FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
A young orphan (Hertha Thiele) at an authoritarian boarding school in Prussia develops a crush on her kind teacher (Dorothea Wieck).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Boarding School
• German Films
• Lesbianism
• Orphans
• Ruthless Leaders

Response to Peary’s Review:
This female-directed “landmark of the German cinema” was, as Peary notes, “the first German film to incorporate sound skillfully and thematically”, the first film to “treat lesbianism sympathetically,” and a rare movie which dared to “attack authoritarianism at the time the climate was right for Hitler’s rise to power.” Indeed, as Peary and many other reviewers have noted, Madchen is strongly allegorical, with the girls’ boarding school clearly meant to represent Germany’s increasingly oppressive fascist regime. It’s refreshing to see these girls — who are “spirited, funny, caring, and supportive” — sustain themselves through the love and support they have for one another.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• A remarkably sensitive early cinematic depiction of lesbian attraction
  
• Atmospheric cinematography
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as a landmark German film.

Categories

• Controversial Film
• Foreign Gem

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Rock star groupies screw musicians and tell-all.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Counterculture
• Documentary
• Musicians
• Obsessive Fans

Response to Peary’s Review:
Unlike Peary, I don’t believe this “terrific documentary subject” is made “surprisingly dull” by directors Ron Dorfman and Peter Nevard. While Peary argues that “half the time you don’t know what people on-screen are talking about, [and] at other times you don’t care”, I think the film’s cinema verite approach accurately captures how these groupies (not always the best and brightest) really live and talk. Despite their limited career aspirations, it’s revealing that these women (plus a few gay men) know exactly what they’re doing and why; in fact, they’re downright calculating about it, and it’s (usually) a “win-win” situation for the musicians (who enjoy screwing) and the women (who enjoy carving notches into their belts). These groupies consider it a competitive game to “ball” as many rock stars as they can, and are brutally honest (and open) in their estimation of the men’s charms and sexual abilities. It makes for a fascinating glimpse at an enduring subculture.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Terry Reid singing “Bang, Bang”
  
• Hyper groupies dishing the dirt on all the rock stars they’ve slept with
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended as a revealing look at an interesting subculture.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
A conjoined twin (Violet Hilton) shoots her sister’s con-artist husband (Mario Laval), and stands on trial for murder.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Con-Artists
• Courtroom Drama
• Singers
• Twins
• Vaudeville and Burlesque

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this “extremely dull” exploitation film starring conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton truly is a “curio” more than anything else. As in the Hilton sisters’ only other movie (Tod Browning’s cult classic, Freaks), “freaks” of nature are cruelly used and jilted by the “normal” folks around them — but in this case, the “freaks” are forced to stand trial in “normal” society rather than banding together to mete out vigilante justice. Despite its dull storyline, however, Chained for Life does include several interesting scenes (as when Violet is “fantasizing she is a normal woman and dancing with [her lover]”), and it presents viewers with some provocative dilemmas: Would you sentence Violet for what she did? And what would happen, logistically speaking, if one of a pair of conjoined twins was sentenced to jail?

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• An interesting take on the intense loyalty twins may feel for each other (but done much to much better effect by Olivia De Haviland in The Dark Mirror, 1946)
  
• Dorothy’s fantasy dream sequence
  

Must See?
No. Watch the infinitely superior Freaks (1932) to get a more interesting, albeit shorter, glimpse of the Hilton twins.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
A New Yorker (Griffin Dunne) meets an array of unusual characters while finding himself unable to get home on the worst night of his life.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Black Comedy
• Dick Miller Films
• Flashback Films
• John Heard Films
• Living Nightmare
• Martin Scorsese Films
• New York City
• Rosanna Arquette Films
• Teri Garr Films
• Verna Bloom Films

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary describes this unusual Martin Scorsese film as a “loopy paranoia-comedy”, full of so many “ridiculous and tragic” occurrences that it’s clearly meant to resemble a living nightmare akin to Alice’s “bumpy descent into Wonderland.” It’s chock-full of hilarious exchanges, memorable moments, and quirky characters — including Rosanna Arquette as Dunne’s suicidal date:

… Linda Fiorentino as Arquette’s kooky sculptress roommate (who makes plaster-of-paris bagels!):

… Teri Garr as a baggage-laden blonde waitress:

… John Heard as a menacing bartender:

… Cheech and Chong as a pair of duplicitous thieves:

… and the always delightful Catherine O’Hara as a well-meaning but ultimately ruinous contact.

As Peary notes, Dunne’s character isn’t an overly sympathetic protagonist — indeed, “he’s kind of a worm” — but “we can [nonetheless] identify with his plight” given that he’s an “Everyman, with many of our less noble qualities.”

By the end of the film, Dunne learns that he should have stayed home instead of trying to take advantage of a stranger in need.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Rosanna Arquette as the sweet but troubled woman Dunne meets in a coffee shop
  
• Catherine O’Hara shouting out random numbers as Dunne tries in vain to memorize his friend’s phone number
  

Must See?
Yes. This unusual film is guaranteed to hold your interest, and remains a unique entry in Scorsese’s oeuvre.

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

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

Synopsis:
Tough Tony Baker (Russ Tamblyn) arrives at a new high school and immediately tries to edge in on the drug scene — much to the consternation of his concerned teacher (Jan Sterling).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Drug Dealers
• High School
• Jack Arnold Films
• Jan Sterling Films
• Mamie Van Doren Films
• Mistaken or Hidden Identities
• Russ Tamblyn Films
• Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “fast-moving, tongue-in-cheek” film about the “fifties turbulent-youth scene” — which contains “intentionally sleazy elements” — is “great fun because of the wild dancing and action, three blonde actresses…, and hip teen lingo that will make you feel nostalgic: ‘flipout’, ‘swingingest’, ‘nowhere’, ‘square’ ‘(fill in any word)sville'”, etc. He points out that producer Albert “Zugsmith and talented director Jack Arnold include much intentional campy humor, but the drug angle is treated cautiously” — and he adds that while it’s “a much better film than 1936’s Reefer Madness“, there “are a surprising number of similarities between the two” given that both claim “problem children don’t necessarily come from problem homes,” “the major dealers set up business with pushers and are too smart to be users themselves,” and “where there is loud music there are usually drugs” (!). Peary argues that Mamie Van Doren as Tamblyn’s “nymphomaniac” aunt is particularly noteworthy, and that he believes “it’s worth the price of admission to watch her walking around in semi-obscene outfits…, biting into [Tamblyn’s] apple with thoughts of Eden in her naughty head.” Okay.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Mamie Van Doren as Tamblyn’s aunt
  
• Jan Sterling as Tamblyn’s concerned teacher
  
• Tamblyn secretly shooting up into a ball rather than his arm when “testing out” some drugs
  

Must See?
Yes, as a cult movie. Discussed at length in Peary’s Cult Movies 2 (1983).

Categories

• Cult Movie

Links:

• IMDg entry
• Spinning Image review
• DVD Savant Review
• NY Times Review

Synopsis:
A young schoolteacher (Star Calloway) falls in love with a secret service agent (Carl Mahon) who tries to prove that a singer (Eunice Brooks) has been falsely accused of murder.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• African-Americans
• Falsely Accused
• Juano Hernandez Films
• Musical
• Romance

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, “everyone should see at least one film by the notorious Oscar Micheaux — the most prolific black director of all time, and arguably the worst.” Peary’s seemingly random Micheaux selection for his book — 1932’s The Girl From Chicago — is indeed dreadful: heads and other body parts are routinely cut out of the frame; the musical interludes are boring; the storyline holds little interest; and, as Peary notes, “the acting by the light-skinned blacks is wretched.” Yet this and other Micheaux films are notable for having all-black casts at a time when Hollywood films were literally dominated by white actors, and are worth a brief look simply for historical purposes.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• A representative film by the most prolific black director of all time
  

Must See?
Yes — simply because, as Peary notes, every film fanatic should see at least one film by Micheaux (though it doesn’t necessarily need to be this one).

Categories

• Important Director

Links:

• IMDb entry

Synopsis:
A police inspector (Donald Pleasence) learns about a colony of cannibals — descendents of 19th century laborers — who are living in the London underground. When the lone survivor (Hugh Armstrong) emerges to kidnap a new wife (Sharon Gurney), Pleasence and Gurney’s boyfriend (David Ladd) are quickly on his trail.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cannibalism
• Christopher Lee Films
• Detectives
• Donald Pleasence Films
• Horror
• Kidnapping

Response to Peary’s Review:
Despite its provocative premise, this cult horror film — which Peary concedes is “not as good as its reputation” — is surprisingly boring. There are far too many narrative loopholes — wouldn’t the fifth generation of underground laborers have tried to escape long before now? — and the fake movie gore quickly becomes tedious. Fortunately, the film is partially redeemed by its sympathetic “villain” (Armstrong) — the “brutish lone survivor” of a corrupt government cover-up who’s simply trying to continue his bleak existence; it’s easy to empathize with his plight.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Donald Pleasence as Inspector Calhoun
  
• A clever, politically scandalous premise

Must See?
No, though it’s worth a look simply for its status as a beloved cult film.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Roger Ebert’s Review
• British Horror Films Review
• The Spinning Image Review
• Time Out Capsule Review

Synopsis:
When a working-class teenager (John Moulder-Brown) starts his first job at a bath house in London, he develops an enormous crush on his sexy, flirtatious, older co-worker (Jane Asher).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Black Comedy
• First Love
• Obsessive Love
• Sexuality
• Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary notes, this coming-of-age film is a “near masterpiece”, with “much to admire” — including “fine ensemble acting”, “excellent location work”, an “improvisational feel”, many “wonderfully funny moments”, and a “remarkably effective use of color to heighten dramatic tension”. I disagree with Peary, however, that the film’s tragic ending comes as “too much of a surprise”; it makes perfect sense, given director Jerzy Skolimowski’s depiction of teenage love as obsessive, hopeless, and increasingly out-of-control. Moulder-Brown is well cast in the lead role, and sexy Jane Asher (best known as Paul McCartney’s red-headed girlfriend) is note-perfect as the heedless Susan, who has no idea how devastating her flirtations are for her young co-worker.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jane Asher’s spot-on performance as the “older” femme fatale
  
• A seamy, bleak depiction of London streets and bath houses
  
  
• Middle-aged Diana Dors using Mike to help her masturbate
  
• Mike ordering multiple hot dogs from a vendor on the street, in a vain attempt to escape notice
  
• Mike and Susan searching for a diamond in the snow — my new, favorite phrase to replace “needle in a haystack”!
  
• Effective use of colors to match the characters’ emotions (read Peary’s Cult Movies review for more on this)
  

Must See?
Yes, for its status as a cult favorite. Discussed at length in Peary’s Cult Movies (1981).

Categories

• Cult Movie

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

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Over the course of summer vacation, Paul (Barry Gordon) attempts to woo sexy Christine (Lada Edmund Jr.) away from her jock boyfriend Russ (Jon Voight).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Comedy
• Coming-of-Age
• Jon Voight Films
• Rivalry
• Teenagers

Response to Peary’s Review:
This “very amusing” coming-of-age comedy (which Peary argues is “waiting for discovery”) belies the stereotypes of most teenage sex romps, emerging as an authentic look at teenagers testing out their interests and affections. The story isn’t linear; indeed, what we think will be the crux of the film (Paul getting Christine to go out with him) happens almost immediately, with the rest of the movie focusing on the complications of what happens next. Other than Jon Voight’s somewhat predictable performance as a “dumb, tough jock”, these characters are surprisingly three-dimensional: they’re conflicted about what they want, and getting what they want doesn’t necessarily lead to the satisfaction they were hoping for. Director Paul Williams uses clever editing to focus on Paul’s state-of-mind — check out the hilarious Romeo and Juliet scene, for instance.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Lada Edmond, Jr. as the surprisingly nuanced Christine
  
• Paul staring distractedly at an unaware Christine’s heaving bosom throughout an entire production of Romeo and Juliet
  
• Clever, humorous editing
  
• An honest portrayal of teenage rivalry, horniness, and confusion
  

Must See?
No, but it’s recommended.

Links:

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

Synopsis:
Five survivors of a nuclear holocaust must deal with their circumstances and each other.

Genres:

• Arch Oboler Films
• Nuclear Holocaust
• Post-Apocalypse
• Science Fiction
• Survival

Response to Peary’s Review:
As Peary points out, this groundbreaking film by Arch Oboler is known for being the first cinematic depiction of “the aftermath of nuclear warfare”. The pacing is a bit uneven, and some of the characterizations are unnecessarily cliched, but the film nonetheless possesses a true sense of pathos and despair. Especially notable is Susan Douglas’s nuanced performance as the shellshocked, pregnant housewife who must deal with the survival of both herself and her unborn child.

Redeeming Qualities:

• The first film to depict a possible nuclear holocaust
  
• Susan Douglas’s heartbreaking performance
  
• Scenes of post-nuclear cities devoid of all life
  

Must See?
Yes; this one is worth checking out.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

• IMDB entry
• SciFilm.org capsule review