FilmFanatic.org

Synopsis:
When a handsome cowboy (Tom Berenger) shifts out of a serial b&w western and rides into the colorful town of Oakwood Estates, he quickly meets a host of familiar characters: the town drunk (G.W. Bailey), the local prostitute with a heart of gold (Marilu Henner), the top cattle rancher (Andy Griffith), and Griffith’s beautiful daughter (Sela Ward). When Griffith seeks help from the local railroad boss (Fernando Rey) in killing Berenger, Berenger draws on every strength he knows he has a “good guy” cowboy — but the sudden appearance of an equally noble rival (Patrick Wayne) causes him to question his credibility.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Andy Griffith Films
• Cowboys
• Ranchers
• Satires and Spoofs
• Westerns

Review:
This good-natured satire of serial westerns pokes fun at their predictability and formulaic nature — including giving the lead character omniscience about what will happen next at every turn. Unfortunately, while it’s far more enjoyable than the other western-satire released the same year — Paul Bartel’s Lust in the Dust (1985) — it doesn’t quite live up to its potential: we eventually tire of hearing Berenger say, “I knew that would happen”, and some of the ongoing jokes (i.e., Berenger gnawing on a “root” — actually a potato — as a form of old-west drug) fall completely flat. On the other hand, the actors are all invested in their roles (Henner did not deserve her Razzie nomination!), and the location shooting (in Spain) is quite beautiful.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Fine location shooting in Spain
  
• An occasionally amusing parody of Western tropes
  

Must See?
No, though I think diehard western fans would have fun with it.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
In 19th century France, a traveling circus is invited to the castle of Count Drago (Christopher Lee), who has a keen interest in mummifying animals of all kinds — including, apparently, humans.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Carnivals and Circuses
• Christopher Lee Films
• Donald Sutherland Films
• Horror Films
• Mummies
• Old Dark House

Review:
This semi-dubbed Italian-French horror flick is notable for including uncredited early directorial work by Michael Reeves, and for featuring Donald Sutherland in his screen debut (playing both a police officer and an old hag).

Unfortunately, while the film is high on gothic atmosphere, it’s slow on plot and pacing; there’s one central premise to the storyline — who will Lee and his henchman (Mirko Valentin) capture next? — and we simply watch this play out in scene after scene, in spooky settings. In terms of the performances, leading actress Gaia Germani (who often reminds one of Audrey Hepburn) is simply perpetually frightened (for good reason):

Sutherland is nearly unrecognizable in his female guise; and it’s refreshing to see a dwarf (Anthony Martin) emerging as a hero of the situation.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric sets and cinematography
  
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious.
Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• Spinning Image Review

Synopsis:
A writer (William Bates) and his girlfriend (Pat Barrington), seeking inspiration for Bates’ horror stories, visit a cemetery where they are quickly abducted by the “Emperor of the Dead” (Criswell) and his princess (Fawn Silver) and forced to watch a series of once-dead women dance topless.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Dancers
• Death and Dying
• Ed Wood Films
• Horror

Review:
Ed Wood, Jr. wrote the screenplay for this deathly boring (sorry) stripper flick masquerading as some kind of horror revue. The acting is terrible, the dances laughable, and the screenplay practically non-existent (the only “tension” is whether Barrington and Bates will be killed and forced to join the troupe of dancing dead before the sun rises). As DVD Savant succinctly describes it, “This is basically 90 minutes of repetitious and numbing strip acts, with poor cutaways to the presiding ghouls who bicker about how much time they have before dawn or who gets to stab who.” The inclusion of a mummy (Louis Ojena) and wolfman (John Andrews) as sidekicks does absolutely nothing to alleviate the tedium. At least the cinematography is colorful, and decent use is made of a smoke machine.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Atmospheric cinematography
  

Must See?
Nope; skip this one. Listed as a Camp Classic in the back of Peary’s book.

Links:

Synopsis:
When singing duo Sonny (Sonny Bono) and Cher (Cher) are handed a creaky script by an arrogant producer (George Sanders), Sonny brainstorms ways to make it more creative by spoofing various genres — including westerns, Tarzan adventures, and private eye flicks.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cher Films
• Comedy
• George Sanders Films
• Fantasy
• Hollywood
• Musicals
• Satires and Spoofs
• William Friedkin Films

Review:
Director William Friedkin cut his feature-length-narrative teeth on this amiable musical vehicle for Sonny and Cher, which did poorly at the box office but remains innocuously enjoyable escapist fare. The sets are colorful, Sonny and Cher seem to be having a good time together, and the three movie farces are fairly clever. Sanders is perfectly cast (and doesn’t seem bored out of his skull) playing “Mordicus”, a diabolically controlling producer with exactly one “rags to riches” storyline in mind:

he also cleverly shows up as the villains (Knife McBlade, “white hunter”, and Zarubian) in each of the satires.

Friedkin directs with a sure hand, and it’s well-edited to boot. While it’s certainly not must-see viewing, it’s not totally awful, either.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Colorful sets, costumes, and cinematography
  
• Amusingly scripted satirical vignettes
  
• A few enjoyable tunes

Must See?
No; this one remains a curiosity but not must-see.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• Spinning Image Review
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review

Synopsis:
A Saharan desert guide (John Wayne) accompanies a religious man (Rossano Brazzi) obsessed with finding a lost city his father discovered years ago. When a local prostitute (Sophia Loren) decides to join them, interesting love tangles ensue.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Deserts
• Gold Seekers
• Henry Hathaway Films
• John Wayne Films
• Love Triangle
• Sophia Loren Films
• Survival

Review:
Henry Hathaway directed, Ben Hecht co-scripted, and Jack Cardiff shot (in Technirama) this desert survival drama, shot on location near Tripoli. John Wayne plays — essentially, himself, as much of a stoic cowboy as ever; meanwhile, Loren is suitably beautiful yet sympathetic as a woman eager to turn her challenging past around, and Brazzi is an appropriately enigmatic third wheel.

Indeed, Brazzi’s character shifts over time are what primarily drive the narrative, which otherwise consists of LOTS of desert-survival scenes (as well as inevitable lust for Loren). To its credit, the creaky film never quite lags, even when the characters are faced time and again with similar variations on near-death; and the ending brings some interesting surprises. However, this one isn’t must-see viewing for anyone other than die-hard fans of the stars.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Jack Cardiff’s cinematography and fine on-location shooting
  
  
  

Must See?
No; you can skip this one unless you’re curious (or want to see Cardiff’s work).

Links:

• IMDb entry
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review

Synopsis:
A soldier (Marlon Brandon) stationed in Japan during the Korean War serves as best man when his friend (Red Buttons) marries a Japanese woman (Miyoshki Umeki); soon he falls in love himself with a beautiful Japanese singer (Miiko Taka). Brandon’s former fiancee (Patricia Owens) and her general-father (Kent Smith) try to warn Buttons and Brando that their actions are against military regulations, but the men’s love is stronger than the institutionalized racism that surrounds them.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Cross Cultural Romance
• James Garner Films
• Joshua Logan Films
• Marlon Brando Films
• Military
• Race Relations and Racism
• Red Buttons Films
• Ricardo Montalban Films

Review:
Joshua Logan directed this adaptation of James Michener’s novel about the taboo of cross-cultural romances in the 1950s. Brando’s “natural” performance (he was apparently a childish pill on set) doesn’t really fit with the overall tone of the film; faring much better is Oscar-winning Red Buttons as an “ordinary” G.I. whose love of his Japanese wife feels much more grounded and authentic than Brando’s semi-stalking (orientalist?) fascination with beautiful Taka. To its credit, the film tackles challenging topics such as institutionalized racism, reminding or informing modern audiences exactly how racist and nationalist both America and Japan were during this era. Meanwhile, the movie is gorgeously filmed in Technirama, making it a visual treat.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Red Buttons as Joe
  
• Beautiful cinematography and sets
  
  
  

Must See?
No, but it’s certainly worth a one-time look.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TCM Article
• DVD Savant Review
• Time Out Capsule Review (spoiler alert)

Synopsis:
While Bob Dylan performs on tour in 1975, fictional vignettes are randomly interspersed, some of which involve him played by other actors.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Concert Films
• Counterculture
• Harry Dean Stanton Films
• Singers

Review:
It’s challenging to describe exactly how tedious this hours-long experimental “cubist” film by Bob Dylan (with writing support from Sam Shepard) really is. It’s boring, illogical, pompous, and laughably amateur. The only way I can imagine finding any enjoyment in it at all would be to watch it with others and provide a continuous commentary on its ineptitude, with occasional breaks to listen to some of the actual musical performances — so, in that spirit, here are just a few of my thoughts as I suffered my way through this painful slog:

Why is this film called “Renaldo and Clara” if those characters (played by Bob Dylan and his wife Sara) are only peripheral to the “storyline”?

Oh, there’s the hitchhiker (Helena Kallianiotes) from Five Easy Pieces (1970)! She looks exactly the same. What’s she doing here?

What’s the deal with Dylan wearing white face paint on stage? Is it meant to “subvert blackface”, “hide” his visage, or be a clownish homage (as some claim) to Les Enfants du Paradis (1945)?

Who’s the dude on the pinball machine who keeps showing up to comment on how he once knew and interacted with Dylan?

Could Allen Ginsberg’s presence and performances here be any more embarrassing?

What is Joan Baez doing in this mess, other than supporting her former lover and singing a few songs? Why is she occasionally sporting a hideous accent while wearing a white turban?

Why is Harry Dean Stanton subjected to a short scene in which he’s accused of trading his horse for Baez?

Do ANY of these “narrative threads” connect back to Dylan’s actual songs in some way? Is this all meant to be an insider’s “egg hunt”?

I could go on and on, but won’t. Just — be forewarned.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Occasional enjoyable musical numbers (for fans of Dylan)
  

Must See?
Nope. Listed as a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book, which it may have been at one time but surely isn’t any longer.

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review
• TV Guide Review
• Shock Cinema Magazine Review
• Every 70s Movie Review

Synopsis:
A Czech concert pianist (Francis Lederer) tortured by the Nazis for playing Smetana’s “The Moldau” is wandering as an amnesiac on a Caribbean island, where his wife (Sigrid Gurie) lies dying from the heartache of losing him.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Amnesia
• Flashback Films
• Musicians
• Refugees
• Star-Crossed Lovers
• World War II

Review:
This well-intended but relentlessly gloomy, tediously paced flashback drama lingers for more than 15 minutes in an ill-defined opening space (which turns out to be the refugee mid-way island of Guadaloupe in the Antilles) on an unnamed woman (Gurie) in a deathbed:

… and a pianist (Lederer) who seems to have no memory.

Once we’re finally given a glimpse back into their life together (yes, they were a couple), we see that Lederer was banished from Europe for daring to a play a Czech nationalist song during a broadcast concert:

… and is now stranded on an island by the captain of a “murder boat” (i.e., a boat intended to take refugees partway to America and no further).

Given that this film was made and released during the midst of WWII, it makes sense that audience members might be shocked to hear about this type of atrocity, and grateful for a chance to hiss at venal Nazis — but these days it simply comes across as poorly acted and overly melodramatic.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Some beautiful piano music
  

Must See?
No; there’s no need to seek this one out. Listed as a Sleeper and a Cult Movie in the back of Peary’s book (though I can’t imagine it currently being one).

Links:

• IMDb entry
• NY Times Original Review

Synopsis:
Just before her death at the age of 27, Janis Joplin rehearses, performs, tours, visits her 10th high school reunion, and discusses her art with interviewers.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

• Biopics
• Singers

Review:
This documentary about legendary rock star Janis Joplin — part of the infamous “27 Club” as one among too many artists who died at such a young age — is comprised exclusively of archival footage, without any additional narration or commentary (or, for that matter, any mention of her death). Though limited, it remains a poignant piece of collated cinema that may not answer many questions, but does give us a glimpse into the life of this traumatized young singer whose life was consumed by drugs. To that end, we’re able to clearly see how high and/or out-of-it Joplin was for much of her existence, while simultaneously giving powerhouse performances that — paraphrasing her own words — were what gave her energy and purpose in life. In this footage — as in her songs — she puts it all out there, being as consistently authentic as possible. While it will be of most interest — indeed, essential viewing — for Joplin fans, I think it’s worth a look by all film fanatics for its historical value.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

• Many memorable sequences and songs
  
  
  
  

Must See?
Yes, as an invaluable time capsule of Joplin’s short life.

Categories

• Historically Relevant

Links:

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