Category Archives: Dick Cavett

1987 Films, Dick Cavett, Fantasy, Freddy Kruger, Heather Langenkamp, Horror, John Saxon, Laurence Fishburne, Nan Martin, Patricia Arquette, Robert Englund, Slasher, Wes Craven, Zsa Zsa Gabor

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors-1987

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A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors-1987

Director Chuck Russell

Starring Patricia Arquette, Heather Langenkamp, Robert Englund

Scott’s Review #1,028

Reviewed May 29, 2020

Grade: B+

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987) is a credible effort to take the, at this point, tired slasher genre in a new direction, using style and special effects to its advantage.

The film is not a work of art and does not stray too far from the norm to risk losing the target audience, but the experiment works, providing the film with a fresh feel.

Thankfully, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) is in tow providing wit and humor and rich character history rarely seen in horror.

One year following the events of the previous chapter, Kristen Parker (Patricia Arquette) awakens following a nightmare of being chased by Freddy Krueger, to find him in her bathroom where she is attacked again.

Her mother believes that she is suicidal and sends her to Westin Hills Psychiatric Hospital, where Kristen is placed under the care of Dr. Neil Gordon (Craig Wasson).

The rest of the events of the film mainly take place in this setting. A new intern therapist, Nancy, (Heather Langenkamp) takes an interest in Kristen’s case.

In two clever plot twists, one a bit too coincidental, Nancy reveals to the remaining patients that they are the “last of the Elm Street kids”, the surviving children of the people who banded together and burned Krueger to death many years ago.

The second is more intriguing as a nun named Sister Mary Helena (Nan Martin) provides the history of Freddy’s mother, Amanda Krueger, who turns out to be the same.

This humanizes Freddy a bit and provides layers to his story rather than just another “slice ’em and dice ’em” horror film.

The film has a way of gathering curiosity and delivering the goods with dreams hypnosis and mental synapses, as the kids realize they have dream powers that culminate in a group adventure.

Perfect for the mental hospital setting.

The junkyard sequence that provides the climax with so much muscle is splendid adding creative and colorful bits of junk, littering the entire set with rusty tin trinkets and other nooks and crannies to marvel at.

A feast for the eyes and a perfect backdrop for evil and killings. The set design works tremendously well in this film.

The familiar character Nancy played once again by Langenkamp (the main girl from the first Nightmare) is a nice touch of recognition that will please fans immensely. A returning favorite in a horror franchise is always a smart move.

The casting of esteemed character actress Nan Martin, who can frighten the pants off anyone if given a good part, is a divine decision. The actress even resembles legendary actress Betsy Palmer (familiar to Friday the 13th fans as the dreadful Mrs. Voorhees).

The creepy mommy theme so often works well in horror films and this inclusion is no exception.

The theme song to A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors is a pop-metal treat written and performed by the heavy metal band Dokken.

This inclusion assuredly brought the teenage girls and the mullet crowd alike to movie theaters across America. The song is catchy and can easily be head-banged as the end credits roll across the screen.

Even more impressive is that the lyrics make sense from a story perspective since dreams are a huge part of the franchise and this specific installment.

Nearly rivaling the original A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) in originality and plot, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warrior (1987) does a fantastic job bringing energy to a fading genre, one not to be rejuvenated for another nine years when Scream (1996) debuted.

Engaging and brightly lit razzle-dazzle visual sets within dreams are pulse-racing and creative, while a mother story crafts fresh air. This film is the sequel high-point to a series of duds soon to follow.

2015 Films, Dick Cavett, Documentary, Gore Vidal, John Lithgow, Kelsey Grammer, Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon, William F. Buckley Jr.

Best of Enemies-2015

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Best of Enemies-2015

Director Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon

Starring William F. Buckley Jr., Gore Vidal

Scott’s Review #467

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Reviewed August 19, 2016

Grade: B

Best of Enemies is a 2015 documentary that transports the viewer back to the 1960s, specifically to 1968, during the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.

I found the documentary to be a nice little history lesson for me as 1968 was before my time and the timing of my viewing (2016) was perfect as at the time of this review we are in the midst of an intense presidential race.

This is an adequate slice of political debate and rivalry with differing ideologies among the central figures.

At that time, ABC Primetime News was a floundering network, that needed something to attract viewers and compete with competitors, the much higher-rated CBS and NBC.

This was a time when audiences had merely three networks of news offerings to choose from.

The documentary references this fact as the power of the medium of television in 1968 was quite intense and still new. I looked back fondly on the limited choices of networks then, compared to oodles of offerings now. Still, everyone watched the same programming, which elicited better conversations the next day it could be argued.

ABC concocted a scheme to bring together two bitter rivals, ultra-conservative, William F. Buckley, and ultra-liberal, Gore Vidal. The pair, obviously of differing opinions, reportedly despised each other, and the possibilities were electric.

I found the documentary very genuine. 1968 was before reality television and mock feuds to garner ratings ever existed.

Their heated debates are now legendary and there was an authenticity to them.

The documentary is told in a structured way. Buckley and Vidal faced off during ten primaries, five for the Republican primary in Florida, and five for the Democratic primary in Chicago.

Other than their blowups, the conversations crackled with intelligence, both men passionate, and well-educated in their views.

Best of Enemies also gives an overview of Vidal and Buckley and how they each had come to achieve their respective fame. Interviews with family members, colleagues, and friends are interspersed in the documentary among the constant barbs between the two as the debates ravaged on.

A moment during the final democratic debate that would cement the loathing between Vidal and Buckley for decades to come.

Continuing to debate with a snarky, condescending tone by both, tensions came to a head as Vidal referenced Buckley as a Nazi, and Buckley, in turn, called Vidal a queer and threatened to sock him in the mouth.

The hatred in the eyes of both men is legendary as their rivalry knew no boundaries. The fact that this all took place on live television (before tape delay censors) made it all the more shocking.

Strangely, the documentary uses narrated voices by Kelsey Grammar and John Lithgow for Buckley and Vidal, respectively, for a few segments. I found this rather unnecessary and even distracting. The voices surmised what each felt at the time and did not work.

This is a documentary showing the real birth of political pundits (now a dime a dozen) and the realism that television was at that time- still rather novel.

Today it is filled with outrageous people and those looking for their ten seconds of fame.

Best of Enemies (2015) shows us the authenticity of television in the early days and sadly, reminds us what it has now become.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Documentary Feature

2015 Films, Amy J. Berg, Bob Weir, Cat Power, Clive Davis, Dick Cavett, Documentary, Janis Joplin, Juliette Lewis, Kris Kristofferson, Melissa Etheridge

Janis: Little Girl Blue-2015

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Janis: Little Girl Blue- 2015

Director Amy Berg

Starring Janis Joplin

Scott’s Review #420

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Reviewed- June 19, 2016

Grade: B+

As a fan of Janis Joplin’s classic 1960s and early 1970s brand of classic, bluesy, rock n roll, viewing a documentary of the star’s life and times was a great experience.

The film sheds light on the mysterious rocker, gone way too soon and with undoubtedly much more to say. Janis was one of the most authentic, real performers of her time.

A big voice in a man’s world, impressive still, is that she wrote all her songs herself.

The documentary is well put together as it traverses Janis’s early days as an insecure teenager living in rural Texas. Never a beauty, Janis was insecure like most teenagers are.

She was always a pistol and prided herself on being different and outspoken, frequently ruffling feathers in her conservative town, especially given the period.

Janis preferred hanging out with males and being “one of the guys”.

An aspect I found interesting about this documentary is exploring Janis’s home life, well before she became a successful singer.

Taunted in school for being different because she was a painter and a thinker, she lived in a largely racist town and had a conflict with others who were not as progressive as she.

Janis’s sister and brother are heavily featured throughout the documentary and explains interesting tidbits about Janis’s home life and conflict with her parents.

Sadly, they forged a pleasant relationship, but never really mended fences before Janis’s untimely death.

Her relationships with other rockers of the time are explored and more than one festival performance is shared giving a glimpse of what type of performer she was. She improvised, and put her heart on the line, intense, and brutally honest.

A lost soul with enormous talent and raw capabilities, Janis Joplin is missed, but thankfully we still have her incredible music to carry on with.

Janis: Little Girl Blue (2015) is a great documentary that gives a cherished overview of the life and times of a tremendous artist.

1994 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Dick Cavett, Drama, Gary Sinise, Haley Joel Osment, Robert Zemeckis, Robin Wright, Sally Field, Scott's Top 100 Films, Tom Hanks

Forrest Gump-1994

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Forrest Gump-1994

Director Robert Zemeckis

Starring Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise

Top 100 Films #94

Scott’s Review #362

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Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Awarded a bevy of Academy Awards in the year 1994, Forrest Gump is a film that is engrained in many people’s memories since the film was a monster hit in the mid-1990s.

Some complained that the unrealistic nature of the film was silly, and the story too saccharine, but the film is an innocent, sweet piece about a simple-minded man’s journey through life and the insurmountable success that he achieves.

I adore the film largely from a sentimental standpoint and the memories that watching the film years later conjures up.

I find the film to be a comfort.

Zemeckis, a feel-good film director (Back to the Future-1985, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? -1988), carves a whimsical tale of a fellow, Forrest Gump (played brilliantly by Tom Hanks), a slow-witted, but gentle soul, from Alabama, and his decades-long journey through life.

His lifelong love is Jenny (played by Robin Wright), who is a troubled girl and relies on Forrest over their friendship spanning decades.

Forrest is always in the right place at the right time and influences the events of history in his innocent way.

Forrest Gump is unique in its clever use of editing to incorporate Forrest into real-life historical events, which is a big part of the appeal of the film.

In one instance, Forrest meets with Richard Nixon and reveals the Watergate scandal. He also met President John F. Kennedy after winning a football scholarship.

And who can ever forget the numerous lines made famous from the film- “Stupid is as stupid does”, and “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get.”, to name just two.

What I love most about the film is that it has heart and the relationships that Forrest shares with the central characters in his life are rich. Forrest’s haggard, but kind mother (Sally Field) loves her son and they share a tender, emotional relationship.

When Forrest enlists in the Army during the Vietnam War, his grizzled commanding officer, Lt. Dan Taylor (an Oscar-nominated performance by Gary Sinise), surprisingly becomes one of Forrest’s closest friends.

The film takes a darker turn when we begin to see a more human side to Taylor after a horrible accident, which leaves him without legs. To counterbalance this tragedy, Forrest is comically wounded in the buttocks.

I am not sure if I love or loathe the character of Jenny. Wright is perfect at giving her some vulnerability and her terrible upbringing can excuse some of her actions and take advantage of Forrest for arguably her gain.

Still, she has Forrest’s heart so she cannot be all that bad.

A favorite scene occurs in Washington as Forrest speaks at an anti-war rally. Jenny, in the crowd, recognizes Forrest and their reunion is sweet. Jenny, now a hippie and expelled from school, returns to Forrest’s life.

The fate of both Jenny and Mrs. Gump are scenes that will undoubtedly require tissues to get through as they are tender and emotional as can be.

Zemeckis’s Forrest Gump (1994) has emotion, sweetness, and heart, and those are nice qualities for a film to have.

It is not too sappy overwrought or manipulative, instead provides an honest story.

Oscar Nominations: 6 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Robert Zemeckis (won), Best Actor-Tom Hanks (won), Best Supporting Actor-Gary Sinise, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published (won), Best Original Score, Best Sound Effects Editing, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Makeup, Best Film Editing (won), Best Visual Effects (won)

1977 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Diane Keaton, Dick Cavett, Jeff Goldblum, Woody Allen

Annie Hall-1977

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Annie Hall-1977

Director Woody Allen

Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

Scott’s Review #48

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Reviewed June 19, 2014

Grade: A

Annie Hall (1978) is one of Woody Allen’s finest works and that says something as his list of wonderful films goes on and on (Manhattan, Blue Jasmine, and Interiors) are gems.

Annie Hall is a witty, intelligent, great comedy. It is sharply written, quirky, and neurotic all rolled into one.

Comedy is a tough genre. Romantic comedies are even tougher to get right.

My favorite part of the film is Woody Allen himself. Some might say he plays himself, but he is engagingly hysterical as the neurotic, skeptical, Jewish, cynical New York man named Alvy.

He meets and falls in love with equally neurotic Annie Hall, played by Diane Keaton.

They quarrel, love, and traverse from New York to California and back.

There are some very funny scenes (lobster, movie theater line, and the drive-through Manhattan), and the intelligent, crisp dialogue makes this a top-notch comedy.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Woody Allen (won), Best Actor-Woody Allen, Best Actress-Diane Keaton (won), Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Based on Factual Material or Story Material Not Previously Published or Produced (won)