Ministry of Fear (1944)
“Forget the past — just tell me the future.”
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Jackson County Jail (1976)
“I was born dead.”
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Naked Jungle, The (1954)
“Frankly, you’re not what I expected.”
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… “and hang on until the exciting second half of the picture”, when “armies of flesh-eating red ants march through the jungles and devour everyone in sight”.
Unfortunately, the first “half” feels much longer than this, and the finale — while reasonably impressive for the era — is no reason to stick around, especially given that you’ll have to put up with blatantly racist, colonial drivel such as the following, when Parker is offered a young boy as her personal servant:
At least the laughably melodramatic interactions between Heston (never more wooden) and Parker provide some unintended chuckles:
… as do the ongoing metaphorical allusions to Heston’s piano:
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Fortune, The (1975)
“She’s the mouse-bed heiress.”
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(The Mann Act was more commonly known as the “White-Slave Traffic Act”, and was meant to “combat forced prostitution and ‘debauchery'” of white women, though that historical context is never made relevant.) We quickly learn — in an elaborate visual “joke” — that Channing will marry wild-haired Nicholson instead of Beatty (who she’s obviously in love/lust with), but it’s never explained why flying to Los Angeles will help Beatty’s status as an already-married man, or how much he may actually like Channing apart from her wealth. Eventually, he and Nicholson collude to kill Channing, planning to split the proceeds 50/50 — but everything about this plan smells justifiably foul, and inevitably goes awry. There’s some fun to be had in watching Channing nimbly escaping from the bumbling duo’s feeble clutches, but the point of it all simply isn’t clear. Note: The quote selected above alludes to Channing’s status as the heiress to a sanitary pad company; Nicholson shares a lame anecdote early on about being told these were “mouse beds” as a child, hence the continual wordplay. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
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Cheerleaders, The (1973)
“Mom! Dad! I made the team!”
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Terror Train (1980)
“I hate magic. It’s just tricks.”
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I Dismember Mama (1972)
“My mother’s a whore; in the middle ages, she would have been stoned to death.”
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who befriends “pure” Annie much like Frankenstein’s monster befriends the little girl he drowns in a lake. (Albert courts Annie by going boating on a lake… Yes, the ‘homage’ is that explicit.)
Hall’s other notable role was as a sadistic prisoner in Fortune and Men’s Eyes (1971), so I guess he was riding a convenient wave of stereotyped casting. Redeeming Qualities and Moments: Must See? Links: |
Las Vegas Hillbillys, The / Country Music U.S.A. (1966)
“My mamma didn’t raise no fools — and I’m gonna give a crack to this nightclub business before I give up!”
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The slim-to-none storyline utilizes every possible opportunity to make fun of “hillbillys” (dilapidated cars, burning hooch stills, drawling accents) while also demonstrating their tenacity and family ties (“Aunt Clem” — Billie Bird — comes to the rescue near the end). Watch for a “cameo” by Richard Kiel (“Jaws” in Moonraker) as, of course, a hulking bodyguard.
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American Success Company, The (1980)
“I sensed there was something I could learn from him that would save my marriage.”
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To Have and Have Not (1944)
“You save France; I’m going to save my boat.”
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Response to Peary’s Review: Indeed, Bogart and Bacall’s romantic tension drives the film: it’s impossible to imagine this movie being nearly so memorable without Bacall in her breakthrough role, or the genuine sparks that went flying between the two. With her peekaboo hair and sultry voice, Bacall is simply dynamite. (Click here to see an edited section from the animated “Merrie Melodies” spoof “Bacall to Arms”, re-enacting some of Bogie and Bacall’s most memorable onscreen moments.) Walter Brennan turns in yet another solid supporting performance as Bogie’s “rummy” shipmate, whose extreme drinking problem is played for laughs at times, but also acknowledged for the deadly serious gamble is presents (what will or won’t Brennan do or say for another drink?). Also notable is Hoagy Carmichael’s presence as “Cricket”, a piano-songwriter who accompanies Bacall on several memorable ditties. Thankfully, the film’s more-faithful-to-the-novel remake The Breaking Point (1950) — co-starring John Garfield and Patricia Neal — is differently excellent, and also well worth a look. Note: See this TCM article for fascinating insights into how and why the locale was shifted from the original Cuban setting in Hemingway’s novel. Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Must See? Categories
(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die) Links: |
