|
|
|
|
|
|
|
With the arrival of the much awaited new James Bond movie this week, I thought
that I would go back and fill in some of the holes in my reviews and bring a
little historical perspective to the Bond phenomena.
Dr. No (1962) (***, action,
Bond) (11-12-08)
Dr. No (1962) (***, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.-Terence Young; W.-Ian Fleming (novel), Richard Maibaum (screenplay); Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson) The roots of one of the biggest film franchise series of all time. Dr. No is dated and suffers from a less than optimum budget. However, it sets the stage and introduces one of the two best Bonds, Sean Connery. The plot is convoluted, the woman beautiful, the villains delightfully evil, the action sequences respectable, and there are even a few gadgets. This is the only Bond without an action sequence at the beginning, but it introduces many of the icons of the series. The gun barrel view of Bond, the theme music, the beautiful world locations, the repartee, the one liners, and the timeless “Bond. ….James Bond”, which incidentally was the American Film Institute’s number 22 movie quote.
The plot is almost secondary other than that it puts Bond in a series of increasingly dangerous and helpless situations. MI6 loses contact with their operatives in Jamaica and Bond goes out to see what happened. It involves the loss of US space launches, the CIA, a megalomaniac genius selling his skills to the highest bidder. But enough of plot.
A few interesting tidbits. Connery is terrified of spiders and InterNet Movie Database (IMDB) claims they used a stunt double in the bedroom scene. Amazingly well done if correct. Regardless, the absolute vehemence with which the arachnid is dispatched suggests that could well have been done by Connery. My friends who raced sports cars at the time this came out were amused at the spectacle of a pre-war LaSalle hearse keeping up with a Sunbeam Alpine sports car on a curvy mountain road. No way! But it does make a good chase sequence. The underwater viewing port was an error. They used stock footage for the fish, but only realized too late that their size was all wrong. Thus, the line from Dr. No about the magnifying ability of the window. Finally the iconic picture of James Bond standing with the long barreled automatic across his chest was a fluke. The photo had to be redone at the last minute, and his Walther PPK was still at the studio. The photographer had an air pistol in his car, and this is what you see. I think it improves on reality. Connery was about the third choice for the partdepending on which of the various versions you believe. Fortunately, the others had conflicts or weren’t willing to commit to the required 3 film contract. (IMDB).
Ursula Andress as Honey Rider is a major weakness of the film. Her acting is so wooden as to verge on petrified. However, she didn’t really want the role and was talked into it by her husband. Plus, her voice is dubbed by another actress. She does, though, make a spectacular Botticelli entry from the sea.
Connery is perfect as Bond. Cool, composed and with an undercurrent of danger. They did tone down his ruthlessness in the killing of Dent. In the original take Bond emptied his automatic into Dent’s back; it was reduced to a coup de grace.
Jack Wiseman as Dr. No is satisfying. Cold, intelligent, ruthless. We are developing our regulars (M, Felix Leiter, Moneypenny), but the venerable role of Q has not yet been fleshed out.
Not great, but satisfying and a good place to beginning watching Bond films
and see how the series evolved.
From Russia with Love
(1964) (***1/2, action, Bond)
From Russia with Love (1964) (***1/2, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.-Terence Young; W.-Johanna Harwood (adaptation); Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Eunice Gayson, Lois Maxwell) The second Bond film and SPECTRE is out for revenge on Bond for killing their agent Dr. No and costing them a bundle in blackmail. They use every trick including poisoned shoes in the hands of over the top wicked Rosa Klebb (Lenya). The bait is a decoding machine Lektor the British wish to recover and a beautiful Russian spy Tatiana Romanova (Bianchi). However, the real villain is master assassin Red Grant (Shaw) in a role to die for. He is so suave, so genteel, and so persuasive, but a truly frightening force to reckon with when unleashed. In short a perfect villain and counterpoint worthy of Bond. If you like Shaw here, check out The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and Jaws.
In keeping with the growing philosophy of the Bond movies, we are treated to spectacular locations (Turkey), the Orient Express, beautiful women, great action pieces, a growing number of gadgets, one liners, and a delightfully entertaining plot. What makes this one of the top Bond’s in my opinion is the characterization of Bond. This Bond probably comes as close to capturing the Ian Fleming Bond of any of the movies up to the latest one. Bond’s intelligent, captivating, suave veneer covers a man of few morals, ruthlessness, and determination. In short a controlled psychopath who you are glad is on our side. Connery does it perfectly.
We introduced to the venerable and much loved Q (as in quartermaster) Desmond
Llewelyn. While this part of Major Boothroyd was used in the first film, Llewelyn
raises it to an art form and assumes the name Q. He is like a fussy old woman
worrying about a speck of lint on her drapes, only his drapes include some of
the most lethal and imaginative weapons known to man. He is hard suffering and
resigned from long experience that whatever he gives Bond, he will be lucky
if he gets the ashes or fragments back in a brown paper bag at the end. Llewelyn
died in a car accident in 1999 while driving home from a book signing to promote
his autobiography. In reality he hated machines.
This is the first Bond film with the introductory action sequence. It is a gem
and a complete shock. The rock theme as always is great.
Goldfinger (1965)
(****, action, Bond) (11-12-08)
Goldfinger (1965) (****, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.-Guy Hamilton; W.- Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn (screenplay); Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee, Cec Linder, Lois Maxwell, Desmond Llewelyn) In the third Bond, Goldfinger , it all comes together. The perfect combination that would serve the franchise and make it one of the longest running and incredibly successful film series on record. The music, the opening, the sets, the women, the locations, the gadgets, the cars, the wit, the one-liners, the action. It is all here and more.
Of course a gem requires a great villain. Auric Goldfinger as the man who loves gold more than Midas, but without any redeeming humanity fills the bill admirably. Aided by his taciturn but very able henchman, Odd Jobs, Goldfinger will give Bond one of his most dangerous body-strewn cases. Goldfinger has one of the great film lines as he responds to Bond’s question “Do you want me to talk?” as an industrial strength laser approaches Bond on a trajectory that will shortly bisect him – starting at one of his more delicate parts. In retrospect, it probably wasn’t such good idea to beat the hypercompetitive Goldfinger at golf.
The caper is nothing less than an audacious raid on Fort Knox. Incidentally, the interior was an artist’s creation. There is no public information, but it probably doesn’t look that cool.
Enormously entertaining. So if you haven’t seen Goldfinger or seen it
in recently, check it out.
Casino Royale (PG-13)
(****, action, Bond) (11-12-08)
Casino Royale(PG-13) (****, action, Bond) (11-12-08) (D.- Martin Campbell; W.-Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis; Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Mads Mikkelsen) A stellar reinvention of James Bond with much closer roots to Ian Fleming’s original. Indeed, this is the first Bond novel, so we get to see the roots of many of the Bond icons. Daniel Craig reinvents the role. In my opinion there are now two best Bonds. Sean Connery for the 20th century and Craig for the 21st. You know from the opening that this is not going to be the same old same old. The credits are different. Graphic art rather than dance. Grittier. Less polished. The opening action sequence is terse, brutal, realistic with no glossy special effects. Just two men in a give-no-quarter fight to the death. But not to fear, there is no shortage of rip the arms off the chair action sequences. Action junkies will get their rush; but Casino introduces characters that you can empathize with. Flawed, but believable, human beings.
Craig is the centerpiece. A deeply damaged man. Ruthless. An intelligent, articulate
thug. A near sociopath who owes his position and success to the government,
and he will do anything to repay thembut in his own way. His exchange with
Vesper Lynd (Green) on the train is incredibly revealing about his past and
personality. However, inside this armor, he can be and is reached in a very
believable fashion.
Green does an excellent job as a love interest. Initially she is totally turned
off by his sexist attitude, but develops a growing appreciation of his humanity.
Also, her response to the fight in the stairwell is completely believable. Judi
Dench as M is a powerhouse. Commanding, articulate and with fabulous repartee.
Her comments on the government and the lower quality of the current 00s are
gems. The villains are classic. Ruthless, intelligent, and very able at what
they do. Le Chiffre (Mikkelsen) as the primary opposition is a formidable opponent.
The one chase sequence that stands above all others is with Sabastian Foucan.
Foucan does free running (an Anglicized form of parkour). This is the art of
getting between two point as efficiently and with as much flair as possible.
It involves the ability to cross over or through just about anything in an athletic
way that defies gravity. These runners have to be seen to be believed. I just
watched Jackie Chan’s Mr. Nice Guy, and he used many of the same techniques.
As a technical aside the telemetry system used to save Bond is in fact existing
technology.
When they announced that Craig was going to be the next Bond, I couldn’t
believe it. I had seen him as the sniveling, weak willed gang lord son in Road
to Perdition. There was no way he could play Bond. The juxtaposition of these
two films shows what a superb actor Craig is.
In my opinion, this is the best Bond yet. The concluding line is delivered with
such cool ruthlessness that it chills one to the bone, and may be a lead in
to the new one. I can’t wait for the new one.
Chaos (2005) (***, action, crime) (9-8-08)
Chaos (2005) (***, action, crime) (9-8-08) (DW-Tony Giglio; Jason Statham, Ryan Phillippe, Wesley Snipes, Henry Czerny, Justine Waddell, Nicholas Lea, Jessica Steen) This didn't come to our local theaters and I hadn't heard anything on it, but the dust cover on the rental intrigued me. Then the previews on the DVD were all of mindless action films principally with Statham. This did not bode well. But happily, I was wrong. An entertaining little thriller with perhaps a few too many twists for its own good. The opening was an instant grabber. A fragmented, mesmerizing, almost dream like, police chase and standoff that end badly with disastrous consequences for the principals. We revisit this pivotal event as the film unfolds. Snap forward to the present with a bank heist that goes bad and ends with a hostage situation. Then begins a nasty cat and mouse game between negotiator Det. Connors (Statham) and gang leader Lorenz (Sipes). You think you have seen it all before (Dog Day's Afternoon), but you are wrong. The film plays with your expectation and repeatedly twists them on end. While the film does have some nice action sequences, this is more a police procedural and a drama than an action film. So if you are looking for a traditional Statham-Sipes action movie, rent one of their other films.
The action mainly revolves around the interactions of three principles, Connors,
Lorenz, and Det. Dekker (Phillippe), who was assigned to the talented, but unconventional
Statham to make sure he doesn't get too cowboyish. Connors looks down on this
baby-faced rookie, but Dekker turns out to be much more than a watchdog. He
is extremely bright and very clever, which is crucial to the plot. But enough
of the plot.
Sipes enjoyed the opportunity to be cast as a villain, and he clearly relishes
the role as the coolly malevolent manipulator. When asked over the phone during
the bank stand off about the hostages, he replies "And they are doing just
swell. Well all of them except one…. Theory put to practice isn't always
perfect. You cannot expect to keep the hostages in check if you let a bad deed
go unpunished. They might just randomly revolt. Chaos…" This is our
first introduction of the recurrent chaos theme.
The film gives you enough information to figure out what is going on. I think also on careful scrutiny, one has to accept certain plot elements on faith for it to work. We have argued over some of these elements. Regardless, it is clever, well written, well acted with crisp dialogue, intriguing characters, a few nice action sequences, and a quagmire of a plot that entertains to the end.
The DVD extras are worth watching and the director's voice over commentary provides much insight into film making. The film, set in Seattle, was not filmed there except for a few enabling shots, but in Vancouver. The fight scenes were largely done by the principals, and Phillippe came away nursing bruises. Sipes probably didn't. The director wanted a dark rainy setting consistent with the noirish elements, but of course the contrary Vancover weather chose to be bright and shiny throughout most of the filming. Most of the film was hand held. Also, he has an interesting technical point on the voice distortion, and nice in-joke on the making of the film. The director points out the numerous filming problems that, among other things, reduced the shooting schedule from the original 40 days to 26. As he said "Don't name your movie Chaos." The youthful looking Phillippe was delighted to play a character his actual age, 29.
Available at Beyond Video in Willoughby on 5th Street. You may want to watch it a second time to see how it holds together.
Cloverfield (2008) (2008) (*, sci fi, monster) (9-8-08)
Cloverfield (2008) (2008) (*, sci fi, monster) (9-8-08) (D.-Matt Reeves; W.-Lizzy Caplan; I'll spare the actors. This may not be something they want to remember except as a paycheck) First, let me say that I am a fan of grade Z sci fi and monster movies. Cloverfield manages a new low in a genre that frequently scrapes, nay drills, into the bottom of the barrel. Cloverfield is a masterpiece of marketing over substance. In this case not difficult since there is no substance. Hyped by an aggressive internet and theater buildup, I suspect the film probably did well enough in the theaters. If you look at the Internet Movie Data Base, the reviews fall into two classes, excellent or abysmal. I'm not sure what movie the "excellents" were watching, but it wasn' t the one that I saw. A variation on The Blair Witch Project mixed with some of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, we know from the beginning that it does not end well. Then we get to watch in mind numbing entirety the amateurish hand held camera work that led to the discovery of the camera. It begins with about a 20 minute party scene where we are supposed to be developing empathy with the characters. The party ends when a monster begins to rip up Manhattan, and we follow a steadily dwindling group of survivors through the rubble of the city.
The film lacked style, imagination, plot, coherence, logic, acting, justification for any part of what happened, and to add injury to insult made one of our group leave the room due to motion sickness. And that was on a TV. I can believe the claims that it actually made people sick in the big theaters. The reason we saw it was because Netflixs recommended it, but in the post mortem we couldn't imagine why. Then we realized that we had gotten The Host from them. The Host is a good monster movie. To lump Cloverfield in the same class is a disservice to monster films.
A few remaining points: One alleged military maneuver was particularly egregious. In the age of precision missiles that can put a 2000 pound bomb on a dime, they use a stealth bomber to carpet bomb the monster. Cloverfield was produced by J.J. Abrams. I trust this doesn't represent the direction Lost is going.
The only justification for a film like this would be if we still had drive-in theaters. You could take a date to it, snuggle up in the allegedly scary part, and then forget the movie.
The Dark Knight (2008) (***1/2, action, noir) (6-10-08)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) (***, action, 3D) (6-10-08)
Unknown World (1951) (*1/2, sci fi) ) (6-10-08)
Unknown World (1951) (*1/2, sci fi) ) (6-10-08) (D.-Terry O. Morse; W.-Millard Kaufman; Bruce Kellogg, Otto Waldis, Jim Bannon, Tom Handley, Dick Cogan, George Baxter, Marilyn Nash) A black and white version of Journey to the Center of the Earth. This is available on the 50 sci fi movies for $20 disk sets. It is a classic low budget sci fi. Or perhaps zero budget as shown by the special effects on the drilling craft. It has two interesting features. Much of the underground world is created thanks in part to Carlsbad Caverns, which made it a popular view in New Mexico. Second, it has an embedded political warning about the cold war and the risk of nuclear annihilation. This was a common theme in films from the 50s, and this one concludes with the warning that we had better fix the problem because there is no alternate world to run to.
Other than these two points there is little to recommend this movie. As I recall I enjoyed it as a child, but it has not aged well. Unfortunately on the print we watched the shots of the cavern do not do it justice, but it does look like you get into some parts that the public doesn't see such as the bottomless pit.
Photos from Carlsbad. Note the two people (very small) standing to the left of the spire.
First Snow (2006)
(***1/2, drama, psychological thriller, noir) (6-10-08)
ALL·E (2008) (**1/2 adults, **** children, animation) (7-25-08)
Get Smart (2008) (**1/2, comedy, action) (7-25-08)
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008) (***, action) (7-25-08)
28 Weeks Later (2007) (**, horror) (6-10-08)
I Am Legend (2007) (***, horror, sci fi) (6-10-08)
Iron Man (2008) (***1/2, comic book hero, action) (6-4-08)
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) (****, drama, crime) (6-4-08)
Charley Varrick (1973) (****, crime, drama) (6-4-08)
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) (****, crime, drama, noir) (6-2-08)
The Host aka Gwoemul (2006) (***, horror, comedy) (6-2-08)
Sunshine (2007) (**, sci fi, drama, horror) (6-2-08)
Michael Clayton (2007) (***1/2, drama) (2-25-08)
No Country for Old Men (2007) (****, crime, drama, noir) (2-25-08)
There Will Be Blood (2007) (***1/2, drama) (2-25-08)
Hannah
Enchanted (2007) (***1/2 adults, **** children, fantasy, comedy) (1-21-08)
National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007) (**1/2 adults, **** children, action) (1-21-08)
Blade Runner (Four-Disc Collector's Edition) (1982) (****+, sci fi, documentary, etc.) (1-16-08) Released in December 2007.
Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure (2007) (****, documentary, animation, science education) (1-16-08)
The good, the bad and the ugly (films). (8-13-07)
The good, the bad and the ugly. (8-13-07)
Some films you expect to be good and are bad. Some films you expect to be bad and are good. Some films don’t give you what you thought you were paying for at all. Some films are bad and give you exactly what you were after. I review several films that fall into these categories. See Black Dahlia, The, Black Dahlia, and Dementia 13
Black Dahlia, The (2006) (1 ½*, crime, drama) (8-13-07)
Black Dahlia (2006) (No rating, see review; crime) (8-13-07)
Dementia 13 (1963) (***, horror) (8-13-07)
Shockwave aka A.I. Assault (2006) (**, sci fi) (8-13-07)
The Void (2001) (**, sci fi) (8-13-07)
The Proposition (2005) (***1/2, western, drama) (2-20-07)
Snakes on a Plane (2006) (**, action) (2-20-07)
Serenity (2005) (***, space opera, sci fi) (6-12-06)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) (***1/2, crime) (6-12-06)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933) (***1/2, crime) (6-12-06) (D.-Michael Curtiz; W.-S.S. Van Dine (novel); William Powell, Mary Astor, , Eugene Pallette, Ralph Morgan, Robert McWade, Robert Barrat) First rate Philo Vance film based on the novel. Archer Coe (Barrat) is found dead in a locked room. Clearly suicide, but Vance (Powell) sets out to prove otherwise. There is certainly no shortage of people who wished Coe dead, but who and how are the questions. The plot is intriguing, the dialogue sharp and incisive, and the humor droll and frequently black. The chemistry between Vance and Hilda Lake (Astor) is fabulous. If you like the Thin Man series, you will equally like Kennel.
Casanova (2005) (***1/2, historical comedy) (6-12-06)
A Sound of Thunder (2005) (***, sci fi) (6-12-06)
Mission Impossible III (2006) (***, action) (6-12-06)
Mission Impossible III (2006) (***, action) (6-12-06) (D.- J.J. Abrams; W.-Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and J.J. Abrams; based on the TV series created by Bruce Geller; Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Keri Russell, Billy Crudup, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Michelle Monaghan) Mission Impossible is like the Bond series. You don't check your credibility at the door, you put in a box, place it in the closet, close the door, and don't unwrap it until you get back from the theater. MI III follows true to the original TV series pattern of setting up a McGuffin that the squad has to deal with. In this case it is the Rabbit's Foot being brokered by ruthless arms dealer Owen Davian (Hoffman). What we are treated to is increasingly outrageous and complex schemes to overcome the different obstacles that present themselves to the Impossible Mission team. Ethan Hunt (Cruise) has retired and is getting married to Julia (Monaghan). There comes one last little job that he cannot say no to, which initiates the fall from the precipice.
The film provides a series of beautifully orchestrated action sequences with mixtures of live and computer generated effects. For me they all looked good on the big screen. I particularly liked the bridge sequence, although the Vatican part was ridiculously and delightfully amusing.
Hoffman does a fine job as a heavy. Here is a psychotic who revels in the manipulation and destruction of others. While he has no intention of dying, he is more than willing to do so without a whimper and will happily spit in the face of his killer. The supporting cast is good.
We don't watch too many high energy action films, and we enjoyed this one. The only place that it fell down was in the human relations sections, which frequently went on too long, but were fortunately few in number. We kept thinking: "Cut out the kissing and the crying and get to the action!"
Mr. Murder (1998) (***, sci fi, thriller) (6-12-06)
Mr. Murder (1998) (***, sci fi, thriller) (6-12-06) (D.-Dick Lowry; W.-Dean R. Koontz (novel); Stephen Baldwin, Julie Warner, Bill Smitrovich) Koontz books frequently do not translate well to the screen. I felt that Mr. Murder works due largely to the casting of Baldwin as the two leads. Without giving too much away Marty Stillwater (Baldwin) finds himself being hunted by an exact replica Alfie( Baldwin) who believes that he is in fact Stillwater and has been deprived of his rightful heritage by Marty. Marty is mister nice guy. A good father, a good husband. The sort of person that you couldn't imagine hurting a fly. You might not even notice him. He is Mr. Zero. Alfie is brutal, ruthlessly efficient, lethal and enormously immature. He doesn't really understand the situation, but he is Darwinian enough to make the right moves to survive and to try to make the world a sane place for himself. In spite of his initially passive personality, Marty turns out to be equally Darwinian; he is going to protect his wife and daughters at all costs. Marty is played as a real person rather than as a super hero, and, given the 3 hours of the TV production, you get a chance to see him mature into the part. Alfie, in spite of leaving a trail of bodies, is a genuinely sympathetic character. He has to be destroyed, but you would feel badly about it. As far as the science is concerned, check your brain at the door, accept the premise, and enjoy a tour de force performance by Baldwin.
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005, ***1/2, documentary) (4-5-06)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the
Room (2005, ***1/2, documentary) (4-5-06)
(D-Alex Gibney. Based on the book, The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing
Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind;
narrated by Peter Coyote; as themselves: Kenneth Lay, Jeff Skilling, Lou Pai,
Mike Muckleroy, Sherron Watkins, Red. James Nuter, Bethany McLean and Peter
Elkind) As the Enron trials of Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling go into their death
throes what could be more timely than the DVD release of this documentary. With
the outcome, we can be suitably outraged or depressed. Enron gives us
the background to better judge what is happening. As I understand it, we are
lucky to get the DVD. The film was a hot potato, showed only limitedly, and
no one wanted to take responsibility for the DVD. The operating principle of
these guys seems to be the mantra of Gordon Gekko from the film Wall
Street “Greed is good.” The film explores the spectacular rise
and catastrophic fall of Enron. It is a scathing indictment of the corporate
culture and the individuals involved, and moral bankruptcy was the order of
the day. In the early stages, whether what they were doing was unethical or
illegal is not so obvious to an outsider, but with the setting up of the fictional
offshore companies to hide their losses and make the books look really good,
it clearly falls on the illegal side. Then came the
With modern audio recording of many conversations and email
as well as videos and hearings, we have an unprecedented look at the workings
of the company and the individuals. We get conversations of traders engineering
the next blackout in
What did Enron actually market? Other than themselves, I never really understood that. However, I do understand the enormous arrogance and chutzpah of the people involved, their total contempt for the victims of their excesses, and their complete unwillingness to accept any responsibility for the consequences of their actions. And it wasn’t just the Enron people who ate the losses. Employees of companies purchased by Enron found their retirements either gone or vastly diminished when Enron tanked. I was also impressed with one of the apparently legal tactics they used: “market to market." If Enron began a venture that could make $50 million 10 years from now, it could claim the $50 million as current income! What a nifty way to balance out a major loss, particularly when you are the ones predicting the future value. Skilling is even shown satirizing this in an in-house video.
My only negative point is that the director gets flashy and throws in superfluous asides. Not necessary and it detracts from the story, which is riveting and stands on its own.
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) (****, animation, humor) (1-30-06)
Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) (****, animation, humor) (1-30-06) (D.-Steve Box, Nick Park; W.- Nick Park; voices: Nick Park Sallis, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Peter Kay, Nicholas Smith) A great family movie, and adults won’t object either. For those of you who don’t know, Wallace is an inventor, and Gromit is his faithful dog. It isn’t always clear who is the brains of the outfit, but Gromit certainly has the most common sense. Oh, did I forget to mention that the animation is all claymation (stop motion animation with clay figures)? And what marvelous claymation. Nick Park, the animator, gets more expressiveness and subtle acting out of clay than many actors do in the flesh. Parks introduced this dynamic duo with three 30-40 minute shorts including A Close Shave and The Wrong Trousers. His first full-length film was Chicken Run, a story of caged chickens in a concentration camp-like setting. Were-Rabbit is his second full length film and what a gem. The animation is as good as it gets. The humor ranges from slapstick to the best droll British remarks. As with his other films, it draws shamelessly on the conventions of a genra style, in this case horror films. The lighting, the music, the action is right out of classic 40s-50s horror films.
The plot is that the town is about to have their giant vegetable festival (the vegetables are giant, not the festival), the bigger the better. This joyous event has been endangered by an infestation of cute, but hungry, bunny rabbits. Fortunately, Wallace (Sallis) and Gromit are keeping them at bay, and turning a profit at the same time. In the process of cleaning out her garden, Wallace has become smitten with the “beautiful” Lady Campanula Tottington (Carter), and the feelings are mutual. Unfortunately, there is an unscrupulous, and insufferable suitor, Victor Quartermaine (Fiennes), who would like to eliminate Wallace. However, this is only the substructure for the plot. What is the worst thing that could happen to a giant vegetable festival? A were-rabbit, of course. Ravenous at night. Hidden by day. And thus riotous insanity ensues with Wallace and Gromit trying to catch the rabbit, the suitor trying to discredit Wallace and capture Lady Tottington, and Gromit trying to keep a lid on things. And the villagers? Think back to the old horror films.
My one complaint with the earlier Chicken Run was that it was too long. I thought the format worked better in shorter doses. I think Were-Rabbit overcomes this. It wasn’t too long for me. However, if you saw and didn’t like any of his earlier work, this film probably isn’t for you. The film plays at both adult and children’s levels, so I expect my granddaughters to love it. I saw it on a plane; I enjoy comedy and have a hearty laugh. I suspect the people sitting around me sort of pulled away as though to say “I have no idea who this guy is, and I don’t know him. So don’t blame me.”
If you liked any of the earlier Wallace and Gromit, get a copy as soon as it comes out, but don’t eat anything while you are watching. Like in Were-Rabbit, you never know where a belly laugh will spring out at you. Oh, do pay close attention to the names of the characters.
Note: It was enjoyed every bit as much by 5 and 8 year old granddaughters as I expected.
Syriana (2004) (***, action, drama) (1-30-06)
Syriana (2004) (***,
action, drama) (1-30-06) (DW- Stephen Gaghan; based on novel by Robert
Baer; George Clooney, Matt Damon, Amanda Peet, Chris Cooper, Christopher Plummer,
Max Minghella, Jeffrey Wright) A bleak, cynical view of world politics and business
as told through several interrelated or overlapping stories. Money and oil drive
our world, and those in control will not allow any disturbance of the status
quo. Those at the bottom have nothing to lose, and no real stake in the outcome,
so they are nihilists. Those in the middle trying to make a better world are
caught in the jaws of the above and below. My wife enjoyed this more than I
did. But she explained why afterwards, and I have to agree with her. This is
a film you have to immerse yourself in, let it flow over you, and accept where
it goes and what develops. I struggled through the film trying to fit all the
pieces together as if it were a complete jigsaw puzzle. It isn’t, and to
try, just leads to frustration and missing the flow of the film. Since
it was by the director of Traffic, which is similarly structured, I should
have expected it. The film takes place in the Middle East with input from
the
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) (****, fantasy, action) (1-23-06)
Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) (****, fantasy, action) (1-23-06) (D.-Andrew Adamson;. Screenplay: Ann Peacock, Adamson, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely; based on novel by C.S. Lewis; Tilda Swinton, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, : Anna Popplewell, James McAvoy; voices by Liam Neeson, Ray Winstone, Dawn French, Rupert Everett, Jim Broadbent) A rollicking children's adventure movie that doesn't insult adults. I had never read any of the Narnia series, so other than a brief description of the opening, I knew little about it. During the blitz, two brothers and two sisters from the Pevensie family are sent to the safety of the country. They are staying in the home of an idiosyncratic professor (Broadbent) and his tyrannical house keeper who wants to protect him from rabble such as these children at any cost. The children accidentally discover that a wardrobe leads to a magical kingdom of Narnia. Narnia is populated with a variety of mythological creatures and has been incased in ice for a century under the spell of the Ice Witch (Swinton). A prophecy predicts the spell will be broken by humans. Thus ensues an epic battle between good and evil. The witch is powerful, cunning, and ruthless; she is not about to release her grip to a few feeble humans. Aiding the children is a revolt organized and led by the lion Aslan (Neeson).
The land is populated with a variety of wondrous creatures and sights. These include a faun (half man, half goat), centaurs, a Father Christmas, talking creatures including beaver, a fox, and wolves. The youngest girl, Lucy (Henley), is absolutely stunning. In her first unexpected entry into Narnia, her face absolutely glows in wonder. I don't know what they did to help this, but it works. I personally found it one of the high points of an otherwise excellent film, and her behavior and reactions throughout the rest of the film are almost as good. The other children do a fine job of carrying their parts. Their sibling interactions are believable as is their ultimate family loyalty. Swinton does a stellar job as the witch. Her role is pivotal, and she had to be evil, but believable. Too little and the threat disappeared. Too much and it would be too campy, at least for adults. She plays it just right, with the surface veneer of respectability and compassion when it meets her needs, but with an explosive edge when she is tried.
The film does have a major battle scene that is like a child-acceptable version of the battles in the Lord of the Rings. I gather it has been magnified for the film to help give it punch for the video game generation. Some of the images and the developing plot may be a bit strong for younger children, but those who have read or had the story read to them should have no problems.
As with the Lord of the Rings, Narnia could not have been made 10-15 years ago. The special effects were just not up to it. Now, if you can imagine it and have enough money, you can put an absolutely convincing image on the screen. Our first introduction to Narnia includes the faun Mr. Tumnus (McAvoy). The upper body is man with some make up, but the bottom is a perfectly articulated pair of goat legs. Like the other images, it is so real that you promptly forget it is effects and just accept it. Aslan is just a little off, but his articulation is almost perfect. Apparently, they originally tried to use a real lion, but when they looked at the takes, it looked less real than the cgi.
I think it entertaining that the right and the left have made such a fuss over the film. The right is delighted to find an excellent film that espouses Christian values. The left find the film subversive in that it couches religion in a children's adventure movie. Lewis was deeply religious and the movie certainly has strong Christian elements. However, they are within a strongly pagan environment with deep non-Christian roots. The basic plot is traditional with an epic battle between good and evil with heroes (in this case children) saving the day, which transcends all cultures. Lighten up - on both sides. It is a charming, well done, children's adventure. It is as moral as many films that have no explicit Christian component. Enjoy it, and take away what you want.
Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) (****, docudrama) (11-28-05)
Point of Order (1964) (documentary, ****) (11-28-05)
Citizen Cohn (1992) (***1/2, docudrama)
Front, The (1976) (****, drama)
Batman Begins (2005) (***1/2, action, fantasy) (10-18-05)
Pacifier (2005) (*** for adults, **** for children) (10-18-05)
Lord of War (2005) (****, action, crime, war, drama) (10-10-05)
The Constant Gardener (2005) (**1/2, drama) (10-10-05)
Flightplan (2005) (***, suspense, thriller) (9-28-05)
Sahara (2005) (**, action) (9-28-05)
National Treasure (2005) (9-28-05)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) (**1/2, action, romance) (7-19-05)
War of the Worlds (2005) (****, sci fi) (7-19-05)
Cellular (2004) (***, thriller) (6-22-05)
House of the Flying Daggers (2004) (***, historical drama, martial arts, romance) (6-22-05)
War of the Worlds -an overview: (6-22-05) The good, the bad (actually the awful), and the yet to be released. The good is the classic 50’s thriller. The bad is the 2005 remake which follows reasonably closely the original Wells’ book, and was clearly released now to beat and capitalize on the soon-to-be released Spielberg film, which I am eagerly anticipating. I include below my old review of the original plus a review of the new release.
War of the Worlds (1953) (****, 50's Science Fiction) (1974). (1-17-95) (7-8-96) (6-22-05)
The War of the Worlds (2005) (1/2* for using most of Wells’ dialogue, sci fi) (6-22-05)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005) (**, sci fi, humor) (6-01-05)
The Interpreter (2005) (***1/2, suspense) (5-31-05)
The In-Laws (2003) (**, comedy) (5-31-05)
Assault on Precinct 13 (2005) (***1/2, crime, action)
Lost in Translation (2003) (**1/2, romance, comedy)
City of Ghosts (2002) (*1/2, action, noir, crime) (4-19-05)
The Triplets of Bellville aka Triplettes de Belleville, Les (2003) (***, animation) (3-28-05)
Abandon (2002) (*1/2, suspense) (3-28-05)
In Enemy Hands (2004) (***, action, war) (3-28-05)
Time for a few grade Z sci fi. (2-23-05)
The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) (**, sci fi) (2-23-05)
10.5 (2004) (*, sci fi, action, horror) (2-23-05)
10.5 (2004) (*, sci fi, action,
horror) (2-23-05) (DW.- John Lafia, W.-Christopher Canaan;
Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988) (**1/2, sci fi, horror, comedy) (2-23-05)
Infernal Affairs aka Wu jian dao (2002) (****, crime, suspense) (2-7-05)
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) (****, sci fi, horror, spoof, comedy) (2-7-05)
Kinsey (2004) (***1/2, docudrama) (1-24-05)
Alien Hunter (2003) (***, sci fi) (1-24-05)
Stepford Wives (2004) (bomb, comedy, satire) (12-31-04)
Real Life (1979) (***, satire, comedy) (12-31-04)
Langoliers, The (1995) (**, horror, sci fi) (12-31-04)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) (**, adults; **** children) (12-7-04)
No Man’s Land (2001) (***1/2, drama, war) (12-7-04)
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) (***1/2, sci fi, action) (10-22-04)
Forgotten, The (2004) (**, suspense) (10-22-04)
Secret Window (2004) (**1/2, suspense, mystery) (10-22-04)
Others, The (2001) (***, horror, suspense) (10-22-04)
Love of Grade Z. (10-22-04) My love of grade Z shows in the following reviews. I cannot bring myself to rate many of these very highly, but I did watch them all from first to last frame. Epoch, Day of the Triffids, Megalodon, Timebomb.
Megalodon (2004) (**, horror) (10-22-04)
Epoch
(2000) (**, sci fi) (10-22-04)
Hero (2004) (****, war, drama, romance, historical) (10-12-04)
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004) (***1/2, fantasy) (10-12-04)
Hell's Angels (1930) (***, war, drama) (10-11-04)
The Princess Diaries (2001) (** adult, **** child, comedy) (10-11-04)
Road to Eldorado, The (2000) (***, animation, comedy) (10-11-04)
The Train (1964) (****, war, docudrama) (9-9-04)
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) (***, suspense) (9-9-04)
Collateral (2004) (***, action, thriller) (9-9-04)
Spartan (2004) (****, action, drama) (8-24-04)
Bourne Supremacy, The (2004) (***1/2, Action) (8-24-04)
Bourne Identity (1988) (***, action) (8-24-04)
Shrek 2 (2004) (***1/2, animation, comedy) (7-23-04)
Running Man, The (1987) (**1/2, sci fi, action) (7-23-04)
Ringu (1998) (***1/2, horror) (7-21-04)
Ring, The (2002) (***1/2, horror) (7-21-04)
Short Fuse (2001) (***1/2, drama, crime) (7-20-04)
Welcome to Mooseport (2003) (**, comedy) (7-20-04)
Wizards (1977) (bomb, sci fi, fantasy, animation)
Arachnid (2001) (**, horror) (7-20-04)
Girl With A Pearl Earring (drama, romance, ****) (6-29-04)
Day After Tomorrow, The (2004) (**1/2, Sci Fi) (6-29-04)
Matchstick Men (2003) (***1/2, comedy, crime, drama) (6-8-04)
Jackie Brown (1997) (***1/2, crime, drama) (6-8-04)
Kill Bill, Vol. 1. (2003) (***, martial arts, drama) (6-7-04)
Kill Bill, Vol. 2 (2004) (****, action) (6-7-04)
Van Helsing (2004) (**1/2, horror, action) (6-7-04)
Mystic River (2003) (****, drama) (5-17-04)
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004) (***, drama) (5-17-04)
Impostor (2002) (***1/2, sci fi, thriller) (5-4-04)
And now for something completely different. Two black and white post-apocalypse French films. One is done entirely with still photographs, while the other is done without a single spoken word. (02-09-03)
Jetée, La aka The Pier (1962) (****, sci fi)
Dernier Combat, Le aka The Final Combat, The Last Battle, The Last Combat (1983) (***, sci fi)
Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003) (****, action, historical) (02-06-04)
I Married a Witch (1942) (***1/2, comedy, fantasy) (02-06-04)
Mr. & Mrs. Smith(1941) (**, comedy) (02-06-04)
The Killer is Loose (1956) (**1/2, noir) (02-06-04)
Support Your Local Sheriff(1969) (****, comedy, western) (12-22-03)
Storm of the Century (1999) (***, horror) (12-22-03)
Johnny English (2002) (**1/2, comedy) (12-22-03)
Versus (2001) (*1/2 for film, *** for dust cover, action, supernatural, comedy) (12-22-03)
The Maltese Falcon aka Dangerous Female (1931) (***1/2, drama, crime) (12-26-03)
Captain Blood (1935) (***1/2, action) (12-26-03)
Heavy Metal (1981) (12-26-03) (***, animation, sci fi, fantasy)
Paycheck (2003) (***, sci fi, action) (12-30-03)
Libeled Lady (1936) (***1/2, comedy) (12-30-03)
Armored Car Robbery (1950) (***, crime, noir) (12-30-03)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) (**, sci fi) (12-31-03)
Dreamcatcher (2003) (** for those who have not read the book, *** for those who have, sci fi, horror) (12-31-03)
Kansas City Confidential (1952) (***, crime, noir) (12-31-03)
Reptile, The (1966) (**1/2, horror) (12-31-03)
Scotland, Pa (2002) (**, black humor) (12-31-03)
Gate of Hell (1953) (***1/2, historical drama) (12-31-03)
Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) (***, horror) (12-31-03)
Kill Baby Kill (1966) (**1/2, classic horror) (12-31-03)
Bunker, The (2001) (**, horror) (12-31-03)
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl (2003) (****, action, pirate, supernatural) (8-19-03)
Suddenly(1954) (***1/2, action, suspense, noir) (8-19-03)
28 Days Later(2003) (***, horror) (7-14-03)
Nashville (1975) (***1/2, drama) (7-14-03)
Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas (2003) (***1/2, animation, fantasy) (7-7-03)
Salton Sea, The (2002) (***, crime, noir, drama) (7-7-03)
Cube (1997) (***, psychological thriller, horror) (6-30-03)
Baby Face (1933 (**1/2, drama) (6-9-03)
Italian Job, The (2003) (***, crime, action) (6-9-03)
Chicago (2002) (****, musical, crime, satire, comedy) (3-10-03)
Art of Illusion, The (1990) (***1/2, documentary) (3-10-03)
Humoresque (1946) (***, drama) (3-04-03)
Hollywood Dinosaurs (1991) (**1/2, documentary, sci fi, horror) (3-04-03)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) (****, comedy, romance) (2-17-03)
Rats, The (2002) (**, horror) (2-17-03)
Shanghai Knights(2003) (**1/2, comedy, martial arts) (2-24-03)
Femme Fatale (2002) (***1/2, noir, thriller) (2-24-03)
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)(****, action, fantasy) (1-13-03)
Zulu (1964) (****, docudrama, war) (1-6-03)
Catch Me If You Can (2003) (12-30-02) (***, docudrama)
Singin' In The Rain (1952) (***, musical) (12-30-02)
Lilo & Stitch (2002) (***1/2, animation, comedy) (12-23-02)
Tape (2001) (***, drama) (12-23-02)
Treasure Island (1950) (***1/2, action) (12-16-02)
White Zombie (1932) (***, horror) (12-16-02)
Signs (2002) (***, sci fi, suspense) (12-9-02)
Skinwalker (2002) (***, mystery) (12-9-02)
It’s What You Didn’t See aka Ojos que no Ven (***, suspense) (12-2-02)
XXX (2002) (***1/2, action, Bond) (12-2-02)
Eight Legged Freaks (2002) (**, horror, sci fi, comedy) (11-25-02)
Final (2001) (***, mystery, sci fi?) (11-25-02)
Army of Darkness (1993) (***, action, comedy, horror) (11-18-02)
Golem, Der aka Golem, wie er in die Welt kam, Der (1920) (11-18-02)
Lion in Winter, The (1968) (10-8-02) (****, drama, historical customer)
Training Day (2001) (***, crime, action) (9-9-02)
Lantana (2001) (****, drama, thriller) (9-16-02)
Sweet Home Alabama (2002) (**1/2, comedy) (9-16-02)
American Buffalo (1996) (***, drama) (9-23-02)
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) (**, comedy) (9-23-02)
To Be or Not to Be (1942) (***, comedy) (9-23-02)
Red Dragon (Prerelease comments) (9-30-02)
Manhunter (1986) (****, crime, psycho thriller) (reprinted 9-30-02)
Changing Lanes (2002) (***1/2, drama, suspense) (9-2-02)
Men in Black II (2002) (***, sci fi, humor) (9-2-02)
Road To Perdition (2002) (***1/2, crime, drama) (7-22-02)
Gangster Films (7-22-02) Watching Road to Perdition reminded me of another fine gangster flim, Once Upon a Time in America. It just so happened we then saw it on AMC (not letterboxed, with a few ads, and at least some of the sex and violence cut out), which reminded us of how much we like it. I enclose my original review below. It is coming out on DVD this year and is available on laser disk at Clemons Library; they have players.
Brotherhood of the Wolf, The aka Pacte des loups, Le (2001) (7-15-02) (****, fantasy, horror, drama, action)
Night of the Demon aka Curse of the Demon (1957) (***, horror, drama) (7-1-02)
Sum Of All Fears, The (2002) (***1/2, war, drama) (8-26-02)
Enigma (2002) (***, drama, war, romance ) (7-8-02)
Shock Corridor (1963) (**1/2, drama) (7-8-02)
Bourne Identity, The (***1/2, thriller) (6-24-02)
Guilty Hands (1931) (***, crime) (6-24-02)
Heist (2001) (***1/2, drama, crime) (6-24-02)
Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) (***, war, drama) (6-24-02)
Void, The (2001) (*1/2, sci fi) (6-17-02)
Vampire, The (1957) (*1/2, horror) (6-17-02)
Moulin Rouge! (2001) (6-17-02) (unrated, musical, fantasy, comedy, drama)
Last Castle, The (2001) (***, drama) (6-10-02)
True Romance (1993) (***, crime, drama) (6-10-02)
Insomnia (1997) (***1/2, thriller, film noir) (6-3-02)
Insomnia (2002) (***1/2 or ****, thriller, crime) (6-3-02)
Interview, The (1998) (****, suspense) (5-27-02)
State and Main (2000) (unrated, comedy) (5-27-02)
Safety Last (1923) (***, comedy) (5-20-02)
X-Men (2000) (**1/2, sci fi, fantasy, action) (5-20-02)
Rabid (1977) (**, sci fi, horror, vampire) (5-20-02)
Episode 2: Attack Of The Clones (2002, ***) (5-13-02)
Spider-Man (2002) (***, fantasy) (5-13-02)
Metropolis (2001) (***1/2, anime, sci fi) (5-6-02)
Sea Wolf, The (1941) (***1/2, drama) (4-30-02)
Ghosts of Mars, The (2001) (*1/2, Sci fi , horror) (4-30-02)
Monsoon Wedding (2002) (***1/2, comedy drama) (4-23-02)
Panic Room (2002) (***, thriller) (4-23-02)
Last Orders (2001) (***1/2, comedy, drama) (4-15-02)
Pink Panther, The (1964) (**, Comedy) (4-15-02)
Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The (1962) (**1/2, Western) (4-08-02)
Videodrome (1983) (**1/2, horror) (4-08-02)
Black Scorpion, The (1957) (**, Sci fi, horror) (4-08-02)
M*A*S*H (1970) (***1/2, black humor, drama, war) (4-01-02)
Virus (1999) (*1/2, sci fi, horror) (3-25-02)
Holmes Triple Feature. (3-25-02
Dressed to Kill (1946) (3-25-02) I have already reviewed the single film DVD of this movie. The problem with the film and sound on the earlier disk was not the state of the film, but the quality of the reproduction. The triple feature has a fine visual-audio reproduction of the film.
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) (***1/2, fantasy) (3-18-02)
Suspicion (1941) (***, suspense) (3-18-02)
Peter Pan (1953) (***1/2, adult, ****, child, animation, fantasy, musical) (3-11-02)
Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (3-11-02)
Woman in the Dunes (1964) (***1/2, drama) (3-4-02)
Count of Monte Cristo, The (2002) (***, action, drama) (3-4-02)
In The Bedroom (2001) (***, drama) (3-4-02)
Peter Pan (1953) (***1/2, adult, ****, child, animation, fantasy, musical) (3-11-02)
Curse of the Jade Scorpion, The (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (3-11-02)
Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone (2001) (***1/2, fantasy) (3-18-02)
Suspicion (1941) (***, suspense) (3-18-02)
Virus (1999) (*1/2, sci fi, horror) (3-25-02)
Holmes Triple Feature. (3-25-02) This DVD at Sneak Reviews has three classic Sherlock Holmes films with the dynamic duo of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce doing their stellar job of playing Holmes and Dr. Watson.
Dressed to Kill (1946) (3-25-02)
M*A*S*H (1970) (***1/2, black humor, drama, war) (4-01-02)
Mulholland Drive (2001) (****, ??) (2-25-02)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) (unrated, animation) (2-25-02)
Chuck Jones, Requiem. Dead at 89 on February 22, 2002. (2-25-02)
Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, The (1979) (****, comedy, animation) (2-25-02) (9-28-99)
Road Runner/Coyote celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 19. (2-25-02) (9-20-99)
Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens, a Life in Animation (2000) (documentary, ***1/2) (2-25-02)
Amelie (2001) (***, comedy) (1-21-02)
Gosford Park (2002) (**1/2, drama) (1-21-02)
Joy Ride (2001) (***1/2, thriller) (1-14-02)
Swordfish (2001) (***, thriller) (1-14-02)
Cane Toads or Cane Toads: An Unnatural History (1988) (12-31-01)
Last Wave, The (1978) (***1/2, drama) (12-31-01)
Night Caller from Outer Space (1965) (**1/2, sci fi) (12-31-01)
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring (2001) (****, fantasy) (12-24-01)
Following and The Man Who Wasn’t There: A Comparison. (12-17-01)
Following (1998) (***1/2, crime, noir) (12-17-01)
Man Who Wasn't There, The (2001 (***, film noir,crime) (12-17-01)
Forgotten (1999) (***, crime, thriller) (12-17-01)
Nostradamus and Mission to Mars: A Comparison. (12-10-01)
Nostradamus (2000) (***, sci fi, horror, action) (12-10-01)
Mission to Mars (2000) (*1/2, sci fi) (12-10-01)
Play It Again, Sam (1972) (***1/2, comedy) (12-03-01)
Monsters, Inc. (2001) (*** for adults, animation, comedy, fantasy) (12-03-01)
Dressed to Kill (1946) (**1/2, crime) (12-03-01)
Cat and the Canary, The (1927) (***, horror, humor, classic, silent (11-26-01)
One Night At McCool's (2001) (***1/2, black comedy) (11-26-01)
Hang Em’ High (1967) (***, western) (11-19-01)
Picture of Dorian Gray, The (1945) (***, horror) (11-19-01)
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (2001) (***, animation, fantasy, sci fi) (11-12-01)
And Then There Were None (1945) (***1/2, mystery) (11-12-01)
Life as a House (2001) (***, drama, comedy) (11-5-01)
Cat's Meow, The (2001) (***, drama, docudrama?) (11-5-01)
Great Dictator, The (1940) (****, comedy, war, satire) (10-29-01)
Some Like It Hot (1959) (****, comedy) (10-29-01)
Children of Paradise (1945) (****, drama, romance) (10-29-01)
Three Stooges, The Classic Collections from Digital Disc Entertainment (***, comedy) (10-22-01)
Memento (2001) (****, noir, crime, drama) (5-9-01) (10-22-01) (DVD) review added. DVD Review Now Added.
Number Seventeen (1932) (**1/2, crime) (10-15-01)
French Connection, The (1971) (****,docudrama, crime) (10-01-01)
Battlefield Earth (2000) (**, sci fi) (9-24-01)
Stalker (1979) (****, sci fi) (9-24-01)
Get Carter (2000) (**, crime, drama) (9-17-01)
Get Carter (1971) (****, crime, noir, drama) (10-9-00, 9-17-01)
Time Machine, The (1960) (***, classic, sci fi) (9-10-01)
Dracula (Spanish Version 1931) (***1/2, classic, horror) (9-10-01)
Rat Race (2001) (**, comedy) (9-3-01)
Claim, The (2001) (***, drama) (9-3-01)
Enemy At The Gates (2001) (***, war, drama) (8-24-01)
Thirteen Days (2001) (***1/2, docudrama, thriller) (8-17-01)
Legally Blonde (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (8-13-01)
Draughtsman's Contract, The (1982) (***1/2, costume drama) (8-13-01)
Jurassic Park 3 (2001) (***, action, sci fi) (7-30-01)
She Done Him Wrong (1933) (****, comedy, classic) (7-30-01)
Sexy Beast (2000) (***1/2, crime, suspense) (7-23-01)
Lara Croft Tomb Raider (**1/2, fantasy) ((7-23-01)
Evolution (2001) (**½, comedy) (7-16-01)
Legend Of Drunken Master AKA Jui kuen II (1994) (7-16-01)
Taxi Driver (1976) (***, drama) (7-2-01)
Pursued (1947) (***, noir, western, classic) (7-2-01)
Paradine Case, The (1948) (**, drama) (7-2-01)
Winter Sleeper AKA Winterschläfer (1997) (****, romantic thriller, drama) (6-25-01)
Rocket Ship X-M (1950) (**1/2, sci fi, classic) (6-25-01)
Mummy Returns, The (2001) (**, action) (6-18-01)
Mummy, The (1999) (***1/2, horror, action) (6-7-99) (6-18-01)
Dante's Peak (2000) (**1/2, action, disaster) (6-18-01)
Shrek (2001) (****, comedy, drama, animation) (6-11-01)
Fall of the House of Usher, The aka Chute de la maison Usher, La (1928) (***1/2, horror) (6-11-01)
Spy Kids (2001) (2000) (***, comedy, family, action) (6-4-01)
Repo Man (1984) (**1/2, sci fi, humor) (6-4-01)
Titus (1999) (****, drama) (5-28-01)
Tailor Of Panama, The (2001, ***1/2) (5-21-01)
Rififi (1954) (****, noir, crime) (5-21-01)
Memento (2001) (****, noir, crime, drama) (5-9-01)
My Best Fiend aka Mein liebster Feind – Klaus Kinski (1999) (***1/2, documentary) (4-16-01)
Dick (1999) (** or ***, comedy) (4-16-01)
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) (****, drama) (4-9-01)
Bedazzled (2000) (**, comedy) (4-2-01)
Land That Time Forgot, The (1975) (*1/2, sci fi, fantasy, action) (4-2-01)
High Noon (1952) (****, Drama, Western)
U-Turn (1997) (**, noir, crime) (3-26-01)
Mexican, The (2001) (**1/2, comedy) (3-26-01)
Snatch (2000) (****, comedy, crime) (3-19-01)
Fury (1936) (***1/2, drama) (3-19-01)
Red Planet (2000) (***, 50s sci fi, space opera) (3-12-01)
Mummy, The(1932) (***1/2, horror, classic) (3-12-01)
Warlock (1991) (**1/2, horror) (3-12-01)
Octopus (2000) (**, horror) (3-5-01)
Telefon (1977) (***, spy) (3-5-01)
Ride with the Devil (1999) (***. War, drama) (2-26-01)
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) (**1/2, horror) (2-26-01)
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) (****, comedy) (2-12-01)
House on Haunted Hill, The (1958) (***, 50s horror) (2-12-01)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) (***1/2, fantasy, martial arts, romance, drama) (2-12-01)
Traffic (2000) (***, crime, drama) (2-12-01)
Chocolat (2000) (***, comedy) (2-12-01)
Brute Force (1947) (****, crime, film noir, classic) (1-29-01)
Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) (***1/2, **, comic noir) (1-29-01)
Emperor and the Assassin, The (1999) (****, historical drama) (1-29-01)
Cast Away (2000) (****, drama) (2-5-01)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) (***, comedy) (2-5-01)
Two more movies from the Film Festival:
Creature From the Black Lagoon (1954) (***, horror) (1-22-01)
Reservoir Dogs (1992) (***, crime, drama) (1-15-01)
Kwaidan (1964) (***1/2, horror, fantasy) (1-15-01)
Small Time Crooks (2000) (**1/2, comedy) (1-15-01)
Vertical Limit (2000) (***, action) (1-8-01)
Bullitt (1968) (***1/2, crime, action) (1-8-01)
U-571 (2000) (***, action, war) (1-1-01)
Xmas Turkeys 2000. I thought that in view of the day (12-25-00), I would give you a few Christmas Turkeys. These are films with first rate credentials that, for one reason or another, ended up be
