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Wait Until Dark (1967) (*** suspense) (D:-D. Terence, Audrey Hepburn, Alan Arkin, Richard Creena, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) A classic shocker. Three thugs are trying to find heroin that they believe is secreted in a blind woman's apartment. The action revolves around their increasingly determined and ruthless efforts to get it. The final long climactic sequence is a fantastic cliff hanger-if you haven't seen it, I will not give anything away. Alan Arkin is superb as an unhinged psychopath and a perfect foil for Hepburn's amazing resourcefulness. A must see for students of suspense. It shows what can be done without blood, gore, and extreme violence. Most of the action takes place in the apartment, which shows the Frederick Knott's stage play origin-not a complaint at all, just an observation. Be sure to turn out ALL the lights during this one! Beginning

WALL·E (2008) (**1/2 adults, **** children, animation) (7-25-08) (D-Andrew Stanton; W-Stanton,Jim Reardon; Voices: Ben Burtt,Elissa Knight, Fred Willard, Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver) The latest from PIXAR. The earth is abandoned, the planet a wasteland covered with trash and junk. WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) appears to be the sole remaining garbage collector, compactor, stacker. He goes about the job enthusiastically with his only companion being a cockroach. Like a lonely human he collects knick knacks and little gems from this debris and hoards his stash of goodies. An old movie tape is one of his favorites. What happened to the world becomes clear as the movie proceeds. WALL·E's well-ordered life is thrown into a tail spin with the arrival of EVE (Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) from a giant space ship. EVE is a survey robot looking for something. For what she is looking for, she certainly is trigger happy. In spite of this, she is clearly feminine, just as WALL·E is masculine. No surprise, they get together and the story line follows to an explanation of what happened to the world and how to fix it. After, of course, harrowing adventures, love lost, love found.

First the good parts. The animation is extraordinary. Excluding the earthscapes, which could have been doctored photos, it was hard to believe in many places that you were watching computer animation and not reality. These people have an uncanny knack of making machines convey human emotions. WALL·E is easy in comparison to EVA, who is basically featureless but that doesn't stop her showing faithfully just about every human emotion. The children loved the film including our 4, 8 and 11 year old grandchildren. The four year old, taking his first venture into the theater world, wanted to stay and watch it again. For fans of sci fi, the references to films such as 2001 are a pleasure.

Now the bad news. It is a message movie. A bit heavy handed and totally unrealistic in its outcome. As my wife commented, the human's actually had it pretty good. What's not to like? It also really dragged in a number of places. However, to my amazement, these didn't deter the children, who showed no loss of rapt attention.

The great news is the unbilled comedic short before the main feature. Presto. A self-centered magician is so focused on his act that he fails to feed his rabbit. Not a clever move when you have real magic, and a clever rabbit determined to get fed during the act. The closest I can describe the resultant manic energy, sight gags, and nearly die-in-the aisle humor is the best of the best Roadrunner Coyote cartoons. Even if I weren't getting the DVD for the grandchildren when it comes out, I would get the movie just for the cartoon. Priceless! Beginning

Walter Mathau (6-4-08) was a gifted multidimensional actor. His gift for comedy was exemplary as shown by The Odd Couple and Grumpy Old Men. Much less appreciated by many was his talent for dramatic roles to which he always managed to bring his world weary, dry sense of humor and intelligence. I provide two examples where he played both sides of the law, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Charley Varrick. Beginning

Wages of Fear, The (1952) (***1/2, adventure) (D.-Henri-Georges Clouzot, Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Peter Van Eyck, Vera Clouzot, Folco Lulli, William Tubbs) At Sneak Reviews. Henri-Georges Clouzot's own adaptation of Georges Arnaud's novel. A black and white gem. Superb tension and "turn your hair white" action sequences. Awesome images still float through my mind. The fire, and the trucks driving through the jungle at night with their spot lights come to mind. Also, the opening with the boy with four beetles tied together is a metaphor for the intertwined fate and hopeless state of the four protagonists. The original runs a fascinating 156 minutes, but many shorter versions exist. Apparently, it was cut when first imported because of length and the less than flattering portrayal of the pragmatic, profit-driven American oil company. My largest fault is with Jo (Charles Vanel), a ruthless gangster. I just could not accept the transformation in his personality. I loved what Clouzot did with the fate of one truck--far more ambiguous and superior to Sorcerer. It isn't what is shown, but what isn't that gets to you. Some of the staging does show its age. For example, after establishing Las Piedras as the the armpit of the universe, Clouzot dumped Vera Clouzot face down in the mud, only to have her stand up looking ready for a prom. Best Picture honors at the 1953 Cannes Film Festival and the British Academy Awards. Cannes also awarded Vanel a Best Actor prize. See also Variations on a theme (adventure). (4-25-94) Beginning

Wag The Dog (1997) (***, humor, satire) (D.-Barry Levinson; Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, Anne Heche, Woody Harrelson, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, Andrea Martin) A pleasant diversion that never lives ups to its potential. Days before the election the President, who has the election in the bag, gets caught with his hands on a visiting Firefly girl. Can the story be kept quiet in the press until after the election? Enter ace trouble shooter and spin meister Conrad Brean (De Niro). What gets the press into an even greater frenzy than a scandal? A war, of course. So Brean solicits a little Hollywood help from producer Stanley Motss (Hoffman) to produce a war. Or at least the illusion of a war complete with theme songs, on the front film footage, and a lost-behind-the-lines service man Sgt. Schumann (Harrelson). With enough red meat properly flavored and presented, the media dogs rolled over and took the news leaks and the staged events as gospel.

De Niro is fine as the cool fixer. Hoffman is a hoot as the neurotic, insecure, manipulative producer who claims to have always managed to circumvent disasters that make their current problem look like a Sunday picnic. Harrelson is... Well, just see the movie. Willie Nelson's role as a song writer is great. He may look old and delapidated, but the mind under that homespun facade is ever so sharp.

Wag was probably intended as a savage satire of the news media, but I don't think that it really works at this level. It isn't nasty enough, the media is a soft bellied target nowadays, and, ultimately, I give the media a little more credit for lack of total gullibility and the ability to ferret out the truth, especially where the truth would have made an even better story. If you want to see my gold standards for satire, check out savagely vicious Network and Dr. Strangelove. (1-12-98) Beginning

Walkabout (1971) (***1/2, drama) (D.-Nicolas Roeg; Jenny Agutter, Lucien John, David Gulpilil, John Meillon) Lost from public view for about two decades due to financial disagreements, Walkabout has been back now for a year or two. It is available on video, shows on cable, and has had theatrical runs, although not in Charlottesville. In addition, 5 minutes of nudity originally cut by censors have been restored; this addition helps enormously in conveying the intended enormous sexual tension of the film. Walkabout is world class cinematographer Roeg's first time as director. Walkabout clearly falls into the art house category. While there is a relatively simple story, nothing about the film is linear. Time and space are bent, and reality is as malleable as a piece of children's clay. Walkabout is about emotions, perceptions, individual interactions, communications, and our societal interactions. While Walkabout could be treated as a metaphor for cultures, for me it is ultimately just about individuals.

I will be deliberately opaque about plot. A young "English" boy (John, actually Roeg's son) and his teenage sister (Agutter) are lost in the Australian wilderness. While superbly trained for the city, their survival isn't probable until they encounter an aborigine teenager (Gulpilil) on his walkabout (a rite of passage where the young man will prove that he can survive on his own and also learn about himself. It is is also used at any time of life when clearing of the head is needed). Thus begins overlapping walkabouts of the two teenagers. It is a bleak, disturbing visual aural roller coaster. While the Outback is awesomely beautiful, the entire atmosphere of the film is disturbing. Taut. Edgy. Uncertain. The radio doesn't help.

I highly recommend watching it with others so that afterwards you can discuss what you think you saw and what you think actually happened. Review based on the non-letterboxed version shown on cable recently. It is clear that on the big screen, Walkabout would be a mind blowing experience. I recommend that you view the letterboxed version, which I believe Sneak Reviews has. (9-28-98) Beginning

Wallace and Gromit. If you are into claymation, don't miss Nick Park's three 30 minute claymation Wallace and Gromit episodes about an eccentric inventor (Wallace) and his dog Gromit. These are The Wrong Trousers, A Grand Day Out, and A Close Shave. Awesome claymation! The first two are cute with many chuckles. The latest one, Shave, is a classic Bugs Bunny/Road Runner style cartoon that my son and I found riotously funny. All three can be rented at Sneak Reviews out Ivy for $1.00 each.

For those interested in technical details, there is also a cool BBC show on the making of The Wrong Trousers. Park began his animation career at age 13 (1973) using felt cut outs with The Rat and the Beanstalk. The claymation production rate is about four seconds per day with dialogue; Trousers took two years to make. Initially, Gromit was a cat, but I guess Park felt that dogs could be more expressive. On one set you notice the big sign NO CLOMPING since any vibration could alter the position of objects from one shot to the next. Beginning

Warlock (1959) (***, Western) (D.- Edward Dmytryk; Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Anthony Quinn, Dorothy Malone, Dolores Michaels, Wallace Ford, Tom Drake, Richard Arlen, Regis Toomey, DeForest Kelley) Intriguing, well written, and well acted psychological study. The town of Warlock is a hotbed of murder and mayhem. They hire a "Marshall" (Fonda) to clean things up. Be careful what you ask for. Fonda arrives with his entourage, which incudes a gambling casino (salary alone doesn't turn a handy profit) and (Quinn) who worships the ground on which Fonda walks. Quinn also is as ruthless and as cold blooded as any other killer around-and is a lot brighter. Fonda fully understands the psychology of those who hire him and knows well the cycle of initial distrust, reverence, growing fear, and ultimately hatred that will follow. Warlock has some superbly choreographed fight scenes; the build up and confrontation of Fonda, et al. with the local toughs in his bar has got to be one of the most tense, nail biting confrontations put on film, even though everyone speaks in the most reasonable of tones. Long before The Wild Bunch, Warlock explores the psychology and behavior of those who cannot or will not adapt to an increasingly civilized West. In my opinion, Warlock suffers from too many plot turns and twists and should have been shorter and more sharply focused. The key element, which is frequently hidden by the other subplots is the relationship between Fonda and Quinn. Nevertheless, a fine film to check out. (3-14-95) Beginning

Warlock (1991) (**1/2, horror) (3-12-01) (D.- Steve Miner; Julian Sands, Lori Singer, Richard E. Grant, Mary Woronov, Richard Kuss, Allan Miller, Kevin O'Brien, Anna Levine, David Carpenter) One of my daughter’s guilty pleasures, but a film I avoided seeing because of the savage reviews. However, Warlock is more camp than horror and never takes itself too seriously. Everyone seems to be having a good time and the combination makes for a fun evening if you are in the right mood. A warlock (Sands) escapes from 1691 Boston to 1991 L.A. hell bent on the destruction of the world if he can locate and assemble the Grand Grimoire, or Satan's bible. In hot pursuit is a witch hunter (Grant) who picks up local help from Singer. Much of the fun is in the cultural conflicts as those from 1691 try to adjust to the present and Singer tries to adjust to what, at first glance, looks like a wierdo who took too much acid. Not great, but fun if you are in the right mood. Beginning

War of the Worlds (1953) (****, 50's Science Fiction) (1974). (1-17-95) (7-8-96) (6-22-05) (D.- Byron Haskin; Gene Barry, Les Tremayne, Ann Robinson, Robert Cornthwaite, Henry Brandon, Jack Kruschen, Narrated by Sir Cedric Hardwicke) Oscar for special effects. Updated version of H. G. Wells classic of Martian invasion. Stunning, gripping, and genuinely frightening even today. The only down side is that they just didn't know how to handle romance in these movies; however, the rest more than makes up for it. The success of War was due to a crisp editing, non-stop action, and superb aural and visual special effects. War was the creation of producer George Pal who was responsible for some of the great classic sci fi movies (Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide, The Time Machine).

The Martian war machines (42" in diameter, made of copper to give them their reddish Martian color) are like great floating birds of prey (think Star Trek) with long necks that spray death and destruction. Pal originally wanted to go with Wells' tripodal creations, but these were actually much more difficult to build. They created machines that seem to walk on legs of electricity, but they were too concerned about the millions of volts electrocuting staff. While it is claimed that you can occasionally catch sight of some of the 15 wires supporting the war machines and feeding in all the electrical control signals, I have missed them. I guess I am too engrossed by the action.

Man's final attempt at destroying the war machines with an atom bomb is awesome even today. Then, as the unscathed machines, surrounded by their flickering force field, float out of the holocaust, one knows that all is lost. I had always assumed that the nuclear explosion was real footage. No. It was shot on a sound stage! The mushroom-shaped cloud rose only 75 feet into the air. Explosives expert Walter Hoffman (81 at the time) used a drum of colored powders to achieve this remarkable effect.

The systematic destruction of Los Angeles by the war machines is one of the most realistic and frightening until Terminator II. The destruction is managed by glass paintings, miniatures, and matte work. The quality of the effect is greatly enhanced by the large size of the models. City hall was 8 feet high before the dynamite went off.

War cost a modest $2M of which $1.4M was spent on the special effects. The movie took 6 months to make and only 40 days of this were spent on the live action.

The ominously pulsating light in the snake neck was achieved by having a small light in the head with a fan in front of it; as the fan rotated the red light flickered. The death ray was achieved by burning welding rods and blowing the sparks out of the head with a blowtorch. While occasionally looking a little odd, the effect is overall quite effective.

The visual work alone would have been spectacular, but it is the sound effects (Harry Lindgren and Gene Garvin) that make it especially effective. The shrill, unnerving sound of the heat-ray was created by replaying backwards notes from three electric guitars. The Martian's scream was a combination of dry ice scraped across a microphone and a woman's scream played backward.

Of course no 50s sci fi is complete without a Bug Eyed Monster (BEM). So War manages one. The creator of the monster, sculptor Charles Gemora, was showing it off to the director when it fell on him and knocked him down. As payment for his work, he got to wear it in the movie.

As an amusing aside, Pal was delighted when he began the project to discover the studio had had the film rights since 1925. Unfortunately, three days into the filming Paramount's legal department discovered that they only owned the rights for the silent film version. The studio had to contact Wells' son, who quickly sold the sound rights for a modest sum.

Details from MicroSoft Cinemania (1994) and Movie Magic by John Brosnan (1974). (1-17-95) (7-8-96) Beginning

War of the Worlds (2005) (****, sci fi) (7-19-05) (D.-Steven Spielberg; W.- Josh Friedman and David Koepp. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells; Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto) I am a huge fan of the original 50s WOW. This remake did not disappoint. It is modernized, but respectful of the book and earlier film. The plot is so well known; I will only provide important features of the remake. Our protagonist is Ray (Cruise), a man who never outgrew his youth. He is divorced with a daughter (Fanning) and teenage son, Robbie (Chatwin), whom Ray has to baby sit for the weekend. What he will get is a transformation from a man intent on his next beer to one who tries desperately to protect his children and survive, and to a man who will do things so unspeakable and alien to his nature that he wouldn’t even have dreamed them possible hours before. Although you know he will dream about it for the rest of his live. This is a tale of a family. We don’t get the generals or the strategic analysis. We only see what Ray sees. This is more than enough. As one character says. “This is not a war. … This is an extermination.” Unfortunately, he is not quite right; extermination would be merciful.

The arrival of the aliens is quite different from earlier portrayals, but the war machines are very true to Wells’ tripodal creation. The arrival of the war machines is one of the most impressive of many impressive scenes in the film. As they rise up out of the ground, these are not some ethereal floating machines powered by some unknown forces. These are massive, grinding pulsating weapons of destruction. As their engines wind up, there is no doubt of their intent. They are death. The people on the streets have less survival chances than a foot soldier facing a 1500 HP, 60 ton Abrams Main Battle Tank. However, as with the earlier versions, even our best technology is largely useless. The best the army can do is help with evacuation of the population.

I consider the acting very good. Cruise does a fine job. Several exceptional scenes are the lullaby and his interaction with his daughter towards the end in the farm house scene. When he returns to the house after the initial assault at the beginning, his response is perfect. Fanning is excellent as the terrorized child. Some have complained about her screaming. In actuality, it seems mild given what she is confronted with. Chatwin is good as the son. He is the typical surly teenager who has even more than the usual bones to pick with his father. He also has a bit too much testosterone and too few brains to go with it. Robbins is perfect as a composite of the crazed cleric and the survivalist soldier from the book. Spielberg is a master of turning the routine, the mundane into sheer terror. He does that repeatedly in WOW. The train is one of the masterpieces of modern terror; it also has it roots in the book.

Sci fi films and books frequently have a political subtext. The original book was a statement to the British as to what it must be like to be on the receiving end of their superior technology during the empire building. The 50s film was at the height of the Red Scare and the fear of nuclear annihilation. The current version draws on the growing fear of terrorism and the enemy hidden within.

While the film has some weaknesses, it is filled with so many images, so much visceral impact that I have to give it ****. It is the alien invasion film of this generation.

There are several final points I would like to make. My wife pointed out why the crashed plane had no bodies. I wonder why the director never used nuclear weapons. I disagree with the director’s use of the alien’s language. It needed to be complex, perhaps even melodic. But certainly complex. The force fields could have been much fancier than shown, but what you see is clearly homage to the 50s movie.

I have heard of many complaining about the ending. This is the book ending. And much of the rest of the film is a good adaptation of the original book. So if you don’t like the plot, complain to Wells.

The War of the Worlds (2005) (1/2* for using most of Wells’ dialogue, sci fi) (6-22-05) (DW.-Timothy Hines; H. G. Wells: novel; Anthony Piana, Jack Clay, James Lathrop, Darlene Sellers, John Kaufmann, Jamie Lynn Sease, Susan Goforth, W. Bernard Bauman) Five years in preparation and alleged 20 million dollars (originally slated for 40M). It was going to be in Seattle but after 9/11 with the loss of one of the production crew’s colleagues, it was decided to set the film in Wells’ original time and follow closely his original book, which it does with high accuracy. I will begin the review with one of my favorite quotes: “No one is ever a complete failure. You can always function as a bad example.” Hines’ WOW is a stellar bad example.

Except for length, I have seen far more professional productions from students. So let’s begin with the length. A mind numbing almost three hours. If they actually used the time, it could be acceptable, but they just fill it. And refill it. And refill it again. All with needless repetitions of the characters wandering down roads, running back and forth. Or with people staring at something off screen. With my little skill in film, I could easily trim one to one and a half hours from the film; it still wouldn’t be good, but it wouldn’t be so boring.

What about effects? Cheesy. The last couple of generations of video games have produced more realistic cgi than this film, although the Martian war machines were acceptable, and did conform to Wells’ vision. Some of the spoof effects in the Lost Skeleton of Cadavera were better. And the blue screen effects! The nightly weather is more realistic looking. Similarly with the matte overlays. The heat rays were laughable and fricasseed skeletons that continue to writhe in agony long after all the flesh was gone were ridiculous. The night for day shots with color filters were generally acceptable. However, there was one scene with the hero and his wife (Goforth who is also the producer) walking at night and looking at the evening sky. Too bad the star filled sky was pitch black and they were walking in full sunlight. And the constant to-ing and fro-ing of people using blue screen overlays – badly.

The acting rose to the challenge of the film. It ranged from mediocre to so wooden that some of the worst scenes in Star Wars I and II look like Lawrence Olivier in Shakespeare. Piana played two parts, brothers, and the only difference was the mustache, which has to rate up there as being one of the worst looking pieces of glued on facial hair since Charlie Chaplin used crepe paper.

I did read one complaint that I felt was unjustified. Some complained about the poor color reproduction of the DVD. I think the director did this deliberately with filters and computers for mood. I don’t think it worked (like most things in the film), but it wasn’t an error in generating the DVD.

Amazingly the film was apparently scheduled for theatrical release this spring, but this seems to have fallen through. For the sake of the actors, director and producers, this was probably a good thing. The DVD was bad enough, but the humiliation in the theaters would have been awful. Trust me. What looked bad on DVD on my 27” TV would have been positively mind bending on a big screen. A BBC production after some serious editing would have been the best venue. I think they probably did rush it to the market to beat Spielberg, and for this I am mightily miffed. I paid $18 at Walmart, and I noticed that a number of people managed to get it much cheaper. Cheaper was still too expensive. On the other hand it makes a good study in how not to make a film. There, I think I came close to getting my $18 worth!

Waterworld (1995) (**1/2, action, sci fi) (D.-Kevin Reynolds; Kevin Costner, Deniis Hopper, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tina Majorino, Michael Jeter) An attempt to create The Road Warrior in the future with the problem being no land rather than no gasoline. There are a few surviving pockets of humanity raided by The Smokers, led by The Deacon (Hopper) in his now standard over-the-top psychopath mode. Costner, the Mariner, is a mutant with gills. Helen (Tripplehorn) is caring for a young girl, Enola, (Majorino) who may have a map to dry land tatooed on her back. You can fill in the blanks. Grossly overbudget (approaching $200 M) and panned by the critics. But not that bad. It delivers mindless action entertainment, some good action sequences, and some beautiful cinematography, although it has all been done better before. The one thing that did work was the Mariner's interactions with the women--brutal, dictatorial. The money men tried to get this softened, but Costner stood firm.

They planned to use computer generated sharks in the film. After much effort, they concluded that computers weren't up to it and went to real sharks. Real ones take some care, however, and when they would release them, the poor things could barely swim.

The photo is the trimaran used in Waterworld on display at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. Beginning

Weekend at Bernie's (1989) (**1/2, comedy) (D.-Ted Kotcheff; Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Catherine Mary Stewart, Terry Kiser, Don Calfa, Louis Giambalvo) Totally worthless time waster, but with some delightful moments. Two corporate lowlings are invited to spend an extravagent weekend at their boss' home. If something looks too good to be true... Things start badly. Bernie is murdered, and their survival depends on making it appear that he is still alive. The best scenes arise as they drag the dearly departed around as if he is actually alive. This includes such activities as waving, riotous partying, water skiing, etc. Kiser is superb as the "animated" Bernie. The absurdity of the situation actually works up to a point. Written by Robert Klane. (2-7-95) Beginning

Weekend at Bernie's II (1993) (*1/2, comedy) (D.-Robert Klane; Andrew McCarthy, Jonathan Silverman, Terry Kiser) Too bad Bernie didn't stay dead. After their long weekend in the original, McCarthy and worthless hustler Silverman need Bernie's body to get rich. This time Bernie's animation is helped along by a voodoo curse. The McCarthy-Silverman bit wears thin, but Kiser is a fine physical comedian who manages to steal the movie when he is on the screen. Kiser's Groucho mustache, vacuous expression, and amazing body English managed to give me a few good belly laughs. (2-7-95) Beginning

Welcome to Mooseport (2003) (**, comedy) (7-20-04) (D.-Donald Petrie; Gene Hackman, Ray Romano, Marcia Gay Harden, Maura Tierney, Christine Baranski) Spoiler. Don’t watch the movie. Do watch the deleted scenes. There were far more laughs in the few deleted scenes than in the whole movie. As pointed out by the director, he likes to continue running the camera after the scene is supposed to end, and good actors can do an amazing job of ad lib under such circumstances. It is some of this ad lib material that yields the best laughs. Now with an amazing lack of perspective, the director cut these out and left a depressing array of not funny scenes.

In case you are interested in the plot, popular ex-President Monroe Cole (Hackman) decides to retire to his hometown of Mooseport, Maine. He takes a liking to Grace Sutherland (Harden) before he realizes that she is sort of spoken for by boy friend Handy Harrison (Romano). Handy is very inept in demonstrating his affection for her. Being a successful type-A politician, he is not about to be thwarted even after he learns of his initial faux pas. This leads to the inevitable conflict between the two males with the mayorship of Mooseport as well as Grace as the prizes. Potentially funny, but there is never much chemistry between any of the actors, and the humor falls flat for me. Some people like Romano, but if this typical of his style, he doesn’t move me. Beginning

Westerns: Modern audiences tend to discount the old Western, thinking of it as an antiquated genre and feeling that films like Unforgiven are the genre. Nonsense. For the skeptical, I review two of John Ford's great films, Stagecoach and The Searchers. These should be on the short list of anyone interested in the American Western. (3-2-98) Beginning

Wet Street Rule Dry streets in night scenes photograph poorly; they soak light up like water on a dry sponge. Therefore, in films streets at night are invariably wet down to enhance their reflectivity, to create multiple images, and to add glitter and sparkle. This is true even if you are in the desert during a five-year drought. (11-28-95) Beginning

When Harry Met Sally (1989) (****, romatic comedy) (D.-Rob Reiner; Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Steven Ford, Lisa Jane Persky) A delightful romantic comedy. After a less than auspicious start, Crystal and Ryan are excellent friends of long standing who both become available on the marriage market. The concept of converting friendship into romance is completely alien to them, and the trials and tribulations of this conversion form the heart of the movie. Crystal and Ryan are superbly charming and believable as the love struck couple who cannot recognize their love. Fisher and Kirby are excellent support for the couple. No deep moral message or significance, but a highly entertaining evening.

One amusing point was the risque luncheon scene. The climax of this scene showed on the TV movie ads, but without explaining her behavior. In other words, unless you had seen the movie, you miss the point. And if you had seen the movie, the ad was R rated (well maybe PG-13 with today's mores). I was amazed that the TV censors let it by; apparently, they hadn't seen the movie. (6-5-95) Beginning

When Worlds Collide (1951) (**1/2, 50s Science Fiction) (D.-Rudolph Maté; Richard Derr, Barbara Rush, Peter Hanson, Larry Keating, John Hoyt) Color. Very popular in its day. Now, some above average special effects help overcome banal dialogue, plot, and acting. The end of the world is predicted from an on rushing star passing through our solar system. The only hope is to build a rocket (ark) to transport a few humans to the planet circling the star. Oscar for special effects including the submersion of Manhatten by a tidal wave. Unfortunately, the arrival on the planet is rather anticlimactic with the backdrop being clearly (i.e., poorly) painted. I think I now know where the model for Dr. Strangelove in Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove came from: the tyrannical wheel chair bound industrialist in Worlds. Based on the novel by Edwin Balmer and Philip Wylie. (9-12-94) Beginning

While You Were Sleeping (1995) (***, romatic comedy) (D.-Jon Turteltaub, Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyl, Glynis Johns, Jack Warden) I think that this is one of those movies that is gender influenced. I wouldn't have rated it above **1/2, but my wife liked it a lot and wouldn't give it less than ***. So, with thirty years of marriage on the line, *** it is. Sleeping is one of those comedies of error and miscommunication. Bullock is a lonely, romantic, subway token taker. Gallagher, whom she sees every day as he passes through her line, is her Prince Charming, although he has never noticed her. She saves his life, but he is left in a coma in the hospital. By a series of misunderstandings, the family and everyone else thinks she is his fiancee. The slip into the quagmire, the errors that merely dig the hole deeper, and the extrication form the movie. Oh yes, throw in Gallagher's non-comatose brother, (Pullman) who is very suspicious of Bullock. Remember the old saying, courting always works best when you are awake. The cast looks like they are having a good time, and Bullock and Pullman are very charming. Bullock, in particular, has very natural and believable mannerisms when placed in what is a difficult situation. Light, breezy. A throwaway with a feel good ending, a lot of smiles, and a few good laughs. (5-1-95) Beginning

White Heat (1949) (***1/2, classic, crime, film noir, drama) (D.-Raoul Walsh; James Cagney, Virginia Mayo, Edmond O'Brien, Margaret Wycherly, Steve Cochran) Based loosely on the Doc and Ma Barker gang. Cody Jarrett (Cagney) and his mother (Wycherly) have as sick a relationship as you could imagine. The scene where he has a migraine and goes to his mother sets the tone for the relationship. Also, it fully justifies his explosion when he learns that she has been killed. Add in that they are sociopaths who kill anyone who gets in their way, including their own gang, as easily as most of us swat flies. Taut, well acted. Cagney is over the top and it works. This man is sick and any more restrained performance would be unrealistic. O'Brian is a law officer trying to bring him down by getting into his gang. Cagney's "top of the world" end at the Torrance oil refinery is one of the great exits in film. (5-26-97) Beginning

White Men Can't Jump (1992) (***, comedy) (D.- Ron Shelton; Wesley Snipes, Sidney Deane, Woody Harrelson, Billy Hoyle, Rosie Perez, Gloria Clemente) Very profaneand in-your-face; you were warned. An attempt by Shelton to bring his Bull Durham to the world of basketball street hustlers. I don't think it is in the same league with Durham. While the plot doesn't grab me, the acting and dialogue are fascinating. Harrleson is a white guy trying to hustle black hustlers. Throw in cons in all directions and Harrelson's girlfriend, Perez, who is trying to get on "Jeopardy" and is studying for the part like it is her entry into heaven, and you have the plot. However, as with Durham, it is more about style than substance. A street fight or a basketball match is won more often by psychological, not physical, victory. The game is to psych your opponent, and everyone here is a master at the use and misuse of language to insult their opponents and to gain that fractional advantage that determines who wins and who loses. Snipes and Harrelson are not only masters of words, but their physical prowess with the basketball is a pleasure to watch. I mean these guys make their living as actors, not as athletes, but I wouldn't recommend that you play pickup with them. The climactic end contest comes when the old pros from the neighborhood return to make a comeback. The one thing I really liked about this contest was that it was played without any of the now standard verbal insults. Snipes and Harrelson might insult other punks, but these old guys were legends. You don't insult legends; you play it straight, and try to beat them with pure physical skill. The old guys had earned everyone's respect, and they get it even in the profane street hustler's world. The women in the film make good counterpoints for their men. Strong, supporting to a point, and frequently totally exasperated. (4-10-95) Beginning

White Sands (1992) (**1/2, drama) (D.-Roger Donaldson, Willem Dafoe, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson) A small town police officer (DeFoe) in northern New Mexico investigates an apparent suicide where the dead man is found next to a briefcase filled with $500,000. The plot revolves around DeFoe's attempts to determine why someone with a cool half a million would drive out to the middle of nowhere and kill himself. DeFoe follows up a series of clues which leads him into about as many different unsavory people and deals as Carters used to have "Little Liver Pills." The cinematography and travelogue of parts of New Mexico (e.g. the Rio Grande River Gorge and White Sands) that many Easterners never suspect existed are excellent. I found the plot too convoluted, unrealistic, and the acting too wooden, especially DeFoe who had to form the emotional center of the movie, to make for a very exciting film. My family disagreed with me, however, therefore, I give it a balanced **1/2 rating. (1-23-93) Beginning

White Zombie (1932) (***, horror) (12-16-02) (D.- Victor Halperin; Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, Joseph Cawthorn, Robert Frazer, John Harron, Brandon Hurst, Clarence Muse) “We may uncover sins that even the devil would be ashamed of.” Early low budget horror film that still manages some chills. A Haitian sugar plantation owner Beaumont seduces young newlyweds to stay in his home. However, a visiting doctor who lives on the island warns them that their host does “Not play fairy godfather to a couple like you. Clear out of this place...” Beaumont is obsessed with the girl and will do anything to get her. Enter Lugosi, a master manipulator of souls. The title gives you an idea of where this is going. As he croons seductively to Beaumont, who has balked at the evil, Lugosi offers, “Keep it. Keep it. You may change your mind. … Send me word when you use it.” Nicely atmospheric. The sets are impressive, although the matte overlays do show through in places. An early and successful horror film for aficionados of the genre. Review based on the nicely restored (Ronin Group) version recently shown on Turner Classic Movies. Beginning

Widow's Peak (1994) (***, comedy/drama) (D.-John Irvin, Joan Plowright, Mia Farrow, Natasha Richardson) At Vinegar Hill. A charming pleasurable film that never pretends to be more than it is. It aims to please and does so with high spirits in a delightful slice of Irish small town life in the mid 20s. The town is populated by the typical assortment of off the wall types and a strong stable caste system of have and have nots. The haves consist mainly of widows living on the prime piece of real estate known as Widow's Peak--named after the occupants. Being rich, married, and male in this town must be very stressful because there aren't any left. This fiefdom is carefully juggled and ruled with an iron glove in a porcelain tea cup by the indomitable Plowright. As with most small towns, the surface hides more than it shows and Widow's Peak clearly has its share of dark secrets; at least one is centered on the unmarried spinster (Farrow). This feudal apple cart is run over and totally flattened by a high powered madly careening motor car driven by the newest arrival, who is a young, aggressive, very modern widow (Richardson). The new widow does bring her share of secrets but nevertheless is clearly a stellar catch for the matriarch's son. However, some truly nasty chemistry between Farrow and Richardson sets the town on a potentially lethal collision course with the bay's shoals. First class acting throughout. A story filled with enough delightfully recognizable characters and situations coupled with sufficient skullduggery to keep most people happy and analyzing the film long afterwards. Don't be fooled by the story; I do not rate Peak as only a "woman's" movie. My son, wife, and I all enjoyed it equally. (7-25-94) Beginning

Wild Bunch, The (1969) (***1/2, western) (D.-Sam Peckinpah; William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson) Another violent film by the very influential Peckinpah, although modern audiences wouldn't really notice the violence. Unforgiven is not the first revisionist western, just the most recent. The twilight and brutal end of a brutal era. At the turn of the century an aging gang cannot adapt to expanding civilization and can no longer survive in the increasingly law and ordered US, so they flee to Mexico, only to meet their fate in the revolution. Intriguing psychological studies of those who cannot, or will not, adjust and the varying ways they approach their end. Includes many fascinating, revealing touches such as where one gunman refuses to pay the prostitute as he walks out of the door to suicidal death. The observant will catch that one of the Mexican officers is Alfonso Arau, who played the high spirited Columbian bandit ("Joan Wilder's greatest fan") in Romancing the Stone and has taken more recently to a promising directing career with such films as Like Water for Chocolate.and A Walk in the Clouds. (2-21-94) (10-16-95) Beginning

Wild Wild West (1999) (*1/2, comedy) (9-28-99) (D.-Barry Sonnenfeld; Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek, M. Emmet Walsh) I delayed seeing West since the critics had savaged it and I wanted to save money. The critics were unfortunately dead on. One of the most nearly lethal (not lethally funny) "comedies" in years. Actually, I may have chuckled two or three times during the whole film. In spite of its excellent pedigree and good finances, only one word comes to mind "soporific". I'm only glad I saw it at the cut-rate theater. Flash, boom, special effects, and odd, unfunny characters. It was so bad that even the great character actor Walsh generated neither laughs nor interest.

The basic story is that shortly after the Civil War, mad scientist Dr. Loveless (Branagh) kidnaps scientists to build weapons to take over the country. Standing in his way are agents James West (Smith), who never found a problem that he could not shoot or punch his way out of, and master inventor and improviser Artemus Gordon (Kline), who does everything by guile.

The chemistry between Smith and Kline, two gifted actors, is zero. You never get interested in them or in the story. Hayek, who should exude sexuality and drive the men crazy, does nothing. The war machine was mildly amusing, but you cannot build a movie on it. The only thing that looked really good was the Southwestern setting of the end. This was shot in New Mexico and Arizona probably up around the four corners area with what looks like a big dose of Monument Valley. Momument Valley was made famous in Westerns by its first use in Stage Coach. Save your money--rent Stage Coach.

Note 2-24-02: West was also filmed at the Silverado Set at Galisto, NM. One of the pyrotechnics got out of hand and burned down much of the set. I don't know whether it has been rebuilt yet. So not only is West a bad movie, but it was a destructive one. Beginning

Winchester '73 (1950) (***1/2, western) (D.- Anthony Mann, James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Charles Drake, Millard Mitchell, Rock Hudson, Anthony "Tony" Curtis) Classic western thats tell interesting story in a highly imaginative style. Stewart is central character chasing murderer of his father in a series of episodes that lead to a climactic shoot out. Rock Hudson is an Indian chief and Tony Curtis is an all but unrecognizable young cavalry soldier. First class acting and cinematography, interesting characters, and even today, plenty of plot twists. (7-12-95) Beginning

Window, The (1949) (***, suspense, film noir) (D.-Ted Tetzlaff; Bobby Driscoll, Barbara Hale, Arthur Kennedy, Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman) Dated, but still entertaining, noirish thriller about boy who cried wolf too many times. His claims of having seen a murder sets his life at risk as his parents and other adults take his newest story as the wild fancies of an overworked imagination. Driscoll, as the boy, is excellent and won a special Academy Award for his performance. The set up is especially good, but the ending doesn't work as well. Beautiful classical noir photography by William Steiner. Based on a story by Cornell Woolrich. (6-8-98) Beginning

Window To Paris (1995) (***, humor) (D-Yuri Mamin; Agnes Soral, Serguej Dontsov) High spirited, feather weight little comedy about Russians in St. Peterburg who discover a window that opens into Paris. The film revolves around their discovery of the window, their entrance which has a nifty little twist and long running gag, their interactions with the Parisians (especially an artist who reluctantly shares her rooftop with them), and the misinterpretations of the two cultures. We have the juxtaposition of life in modern Russia with the free wheeling hyper capitalistic France. However inexperienced the Russians, they are very adaptable. The cast is charming, their behavior believable, and the humor low key but steadily amusing. A clever and pleasant diversion. The uncredited cat has a pivotal role. In French and Russian with good subtitles. (10-27-97) Beginning

Winter Sleeper AKA Winterschläfer (1997) (****, romantic thriller, drama) (6-25-01) (D.- Tom Tykwer; W.- Anne-Françoise Pyszora (also novel Expense of Spirit); Ulrich Matthes, Marie-Lou Sellem, Floriane Daniel, Heino Ferch, Josef Bierbichler, Laura Maori Tonke, Sophia Dirscherl, Sebastian Schipper, Saskia Vester, Werner Schnitzer). Between the subject matter, the German with subtitles, and the presentation this clearly falls into the art house category. But we loved it. This is an earlier film of Tykwer who did the hyperkinetic Run Lola Run, which I really enjoyed. This is better. Five people in a small ski town are about to find their fates as irrevocably intertwined as conjoined quintuplets. This in spite of the fact that some of the people never meet and some of those that know each other never recognize the connections. I will be enormously vague about characters and plot as much of the pleasure on first viewing of this film is watching how things unfold and trying to see the interconnections. Tykwer has a strong sense of how small, apparently insignificant incidents can propagate, expand, and ultimately profoundly affect our lives—much like a Tsunami is invisible until it reaches land. In keeping with this unsettling vision, Tykwer has a uniquely disturbing editing style and use of music, some of which he composed. In keeping with our view that a good film generates discussion, we spent as much time discussing what we had actually seen and what it meant as we did watching it. We even went back and watched pivotal scenes. Review based on the DVD available from Sneak Reviews that has an excellent transfer; the only supplementary material is short biographies of some of the principals. Thanks to Airon Demas for recommnending this. Beginning

Witches of Eastwick, The (1987) (***, comedic drama) (D.-George Miller, Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright, Richard Jenkins) Based very loosely on John Updike's novel. Forget the plot. This is a medium for the superb Nicholson, Cher, Sarandon and Pfieffer to chew the scenery. And chew it they do. A blast from start to finish. Three women accidentally conjure up the perfect man; but be careful what you ask for. The devil himself appears (Nicholson), and never has he been more charming, seductive, manipulative. Eastwick will never be the same. Unfortunately for old Lucifer, it is not clear whether he will ever recover either. A truly delightful battle of the sexes. (6-28-93) Beginning

Without a Clue (1988) (**1/2, comedy) (D.-Thom Eberhardt; Michael Caine, Ben Kingsley, Jeffrey Jones, Lysette Anthony, Paul Freeman, Nigel Davenport) Just suppose that Watson (Kingsley) was the brains and Sherlock Holmes (Caine) was an overbearing, not very bright actor, with a great air of authority and fabulous projection (think Ted Baxter on the Mary Tyler Moore Show). One of the innumerable mess ups that Holmes manages is when he describes the object used to beat a person to death. Kingsley and Caine obviously had a ball, and their infectious good humor is catching. Jones, master of pompous illogic, plays a fine bit as Inspector LeStrade. As Caine commented, they would love to do sequels, especially if they were paid well. Fortunately, there were no sequals, but Clue does make for a light diversion with two gifted actors enjoying themselves and not insulting their audience. Also, the director insured that neither of the pair came off badly, which could have otherwise ruined the light tone. (5-15-95) Beginning

Witness (1985) (****, drama) (D.-Peter Weir, Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Josef Sommer, Lukas Haas, Jan Rubes, Alexander Godunov) A young Amish boy's witness of a brutal hit by a corrupt cop initiates a clash of cultures. Ford, a homicide detective, sets out to protect the young widow (McGillis) and her son (Haas), but the depth of the corruption ends up making the three of them flee for their lives. The cinematography and suspense are superb. The plot development is deliberate and perfectly ochestrated, which leaves adequate time for reflection and enjoyment of the getting there, a shortcoming of many modern slam bang movies. However, the truly believable chemistry between Ford and McGillis juxtaposed with the irreconcilable differences between the two cultures make the moral and emotional center of this superb film. The outstanding supporting cast only accentuates the effortless performances by Ford and McGillis. Haas is exceptionally believable. Godunov plays the good natured, self assured Amish suitor of McGillis; he has an unfailing sense of culture, human nature, and how to get things done. Contrast this with his lethally explosive terrorist role in Die Hard. The film was nominated for Cinematography among others things, and received Academy Awards for Film Editing and for Best Screenplay Written Directly for Screen. A must see. Incidently, Ford is an excellent carpenter (watch the barn raising). He now does it as a hobby, but before sucess, it was his livelihood in Hollywood. Reviewed 1993. (7-7-94) Beginning

Wizard of Oz, The (1939) (****, fantasy, musical, classic) (4-5-99) (D.-Victor Fleming; Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Clara Blandick, The Singer Midgets) Based on L. Frank Baum's story of a Kansas girl who, with her little dog, goes "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to a world of witches, fairies, a wizard, a cowardly lion, a talking scarecrow, a tin man, and flying monkeys. "This isn't Kansas Toto!" After its stunning release in 1939, MGM released it again in 1949 with a nearly equal success. It was rereleased in 1955. In 1956 it first aired on TV and has become a yearly event since 1959. This past year the badly battered film was completely restored and the sound was completely remastered. Since the original black and white print portion of the film had been destroyed, they had to start with a reasonable theatrical copy, which was digitized and completely revamped frame by frame before being put on film again. Magnificent. On a big screen, this is Oz as it was meant to be! No more tiny TV and crummy sound system.

I am a curmudgeon when it comes to musicals. But Oz is just magical. The visuals, the music, the characters, the story. It all works for me. I know the story sounds hokey, but this is fantasy. Just accept the premise and you are gone over that rainbow.

Even now many of the effects and sets are awesome. In 1939, it must have blown them away.

My recommendation: watch for it to show again in a theater. In the absence of that, rent the DVD and drop in on your friend with the biggest screen TV. You'll all have a great evening.

Review based on The Dark Side of the Rainbow viewing at The Jefferson and innumerable viewings when I was younger. The print was beautiful and, while I frequently couldn't hear the original sound track clearly, it came through often enough to remind me of how great it was. Beginning

Wizards (1977) (bomb, sci fi, fantasy, animation) (7-20-04) (DW.-Ralph Bakshi; Jim Connell, Steve Gravers, Angelo Grisanti, Mark Hamill, Peter Hobbs, David Proval, Richard Romanus) I didn’t think much of this when I saw it when it came out. The one thing that really impressed me at the time, was the poster, which was of a futuristic bounty hunter on a weird looking two-legged steed. However, I thought I’d give it another look since it was Bakshi’s prelude to his Lord of the Rings.

I still like the dust cover. The movie itself was so bad that I couldn’t watch more than half an hour. I had better things to do with my time, like trim my toe nails or pick lint out of my navel. Bad beyond belief. In a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and the fairy folk fight his evil twin wizard who's using technology and his demons rather than magic. The plot makes Heavy Metal look like War and Peace, the animation is chintzy, the rotoscoping in of Nazi war images and the Hitler footage is distracting, and the characters are irritating to the limit. Some people really liked it and considered it the best piece of animation from the 70s. It’s a message film. I don’t recall much from the 70’s animation for comparison, but the Saturday morning cartoons were better animation and had more mature story lines. Review based on the recently released DVD. The DVD has a voice over commentary by the director; I didn’t listen to it. Beginning

Wolf (1994) (**, horror, drama) (D.-Mike Nichols; Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, James Spader) Nice camera work, a lot of talent and money. Ultimately, a story that doesn't work and you could care less about the characters. What a waste. Wolf has more in common with Jekyll and Hyde than the werewolf genre, but doesn't pull off either well. Literate, easy going editor (Nicholson) is bitten by wolf in New England. Everyone including his wife is running over him. A little infusion of werewolf genes are just what one needs to get out of a rut. He suddenly begins to be top dog and those who did him dirt (especially his back stabbing assistant Spader) are in for a rough time. Nicely handled pyschological transformation by Nicholson with excellent wolf-like mannerisms. Pfeiffer is nicely restrained, but Spader's fawning performance is just over the top. Pretty, but handled better in many other places. (10-10-94) Beginning

Wolfen (1981) (**1/2, horror) (D.-Michael Wadleigh, Albert Finney, Diane Venora, Gregory Hines, Edward James Olmos, Tommy Noonan, Dick O'Neill) As in many horror movies, it isn't what is said (most topics have been beaten to death already), but how it is said that makes for a good thriller. For about the first two-thirds Wolfen is a superb atmospheric horror movie. A powerful business tycoon is planning the massive redevelopment of a delapidated section of New York City. He and his wife are brutally and bizarrely murdered at The Battery by an unseen creature; the tycoon's brains are eaten. The plot unfolds as a police detective (Finney) searches for the killer and the killers monitor his activities. A delightfully unsettling component is the surrealistic element where we see and hear the world from the Wolfen's viewpoint. In particular, false color infrared film or some solarized process is used to give the Wolfen's view. The entire movie is filled with disturbing sounds and visual images that make it extremely effective. Ultimately it fails when they try to give a message about man's role in the world. Further, the end is neither believable nor effectively handled. Given the superb set up, it would be difficult to live up to the early portion. Note Tom Noonan (the tall killer from F/X and Manhunter) as a biologist. Edward James Olmos (chief from Miami Vice and detective in Blade Runner) is almost unrecognizable as an Indian activist. Lean back and be disturbed. Don't get too excited about the prowess of wolves, however, as the movie takes considerable poetic license on a number of claims about their capabilities; some are just plain wrong. Wolves do not see in the infrared or by heat. Indeed, they are color blind. However, a wolf does have about 5 times the crushing power in its jaws as a German Shepherd. A disturbingly effective sci-fi with a weak ending. (8-9-93) Beginning

Woman, A (1915) The Great Dictator was preceded by one of Chaplin’s one reel silent comedies from 1915. While Chaplin uses his tramp persona in this film, he has none of the pathos of his later tramp. This man has an attitude and you cross him at your own risk as several not so nice people learn the hard way. Marvelous stapstick and sight gags. This is one of the few times that Chaplin appears dressed as a woman, but the logic behind it is perfect. Most of Chaplin’s earlier comedies are available on tape, and I highly recommend them. Beginning

Woman in Green (1945) (***, crime, drama) (3-25-02) (D.-Roy William Neill; Basil Rathbone, Nigel Bruce, Hillary Brooke, Henry Daniell, Matthew Boulton, Sally Shepherd) A Jack-the-Ripper like murder is cutting a swath through London’s young ladies with surgical precision. Only it is much more complex than a simple psycho killer as Sherlock Holmes and Watson are about to find out. Again the best part of this is the interactions between the polished team of Rathbone and Watson. Daniell does a nice chilling role as Moriarity. The interplay between Holmes and Moriarity in Holmes’ house is a gem of cold logic as the two masters play off each other. Beginning

Woman in the Dunes (1964) (***1/2, drama) (3-4-02) (D.-Hiroshi Teshigahara; Eiji Okada, Kyoko Kishida, Koji Mitsui, Hiroko Ito, Sen Yano) A fascinating film that clearly falls into the art house category. Dissatisfied entomologist Okada is clearly searching for something in his life. A fateful twist in his trip to the beach ends with him trapped in a sand pit with woman, Kishida, and having an opportunity to assess what is truly important in life. That is all I’ll give away on plot. Intriguing storytelling, good acting, deep philosophical content, and stunning black and white cinematography by Hiroshi Segawa make for a fascinating evening with ample opportunity for long discussions afterwards on what you saw and what it means. I left one character off the credits, the sand. The relentless, moving sand has a life of its own. It is the living, breathing entity on which the film is built. The film is deeply disturbing and the mood is enhanced by the high contrast black and white, the naturalistic sounds, the disturbing limited use of music, and the dominant limited set. I won’t try to tell you what it means since my wife and I have come up with different interpretations and can see how others would read something different into the film. Review based on the superb DVD at Sneak Reviews with no supplementary material. The film is in Japanese with good subtitles. Beginning

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988) (***, comedy) (D.-Pedro Almodóvar; Carmen Maura, Antonio Banderas, Julieta Serrano, Maria Barranco, Rossy De Palma) Now for something completely different. Totally offbeat and outrageous farce with occasional slapstick. In Spanish with subtitles (good ones for a change). A little slow to get moving; I thought for a while that it was going to be a visually indulgent European art film. However, once it gets rolling it is nastily funny. Pepa (Maura) is a soap actress (you'll long remember her part) who is jilted by lover Ivan (Guillen). The simple act of her trying to get in touch with him leads to an avalanche of coincidences and discoveries that involve terrorists, a homicidal ex-lover (Serrano), Ivan's previously unknown adult son (Banderas), two leggy, flaky young women (Barranco and De Palma), enough broken telephone equipment to prevent AT&T from downsizing, and a near lethally sleeping-pill ladened pitcher of gazpacho that keeps popping up at the most inopportune times. Trust me. It all actually does fit together like a fine watch--no matter how disjointed it seems at the time. Almodóvar has a grand time skewering human nature without denigrating his characters' basic humanity--not that I would want my son or daughter to come home with any of these people. If you enjoy Women, let me suggest the original The Inlaws, which has the same sort of off-the-wall droll humour but with more slapstick and less sophistication. (1-2-96) Beginning

Wonder Boys (2000) (***1/2, drama, comedy) (D.-Curtis Hanson; W.- Steve Kloves; Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Frances McDormand, Robert Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, Richard Thomas) A very fractured weekend in the life of a 50ish English professor Grady Tripp (Douglas). He had a novel that was a hit and has been working on his next for 7 years with no end in sight. Writer’s block is definitely not his problem. “I don’t believe in writer’s block.” His editor Terry Crabtree (Downey), who desperately needs a new hit himself, will be there for the weekend to review the progress. Grady’s top student, the bleakly pessimistic James Leer (Maguire), is a pathological liar and, for reasons involving a “fake” gun and a dog, will play a pivotal role in the weekend debacle. Adding further to Tripp’s problem is a complication in his affair with Sara (McDormand), the wife of his Department Chair. Then throw in Marilyn Monroe memorabilia. Trust me, this and much more does actually fit together in a logically consistent manner.

Douglas gives a beautiful performance. Understated. Floating through one crisis after another, trying to do the right thing, and galvanized by the weekend to attempt to reorder the shambles that has become his life. The supporting actors are all good. Maguire is bizarrely quirky. McDormand is completely believable. Downey, in his own way, is as confused as Tripp.

The humor in Wonder Boys ranges from droll to almost slapstick. The characters and situations are almost believable, although I suspect that familiarity with a college environment will make the film more enjoyable. The film’s primary weakness is that it loses focus and rambles in the middle, although the beginning and end work. Given Tripp’s continual marijuana buzz, this may be deliberate, but for me it degrades parts of the film. Nevertheless, an enjoyable evening. But do remember “I have tenure.” Beginning

World Is Not Enough, The (1999) (***, Bond) (D.-Michael Apted; Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese) I've created a new subject topic "Bond". Bond films are an institution. Bond is a comic action thriller with gadgets, over the top villains, and beautiful women galore. Bond is suave, sophisticated, sexy and drops double entendres like a dog sheds fleas. When you go into a Bond film, you don't check your credibility at the door, you put it in a safety deposit box--at least if you plan to enjoy the film. The opening credits and the opening action sequence along with a great piece of music are another trademark of Bond. World, the 19th Bond film, delivers on all counts. Next to Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan is the best Bond (even his costar Denise Richards, agrees with this). World does a good job of upholding the tradition. As required, the chase sequences are spectacular and imaginative--the sight of a police car chasing a speeding "boat" through an alley is a hoot.

But ultimately it is the villains who make these films. World delivers world class villains. Renard (Carlyle) is a dying nihilist who grows more deadly with every millimeter the bullet lodged in his brain migrates toward his vital center. There are other villains who shall remain nameless, but who will deliver the goods.

There are two primary beautiful women. Elektra (Marceau) was kidnapped and escaped from Renard's men, her father was killed, and she is trying to run a major oil line. She exudes both pain and sultry passion. Christmas Jones (Richards) is a bouncy, athletic atomic scientist.

Q (Llewelyn) and his gadgets are back along with his resigned air of desperate hope that perhaps his latest gadget will survive Bond. Llewelyn has played the venerable Q in all but one Bond film since From Russia with Love in 1963. He is getting up there and this may be his last. Clearly John Cleese, as R, is being groomed as his replacement. I think it would work admirably. [Note: Llewelny was killed shortly after the opening of the film in a car accident while driving back from a signing with fans. He will be missed.]

Judi Dench as M is back. She plays the role with proper decorum and condescending exasperation for Bond's ways. As with her Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love, she is not a woman to be trifled with.

The primary weakness in my opinion was the casting of Richards. They wanted a young attractive woman, and she was these things plus spirited and eager. However, lines such as those about a submarine reactor going critical coming out in the voice of a teenager lacks substance. There are other attractive actresses who could have sounded convincing.

The visuals on the opening credits are stunning, digitally edited live action sequences. Bond is clearly going into the 21st century in style. The jazz piece with it is solid, but for me not up to the best. Both are topical for the film.

So if you are a Bond fan, can stand the double entrendres, can live with a more sexist Bond than in the past couple of films, and want over two hours of mindless high energy entertainment on the BIG screen, then do check out World while it is still in the theaters. Beginning

Wrong Man, The (1956) (**1/2, suspense, docudrama) (D.- Alfred Hitchcock, Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone, Nehemiah Persoff) Strange Hitchcock film as it is a docudrama based on the trial and conviction of the wrong man (Fonda) and the destruction of his family and life. As it happens to the hapless victim, it has Kafkaesque nightmarish quality. I didn't find that the film worked particularly well, but when following facts closely, one doesn't always get the best dramatic impact. Fonda is, however, excellent as the poor schmuck who is at the wrong place and the wrong time and gets fingered by an eyewitness. One of my great dreads is the eyewitness. It has been shown repeatedly that the eyewitness is one of the most unreliable pieces of evidence, yet people are regularly convicted solely on the basis of an eyewitness. (10-25-93) (revised 5-5-97) Beginning

WWII Films: (3-15-99) This past year brought us two films from WWII, Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line. Perhaps that is because WWII is the last great war where we can feel genuinely good about the outcome and because we are nearing the end of the life expectancies of the participants, many of whom remained silent to their children and grandchildren about their experiences. Both films are the things that nightmares are made of. Both films are horrifically uncompromising in their view of battle, and viewers will come away understanding to some small degree the reluctance of those who have fought in any war to relive the horror. For a generation used to the antiseptic computer game images of warfare, these films should be an epiphany. Even with smart weapons, the recipients of these technological marvels see war very differently. Both films have been nominated for Academy Awards, but take very different approaches. I think that Ryan is the better of the two, but, at least for me, both are profoundly moving. Beginning