All posts by scottmet99

1984 Films, Horror, Slasher

Children of the Corn-1984

August 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Children of the Corn-1984

Director Fritz Kiersch

Starring Peter Horton, Linda Hamilton

Scott’s Review #1,385

Reviewed August 2, 2023

Grade: B

I liken the 1980s slasher film genre to the 1980s hard rock, ‘hair metal’ scene. Both contain standard, tried-and-true elements necessary to categorize them as such within said genre.

They both tended to be derided by critics as superfluous and commercially accessible to mass consumption.

I could write an entire dissertation on the subject. Still, my focus will remain on the slasher genre and Children of the Corn, a 1984 release billed as a straightforward slasher film but with supernatural elements that set it apart from some contemporaries.

The cover art (pictured above) and promotion conjure up ideas of a knife-wielding maniac wearing overalls, stalking small-town victims in corn fields in the Midwest USA.

The film is based on a 1977 short story by horror author and brilliant storyteller Stephen King.

Set in the fictitious rural town of Gatlin, Nebraska, the film tells the story of a malevolent entity known as “He Who Walks Behind the Rows,” which entices the town’s children to murder all the town’s adults ritually. This is under the guise of ensuring a successful corn harvest.

A well-to-do city couple, Burt and Vicky, played by Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton, drive cross-country to Seattle to begin a fantastic opportunity. Burt is a physician.

When they accidentally strike a child on a desolate stretch of highway, they realize he was already dead and attempt to find help in Gatlin, only to become the child residents’ next sacrifice.

Suffice it to say that the premise and the short story are way better than the finished film product, though there is just enough to keep one entertained for an hour and a half.

Director Fritz Kiersch does a good job of providing a quality atmosphere. The loneliness of Gatlin and the foreboding corn fields where something deadly lurks amid the stalks made me feel uneasy from the get-go.

There is something about an uninhabited town in the middle of nowhere that is innately scary. Kiersch patterns the setting after the brutal Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), though with a much softer touch. The small farmhouses and the streets mirror that film.

I also enjoy the surprising chemistry between Horton and Hamilton. Scenes where the pair are driving, chatting, or listening to tunes are pleasant and do not merely serve as filler to get to the killings.

The yellow early-1980s Buick or Oldsmobile is shown so often that it becomes a character in its own right. For fans of large American cars of yesteryear (me!), the inclusion of the car is a treat.

Finally, the blatant questioning and disparaging of the ridiculousness of organized religion is showcased when Burt (who believes in science) scolds the children for interpreting the Bible to suit their needs.

This may go over the audience’s heads, but to me, it resonates, and I cheered wildly when the dumb-faced kids realized the idiocy of their beliefs.

The film dissipates towards the end when the supernatural aspects take center stage. Tepid and very lowbrow, they quickly take away any moments of peril and shift the momentum to comedy and cheapness.

In 1984, this may not have been noticeable, but in 2023, the special effects are at a low point.

The attempted sacrifice of Vicky doesn’t feel frightening, especially when compared to a superior film, The Wicker Man (1973), which uses the same setup but more effectively.

Children of the Corn (1984) has its moments, but by the time the film ends, I wished I had been treated to that knife-wielding, overall-wearing maniac over a silly blood ritual in the name of the ‘holy bible’.

2023 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Biography, Drama, Epic

Oppenheimer-2023

August 1, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Oppenheimer-2023

Director Christopher Nolan

Starring Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., Emily Blunt

Scott’s Review #1,384

Reviewed August 1, 2023

Grade: A

Knowing the films of Christopher Nolan who directed works like The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005-2012), Inception (2010), and Dunkirk (2017) I expected what I would be served with by his new film Oppenheimer (2023).

This would include a big booming soundtrack and an arguably more ‘guys’ genre film, but with intelligence, than other contemporary hits like Barbie (2023).

Dark and looming with complexities are usual for Nolan so I settled in for a three-hour epic journey centered on the atomic bomb and physics that has unexpectedly become a blockbuster.

Speaking of the pink phenomenon its simultaneous release with Oppenheimer led to the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon on social media, which encouraged audiences to see both films as a double feature.

This forever links the two vastly different films that were responsible for filling movie theaters once again.

I expected to enjoy Oppenheimer but was jarred (in a good way) by the sheer brilliance of its construction. Prepared for more mainstream fare that typically follows a biography or historical piece I was instead overly fascinated by the experimental elements enshrouding a more conventional film.

During World War II, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Groves Jr. (Matt Damon) appoints physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) to work on the top-secret Manhattan Project.

Oppenheimer and a team of scientists spend years developing and designing the atomic bomb. Their work came to fruition on July 16, 1945, as they witnessed the world’s first nuclear explosion, forever changing the course of history.

The film is constructed marvelously in every way and is authentic to the eye. The first notice is that it feels like it’s the 1940s 1920s or 1960s or anywhere in between depending on where the film goes.

The art design, costumes, and makeup feel natural rather than stagey which helps its audience escape into the scientific world.

Speaking of, Nolan constructs the film in a series of pockets and goes back and forth between periods. We see Oppenheimer many times as an aspiring upstart with visions, a confident, established physicist, and in 1963 when President Lyndon B. Johnson presented him with the Enrico Fermi Award as a gesture of political rehabilitation.

His personal life is also explored.

Many, many scenes shift back and forth involving different characters at different ages. Most of the scenes in the 1940s take place in the desert at Los Alamos, New Mexico while the later years are set in a stuffy conference room where Oppenheimer is grilled for his left-leaning and suspected Communist politics.

The cinematography led by Hoyte van Hoytema provides some edgy moments especially when Oppenheimer descends into frightening and psychedelic hallucinations of those suffering the aftereffects of the atomic bomb. Images of peeling and melting faces are terrifying.

Cillian Murphy successfully makes Oppenheimer sympathetic especially after he creates the bomb and is left forgotten by his government.

Various moments in the film showcase Murphy at his best. After relinquishing his deadly bomb after a test the government callously tells Oppenheimer that ‘they’ll take it from here’. The look of dread, regret, and sadness in Murphy’s crystal blue eyes speaks volumes.

Another great scene occurs when President Harry S. Truman (Gary Oldman) a left-leaning democrat calls Oppenheimer ‘a crybaby’ when he expresses interest in returning land to the American Indians.

The supporting cast is a bevy of riches with several top-caliber actors appearing in cameos. My standouts in larger roles are Robert Downey Jr. shredding his Iron Man superhero persona as a slighted and venomous Lewis Strauss, intent on revoking Oppenheimer’s security clearance, and Emily Blunt as the boozy biologist and former communist wife of Oppenheimer.

My biggest takeaway from Oppenheimer (2023) though is a powerful one. The difference between the United States of America during and post World War II and in present times, 2023.

Then, a patriotic infrequently questioned nation brimming with pride and glory, where nationalism was rampant and expected and those with foreign respect were cast aside as traitorous.

Now, a divided country half of whom support an ideology based on hate, racism, and cultlike dedication to a corrupt ex-president, and the other focused on diversity inclusion, and equality for all.

This film resonated so powerfully well and in so many different ways.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Christopher Nolan (won), Best Actor-Cillian Murphy (won), Best Supporting Actor-Robert Downey Jr. (won), Best Supporting Actress-Emily Blunt, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing (won), Best Cinematography (won), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Original Score (won), Best Sound, Best Makeup and Hairstyling

1979 Films, Thriller

The Warriors-1979

July 31, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Warriors-1979

Director Walter Hill

Starring Michael Beck, James Remar, Deborah Van Valkenburgh

Scott’s Review #1,383

Reviewed July 31, 2023

Grade: B+

The Warriors (1979) is an entertaining gang-themed action-thriller that is a perfect watch for a late Saturday night.

Reportedly, it caused friction and outbreaks of fights in movie theaters when it was released, but decades later, it doesn’t feel as dangerous as it might have then.

The film does terrific work with its art direction, which melds live action with colorful character drawings. This infuses an artistic experience and elevates the results far above dumb action flicks like Rambo (1982), Death Wish (1974), and countless others.

In a perhaps peculiar comparison, The Warriors reminds me a bit of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York, which came two years later. The isolated Manhattan streets and other areas with a post-apocalyptic feel merge the two films, in my mind anyway.

The film suffers a bit from a dated, obscure categorization and is not remembered as well as it perhaps should be. The acting isn’t terrific either, but strangely, this makes the experience a bit more raw and enjoyable.

After being wrongly accused of killing a charismatic gang leader named Cyrus, a Coney Island street gang known as the Warriors must hoof their way home, which is miles from where the death occurred.

They are pursued by both police and enemy gangs, one of which framed them for Cyrus’s execution.

The ambiance and atmosphere are the best aspects of the film. So many Big Apple treats can be found, especially in the infamous Central Park, which takes center stage. The lavish and picturesque park wasn’t as safe and pristine in the late 1970s as it was in 2023, and the film uses this to its advantage.

Characters never know who or what might be lurking behind a bench or a tree. A particularly fun scene features a young Mercedes Ruehl being groped by a gang member, only to be revealed to be a sexy policewoman who quickly puts the perp in handcuffs.

The other featured locales include Van Cortlandt Park, Union Square, 96th Street and Broadway, and Riverside Park. The beauty of this is that the action doesn’t include only Manhattan but also other boroughs like the Bronx and Brooklyn, showing the vastness of NYC.

The main romance is between Swan (Michael Beck) and Mercy (Deborah Van Valkenburgh). The pair have a sliver of chemistry, but I wasn’t watching the film for doleful young people.

One scene was exceptionally well done when the couple laid eyes on some well-dressed, upstanding teenagers on the subway who could easily be their doppelgängers.

Maybe them in another life? The forlorn look on the faces of Swan and Mercy reveals much as the couple’s all eyes each other, perhaps thinking the same thing.

Walter Hill directs the film and is well-versed in the action genre, creating the popular film 48 Hours (1982). He paces and choreographs the action sequences so well that it’s as if the viewer is watching a dance routine occur.

The opening sequence gets the tone of the film out in the open as the storied Wonder Wheel on dusty Coney Island is on full display. Even the bright and windy shore feels gloomy and ominous as leather-clad gang members make it their turf.

The finale salutes the Warriors with a song, ‘In the City by Joe Walsh, which I particularly enjoyed because it’s a great song.

Though unrealistic for the time, it’s nice to see gang members of different ethnicities team up, showcasing diverse representation.

The film is a perfect watch for cinema fans thirsty for old New York City locales and greasy, dirty subway stations because the real Manhattan wasn’t too different from what The Warriors (1979) showcases.

1985 Films, Comedy, Screwball Comedy

Private Resort-1985

July 26, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Private Resort-1985

Director George Bowers

Starring Rob Morrow, Johnny Depp

Scott’s Review #1,382

Reviewed July 26, 2023

Grade: B

Depending on what type of film you are looking for, Private Resort (1985) may be just what the doctor ordered.

A version of Animal House (1978) or Porky’s (1981) shifted to a sunny beach resort is the perfect summer setting for a sex romp with enough g-strings, boobs, and bare butts to make even non-prudish viewers blush a little.

Suffice it to say, director George Bowers, mostly known as a film editor, and screenwriter Alan Wenkus weren’t seeking any Academy Award nominations.

Though silly, thoughtless, and caked with terrible acting, Private Resort is a fun flick.

Shamelessly, since its 1985 release, the distributors have callously billed mega Hollywood star Johnny Depp as the ‘star’ of this film. Someone even dared to add his photo to the film’s cover art, which I nearly used when creating my film review.

In reality, Depp plays second fiddle to Rob Morrow, who is the film’s real star and proudly displays more bare flesh than Depp does.

Morrow also proudly dons a dress and wig for a lengthy drag performance.

Thankfully, another source cleverly depicts a lineup of bronzed, toned beach bodies, each donning the letters that spell ‘Private Resort’ (see above), across different cover art.

Horny teenage buddies, Ben and Jack (Morrow and Depp), decide to spend a weekend in a swanky Miami beach resort chasing the flock of equally horny and scantily clad women they encounter.

How they have the money to afford a room is never explained.

Their fun is parlayed when they cross paths with a shifty jewel thief played by Hector Elizondo and his leggy girlfriend Bobbie Sue (Leslie Easterbrook). Throw in a romance with all-American-looking waitress Patti (Emily Longstreth) and sultry Dana (Karyn O’Bryan), and you’ve got a plot.

Bowers throws in enough physical comedy and antics to keep the action moving along in a speedy one-hour and twenty-two-minute running time.

The gags follow films like Caddyshack (1980) or any of the other countless 1980s slapstick comedies, and you can pretty much bank on what you’ll be served up.

Why, the opening scene follows a parade of sexy female sunbathers slathering suntan lotion on or suggestively bending over for all to see.

Many were uncredited, so my hunch is that adult film stars were used.

Morrow is the standout, and his boyish charisma lights up the screen, especially when he becomes smitten with Patti. The fresh-faced pair make a perfect match and exude young love, becoming the heart of the film.

Elizondo and Easterbrook dutifully perform their parts as one-dimensional foils and MILF roles, respectively. Decent actors are worlds above any of the other supporting actors in terms of talent.

Even comic actress Dody Goodman (Grease, 1978) goes way over the top in her role as Dana’s wealthy grandmother.

Andrew Dice Clay, then known as Andrew Clay, also appears.

Private Resort gets a severe wrist-slapping for two crass fat-shaming scenes not worth giving time to other than to mention it’s not kind to plump girls.

I first saw Private Resort (1985) as a teenager when it was first released and loved it. This was before I blossomed into a snobby film critic.

Seeing the film a million years later with more sophisticated tastes, I still find it fun, especially on a scorching summer night.

That’s got to count for something, right?

2022 Films, British, Drama

Living-2022

July 20, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Living-2022

Director Oliver Hermanus

Starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood

Scott’s Review #1,380

Reviewed July 20, 2023

Grade: B+

Living (2022) is a British film remake of a Japanese movie named Ikiru, made in 1952. That screenplay was partly inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s 1886 novella The Death of Ivan Ilyich. I have not seen that film, but my best bet is that it is either equal to or superior to Living.

The remake is quiet yet powerful. It teaches a poignant lesson about living life to its fullest and not wasting time on trivial and meaningless things that most people stress over.

Before you know it, life is over.

The brilliance of this message is that it can be applied to anyone’s life at any age and in any given situation. At least that is what I took from the film, and therefore, the film is inspiring to me personally.

In this particular case, the focus is on an older man who has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given a maximum of six months to live.

With high reliability, Living tells the story of an ordinary man named Rodney Miller (Bill Nighy) who has so far lived years of dull office work and a careful routine. In other words, he has led a bland existence and rarely does anything exciting.

To be clear, he is not a loser but is quite polished, prim, and proper. Well-dressed, has a good job, and is highly responsible. He resides with his son and daughter-in-law.

Once his doctor gives Mr. Miller his diagnosis, he becomes determined to turn his dull life into something extraordinary with the help of a young office worker, Miss Margaret Harris, played by Aimee Lou Wood.

While the supporting actors are fine, they are not given much to do or explored deeply, except perhaps Wood. She is compelling as a girl-next-door type who bonds with her much older boss. We root for her to find happiness, and she does.

Living works best as a character study, and Nighy quietly takes charge with a ferociously understated performance that justifiably landed him with an Academy Award nomination.

The actor has a gorgeous voice, so very poised, deep, and oozing with polish and sophistication. I fell in love with the character right away, even before his diagnosis with deadly cancer.

He’s not an evil man, just a boring one, and Nighy is successful at showing his appeal. This is evident in his personal life, where he is unable to communicate with his son, despite his desperate desire to do so.

His life has so far avoided any ruffling of feathers that he cannot even adequately express himself.

The film avoids exploring much of Mr. Williams’s personal life, and he has no designs on Miss Harris other than his envy of her joy and passion for life. He does not seem to be gay, but nothing is said about a wife or ex-wife.

The film’s overall pace is slow, which may not appeal to some viewers. Since the running time was merely one hour and forty-two minutes, I wasn’t bored, though I wasn’t energized either, until the ending, which I found moving.

The experience is not a downer despite the subject matter, and no scenes of Mr. Williams dying a painful death or any hospital scenes are featured.

Instead, it portrays life.

The filmmaking is clean and polished, much like Mr. Williams, and there is a rich London texture. Rainy days, a sophisticated swagger, and crisp, structured sets and art design are what I mainly notice.

The title “Living” (2022) is apt for the lesson being presented to the audience. Spend an enormous amount on that savory dinner, eat a giant ice cream sundae, or help someone before looking the other way.

Because one day it will be too late.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actor-Bill Nighy, Best Adapted Screenplay

1974 Films, Adventure, British, Swashbuckler

The Four Musketeers-1974

July 17, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Four Musketeers-1974

Director Richard Lester

Starring Oliver Reed, Michael York, Faye Dunaway

Scott’s Review #1,379

Reviewed July 17, 2023

Grade: B

The Four Musketeers (1974) is a sequel to the film The Three Musketeers, made a mere year earlier. It takes the second half of the famous novel by French author Alexandre Dumas, with the original film covering the first half.

A recommendation is to watch the sequel directly after the original, so there is less struggle to figure out what is going on. I did not do that, so connecting the plot points was a struggle.

A further negative is the omission of English subtitles, making it difficult to hear or understand the events of the film. British accents are tough.

King Louis XIII’s (Jean-Pierre Cassel) four swashbuckling heroes engage in chivalrous and daring adventures when Cardinal Richelieu (Charlton Heston) and his evil accomplice, Milady de Winter (Faye Dunaway), kidnap the queen’s dressmaker, Constance (Raquel Welch).

The heroes are D’Artagnan (Michael York), Athos (Oliver Reed), Porthos (Frank Finlay), and Aramis (Richard Chamberlain).

It’s a British swashbuckler film, so the adventures are prevalent and the physical comedy is fast and furious. It’s like a sitcom at times, with over-the-top and outlandish fight sequences and one-liners.

The frequent low-cut tops on the female characters are intended to channel the male viewer into a thirteen-year-old boy.

The film gets darker than I anticipated in the final act, which is to its credit, with two deaths. This surprised me in a good way because so much of The Four Musketeers is light-hearted.

The death by the beheading of a major character is well done. The heroes watch an executioner perform his duties to the fiendish character from across a lake. The decapitation is not shown directly, but it’s conveyed through a tremendously effective silhouette from a distance.

The costumes and attention to detail from a historic perspective are superior elements of the film. One can imagine being in the French countryside during the Anglo-French War in the 1600s. The bright sets and lighting create a colorful, picturesque style.

The cast is made up of several A-list Hollywood stars of the time, and each adequately does their share to light up the screen. My favorites are Dunaway as the villainess and Reed as a ‘good guy’, a refreshing change for the actor who usually appears as the heavy.

Reed and Dunaways share some scenes, mostly in flashbacks, that made me want to see more of their romance, but this is not to be. Athos was unaware that Milady de Winter was a criminal who left a permanent branding mark.

Still, what little I got featured tremendous chemistry between the pair, and I would have liked to have seen more.

Where the film loses me a bit is with the silliness, which follows the same formula that made The Three Musketeers a success. Feeling redundant were the endless sword fight scenes and tongue-in-cheek winking.

The film tries hard to be a comedy but also includes darker moments, leaving it feeling unbalanced.

Some actors get short shrift.

Christopher Lee as Count De Rouchfort is a secondary villain and has little to do except prance around in a wig, uniform, and eye patch. His character is no Dracula and does not feel dangerous.

The Four Musketeers (1974) is good entertainment, thanks to a solidly professional cast. Hardly a masterpiece, it’s a bang ’em up comedy adventure with a few moments of death and destruction.

1981 Films, British, British Horror, Horror, Horror Anthologies

The Monster Club-1981

July 16, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Monster Club-1981

Director Roy Ward Baker

Starring Vincent Price, Donald Pleasence, John Carradine

Scott’s Review #1,378

Reviewed July 16, 2023

Grade: B

Any horror feast, including Vincent Price and Donald Pleasence, is worth a watch, and The Monster Club (1981) features both actors, though not in any scenes together.

The British horror anthology is uneven and a tad too silly, with only two of the three chapters recommended. They are based on the works of the British horror author R. Chetwynd-Hayes.

The graphics and art direction are surprisingly superior for such a low-budget production.

In between chapters, there is a jarring and unnecessary musical performance by one of the creatures. While sort of fun, it takes away from continuity and feels like it’s been thrown in rather than serving any real purpose.

Below is a summary, review, and rating of each vignette.

Prologue: B

Author R. Chetwynd-Hayes (John Carradine) is approached on a city street by a strange man (Vincent Price) who turns out to be a starving vampire named Eramus.

He bites the writer and takes the confused man to an odd club. It’s a haven for supernatural creatures as they dance, drink, and carry on together.

Eramus introduces three stories about his fellow creatures of the night.

This chapter is relevant to tie the chapters together, and any scene involving Price is good in my book. It also serves as a learning experience to explain the different types of creatures, but little more than that.

The Shadmock: A-

Angela (Barbara Kellerman) is a financially struggling woman who takes a job at a secluded mansion owned by Raven (James Laurenson), a creature called a Shadmock.

Along with her greedy boyfriend (Simon Ward), they hatch a plot to steal Raven’s great wealth after he proposes to Angela. When she is caught unlocking Raven’s safe, his demonic whistle comes into play at the expense of Angela and her boyfriend.

This chapter has a great setup and an unrequited love vibe. With a Beauty and the Beast comparison, the audience sympathizes with Raven. All he wants is love, and the ultimate climax is heartbreaking with the knowledge that he is being duped.

I longed for Angela to come to her senses, dump her boyfriend, and be carried away by Raven, but it’s horror after all, and not romance.

Starting slowly, the grotesquely exquisite gothic mansion and the fine luxuries contained are fun to feast one’s eyes on, and the sinister conclusion is not to be missed.

The Vampires: B-

A shy young boy (Warren Saire) from a kind family of vampires leads a lonely life, bullied at school, while his father (Richard Johnson) spends little time with him.

The father is hunted by a team of vampire killers led by Pickering (Donald Pleasance), who attempt to drive a stake through the father and kill him. But the tables are soon turned.

This chapter is cute but uninspired, adding more humor than horror. Pleasance isn’t given a great role, and neither is former ‘Bond girl’ Britt Eklund as the supportive mother.

It pales sharply against ‘The Shadmock’ and ‘The Ghouls.

The Ghouls: A

A movie director (Stuart Whitman) scouting locations for his next film pays a visit to an isolated village, Loughville, where the sinister residents refuse to let him leave.

While imprisoned by the ghouls, he meets Luna (Lesley Dunlop), the daughter of a ghoul father (Patrick Magee), who agrees to help him escape. But can Luna or the resident police be trusted?

The Ghouls is my favorite because it feels the most unpredictable, and I love the early shots of a movie production studio. The ghostly-looking creatures are appealing because there is an ambiguity about their motives and the secrets held in the village.

It’s also fun balancing the sophisticated style of the movie producer against the drudgery of the villagers. Also, the inclusion of actor Magee from A Clockwork Orange (1971) is a win.

Epilogue: B

At the end of the film, Eramus cheerfully tells the other club members about all the imaginative ways humans are horrible to each other and declares that humans are the most despicable monsters of all.

Thus, Chetwynd-Hayes is made an honorary monster and member of the club.

The quick chapter is a clever wrap-up to the story and culminates as a bit of a ‘message’ about kindness and humanity.

1961 Films, Best International Film Oscar Winners, Drama, International, International Drama, Swedish

Through a Glass Darkly-1961

July 15, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Through a Glass Darkly-1961

Director Ingmar Bergman

Starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow

Scott’s Review #1,377

Reviewed July 15, 2023

Grade: A

I recently acquired a robust Ingmar Bergman collection featuring over three dozen of the great director’s works, so I have much introspective filmmaking to look forward to.

Considered visionary, influential, and many other stellar adjectives, his films are personal and human. They are frequently dark and not easy to watch, but the payoff is significant for the patient cinephile.

His 1961 work, Through a Glass Darkly (1961), tells the story of a schizophrenic young woman, Karin (Harriet Andersson), vacationing on a remote island with her husband Martin (Max von Sydow), novelist father David (Gunnar Björnstrand), and frustrated younger brother Minus (Lars Passgård).

She has been released from the hospital and plans to enjoy the summer tranquility at the family’s quaint cottage.

She slowly unravels as the reality sets in that she may not get better, and the family is aware of this.

The story is told in a brisk twenty-four-hour period and consists of only four characters. It is structured as a three-act play that runs for ninety-one minutes.

Let’s remember that mental illness was not as advanced in 1961 as it is decades later. Most who suffered from it were tossed away into a ‘loony bin’ and quickly discarded from society.

Delving into such controversial and unpleasant territory in 1961 deserves enormous accolades.

The brilliance of Through a Glass Darkly is how Karin realizes her mental illness and its fateful ravages. She is aware of what’s happening to her and that she will never recover. After all, the hen’s mother also had a mental illness.

Her rich characterization is powerfully played by Andersson, who stands out in the film. This could be because of Sven Nykvist’s cinematography, but sometimes Karin looks like a little girl and, at other times, a haggard older woman.

I wonder if Bergman was trying to show the parallel between Karin and her mother.

Speaking of the camerawork, as in Bergman’s films, the black-and-white style only enhances the quality of the picture. The contrast between black and white and the frequent close-ups of the characters reveal glowing and ghostlike facial images.

I champion shots like this because they enrich the visual perspective and shift away from the story.

Andersson is not the only excellent actor; second place belongs to Björnstrand as the father. His character is a writer and deeply pained. Revealed to have tried to commit suicide,e he is riddled with guilt, regret, and desperation.

Von Sydow is decent as Karin’s husband, but the actor has much better Bergman roles to reflect on. Any cinema lover will associate the great actor with The Seventh Seal (1957).

Towards the end of Through a Glass Darkly, I didn’t quite connect the dots when the characters go into detail about how god is equated with love.

I focused on Karin and the other characters coming to terms with the fact that she would go to an asylum and never return.

What Bergman does so well in Through a Glass Darkly is making the audience envelop the characters, accepting and feeling their pain. I despair with Karin when she imagines a spider emerging from the walls and crawling on her.

Of course, the audience doesn’t see what Karin imagines, which makes the scene much scarier than if Bergman had shown a giant spider.

One’s imagination is always worse than what is on the screen.

Requiring patience and a deep dive into despair, Through a Glass Darkly (1961) is worth the work. Lovely beachside images and beautiful sunlight mix perfectly with anguish and depression, creating an intimate experience.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Foreign Language Film (won), Best Original Screenplay

1986 Films, Drama, Romantic Drama

Pretty in Pink-1986

July 10, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Pretty in Pink-1986

Director Howard Deutch

Starring Molly Ringwald, Andrew McCarthy, Jon Cryer

Scott’s Review #1,376

Reviewed July 10, 2023

Grade: B+

A ‘B+’ grade may surprise some who know that I’m not a big fan of generic 1980s films, romantic comedies, or dramas.

Formulaic or nostalgic doesn’t always sit well with me, but I was baited hook, line, and sinker for an implausible coming-of-age sweet story.

Pretty in Pink (1986) and its writer, John Hughes, epitomize the 1980s and teen-angst films in general, but beneath the surface, the film has a lot of heart.

Star Molly Ringwald was the ‘it’ girl of the decade, perfectly portraying the girl next door facing the trials and tribulations of ordinary sixteen-year-olds.

Of course, my favorite Hughes film is The Breakfast Club (1985), also starring Ringwald, but Pretty in Pink is hardly as daring as that film. It’s softer and kinder with a lovely message of individuality and romance.

The film’s secret weapon is the spectacular musical soundtrack featuring, among other songs, the groovy title track by Psychedelic Furs and the mega-hit ballad ‘If You Leave’ by Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark.

Andie (Ringwald) is an outcast at her high school in the American Midwest. From a working-class household with an unemployed father (Harry Dean Stanton) and an absent mother, she makes her clothes and has an individual fashion sense.

She’s not exactly popular with the bitchy and materialistic cheerleaders.

She works at a record store for her older boss and friend, Iona (Annie Potts), and is usually seen with her best friend and fellow outcast, Duckie (Jon Cryer), who has a crush on her.

When one of the rich and famous kids at school, Blane (Andrew McCarthy), asks Andie out, it seems too good to be true. As Andie starts falling for Blane, she realizes that dating someone from a different social class comes with its challenges.

Pretty in Pink has a few different angles, including a social sphere, a romantic triangle, and themes of conformity.

The triangle is ultimately divisive. Should Andie choose a best friend and confidante, Ducky or Blane, the boy she is truly smitten with? Her choice has divided audiences since the film was released decades ago.

She has so much in common with Ducky, who also has blue-collar roots, but her heart belongs to Blane, who could offer her so much more. Andie is headed for University and couldn’t Blane be the proper sophistication for her?

I’m on team Blane.

Strangely and off-putting is Ducky. Meant to be cute, he all but harasses Andie, smothering her and pressuring her. His repeated phone calls would make me run the other way.

Social class is a wise topic explored and one that many audiences can relate to. The classic upper-class boy falls in love with a working-class girl, and family and friend pressures develop.

Hughes doesn’t delve much into the upper-middle-class parents, focusing only on the students, which I find interesting. The character of Steff (James Spader) is the villain, antagonizing Andie because he can’t get her into bed.

Andie has inspired, and continues to inspire, teenage girls everywhere who refuse to conform to norms and standards. The film offers a strong female character with real emotions and hopes, fears, and dreams.

Thanks to an outstanding performance by Ringwald, we see all her emotions, and a beautiful dynamic forms between father and daughter.

The conclusion of the film (related to the triangle) occurs at the high school prom, where a jilted Andie attends alone. A quick sequence where she reconnects with a character is very rushed, and the film ends quickly.

Unsurprisingly, this is the result of the finale being rewritten at the last minute after the original ending didn’t go over well with test audiences.

There is something to be said for the writer and director having complete creative control, but sadly, this isn’t the case in Pretty in Pink, and the audience can see the void.

Pretty in Pink (1986) may scream ‘1980s film’ and the tacky hairstyles and outfits that go along with the decade and the genre, but the messages relayed hit their mark.

Though dated in some ways, the film is timeless in others.

1957 Films, Comedy, Musical, Musical Comedy, Romantic Comedy

Funny Face-1957

July 7, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Funny Face-1957

Director Stanley Donan

Starring Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire

Scott’s Review #1,375

Reviewed July 7, 2023

Grade: B

The results of Funny Face (1957) are mixed, and the word ‘cute’ pops to mind on more than one occasion.

On the one hand, audiences are served a sophisticated look at the fashion industry and the sleek style of Paris, France, in the 1950s. The outfits and set design are fab, revealing the cultured and colorful modeling world, while the makeup and hairstyles match the time with fragrant gusto.

The screenplay is riddled with plausibility issues bordering on offensiveness and silliness. It also provides a good look at the patriarchal mindset of the time. The message is twofold: The fashion industry and Hollywood equally embraced these norms when the film was made.

In a word, the overall film is dated.

New York City fashion photographer Dick Avery (Fred Astaire) is tasked with finding a model for a new assignment. Discouraged, he is struck by the beauty of Jo Stockton (Audrey Hepburn), an intellectual bookstore employee he photographed by accident.

He convinces Jo to accompany him to France, where he continues photographing her against Parisian backdrops. At the same time, they scramble to pull together a fashion show along with crusty Maggie Prescott (Kay Thompson), a fashion magazine publisher.

Dick and Jo fall for one another, only to find hurdles to overcome along the way.

The musical numbers are plentiful but second-tier. Bouncy songs like ‘Funny Face’ and ‘On How to Be Lovely’ are decent but not memorable. The highlight is ‘S, Wonderful,’ which appears during the finale and perfectly wraps the Paris experience and the film in a shiny bow.

Comparisons can be made to An American in Paris (1951), not just because both are set in Paris, use the same tune (S Wonderful), and were composed by George Gershwin. There’s more buried beneath the surface that ties the two films together.

Both lead characters, Jerry and Jo, wind up with the wrong partners, who are, in reality, inappropriate for each other. Jerry should be with the comparable Milo, while Jo should be with the dashing and artistic Flostre (Michael Auclair). Instead, Jerry chooses the waifish Lise while Jo lands the ancient Dick.

Astaire is old enough to be Hepburn’s grandfather, which makes the romance odd.

Of course, Milo and Flostre are made to be the foils in An American in Paris and Funny Face. They are merely obstacles to be overcome by the preferred couple.

Another irritant is the demeaning nickname that Dick calls Jo, ‘funny face.’ Hardly a dog, Hepburn is quite beautiful, although the film makes the audience assume she is wrong for the modeling world. She fits right in, looking perfect in every dress or costume she dons or photograph she appears in.

A better casting choice would not have been classically beautiful singers or actors such as Barbra Streisand or Bette Midler, though admittedly, neither had surfaced at that point.

Though shot on a soundstage, Funny Face rebounds from implausibility with gorgeous ariel views of historic Parisian landmarks that envelope the glitter of the theme.

Shots of the Eifel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, and the broad Champs-Elysees are robust and made me rewatch this sequence again.

In parallel, the Greenwich Village, New York City setting, where other events in the film take place, is an intelligent choice to define the artistic and bookish characters.

The opening titles of Funny Face (1957) are creative and polished, reflecting the maturity of the subject matter and style of the 1950s.

With no chemistry, Hepburn and Astaire carry the film as best they can with a dated and tame screenplay.

Oscar Nominations: Best Writing, Story, and Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Set Direction

2022 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Satire

Triangle of Sadness-2022

July 2, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Triangle of Sadness-2022

Director Ruben Östlund

Starring Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Woody Harrelson

Scott’s Review #1,374

Reviewed July 2, 2023

Grade: A

When I realized the director of Triangle of Sadness (2022) had directed Force Majeure (2014) and The Square (2017), I became very interested in seeing it.

I’m not sure I ultimately ‘got’ The Square, but Force Majeure was a thought-provoking slice of cinematic brilliance that I still think about from time to time.

Sure, Triangle of Sadness was rewarded with three Academy Award nominations, which it deserved. Still, Ruben Östlund has a knack for challenging his audience to think outside the box, both cinematically and otherwise, with a robust examination of social classes.

He crafts a subject matter about class systems and the haves and have-nots that has been explored in film many times before. But, in Triangle of Sadness, it feels fresh and fraught with many different possible directions.

The wicked dark comedy explores political talking points such as capitalism, communism, and socialism, and challenges conventional ways of thinking.

It’s on par with the popular HBO series The White Lotus, but on steroids.

I cannot recommend the film more highly, primarily geared toward those seeking expressive and deeply textured films with some meaning.

Despite the dreary title, it’s far from a dour experience. There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, especially in scenes featuring severe vomiting amid seasickness.

The rich and famous embark on a luxury cruise with fine dining and servants galore. But after a devastating storm leaves several passengers and staff stranded together on a deserted island, the power exchange begins to shift, and the social hierarchy is turned upside down.

Events mainly surround a celebrity model couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean), who are invited on the luxury cruise for promotional purposes. Yaya is a social media influencer.

They are joined by a Russian oligarch, Dimitry, and his wife, Vera, as well as an elderly couple, Clementine and Winston, who have made their fortune manufacturing grenades and other weapons. Therese, a wheelchair user only capable of speaking a single phrase in German following a stroke, and Jarmo, a lonely tech millionaire who flirts with Yaya.

Besides possibly Therese, there is no a sympathetic rich character to be found.

The yacht staff are more sympathetic, although we don’t get to know all the characters very well.

Highlights include the head of staff, Paula, who demands that the staff obey the guests without question, Abigail, a cleaning woman, and the yacht’s captain, Thomas Smith (Woody Harrelson), who spends his time drunk in his cabin and despises the absurdity of the guests’ wealth.

The main events on the ship take a while to get to, and the film is divided into chapters. Part 1: Carl and Yaya, Part 2: The Yacht, and Part 3: The Island.

I realized after the fact that the point of the slow build is to show the dynamic between Carl and Yaya, the main characters. Both models and living life based on their looks, they are wildly insecure, bickering over money and gender roles.

While not likable nor complete assholes either, enjoyable is a chance to get a fleshed-out perspective on where they are coming from.

My adoration for the film largely stems from not knowing what is going to happen but knowing that at some point the shit is going to hit the fan.

The setup is perfect, especially the put-upon staff. While they are not abused, the relationship is clear. The passengers are in a position of power; the staff is not.

This will soon change.

Late in the game, I unexpectedly found myself rooting for a minor character who takes center stage in the last chapter, turning events upside down.

Comparisons can also be found in the recent Best Picture winner Parasite (2019) and classic international films such as Swept Away (1974) and L’Avventura (1960).

These are all brilliant films, and my hunch is that Triangle of Sadness (2022) will hold up well, perhaps achieving even greater acclaim as the years go by.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Ruben Östlund, Best Original Screenplay

1990 Films, Drama, German, International, International Drama, War

Europa Europa-1990

June 29, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Europa Europa-1990

Director Agnieszka Holland

Starring Marco Hofschneider

Scott’s Review #1,373

Reviewed June 29, 2023

Grade: A

Europa Europa (1990) is a unique film that depicts a young Jewish man’s plight and experiences during a dangerous period in world history.

There have been many films made that examine German Naziism in some way, shape, or form, but the film is German, which only authenticates the story.

The secret sauce of this film is the remarkable storytelling by Agnieszka Holland, who also directed.

The fact that it is based on real-life events only adds emotion, heartbreak, and just a little hope.

It is based on the 1989 autobiography of Solomon Perel, a German-Jewish boy who escaped the Holocaust by masquerading as a Nazi and joining the Hitler Youth.

Perel himself appears briefly as “himself” in the film’s finale.

Speaking of German war films, Europa Europa doesn’t eclipse the power of the 1930 masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front or the 2022 remake, for that matter.

It’s not as raw, but it does personalize the experience by focusing on one character and his perspectives.

The film adds a tinge of humor, homosexuality, and full nudity in a way that lightens the mood and almost makes it fun instead of pure doom and gloom.

But the concentration camp horror is never taken for granted.

Handsome Jewish teenager Salek (Marco Hofschneider) is separated from his family when they flee their home in Germany for Poland.

Salek ends up in a Russian orphanage for two years. Still, when Nazi troops reach Russia, he convinces them he is a German Aryan and becomes an invaluable interpreter and then an unwitting war hero.

While he can hide his Jewish blood on the surface, he is uncircumcised, which makes him vulnerable and at risk of being found out at any moment.

His deception becomes increasingly difficult to maintain after he joins the Hitler Youth and finds love with beautiful Leni (Julie Delpy), a staunch anti-Semite.

Hofschneider easily carries the film. With dashing good looks and a trusting smile, the audience can see how he might be able to fool the German regime.

As shown during a powerful scene where the Hitler Youth is taught how to spot a Jew, scrawny, rat-like, and mistrustful-looking are the characteristics they are told to be wary of.

Salek is the opposite.

The actor appears completely naked in several scenes, including full-frontal. This is not done frivolously because his penis is central to the plot and his potential discovery.

Delpy plays the gorgeous yet tragic character of Leni. She at first appears humane and kind, but her true colors and anti-Semitic hate soon shine through, which troubles Salek.

He is startled at how much hate a young girl could harbor for human beings she knows nothing about.

The realization hits home to the audience as the power and influence that Hitler possessed, with the ruination of human life in so many different ways.

A groundbreaking sequence occurs when a German soldier named Robert (André Wilms) attempts to molest Salek when he is privately bathing. Revealing his homosexuality to Salek while realizing Salek is Jewish makes them the best of friends.

They both have secrets that would get them instantly killed.

When Robert is mortally wounded, he and a devastated Salek share a deathbed kiss, forever cementing their bond. The human connection is more powerful than a sexual one.

A reunion with a family member at the conclusion will melt the hardest of hearts.

Europa Europa could have been a darker film than it was because of the subject matter, and perhaps should have been.

It’s not quite on par with All Quiet on the Western Front or Schindler’s List (1993) in the annals of Nazi war films, but it is not far behind, blending hate and kindness in an exploration of human feeling and emotion amid chaos.

Shamefully, due to a ridiculous decision that the film didn’t meet the eligibility requirements, Europa Europa (1990) was not nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, but it easily won the Golden Globe.

Despite the film’s omission, it went on to be a critical and commercial success in the United States, achieving just desserts.

Oscar Nominations: Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published

1980 Films, Horror, Italian, Italian Horror

Inferno-1980

June 27, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Inferno-1980

Director Dario Argento

Starring Leigh McCloskey, Irene Miracle

Scott’s Review #1,372

Reviewed June 27, 2023

Grade: B+

Any fan of the famous Italian horror director Dario Argento knows to expect a visual extravaganza from his films.

They reek of color and a weird atmosphere that makes them distinguishable from other, less crafty directors, and that’s worth a lot to a cinema fan.

Inferno (1980) is no exception, but, to be fair, the plot is brutal to follow, as the visuals easily overshadow the storytelling. On the flip side, despite being set mainly in New York City, Inferno has a definitive Italian vibe.

And why shouldn’t it, since it’s shrouded in Italian creativity?

Fans of Argento will know what I’m saying and leap into the film as I did, immersed in art direction rather than a defined plot.

The film is the second in his “Three Mothers” trilogy, and Inferno focuses on a Manhattan apartment building inhabited by a deadly spirit that murders the tenants in sadistic ways.

The other two films in the collection are Suspiria (1977) and Mother of Tears (2007).

When a poet named Rose (Irene Miracle) discovers a book suggesting she’s living in a building built for one of three evil sisters to rule the world, she begs her brother, Mark (Leigh McCloskey), to visit her from Rome.

But when he arrives, she’s disappeared without a trace. Mark encounters several creepy characters as he attempts to unravel the mystery and find his sister, either dead or alive.

It takes some time to figure out who the main character is supposed to be. Is it Rose, Mark, Mark’s friend Sara, or Rose’s neighbor, Elise? Before long, three of the four are sliced into bits.

The kills are superior, with my personal favorite being the death of one character guillotined with the glass of a broken window. This is nearly usurped by a pack of snarling cats with murder on their minds, attacking another victim.

As a cat lover, I grinned with pleasure.

As alluded to earlier, the story is too hard to follow. Therefore, the showdown between the main character and the witch is a letdown, and it is uncertain what becomes of the witch.

I also desired to see the witch more.

But maybe I wasn’t paying too close attention. The gorgeous sets caught my attention more than any plot point did.

I was especially enamored by the gothic New York City apartment set, which takes center stage during most of the film. The blue velvet curtains and dimly lit corridors, combined with desolate corners and few inhabitants, made me want to stay there.

Especially appealing is a secret hole in the wall that carries sounds throughout the behemoth building.

The colors and camerawork successfully create eerie, memorable sequences. One can easily dine on a bright green wall and gush over a deep blood-red drape or shadow.

The gloomy, downright scary underwater sequence when Rose dives to grasp a secret key is a brilliant piece of camerawork.

Alida Valli, so good as one of the witches in Suspiria, makes her return in Inferno, but in a limited part. As Carol, an employee of the apartment building, she has little to do, and adding insult to injury, Valli’s voice is dubbed by an American voice.

Sure, it’s not the best in the Argento collection, and Suspiria will always remain my number one, but Inferno (1980) is for the Argento fans only. I wouldn’t suggest it to novice fans, nor stress that one needs to see the trilogy in order.

The labyrinthine settings and elaborate deaths make the film a winner.

1980 Films, British, Crime Thriller, Thriller

The Mirror Crack’d-1980

June 22, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Mirror Crack’d-1980

Director Guy Hamilton

Starring Angela Lansbury, Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson

Scott’s Review #1,371

Reviewed June 22, 2023

Grade: B+

I’m a sucker for any sort of whodunit, especially based on an Agatha Christie novel.

Some of her treasures, like Murder on the Orient Express (1974) and Death on the Nile (1978), have made for quality crime-thriller filmmaking.

With The Mirror Crack’d (1980), director Guy Hamilton (he directed four James Bond films) gathers some of Hollywood’s finest stars and crafts an adaptation with British authenticity and a knock-it-out-of-the-park finale twist I didn’t see coming.

Fans of the long-running CBS sleuth series Murder, She Wrote from the 1980s are treated to gleeful clues that the film influenced the show. Both star the iconic Angela Lansbury.

The main character and murder solver in The Mirror Crack’d is a kindly older woman named Miss Marple, played by Lansbury. The actress is aged via makeup to look much older than she was at the time. Lansbury does a good job with the speech and mannerisms of her character’s age.

Jane Marple (Lansbury) is tickled pink when two glamorous Hollywood actresses, Marina Rudd (Elizabeth Taylor) and Lola Brewster (Kim Novak), arrive in her quaint English village to shoot a movie.

Drama is sprinkled in when it’s revealed that the two actresses despise each other.

At a film-related welcome reception, Marina engages in conversation with a longtime fan, Heather Babcock, and is momentarily distracted. Soon afterward, the fan collapses and dies, poisoned by a drink intended for Marina.

Pleasure is had by the incorporation of so many stars, some way past their prime.

My favorite is the dynamic duo of Taylor and Hudson as a married couple. Fans will recall that Hudson’s sad death due to A.I.D.S. in 1985 led to Taylor championing a crusade for research with which the government then refused to be associated.

Her efforts and star power led to tremendous progress to be made as the disease ravaged the world’s LGBTQ+ community.

So, any scene centered on Taylor and Hudson is heartfelt and a pure treat.

Otherwise, the cast of characters is arranged in a familiar pattern, revealing that almost everyone would have a reason to kill the glamorous star. Could it be her sexy blonde rival? Or the cranky producer of the film played by Tony Curtis? Or even her hubby, Jason?

Geraldine Chapman appears as Ella Zielensky, who is secretly in love with Jason and has a good reason to want Marina out of the way. Especially suspicious are her trips to a phone booth to call an unknown person, accusing them of murder.

The setting adds value as the small English village is cute and picturesque. Marple’s cottage is perfectly dressed with colors and patterns well suited to her character.

The Mirror Crack’d has a couple of misfires and sometimes a television-movie feel. The comparisons to Murder, She Wrote, while nice, are also detractors since they make the film seem like a small-screen effort.

The time is supposed to be 1953, and the characters are dressed appropriately, but it doesn’t feel authentic. The real year 1980 feels more believable despite the costumes.

While it doesn’t drag a bit, it also isn’t quite as good as the aforementioned Murder on the Orient Express (1974) or Death on the Nile (1978).

For a good old-fashioned detective story based on a storied author, one could do worse than watching The Mirror Crack’d (1980).

Sure, there are other, better-produced efforts, but the film is a solid, entertaining watch with glamorous stars incorporated.

1967 Films, Drama, Epic, Fantasy, Musical, Musical Drama, Romantic Drama

Camelot-1967

June 21, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Camelot-1967

Director Joshua Logan

Starring Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero

Scott’s Review #1,370

Reviewed June 21, 2023

Grade: A-

Camelot (1967) is an adaptation of the well-known Broadway spectacle that explores the creation of the Knights of the Round Table. It’s the Middle Ages, and King Arthur is the main character.

Unfortunately, the original stars of the stage, Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, declined to participate. Still, their replacements, Richard Burton and Vanessa Redgrave, are more than adequate in their prominent roles.

At an epic length of nearly three hours, not every moment is the edge of your seat, and some lagging exists, but the film does justice to the stage production, only with a big budget to add extravagance.

The setting and experience are pure magic, not only because of the far-removed time. The Shakespearean elements are strong as royalty and entitlement mesh with scheming, jealousy, and dangerous romance.

This makes for some juicy soap opera drama.

After the arranged marriage of Arthur (Harris) and Guinevere (Redgrave), the king gathers the noble knights of the realm to his Round Table. The dashing Lancelot (Franco Nero) joins but soon falls in love with Guinevere.

When Arthur’s illegitimate and conniving son, Mordred (David Hemmings), reappears in the kingdom and exposes the secret lovers, Arthur finds himself, by his own rules, trapped into taking action against his wife and closest friend.

There are some dull moments to face at epic length, especially in the first half. I tuned out once or twice, but then I was whisked back to the dramatic events.

The great moments are genuinely outstanding, with enough punch to pack a emotional wallop.

During a sequence when Lancelot is challenged to a game of jousting with some knights, events turn deadly, and one knight, Sir Dinadan, is critically injured. Horrified, Lancelot pleads for Sir Dinadan to live, and as he lays hands on him, Dinadan miraculously recovers.

The scene is fraught with emotion as a decisive moment occurs between the men. It’s also pivotal to the storyline because it links Lancelot with Guenevere and sets off a romantic chain of events.

Guenevere is so overwhelmed and humbled that her feelings for Lancelot begin to change. Despite his vows of celibacy, Lancelot falls in love with Guenevere.

More than one song is lovely in Camelot, and as the production went on, I yearned for more musical numbers.

My favorite is the coy “The Lusty Month of May,” which appears when Guinevere and the women frolic and gather flowers to celebrate the coming of spring. Later, Lancelot and Guenevere sing of their forbidden love and how wrong life has all gone in ‘I Loved You Once In Silence.’

In the eyes of the law, the lovers are to be punished so they are aware they are not long for this world.

Visually, Camelot is a spectacle rich in style and pizazz. Whimsical colors and a ton of vibrant and fragrant flowers appear regularly amid fields of greens and forests of trees.

The castles and battlefields also support Gothic structures and masculine power, which perfectly balance the exquisiteness of the other aspects.

This more than makes up for any drudgery the story might have. It’s nice to sit back and be fulfilled by the cinematic beauty, especially considering the romance at the heart of the picture.

So when the story drags, one can enjoy the visuals and escape for a moment.

Also impressive is the story of friendship and how a woman’s affection for a man can tear apart two male friends.

Camelot (1967) is a behemoth epic that requires patience. Some parts flat-out drag. But the daring, compelling triangle among the three leads usually turns the experience into an above-average thrill ride.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Art Direction (won), Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design (won), Best Costume Design (won), Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score (won), Best Sound

1971 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire

The Hospital-1971

June 11, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Hospital-1971

Director Arthur Hiller

Starring George C. Scott, Diana Rigg

Scott’s Review #1,369

Reviewed June 11, 2023

Grade: A

An example of the freedom to craft one’s vision in cinematic works during the first half of the 1970s, The Hospital (1971) is a testament to creativity and exceptional writing, and to what can happen when studios and producers leave the creatives alone to make the film they want to make.

One can dismiss any preconceived notions of the classic medical dramas that flooded television networks during the 1970s and 1980s. The Hospital is not formulaic or contrived.

No, The Hospital is a dark work drooling with satirical examples of the politics and shenanigans within the medical community. Oftentimes, secondary activities come at the cost of reasonable care and quality medicines.

Before you imagine a doctor and nurse cavorting in a janitor’s closet, it’s a deeper film than it appears on the surface, despite the inclusion of witty comedy.

Lax patient care, staff deaths, and the dismissal of nearby residents because of a new drug rehabilitation project are explored in this fascinating film.

At a rundown Manhattan teaching hospital, chief of staff Herb Bock (George C. Scott) is riddled with multiple personal and professional problems after two doctors and one nurse are found dead almost simultaneously.

He assumes the rash of deaths is due to dimwitted staff who are overworked amid the chaos.

Suicidal, he meets the intelligent daughter of a patient who knocks him off his feet with her studious personality and reflections on the world. Diana Rigg plays Barbara Drummond.

The immediately noticeable, clever, well-paced screenplay is by Paddy Chayefsky, who won the Oscar for writing the film. Immediately, the chaos of a city hospital is exposed, but not in a cliched way like a series like ER or Grey’s Anatomy might show.

Nobody is going into cardiac arrest on the operating table or having convulsions in the waiting room amid lame dramatic music.

The Hospital is more cerebral than that.

Unknown patients and little-known hospital staff go about their everyday business like clockwork until confusion with daily tasks causes events to go awry.

Like real-life.

The brilliance is how director Arthur Hiller casts regular-looking actors in almost all the roles. They look and act like everyday hospital staff to set the proper tone. This is even before we meet and get to know Herb and Barbara. They answer phones, walk around with charts, and hustle after emergencies.

Chayefsky and Hiller mirror director Robert Altman in many ways, mostly in their dialogue and in how seemingly unimportant scenes can mean a whole lot.

In robust soliloquy-style scenes between Herb and Barbara, the audience ‘gets them’. They are both desperate, wounded, and unhappy yet possess the sophistication and awareness to realize how similar they are.

They immediately connect, fall in love, and nearly run off together. It’s that simple. They are willing to flee their lives after meeting for five minutes. But will they ultimately take that plunge?

A key character is revealed to be Barbara’s father, and a whodunit begins after it comes to light that the deaths are not accidents. Who is responsible and what their motivation is is the key to the story.

Scott does terrific work with his character, rivaling his excellent performance a year earlier in Patton (1970). Herb is more introspective with the world on his shoulders.

The Hospital has more than one daring scene. Herb, though impotent, basically throws Barbara down on the table and rapes her. The shocker is that she makes light of it the next day and almost seems to have enjoyed it.

Barbara and Herb are both complex characters that the audience needs to ruminate over.

My favorite part of The Hospital (1971) is the setting. That Hiller puts you inside what a real urban hospital was like in 1971 is brilliance. The satire comes into play with the writing, which questions decision-making and incompetence within the hospital walls.

The result is a scathing look at hospital practices that will resonate with anyone terrified of entering a hospital, only never to come out again.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Actor-George C. Scott, Best Original Screenplay (won)

2022 Films, Thriller

Don’t Worry Darling-2022

June 9, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Don’t Worry Darling-2022

Director Olivia Wilde

Starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Chris Pine

Scott’s Review #1,368

Reviewed June 9, 2023

Grade: B+

Don’t Worry Darling (2022) plays like a modern version of The Stepford Wives (1975) meets Pleasantville (1998) but with a supernatural spin and lots of much-needed modern diversity.

Not set in present times, the characters all feel very 2022 but are transplanted to a different period that only enhances an already unsettling feeling.

The sophisticated 1950s set design and art direction are a significant score, as well as the mysterious happenings that continue to shroud the central character and her surroundings.

The film never lags and, in fact, fascinates throughout. There is a continuous feeling of uncertainty, dread, and controlled chaos that assuredly will explode in the finale.

I’m not sure I quite got the conclusion right away until I read through the summary, and something about an alternate universe and different lives outside of the primary setting was revealed. Regardless, it felt unsatisfying, especially compared to the rest of the events.

But, small potatoes, I still enjoyed Don’t Worry Darling immensely.

The premise is thrilling from the start. A 1950s housewife named Alice, played by emerging star Florence Pugh, is living with her husband in a utopian experimental community. They mingle with neighbors, host lavish parties with delicious food and drink, and enjoy each gorgeous sunny day.

Daily, the men dutifully drive off to work in the distinguished Victory Headquarters while the wives cheerfully clean and scrub the windows and prepare a savory dinner, counting the minutes until their husbands return for a romp in the hay.

It all sounds too good to be true.

When a close friend Margaret (KiKi Layne) experiences a psychotic episode witnessed by Alice, she begins to worry that her husband’s glamorous company may be hiding disturbing secrets and that everything may not be as perfect as it seems.

I am becoming a big fan of Florence Pugh, who effortlessly carries the film. Impressive in both Midsommar and as Amy in Little Women, both in 2019, she possesses a specific ‘it’ factor showcased well in Don’t Worry Darling.

Pugh has many scenes with no dialogue. Ranging from a soak in the bathtub, a bizarre episode where she wraps her head in Saran Wrap, and witnessing her friend’s death, she does so much without speaking.

Successfully, the audience is taken along for the ride. We know as much as Alice does, which is nothing. It’s not that Alice hates her life; hell, she’s got it pretty good. A scrumptious roast and carrots alongside hot sex on her dining room table, the girl could do much worse.

But she knows something is off and is determined to find out what it is. Why are the women forbidden from seeing the Victory Headquarters? Why does a plane crash that only Alice sees? Why does Frank, the alpha male leader of Victory, wonderfully played by Chris Pine, keep eyeing Alice?

Impressive is the direction by Olivia Wilde, who also appears as Alice’s friend, Bunny. Along with the screenwriter, Katie Silberman, the duo crafts a piece of work with a feminist perspective turned topsy-turvy, and it’s a good angle.

Not to harp on the ending again, but the message of female empowerment, which I think is the intention of Wilde and Silberman, is unclear. A bolder message and a more finite ending would have helped cement the deal.

Still, in Wilde’s only second film, the first being the vastly different Booksmart (2019), she should only be proud of herself and the product she created.

If one is seeking an emboldened psychological thriller with twists and turns to savor, Don’t Worry Darling (2022) is a fine pick. It creeps along with appropriate plot points and a stylized visual canvas.

1963 Films, Disney, Fantasy, Kids

The Three Lives of Thomasina-1963

June 7, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

The Three Lives of Thomasina-1963

Director Don Chaffey

Starring Patrick McGoohan, Susan Hampshire

Scott’s Review #1,367

Reviewed June 7, 2023

Grade: B

The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963) is a film in which the animal, in this case, a sleek orange tabby cat, steals the show from the humans. It’s not as if the acting by the actors is terrible, but who doesn’t love a cute feline clad in a bonnet?

The film is a Disney production but not one of the top tier nor mainly well remembered and was unknown to me before I watched it.

It’s similar to Mary Poppins (1963) in its cheery tone, and the two child stars were signed to play the Banks children after The Three Lives of Thomasina.

There are enough tender and sentimental moments to satisfy fans who may crave a more profound or darker veneer, but there is some fluff and predictability to wrestle with.

With high hopes of entertaining our cats Zeus and Thora with this film, the furry felines essentially slept through the experience and rendered it uninteresting.

Schoolgirl Mary McDhui (Karen Dotrice) lives in a small village in Scotland with her stoic veterinarian father, Andrew (Patrick McGoohan), and her cherished cat, Thomasina.

When Thomasina is injured, Andrew has the animal euthanized, which infuriates Mary, who vows never to forgive her father. Unbeknownst to everyone, Thomasina’s still-living body is rescued by Lori (Susan Hampshire), a kind animal healer who nurses the cat back to health.

The romantic intention of uniting Andrew and Lori is evident from the start, and the pair have decent chemistry. Lori is a Snow White-type character, whistling, prancing through her grade, and befriending any animal who languishes near her.

Terrified by her healing power, neighborhood kids deem her a witch, but she doesn’t look the part. With golden hair and attractive features, she is more Rapunzel than the Wicked Witch of the West.

Andrew is a masculine character we’ve seen in stories. Widowed, he has lost faith in humanity and god alike, living a sad existence with his housekeeper and kids.

To nobody’s surprise, Andrew, Lori, the kids, Thomasina, and the housekeeper ride off into the sunset as happy as clams.

Though the story is generic, other aspects of The Three Lives of Thomasina spruce things up brighter than the Scottish flowers. The landscape is magical, with lush countryside sequences and cute side streets and cottages.

A fabulous sequence occurs at the midpoint when a ‘dead’ Thomasina soul goes to a feline afterlife and meets the Egyptian cat goddess Bastet. Since Thomasina still has eight lives left, Bastet returns her to her body.

The sparkling and twinkling lights and the myriad of other felines are beautiful and filled with emotion.

Hopefully, the real-life animals were treated kindly, but in 1963, I’m not sure how much could be faked. Still, fantastic work mimicking a wounded badger is impressive.

The thrilling finale involves a tribe of gypsies setting up camp in town and opening their traveling circus. Laden, with apparent stereotypes which seem clear in 2023 but were unnoticed in 1963, the gypsies abuse their animals, causing a stir among the townspeople.

A fight, fire, and justice prevail, and all animals are spared.

A 1960s Disney film with family-friendly themes and compassion, The Three Lives of Thomasina (1963) will satisfy cat lovers or anyone fond of animals. The real-life Thomasina is worth the price of admission for her gorgeous good looks alone.

1965 Films, Camp, Sexploitation

Mudhoney-1965

June 4, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Mudhoney-1965

Director Russ Meyer

Starring John Furlong, Stu Lancaster, Antoinette Cristiani

Scott’s Review #1,366

Reviewed June 4, 2023

Grade: B+

This requires an open-minded, mature audience, as with other Russ Meyer films. You should watch it late at night, and some good, quality libations make for the ideal situation and robust enjoyment.

To set the stage for those otherwise unfamiliar with the intriguing director, he is known primarily for writing and directing a series of successful sexploitation films that featured campy humor, witty satire, and enormously large-breasted women.

The women frequently frolic around semi-nude or completely nude, with their endowments proudly bouncing around.

Gems like Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965), Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970), and Supervixens (1975) are known as his definitive works.

Mudhoney (1965) is not one of his best-remembered films, but it contains enough fun and boobs to highly recommend for either his staunch fans or newcomers seeking bombastic 1960s entertainment.

I’d be careful not to watch it with parents or conservative-leaning friends, though.

Amid the Great Depression, Calef (John Furlong) arrives from Michigan in a backwoods Missouri town looking for work en route to greener pastures in California.

He becomes a hired hand under farmer Lute (Stu Lancaster) and takes a shine to Hannah (Antoinette Cristiani), Lute’s pretty niece.

The feeling is very mutual.

Problems surface when Hannah’s abusive and frequently drunk husband Sidney (Hal Hopper) becomes aware of their attraction and it’s revealed that Calef is fresh out of prison.

With the help of an unhinged preacher, Sidney turns the locals against Calef and organizes a lynch mob to take him down.

The film is shot in black and white, which only enhances the visual of a midwestern, cornfed small town. Desolate and bleak, it is presumed to be summertime as most women bathe outdoors (naked, of course) or swim in a nearby pond.

Besides Hannah, other blonde female characters appear. The sexy Clara Belle (Lorna Maitland) is the most adventurous and fun.

As with other Meyer films, especially Supervixens, there is one character who is evil and possibly insane. In this case, it’s Sidney who eventually sets fire to a farm and rapes and murders the preacher’s wife.

The acting is hardly up to par, but Mudhoney is not about Oscar-caliber performances. The over-the-top, campy performances and the obnoxious and loud dialogue only enhance the events.

The comical moments outweigh any dark moments, and taking the film too seriously is hard. Laugh-out-loud worthy is when the preacher eyes the naked Eula as she washes on the country farm.

The visual aspects of Mudhoney impress me, especially in the opening sequence. A series of quick shots of intersecting bare feet reveal that Meyer has more to offer than sexploitation. Later, a body falling into a grave involves inventive camerawork.

Before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, while one primary female character is beaten and victimized, there is more than enough female empowerment to go around, especially Clara Belle.

She is nobody’s fool, and along with the snickering, brash Maggie Marie, deliciously played by Princess Livingston, they incorporate no-nonsense, strong female characters.

B movies never entertain better than a Russ Meyer film, and Mudhoney (1965), while not his best, has entertainment value with a dour middle-of-nowhere USA setting. This parlays perfectly with the white-bred, fresh-faced characters who appear within.

2022 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Epic, Los Angeles, Period Drama

Babylon-2022

June 4, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Babylon-2022

Director Damien Chazelle

Starring Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt

Scott’s Review #1,365

Reviewed June 4, 2023

Grade: A-

Babylon (2022) is a film that will likely divide audiences broadly. Slightly late to the table, I viewed the film after the awards season hoopla had ended, and the film came up empty-handed.

Sure, a few nominations were received, but much more was expected from the epic Hollywood-themed venture.

I’m a fan of director Damien Chazelle, most famous for the similarly set Los Angeles film La La Land (2016), which I adore.

His direction style reminds me a great deal of Baz Luhrmann’s, with the incorporation of intense musical numbers during many scenes and a strong, chaotic, and frenetic nature.

I realize this style is not for everyone, so I’m not surprised that Babylon is both revered and reviled. This isn’t always a bad thing, as a good film debate can be fun.

I adore Babylon primarily for the potent silent-era Hollywood story and the terror stars of the 1920s faced with the realization that sound had entered their pictures and they were expected to keep up with the times.

Sadly, many careers ended devastatingly, sinking one-time big stars into depression and despair.

The acting is superb, and major props go especially to Margot Robbie as debaucherous film star Nellie LaRoy and newcomer (to me) Diego Calva as handsome Mexican immigrant Manny Torres.

Both actors elicit superb performances that should have landed them Oscar nominations.

The major themes that Chazelle incorporates into Babylon are those of ambition and outrageous excess, as well as belonging and acceptance. The rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood are explored.

As Hollywood transitions from silent films to talkies, ambitious up-and-coming actress Nellie and aging superstar Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt) each struggle to adapt to the new medium, as well as a rapidly changing world.

And Manny wants a seat at the table.

Another reason I love the film is the dedication and exposure given to pre-sound Hollywood movies, which are often forgotten. I struggle to recall ever having viewed a film from that era, with my earliest film being the 1930 film “All Quiet on the Western Front.”

The hit film The Artist (2011) may have paid tribute, but it’s not the same, and Babylon goes for the jugular in showcasing an entire movement that is now largely forgotten.

Cinema fans will respect Babylon.

Besides the film’s characters, there is much to appreciate in the movie itself. A Hollywood movie set, repeated takes, scripts, dialogue, lighting equipment, and rehearsals make for a feast of riches for any cinephile.

The weak point is the film’s excessive length. At three hours and nine minutes, an epic length, the erratic structure is a challenge to get through. A piecemeal approach can sometimes affect the continuity, and it did detract a bit in this case for me.

If one can sit still long enough, the final thirty minutes are superb. A tidy wrap-up and truthful storytelling give several characters a proper sendoff.

The film ends in 1952, so a fitting conclusion is in order.

Before we get to this point, though, a nailbiting sequence involving Manny and a fiendish Los Angeles gangster played by Toby Maguire is second to none. Fake money, a rat-eating entertainer, and pornographic dwarves make for an odd adventure that one can’t look away from.

A fascinating and bombastic experience, Babylon (2022) delves loudly into the silent film world and pays a proper head nod to a long-forgotten era.

The film has made me appreciate Hollywood and its history even more than I already do.

Oscar Nominations: Best Musical Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design

2000 Films, Drama, International, International Drama, LGBTQ+ Drama, LGBTQ+ Films, LGBTQ+ International, Portuguese

O Fantasma-2000

May 25, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

O Fantasma-2000

Director João Pedro Rodrigues

Starring Ricardo Meneses

Scott’s Review #1,363

Reviewed May 25, 2023

Grade: B

The target audience for a film like O Fantasma (2000) can only be gay men or anyone macabre enough to want to see male pornographic eroticism mixed with sadomasochism.

There is more than one scene that is straight-up pornography. I’ll spare the details, but most kinds of sex are on full display and do not look staged or faked.

It’s the type of film that I’m still digesting and ruminating over. I suppose that’s better than having forgotten it.

The director, a gay man named João Pedro Rodrigues, doesn’t sugarcoat the film’s subtext, which is a young man’s painful journey into self-awareness and homosexuality.

The film is set and shot in and around Lisbon, Portugal. Unfortunately, any palatial, lush, or culturally significant landmarks are not used. Instead, seedy, dark, and industrial areas are.

During the night, brooding, lonely Sergio (Ricardo Meneses) works as a trash collector. In between garbage dumps, he embarks on an increasingly dangerous journey of anonymous sexual encounters.

Soon, he becomes fixated on one handsome stranger and ‘plows’ down a haunting path.

The opening scene immediately plunges the viewer into a subversive world. Two men, one clad completely in leather, the other naked, are engaging in rough anal sex. We do not know who they are or how they figure into the story…….yet.

Speaking of story, O Fantasma doesn’t have much of one.

Besides the brief synopsis listed above, Sergio spends a good amount of time playing with his dog, having sex with a police officer, and rebuffing his female co-worker Fátima’s (Beatriz Torcato) advances.

Oh yeah, Sergio also has time for more rough outdoor sex with his male boss, Virgilio (Eurico Vieira), drinking from puddles, and taking a dump in his clothes.

O Fantasma all seems rather pointless when its shell is peeled back, and it’s dissected a little. I get that Sergio is a gay male who is self-hating and conflicted, but I feel like I’ve seen that angle played enough times, and no, O Fantasma doesn’t turn about face and offer a happy ending.

Young men struggling with their sexuality in any way need not see this film. It will undoubtedly veer them off the next nearby cliff.

With that footprint relayed, a more mature gay man will find erotism and some titillation to experience, and what’s so bad about that? But, O Fantasma is for grown-up audiences and tastes only.

To say that there are enough bare asses displayed to go around is a severe understatement. The naked front male appendages frequently appear, both erect and flaccid.

Oral and anal sex are given equal screen time, and one poor bunny rabbit doesn’t stand a chance against an angry and hungry man.

I’m still cringing from that scene.

O Fantasma is a disturbing viewing, but never boring. It’s not quite cerebral or artsy, but boy, does it mesmerize. I’ve never seen a film quite like it, nor do I think I ever need to see it again.

This film would never have been made in the United States, but European filmmakers get away with so much more skin and sex. That’s just a known fact.

Actor Ricardo Meneses doesn’t possess much acting range, nor does he need to. He needs to glare, sulk, and stalk to make his character’s intention clear. He’s got a great body and even looks good when he sniffs a shower stall and licks Fátima’s face.

A peculiar dog reference abounds throughout the film, with sniffing, licking, and the use of two real dogs in its cast. Does Sergio feel dog-like because of shame over his sexuality and/or his need for depravity and degradation?

I both liked and disliked O Fantasma (2000) but longed for a less ambiguous conclusion and a happier resolution for Sergio.

Major props to Rodrigues for crafting an innovative, if not haunting, production.

1975 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy

Shampoo-1975

May 19, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Shampoo-1975

Director Hal Ashby

Starring Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Goldie Hawn

Scott’s Review #1,362

Reviewed May 19, 2023

Grade: A-

Shampoo (1975) is a dark comedy that reminds me greatly of a Robert Altman film, without the customary overlapping dialogue found in his works.

The political environment against the posh Los Angeles backdrop emotes the vibes of The Long Goodbye (1973) and Nashville (1975) with enough sly satire and humor to generate a comparison.

Of course, the film, nestled in mid-1970s cinema greatness, is in the right decade. Further, the 1968 setting is perfect for the Los Angeles mood, where the Manson killings, hippies, sex, drugs, and rock n roll were all commonplace.

Listening to the soundtrack of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and other familiar bands of the late 1960s makes Shampoo a grand slam of authenticity and richness.

Director Hal Ashby, who created the dark-comedy classic Harold and Maude in 1971, hits it out of the park again with Shampoo, a study of love, loneliness, and a sense of belonging and fulfillment.

I wasn’t won over right away, and the film took me a while to warm up to, if I’m being honest, but by the end, I was a big fan, especially of the writing.

But some of the slow-build films are the best.

The film takes place against the backdrop of Election Night in 1968, when, eventually, shamed former president Richard Nixon won the presidency. The characters bounce from one election party to the next but barely notice the outcome, choosing booze and lust over politics.

Beverly Hills hairdresser and notorious cad George Roundy (Warren Beatty) runs into trouble when his bedroom antics interfere with a possible business deal with the influential Lester (Jack Warden).

George is sleeping with Lester’s wife, Felicia (Lee Grant), and his best friend and ex-girlfriend, Jackie (Julie Christie), in addition to his current girlfriend, Jill Haynes, played by Goldie Hawn.

Part of why Shampoo sneaks up on the viewer is that it’s not a laugh-out-loud comedy in a physical way. Instead, the intelligent dialogue and the development of its characters are the winning formula.

We first meet George in bed with his older mistress, Felicia, who we assume might be his girlfriend. When he makes an excuse to check on Jill, we realize he is playing the field, but with no ill intent.

He genuinely likes the women he beds, but despite his antics, he feels empty and mindlessly trudging along.

A wonderful scene atop the Hollywood Hills brings George’s peril to a climax when he professes his love for one of the women, but is it too late?

Beatty, who co-wrote the screenplay, fleshes out his character’s motivations well. He really only wants happiness and a successful business. Some of the action takes place in his salon, where he meets his conquests.

The scenes between Beatty and Warden work particularly well, especially when Lester discovers George in a precarious situation, or three, assuming he is gay.

Let’s not forget the ladies. The triple bill of Christie, Hawn, and Grant is a force to be reckoned with. Grant is an interesting character since she has all the wealth she wants, but instead loves the financially struggling George. Should we feel sympathy for her?

Jill presumably will find happiness with a director smitten with her. They seem like a quality pair, and Christie’s Jackie also makes out well at the conclusion of the film.

Surprisingly, the presidential election is more of a background effect and is largely ignored by the characters, who have better things to worry about.

Ashby mostly has the news telecasts and election returns blurred intentionally. The point made is that Nixon’s cheating is a reflection of the self-obsession affecting the United States during that time.

Despite his flaws, the audience nonetheless roots for George. This is a testament to the writing of Beatty and Robert Towne and the rich, slow build that Ashby provides to Shampoo (1975) amid a shiny yet tarnished Los Angeles veneer.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actor-Jack Warden, Best Supporting Actress-Lee Grant (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Art Direction

2023 Films, Horror

Knock at the Cabin-2023

May 14, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Knock at the Cabin-2023

Director M. Night Shyamalan

Starring Dave Bautista, Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge

Scott’s Review #1,361

Reviewed May 14, 2023

Grade: B+

Most M. Night Shyamalan films follow a pattern in which there is either a twist ending or a thought-provoking message to stew over during and following the film. They also include a supernatural element. That’s why his films intrigue and keep certain audiences coming back for more.

The director’s films are never boring and his fascination with the odd and macabre aspects of life is contagious.

Knock at the Cabin (2023) is just such a film with a suspenseful premise immediately eliciting intrigue if the trailers do it justice. An isolated cabin in the middle of nowhere is the perfect setting for a horror film as the character’s vulnerability is evident.

The film is based on a 2018 novel called The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul G. Tremblay.

Featuring the impressive inclusivity of a white male same-sex couple with a young adopted Asian daughter got my attention immediately. Much credit to those involved for straying from the tried and true and risking the label of a ‘gay movie’.

Married couple Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) are happily vacationing at a remote cabin in rural Pennsylvania with their daughter Wen (Kristen Cui). One day, while collecting grasshoppers Wen is approached by a hulking man named Leonard (Dave Bautista) who befriends her.

When Leonard and his friends take the family hostage they demand that the family make an unthinkable choice to avert an apocalypse. At first, thinking the group is psychotic, the family slowly starts to question what is real and what is not while the clock rapidly ticks toward doomsday.

The win with Knock at the Cabin is there is not a dull moment during the one hour and forty minutes running time. Shyamalan uses lots of closeup camera work that keeps the level of peril at a maximum.

Within the first few minutes, a gleeful Wen goes from chattering with her grasshoppers to suspiciously eyeing the approaching Leonard. The audience sees him in the background and it’s a powerful moment of apprehension.

Who is this hulking behemoth and why is he coming to her family’s cabin? Wen and the audience ask the same questions.

Soon the perspective shifts to the other characters led by Andrew and Eric. Though armed, the strangers seem nice enough. There is a nurse named Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird) and a young mother named Adriane (Abby Quinn). Sure, there is a convict named Redmond (Rupert Grint) but he seems reformed.

The couple ponders whether the strangers have innocently fallen into some weird message board cult or are completely nuts. Through the use of backstory scenes, the audience learns that Andrew and Eric have not always had it easy being shunned by Andrew’s parents and harassed in a bar.

Could the strangers be targeting them for their lifestyle and trying to cause them harm?

Leonard makes them watch footage of the apocalyptic destruction commencing but is the footage real or staged?

The thrilling aspect of Knock at the Cabin is the audience asks the same questions that Eric and Andrew do. As far-fetched as it seems should they believe the strangers? Would you have your significant other or child sacrificed to save the world?

I’m not sure if the conclusion paid off for me or if I completely understood the wrap-up but I adore the strong message of love and connection. I was anticipating more of an ‘aha’ moment or something more powerful.

While none of his subsequent films have matched his masterpiece breakthrough The Sixth Sense (1999) they each have enough mustard to warrant a viewing.

Knock at the Cabin (2023) offers a wonderful dose of diversity that makes the experience timely, relevant, and meaningful. A subpar ending only slightly hampers what is otherwise a thrill ride.

I’ll immediately think of this film if ever I am in a cabin in the middle of the woods.

1976 Films, Crime Thriller, Thriller

Marathon Man-1976

April 29, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Marathon Man-1976

Director John Schlesinger

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier, Roy Scheider

Scott’s Review #1,359

Reviewed April 29, 2023

Grade: A-

Writer William Goldman was involved in two politically charged, taut thrillers released in 1976 that can easily be watched back-to-back.

Fast-paced, rapidly edited, action-packed offerings are on the menu.

The Academy Award-winning All the President’s Men (1976) and Marathon Man (1976) are highly recommended, as they are in the same vein.

They are part of why I love 1970s cinema so much. Freedom and rich character development, combined with a sole vision, are admirable traits.

John Schlesinger, famous for Midnight Cowboy (1969) and other films, directs.

Both films are written by Goldman, and each stars actor Dustin Hoffman, so the similarities are endless. And yet, each has its own identity.

In Marathon Man, Thomas “Babe” Levy (Hoffman) is a Columbia graduate student and long-distance runner, residing in New York City. His older brother, Doc (Roy Scheider), is a government agent chasing down a Nazi war criminal named Szell (Laurence Olivier).

Babe does not know Doc’s career until a tragic event draws him into a plot involving stolen gems and sadistic madmen. Even his girlfriend, Elsa (Marthe Keller), becomes a suspect as everything Babe believes is suddenly turned upside down.

At over two hours, there is not a slow moment in the film.

We meet Babe as he runs through New York City, so the audience learns that his obsession with running may be linked to his need to escape something.

This proves to be true when we learn the brother’s father committed suicide after being investigated during the Joseph McCarthy era, when civilians were suspected and accused of being communists.

So, the backstory made me sympathize with Babe and Doc and fleshed them out as characters. Hoffman and Scheider are superb and show the nuances in the brothers’ personalities. Doc is sophisticated, and Babe is common, though highly intelligent.

The musical score, created by Michael Small, must be mentioned. Oftentimes in film, the score serves as more or less ‘background music’ and can go unnoticed. This is not the case in Marathon Man, and I noticed several times the music-enhancing sequences, especially when peril was involved.

I was pleased to learn that the iconic Laurence Olivier plays the villain, Szell, in the film. He is believable as a vicious German Nazi who specializes in a unique brand of dental work.

First blonde and then bald, the physical nature of the role is showcased. He also calmly performs torturous tactics using dental tools.

Marathon Man is made up of a series of scenes that will either enthrall, make the audience squirm, or, in some cases, both.

Speaking of dental work, any viewer who has a phobia or dislike of going to the dentist may want to fast-forward past the sequence in which Babe is forced to endure some stylized poking and prodding. Szell and his henchmen are convinced that Babe knows more than he is letting on and are determined to make him reveal all.

Early on, a terrifying scene centering on road rage in Manhattan is as good as it gets and reveals the gist of the plot. Nazis, anti-semitism, and a fiery gasoline truck encompass a speedy and argumentative car chase scene.

The sequence is heart-racing, nail-biting, and revealing.

Others flesh out the film like a quiet lunch at a lovely French restaurant. Doc takes Babe and Elsa out where they dine on lavish courses of creamy, sophisticated cuisine and wine. The richness of the food and culture enhances the earlier scenes set in Paris.

The final thirty minutes of Marathon Man are the best part. A series of shootouts in the suburban rural farmland and foot chases in downtown Manhattan culminate in a showdown between Babe and Szell near a water tank in Central Park.

A strong appeal for viewers is experiencing scene after scene in New York City, as many exteriors were shot there.

The plot of Marathon Man (1976) is sometimes too complicated, and not all events add up satisfactorily. The who’s who and realism are a tough sell, but it hardly matters. The film entertains and is a high-energy thrill ride, and that is more than enough for me.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Laurence Olivier

2023 Films, Biography, Drama, Sports

Air-2023

April 19, 2023 scottmet99 Leave a comment

Air-2023

Director Ben Affleck

Starring Matt Damon, Ben Affleck

Scott’s Review #1,358

Reviewed April 19, 2023

Grade: B+

Ben Affleck both directs and co-stars in Air (2023), a sports drama that is surprisingly neither cliched nor enshrouded in a big climactic showdown at the conclusion. This happens in way too many sports-centered films.

Other than basketball game clips occasionally playing in the background the action takes place within boardrooms rather than on the court.

Being a basketball fan is not required.

There is a measure of predictability in Air which I didn’t mind, again surprising. Anyone superficially familiar with National Basketball Association superstar Michael Jordan knows about his famous Air Jordan sneakers. His colorful footwear overtook the nation during the 1980s and 1990s.

This film is based on the true story of its origin and the circumstances surrounding it.

Air is a crowd-pleaser in every sense of the word with energy and affection and not a slow moment to be found.

An unlikely partnership develops between a then-rookie Michael Jordan and Nike’s struggling basketball division revolutionizing the world of sports and contemporary culture with the Air Jordan brand.

A Nike basketball talent scout Sonny Vaccaro (Matt Damon) comes up with an unusual and risky offer to land Jordan, a rising college star who would become the most successful NBA player in history.

His parents, Deloris and James (Viola Davis and Julius Tennon) cleverly negotiate for their son to earn his share of the pie usually saved only for executives and business people rather than the sports star. Deloris knows the worth of her son’s immense talent and unmovingly sticks to her guns.

A treat for anyone who grew up in the 1984 era, countless pop songs and pop culture references are included. Every few minutes, snippets of upbeat tunes emote from the screen adding pleasure and nostalgia to the film.

Peppered throughout also include automobiles, office telephones, fax machines, and basic computers. There’s even an early car cell phone included.

Other famous sneaker brands of the time like Adidas and Converse are represented during a time when celebrities and the like were starting to align with sneakers to make large profits.

I’ve said this too many times but in films set during a different time it either looks authentic or it looks like modern actors dressed for the times.

Affleck as a director knows his stuff in this regard. He is a good actor but a very good director.

Damon is the film lead and does so convincingly. Either wearing a padded suit or chunking up to fit the character of Sonny, it’s unclear which, the actor appears as a ‘regular guy’ rather than a Hollywood movie star. This is tricky to pull off for a big star but here it works.

Sonny’s earnestness to save Nike and his connection to the Jordan family feels fresh and unassuming. He’s painted as a good guy and counterbalances other scheming and bloodthirsty sports agents like David Falk, impressively played by Chris Messina.

Jason Bateman also shines brightly as Sonny’s colleague, Robby Strasser, a man revealed to be lonely. In a touching moment, Sonny brings Robby a birthday cake on a working Sunday, when his special day would otherwise have been forgotten.

Davis can never do wrong but is the anchor of the film and the role of common sense.

Finally, the character of Michael Jordan is portrayed in the film, though his face is not seen, and has limited dialogue.

Thanks to a crackling screenplay and genuine sincerity, Ben Affleck’s Air (2023) has gotten butts back in movie theater seats. It proves that people do love the theater when served a satisfying offering.

Welcome to my blog!1,542 reviews posted so far! I'm Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My site features hundreds of film reviews I have written since I launched the site in 2014. I hope you enjoy reading my latest reviews or searching for your own favorites to see if we agree. Please see my featured films of the month, and don't forget to utilize the tags and category links.