FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
When small-town, middle-aged bachelor Harry Quincey (George Sanders) falls in love with a beautiful young woman from New York (Ella Raines), his plans to marry are foiled by his possessive sister Letty (Geraldine Fitzgerald), and Harry plots his revenge.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Ella Raines Films
• George Sanders Films
• Geraldine Fitzgerald Films
• Incest and Incestuous Undertones
• Jealousy
• Plot to Murder
• Revenge
• Robert Siodmak Films
• Siblings

Response to Peary’s Review:
This “unusual little sleeper” (directed by Robert Siodmak) daringly posits an incestuous ménage a trois between a beautiful woman (Raines), her lover (Sanders), and her lover’s possessive sister (Fitzgerald) — the “perfect wife” who will do nearly anything to stop her brother from leaving the nest.

Despite its fine acting and atmospheric set design, however, the film is unfortunately dragged down by the improbable logic of its characters: we never learn why it’s so hard for Harry to stand up to his manipulative sister, and their quibbles over who will remain living in the family home once Harry is married are inane. Plus, since we never really get to know what makes the weak-willed Harry tick, his drastic turn to murder makes little sense — especially given that his chance for happiness with Raines has already disappeared. Uncle Harry also suffers greatly from its wildly incongruous ending, demanded by censors who, as Peary points out, most likely “had to be appeased for allowing [an] incest theme.” Ironically, the last few moments of the film actually do nothing to mitigate the raciness that has come before, and have little effect other than ruining the credibility of the story.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Ella Raines as Harry’s fiance, whose dynamic presence serves as a potent contrast to the staid lives of Harry and his sisters
  
• George Sanders as Harry
  
• Geraldine Fitzgerald as Lettie
  
• Moyna MacGill (Angela Lansbury’s mother) as Hester
  
• Several surprising plot twists (but not the final one!)

Must See?
No, but fans of director Robert Siodmak’s work will undoubtedly want to check it out.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
A repressed small-town girl (Irene Dunne) writing racy novels under a pseudonym is pursued by a married New Yorker (Melvyn Douglas) with secrets of his own.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Irene Dunne Films
• Melvyn Douglas Films
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Morality Police
• Romantic Comedy
• Small Town America
• Thomas Mitchell Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, the primary issue with this intermittently amusing but ultimately disappointing screwball comedy is that the male lead (played by Melvyn Douglas) is “thoroughly obnoxious”. He points out the folly of (male) screenwriters presenting “an obnoxious man who chases after a woman who wants him to go away, pays no heed to her rejections, and doesn’t care what embarrassment he’s causing her, her family, or her friends”, then “have the audacity to have the woman fall in love with their hero”:

— and he accurately notes that “when Douglas flees to New York, Dunne should let him go… rather than becoming an unbearable character herself.” Plus, I don’t buy Douglas’s motivation for following Theodora (Dunne) out to the small town of Lynnfield, given that he’s already married and has no interest in pursuing a lasting relationship with her. (His character would have made a lot more sense to me if he was a reporter trying to pen a scoop story.)

Other minor quibbles with the movie include the fact that it’s difficult to take Theodora seriously as a writer, given that we never see her writing (what goes on in her head during the process?). Plus, two pets (a cat and a dog) are hurt in the story — presumably for laughs, but neither scene is really all that funny. Despite its flaws, however, the film has several redeeming qualities. It makes the point that small-mindedness isn’t exclusively a small-town trait (indeed, Douglas’s wealthy New York family is just as stuffy as Lynnfield’s puritanical “bluenoses”). It also provides an interesting twist on the theme of revenge, given that Theodora isn’t simply trying to “get back” at Douglas; she genuinely wants to help him break free, just like he “helped” her. Finally (and most importantly), Irene Dunne sparkles in the lead role — it’s a joy to watch Theodora emerging from her shell, and easy to see why Dunne quickly landed additional roles in romantic comedies.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Irene Dunne, charming in her first major comedic role
  
• Fine cinematography
  

Must See?
No. While enjoyable at times, this screwball comedy doesn’t quite deliver. On the other hand, film fanatics may be interested in watching it simply to see Dunne in her first major comedic role.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
The Weavers — an influential folk group blacklisted during the McCarthy era — reunite for a final set of concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cold War
• Concert Films
• Documentary
• Let’s-Put-On-a-Show
• Musicians

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this little-seen documentary on the Weavers — “the most famous and influential folk-singing group of all time” — is both “uplifting and informative.” Director Jim Brown impressively incorporates past and present footage into a seamlessly enjoyable film; and while it would perhaps have been interesting to learn a little more about how each of the Weavers coped with being blacklisted, I was secretly pleased by the movie’s focus on the pure joy of their music making. Singer Lee Hays (who died nine months after the making of the documentary) initiated the group’s final reunion, and serves as the film’s droll, entertaining narrator. Although his voice is no longer what it used to be, it’s still incredibly moving to watch him and his partners — Pete Seeger, Ronnie Gilbert, and Fred Hellerman — “gaining confidence when their singing immediately clicks.” As Peary notes, what the 78-minute film could definitely have used even more of is footage from the group’s two sold-out concerts at Carnegie Hall — there was no need to cut this piece of things so short.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Countless rousing and memorable songs — including “If I Had a Hammer” (written by Lee Hays and Pete Seeger) and “Good Night, Irene”
  
• Folk singer Holly Near describing the influence Ronnie Gilbert had on her
  

Must See?
Yes. As a likely inspiration for Christopher Guest et al.’s mockumentary A Mighty Wind (2003), it’s worth watching for this reason alone — but chances are you’ll enjoy the film on its own merits.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Capsule Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review

Synopsis:
The Beatles accompany Captain Fred in his Yellow Submarine to help free Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Animated Feature
• Beatles Films
• Fantasy
• Musicals

Response to Peary’s Review:
The Beatles’ only animated film — featuring their music and their cartoon likenesses but not their actual voices — remains as enjoyable and mind-blowing today as it was 30+ years ago. As Peary notes, the film’s visuals are “consistently imaginative, innovative, colorful, and startling”, and a recent renovation has restored the film’s eye-popping panorama of colors to full capacity. The sheer variety of animation techniques in Yellow Submarine is blissfully overwhelming. If you pause randomly on any given frame, you’ll undoubtedly be inspired to hang the image on your wall as a legitimate piece of groovy pop art.

At the same time, watching the imagery in motion — as colors bleed and entire worlds are literally created and destroyed — is an indispensable treat all its own.

It’s enormously satisfying to see the Beatles immortalized as cartoon caricatures; I’m amazed by how just a few strategically drawn lines make each of them instantly recognizable.

And while Peary laments the fact that the Beatles themselves didn’t provide the voices for their characters, I have to say this didn’t bother me much — there’s no mistaking John, Paul, Ringo, and George, and the group’s playful banter (exploited so successfully in A Hard Day’s Night and Help!) is still greatly in evidence. It’s hard to pick favorite sequences, but I feel a special fondness for “Eleanor Rigby” (which uses b&w photo stills of the “lonely people” in Liverpool):

… “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” (possessing perhaps the most psychedelic imagery in the entire film):

… and “It’s All Too Much”, a final celebratory song before the Beatles themselves appear in person (be still my heart!) to close the film.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Stunningly original and vibrant animation — each frame is a wonder to behold
  
• The Beatles’ avatars: with just a few distinct lines, the film’s animators brought the Fab Four’s faces to 2-D life
  
• An excellent, rousing soundtrack (naturally!)
• Countless humorous and/or punny verbal exchanges by the deadpan Beatles:
  

  John: It’s blue glass.
  George: Must be from Kentucky, then.

Must See?
Absolutely. This classic animated musical is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and merits multiple viewings.

Categories

• Cult Movie
• Genuine Classic

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Viridiana (Silvia Pinal), a novice nun, is sent to visit her sick uncle (Fernando Rey) before taking her vows. When she rebuffs his lecherous advances, he hangs himself, and leaves his farm estate to her. Viridiana turns the farm into a haven for the homeless, but quickly finds that her good intentions are once again being abused.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Christianity
• Do-Gooders
• Luis Bunuel Films
• Satires and Spoofs
• Spanish Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
The futility of noble intentions in the face of a thankless and debased humanity has never been portrayed more powerfully than in Luis Bunuel’s controversial Viridiana. Banned as “subversive” in Franco’s Spain, the film was snuck out of the country, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and received worldwide distribution from its Mexican producer. As usual, Bunuel (a life-long atheist and nonconformist) holds absolutely nothing back in his indictment of Catholicism, which is portrayed as “neither moral nor Christian in attitude”. He glibly exploits sexual perversions (ranging from necrophilia to incest to rape), and infuses his film with outrageously “kooky characters” and “deadpan humor”. The satire is broadly played, and while “American conservatives [may] delight in how Bunuel depicts the poor as freeloading ingrates”, it’s clear that this film is more about the loss of Viridiana’s (and our) naive idealism than anything else.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Silvia Pinal’s sympathetic performance as the well-meaning Viridiana
  
• Fernando Rey, appropriately lecherous as Viridiana’s guilt-ridden uncle
  
• The broad array of “kooky characters” who come to live on Viridiana’s farm
  
• The sacrilegious “gluttonous-orgiastic” beggars’ banquet, meant to overtly mock Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”
  

Must See?
Yes. This once-scandalous film remains among Bunuel’s best, and is required viewing for film fanatics.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Foreign Gem
• Important Director

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Movie Diva Review

Synopsis:
Twenty-year-old Billy Hayes (Brad Davis) is caught smuggling two kilos of hashish across the Turkish border, and sent to prison for three years. When he finds out his sentence has been extended to thirty years, he decides to break free via the “Midnight Express.”

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Alan Parker Films
• Escape
• John Hurt Films
• Prisoners
• Randy Quaid Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
The primary problem with this sensationalist movie (based on a true story) is that it’s impossible to feel much sympathy for the film’s protagonist. Played by Brad Davis (with, as Peary puts it, a “slight build and weak, guilty eyes”), he is so consistently stupid, whiny, and racist that any of the film’s other merits are overshadowed by one’s disdain for this insufferable American. As stated in the Prison Flicks review (see link below), Billy is basically a “spoiled brat” — after all, what kind of a moron would try to sneak two kilos of hash out of a foreign country, then yell out in a Turkish courthouse (in the middle of his own sentencing): “For a nation of pigs, it sure is funny you don’t eat ’em! I hate you, I hate your nation, and I hate your people! I fuck your sons and daughters because they’re pigs!”

With that said, the movie is still quite powerful when it comes to showing the inhumanity of Turkish prisons; apparently negotiations began just a few months after the film’s release for the exchange of prisoners between America and Turkey. Since that time, however, several other (better) films have showcased similarly bleak situations for Americans stuck in international jails — for instance, 1998’s Return to Paradise (set in Malaysia) and 1999’s Brokedown Palace (set in Thailand). As Peary notes, “the wrong impression that many viewers [of Midnight Express] got is that such prisons are peculiar to Turkey and not found all over the world.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• The genuinely tense opening sequence, when Billy fears (rightfully so) that he will be caught at the border
  
• Randy Quaid and John Hurt as Billy’s eccentric cellmates
  
• Effectively grim prison sets
  

Must See?
No. While it holds some historical interest, it’s ultimately not must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry

Synopsis:
Father Grandier (Oliver Reed), a lustful yet devoted priest, presides over the fortified town of Loudun, France in the early 1600s. When a deranged, sexually repressed nun (Vanessa Redgrave) becomes infatuated with Grandier and accuses him of diabolically seducing her, power-hungry Cardinal Richelieu (Christopher Logue) sees this as his chance to take over the city, and a hysterical witchhunt (led by exorcist Michael Gothard) ensues.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Falsely Accused
• Historical Drama
• Ken Russell Films
• Nuns
• Oliver Reed Films
• Political Corruption
• Priests and Ministers
• Sexual Repression
• Vanessa Redgrave Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Ken Russell’s baroque adaptation of John Whiting’s play — about religious hysteria and political chicanery during the European plague — is most definitely not for the faint of heart. A passionate paean for rationality and balance in the face of escalating lunacy, Russell spares nothing in his attempt to show how easily fear and ignorance can be manipulated by those in power. Russell infuses his historical drama (based on real events and people) with a uniquely postmodern twist: King Louis XIII is a cross-dresser; church officials don Lone Ranger masks during processions; and garish white make-up is randomly worn by both the living and the dying. Absolutely nothing is left sacred here, as naked nuns cavort and masturbate, priests impregnate parishioners, and plague victims are tortured by gleefully experimental “doctors”.

As Peary notes, however, the film’s “repulsive imagery [may be] overwhelming at times, but for once Russell’s seemingly out-of-control, hallucinogenic style is appropriate for his subject matter.” “Repulsive imagery” aside, there is much to admire in the film. Oliver Reed (more handsome and virile than ever) and Vanessa Redgrave (beautifully insane) are both excellent in the film’s lead roles, while Derek Jarman’s elegant sets transport us to a uniquely futuristic past. When watching The Devils, one appreciates its stylistic beauty while remaining appalled by the relentless trajectory of its tale. In the end, there is no mistaking Russell’s vision here, as unyielding and personal as ever.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Oliver Reed’s electrifying performance as Grandier, a man who refuses to back down from his convictions at any cost
  
• Vanessa Redgrave’s surprisingly sympathetic performance as the hunchbacked Mother Superior
  
• Michael Gothard (young, virile, and rock-starrish) as the truly “possessed” exorcist
  
• Gemma Jones (who reminds me of Anne Heche) as Grandier’s new wife, providing a hint of sweetness and hope in this otherwise relentlessly bleak existence
  
• Stunning set designs by Derek Jarman
  
• Countless unforgettable, undeniably horrific images
  
• A powerful portrayal of religious hysteria and its dire consequences
  

Must See?
Yes. Though it’s hard to sit through and will doubtless offend many, this remains one of Ken Russell’s best films.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Important Director
• Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review

Synopsis:
After accidentally hacking into a governmental ‘game’ called “Global Thermonuclear Warfare”, a high school senior (Matthew Broderick) and his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy) are accused of spying for the Russians, and must find the only scientist (John Wood) who can shut the computer down in time to avoid nuclear war.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cold War
• Computer-out-of-Control
• Race-Against-Time
• Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary points out, this popular Cold War thriller for the teenage crowd possesses “fast and furious” pacing, “liberal doses of humor”, and “appealing leads”. I well remember going to see it in the theater as a kid, and feeling not only genuine panic about the precarious state of our world, but empathy for the likeable Broderick, who gets himself (and all of humanity) into a lot more trouble than he ever anticipated. As he laments to Sheedy, “I wish I didn’t know about any of this. I wish I was like everybody else in the world, and tomorrow it would just be over.”

Rewatching the film recently as an adult, however, I can’t help agreeing with Peary’s frustration that the teens’ “casual crime of tapping into their school’s computer to alter their grades is treated humorously and condoned.” It’s also a shame, as Peary and many other critics have pointed out, that the adults in WarGames all come across as age-ist, ignorant jerks. On the other hand, this is a film paying “tribute to the resourcefulness and ingenuity of young people”, so perhaps these teenage heroes deserve their day of glory.

Note: If you’d like to read about a real-life hacker, check out Jonathan Littman’s fascinating book The Watchman: The Twisted Life and Crimes of Serial Hacker Kevin Poulsen (1997)

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Matthew Broderick as the first “regular person” computer whiz on the big screen
  
• Ally Sheedy as Broderick’s appealing girlfriend
  
• A genuinely tense and exciting denouement
  

Must See?
Yes. This is one of the better Cold War-era thrillers, and holds a special place in ’80s film history.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Moria Review
• All Movie Guide Review

Synopsis:
Larson E. Whipsnade (W.C. Fields) attempts to save his seedy circus from financial ruin while feuding with his ventriloquist employee (Edgar Bergen) and Bergen’s dummy (Charlie McCarthy).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carnivals and Circuses
• Comedy
• Con-Artists
• George Marshall Films
• Puppets and Ventriloquism
• W.C. Fields Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary writes, “W.C. Fields is at his loudest, meanest (he throws Charlie McCarthy to the alligators):

… and most larcenous as a one-step-ahead-of-the-sheriff circus owner named Larson E. Whipsnade.”

Peary notes it’s a delight watching Fields “gypping customers and employees out of money, doing a terrible ventriloquism act:

… selling front-row seats ‘right next to the elephants,’ talking about snakes in genteel company, playing a wild ping pong match:

wrestling a little girl”, and interacting “with his idiot assistant, Grady Sutton.”

As Peary points out, however, “too much time is given [to] Edgar Bergen, not only for comedy bits with Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd… but also for some romance with Constance Moore, Whipsnade’s surprisingly sensible daughter.”

One most definitely “becomes impatient during Fields’s absence.” While it’s fun to see the famous ventriloquism act on screen for a few minutes, they quickly wear out their welcome.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Numerous humorous W.C. Fields sketches
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended simply for Fields.

Links:

• IMDb entry