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Month: October 2021

Night of the Comet (1984)

Night of the Comet (1984)

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“I hate days that start like this.”

Synopsis:
A teenager (Catherine Mary Stewart) spending the night with her boyfriend (Michael Bowen) in a movie projection room awakens to find they are two of the only survivors in Los Angeles after a comet has turned all exposed humans into either piles of red dust or zombies. After Bowen is killed by a zombie, Stewart learns that her cheerleading sister (Kelli Maroney) has also survived, and the duo head to a radio station where they encounter yet another survivor, a truck-driver named Hector (Robert Beltran). Will the small group survive attempts by a team of exposed scientists — including Dr. Carter (Geoffrey Lewis) and Audrey White (Mary Woronov) — to harvest their blood as a potentially life-saving cure?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Horror Films
  • Los Angeles
  • Post-Apocalypse
  • Science Fiction
  • Survival
  • Zombies

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that “former soap actresses Catherine Mary Stewart and baby-dollish Kelli Maroney” — who “break loose as spunky, funny sisters who are among the few survivors after a deadly comet passes over earth”:

— would “make a fabulous, permanent comic duo.” He highlights “their fantasy-fulfilling romp through an LA department store that hasn’t any security guards or salesgirls to look over their shoulders” as “a joy to watch”:

… and notes that director “Thom Eberhardt adeptly mixes comedy and scares,” with the film benefiting “from an extremely witty, offbeat script, some nifty camera work, and an excellent cast,” with “Stewart, in particular, sparkl[ing].”

Peary concludes his review by describing this film as “an unexpected pleasure that’s headed,” he hopes, “for cult status” (it was).

While it’s easy to see how this film must have pleased audiences at the time — and certainly retains a huge nostalgia factor given its Very 80s vibe and soundtrack — it’s not really all that compelling. Stewart is sleeping with an idiot (Bowen) for no apparent reason:

… other than perhaps to get away from her witchy stepmom (Sharon Farrell), and Maroney shows chutzpah in standing up to Farrell but is otherwise an airhead.

Beltran is a welcome addition to the cast:

… but he’s gone for far too much of the storyline. Meanwhile, the shoot-out at the mall by a band of thuggish survivors doesn’t really pass the sanity test (wouldn’t they be at all eager or curious to talk with fellow-survivors — especially such pretty ones?):

… and the subplot involving the “evil” scientists is underdeveloped, with Woronov giving a surprisingly subtle and sympathetic performance for a role that doesn’t really seem to deserve it (though it’s always good to see her on screen).

Most impressive are the low-budget effects showing Los Angeles as a red-tinted wasteland; it’s convincingly creepy.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • An effective low-budget portrayal of nearly-abandoned Los Angeles

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a one-time look for its cult status.

Links:

1776 (1972)

1776 (1972)

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“I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace; that two are called a law firm; and that three or more become a Congress!”

Synopsis:
At the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, John Adams (William Daniels) pushes for independence from Britain, and is given leave — along with Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva), Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard), and others — to draft the Declaration of Independence.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • American Revolutionary War
  • Blythe Danner Films
  • Historical Drama
  • Musicals
  • Play Adaptation

Review:
This adaptation of Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone’s 1969 Tony-winning Broadway musical offers an intriguing counterpoint to Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, with both historicizing (and musicalizing) key moments from the earliest years of the United States. As with most historical dramatizations, 1776 is filled with inaccuracies (see Wikipedia’s entry for specifics), but it seems to get the overall gist of the moment “right” — meaning, we strongly sense how confoundingly hot it was in the closed-window rooms:

… how dull and trite most of the Congress’s work generally felt:

… and how contentious key issues (i.e., slavery) were to moving forward as a collective:

Because we already know the eventual outcome of this momentous event, the storyline necessarily focuses on the personalities behind the scenes, highlighting (indeed, over-emphasizing) their key qualities for dramatic impact — so, we see Adams berating himself time and again for being so “obnoxious and disliked” (not actually true in real life):

… Jefferson’s driving lust for his wife (Blythe Danner):

… and Ben Franklin’s irrepressibly scampish nature (Da Silva is a highlight of the movie):

Unfortunately, the songs aren’t all that thrilling, though a few will stick in your head (for better or for worse) long after they’re done.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Howard Da Silva as Ben Franklin
  • Fine historical sets and cinematography

Must See?
No, but it’s definitely must-see for American history buffs.

Links:

Maitresse (1976)

Maitresse (1976)

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“It’s fascinating to get into people’s madness so intimately.”

Synopsis:
When a petty thief (Gerard Depardieu) breaks into an apartment owned by an S&M dominatrix (Bulle Ogier), he quickly falls for her and the pair begin living together as lovers — but can Olivier (Depardieu) handle the mystery of not knowing who Ariane’s mysterious, wealthy friend Gautier (Holger Löwenadler) is?

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Barbet Schroeder Films
  • French Films
  • Gerard Depardieu Films
  • S&M
  • Strong Females
  • Thieves and Criminals

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “perverse romance” by Barbet Schroeder — who “never chooses ordinary material” — features “appealing” leads and “has definite shock value,” given that “a real dominatrix was hired to be Ogier’s double during the S&M scenes and to actually torture and humiliate real-life masochists.”

However, he argues that “while Schroeder presents a bizarre relationship, he says nothing new about male-female power struggles” unless he’s “saying that even the most bizarre relationships have the same old problems as the most mundane relationships.”

Peary asserts that “Schroeder’s theme is unclear”, and “worse, it’s obvious… we’re supposed to see that Ogier has a dual personality (much like Kathleen Turner in Crimes of Passion), yet are never provided with sufficient insight into either side,” meaning that “why she is as she is remains a mystery.”

I don’t see Ogier’s Ariane as having a “dual personality” so much as being a complex and conflicted person with unique skills and desires. We never do fully understand the “why” behind her career, but we’re not meant to; rather, the story is focused on Depardieu’s (Olivier’s) desperate need to understand what he’s stumbled into. He’s clearly intrigued by S&M, and one of the films strengths is showing us what seems like a reasonably accurate portrayal of how this world plays out, with secrecy, compacts, and hidden identities all critical components:

When Depardieu can’t abide by these rules, he jeopardizes the entire enterprise, leading to the film’s tense ending. Ogier’s lead performance is particularly noteworthy, showing us the complexity of emotions — both authentic and enacted — required to carry out this kind of work. She alone makes it worth a one-time look.

Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:

  • Bulle Ogier as Ariane
  • Gerard Depardieu as Olivier
  • Nestor Almendros’ cinematography
  • Fine sets and production design

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended for one-time viewing given its historical relevance — and for Ogier’s performance.

Links: