FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
With support from a female doctor (Susan Saint James), a young medic (Dennis Christopher) during the Vietnam War becomes becomes involved with a home for Vietnamese orphans.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Character Arc
• Dennis Christopher Films
• Do-Gooders
• Orphans
• Vietnam War

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this film about “an undisciplined young medic stationed in Saigon” who “learns responsibility when he finds himself helping two Vietnamese nuns run a non-sanctioned, off-base home for war orphans” is “a bit sticky” at times, but “its treatment of the war and its effect on children is unsentimental”, and it possesses an admirable theme: “Real heroes are those who make commitments to help people whose problems make their own seem insignificant.” While Christopher’s character arc is somewhat predictable, this remains a worthy and “sensitive look at a different side of the Vietnam War.”

Redeeming Qualities:

• A refreshing glimpse of Americans and Vietnamese interacting humanely during the war
  
  

Must See?
No, though it’s worth checking out if you can find a copy.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
A deranged tattoo artist (Bruce Dern) becomes obsessed with a model (Maud Adams), eventually kidnapping her and tattooing her entire body.

Genres:

• Bruce Dern Films
• Kidnapping
• Models
• Obsessive Love
• Psychopaths

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary refers to this notorious psycho-flick (written by Joyce Bunuel) as “sick” and “repulsive”, but I find it to be a reasonably compelling psychological thriller, thanks to the perverse lead performance by Dern (who’s perfectly cast). Adams is just annoying enough that you tend to (guiltily) root for the disturbed Dern instead — though naturally (and fortunately), he “gets his” in the end. The tattoo work throughout is stunning.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Bruce Dern as the love-torn psychotic
  
• Stunning tattoo work
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth watching for Dern’s performance.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Archaeologists investigating ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico discover a blob-like monster, and try to link its appearance with an impending comet.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Horror
• Mario Bava Films
• Mutant Monsters
• Science Fiction

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary admits that this “undeniably silly”, horribly dubbed movie is one of his “favorite low-budget horror films”. Despite its confusing, ridiculous plot — in which “the members of a Mexican expedition discover a flesh-devouring, ever growing blob that makes the one Steve McQueen found seem affectionate”:

— the “eerie photography from Mario Bava” makes it strangely compelling. Especially notable is the “genuinely spooky” diving sequence, which, Peary notes, “will remind some of the scene in Alien in which John Hurt comes across the alien hatchery.” Not essential viewing, but guaranteed to appeal to fans of the genre.

Redeeming Qualities:

• The truly chilling underwater diving scene
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• SciFilm Review

Synopsis:
A timid bank clerk (Elliott Gould) engages in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with a thief (Christopher Plummer) disguised as a department store Santa.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Canadian Films
• Cat-and-Mouse
• Christopher Plummer Films
• Elliott Gould Films
• Heists
• Susannah York Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary refers to this independent Canadian film as a “terrific sleeper”, noting that it possesses some “offbeat characters, [interesting] plot twists, [and] delicious surprises.” However, while Gould gives a good performance — Peary argues it’s “his best… since The Long Goodbye” — his character is too stupid to root for: why would he take such unnecessary chances with a psychopathic thief, when it’s not even his money at stake?

The most satisfying aspect of the film is seeing Christopher Plummer as an evil, cross-dressing Santa Claus.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Christopher Plummer as the thief
  
  
• Fine location shooting
  

Must See?
No. While this is a nifty little thriller in its own way, it’s not essential viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry

Synopsis:
Harry Kilmer (Robert Mitchum) goes to Japan to help rescue his friend’s kidnapped daughter from the Yakuza. While there, he rekindles an old romance with Eiko (Keiko Kishi), and must deal with the disapproval of her brother Ken (Takakura Ken).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Brian Keith Films
• Friendship
• Gangsters
• Kidnapping
• Paul Schrader Films
• Robert Mitchum Films
• Sydney Pollack Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “interesting, intricately plotted thriller set in Japan” — with “much bloody action counterpoint[ing] the film’s solemn tone” — is more about friendship, loyalty, and cultural differences than gangs and revenge. It remains an unusually perceptive thriller with excellent acting all around (especially by Mitchum and Ken):

… and keeps getting better as it goes along; by the end, I was nearly weeping. A particularly poignant and unexpected plot twist places the rest of the movie in a different light, and makes one tempted to watch the film again from the beginning.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Exciting fight sequences as Mitchum and Ken take on countless Yakuza
  
• Ken and Harry’s touching final scene together
  

Must See?
Yes. This unusual gangster flick is an all around “good show”, and shouldn’t be missed.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• DVD Savant Review (scroll down)

Synopsis:
A woman (Nina Foch) believes she is being hired as a live-in secretary for an elderly woman (Dame May Whitty) and her grown son (George Macready); in actuality, the pair plan to pass her off as Macready’s murdered wife, and then kill her in an “accident”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• George Macready Films
• Kidnapping
• Joseph H. Lewis Films
• “No One Believes Me!”
• Plot to Murder

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “riveting melodrama” by director Joseph H. Lewis — a 65-minute movie that moves along at a clip, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and has a satisfying conclusion — is an “exceptional ‘B’ suspense thriller”, exactly the type of story Hitchcock would have enjoyed filming given its extreme suspense and paranoia-driven plot. Peary points out that it “bears [a] slight resemblance to So Long at the Fair, only here the woman has to prove her own existence rather than the existence of a brother.” He also notes that you “feel more frightened for Foch than for Ingrid Bergman in Notorious when she’s trapped in the house with Claude Rains and his evil mother”, and posits that while Macready played many chilling villains,” “none is scarier than the character he plays here.” Remade by Arthur Penn in 1987 as Dead of Winter with Mary Steenburgen, but this version remains much better in every way.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Many suspenseful scenes
  
  

Must See?
Yes; definitely check this one out.

Categories

• Good Show

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
After getting out of jail, burglar Max Dembo (Dustin Hoffman) attempts to go straight, but is mercilessly harrassed by his parole officer (M. Emmet Walsh) and soon finds himself in a life of crime once more. He and two old buddies (Gary Busey and Harry Dean Stanton) plan a major jewelry heist, while Dembo’s new girlfriend (Theresa Russell) worries for his safety.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dustin Hoffman Films
• Ex-Cons
• Gary Busey Films
• Harry Dean Stanton Films
• Heists
• Theresa Russell Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, “Dustin Hoffman has one of his best screen roles as two-time loser Max Dembo”; in fact, Hoffman is so good it’s easy to forget he’s acting. While there are many exciting moments in the film, my favorite scenes are those between Dembo and his new girlfriend, played by a sexy young Theresa Russell (though I couldn’t quite figure out why she would want to stay with him). While Walsh’s “venal” harassment of Dembo is infuriating, what’s even more frustrating (though perhaps inevitable) is that Dembo allows his anger to lead him back into a life of crime. Indeed, Dembo’s pig-headedness prevents one from empathizing with him during the latter part of the film — though, as Peary points out, “at least we can relate to [Dembo’s] need to fit in somewhere.”

Redeeming Qualities:

• Dustin Hoffman as Max Dembo
  
• Theresa Russell as Dembo’s loyal girlfriend
  
• Gary Busey and Harry Dean Stanton as Dembo’s buddies and partners-in-crime
  
• Kathy Bates in a small supporting role as Busey’s concerned wife
  
• An extremely exciting, well-directed jewelry heist in Beverly Hills
  

Must See?
Yes. This film is must-see viewing for Hoffman’s performance alone.

Categories

• Noteworthy Performance(s)

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
While recovering from his wife’s accidental death, a CIA agent (Roy Scheider) believes someone is out to eliminate him. He receives mysterious notes in Aramaic, is trailed by his brother-in-law (Charles Napier), and befriends a mousy young woman (Janet Margolin) whose grandmother worked in a Jewish brothel run by Hannan’s ancestors.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Amateur Sleuths
• Janet Margolin Films
• Jonathan Demme Films
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• “No One Believes Me!”
• Roy Scheider Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this Jonathan Demme thriller is a “shaky contribution” to the ever-growing list of “suspense films in the Hitchcock mold.” With that said, The Last Embrace is interesting and enjoyable on its own merits: it possesses a unique and “extremely interesting” premise, an “abundance of Hitchcockian touches and characters”:

… a score by Miklos Rosza that “reminds one of Bernard Herrmann”, and unusual characters — particularly Janet Margolin as Ellie, a “smart but neurotic college student” whose sweet nature belies any number of possible alter egos.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Janet Margolin as Scheider’s unanticipated roommate
  
• Charles Napier as Scheider’s dead wife’s brother
  
• Fine cinematography and location shooting
  

Must See?
No. This is a fun thriller, but not essential viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Qwipster’s Review

Synopsis:
Teenager “Jimmy J.” (Richard Thomas) is devastated when he hears the news of James Dean’s untimely death. He and his ex-girlfriend (Lisa Blount) host a late-night vigil in Dean’s honor, which quickly turns to tragedy.

Genres:

• Coming-of-Age
• Dennis Quaid Films
• James Bridges Films
• Obsessive Fans
• Untimely Death

Response to Peary’s Review:
While Peary claims that this “odd film” makes for “uncomfortable viewing”, I disagree. Unlike Peary, I didn’t find it “hard not to get exasperated with Jimmy J.” — and while the “concept of star-worship and star-identification” is indeed “scary”, I didn’t necessarily think that Jimmy could have controlled his grief any better. Indeed, Jimmy’s idolatry of Dean reflects the need we all have to project our fantasies and fears onto larger-than-life heroes; his grief rings true. As Peary notes, “What’s most striking is how the film conveys the sadness, loneliness, and frustration that a teenager feels when no one shares his emotions about something meaningful.” Particularly poignant scenes include the opening scene, as Jimmy J. is watching East of Eden (1955) for the third time:

… and the final scene, when Jimmy J. describes Rebel Without a Cause to Billie Jean.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Richard Thomas as Jimmy J.
  
• Fine cinematography and period detail
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s worth seeking out for one-time viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Detective Angel Powers (Lydia Lunch) attempts to uncover the truth behind a murder case involving corporate espionage.

Genres:

• Detectives and Private Eyes
• Dick Miller Films
• Experimental Films
• Murder Mystery

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “curious cult film” — an experimental mix of film noir and sci-fi, written and directed by underground favorites Seth B. and Beth B. — “tends to be slow and confusing at times”. Indeed, because the narrative is so difficult to follow, its primary interest lies in the stunning visuals and pulsating soundtrack. Vortex won’t be appealing to most, and was likely included in Peary’s book simply because of Lunch’s one-time notoriety.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Haunting, creative visuals
  
  
• An eerie soundtrack

Must See?
No, unless you’re curious about experimental indie films before the age of video.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• Official Lydia Lunch Website