comedy, it does possess some surprisingly humorous moments, as Mike (Leibman) eventually convinces Charlie to join him in a series of small cons; I especially like the scene in which Mike and Charlie ditch two mooching girls at an expensive restaurant. Even the thoroughly obnoxious Mike soon becomes fun to watch, thanks in no small part to Leibman’s energetic performance.

The film’s title — referring to the days of pay phones, operators, and limited time to talk — is an indication of its place in history; indeed, one of the movie’s unintentional strengths is the naturalistic time capsule glimpse it affords. But the story itself is flawed: Janet Margolin is wasted in a supporting role as Charlie’s nagging fiancee (she gives us no reason to root for her — no wonder Charlie wants to get away), and the film’s comedic tone is marred by both a confusing beginning and an inexplicably negative ending.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Ron Leibman as the irrepressible con-artist
  • Leibman and Bridges leaving two girls to pick up the tab at an expensive restaurant
  • A spot-on look at the streets and highways of 1970s California

Must See?
No. While mildly amusing, this low-budget buddy flick (listed by Peary in the back of his book as a Sleeper) isn’t must-see viewing.

Links:

Last Angry Man, The (1959)

Last Angry Man, The (1959)

Comments 1 comment

“I want to dramatize your own views, your own beliefs — for 30 million people!”

Synopsis:
A television producer (David Wayne) tries to convince an unorthodox doctor (Paul Muni) in Brooklyn to star in a reality T.V. show.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Betsy Palmer Films
  • Do-Gooders
  • Doctors
  • Folk Heroes
  • Nonconformists
  • Paul Muni Films
  • Television

Review:
In his final film, 63-year-old Paul Muni once again proved his mettle as one of Hollywood’s finest chameleon-like actors; indeed, it’s remarkably easy to forget that there’s an actor behind this bespectacled doctor’s visage. Muni plays Dr. Abelman as a nonconformist extraordinaire, a stubborn idealist who refuses to deviate from his values even an inch.

When he finds out he’s being offered a house in exchange for appearing on T.V., for instance, Abelman is offended rather than grateful; and nothing — not even a house full of crew members ready to film — will stop him from visiting a patient in need. Unfortunately, while Muni’s performance makes us believe in and care about this iconoclastic doctor, the film itself is undone by its simplistic morality. In addition, the final sequences — while heartfelt — are interminable, and insult our intelligence by relying on cliched deathbed pathos rather than the intrinsic power of Abelman’s story. Ultimately, then, The Last Angry Man only remains must-see viewing because of Muni.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Paul Muni’s powerhouse performance as Dr. Abelman; as noted by the New York Times, Muni “knows all the bold and subtle ways of bringing an interesting, robust character to glowing theatrical life”
  • David Wayne as the television producer who experiences a change of heart
  • Luther Adler as Dr. Abelman’s prosperous best friend (and symbolic counterpart)

Must See?
Yes, simply to see Muni in his final, Oscar-nominated performance.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)
  • Oscar Winner or Nominee

Links:

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Comments 1 comment

“This is developing into a very bad habit!”

Synopsis:
On a windy Halloween night in Brooklyn, newly married drama critic Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) visits his kind spinster aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair), only to discover that they’ve gone batty and are killing off elderly gentlemen. While he’s deciding what to do about the twelve bodies buried in the basement, Brewster’s psychotic brother (Raymond Massey) shows up with an accomplice (Peter Lorre) and a corpse of his own.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Black Comedy
  • Cary Grant Films
  • Frank Capra Films
  • Hiding Dead Bodies
  • Jack Carson Films
  • Mental Illness
  • Peter Lorre Films
  • Play Adaptations
  • Priscilla Lane Films
  • Raymond Massey Films
  • Serial Killers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary’s response to this “super screwy black comedy” — directed by Frank Capra from an adaptation of Joseph Kesselring’s hit Broadway play — is lackluster at best. He lambastes Grant’s performance — calling him “out of control” and “truly annoying” — and, rather than citing any of the film’s strengths, simply notes that the “worst part [is how] so much humor comes from characters being frustrated when trying to get information or give information.” What Peary’s review neglects to mention, however, is how uniformly funny and zany Arsenic is, with many wonderfully comedic performances, countless memorable lines, and an endless series of madcap situations.

While this is perhaps Frank Capra’s least “Capra-esque” film, he does a fine job opening up the play for the big screen, making good use of the windy environs surrounding the Brewster house, and applying dramatic cinematography to great effect. He directs a powerhouse cast, with Hull and Adair especially notable; their interactions together (notice their smiles!) are truly priceless. The supporting players do a fine job as well: I love the interactions between Massey and Lorre (especially while arguing over how many bodies Massey has killed), and the good-natured oblivion of John Alexander (playing Grant’s insane uncle, who believes he’s Teddy Roosevelt). Finally, while many reviewers (including Peary) have argued that Grant overplays his part (and he apparently hated his own performance here), he serves as a suitable foil for the craziness surrounding him; indeed, it’s hard to imagine Arsenic and Old Lace without him.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Josephine Hull and Jean Adair as the kind yet murderous maiden aunts
  • Raymond Massey as Jonathan Brewster, a.k.a. “Boris Karloff”
  • Peter Lorre as Jonathan’s accomplice, “Dr. Einstein”
  • Jack Carson as aspiring playwright Officer O’Hara
  • Priscilla Lane as Mortimer’s frustrated new wife
  • John Alexander as “Teddy Roosevelt”, charging up the stairs with bugle in hand
  • C. Everett Horton as the director of Happydale Sanitorium
  • Effective use of atmospheric cinematography and sets

Must See?
Yes. Arsenic and Old Lace remains a classic black comedy, and shouldn’t be missed.

Categories

  • Genuine Classic

Links:

Baby It’s You (1983)

Baby It’s You (1983)

Comments 1 comment

“We’re not in high school anymore!”

Synopsis:
An aspiring lounge singer (Vincent Spano) pursues an aspiring actress (Rosanna Arquette) in high school, and they embark upon a rocky relationship. When Jill (Arquette) enters college and Sheik (Spano) heads to Miami, however, their differences are accentuated even further.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Cross-Class Romance
  • John Sayles Films
  • Obsessive Love
  • Rosanna Arquette Films
  • Teenagers

Review:
This character-driven film by independent director John Sayles is a realistic, often uncomfortable look at the difficulties inherent in cross-class romances. Jewish, upper-middle-class Jill and Italian, working-class “Sheik” couldn’t be more different, yet Jill is intrigued by Sheik’s tenacity, and Sheik is — for some reason — convinced that Jill is the love of his life. As in Alan J. Pakula’s The Sterile Cuckoo, Jill and Spano ultimately want different things out of their budding romance: Jill (like Jerry in Cuckoo) simply goes along with the experience, while the desperate Sheik (Pookie’s counterpart) is obsessed with holding on at all costs. Many reviewers have complained about Sayles’ unorthodox choice to follow Jill and Sheik beyond high school — yet Sayles has never been one to stick to conventional narrative arcs, and his choice is an effective one here. Baby It’s You isn’t meant to be a happily-ever-after teen romance between two unlikely souls — instead, it succinctly demonstrates the ways in which love can be blind, sex doesn’t necessarily correlate with love, and life rarely wraps itself up neatly in a bow.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Rosanna Arquette’s remarkably natural performance as Jill
  • Vincent Spano as the tenacious Sheik
  • An effective portrayal of the difficulties inherent in cross-class romance

Must See?
Yes, simply for Arquette’s stand-out performance. Peary lists this film in the back of his book as both a Cult Movie and a Personal Recommendation.

Categories

  • Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links: