FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
Russian saxophonist Vladimir Ivanoff (Robin Williams) defects to America, and must adjust to his new life as an immigrant.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cold War
• Comedy
• Immigrants and Immigration
• Paul Mazursky Films
• Robin Williams Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “seriocomic pat on the back to the unfulfilled American immigrant” provides a “sobering view of America”, and admirably depicts both the heartache and the joy of being an immigrant in a land of hard-scrabble wealth and abused freedoms. Mazursky wisely shows both the positive and negative aspects of life in Soviet Russia and capitalistic America: back in Russia, Williams was surrounded by loving family and friends:

… but had to stand in line for hours to get even the most basic supplies:

In America, he struggles to earn a living, but is free to pursue his dreams.

While the story is hokey and contrived at times, there are many memorable moments, and Williams’s sympathetic performance makes this film highly recommended.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Robin Williams as Vladimir Ivanoff
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Three teens (Diane Lane, Laura Dern, and Marin Kanter) form a punk band called the Stains, and experience a rapid rise and fall in fame.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Canadian Films
• Diane Lane Films
• Laura Dern Films
• Mockumentaries
• Musicians
• Naive Public
• Punk Rock
• Rise-and-Fall
• Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this Canadian “musical satire about the meteoric rise and fall of a punk-rock singer” (Lane) who “temporarily becomes the idol of girls her age because of her defiant attitude, nihilistic music… and see-through blouses” features “dreary direction by former rock and roll mogul Lou Adler”, who attempts to lampoon sycophantic fans and the fragility of fame — but there’s surprisingly little to laugh at. On the other hand, the film is noteworthy for anticipating countless mockumentaries to come — plus, as one IMDb contributor notes, “The film predicts the Madonna Wanna-Be craze by years.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An early, pre-Spinal Tap musical mockumentary
  
• A young, vibrant Ray Winstone as the lead singer of the Looters
  
• Diane Lane’s petulant portrayal as “Third Degree Burns”
  
• Laura Dern and Christine Lahti in early roles
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Flea-circus owner Fred Froogle (Fred Allen) receives a surprise inheritance, only to find out that the money is hidden in one of five chairs he has just sold. He must locate the cash-filled chair before a group of murderous thieves beat him to it.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Inheritance
• Jack Benny Films
• John Carradine Films
• Thieves and Criminals

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “rare Fred Allen movie” — which was “the probable inspiration for Mel Brooks’s The Twelve Chairs” — is “just as cockeyed”. While it contains some “great scenes”, it’s inconsistently funny; those who aren’t already fans of Allen’s dry wit probably won’t get much enjoyment out of the film’s humor, unless you consider rejoinders like this one amusing:

Fred Floogle: “Doctor, have you considered using fly paper?”
Dr. Greengrass: “Fly paper? Since when can a fly read?”

Was this funny once, I wonder?

Redeeming Qualities:

• A few mildly amusing moments
  

Must See?
No, but film fanatics may be curious to check it out simply as Fred Allen’s only starring role in a motion picture.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• At-a-Glance Film Review

Synopsis:
After being attacked by a brutal, mysterious killer, anchorwoman Karen White (Dee Wallace) attends a retreat called “The Colony”, which she soon discovers is a haven for werewolves.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dick Miller Films
• Horror
• Joe Dante Films
• John Carradine Films
• Journalists
• Werewolves

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, the first half of Joe Dante’s “horror film/horror parody” about a therapeutic retreat for werewolves is “hip-funny, well acted, stylish, and scary”. Dee Wallace is a compelling protagonist, and we wish her well she seeks some much-needed respite after suffering “trauma from her experience” meeting “a brutal killer in a booth in a sex shop”.

But, as Peary laments, the second half of the film devolves into a chaotic mess of killings, as characters improbably stand around waiting while the werewolf transformations take place (most likely to show off the impressive special effects):

… and “something bad happens to every character we like”. Ultimately, this movie is for werewolf-flick fans only. Watch for Dick Miller in a small bit as a bookstore owner.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Dee Wallace as Karen White
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  
• Impressive special effects
  

Must See?
No. This film is most likely included in Peary’s book because of its historical relevance, but is no longer must-see viewing.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• DVD Savant Review
• Roger Ebert’s Review

Synopsis:
A sheriff (Kris Kristofferson) tries to stop the slaughter of 125 innocent immigrants in 1890s Wyoming.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Christopher Walken Films
• Historical Drama
• Immigrants and Immigration
• Isabelle Huppert Films
• John Hurt Films
• Joseph Cotten Films
• Kris Kristofferson Films
• Mickey Rourke Films
• Sam Waterston Films
• Sheriffs
• Westerns

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this notoriously pretentious, painfully slow, annoyingly confusing historical drama has gone down in film history as “one of Hollywood’s greatest fiascos”: a big-budget ($36 million) flop which nearly “ruined United Artists.” Although he posits that anyone watching will believe “he or she could have done a better editing job”, Peary simultaneously doubts that this bloated film is even salvageable. Director Michael Cimino’s narcissistic tendency to linger too long on each of his scenes was hinted at in the interminable opening wedding sequence of his otherwise powerful Vietnam-era drama The Deer Hunter (1978); here, however, that tendency is impossibly out-of-control. It’s a rare instance when I can’t finish a title listed in Peary’s book, but Heaven’s Gate was a notable exception.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematography
  

Must See?
Yes, but only for its notoriety.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Movie Martyr Review

Synopsis:
When several brides-to-be are mysteriously found murdered, Amy (Caitlyn O’Heaney) must discover who the serial killer is before she becomes the next victim.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Amateur Sleuths
• Horror
• Serial Killers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this suspenseful horror flick — full of “clever touches” and “engaging acting” — is among “the best of the Halloween derivatives.” It boasts a creative premise — a jilted lover turns psychotic and takes revenge on all other brides-to-be — unexpected humor (including some bit scenes with an unknown Tom Hanks), and a number of “truly scary sequences”. Although I’m not generally a fan of slasher flicks, I found myself unexpectedly caught up in this one.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Young Tom Hanks in a small supporting role
  
• A clever, exciting script
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended for fans of well-made slasher flicks.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Time Out Review

Synopsis:
Ivan Martin (Jimmy Cliff) moves from rural Jamaica to Kingston to record an album, but ends up trading ganja instead to survive. When he refuses to give money to a middleman, a lethal run-in with a cop leads him underground — but Cliff’s music is a hit, and he becomes a folk hero.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Drug Dealers
• Folk Heroes
• Jamaica
• Musicians

Response to Peary’s Review:
This “hard-hitting, crudely made, angry left-wing” cult film about survival on the harsh streets of Kingston was the first movie made in Jamaica by Jamaicans, and shows a side of the island “paradise” that travel agencies try hard to conceal. Indeed, as Peary notes, the film realistically depicts Jamaica’s countryside as “barren and infertile” while “Kingston, the tourist center, is overcrowded, violent, seamy, and poverty-stricken.” Although the film is undeniably downbeat, the reggae soundtrack is truly amazing, and the folk hero story is compelling. When listening to Cliff sing about “universal love, peace, the worth of the individual, and an end to exploitation, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and authoritarianism,” one realizes why reggae is such a powerful force for change.

Note: You may want to watch this film with the subtitles on, since the Rastafarian patois can be challenging to parse at times.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An awesome reggae soundtrack by Jimmy Cliff
  
• The first “indigenous” Jamaican film
  

Must See?
Yes. This cult classic holds a special place in Jamaican film history.

Categories

• Cult Movie
• Historically Relevant

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• Images Journal Review

Synopsis:
A teenage virgin (Myriem Roussel) becomes mysteriously pregnant, and must convince her boyfriend (Thierry Rode) that the conception was “other-worldly”.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Christianity
• French Films
• Godard Films
• Pregnancy
• Virginity

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this notorious Godard film — condemned by the Pope upon its release — is actually “curiously uninvolving, confusing, and boring”.

He argues that “Godard shows his growing lack of concern for acting”, and what’s worse, “he doesn’t bother to develop his characters sufficiently so we can understand their feelings about their unique circumstances.” Along with Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Hail Mary is likely to be remembered more for the controversy it engendered among religious groups than any intrinsic values it possesses as a drama. Peary does, however, provide an interesting analytical spin on the story, suggesting that Godard meant for us to view all births — not just that of Mary’s baby — as mysterious and “extra-terrestrial”. I’m not sure I agree with this assessment, but it’s certainly a provocative take on the enduring Christian mythos of immaculate conception. If you rent the DVD, be sure to check out “The Book of Mary”, a short coming-of-age film included as an extra.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Fine cinematography
  

Must See?
No, though film fanatics may be curious to check it out simply given its controversial history.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
Several psychotic criminals (including Martin Landau and Jack Palance) escape from an experimental insane asylum run by Donald Pleasence, and terrorize the house of a doctor (Dwight Schultz) and his family.

Genres:

• Donald Pleasence Films
• Escape
• Horror
• Jack Palance Films
• Martin Landau Films
• Mental Illness
• Psychopaths

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this cult horror flick starts off with an interesting premise but loses its momentum and originality about halfway through, giving way to “ugly violence” and “stupidity”. Nonetheless, it’s fun watching Martin Landau and Jack Palance together in a film, and Donald Pleasence is excellent as the well-meaning but gravely clueless asylum director. The moral of the story: never, ever assume that all psychopathic criminals need is someone to “understand them”.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Martin Landau’s creepy portrayal as The Preacher
  
• Donald Pleasence as the fatally naive asylum director
  
• Jack Palance as the one “redeemable madman” in the bunch
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
No, unless you’re a fan of slasher flicks and/or “insane asylum” movies.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
When his sister is raped and murdered, a stevedore (Gerard Depardieu) vows to find her killer; meanwhile, he falls for a wealthy young woman (Nastassja Kinski) and dumps his girlfriend (Victoria Abril).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• French Films
• Gerard Depardieu Films
• Nastassja Kinski Films
• Revenge
• Waterfront

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this follow-up to Jean-Jacques Beineix’s cult film Diva (1981) is “delirious, pretentious, and obscure”, but nonetheless contains “many powerful scenes” and some undeniably “erotic visuals”. Beineix purportedly based Depardieu’s character on photos of Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) — a noble intention, but one which ultimately doesn’t pan out; while Depardieu has his own kind of sexy animal magnetism, he never comes close to channeling the unique spirit of Brando’s Kowalski.

Redeeming Qualities:

• Nastassja Kinski as Loretta
  
• Depardieu — on a bet — breaking a solid block of ice in half by gnawing his way through it
  

Must See?
No. While the film was subject to much critical debate when it came out, it no longer warrants such attention.

Links:

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