FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A Mayan creation myth accompanies footage shot by Werner Herzog in the Sahara Desert and other parts of Africa.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Africa
• Deserts
• German Films
• Werner Herzog Films

Review:
Fata Morgana — named after a Sicilian mirage believed to be caused by fairies — is perhaps Werner Herzog’s most representative early work, clearly displaying his fascination with landscapes, diverse humans, and moments of unexpected quirkiness. Unfortunately, while it’s lauded by nearly every critic as an experimental masterpiece (Time Out calls it “brilliantly original, utterly haunting”), I find Fata Morgana to be three parts emperor’s clothing to one part enigmatic vision. Herzog originally set out to create a science fiction story, but abandoned this idea and ended up editing his footage into a three-part “creation story” — Creation, Paradise, and The Golden Age — which doesn’t really reveal much about any of these three topics. Instead, in characteristic Herzog-ian fashion, he seems primarily concerned with aiming his camera at random images, then holding it there for far longer than convention would imply; sometimes this works, but more often it’s simply tedious. Listening to Herzog’s commentary on the DVD illuminates much of what was going on in his mind while shooting and editing the film — but without these insights, it’s difficult to maintain interest even for 79 minutes; the images in Fata Morgana will remain with you, but the “story” — such as it is — won’t.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Some trippy desert mirages
  
• Disturbing shots of desiccated cattle strewn across the sand
  
• The truly odd closing shots of a pimp and a madam performing in a brothel
  
• Many striking images of desert landscapes and peoples
  
  
  
  
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for its place in cinematic history. Listed as a Personal Recommendation and a film with historical importance in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A wealthy socialite named Susan (Joan Crawford) “finds God” while vacationing in Europe, and uses her newfound religious convictions as an excuse to meddle in her friends’ affairs; meanwhile, her tippling husband (Fredric March) and awkward teenage daughter (Rita Quigley) hope that Susan will decide to settle down into family life.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Fredric March Films
• George Cukor Films
• Joan Crawford Films
• Marital Problems
• Play Adaptation
• Religious Faith

Review:
Anita Loos’ adaptation of Rachel Crothers’ stage play (originally starring Gertrude Lawrence as Susan) gave Joan Crawford one of her most unusual vehicles, playing a self-absorbed woman who one IMDb poster has accurately labeled “Crystal Allen on speed”. Susan’s new religion — based on Frank Buchman’s Oxford Group, which inspired the 12-step movement — requires converts to freely confess their “sins”, a fact which Susan’s eternally hopeful husband (a rather bland Fredric March) uses to force her into acknowledging her own shortcomings as a wife and mother. Crawford is perfectly cast as Susan — all grandiose arm spans and mile-a-minute monologues — and, naturally, completely overshadows her co-stars; while her character isn’t particularly likable (and it’s difficult to see why March is still so in love with her), her sheer level of energy and enthusiasm is impressive. The second hour isn’t nearly as engaging as the first, and the stagy narrative goes on for too long altogether; but Susan and God remains an intriguing entry in Crawford’s oeuvre, and is worth a look for her performance alone.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Joan Crawford as Susan
  
• Adrian’s occasionally stunning, sometimes gaudy, often distracting, but always inimitably unique gowns
  
• Clever dialogue
  

  March: “You’re an awfully pretty woman.
  Leonora (Rita Hayworth): “Aren’t you nice…”
  March: “Not very.”

Must See?
No, though it’s recommended simply for Crawford’s performance.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
College student Stanley Sweetheart (Don Johnson) explores sex, drugs, and underground filmmaking in New York.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• College
• Counterculture
• New York City
• Sexuality

Review:
Based on Robert T. Westbrook’s semi-autobiographical novel, this counterculture curio is primarily notable for featuring Don Johnson in his screen debut. While Stanley’s not exactly sympathetic (like many 20-something males, he’s both self-absorbed and sex-obsessed), his attempt to keep his two disparate lives — one sex-and-drug filled, the other monogamous — separate from each other is unique and somehow believable. Johnson is a charismatic cutie, and folk singer Holly Near as Stanley’s pudgy yet sexually confident conquest is enjoyable as well. With that said, the screenplay (which clings faithfully to its source material) often feels like simply a filmed version of a more introspective narrative, with the resolution (a key character suddenly dies) coming out of nowhere; because we can’t see into the “magic garden” of Stanley’s mind, we don’t understand the true significance of this event in his life. Ultimately, Stanley Sweetheart remains a flawed and dated film, but is worth a look if you stumble upon it; my dark-hued copy was taped off of TNT years ago.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Don Johnson in his screen debut as Stanley Sweetheart
  
• Michael Greer as “Cherry”
  
• Holly Near as redheaded Fran
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended, and a must for any Don Johnson fans.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TV Guide Review

Synopsis:
When a disturbed young woman (Mia Farrow) insists that a prostitute (Elizabeth Taylor) is her “missing” (dead) mother, Taylor takes advantage of the situation and moves into Farrow’s enormous house. Soon Leonora (Taylor) begins to feels protective of the childlike Cenci (Farrow) — but their domestic tranquility is threatened by the presence of two meddling aunts (Peggy Ashcroft and Pamela Brown) and Cenci’s incestuous stepfather (Robert Mitchum).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Elizabeth Taylor Films
• Incest and Incestuous Undertones
• Joseph Losey Films
• Mia Farrow Films
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Orphans
• Robert Mitchum Films

Review:
This melodramatic thriller of mistaken identities, mental disturbance, and sexual deviance — based on a prize-winning short story by an Argentine civil servant — received reasonably positive reviews upon its release, but has since been criticized by most as either campy and/or “ill-conceived”. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in between: while the convoluted narrative occasionally defies belief (and completely devolves by the end), it remains bizarrely compelling until then, thanks in large part to the brave performances given by both Farrow and Taylor. From her first appearance on-screen, Farrow — wearing a long, black wig and tights:

— is completely convincing as a 22-year-old with the mind of a child; but it’s Taylor who really cements the story: while her performance gets off to a bumpy start, we’re soon captivated by her increasingly nuanced portrayal as a self-sufficient prostitute who knows a good deal when she sees it, yet can’t help feeling genuine maternal concern for Cenci. Despite its flaws, Secret Ceremony offers enough provocative moments to make it worth checking out.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Mia Farrow as Cenci
  
• Elizabeth Taylor as Leonora
  
• Peggy Ashcroft and Pamela Brown as Cenci’s thieving aunts
  
  
• Effective use of mirrors as a visual device
  

Must See?
Yes, simply for its status as an unusual cult favorite. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Categories

• Cult Movie

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TV Guide Review (spoilers alert)
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
A middle-class French teen (Valerie Mairesse) helps her older neighbor (Therese Liotard) secure money for a much-needed abortion, and a lifelong friendship ensues.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Feminism and Women’s Issues
• French Films
• Friendship

Review:
One Sings, the Other Doesn’t is Belgian director Agnes Varda‘s unabashed paean to female solidarity. As a narrative, it’s not all that successful: several plot devices (particularly the final one, involving Mairesse, her Iranian husband, and their baby) are clearly contrived, and Varda’s voice-over adds an unnecessary sense of solemnity to the proceedings. Making matters worse, Pomme (Mairesse) is not a very good singer, and the lyrics of her band’s ultra-feminist hymns (“I am woman, I am me”) come across as ultra-laughable today.

Yet the film on a whole is so goodhearted and idealistic that one hesitates to fault it (or Varda) very harshly; it’s best viewed as a quaint if dated fable of womanhood and grassroots feminism.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Therese Liotard as Suzanne
  
• Valerie Mairesse as Pomme
  
• A heartfelt portrait of female solidarity
  

Must See?
Yes, simply for its historical importance.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Important Director

Links:

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

Synopsis:
While waiting to hear the results of her biopsy, a pop singer (Corinne Marchand) wanders the streets of Paris, first with her devoted maid (Dominique Davray), then with a friend (Dorothee Blank), and finally with a soldier (Antoine Bourseiller).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Death and Dying
• French Films

Review:
Agnes Varda — the only woman associated with the French New Wave movement — isn’t nearly as renowned as her male compatriots, but remains an essential part of cinematic history. Her first feature-length film, Cleo From 5 to 7, is likely also her best-known: starring Corinne Marchand (who resembles a svelte Anna Nicole Smith) it tells the nearly-real-time story of a self-absorbed singer who undergoes a subtle shift in attitude while waiting to hear potentially devastating news from her doctor.

Cleo (a stage name, short for “Cleopatra”) is clearly a pampered woman, someone who is inordinately obsessed with her own appearance and self-worth; early in the film, she petulantly demands that a taxi driver turn off the radio when one of her hit songs is on (complaining about its technical quality):

… then later, in a cafe, punches her song into the jukebox machine and pouts when no one seems to be listening.

In essence, she’s not a very likable protagonist, and this is the film’s primary fault — despite Cleo’s potentially life-threatening disease, we never feel much sympathy for her, and can’t help wondering whether the entire affair is simply a psychosomatic plea for attention.

Over the course of the film, Cleo evolves ever so slightly, even taking off her fancy hairpiece and allowing a strange soldier to flirt with her and learn her real name:

By this time, however, it’s too late, and one leaves the film with more memories of Cleo’s excursions throughout Paris than of Cleo herself.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine cinematography
  
• The opening tarot card sequence (in color)
  
• Cleo performing a heartfelt song
  
• Cleo’s encounter in the park with a talkative soldier
  
• Michel Legrand’s musical score

Must See?
Yes, for its historical importance as Varda’s first feature film.

Categories

• Historically Relevant
• Important Director

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

Links:

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

Synopsis:
When a madness-inducing biological agent is accidentally dropped by the U.S. government into the water supply of Evans City, Pennsylvania, the military arrives to quarantine the town; but many of its citizens have already started to go crazy from the effects of the virus, and chaos soon erupts.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• George Romero Films
• Horror
• Science Fiction

Review:
Five years after making his auspicious debut film — Night of the Living Dead (1968) — George A. Romero wrote and directed this like-minded tale of a small town struck with mass hysteria; this time, however, rather than relying on a supernatural plot device (zombies), Romero — ever the social critic — places the blame squarely on the U.S. government. In an enormous FUBAR — Vietnam, Iraq, or COVID-19, anyone? — the United States initiates a deadly mess (why would they let a virus without an antidote leave the CDC to begin with?) then completely botches its own efforts to keep Americans safe. Perhaps predictably, it’s up to a small group of “revolutionary” citizens — including a volunteer fireman (W.G. McMillan) and his pregnant girlfriend (sympathetically portrayed by Lane Carroll):

— to escape and defend themselves; but there’s no telling when the virus may catch them as well. Despite its occasionally uneven narrative, this bleak, timely cautionary tale (remade in 2010) is well worth a look.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An effective portrayal of paranoia and chaos in the face of government-induced catastrophe
  
• Several powerful, shocking scenes — including a priest setting himself on fire, and a grandma calmly stabbing someone to death with her knitting needle
  
  
• Fast-paced editing

Must See?
Yes, for its status as a cult movie.

Categories

• Cult Movie
• Important Director

Links:

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

Synopsis:
While his wife (Glenda Jackson) is away in Baden Baden, a jealous writer (Michael Caine) imagines she’s having an affair with a mysterious man (Helmut Berger) she’s met on the elevator. Soon Berger inexplicably shows up at their house in England, and Caine’s jealousy continues to grow.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Glenda Jackson Films
• Infidelity
• Jealousy
• Joseph Losey Films
• Love Triangle
• Michael Caine Films
• Writers

Review:
This disappointing romantic mystery (directed by Joseph Losey) fails to provide much enjoyment on any level. Glenda Jackson is at her shrill worst as a dissatisfied housewife whose husband suspects her every move:

… Caine is adequate at best, and Berger is inexplicably stiff as a shady character whose motivations are never fully explained.

The entire story is framed as a sort of “what’s real? what’s not?” exploration, with Caine’s attempt to generate grist for his new novel conveniently propelling the action — but the central problem is that we simply don’t care much about any of these characters or their affairs of the heart.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine production values
  

Must See?
No; this is definitely one of Losey’s lesser efforts, and not worth seeking out. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
When the deeply religious leader (Walter Brooke) of a groundbreaking expedition to Mars begins to view the journey as blasphemous in the eyes of God, it’s up to his level-headed son (Eric Fleming) to preserve the lives of the remaining crew members: a Japanese botanist (Benson Fong), a loyal Irish sergeant (Mickey Shaughnessy), a Brooklynite electrician (Phil Foster), and a scientist (Ross Martin).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• George Pal Films
• Mental Breakdown
• Religious Faith
• Science Fiction
• Space Exploration

Review:
Riding on the success of his earlier sci-fi hits — Destination Moon (1950), When Worlds Collide (1951), and The War of the Worlds (1953) — animator George Pal produced this tepidly received space exploration flick, which the New York Times referred to as “nothing more than broad, undemanding entertainment”. Unlike Destination Moon, Conquest has a rather far-fetched psychological plot embedded into its narrative, one which allows for a philosophical-cum-religious inquisition into the ethics of space travel: should Earth-born men really be venturing into the unknown, potentially “godless” universe? Unfortunately, Brooke’s sudden religiosity doesn’t ring true (it smacks soundly of “plot device”), and neither do the interactions between the other stereotypical characters on board the ship (Phil Foster’s “Noo Yawker” is particularly egregious). With that said, it’s refreshing to see a pre-“Star Trek” sci-fi film with an Asian cast member; as long as you ignore Fong’s notoriously wrong-headed speech early in the film, he’s a welcome presence.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Some visually nifty — albeit technically crude — special effects
  
• Martin’s corpse drifting surreally into space
  
• The fiery red Martian landscape
  
• The welcome presence of a Japanese man (Benton Fong) who’s treated as an intelligent equal
  

Must See?
No, but fans of George Pal’s work will certainly be curious to check it out.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Moria Review
• DVD Savant Review
• Time Out Capsule Review