Below the Belt (1980)
“She’s stronger than she looks — I’m working on the image!”
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Circle of Iron (1978)
“Whatever you think I am — or want me to be — I am.”
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and the fantasy sets are reasonably impressive. This one isn’t must-see for all film fanatics, but fans of the genre will likely want to check it out. Most surreal sequence: Eli Wallach explains his ten-year “tub cure” to Cooper. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Lost Horizon (1937)
“Did you ever go to a totally strange place and feel certain you had been there before?”
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Response to Peary’s Review:
He notes that “the time the characters spend in this land where people are healthy, exist in harmony, and live for 200 years is dull in comparison”. Peary’s review is spot on: the opening scenes during the revolt are thrilling and fast-paced, but Shangri-La itself comes across as little more than a beautiful spa; plus, it’s distressing seeing the “happy natives” all working or in school while the whites live in luxury. I’m also not a fan of Jaffe’s casting as the High Lama, though he does come across as appropriately deluded.
The twist near the end is exciting, and Joseph Walker’s cinematography is gorgeous — but otherwise, this film is primarily of interest as a historical document. Note: According to Wikipedia, the film “exceeded its original budget by more than $776,000, and it took five years for it to earn back its cost.” Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Prizefighter and the Lady, The (1933)
“He’s just a big kid — playful and thoughtless.”
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Unfortunately, his character isn’t exactly likable — he’s self-absorbed, arrogant, and an inveterate player — so it’s hard to maintain sympathy for Loy’s interest in him. The storyline is essentially a woman giving her life up for a man who doesn’t deserve her, and thus it’s hard to know what outcome to root for. There is a surreal interlude at one point, during which Baer sings and dances in a revue with a bevy of much-smaller women, showing off his strength and size; this is worth a watch (though Baer is no Gene Kelly).
The film ends with a lengthy fight between Baer and Primo Carnera, who he soundly defeated in real life the following year — thus making this flick of historical interest to boxing fans, but probably not others. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Viva Las Vegas (1964)
“Can you check my motor? It whistles.”
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… directed with flair by George Sidney and featuring vivid sets and costumes, rousing song-and-dance numbers, nice use of Vegas locales, and a super-fun romantic rivalry (with plenty of genuine sparks flying).
It’s hard to pick a favorite musical number, given that nearly all of them satisfy both musically and choreographically (and there’s a nice mix of on-stage and “narrative driving” songs). The title number, naturally, will stick in your head long after it’s done (just reading this review has likely placed it there…):
… but my personal picks would probably be “The Lady Loves Me” and “Appreciation”.
The storyline — consisting of a love triangle, rivalry for musical dominance, and a car race — is appropriately fluffy yet relevant enough to ground the songs in a realistic context. As noted in the New York Times’ review, Viva Las Vegas “remains friendly, wholesome and pretty as all get-out”, and is certainly worth a film fanatic’s time. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
“We’ve been fighting it for years — and we know from experience, the less talk there is about it, the better.”
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Moss Hart’s screenplay incisively shows how — despite having just emerged from a bloody world war fueled in part by antisemitism — America remained secretly prejudiced itself, with prospective employees changing their names to sound “less Jewish”, and unspoken norms of WASP elitism perpetuating segregation. Peck is fine in the central role, but it’s the supporting players who stand out here — particularly Revere and Holm:
— and Arthur Miller’s cinematography is effectively atmospheric throughout. Gentleman’s Agreement isn’t comfortable to watch, but remains worthy viewing many years later. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Rumble Fish (1983)
“He looks really old — like, 25 or something.”
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Hopper is well-cast (if type-cast) as Dillon’s dad:
… Lane is appropriately sexy as Dillon’s love-interest:
… and Rourke projects a convincing aura of paranoid world-weariness.
Ultimately, however, the visuals nearly overtake the storyline in Rumble Fish, and are the primary reason for viewing it at least once; see additional stills below for a sense of what’s in store. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Creation of the Humanoids, The (1962)
“Why is it that the more we become like men, the more they hate us for it?”
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Savant’s entire insightful review is worth reading, so I humbly refer readers there for more in-depth analysis. Also worth noting are the starkly minimalist and brightly colored sets, as well as the effective make-up done on the Clickers, whose eyes are (literally) piercingly silver behind enormous contact lenses. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Mississippi (1935)
“There’s no excuse for a man not fighting!”
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The mistaken identity plot is pretty silly, too, making this one only must-see for either Crosby or Fields completists. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Mark of the Devil (1970)
“I work to serve God — to rid the world of all evil.”
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The film’s message — that witch-hunting was deeply corrupt and driven by impulses far removed from religiosity — is well-taken (and likely true), but again, simply a vehicle for scene… after scene… after gratuitous, gory scene… of medieval torture (think stretching racks, Chinese water torture, rape, tongues ripped out, etc.). Naturally, this kind of flick has its fans — but for all other film fanatics it will make for tough viewing. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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