Review #997: The Monster Walks (1932)

Title: The Monster Walks 

Year: 1932

Director: Frank Strayer

Country: US

Language: English

The 1930's was a big decade for the horror genre in Hollywood. Universal Studios enjoyed many great financial and critical successes at the start of this decade, which included Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1933), Island of Lost Souls (1932) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) The advent of sound, and thus demise of the silent period, added an extra layer of creep whether it be music used to build suspense or signal the presence of a threat, or magnified footsteps echoing down a corridor.

A doctor (Rex Lease), who keeps an ape for medical studies, dies and his daughter (Vera Reynolds) inherits his estate. Her uncle (Sheldon), a paralytic, working through his natural son by the housekeeper, plans her death, and the ape may or may not be involved.

The Monster Walks features a who's who (as in "who are these people?) of various B-movie actors. The female "star" of the film (Vera Reynolds) seemed to be big in Demille's silents, but could not make much of herself after the advent of sound. In general the performances are poor and unconvincing, although Willie Best does provide a laugh. Unfortunately the actor is outweighed by the enormity of racial stereotypes pressed on his character. 

Plot and visual elements are borrowed from Cat and the Canary (1927) but unfortunately that picture outmatches this in every aspect. In this picture the characters are poorly established and the mysterious "who dunnit?" aspect is fairly obvious at the beginning of the picture. Within the first 5 minutes an audience member will understand the "who", the "what", the "why" and the "where". Sloppy writing does nothing to improve the picture. 

Despite being a horror film, the atmosphere is lousy and you won't feel yourself being scared in the slightest. The Monster Walks was pre-code, but there is nothing that would have scared Hollywood censors anyways. I had decent hopes for this picture, but there's nothing really to see here. Avoid it if you can. 

No Stars

Review #996: Spice World (1997)

Title: Spice World
Year: 1997
Director: Bob Spiers
Country: UK
Language: English

The Spice Girls were an English Pop Girl group that formed in 1994 and became a global phenomenon in 1996. Their debut single "Wannabe" hit number one in 36 countries. Their debut album Spice sold more than 31 million copies and led to them being the best selling female group of all time. They are regarded as the biggest British phenomenon since The Beatlemania. Time even called them the most recognizable face(s) of 90's British youth culture. 

The Spice Girls gear up for their first Live concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, but along the way encounter aliens, a haunted castle and Elton John! (among other random oddities) 

Made in the same vein of The Beatles A Hard Day's Night, Spice World, unlike Vanilla Ice's Cool as Ice, was made at the right time to the right demographic. Much of the film's budget must have gone to cameos, as the plethora of stars (not including the main cast) involved include Roger Moore, Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Elton John, Richard O'Brien, Jennifer Saunders, Richard E. Grant, Elvis Costello, and Meat Loaf. Though panned universally by critics, Spice World was a huge financial success, raking in $77 million at the box office. 

Though each girl has one distinctive characteristic about them (Posh likes clothes, Scary is scary, Sporty likes sports, Baby is uh...cute? like a baby?) none have the personality needed to carry a feature length film based on their likeness.  Granted much of this film is self parody (when being photographed Sporty ponders another name "What about Sporty but I'm actually interested in other things spice?) and some of the self-aware humor is actually a bit funny. 

Spice World, at least I hope, seems to be aware that it won't win anybody over by being a serious picture and thus does a fairly decent job at being a mindless energetic youth comedy. Its randomness (why are they trying to parody Close Encounters of the Third Kind!?) is part of its charm. Perhaps this will only appeal to fans of the group, but even outsiders must recognize that there are a LOT worst comedies out there. 

Review #995: Cool As Ice (1991)

Title: Cool As Ice
Year: 1991
Director: David Kellogg
Country: US
Language: English

In 1990 Vanilla Ice joined the record label SBK Records and became an international sensation when his debut album, To the Extreme, dropped. This record became the fastest selling hip-hop record of all time, spending 16 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. His single Ice Ice Baby would constantly play on North American radio. By 1991 Ice had ventured into film, having a minor cameo in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of the Ooze. This inspired him to star in his own film about himself. 

The old teen rebel saga is updated for the rap crowd, unfortunately rapper Vanilla Ice is the teen. Ice shows up on a neon-yellow motorcycle which gets everyone's attention, including the female honor student who has never had a rebellious bone in her body.

Released roughly 26 years ago, Cool as Ice was a major flop when it first hit theaters. Neither critics or audiences liked it, thus it couldn't even make a fourth of its initial budget back. Presently Ice is on an "I love the 90's Tour" but if we're perfectly honest, the man's star burnt out just as the 90's started. Part of the reason his train stopped short was because of grunge; Nirvana's Nevermind had swept up America and left his music in the dust. In addition fans of real hip-hop felt that his overnight success was a slap in the face of groups (like Public Enemy) who actually had important political things to say.

Though Vanilla Ice thought himself as a "real" rapper, few in the industry actually gave a damn about him. The producers of his film were clearly looking to make a quick buck, as Cool as Ice looks like a really crappy cash grab, even for crappy cash grab standards. The plot resembles an Elvis picture, but Ice has none of the charm or acting ability (at least Elvis had SOME acting ability) to make the film bearable. The dialogue is shamefully lazy, as is the cinematography and set design. 

Cool as Ice might have worked if it was a five minute music video, admittedly the choreography is pretty decent and the music is...tolerable? I feel sort of bad for Ice, who was left behind just as the culture as a whole was shifting. Granted, I doubt this picture would work in any era. 

No Stars

Review #994: Golden Earrings (1947)

Title: Golden Earrings

Year: 1947

Director: Mitchell Leisen

Country: US

Language: English

Golden Earrings is a post-war romantic spy film made by Paramount Pictures and directed by Mitchell Leisen. The director entered the film industry in the 1920s, beginning in the art and costume departments. He directed his first film in 1933 with Cradle Song and became known for his skill in soap opera romance-dramas, which would often leave audiences in tears. Unfortunately his filmography is somewhat of a mixed bag; some of his films are worthwhile endeavors whereas others feel like they should have been kept on the shelf. 

On the eve of World War II English officer Ralph Denistoun (Ray Milland) is in Nazi Germany on an espionage mission to recover a poison gas formula from Prof. Krosigk. He is helped by a Roma gypsy (Marlene Dietrich)

Much of this picture has good intention, as it is partly about the gypsies' plight against the Nazi oppressors. However while watching the film it is clear that neither writers, actors or director is actually aware of the horrifying fates that awaited real gypsies in 1939, infact I'm willing to bet that they've never met a real gypsy. Dietrich's character has all the stereotypical caricatures one would expect out of an Old Hollywood picture. 

Poor cultural depictions aside, Dietrich is the main attraction of this film. Her beauty and tongue-in-cheek performance help make the picture tolerable. It's also noteworthy that she pushes typical male/female gender roles, albeit this may seem tame for people viewing this picture in 2017. If we're purely looking at this as a romance picture then I must say it is fairly well written albeit it feels a bit too slow paced and the plot is fairly predictable. 

Golden Earrings is worth a watch just to see the grand Hollywood star that is Dietrich. Do go into the film with low expectations in regards to political correctness though, as 1940's pictures had the tendency to be slightly racist when depicting other cultures. Not entirely a memorable film, but I might watch it again someday. 

Review #993: Straw Dogs (1971)

Title: Straw Dogs
Year: 1971
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Country: US
Language: English

Sam Peckinpah's Straw Dogs was met with great controversy upon its release, mostly due to its violent and graphic nature. Critics accused the director of glamorizing rape, engaging in misogyny and highlighting male chauvinism. Roger Ebert simply called the film a "disappointment", but Pauline Kael famously identified it as “the first American film that is a fascist work of art.” 

Upon moving to Britain to get away from American violence, astrophysicist David Sumner (Dustin Hoffman) and his wife Amy (Susan George) are bullied and taken advantage of by the locals hired to do construction. When David finally takes a stand it escalates quickly into a bloody battle as the locals assault his house. 

Straw Dogs was made when Peckinpah was at the height of his power and popularity as an artist. He had began his career as a production assistant and dialogue director for TV Westerns like Gunsmoke and The Rifleman. In 1961 he made his first feature film The Deadly Companions, but it was 1962's Ride the High Country that solidified his reputation as a great Western director. 

Trouble followed or was invited by Peckinpah at every step of his career.Many of his films (most notably The Wild Bunch) would be re-edited to be less controversial & he would get into shouting matches with his producers.because of his limited freedom. Increased drug use meant that he would frequently push the envelope creatively. To those who knew him, it was no surprise that Straw Dogs would get banned from England for 30 years due to scenes of rape and murder. 

I'd be lying if I said I knew what I thought about this film. It's a rather complex picture that is polarizing to many viewers and has ethics that are many shades of grey, rather than a clear black and white. Maybe Straw Dogs IS a violent hyper-masculine picture with nothing intelligent to say; then again, Straw Dogs gives no easy answers and its themes can prove to be rather complex. 

Regardless of morality, Straw Dogs is a technically well made, deliberately paced picture that proves to have the atmosphere of a horror movie. Peckinpah portrays a decaying relationship well, as every "beneath the surface" tension and frustration slowly builds towards an inescapable climax. Even if this film is purely shock, we must at least give credit where credit is due. 

No Rating

Review #992: Warning Shadows (1923)

Title: Warning Shadows
Year: 1923
Director: Arthur Robison
Country: Germany
Language: N/A

When discussing silent German Cinema usually the names Fritz Lang & F.W Murnau come to mind first. German-American director Arthur Robison is nowhere near as famous as those two (his Wikipedia page contains just two sentences on the man) but he has two remarkable classics under his belt. Though he made 20 pictures between 1916 and 1935, the greatest of these are The Informer (1929) and Warning Shadows (1923). 

A wealthy man (Alexander Granach) invites the local wealthy bachelors over for a puppet show about men who covet another man's wife. The puppeteer is actually a witch and gives the men nightmares about what could happen if they date the lady of the house.

The film is of interest to silent movie buffs because it is one of the few pictures without inter-titles. The story is entirely visual, letting the camera tell the story rather than an abundance of title cards (some films at the time used hundreds!) The emotions here are universal; it's about a man who is extremely jealous of his wife. The shadows in the film play tricks on him to drive him mad. They show an illusion; that his wife and his friend are making love, when in reality they could be several feet apart. 

Shadows and reflections are portrayed as both deceivers and truth-tellers. Reality and the perception of reality dance back and forth with neither the audience nor the characters ever being completely sure what is real. Paranoia, and the fantasies brought about by the condition, turn out to be true- until they aren't. Its layout and design is ingenious. 

Cinematographer Fritz Arno Wagner proves he is a master of his craft with Warning Shadows. He creates a stylized, moody and atmospheric shadow play that is unmatched in the history of silent cinema. The remarkable eighteenth century costuming certainly adds to this film's fairy tale-like quality. Overall Robison's picture is a must see. 

Review #991: Baby Driver (2017)

Title: Baby Driver
Year: 2017
Director: Edgar Wright
Country: UK
Language: English

If you enjoyed Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive, then it is without a shadow of a doubt that you'll love Edgar Wright's Baby Driver. Wright had the basic idea for the plot in 1994; he adapted the film's original planned beginning into a 2003 music video he directed for Mint Royale's Blue Song. After leaving his long-in-development Ant-Man film with Marvel in 2014, the director pursued his passion project.

After being coerced into working for a crime boss, a young getaway driver (Ansel Elgort) finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

A lot of films with great soundtracks (La La Land, Suicide Squad) would work well as glorified music videos, but are unfit for the silver screen. With Baby Driver Wright creates a memorable piece of cinema by fusing the crime caper, the car chase and a killer soundtrack into one well oiled machine. Each song is carefully selected, having planned each choice at the scripting phase. Wright's foresight creates a fluid film that has a remarkable musical style. 

Wright’s editing team of Paul Machliss and Jonathan Amos synchronize the picture in such a way that they achieve a rare symphony of rhythm, style and substance. Even a trip to the coffee shop, shot in an extended take with steady cam, can't help but feel lively and full of energy. The downside however, is that while flashy car sequences take center stage there aren't really any deep nuanced relationships.  Baby and his girlfriend Deborah's (Lily James) romance is far too simplistic. Heck, Deborah herself  is hardly a strong female character, acting mainly as the damsel in distress. 

Though the acting by Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx & Ansel Elgort is remarkable, I feel Baby Driver scrapped character development in favor of being a slick "cool" genre picture. In short, these characters are nowhere near as well written as Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's from Hot Fuzz. Even as style over substance, there is still quite a bit of substance to be had and thus Baby Driver is a very rewarding and enriching 

Review #990: The Crowd (1928)

Title: The Crowd
Year: 1928
Director: King Vidor
Country: US
Language: N/A

French director Jean Luc Godard was asked in the 1960's why more films were not made about ordinary people, and his response was "The Crowd had already been made, so why remake it?" King Vidor's picture was a modest critical and commercial success upon release, but was not immediately hailed as a masterpiece due to audiences desiring escapist entertainment over stark realism following the wake of the Great Depression. Filmmakers would not embrace the genius of The Crowd until after World War II. 

Vidor presents the life of a man and woman together in a large, impersonal metropolis through their hopes, struggles and downfalls.

MGM head Louis B. Mayer hated The Crowd when it was first released, mainly due to the film's realistic cynicism, which can still prove jarring for people whose only exposure to silent cinema is that of comedy (Chaplin, Keaton, Lloyd). It's a groundbreaking and courageous picture that has no major stars, lacks in any real plot, lacks in dramatic conflict and is about ordinary people. It has the same cinematic current as post-war neo-realism and, although there is no standout acting that chews the scenery, is absolutely engaging from start to finish. 

The main theme of The Crowd is the loneliness in being one of the crowd, subject to its fleetingly concerned curiosity in moments of untimely tragedy and its active indifference to the individual’s plight. The crowd doesn't care when our loved ones pass away, no matter how much they mean to us. Vidor exemplified this theme using MGM's extravagant resources. He combined naturalistic filming, on occasions using hidden cameras on the streets of New York, with expressionistic use of studio sets, lighting and camera placement to heighten moments of personal crisis.

Much of Vidor's techniques would still have been considered innovative even after the sound period was in full swing, as the limitations of early sound (specifically how far a camera could be from a microphone) prevented such masterful framing. The Crowd is certainly a unique picture that deserves the love it gets from film-buffs. 

Review #989: French Cancan (1955)

Title: French Cancan
Year: 1955
Director: Jean Renoir
Country: France
Language: French

French Director Francois Truffaut (Jules & Jim) was a film reviewer in Arts magazine at the time Jean Renoir's French Cancan hit theatres in 1955. Truffaut felt that it was a milestone in the history of colour cinema, yet did not consider it as important as Rules of the Game (1939) or The Golden Coach (1952). The picture did fairly well at the box office in its country and received the Grand Prix de l'Academie du Cinéma in 1956. 

French Cancan chronicles the revival of Paris' most notorious dance as it tells the story of a theater producer who turns a humble washerwoman into a star at the Moulin Rouge.

The only other film I've seen about the Moulin Rouge has been Baz Luhrmann's obnoxious hyper-stylized "musical" (albeit not a note in the film is original) Moulin Rouge! It's a film so terrible that it makes Jean Renoir's French Cancan look like Citizen Kane in comparison. With this picture Renoir creates an impressive personal statement about the collaborative arts. It is an artist's tribute to art, thus it is quite detailed and honest.

The film has a remarkable amount of pastel-coloured backgrounds. The costumes are vibrant and alluring as well. The staging of the actors and position of the camera, combined with beautiful set design give the film a fairy-tale atmosphere where anything and everything is possible. Just as the screen bursts with color, we are taken in by a wide range of emotion from the actors. In less than two hours we find ourselves blown away by this roller-coaster of passion & torment. 

French Cancan is a film I've wanted to see for a long time, but I have never been able to get around to it. I had high hopes for this film, especially considering the high status of the Director, and I was certainly pleased by the results. Should Criterion ever upgrade this to blu-ray I will certainly buy it.

Review #988: The Freshman (1925)

Title: The Freshman
Year: 1925
Director: Fred Newmeyer 
Country: US
Language: English

Harold Lloyd began his film career imitating the most popular fictional character at the time; Charles Chaplin's Tramp. As he matured as an actor, these mild imitations died down and he had created his own "glasses" character after the unique horn rimmed glasses that he wore. Once his own popularity spiked fans of Lloyd would become fascinated in trying to look like him. The hero of The Freshman is also greatly influenced by popular culture and wishes to look like his icon from the fictional movie The College Hero. 

In The Freshman Lloyd plays a a nerdy college student will do anything to become popular on campus. 

Upon entering feature length films in 1921 Lloyd had great desire to perfect his character and thus starred in pictures that best suited him. Often these films had the same plot; a young man leaves home in an attempt to enter and succeed in society at large. The formula worked and by 1925 there were few silent film comedians with a more enduring popularity than Harold Lloyd. This particular film was his most financially successful, albeit overtime Safety Last! appears to be his most remembered. 

Upon watching the film I found a stark difference between how Charles Chaplin, another silent icon, and Harold Lloyd view society. Chaplin sees society as absurd and his characters try hard not to fit in (see: Modern Times) whereas Lloyd's entire goal is to be part of this society. Lloyd has a more "American" spirit about him, as the idea that "if you try hard you will be successful" permeates throughout his filmography. 

The Freshman is a fine, but dated, comedy that will still have audiences chuckling even if the picture is 90+ years old. I appreciate that it doesn't try to elicit cheap slapstick laughs, rather the film is more concerned with developing its character arc. Even if you're more of a Chaplin "at odds with society" fan you'll still be amused by Lloyd's work. 

Review #987: Hot Fuzz (2007)

Title: Hot Fuzz
Year: 2007
Director: Edgar Wright
Country: UK
Language: English

The "Three Flavours Cornetto" Trilogy is a series of films (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz & World's End) Directed by Edgar Wright, and starring Simon Pegg, that all reference the Cornetto brand of ice cream in some way or another. Wright has said these pictures are somewhat of a "Trojan Horse" as they are genre films (zombie, cop & sci-fi in that order)  that have a relationship comedy smuggled inside them. Wright even re-wrote the script of World's End to make it have similar themes when compared to the other two. 

In this, a skilled London police officer (Simon Pegg) is transferred to a small town that's harbouring a dark secret.

A scene at the beginning of the film shows Nick Frost's bumbling cop character showing the insanely driven Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) a great number of his favourite cop dramas, which include Point Break and Bad Boys II. This scene is important because these films are referenced and spoofed later in the film to hilarious effect. Wright has studied this genre of film and its clear that he has a great time shredding it to pieces.

Normally cringe-inducing routines enhance the film's over the top comedic sensibility. The film’s characters—some commonplace action movie types-- are all well written and do a great deal to enhance the plot. I particularly loved Timothy Dalton as the slimy Skinner,  who Frost suspects is the bad guy because he makes eerie jokes about bashing a woman's brains in. He must be the villain!...or is he!? 

Incredibly well edited, each shot is is connected and incredibly well planned, leading one image to the next in an almost orchestral fashion. Though it has as much explosions as your average Michael Bay film, I ensure you that Hot Fuzz is far smarter and far more entertaining. Few pictures can make a police satire this good. 

Review #986: The Mikado (1939)

Title: The Mikado
Year: 1939
Director: Victor Schertzinger
Country: UK
Language: English

The Mikado (less commonly called Town of The Titipu) is a comic opera with music by the famed Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W.S Gilbert. It is the most frequently performed Savoy opera, and it one of the most frequently performed musical theater pieces in history. Having first been performed in 1885, it has endured for over 120 years. Victor Schertzinger’s 1939 Technicolor The Mikado is the only G&S play to be brought to the silver screen.

The son of the Mikado of Japan (Kenny Baker), a wandering minstrel, falls for a girl who is engaged to her guardian. 

In the 1930's Rupert D’Oyly Carte, son of W. S. Gilbert, was putting great effort into keeping the Savoy Operas alive. He had resisted granting film rights to producers likely to take Hollywood-style liberties with the material, but was ultimately convinced otherwise by the Company's former musical director. Director Victor Scherztinger kept the original words & lyrics of the duo, but made sweeping editing choices that would re-arrange the opera to make it easier to follow for a mainstream cinema audience. 

Schertzinger, the man who famously composed the score for Ersnst Lubitsch's The Love Parade (1929) was the right man for the job as his love for musical theatre meant that he would approach this delicate G&S material with grace and fine taste. As an audience we are transported into a colourful (Mikado was the first technicolor picture produced by Universal) world, rich in old theatrical traditions that sometimes make us feel like we're watching less of a movie and more of a stageplay. 

I found myself impressed by the musical numbers, and although Kenny Baker is a less than ideal Nanki-Poo, I did love when he sang "Wandering Minstrel Eye". I was displeased with the cut of "I've got a little list", but the rest of the topsy-turvey musical drama made it all a worthwhile endeavor. This is a must-see for every fan of Gilbert and Sullivan. 

Review #985: In Heaven There is No Beer? (1984)

Title: In Heaven There is No Beer? 
Year: 1984
Director: Les Blank
Country: US
Language: English

Polka Music is perhaps the most nerdy of all music genres. It's so square that it rarely gets mainstream recognition, though when it does its mainly due to pop-culture geek Weird-Al Yankovic. Les Blank doesn't seem to care about his street credibility and thus makes movies about the most "outside" of outsiders. In Heaven There is No Beer? is a film about an unlikely phenomenon that hit the US in the early to mid 80's. 

This is a portrait of the life, culture and food surrounding the lovers of Polka music. The title is taken from an old Polka standard. Stars of the Polka world are highlighted. 

"All my friends get drunk and go to parties on the weekend," says a young woman in her twenties to the curious camera "I join polka tournaments!" I'm not sure whether to feel happy or sad for this poor woman. Les Blank wants us to feel joyous however; as he portrays the Polka movement as a wonderful occasion where people of all ages rejoice in a blissful community. 

Taking years to complete this film, Les Blank shows a collage of images that feature birds fluttering, women dancing and men comfortable in their "I'm a Polka Pal!" t-shirt. Juxtaposed with audio interviews, concert footage, and lots of polka tunes, these little details reveal cultural nuances that major documentaries tend to miss. 

Winning the Special Jury Recognition Documentary prize at the second Sundance Film Festival in 1985, Blank's film is ripe with contagious enthusiasm for this strange Polka world. We get a sense of a thriving sub-culture, and the movement is just enticing enough to make us envy their wonderful and odd world. 

Review #984: Stalag 17 (1953)

Title: Stalag 17

Year: 1953

Director: Billy Wilder

Country: US

Language: English

Stalag 17 was a commercial success. Produced on a budget of $1,661,530, it earned $3.3 million in the US and well over $10 million worldwide. The film was well received and is considered, along with David Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai. One of the biggest hits of Billy Wilder's career, he expected a big piece of the profits. The studio accountants informed him that since his last picture Ace in the Hole(1951) lost money and that it would be subtracted from his profits. He left the studio soon thereafter.

When two escaping American World War II prisoners are killed, the German POW camp barracks black marketeer, J.J. Sefton (William Holden), is suspected of being an informer.

Sralag 17 was nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Actor) and managed to win one, the Best Actor award for William Holden. His speech was the shortest in Oscar history when he merely said "Thank You". This film is, surprisingly, a POW comedy. I'm unsure what to think of this; would have Wilder known just how bad conditions were in German POW camps? Is it ethical to gloss over such hardship? The humour works at times, but knowing what we know now about the period it's somewhat cringey.

In defense of Wilder's picture it is pretty smart and engaging. Its mystery of "Who is the informer!?" leaves us on the edge of our seat. I particularly was impressed by a scene in which the men are singing When Johnny Comes Marching Home as it contrasted their hope and humanity with the horror of their situation. We know who the villain is by that time, so the seemingly joyful scene really hits the heart.

Overall Wilder's film is a decent picture, but it's a minor work compared to the man's many masterpieces. I'd argue that Stalag 17 is one of his weaker comedies, especially compared to Some Like It Hot and 1, 2, 3. Considering the great war pictures made during this period (see: Paths of Glory) I'm not sure this is an essential viewing. An entertaining picture, but it doesn't make much of an impact.

Review #983: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (1972)

Title: Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex

Year: 1972

Director: Woody Allen

Country: US

Language: English

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (but Were Afraid to Ask) was an inexplicable best seller when it first came out. The idea for the film came about when Woody Allen saw Dr. David Reuben promoting his book on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). When asked by Johnny Carson "Is sex dirty?", Reuben replied, "It is if you're doing it right" which is a line from Allen's Take the Money and Run (1969). Allen was offended by the joke being stolen and thus wanted sweet revenge.

Seven segments related to one another only in that they all purport to be based on sections of the book by David Reuben. The segments range from "Do Aphrodisiacs Work?" in which a court jester gives an aphrodisiac to the Queen and is, in the end, beheaded to "What Happens During Ejaculation?" in which we watch 'control central' during a successful seduction.

Dr. David Reuben, the author of the source book, did not like this picture. I did however. Representing something of an early high point in Woody Allen's career, this scattershot spoof has become somewhat sadly overlooked in favour of the more mature and whimsical charms of his later works. Everything You Always Wanted to Know...not only parodies its source material, but also takes shots at Fellini, Antonioni, Bergman and Whale. Its mad I tells ya. 

The segments range from so-so (a jester trying to seduce a queen) to absolutely hilarious. I particularly enjoyed What is Sodomy? wherin Gene Wilder plays a doctor who has a tumultuous affair...with a sheep. The film has many absurd zany moments that are worth watching just to see how ridiculous Allen can get. One segment has a giant tit!

Well made on a technical level, Allen's picture is far too absurd to pass up. It's a strange mix of sophisticated humour and uh...bestiality humour? I don't think this could be remade for audiences in 2017! 

Review #982: The Lodger (1927)

Title: The Lodger
Year: 1927
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Country: UK
Language: N/A

Not until The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) did Alfred Hitchcock, the proclaimed "Master of Suspense", firmly plant his feet into the thriller genre that he is so beloved for. Previously he had ventured into many genres, infact only three pictures (Lodger, Blackmail & Number Seventeen) before 1934 could be considered "horror". The Lodger (1927) is the first true "Hitchcock" film, containing most of the themes he'd use throughout his career.

In this, a landlady suspects her new lodger of being the notorious madman who is killing women in London.

The script was adapted from the 1913 novel The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes, a prolific and popular author of the period. He was inspired by the Jack the Ripper killings in London in 1888. Studio interference prevented Hitch from using the script's original ending, instead opting for an ending more in line with the Hays code that would be made mandatory in the 30's. It doesn't affect the film too greatly, albeit I would have preferred the original.

That being said, Hitch takes us on an emotional journey and manipulates his audience in a way that he would not surpass until Psycho (1960). Hitchcock’s obsession with blondes is notable here, as he uses the camera in an almost voyeuristic invasive way. Even the extreme close-ups of the killer's victims feel uncomfortably intimate. The Lodger, like most of his pictures, is well crafted in regards to editing and shot composition. It keeps up good pace in an absolutely haunting atmosphere.


Beautifully restored, Criterion's latest edition of The Lodger looks like a brand new film. It is a fairly easy watch, even for those who are not familiar with Hitchcock's work or the silent period in general. Though some symbolism is heavy handed, I was ultimately very impressed.

Review #981: Roman Holiday (1953)

Title: Roman Holiday
Year: 1953
Director: William Wyler
Country: US
Language: English

Audrey Hepburn is a silver screen legend, having won over audiences on a worldwide scale in the late 50's-early 60's. Though I've seen very few of Hepburn's films (just Breakfast at Tiffany's, Funny Face and My Fair Lady) I have yet to be impressed by her acting ability, as I feel she comes off as a dimwit, but not in a charming Marilyn Monroe kinda way. Perhaps Roman Holiday will be the film that changes my mind. 

In one of her first silver screen roles, Audrey Hepburn plays a bored and sheltered princess, who escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome (Gregory Peck)

Roman Holiday is most notable for being written by Dalton Trumbo, a man who had been blacklisted as a communist as one of the legendary Hollywood Ten. He was not able to receive credit for his screenplay, even though he won the Academy Award for Best Screenplay. Instead, his friend, Ian McLellan Hunter, accepted the award on his behalf. Indeed the film is well written, capturing the public's fascination with royalty at the time. 

Hepburn won the award for Best Actress that year, and even though I particularly love Deborah Kerr's performance in From Here to Eternity, I must admit that Hepburn did a stunning job in her role as a princess. She gives a sense of class, charm and a refined sense of sophistication to her role. One wonders if any other actress could do the part justice? Of course she is helped by the ever-so-brilliant Gregory Peck, a great Director in William Wyler, and some stunning cinematography. 

Hepburn has indeed impressed me. Although I don't see her as the star Hollywood has made her out to be, I can grasp that she certainly has the ability to impress me. Roman Holiday can be slow at times, but its the kind of spellbinding chick flick that they don't make anymore.