Goodbye, New York (1985)

Goodbye, New York (1985)

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“I thought I’d change my life.”

Synopsis:
When a woman (Julie Hagerty) finds her husband (Christopher Goutman) cheating on her, she leaves New York and heads to Paris, only to find herself in Israel without luggage or money when she sleeps through her landing. Once there, she befriends her new roommate (Aviva Ger) on a kibbutz as well as a lonely soldier (Amos Kollek) hoping for romance.

Genres:

  • Middle East
  • Strong Females

Review:
There’s little to recommend about this well-meaning but dull, contrived, and poorly acted Israeli flick about a suddenly-single woman determined to have the adventure of her life abroad. As Kevin Thomas wrote in his review of the film for the L.A. Times: “Writer-producer-director (and co-star) Amos Kollek… fails to develop Hagerty’s predicament with either wit or credibility, only a plentitude of tedious complications. Hagerty, though game, comes off as a tiresome dimwit.” The primary novelty of the film is its Israeli setting, though there have since been many other worthier titles to check out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • An interesting glimpse of an Israeli kibbutz in the 1980s

Must See?
No; feel free to skip this one. Listed as a Sleeper and Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary’s book.

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National Lampoon’s Animal House / Animal House (1978)

National Lampoon’s Animal House / Animal House (1978)

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“If the whole fraternity system is guilty, then isn’t this an indictment of our educational institutions in general?”

Synopsis:
During pledge week in 1962, two young college students (Tom Hulce and Stephen Furst) find themselves joining a raucous fraternity — whose members include a “smooth-talking, skirt-chasing president” (Tim Matheson), a student (Peter Riegert) whose girlfriend (Karen Allen) tries to convince him to “settle down”, and two “resident wild men” (John Belushi and Bruce McGill) — which the strait-laced dean (John Vernon) is determined to shut down.

Genres:

  • College
  • Comedy
  • Donald Sutherland Films
  • John Belushi Films
  • Karen Allen Films
  • Misfits
  • Verna Bloom Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “influential”, “raucous, raunchy film that became the highest-grossing comedy of all time” — directed by John Landis — “still inspires films that can’t compare to it”. He notes that there “is a lot of destruction” as “the fraternity fights back” against Dean Wormer’s (Vernon’s) attempts to “close down Delta House and expel all the members”, and points out that this “uninhibited film is often hilarious; like his characters, director Landis exhibits inspired lunacy”. Meanwhile, “the characters are so likable that we aren’t turned off when Belushi peeps into sorority girls’ windows while they undress (he gives us a great devilish smile); when Belushi, McGill, and Furst are responsible for the death of a horse in Vernon’s office; when Belushi spits food all over obnoxious students; … or when Matheson manipulates a girl to make love to him by pretending he is the grieving former boyfriend of her recently deceased roommate.” While Peary argues that the “finale is too wild, and hackneyed”, he writes that “before this there are numerous funny moments and scenes” — though he points out it’s “not for all tastes”. Most distressing are the scenes positing non-whites as perennial outsiders, and/or — in the case of a visit to a black music joint — menacing threats; but I suppose it could be argued that this simply highlights the white characters’ inanity, paranoia, and unfounded prejudices.

Note: Watch for Donald Sutherland in a small role as a hip, grass-smoking professor, and Kevin Bacon in his debut role as new pledge “Chip Diller”.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • John Belushi as Bluto
  • John Vernon as Dean Vernon Wormer

Must See?
Yes, as a cult classic.

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Caged Heat (1974)

Caged Heat (1974)

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“You’re in a house of desperate women here — and a long, long way from home.”

Synopsis:
A new inmate (Erica Gavin) in a women’s prison run by a sadistic, wheelchair-bound warden (Barbara Steele) and a perverse doctor (Warren Miller) soon joins forces with other prisoners in rebelling against their dire situation.

Genres:

  • Barbara Steele Films
  • Jonathan Demme Films
  • Mad Doctors and Scientists
  • Prisoners
  • Rebellion
  • Strong Females

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary argues that this “New World picture”, written and directed by Jonathan Demme, was the “best sexploitation film of [the] era, completely overcoming stringent dictates of [the] inherently misogynist women-in-prison genre.” He adds that “Demme deliberately reverses [a] formula which had sex and nudity being supplemented by action, and — with the exception of one scene — refuses to equate violence, or the threat of violence, toward women with sex, or to use female-in-peril/agony scenes to titillate male viewers.” He notes that “much is praiseworthy” about this film, including “the strong, intelligent women” and “the authentic depiction of U.S. prisons as cruel, dehumanizing institutions where prisoners lack privacy … , where some hostile prisoners are given shock treatments or lobotomies, [and] where drugged prisoners are tricked into signing forms that allow doctors to perform hideous, permanently debilitating operations on them.” (Much of this remains all-too-true about modern-day prisons in the United States.)

Peary adds that “Demme did away with the disproportionate use of white and black characters which typically has only one black in a lead role, and the objectionable emphasis on female breasts”, instead often “deglamoriz[ing] the women, showing them on the toilet and looking ill, or with food in their mouths, or even dressed up like baggy-pants male comics, mustache and all.” He writes that the “film has great pacing and [an] exciting escape finale”, as well as a “well chosen” cast — including Barbara “Steele, in a part Demme wrote with her in mind” performing “the strongest role of her strange career”; “beautiful and talented sexploitation vet Roberta Collins do[ing] some comedy; Gavin, whose eyes grow tougher as the film progresses, and adorable Rainbeaux Smith handl[ing] non-dialogue moments especially well; and [Juanita] Brown and Ella Reid exhibit[ing] command and confidence.”

Peary elaborates upon all these ideas in his first Cult Movies book, where he notes:

“While most films of the genre seem to have been created in a cinematic vacuum by directors who had never seen a movie in their lives, Caged Heat makes Demme’s cinematic roots quite evident. Several prison sequences remind one of Raoul Walsh’s White Heat (1949). Demme’s use of John Cale’s fine blues score (with harmonica whining during outdoor sequences) is similar to Arthur Penn’s playing of Flatt and Scruggs’s “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” during the speeding-car sequences in Bonnie and Clyde (1967). When Jackie [Gavin], Maggie [Juanita Brown], and Crazy [Lynda Gold] go to rob a bank and find another group of bankrobbers already there, we might easily flash back to the bungled bank robbery in Woody Allen’s Take the Money and Run (1969), when two gangs simultaneously pull out their guns. When we are presented with a close shot of a wall in the prison mess hall which has on it the writing ‘Don’t Throw Food’ and the wall is immediately struck by flying food, [one recalls] the opening of Mark Robson’s Youth Runs Wild (1944) with its street sign reading “Drive Slowly — We Love Our Children” immediately knocked over by a carelessly driven truck.”

With all that said, Peary adds he “doesn’t want to give the impression that the style or content of Caged Heat is not singular to Demme”, given that overall it’s “like few other films.” I agree with Peary’s overall positive assessment. Caged Heat — while most certainly a women-in-prison exploitation film — is surprisingly intelligent, well-acted, creatively shot, and exciting. It’s held up well, and remains worth a look as a justified cult favorite.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Strong direction, cinematography, and editing
  • John Cale’s score

Must See?
Yes, as a cult favorite.

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Victor / Victoria (1982)

Victor / Victoria (1982)

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“You two-timing son-of-a-bitch — he’s a woman!”

Synopsis:
A destitute singer (Julie Andrews) in 1930s Paris befriends a gay man (Robert Preston) who convinces her to pose as a female impersonator. “Victor” (Andrews) quickly finds success, as well as admiration from a gangster (James Garner) who has trouble reconciling his attraction to a “man”.

Genres:

  • Aspiring Stars
  • Blake Edwards Films
  • Gender Bending
  • Historical Drama
  • James Garner Films
  • Julie Andrews Films
  • Mistaken or Hidden Identities
  • Musicals
  • Robert Preston Films
  • Singers

Review:
Husband-and-wife team Blake Edwards and Julie Andrews reached an artistic plateau in this culmination of their cinematic interest in mistaken identities, gender-bending, and the performing life. Andrews plays a likable, plucky heroine we can’t help rooting for; thankfully, sufficient time is provided for us to get to know her and sympathize with her plight.


Preston is delightful as her supportive new roommate, and convincing as a gay man; his final dance performance (completed in a single take) is a hoot.

The humor — including plenty of Edwards’ signature slapstick — is broad but suitable, and mostly works, with a highlight including the extended “cockroach in my salad” restaurant sequence.

A minor quibble is that we’re shown a few too many shots of Garner looking at Andrews with skepticism before learning the truth about her gender (we get it, already):

… but their subsequent complicated romance plays out authentically, as Garner must continue to confront his own homophobia while Andrews stands up for her professional needs.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Julie Andrews as Victor(ia) (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year in Alternate Oscars)
  • Robert Preston as Toddy
  • Fine period sets and costumes
  • Luminous cinematography
  • Henry Mancini’s score

Must See?
Yes, for Andrews’ performance and as an overall enjoyable show. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

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Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

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“This is war, and you’re in it!”

Synopsis:
In Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, a doctor (Brian Donlevy) working for the underground secretly assassinates the corrupt deputy governor (Hans Heinrich von Twardowski), then seeks refuge in the home of a young woman (Anna Lee) who helped him flee the police. When Lee’s father (Walter Brennan) is sent to prison awaiting execution, and a double agent (Gene Lockhart) works to turn in informers, Lee — whose fiance (Dennis O’Keefe) is understandably distressed by her life-saving pretense of being Donlevy’s lover — must decide whether to protect her own family or the greater cause of her nation.

Genres:

  • Anna Lee Films
  • Assassination
  • Brian Donlevy Films
  • Fritz Lang Films
  • Nazis
  • Resistance
  • Walter Brennan Films
  • World War II

Review:
Very loosely based upon the real-life assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, this Fritz Lang propaganda film — co-scripted by Bertolt Brecht, and clocking in at 134 minutes — is (as noted in TCM’s article) “one of Lang’s quartet of war-inspired productions including Man Hunt (1941), Ministry of Fear (1944) and Cloak and Dagger (1946).” TCM informs us that “though these films have never been considered Lang’s best work, their release amidst wartime fervor made them successful contributions to the Hollywood propaganda effort.” As with Fred Zinneman’s The Seventh Cross (1944), we’re most intrigued by the complexity of this story — that is, how many people are (indeed, must be) involved in efforts to resist fascism. Lee’s character arc is perhaps most notable: she shifts from justifiably furious with Donlevy for placing her family’s previously untouched lives in danger, to gradual recognition of the collective situation:

but we also see Brennan (fine in an unusually subdued supporting role) bonding with fellow captives as he faces near-certain death:

… and other minor characters refusing (even under torture) to betray their countrymen.

The narrative through line of a double agent (Lockhart) who finds himself gradually hemmed in by his own deceit is enormously satisfying:

… and if the Nazis here are portrayed in a somewhat caricatured fashion, this can easily be forgiven given the era in which this film was made and released.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Walter Brennan as Professor Novotny
  • A powerful tale of the need for collective resistance in the face of fascism

  • James Wong Howe’s cinematography


Must See?
Yes, as a powerful WWII-era drama. Listed as a film with Historical Importance in the back of Peary’s book.

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Road to Glory, The (1936)

Road to Glory, The (1936)

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“I left you with a wounded man on a wire, and you leave me with a mine to sit on.”

Synopsis:
A French lieutenant (Warner Baxter) serving in the trenches of World War I with his over-aged father (Lionel Barrymore) finds solace in the company of a local nurse (June Lang), who falls for a newly arrived officer (Fredric March).

Genres:

  • Father and Child
  • Fredric March Films
  • Howard Hawks Films
  • John Qualen Films
  • Lionel Barrymore Films
  • Love Triangle
  • Warner Baxter Films
  • World War I

Review:
Howard Hawks’ The Dawn Patrol (1930) — about the devastation of daily deaths experienced by aerial fighters — ranks among the most hard-hitting films about World War I; and while this later outing by Hawks can’t compete with it, he once again highlights the unimaginable stress soldiers and their leaders endured during the Great War.

Unfortunately, this film’s two primary sub-plots — the love triangle between March, Lang, and Baxter:

… and the challenges of Baxter commanding his aged father:

… aren’t all that compelling, but there are some incredibly intense battle scenes (i.e., the French squadron listening as an explosive-filled tunnel is built above their heads) that make it worth a one-time look by those interested in movies from and of this era.

Interestingly, Hawks’ first feature-length film was also titled The Road to Glory (1926), though it appears to have an entirely different plot and not be related in any way.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Atmospheric cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look.

Links:

Red Pony, The (1949)

Red Pony, The (1949)

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“You can’t know life unless you know death; it’s all part of one thing.”

Synopsis:
When a teacher-turned-rancher (Shepperd Strudwick) gives his son Tom (Peter Miles) a red pony named Gabilan, Tom turns to their ranch hand (Robert Mitchum) for support and advice. Meanwhile, Strudwick’s wife’s (Myrna Loy) garrulous father (Louis Calhern) won’t stop talking about his exploits on the Oregon Trail, leading Strudwick to leave their home for awhile as further drama unfolds with Gabilan.

Genres:

  • Horses
  • Lewis Milestone Films
  • Louis Calhern Films
  • Myrna Loy Films
  • Pets
  • Ranchers
  • Robert Mitchum Films

Review:
John Steinbeck wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his own episodic novella, produced by Republic Pictures Studio and featuring a vivid soundtrack by Aaron Copland. The Technicolor cinematography (by Tony Gaudio) is superb:

and the story nicely ambles through an unconventional tale of a boy and his beloved animal — akin to, but less sentimental than, The Yearling (1946).

Steinbeck fills his screenplay with unexpected characters and twists; we never really understand what makes Strudwick tick the way he does, but the point is that his son’s development and coming of age will continue regardless, assisted by the other influential men in his household. Ultimately, this is a story about a young boy learning to make some sort of peace with the challenges of life, which range from schoolmates teasing him to accepting the limits of human intervention in animals’ well-being.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Peter Miles as Tom
  • Louis Calhern as Grandfather
  • Fine Technicolor cinematography
  • Aaron Copland’s score

Must See?
Yes, as a fine adaptation.

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Pearl, The (Perla, La) (1948)

Pearl, The (Perla, La) (1948)

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Note: This movie was filmed simultaneously in both English and Spanish; while Peary lists the English-titled version in his GFTFF, I chose to watch the Spanish-language version with English subtitles.

“Pearls give you richness, but they also give you grief.”

Synopsis:
When a Mexican fisherman named Quino (Pedro Armendariz) finds a large pearl while diving for oysters, he, his wife Juana (Maria Elena Marques), and their infant son Coyotito experience the unexpectedly negative consequences of sudden wealth.

Genres:

  • Fishermen
  • Mexico

Review:
John Steinbeck co-wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his soon-to-be-published novella, filmed in Mexico by a Mexican director (Emilio Fernandez) and with a mostly-Mexican cast and crew. It’s a highly atmospheric parable, punctuated by cultural intermissions meant to show that the sustaining lifeblood of Quino’s village is joyful, collaborative communion:

… not the selfishness, paranoia, and jealousy which instantly take root once Quino dares to single himself out by finding an extraordinary pearl. Unfortunately, the film’s thematic thrust — “Don’t be greedy” — is undone by a couple of factors. First, the local doctor (overplayed as an avaricious villain by Charles Rooner) refuses to care for Coyotito when he’s bitten by a scorpion, choosing instead to stay in bed eating and fingering his coveted pearls — so we can understand why Quino is so desperate to secure the pearl (how else can he earn the money to save his son’s life?). Second, it seems this poor couple simply can’t win for losing: while they don’t want anything more than to receive money in exchange for their valued pearl, they are confronted on all sides by corruption and theft. What are Quino and Juana to do? Clearly, hopes for rising above their peasant status are unwise, given the tragic consequence that ensue from their momentary flirtation with wealth. With all that said, the on-site cinematography throughout this film is gorgeous, and it remains worth a look both for its visual beauty and its historical significance within Mexican cinema.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Gabriel Figueroa’s cinematography

Must See?
No, though it’s certainly worth a look for its historical relevance. Inducted into the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2002.

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Private Parts (1972)

Private Parts (1972)

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“Look at me — I’m going to pieces! I can’t even work anymore.”

Synopsis:
After being thrown out of her apartment for spying on her roommate (Ann Gibbs), an intrepid young woman (Ayn Ruymen) goes to live in her aunt’s (Lucille Benson) rundown hotel in L.A., where a creepy photographer (John Ventantonio) spies on her.

Genres:

  • Black Comedy
  • Horror Films
  • Peeping Toms

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “kinky black comedy-horror film” — an “interesting debut for director Paul Bartel”, best known for Death Race 2000 (1975) and Eating Raoul (1982) — is “creepy, but perhaps you’ll most remember scenes that are either erotic… or obscene (a transvestite shoots a hypodermic full of blood into the crotch of a plastic female body, which has a picture of Ruymen’s face pasted on it)”. He notes that the “twist ending is confusing and not very satisfying (you won’t buy it), but until then it’s unlike all other girl-in-scary-hotel/motel/inn/boardinghouse pictures”. He ends his review by noting, “Cute Ruymen is most appealing — what became of her?”, and I agree; Ruymen is a refreshingly spunky horror film protagonist, someone who’s clearly enjoying herself and unafraid throughout most of the truly odd proceedings.

This cult flick about family madness and sexually confused killers is most certainly not for all tastes, but will be of interest to fans of Bartel’s work.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Effective cinematography
  • Some super-creepy/odd moments

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

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Flashdance (1983)

Flashdance (1983)

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“You go out there and the music starts, and you begin to feel it, and your body just starts to move.”

Synopsis:
A welder and club dancer (Jennifer Beals) hoping to audition for the Pittsburgh Ballet Company dates her boss (Michael Nouri) while supporting her friends in their dreams of professional ice skating (Sunny Johnson) and stand-up comedy (Kyle T. Heffner).

Genres:

  • Aspiring Stars
  • Cross Class Romance
  • Dancers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “phenomenally popular film” — “set in Pittsburgh” — offers us director “Adrian Lyne’s conception of the perfect ‘modern’ woman: talented, ambitious, loyal to her female friends, confident, stubborn, and sexually liberated”. He notes that while the “picture has a potentially interesting feminist theme, an appealing performance by Beals, and some exciting dancing by Beals’s double Marine Jahan”, the “film is done in by a shallow script, overly stylish direction, and far too much editing.” Peary’s review precisely highlights the problems with this beautifully filmed but vapidly plotted movie, which is built on one simplistic platitude — “Don’t give up on your dreams!” — and fails to develop any relationships in a meaningful way. Perhaps especially frustrating are scenes between Beals and her elderly mentor (Lilia Skala), which tell us nothing at all about how they met or why their special bond developed. You can feel free to skip this one.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Luminous cinematography
  • Enjoyable dance sequences
  • Irene Cara’s Oscar-winning theme song

Must See?
No, unless you’re nostalgic or curious to check it out.

Links: