Dunkirk (2017) Review

Title: Dunkirk
Year: 2017
Director: Christopher Nolan
Country: UK
Language: English

Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk must have been a great pain to shoot. Using silent films like Greed and Intolerance as inspiration, Nolan choreographed scenes featuring over a thousand extras. He also used over 50 boats on the sea, the most that has ever been put on camera. In addition, because Nolan wanted to focus on realism, he put large IMAX cameras on the cockpit and wings of fully functional WWII era planes. Nolan considers the difficulty of making the picture worthwhile as the Dunkirk evacuation was "an essential moment in World History." 

Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German Army, and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

Three interconnected stories about Dunkirk unfold over the course of the film, each ranging in scale and length. It's a complex narrative structure that focuses on land, air, and sea. Nolan's film avoids the thrill of a shootout, and instead each explosion fills the atmosphere with a sense of dread and doubt. The fate of the entire world depends on the allies'  survival on Dunkirk, and our hope that these soldiers will make it out diminishes as time goes by. 

Thirty Dunkirk survivors, all of whom were in their nineties, attended the film premiere in London. When asked about the film, they claimed it accurately captured the event, but the soundtrack was louder than the actual real life action. This would be one of my complaints about the film; Nolan is afraid of silence. The soundtrack blares throughout the run-time, which takes away the intensity of many scenes that would have had more impact through use of silence. In addition Nolan's focus on technical mastery does not make for adequate characters. Many are poorly introduced and/or are very one dimensional. 

Dunkirk is an awe-inspiring picture, but I'd be lying if I said I'd ever watch it again. The technical grandiosity sometimes makes the picture feel hollow; a style over substance type of work. I have seen many great war pictures, the most recent being Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge (2016) and this doesn't belong in that category. 

Detroit (2017) Review

Title: Detroit
Year: 2017
Director: Katherine Bigelow
Country: US
Language: English

Katherine Bigelow became the first woman to win a Best Director Oscar for The Hurt Locker in 2010. A couple of years later she would be the subject of controversy when Zero Dark Thirty was accused of endorsing torture. Detroit has also created some controversy, as it revisits an unforgettable incident during the 1967 Detroit Rebellion.

A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest RACE riots in United States history. The story is centred around the Algiers Motel incident, which occurred in Detroit, Michigan on July 25, 1967, during the racially charged 12th Street Riot. It involves the death of three black men and the brutal beatings of nine other people.

Detroit opens with a painterly animated sequence detailing the Great Migration in 1916, followed by the segregation and oppression of black citizens within the city limits of Detroit. Interspersed with clips of documentary footage from the actual events, the film proceeds using a formal style of handheld cameras and outlying perspectives, giving the audience a sense of being there, looking on from a distance. 

Cinematographer Barry Ackroyd lends a documentarian’s eye to the drama, using vintage lenses to capture multi-angle digital footage which is seamlessly interwoven with the archival material. Detroit is an intense visceral film that, mainly due to the editing by William Goldenberg, feels violent to a shocking degree. While it's arguable how much of the picture is entirely accurate regarding the events Bigelow will make you feel angry at the injustice presented onscreen. 

Detroit is a hard film to sit through, but perhaps it is an essential watch in order to attempt to understand the deep-rooted racism in the United States. It might not be the most intelligent film about institutionalized racism, but it's certainly a hard picture to forget. 

Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011-2017)

Titles:
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)

Country: US
Language: English

Loosely based on the 1963 French Novel La Planete Des Singes by Pierre Boulle, the original Planet of the Apes (1968) directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Charlton Heston has become an American science fiction classic. In addition to being a critical and commercial success the film was known for its groundbreaking prosthetic makeup techniques by artist John Chambers.The picture was so influential that it launched a film franchise, a short-lived television show, comic books and an inumerable amount of merchandising. 

The original film series had four film sequels running from 1970-1973, all with a varying degree of quality. I had seen all the original apes films as a child on a television network called Drive In Classics. Despite some sequels not resonating with me, they were infinitely better than Tim Burton's 2001 remake Planet of the Apes starring Mark Whalberg. Burton's version didn't even get the twist ending right, changing it to make no sense whatsoever. 

As a result of Tim Burton's massive failure I became repulsed by anything associated with Planet of the Apes (and Tim Burton). When I first heard of this new trilogy (Rise, Dawn & War) in 2011 I was confident I'd never see it, even when Rise went on to great critical success. When Dawn was nominated for a Best Visual Effects Oscar at the Academy Awards I became intrigued, but refused to see it. When War gave way to talk about Andy Serkis (formerly Gollum in Lord of the Rings) winning an Oscar for Best Acting & gave discussion about "what is great acting?" this enticed me enough to at least give the first film in the trilogy a shot. Wow! I have been missing out!

Rise of the Planet of the Apes (4/5)

Scientist Will Rodman (James Franco) creates a drug that is designed to help the brain repair itself, but instead it gives apes human-like intelligence. Cesar (Andy Serkis) lives his childhood in peace with Will, but is ultimately taken from the people he loves and imprisoned in an ape sanctuary. 

Screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver tell the story from Caesar’s perspective more than the comparatively uninteresting humans, and therein force audiences to witness the lows of animal cruelty and in time cheer when Caesar exacts his thrilling revolt. In Andy Serkis' almost silent performance as Cesar there is more depth than most actors could ever achieve. The human performances, though adequate, cannot help be feel underwhelming compared to the motion capture animation acting of each CGI animal.

Rise is an engaging film that brilliantly plants the seeds for what is to come in the rest of the Apes Trilogy. Technically impressive and visually exciting, Rise gives you a lot to think about as it forces you into the perspective of animals you ought to care about but rarely have the time to think of. Lovers of action movies and lovers of PETA rejoice!

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (4.5/5)

A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar (Andy Serkis) is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. In addition, another ape named Koba (Toby Kebell) is threatening Caesar's leadership and becoming dangerous in doing so. The Surviors, led by Malcolm (Jason Clarke), are equally threatened by the apes & are slowly loosing access to electricity. 

Dawn is the most Shakespeare inspired film of the trilogy. Early on we see a survivor with a book of Julius Caesar in his hand and, although the foreshadowing is not subtle it all, it gives the audience just enough of a hint of the future that we are eagerly anticipating scene after scene. The writers also tap into elements of Romeo and Juliet ,with star-crossed lovers of sorts (friends Caesar and Malcolm) caught amid their species hatred for one another.

While the scales were tipped towards the apes in Rise, here we sympathize with the humans. Even Caesar acknowledges "I always think ape better than human… I see now how like them we are.” It's a complicated picture with a varying degree of themes such as environmentalism, gun control, democracy etc. It's quite shocking how good the visual effects are in this film; the apes look almost as realistic as the humans do. Certainly deserved to be nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards. 


War for the Planet of the Apes (3.5/5)

Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.

While the last two installments of the trilogy seemed to be inspired by mostly original ideas War has Tarantino-d itself using an abundance of pop culture influences to move its story. War is part Schindler's List, The Searchers, Apocalypse Now (Ape-Pocalypse Now as scrolled on a wall by human survivors), Bridge on the River Kwai, and The Great Escape among others. In addition War is stuffed to the gills with not subtle-at-all religious context. The Colonel "Sacrificed his only son to save mankind." Caesar leads his apes, like Moses, to the promised land. Yesh. 

War is a decent film on its own thanks to its technical achievements, tremendous acting and thrilling score, but lackluster compared to the rest of the trilogy due to its dependence on pop-culture and liberal heavy handed use of serious allegories. I must admit I do love the comic relief character Bad Ape (Steve Zahn) and I have re-watched some of the film already just to see his scenes. 

From Here to Eternity (1953) Review

Title: From Here to Eternity
Year: 1953
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Country: US
Language: English

From Here to Eternity (1953) is perhaps the greatest film that was almost never made. This was due to both the explosive subject matter of the original novel and the time period wherein the studios bought the rights. The picture challenged army logic and at the time McCarthyism was still at its peak in America. The House of Un-American Activities Committee could have investigated Harry Cohn, president of Columbia Pictures, and blacklisted him from Hollywood. These were troubling times indeed. 

In Hawaii in 1941, a private is cruelly punished for not boxing on his unit's team, while his captain's wife and second-in-command are falling in love.

Despite rumors that Sinatra's involvement inspired the horse head scene from The Godfather (1972), in that if he didn't get the part he would have made the director "an offer he couldn't refuse", From Here to Eternity was a smashing commercial and critical success. It was nominated for 13 Oscars that year, winning Best Picture and Best Director. It was one of the highest grossing films of the fifties. 

The human drama in the midst of wartime procedures is remarkable, truly unique for the time. Very few World War II films refuse to focus on the actual battles and instead give us a glimpse on behind-the-scenes soldier life – training, routines, camaraderie, rivalries, off-duty misadventures and romances. Despite heavy sanitization by the Studios, this picture still proves to be thought-provoking, shocking and incredibly entertaining. 

The entire cast gives a great performance, but perhaps the most memorable is Montgomery Clift. He truly is absorbed into his character, which is helped by a terrific script and a director that truly knows how to keep the picture at a good pace. This is one of the best "Best Pictures" you'll ever come across and you owe it to yourself to watch From Here to Eternity immediately. 

My Fair Lady (1964) Review

Title: My Fair Lady
Year: 1964

Director: George Cuckor
Country: UK

Language: English

My Fair Lady was adapted for the Silver Screen from the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, which was itself based upon the 1913 stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. It was director by George Cuckor, the screenplay was written by Alan Jay Lerner and the film starred Audrey Hepburn at the height of her career. It won eight Academy awards, most notably for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. 

A misogynistic and snobbish phonetics professor (Rex Harrison)  agrees to a wager that he can take a flower girl (Audrey Hepburn) and make her presentable in high society.

Many people on the set of My Fair Lady presumed that Julie Andrews would be given the leading role, Disney even offered to halt the production of Mary Poppins to make a new schedule for Andrews, but producer Jack L. Warner had not even considered her. Even though Audrey Hepburn was his first interest she was told that her voice was not strong enough to carry the picture, so the majority of her singing (with the exception of a couple songs) was dubbed by Marni Nixon. This is unfortunate, as I feel musicals should only be cast with actors who can do their own singing and/or dancing. It may have also kept Hepburn from receiving her own Best Actress Oscar that year. 

My Fair Lady does an incredible job at integrating narration and music, as it moves the story quite smoothly. Even though the picture is 3 hours long, the songs, which include "I've Accustomed to Her Face" and "I Could Have Danced" manages to keep the audience entertained. They are incredibly helpful in establishing characters, contributing to the mood, adding exposition, and creating a powerful atmosphere of fantasy. Few movie musicals use the power of music this well. 

As it's based on a stage play, some camera blocking and shot compositions are fairly troublesome. The stark class division and treatment of the poor is treated a bit too lightly for my taste, but other than that those qualms there is very little negative to say about the picture. My Fair Lady is a bonifide classic that deserves to be regarded as one of the best musicals ever made. 

The Land That Time Forgot (1975) Review

Title: The Land That Time Forgot
Year: 1975
Director: Kevin Connor
Country: UK
Language: English

Based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel, The Land That Time Forgot is foremost a prehistoric adventure, transplanting contemporary people into a primitive and dangerous domain. It's that generation's Jurassic Park, albeit this picture seems like it would have dated itself far quicker than Spielberg's 1993 venture. Certainly could have used the help of one Ray Harryhausen, who had made all his best features by 1975. 

During World War I, a German U-boat sinks a British ship and takes the survivors on board. After it takes a wrong turn, the submarine takes them to the unknown land of Caprona, where they find dinosaurs and neanderthals.

Mystery Science Theatre 3000 returned to television, well, Netflix, in 2017 and the seventh episode of the first season just so happened to be The Land That Time Forgot. I had watched it previously at a family friend's house, they told me the movie would be "amazing", and I was not only disappointed but I was bored out of my mind. The main gimmick is the special effects; mainly the dinosaur segments, but even those are poorly constructed.

Kevin Connor uses rubber doll puppets enlarged by camera tricks to make the dinosaurs appear "larger than life" in order to entice his audience, but the effect doesn't work. The camera's many close-ups reveal the obvious fakery and we never feel like we are watching more than just toys. Douglas Gammey's score is jarring, but never suspenseful. The acting makes you really pity the actors involved. 

The film seems to have high reviews on IMDB, but I'll chalk that up to nostalgia. The film is so dated that even movies made 20 years before it have more sophisticated effects. Heck King Kong from 1933 looks better than this steaming pile of crap. Watch it only to see MST3K's commentary.


0 Stars

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958) Review

Title: The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Year: 1958
Director: Nathan Juran
Country: UK
Language: English

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is best known due to the extraordinary (at the time) animation by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. The process of animation, specifically made for the film, was coined "Dynamation" (dynamic animation). Producer Charles H. Schneer decided that he and Ray needed a gimmick to sell this technique, and distinguish the model animation technique from cartoon animation, which was not taken seriously at the time. The brand was a success due to its heavy promotional campaign. 

When a princess (Kathryn Grant) is shrunken by an evil wizard (Torin Thatcher), Sinbad (Kerwin Mathews) must undertake a quest to an island of monsters to cure her and prevent a war.

Ray Harryhausen is best known for his innovative stop-motion animation techniques, and this film is perhaps the best showcase of his talent. We witness a cobra-woman, a fire breathing dragon, a possessed skeleton warrior and- perhaps the most epic of monsters- a raging cyclops. With this picture Harryhausen reinvents the Monster movie and makes it accessible for entirely new generations. 

Much of the acting is subpar, but the little that is great is great where it counts. Kerwin Mathews proves an adequate hero with enough wit, charm and testosterone to grab our attention and keep it throughout the run-time. A rousing score by Bernard Hermann, complete with eye pleasing swashbuckling action scenes, proves to be a rather entertaining and memorable time. 

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad is an iconic drive-in film that is an easy recommendation due to its technical innovation, enduring charm, and top-notch entertainment value. I watched this film as a child & if I ever have a kid of my own I will certainly show this brilliant feature to them.

Kuroneko (1968) Review

Title: Kuroneko
Year: 1968
Director: Kaneto Shindo
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese

Kaneto Shindo is a Japanese Director best known in the West for his works The Naked Island (1960) and Onibaba (1964), both of which have been released on DVD by the Criterion Collection. He started his career as an art director in the 1930's, but would go on to make his own pictures in the 1950's. He is best known for socialist & erotic themes, but in Kuroneko's case he proves himself a master of horror. 

Two women (Kichiemon Nakamura & Nobuku Otowa) are raped and killed by samurai soldiers. Soon they reappear as vengeful ghosts who seduce and brutally murder the passing samurai.

Kaneto Shindo’s elegant nightmare of earthbound violence and otherworldly revenge wasn’t the first film to be rooted in Japanese folk stories about onryo, the vengeful spirits of those who were abused in life, but it is one of the most remarkable. Kuroneko is wonderfully poetic; haunting in its atmosphere and full of tense moments. As time passes, the ending of the picture becomes more difficult to predict and thus it's a film that will keep you on the edge of your seat. 

Kiyomi Kuroda’s silky cinematography and Hikaru Hayashi’s percussive score add to the eerie atmosphere. Impressive lighting, daring cinematography and unusual acting all add to heightening the sense of dread throughout the picture. The script adds necessary drama to keep this from just being a seductive snuff film. Overall this is quite an impressive feat.

Sliding from the cinematic to the realistic with ease, Kuroneko is a fun picture to watch that is fairy easy to follow for Non-Japanese audiences. I'd go so far as to say you could watch the film with the subtitles off and still have a thrilling time. I look forward to watching more of this director's cinematography. 

Cavalcade (1933) Review

Title: Cavalcade
Year: 1933
Director: Frank Lloyd
Country: US
Language: English

Frank Lloyd's 1933 Noel Coward adaptation Cavalcade has been virtually forgotten about by cinephiles and film critics alike. It is a pre-code drama that won three academy awards- most notably for Best Picture and Best Director- and was a financial success, being the second highest earning film of that year, but seems lost in time due to how dated it feels. It would likely bore the pants off of today's audience. 

We witness cavalcade of English life from New Year's Eve 1899 until 1933 seen through the eyes of well-to-do Londoners Jane (Diana Wynyard) and Robert Marryot (Clive Brook). Amongst events touching their family are the Boer War, the death of Queen Victoria, the sinking of the Titanic and the Great War.

Cavalcade's running time is about two hours long, but it's slow leisurely pace will have you checking to see if your watch is broken. Slow musical numbers drift along, none of which are even remotely memorable. They feel greatly out of place as people start singing at the strangest of times. There is no choreography either, so the picture is literally halted without any sense of pace. 

Granted the picture is gorgeous to look at. The great expanse of settings (from African battlefields to the Titanic) leave is with a visual variety on a grand sweeping scale. The costumes are a pleasure to the eye, and the swooping camera shots give us a sense of wonder. If only the story was enticing and the picture had more cohesion. At times Cavalcade wants to be a tear-jerking drama, while at other times we get very awkward comedy. 

I would not say this is the "Best Picture" of the 1930's, heck it's not even the greatest picture of 1933. Cavalcade is loaded with production problems that make the picture forgettable; it's not even bad in an entertaining way. Avoid this if you can. 

Five Came Back (2017) Review

Title: Five Came Back
Year: 2017
Director: Laurent Bouzereau
Country: US
Language: English

With Pictures at a Revolution, author Mark Harris turned the story of the five best pictures nominated in 1967 into a masterpiece of cultural history; the transformation of an art form into works of more larger social significance. In his next book, Five Came Back, he showed us how Hollywood changed World War Two and vice versa. Netflix bought the rights to the book and made a 3-part mini-series that enhance the original text. 

Five present-day directors discuss five wartime directors who voluntarily joined WW2 in order to film it: William Wyler (presented by Steven Spielberg), Frank Capra (Guillermo del Toro), George Stevens (Laurence Kasdan), John Ford (Paul Greengrass) and John Huston (Francis Ford Coppola).

Five Came Back is a celebration of cinema; from its ability to entertain (enter private S.N.A.F.U shorts) to its ability to be pure propaganda (Leni Reifenstahl's Triumph of the Will) It is an exploration of World War Two, describing a time when the American Government was torn between brutal truth (Battle of San Pietro) and escapist storytelling (Wizard of Oz) 

The picture is not only about Hollywood's own evolution of turning towards darker and more ambiguous topics, but also of the evolution of each individual film-maker whose lives were forever changed by participating in the event. Poor George Stevens (Woman of the Year) had to witness the horror of Dachau, which changed his view of life forever. William Wyler's experiences (which made him permanently deaf) allowed him to make the greatest film of his career The Best Years of Our Lives. 

The narration by current day directors is rather informative and does a good job at engaging the viewer. Spielberg seems very pleased to share his love for these past masters with a new generation of filmgoers.  I am impressed by the frank discussions about the negative power of American propaganda. It's rather interesting that many in high command were perplexed by the overtly racist Japanese cartoons and, in some instances, were concerned that Americans would view fellow Asian citizens as monsters if the racism was too out of hand. It's self reflection is a step-above most  documentaries about World War II.

Good Time (2017) Review

Title: Good Time
Year: 2017
Director(s): Safdie Brothers
Country: US
Language: English

New Yorkers Josh and Benny Safdie bring their affection for documentary-style realism and amoral characters to Good Time, a neon-glowing, electronic-scored crime story. It's fairly clear that these brothers are fans of 70's and 80's pictures, specifically Martin Scorsese's After Hours (1985) and Mean Streets (1973), as much of their film pays homage to past Cinema. Never easing up on tension, Good Time, while an ironic title for its characters, is exactly the way we feel when the film is over. 

After a heist goes awry, a bank robber (Robert Pattison) spends a night trying to free his mentally ill brother (Benny Safdie) from being sent to Riker's Island prison.

If you hated Robert Pattison for starring in the awful Twilight flicks, prepare to forgive him as he plays his finest performance as Connie, a criminal who is overly protective of his mentally challenged brother. His brotherly love drives this zany plot which is both heartbreaking and hilarious. Constantly keeping you on your feet, much of the velocity this picture has is the fact that Connie is a quick-but not always-smart thinker. The plot twists will either have you laughing in stitches or leave you with your jaw dropped. 

The film excels in its script; as an audience member you're never sure where the film is going to go & you're always excited when you get there. The film excels in its visuals. The Safdies adore neon light, which leads to many memorable neon-drenched sequences, such as an extended sequence in a haunted-house theme park. The score, as well as the cinematography, create a noir atmosphere that is full of dread and doubt. As the police slowly catch up to Pattison we feel an incredible amount of claustrophobia. 

Good Time, for now, is my favourite film of 2017. I do like that, despite Connie's good intentions, he is still an unredeemable bad guy at the end. I find the theme of how all institutions disappoint to be remarkable and full of truth. There is much to dissect with this heavyweight of a film. 

Personal Shopper (2016) Review

Title: Personal Shopper
Year: 2016
Director: Olivier Assayas
Country: France
Language: English

Olivier Assayas has been a film director since the late 1980's. A former critic for the legendary Cahiers Du Cinema Assayas was incredibly knowledgeable about his art and thus makes pictures that often defy our expectations of genre, blending them in unexpected and fascinating ways. Personal Shopper, his second collaboration with Kristen Stewart, may be one of his most perplexing features.

A personal shopper (Kristen Stewart) in Paris refuses to leave the city until she makes contact with her twin brother who previously died there. Her life becomes more complicated when a mysterious person contacts her via text message.

Personal Shopper both is and isn't a ghost story. We see old spooky houses, creaky wooden floors, ethereal figures floating and spewing ectoplasm, a gruesome murder, an ominous secret, creepy texts. We go back and forth from horror to thriller, from the living to the dead. It's effective in pulling at our emotions and making us desire to see the outcome of it all. We aren't sure if our protagonist will make it out alive by the end.

The picture is a rather interesting dissection about the nature of grief. When a loved one dies we too want to hear signs, any kind of sign, that they are doing well in the after-life. We make big deals out of small meaningless events, as does our main character. Unfortunately much of the picture is slow & tedious, it feels like days until we get to a juicy part of the story. The drama takes a while to set-in, and it's perfectly understandable if most viewers can't wait that long. 

Personal Shopper's ambiguous ending left audiences at Cannes Film Festival angry; they boo-ed as its imprecision can feel immediately disappointing. Upon my first viewing I had no idea if I enjoyed what I had just seen. I still have no idea, but I suppose if a picture gets me thinking it can't be terrible right? 

When You're Strange (2010) Review

Title: When You're Strange 
Year: 2010
Director: Tom Dicilo
Country: US
Language: English

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist of The Doors, was excited when he heard that Tom Dicilo (Delirious) would be directing a documentary film about his former band. He stated "This will be the true story of the Doors," and that the film will be "the anti-Oliver Stone," referring to Stone's 1991 film that left a sour taste in surviving members' mouths. Door guitarist Robby Krieger watched the film and decided that it was the definitive version of The Doors' story. 

This is a look at the late '60s and early '70s rock band The Doors, specifically Jim Morrison, and includes rare exclusive footage.

When You're Strange is a mixed bag for me; on one hand it must be praised for using footage of The Doors that most fans have never seen & it also must be commended for sticking to a more historically accurate account of the time period. On another hand the narration by Johnny Depp is atrocious; his flat monotone voice, which I guess is supposed to add a layer of "weird" to the story, nearly put me to sleep. The script he was given is equally bad; much of the time he makes pointless obvious observations that add no real value to the images playing onscreen. 

The film rejects any modern day interviews of living band members which would have given more context to the events that unfolded. Granted, When You're Strange, isn't about anybody else in the band, just Jim Morrison. It's entire goal is to romanticize the alcoholic who died too young from drinking too much alcohol.

I find it strange how we make icons out of boozing bozos (even though I do like his music), "for some he was a poet" and therefore I like Oliver Stone's The Doors the best as it presents Jim Morrison as a raging unstable asshole. When You're Strange is somewhat worthwhile for unique "behind the scenes" footage, but I can't give a high recommendation because the narration is more boring than watching paint dry. 

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (2017) Review

Title: Jim & Andy
Year: 2017
Director: Chris Smith
Country: US
Language: English

For many years Memphis Wrestler Jerry "The King" Lawler had claimed Jim Carrey was extremely difficult to work with on the set of Man on the Moon, a bio-pic about the controversial comedian Andy Kaufman. He claimed that Carrey was too far in-character, making the rest of the cast, including Amadeus director Milos Forman, refer to him as "Andy". This picture, Jim & Andy finally gives us a glimpse of what Lawler has been talking about.

The picture is behind-the-scenes look at how Jim Carrey adopted the persona of idiosyncratic comedian Andy Kaufman on the set of Man on the Moon (1999).

The main reason we had not seen the footage before, as Carrey claims, is that Universal demanded that the footage be buried because they were worried the famed performer would look "like an asshole". Jim Carrey being the only interview subject in the film is a bit suspicious, as questions of a reliable narrator come to the forefront (why don't fellow actors also confirm the comedian's on-set behavior?), but he is forthcoming and seemingly transparent enough to make the picture more interesting. 

Director Chris Smith weaves footage comparing Andy & Carrey's emergence into comedy, suggesting that their careers had many parallels. Carrey philosophizes in front of the camera, pondering his pain and loss of emotional compass. 

Part of Carrey's "transformation into Kaufman" is confusing though, as if maybe he didn't entirely "know" Kaufman before he pretended to be him. Andy's feud with Lawler was fake, they were good friends in real life and orchestrated their most controversial moments, but on-set Carrey was really rude to the Memphis star. 

My criticism with Jim & Andy is that Jim Carrey only really "knows" Andy Kaufman through his public persona. The film is about his art & his artistry, but not really about Andy himself. It's as if 20 years from now somebody made a documentary about acting like Jim Carrey, but only had the crazy "alrighty then!" shtick down. Andy, off camera, was known to be quiet and shy. He was dedication to spiritual healing, he had real fears and doubts, he had a great love for weird television. 

Thus the film isn't really about Kaufman, but our perception of Kaufman. It's about how Kaufman's act influences generations of artists. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond is a fairly entertaining movie that will give you an insight into Jim Carrey's mind, but it doesn't transcend what we already think we know about Kaufman's persona. 

Earth vs.The Flying Saucers (1956) Review

Title: Earth vs. The Flying Saucers
Year: 1956
Director: Fred Sears
Country: US
Language: English

Earth vs. The Flying Saucers is a fun science fiction feature from Columbia Pictures. When released in theatres it would be part of a double feature alongside The Werewolf. This film was based on the best selling non-fiction book Flying Saucers From Outer Space by Maj. Donald Keyhoe. Critically the picture has reached an iconic status as part of the great 50's "flying saucer" subgenres that swept audiences at the time. 

Extraterrestrials traveling in high-tech flying saucers contact scientist Dr. Russell Marvin (Hugh Marlowe) as part of a plan to enslave the inhabitants of Earth.

The special effects were ingeniously created by stop-motion legend Ray Harryhausen. Though the effects may seem primitive today, many film critics at the time of its release were absolutely mesmerized. Variety said "The technical effects created by Ray Harryhausen come off excellently in the Charles H. Schneer production, adding the required out-of-this-world visual touch to the screenplay."

The film is not all visual gimmicks however; as this underrated gem still has a coherent plot, written primarily by screenwriter George Worthing. Purposely choosing many familiar B-movie motifs and themes, the film-makers seem unafraid of exposing the picture's low budget or lack of star-power. Everything we know and love about 50's science fiction is here; Earth vs. The Flying Saucers is charming because it doesn't take itself too seriously. 

It may not have much in the way of substance, don't watch this for any Marlon Brando-esque performances, but the film does offer some great entertainment. This is far better than any spaceman movie you'll see today, primarily because of its cheese. 

An American in Paris (1951) Review

Title: An American in Paris

Year: 1961

Director: Vincente Minnelli
Country: US
Language: English

When Singin' in the Rain (1952) hit theatres it was met with critical and commercial success, but shockingly did not receive any nominations at the Academy Awards. Film critics would later assume that it is due to the long looming shadow of American in Paris, Gene Kelly's vehicle that would win Best Picture (among other nominations) a year before. Was this picture deserving of such an award? Lets find out!

Three friends (Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron & Oscar Levant) struggle to find work in Paris. Things become more complicated when two of them fall in love with the same woman.

An American in Paris is a cute simplistic love story at heart directed by husband of Judy Garland and father of Liza Minnelli, Vincente Minnelli. It's quite quite an enjoyable film filled with lavish sets, brilliantly choreographed dance sequences, comedic interludes and grand music. The performances of the three main actors are remarkable; Gene Kelly is at his peak career-wise, he should have won an Oscar for his performance. 

The story, which is well written and fun to sit through, is used primarily to transition from one meaningful song to the next. The score is fairly hard to forget; proving its worth among the best Hollywood has to offer. The agile footwork and intense rhythm of the choreography is a sight to behold. The extravagant climactic super ballet of the film is quite breathtaking.

Unfortunately An American Paris is a bit more aged compared to films like Singin' in the Rain, primarily due to poorly written characters who are meant to dance more than have any real personality. The picture is much more style than substance; although if we're meant to be purely entertained by Kelly's vehicle then it succeeds greatly. 

And Then There Were None (1945) Review

Title: And Then There Were None
Year: 1945
Director: Rene Clair
Country: US
Language: English

And Then There Were None was originally based on an Agatha Christie novel which was more offensively titled in the UK (Ten Little N***ers). It's a thrilling mystery wherin isolated strangers are murdered one by one. It is said to have followed the nursery rhyme "Ten Little Indians". The concept of the story has been reused, recycled, adapted and reworked countless times, but this film is actually more intriguing than the others. 

Seven guests, a newly hired personal secretary and two staff are gathered on an isolated island by an absent host and someone begins killing them off one by one. They work together to determine who is the killer.

And Then There Were None is one of the earliest vigilante-themed movies, shrouded by a clever murder mystery that pits the apprehensive minds of untrusting strangers against each other. The paranoia, suspicion and dread throughout the film create a wonderfully eerie atmosphere that grabs the audience and leaves them on the edge of their seat. Few mysteries are as alluring as this picture is. 

Uneasy alliances are formed and dissolved and uncertainty remains undiminished. As the film progresses and qualms shift, it becomes quite difficult to determine who the real killer is, especially as the most likely suspects die. The black and white photography lends itself well to the oppressiveness, the acting is remarkable, and the score is terribly unsettling. Effective camera-work leads to unusual angles that increase the anxiety of the viewer. 

Rene Clair made many great films throughout his lifetime. I was surprised to not have heard of this picture despite it being one of the greatest mystery/detective films of the 1940's. It's a deliberately paced picture that proves its worth as it draws closer to a satisfying-and shocking- conclusion. 

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Review

Title: All Quiet on the Western Front
Year: 1930
Director: Lewis Milestone
Country: US
Language: English

Although All Quiet on the Western Front claims not to be specifically anti-war, it’s difficult not to compare the bitter, realistic take on disillusionment with death and warfare against the fast-paced, high-octane endeavors of John Wayne in his equivalent of a "war film". This is not a patriotic action flick where we identify- and want to be- the main protagonist. This is hell & we are glad to have not participated.

A young soldier (Lew Ayres) faces profound disillusionment in the soul-destroying horror of World War I.

The front is full of terror; from the claustrophobic nature of the trenches to misery of continual shelling & the desperation for food when there is lack thereof. Several men can’t take the psychological stresses, often committing suicide via enemy bullet-fire rather than being buried alive in their dugouts. For 1930 there is a shocking amount of violence; the realistic atmosphere of dread and death make this quite a unique picture. 

As the film works to unveil the tragedies of war, it proves to be even more remarkable by not choosing sides. Rather we are all, regardless of nationality, victims of a cruel and unusual war. The fear of  parents, who realize that their sons are going off to their deaths, is an idea that can be understood by all. Nearly every aspect of warfare is covered here, from cowardice to sacrifice. It it a commendable picture. 

Some moments come off as heavy handed and borderline preachy, especially when the anti-war dialogue becomes a bit repetitious, but ultimately it is a very important film that doesn't feel dated despite being over 80 years old. All Quite in the Western Front is remarkable; truly worthy of being "Best Picture" for that year. 

Cimarron (1931) Review

Title: Cimarron
Year: 1931
Director: Wesley Ruggles
Country: US
Language: English

Cimarron is an early 30's Pre-Code Western picture directed by Wesley Ruggles. Based on the novel Cimarron by Edna Ferber, the film adaptation would be RKO's most expensive production to date. It would win "Best Picture" at the Academy awards, being one of two "Best Picture" winners that the studio would produce. It is also one of the few Westerns to ever receive that honour. 

A newspaper editor (Richard Dix) settles in an Oklahoma boom town with his reluctant wife (Irene Dunne) at the end of the nineteenth century.

RKO Radio Pictures premiered Cimarron at the RKO Palace Theatre in New York to much acclaim. Soon after it would sweep the nation and receive great critical success, but unfortunately the extremely high budget and ongoing depression made the picture not as financially successful as it could have been. Nowadays Cimarron is fairly dated; very few people can understand why the film won over Chaplin's City Lights.  

Filled with racism, sexism, and many politically incorrect notions that tend to frequent early historical epics, Cimarron is quite dated with how it depicts First Nations peoples. The picture does have a good heart however, as it at least makes an attempt to condemn the mockery of minorities. The slow meandering pace and uninspired narrative make it hard to sit through this 2hr epic, but the acting is above average & the set-pieces, costuming and cinematography really do give Cimarron an epic feel. 

Cimarron is an extravaganza, but there are a vast number of "epics" that have aged better than this. The soundtrack isn't the most satisfying and the dialogue, although may have been lost due to time or have been a victim of its time, seems to have been poorly recorded. It's fun in moments, but overall I found myself bored halfway through. 

The Broadway Melody (1929) Review

Title: The Broadway Melody
Year: 1929
Director: Harry Beaumont
Country: US
Language: English

The Broadway Melody (1929) is primarily known for its historical significance, winning the 1929 Academy Award for Best Picture and considered the first all-talking musical (and the first released by MGM, coincidentally competing against The Hollywood Revue of 1929) It would establish a formula for future musicals which would gladly mimic the formula if it meant a great amount of revenue in their pockets.

A pair of sisters (Bessie Love & Anita Page) from the vaudeville circuit try to make it big time on Broadway, but matters of the heart complicate the attempt.

The story is fairly primitive as its been told hundreds of times throughout the history of Cinema. I have no doubt audiences probably had already seen dozens of similar films by 1929. It is ultimately designed to string together singing and dancing performances, but despite the noble attempt at structure the music still feels like it comes out of nowhere as the songs are almost blurted out by the actors without rhyme or reason. 

Granted, I must consider the time in which The Broadway Melody was made. This was the very beginning of the sound era & thus many limitations had to be overcome. Despite the song randomness I must admit the long shots of dance sequences, great art and set decoration and of course great costumes are astonishing. Sporadic editing techniques and bright lighting also add to an overall grand feeling. 

The acting is far from great however and the static nature of the camera is ultimately disappointing. The film has its charm though and the classic nature of the songs sung is certainly memorable. It's hard to rate this film fairly as its a victim of its time; much of the aspects I am critical of are mainly due to the limitations at the time. Certainly worth a view for curiosity's sake. 

It (1927) Review

Title: It
Year: 1927
Director: Clarence Badger
Country: US
Language: English

By 1927 Clara Bow's career was reaching new heights after years of toiling in supporting roles that kept her in relative obscurity. The previous year she starred in the hit Mantrap, which would lead to being in the first "Best Picture" Academy Award winner Wings. This film It was made in the hope that it would cement her legacy as Hollywood's "It" girl at the time. The film isn't pefect, but it would prove great for Bow. 

A salesgirl (Clara Bow) with plenty of "it" (sex appeal) pursues a handsome playboy (Antonio Moreno).

This movie has become synonymous with her career and movie star image. So much so, that even today she is remembered primarily as 'The It Girl'. She was the last sex icon of the silent era and represented the best of the Flapper/Jazz age. Based on Elinor Glyn’s story the film is a fun lighthearted quintessential comedy that is filled to the brim with rom-com goodness which unfortunately has become cliche with overuse in Cinema.

Paramount paid Glyn a fortune for the rights to It and then promptly chucked out most of the story. Unfortunately this means the writing suffers from lack of originality, as the plot is usual for studio romantic comedies of this era. If you've seen any two shopgirl flicks from this era then you've pretty much seen them all. Director Clarence Badger put all his cards on his star Clara Bow. Thankfully her performance alone is enough to make this picture memorable. 

Thanks to Clara Bow, who may have been the most enigmatic actress of the silent era, It is an easily digestable film that not only deserves to be viewed positively, but ought to be viewed more than once. A time capsule of past relationships, you owe it to yourself to watch this one. 

The Undying Monster (1942) Review

Title: The Undying Monster
Year: 1942
Director: John Brahms
Country: US
Language: English

The Undying Monster is based on a novel by Jessie Douglas Kerruish, who seems to have only written two known novels of which this is the most well received. Director John Brahms, who was best loved for his decadently decorated murder mysteries, The Lodger (1944) and Hangover Square (1945) read the original source material and decided it must be shown on the silver screen. It is a literal and metaphorical tale similar to Cat People, released the same year.

Surviving members of an aristocratic English family are threatened by a legendary monster when they venture out on chilly, foggy nights.

The Undying Monster attempts to do far too much in its mere 63 minute run-time. It jumps from being a haunted house picture to being a monster flick to being a Sherlock Holmes-esque mystery. The rushed nature of the narrative also extends to the actors as they seem to endlessly run from place to place, the camera barely being able to catch up with them. If the film was an hour longer or slowed down then perhaps it would have worked overall.


That's not to say all is bad; Lucien Ballard’s cinematography plays up the shadows creeping into every corner and the smokey fireplaces hiding everyone’s true intentions. Beautiful shot compositions almost make up for the clunky narrative that makes each character lack any measure of depth. Unfortunately there isn't a character one can cling to; even the detective is a bit too much of a misogynistic jerk to be likeable.


The actual mystery is not the least bit suspenseful mainly due to the spastic nature of the narrative. Characters come and go as the actual conclusion is a bit clunky and doesn't entirely make sense. It has a good atmosphere, but ultimately I'd go for many other horror films from this period before I revisit this.

A Face in the Crowd (1957) Review

Title: A Face in the Crowd
Year: 1957
Director: Elia Kazan
Country: US
Language: English

Many critics and cinephiles feel that the late 50's Elia Kazan flick A Face in the Crowd is more relevant than ever due to the rise of Donald Trump. Like the main character, Lonesome Rhodes, Trump was a reality TV star known for his gimmicky catchphrases and a poverty line audience that regards him as a "straight shooter", even as he looks down on them from his penthouse. He's the guy who pretends to be against the elite, even though he is the elite. 

A Face in the Crowd charts the rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes (Andy Griffith) from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. 

The Director himself has claimed the film "anticipates Ronald Reagan", a Hollywood movie star of the 1950's who became the 40th US president in the 1980's. A Face in the Crowd isn't explicitly a picture about any particular political figure however; like Network (1976) it is primarily a darkly comic satire about the corrosive influence of celebrity and mass media—particularly television—on public opinion.

A Face in the Crowd has a consistent high frenetic energy that is due to pacing, editing and the insurmountable quick pace of Andy Griffith. Never have I seen an actor put such constant chaotic excitement into his character. The cinematography holds some very memorable images, although I'd say some of the camera's framing make Griffith's character a little too cartoon-ish. Extreme close-ups of Griffith's face make his look feel right at home in the Batman universe.

Though it received mixed reviews when it first hit cinemas, overtime Kazan's picture has become quite favored among those willing to find it. Despite its cynical nature, A Face in the Crowd is a fun film to watch and doesn't feel as dated as a film from the 50's should be.