Category Archives: Comedy

1951 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Musical or Comedy Golden Globe Winners, Comedy, Musical, Paris, Romantic Comedy, Top 250 Films

An American in Paris-1951

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An American in Paris-1951

Director Vincente Minnelli

Starring Gene Kelly

Top 250 Films #113

Scott’s Review #120

Reviewed July 19, 2014

Grade: B+

A classic film directed by Vincente Minnelli, An American in Paris is a musical from 1951 set in marvelous Paris- though, to be fair, the entire movie, save for the opening scenes of Paris, is shot exclusively on a sound stage.

Gene Kelly stars as Jerry Mulligan, a struggling American artist who lives in a quiet neighborhood with his best friend, Adam Cook.

Jerry optimistically sings and tap-dances his way through life, befriending neighbors and school kids and spending time at the local cafe until he is finally noticed by wealthy art buyer Milo, played by Nina Foch.

This sets off a quadrangle when Jerry falls for youthful Lise (Leslie Caron), already dating a suave French singer, Georges Guetary.

An American in Paris is a cheerful fantasy film. It is bright and colorful and filled with musical numbers and dancing.

Highlights in this department are “‘S Wonderful” and “I Got Rhythm”.

The brilliance lies in the incredible eighteen-minute epic finale, which features Gene Kelly’s ballet on Parisian sets designed by various artists. It is as innovative as anything in film history.

The film’s drawback is the lack of chemistry between Kelly and Caron, which I notice more with each passing viewing.

There is more chemistry between Kelly and Foch, who is meant to be the odd woman out, and I still find myself rooting for them rather than the intended couple.

I love that none of the four characters in the story is a villain, which adds to the film’s merry feel.

The predictable ending is fantastic and romantic.

An American in Paris won the 1951 Best Picture Oscar, upsetting the heavily favored A Streetcar Named Desire.

Oscar Nominations: 6 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Vincente Minnelli, Best Story and Screenplay (won), Best Scoring of a Musical Picture (won), Best Art Direction, Color (won), Best Cinematography, Color (won), Best Costume Design, Color (won), Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Vincente Minnelli, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy-Gene Kelly

1972 Films, Comedy, Drama, Independent Comedy, International, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Fellini’s Roma-1972

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Fellini’s Roma-1972

Director Federico Fellini

Starring Peter Gonzales, Britta Barnes

Top 250 Films #122

Scott’s Review #649

Reviewed June 5, 2017

Grade: A-

Fellini’s Roma (1973) is a trippy experience set in Rome across two different periods.

As with all Fellini films, the film is meant to be experienced rather than analyzed.

One must nestle into the life that Fellini offers on-screen- in this instance, the fabulous city of Rome, Italy, in both positives and negatives.

The experience was very good for me, as both a world of odd characters and of ancient Rome oozed from the screen appealingly and absurdly.

From a plot narrative- there is a rot one. Arguably, the only character portrayed is Rome herself. The film takes place in both the 1930s and the 1970s and is said to be an autobiographical tale of director Fellini’s experiences growing up in Rome.

We see little Fellini as a youngster, experiencing the vast city for the first time, and as a teenager, now living in the city. Interestingly, the film moves back and forth between the two periods with no rhyme or reason.

Throughout the film, we see both the beauty and the ugliness of Rome- the majestic Colosseum and the dirty entrails of the gloomy city. Scenes of seedy brothels, mainly in the 1930s, and a myriad of strange and scantily clad females prance before the cameras, looking for a lucky score amid the droves of men lusting after them.

Another depicts a fashion show, of sorts, taking place at the Vatican, involving nuns and priests in bizarre costumes.

The 1930’s setting is my personal favorite. Gritty, cold, and harsh, Rome’s bleakness is depicted. Unsurprisingly, this has much to do with the historical period: since Mussolini was in power and on the eve of World War II, the darkness was apparent.

In a frightening scene, bomb sirens wail while a woman shrieks in panic. The brothel scenes are downright creepy, and the subsequent theatre scenes involving drunken, rowdy, young men leering and cursing at the entertainment are a particular slice of a life sequence.

In contrast, the 1970s sequences are layered with more beautiful depictions of the city. Brighter colors predominate, and there appear to be scientists or explorers digging into ancient ruins, finding gorgeous art that is subsequently damaged by the wind. We also see hippy types basking in the sunlight.

Again, much of this film is largely open to interpretation.

I adore Fellini’s Roma in terms of an expression of the city of Rome as an art form, but the film is highly unconventional- another plus for me.

Sure, I may have wanted to learn more about the bevy of creepy and potentially interesting characters. Still, I finished the film with an appreciation for Rome unlike any I have ever known.

A startling final scene, in which legendary Italian film star Anna Magnani appears scantily clad, implied to be a prostitute, was filmed shortly before her untimely death at the age of sixty-five.

As a film, Fellini’s Roma (1972) is a wonderful history lesson, but also a lesson in interpretation and film appreciation. Most filmgoers are accustomed to a beginning, middle, and end, as well as some semblance of a plot.

Roma contains none of that; rather, it is mind-opening and still fresh many years after its release, which is a true testament.

1985 Films, Comedy, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama, Top 250 Films

The Breakfast Club-1985

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The Breakfast Club-1985

Director John Hughes

Starring Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Emilio Estevez

Top 250 Films #131

Scott’s Review #755

Reviewed May 8, 2018

Grade: A

The Breakfast Club (1985) is one of the most beloved films of the 1980s and perfectly captures what it was like to be a teenager at the time.

Containing both innocence and authenticity rarely found in films targeted at younger audiences (and there were plenty in the 1980s), the film is timeless and holds up exceptionally well, still feeling fresh.

Director John Hughes avoids cliches and creates genuine truth in cinema. The theme song, “(Don’t You) Forget About Me,” is nearly impossible to hear without associating it with this film.

The storyline is uncomplicated: five high school students (Bender, Claire, Andy, Brian, and Allison) from different social classes gather one Saturday morning in the high school library for a day of detention.

Each student appears to know the others, but only peripherally, having little in common.

Assistant Principal Vernon (Paul Gleason) assigns them to complete a thousand-word essay by the end of the day. The group engages in mischievous antics, squabbles, and discusses their respective roles and troubles in life throughout the day.

The film looks and feels like a small, independent feature rather than a big-budget offering, which is a great compliment. The cast is very small- only the aforementioned six principles and two minor characters.

The setting is almost entirely inside the walls of a suburban high school, with only a few exterior shots. Mainly, what succeeds is the characters’ interactions, rich dialogue, and good texture, along with underlying insecurities that make the screenplay bristle with genuine angst.

It is tough to pinpoint who the lead characters would be, but arguably Claire and Bender (Molly Ringwald and Judd Nelson) are the pair expected to unite as a couple, as they do in the conclusion- this is predictable yet sweet.

Unexpectedly, however, the film pairs Andy and Allison (Emilio Estevez and Allie Sheedy).

Both couples are complete opposites; Claire and Bender even despise each other for most of the film, yet they realize their mutual attraction.

Careful not to weigh down the film with too much heavy drama, Hughes, who also wrote and produced the work, peppers in some comedic moments.

Gleason is the easy foil as the sole authority figure, a bit too dedicated to his job of humiliating and disciplining the students, but he does get his due humorously.

Either on-screen or off-screen, no adult figures are written in a positive light, giving The Breakfast Club a complete teenage perspective.

But the main appeal lies with teenagers and the message that Hughes successfully relays: that of the misunderstood young adult.

Each character is unhappy in some way and feels placed into a category or defined by the cliques they belong to, whether they want to or not.

Hughes makes the film a treasure in terms of relating to the characters- everyone remembers high school and the insecurities wrestled with while attempting to get good grades and obtain acceptance.

Hughes brings these aspects to life with his slice-of-life tale.

Even if not every character is immediately recognized by the viewers, each is empathetic nonetheless.

When Andy reveals his father’s criticisms, or Bender painfully recounts his father’s physical abuse, we feel for them, suddenly seeing the strong athlete or the burnout from our high school days in an entirely new way.

Mousy Allison gets a makeover from Claire and suddenly shines like a new dime- finally not being ignored. Brian’s overbearing parents’ pressures are almost too much for him to bear.

After the film, we are left to wonder what will happen on Monday morning during homeroom. Will the group continue their new friendships (or more) or return to the normalcy of their respective peer groups?

Hughes wisely does not satisfy our piqued curiosity but rather leaves it to our imagination.

The Breakfast Club (1985) holds appeal for the masses without feeling cliched or put upon- only feeling insightful and inspired to accept others we may have preconceived notions about.

1985 Films, Camp, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Top 250 Films

Clue-1985

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Clue-1985

Director Jonathan Lynn

Starring Tim Curry, Eileen Brennan, Madeline Kahn

Top 250 Films #133

Scott’s Review #341

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Clue is a harmless 1985 comic yarn that is neither a cinematic masterpiece nor anything more than fluff.

But since I adored the classic board game growing up and reveled in the excitement of the different characters, rooms, and murder weapons, the film version holds a very special place in my heart and memory bank, having watched it time and time again as a youngster.

The plot is immediately filled with intrigue, a successful element, and the best part of the film.

Six interesting characters- with provocative aliases such as Ms. Scarlet, Colonel Mustard, and Mrs. Peacock- are all summoned to a New England mansion named Hill House.

Naturally, it is a dark, stormy night, and each receives a mysterious note written by a stranger.

Among the colorful characters working at the mansion are the plump cook, the scantily dressed maid, Yvette, and the butler, Wadsworth, who is running the show and greets the confused guests.

Slowly, it is revealed that all of the guests are being blackmailed, and all of them either live or have ties to Washington, D.C.

After each guest is given a weapon as a gift, the lights go out, and a murder occurs, launching a fun whodunit. Each guest and the staff strive to figure out who has committed the murder, as subsequent murders begin to occur.

The comic hijinks are reminiscent of funny films like High Anxiety (1977)  and even Young Frankenstein (1974).

The atmospheric qualities featured in Clue are what I love most about the film- the vast mansion, the many gorgeously decorated rooms, the secret passageways, and the driving rain all make for a great ambiance.

Clue is clever in that it features three different endings!  Upon initial theatrical release, this was a unique premise- one could see the film multiple times and not know how it was to end or who the killer might be revealed to be.

Unfortunately, the film was not a commercial success, so this ploy failed.

The famed cast delivers their parts with comic gusto, and without them, the film would simply be dumb.

It seems obvious that the cast had a good old time with this romp- Eileen Brennan, Christopher Lloyd, Lesley Ann Warren, and Madeline Kahn have a comic ball with their perfect delivery of the lines.

Clue is not a message movie; it does not inspire cinematic art, but what it does, it does incredibly well- it entertains.

The writing, along with the political and sexual innuendo, is witty. One can become lost in the interesting characters and try to guess, or even make up, the whodunit and why they did it.

I can be entertained by Clue (1985) time and time again.

1999 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire, Top 250 Films

American Beauty-1999

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American Beauty-1999

Director Sam Mendes

Starring Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening

Top 250 Films #136

Scott’s Review #70

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Reviewed June 25, 2014

Grade: A

American Beauty is a film that holds up magnificently well and packs the same punch as when I first saw it in 1999.

The film won the Best Picture Oscar in 1999, surprisingly so, as it is not a mainstream film and is edgy, artistic, and poetic.

The film is a thought-provoking story of the American Dream gone wrong and how most people live ordinary, humdrum, on the surface, happy lives, but ultimately are unhappy, damaged, or otherwise unfulfilled.

It is a truthful film and reminds me quite a bit of The Ice Storm, a 1997 film.

American Beauty is not a downer but rather witty, darkly humorous, and filled with dry sarcasm.

Kevin Spacey is tremendous as the central character going through a midlife crisis, and Annette Bening is frighteningly good as his neurotic, controlling wife.

Their daughter, played by Thora Birch, has her teenage angst and falls in love with a neighborhood misfit. Every character, even small and supporting, is troubled in some way.

American Beauty (1999) is a film that was loved or hated at the time of its release; some did not get it or did not want to invest the thought it requires, but to me, it’s a work of art that has achieved a timeless quality.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Sam Mendes (won), Best Actor-Kevin Spacey (won), Best Actress-Annette Bening, Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (won), Best Original Score, Best Cinematography (won), Best Film Editing

1977 Films, Comedy, Satire, Top 250 Films

High Anxiety-1977

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High Anxiety-1977

Director Mel Brooks

Starring Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman

Top 250 Films #146

Scott’s Review #740

Reviewed April 11, 2018

Grade: A

For lovers of legendary film director Alfred Hitchcock (as this reviewer is a die-hard fan), the 1977 spoof/satirical feast High Anxiety is a must-see.

The film is simply a treat for the multitude (nearly twenty!) of fun references to Hitchcock classics that fans can easily point out. Such classics as 1964’s The Birds, 1945’s Spellbound, 1958’s Vertigo, and 1960’s fan-favorite Psycho are heavily parodied.

Producer, director, and star Mel Brooks abounds all expectations with a brilliant performance and a smattering of veteran Brooks ensemble players along for the ride.

Featured stars Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, and Cloris Leachman deliver wonderful, lively, and memorable comic performances without ever being too zany or silly.

High Anxiety is a hilarious and clever production.

Brooks plays neurotic Doctor Richard Thorndyke, whom the Psycho-Neurotic Institute has hired for the Very Very Nervous. His role is to replace Doctor Ashley, who has died mysteriously at the facility.

Transported by his nervous driver, Brophy, he meets a bevy of peculiar characters led by Doctor Charles Montague (Korman), a man with a BDSM fetish, and Nurse Charlotte Diesel (Leachman), the grizzled head nurse.

Thorndyke immediately receives death threats amid strange shenanigans that seem to follow him wherever he goes.

Brilliantly, Thorndyke suffers from “high anxiety,” a witty reference to Hitchcock’s character of Scotty from 1958’s Vertigo.

As he meets and falls in love with Victoria Brisbane (Kahn), a woman whose father is a patient at the facility, he becomes determined to prove the fraudulence and deceit of Montague and Diesel, while subsequently clearing himself of a murder charge orchestrated by the pair.

The murder scene- occurring in a crowded lobby- with Thorndyke caught red-handed holding the murder weapon as a camera snaps the shot for evidence, is a direct spoof of 1959’s North by Northwest.

To be clear, High Anxiety is not a high-brow film, nor does it ever dare to take itself too seriously. It knows what it is and what it wants to achieve: to both entertain and please fans of Hitchcock.

The film is an ode and tribute to the general filmmaking of the director, who reportedly adored the picture and the accolades that Brooks received for making it.

There is hardly a better stamp of approval than that.

I adore the casting and the odd characters Brooks writes, specifically Leachman and Korman. The duo ham it up with a script laced with great comic moments to sink their teeth into.

Leachman, with her drill-sergeant-like stiff posture and pointed bosom (Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca in the 1940s), combined with the wimpy and snarky mannerisms of Korman’s character, is the perfect combination of female dominant and male submissive as they play off one another in a crisp style.

The sinister way that Nurse Diesel (my favorite character) utters the word “Braces”, a reference to her henchman, drizzles with dark humor and wit.

Piggybacking off these characters, Dick Van Patten (Eight Is Enough) gives a fine turn as the doomed straight man with a conscience, Dr. Wentworth, who knows something is up at the facility but is too timid to know exactly what it is.

His death scene is one of my favorites as derived from 1976’s Family Plot, the poor man is driven to ruptured eardrums and a subsequent stroke after his car is rigged to blast rock music, trapping him inside.

Brooks and Kahn make a lovable duo as the beleaguered romantic couple is forced into an adventure to prove innocence and rescue Victoria’s father from harm.

A favorite moment is Brooks’s wonderful rendition of “High Anxiety” at a hotel piano bar as he successfully woos Victoria, an entertaining romantic-comedy moment.

Predictably, he gets the girl.

High Anxiety (1977) is delicious, silly, and peppered with great classic Hitchcock moments that are fun to watch and to pick out which movie each one references.

An absolute must-see for all Hitchcock fans or those who want a humorous, lightweight introduction to the works of the Master.

1950 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Theater, Top 250 Films

All About Eve-1950

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All About Eve-1950

Director Joe Mankiewicz

Starring Bette Davis, Anne Baxter

Top 250 Films #155

Scott’s Review #73

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Reviewed June 27, 2014

Grade: A

All About Eve is a cynical masterpiece from 1950 set in the competitive world of the New York theater.

Insecure Margo Channing, played to perfection by Bette Davis, is an aging actress whose career is declining. She meets naïve Eve Harrington, played by Anne Baxter, who insinuates herself into Margo’s life and career.

One interesting aspect of this film is the opening scene of Eve’s acceptance speech. The look of anger and disdain on the front table indicates what is to come.

The film backtracks from the first time the two women meet, and the story begins.

It is undoubtedly a dark film, and jealousy and back-stabbing are common themes throughout, as had never been done before, set in the world of theater.

One by one, Margo’s friends catch on to Eve’s plot, but at what cost?

This is Bette Davis’s comeback performance as a talented Broadway star, and she makes the most of the opportunity as she deliciously delivers her famous revenge-minded line, “Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

Marilyn Monroe has a cameo as a debutante in her first film.

The film deservedly won the 1950 Best Picture Oscar.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Joseph L. Mankiewicz (won), Best Actress-Anne Baxter, Bette Davis, Best Supporting Actor-George Sanders (won), Best Supporting Actress-Celeste Holm, Thelma Ritter, Best Screenplay (won), Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Sound Recording (won), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Costume Design, Black-and-White (won), Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Motion Picture-Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama-Bette Davis, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-George Sanders, Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Thelma Ritter, Best Screenplay-Motion Picture (won)

2019 Films, Best International Film Oscar Winners, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, International, International Comedy, International Thriller, South Korean, Thriller, Top 250 Films

Parasite-2019

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Parasite-2019

Director Joon-ho Bong

Starring Song Kang-ho, Jang Hye-jin

Top 250 Films #157

Scott’s Review #963

Reviewed November 28, 2019

Grade: A

Parasite (2019) is a South Korean language film that has it all. The writing is powerful and thought-provoking, the direction is unique and intriguing, the acting is stellar, and the story is perfectly paced with dizzying twists and turns.

The film is uncomfortable and unsettling (in a good way), shifting from dark humor to horror by the time the shocking finale unfolds—an experience that will both dazzle and ravage the viewer with the emotions it instills.

The story centers on two families. The affluent Park residents live in the lap of luxury, enjoying the finer things in life, such as a lavish residence, a personal driver, and a live-in housekeeper.

Park Dong-ik is the CEO of an IT company; his beautiful wife, Park Yeong-gyo, stays at home with their two children, Park Da-hye and Park Da-Song. They are rich and, on the surface, somewhat spoiled and superficial.

The struggling Kims reside in a semi-basement that constantly floods, accept menial jobs to pay the bills, and are grifters.

Patriarch Kim Ki-taek and his wife, Kim Chung-sook, have two teenage children, Kim Ki-woo and Kim Ki-jeong. They are cagey and resourceful, devising schemes to generate money. Each is good-looking but struggles to find much success in life.

Kim Ki-woo’s friend tutors the Park family’s daughter and will soon travel abroad for further studies. He convinces Kim Ki-woo to interview for the position, who easily gets the job by charming the gullible Park Yeong-gyo.

He and the rest of the Kims devise an elaborate scheme to infiltrate the Park family by deceiving Mr. and Mrs. Park into dismissing their driver and housekeeper. The Parks are unaware that their new staff are related!

The underlying theme of Parasite is one of class distinction and social inequality. The tension builds more and more with each scene, and the monetary differences between the haves and have-nots are always on the surface.

Once the Kims get a taste of the good life, they have no intention of being satisfied merely as hired help- they want it all for themselves.

The fact that the Kims are clever and manipulative is no accident on the part of the director, Joon-ho Bong.

Conversely, the Parks are gullible and easily outsmarted by the Kims. Why are they rich, and the Kims poor? The audience wonders. Are we to root for the Kims to overtake the Parks? The Kims are no saints, as they resort to firing other people to get what they want.

Allegiances to characters will shift along the way.

As the Kims get comfy one night in the Park house, when the family goes on a weekend camping trip, the film takes off. Drunk and sparring with each other, the doorbell rings, and the haggard former housekeeper begs to be let in.

When she claims to have left something behind in the basement, this leads to a shocking secret and dramatic turn of events. I did not see the revelation coming, and events only catapult the film into something else.

The pacing and tension during this scene are outstanding.

It’s tough to rival this scene, but the film does just that with the gruesome and bloody birthday party sequence. The proverbial “sh## hits the fan” as the tensions among the characters come to life.

The scene results in several deaths, and the rage of a prominent character reaches a crescendo.

The scene is set on a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for birthday cake, balloons, and shiny wrapped presents. After a lovely start, the party becomes laden with blood, screams, and intensity.

Bong portrays the Kim patriarch as the most sympathetic character, and a montage at the end of the film reinforces this. The other characters are less benevolent and more complicated.

When Mrs. Kim shoves the family dog, she is unlikeable, but then she is kind to the former housekeeper.

Mrs. Park appears innocent at first, but then she becomes a shrew when she plans her son’s birthday party, expecting everyone to cater to her every whim. Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Park mock Mr. Kim behind his back and insinuate that poor people “smell funny”.

Do the Parks deserve their fates?

Parasite (2019) is a dark film characterized by clever writing and effective character development, taking audiences on a rollercoaster ride.

The subtitles do little to detract from the fantastic experience this film offers as Bong spins a spider web of deceit, desperation, and tragedy.

Viewers will undoubtedly be discussing this one for days to come.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Bong Joon-ho (won), Best Original Screenplay (won), Best International Feature Film (won), Best Production Design, Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best International Film (won)

1988 Films, Chick Flicks, Comedy, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Sentimental, Tearjerkers, Top 250 Films

Beaches-1988

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Beaches-1988

Director Garry Marshall

Starring Bette Midler, Barbara Hershey

Top 250 Films #162

Scott’s Review #352

Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Beaches (1988) is a film that can easily be described as sentimental, sappy, and a chick flick- all in a derogatory fashion- but that, regardless, is a treasure to me.

I fall for this tearjerker every single time that I watch it.

It is not necessarily a great film, not high art, nor particularly edgy, but a good, old-fashioned, conventional film about friendship.

Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey give the film believability, whereas other similar films would appear contrived.

C.C. Bloom (Midler) and Hillary Whitney (Hershey) are lifelong friends from opposite backgrounds. Besides, they could not have more opposite personalities. C.C. is blue-collar, outrageous, and brash; Hillary is demure, rich, and sophisticated.

We meet our friends as young girls on the boardwalk of Atlantic City, C.C., hiding from her overbearing stage Mom, and Hillary is lost and wandering the boardwalk.

The two become fast friends despite their vastly different upbringings and stay connected through life’s ups and downs for over thirty years.

The chemistry between Midler and Hershey is great. I completely buy them as best friends through the years, despite having little in common.

Throughout their tender, emotional scenes and the knock-down-drag-out fight at the mall (a fantastic scene!), there is never a doubt about what they have.

They compete over a man, which ordinarily is a lame plot device, but in Beaches, it works because the two stars make it work.

Each actress puts her mark on the individual role. Midler’s C.C. is arrogant, feisty, and interesting as she begins as a “have-not” and becomes a “have”.

She becomes spoiled and pampered- all of the things she envies about Hillary. She does not handle wealth as well as Hillary because she lacks education. Hillary, an attorney, is classy and graceful.

These characteristics make it believable that the women would be at odds.

The last act is a weepy one as one of the women dies, leaving the other to pick up the pieces and move on- alone. This is a sad moment in the film, but the women’s devotion and loyalty are admirable.

Beaches (1988) may not be high art, but boy, will it get you reaching for the tissues.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction

1953 Films, Comedy, Musical, Romantic Comedy, Top 250 Films

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes-1953

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Gentlemen Prefer Blondes-1953

Director Howard Hawks

Starring Jane Russell, Marilyn Monroe

Top 250 Films #164

Scott’s Review #384

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Reviewed March 13, 2016

Grade: B+

One of the iconic and legendary stars, Marilyn Monroe’s better-known offerings from her brief career are Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), a fun musical romantic comedy.

To create this wonderful gem, she stars alongside Jane Russell, another popular Hollywood star from a golden era.

Together, they have great chemistry and an easy yin-yang relationship, which makes the film light and cheerful but not meaningless or too fluffy.

It is just a genre that it is.

As mentioned, Roma has evolved in modern cinema, and Gentlemen embodies the innocence that has since been lost. The 1950s were a perfect time for this genre of film.

Lorelei Lee (Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Russell) are American showgirls and best friends who perform a stage show together. Lorelei loves diamonds and rich men- she is dating Gus Esmond, an awkward yet lovable young man who is wealthy but controlled by his father.

Dorothy is less interested in being showered with wealth but prefers handsome, adventure-filled adventures. These begin when the girls board a cruise ship to Paris. A private investigator (Malone) hired by Gus’s father observes and follows Lorelei while the Olympic swim team pursues Dorothy.

The film is entertaining and a must-see for all Monroe fans, as it was at the time when she was at her best- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Some Like it Hot are my personal favorites, and she was in the prime of her tragically short film career- sure, she plays the “dumb blonde” character with gusto. Still, there is something innocent and fun about her portrayal of Lorelei, and we immediately fall in love with her.

Dorothy is the leader—the smart one—and complements Lorelei’s naivety. More worldly and sophisticated, she watches out for her counterpart.

The chemistry between Monroe and Russell makes the film work so well. The audience buys them as best friends, and the two actresses (who reportedly got along famously).

Monroe shines during the legendary number, Girls’ Nights Are the Best Friend,” a performance that famously inspired the 1984 Madonna video, ” Girls Night Out,” which will forever live on in music history.

My favorite scene is on the ship when Lorelei gets into trouble. She sneaks into the private investigator’s cabin to obtain incriminating evidence and gets stuck in the tight cabin window.

The shot of Monroe sticking halfway out the window is funny. She then hilariously enlists a young child to help her avoid recognition and a subpar man with subpar vision.

Vision also comes into play when Dorothy disguises herself as Lorelei in a silly fashion (looking more like a drag queen) in a courtroom scene over hi-jinks involving a stolen tiara.

Interesting is the scene in wsurroundedrothy is surrounded by dancing, which is as provocative for 1953 as it is today.

Undoubtedly unable to show any form of nudity whatsoever, the dancers are clad in nude-colored shorts, which indeed suggests elements of sexuality, an illusion of nudity, and fits the scene perfectly as Dorothy is in testosterone heaven.  It is like a big, giant fantasy for her.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) is a triumphant offering from another cinematic era—a sorely missed time. Cute but not trivial, the film is a witty portrayal of the iconic Marilyn Monroe.

1972 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Top 250 Films

Pink Flamingos-1972

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Pink Flamingos-1972

Director John Waters

Starring Divine, David Lochary, Mink Stole

Top 250 Films #165

Scott’s Review #359

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Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

One of the truest and best late-night gross-out films of all time, Pink Flamingos (1972) breaks down barriers I never thought possible in film and contains one of the most vomit-inducing scenes ever to grace the movies.

The film is certainly one of a kind and will only be appreciated by a certain type of film-goer. Pink Flamingos is raw, entertaining, and must be seen to be believed.

Outrageous in every way and shot in a documentary style, the film features weird close-ups and amateurish camera angles, only adding to the fun.

I love the film.

In what director John Waters famously dubbed the “Trash Trilogy”, along with similar films Desperate Living and Female Trouble, Pink Flamingos has the dubious honor of being the best of the three.

Waters’ stalwart, Divine, plays Babs Johnson, an underground criminal who lives a meager existence in a trailer with her mentally challenged son, Crackers, and her bizarre, egg-obsessed mother, Edie (Massey). Babs’s companion, Cotton, joins them.

In an attempt to win the “Filthiest Person Alive” contest and usurp Babs from achieving this distinction. The Marbles (Mink Stole and David Lochary) set out to destroy her career.

Pink Flamingos is complete and utter over-the-top fare, but I have fallen in love with the film over the years.

Let’s say it is a type of film that is an acquired taste, and one will eventually revel in the madness or be disgusted with its bad taste.

Waters, a truly creative person, breaks new ground in filth. On a budget of no more than $10,000, it is impressive how he pulled this off.

The antics that Babs and the Marbles engage in are downright crude, but the extreme nature of the fun is exactly what is to love about the film. Hysterical is the character of Babs’s mother, Edie.

Confined to a crib and constantly inquiring about the Egg Man, she is obsessed with eggs and wants to eat nothing else. She eventually marries the Egg Man. The character is entertaining beyond belief.

The Marbles run a clinic in which they sell stolen babies to lesbian couples for cash.  When they send Babs a box of human excrement and a card that says “fatso”, the war between the two sides is on.

The highlight of the film is the main sequence in which Babs holds a birthday party. A male contortionist flexes his anus in rhythm to the song “Surfin’ Bird”, which may be the only film featuring an anus.

How Waters got away with some of this stuff is mind-blowing.

The most disturbing scene occurs at the very end, when Babs watches a dog do “its business” on the street and then picks up the excrement and eats it, revealing to the audience a toothy (and brown) smile.

Reportedly, Divine did this act. As the film ends, Babs truly is “The Filthiest Person Alive”.

Thanks to the genius of John Waters and Divine, and the superlative supporting cast, Pink Flamingos (1972) is a reminder that creativity and unique humor need not conform to a specific style or follow a road map.

Waters throws out any film criteria, instead creating a masterpiece of warped fun and disgust.

1974 Films, Camp, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Top 250 Films

Female Trouble-1974

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Female Trouble-1974

Director John Waters

Starring Divine, David Lochary, Mary Vivian Pearce

Top 250 Films #168

Scott’s Review #146

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Reviewed August 4, 2014

Grade: A

Female Trouble (1974) is a deliciously naughty treat by the famous Independent film legend, John Waters.

Not exactly family-friendly, it is a gem for those desiring more left-of-center fare with depravity and gross-out fun mixed in for good measure.

The film’s theme is “crime is beauty,” and it is dedicated to Manson family member Charles “Tex” Watson.

Meant for adult, late-night viewing, the film tells the story of female delinquent Dawn Davenport, who angrily leaves home one Christmas morning after not receiving her desired cha-cha heels as a Christmas present.

Her parents, religious freaks, disown her, and she is left to fend for herself on the streets of Baltimore.

The film then tells of her life story of giving birth and subsequently falling into a life of crime in the 1960s.  Her friends Chicklet and Concetta are in tow as they work various jobs and embark on a career of theft.

Female Trouble stars Waters’ regulars Divine, Mink Stole, Edith Massey, Cookie Mueller, and others.

Interestingly, Divine plays a dual role- Dawn Davenport (in drag, of course) and also the father of her bratty child, Earl Peterson.

Dawn and Earl have a less-than-romantic interlude on a dirty mattress on the side of the road when he picks her up hitchhiking, which results in the birth of Taffy.

Also featured is the hilarious feud between Dawn and her love interest’s (Gator) Aunt Ida, as the women engage in tactics such as acid throwing and chopping off of limbs as they constantly exact revenge on each other.

Favorite scenes include Dawn’s maniacal nightclub act, in which she performs an acrobatic routine and then begins firing a gun into the crowd. Another is of Dawn’s dinner party with Donald and Donna Dasher- serving a meal consisting of spaghetti and chips, Taffy’s tirade hilariously ruins the evening.

This film is not for the prudish, squeamish, or uptight crowd, but a ball for all open-minded, dirty fun-seekers. The film contains one over-the-top, hilarious scene after another.

The line “just cuz you got them big udders don’t make you somethin’ special” is a Waters classic.

Female Trouble is one of a series of outrageous cult classics featuring the legendary camp star Divine.

Not meant to be overanalyzed, or some might say, analyzed at all, Female Trouble (1974) is unabashedly trashy and makes no apologies for its outrageousness.

2016 Films, Comedy, Drama, Musical, Musical Comedy, Musical Drama, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama, Top 250 Films

La La Land-2016

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La La Land-2016

Director Damien Chazelle

Starring Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling

Top 250 Films #173

Scott’s Review #538

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Reviewed December 6, 2016

Grade: A

La La Land (2016) breathes new life into the classic musical genre of the 1950s and offers a fresh glimpse into Hollywood.

The film explores the glitz and glamour, triumphs and heartbreaks, and dreams both broken and fulfilled in a town laden with broken hearts.

The bright, colorful film stars two of today’s top young, talented actors: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. The chemistry between the leads and the dynamic musical numbers is incredible.

It’s a masterful nod to old Hollywood.

Mia (Stone) is an aspiring young actress struggling to survive the Hollywood scene. She serves lattes in a coffee shop on a studio lot and auditions endlessly for film and television parts without much luck.

Her passion is acting, but she also writes a one-woman play she plans to star in.

On the other hand, Sebastian (Gosling) is a dedicated jazz musician, struggling to make ends meet by playing demoralizing gigs that ruin the essence of jazz, meeting many people who tell him that jazz is a dying genre.

Sebastian’s dream is to open his nightclub one day.

Through circumstances, Mia and Sebastian meet and continue to run into each other, forging a wonderful friendship that eventually leads to romance.

The film is a gorgeous experience with bright sets, creative sequences, and numerous song and dance numbers to keep you humming. Mia and Sebastian even tap-dance one beautiful night following a Hollywood party under the moonlight with the Los Angeles skyline in view as they bond.

It is one of the best scenes in the film.

La La Land is seasonal and begins in the winter, though this is strictly an attempt to separate the chapters. Los Angeles is always warm, but the timing is Christmas, which is engaging in a warm climate.

In the first scene, we are immediately treated to a musical number. Stuck in stifling freeway traffic, the car drivers get out in unison, sing and dance, and then return to their cars to continue their mundane day.

Director Damien Chazelle cleverly balances the cheerful tone with the everyday redundant tasks and the struggles of artists hoping for a dream.

La La Land excels during the scenes of Sebastian and Mia as the chemistry is palpable. Gosling and Stone have something.

Supporting players like J.K. Simmons and Rosemarie Dewitt add pizzazz to their small but meaningful parts.

I adore the odes to classic Hollywood films that director Chazelle incorporates into his movie.

Classics such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Notorious (1946) and the legendary film Casablanca (1940) are mentioned twice.

During a sweet moment, Sebastian takes Mia to see Rebel Without a Cause (1956) at an old-style theater; he is shocked that she has never seen the film and eagerly excited to introduce her to it.

This continues as he shares his love for jazz music with her.

Later, the theater closes, and the film takes a more dour tone as the struggles of both characters overwhelm them.

The film’s finale is terrific.

Suddenly, five years later, many events have happened. In a brilliant sequence, the characters’ lives are explained through a song as we see the period play out until we reach the point of the film where the song began, a treasure of an ode to the truth of the characters.

The sequence is emotional, heartbreaking, and choreographed without missing a beat,

Gosling and Stone sing all their songs, not live as in Les Miserables (2012), but wisely on a sound stage. They are neither novices nor Grammy winners, but they are honest, truthful, and with heart.

It is refreshing to see classic Hollywood told in such a riveting fashion, as seen through the young’s eyes.

Films and styles of decades past are renewed through this excellent piece of cinema.

I noted similarities to An American in Paris (1951) and countless other gems from years ago and stood proudly, knowing that a nostalgic piece of cinema is precisely what we need.

Oscar Nominations: 6 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Damien Chazelle (won), Best Actor-Ryan Gosling, Best Actress-Emma Stone (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score (won), Best Original Song-“City of Stars” (won), “Audition (The Fools Who Dream),” Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Production Design (won), Best Cinematography (won), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing

1986 Films, Camp, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Sexploitation, Top 250 Films

Reform School Girls-1986

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Reform School Girls-1986

Director Tom DeSimone

Starring Linda Carol, Wendy O. Williams, Pat Ast

Top 250 Films #175

Scott’s Review #348

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Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Let’s be honest here- Reform School Girls (1986) is neither a work of cinematic art nor a particularly well-acted film.

From a critic’s perspective, it is riddled with stereotypes and objectifies women.

Still, it’s one of my favorite guilty pleasures, with an offbeat charm that makes me want to watch the film over and over again. I never tire of it. I also don’t think it should be reviled, but rather, revered.

There is a perverse magnificence to the film and some similarities to another cult gem- Russ Myers’s Faster Pussycat, Kill!… Kill! (1965)

Critics be damned- not every film needs to be high art!

One of my absolute favorite cult actresses, Pat Ast, famous for another cult gem, 1972’s Heat, stars in Reform School Girls as a vicious correctional officer.

Alongside punk rocker-turned-actress Wendy O. Williams, they make the film a guilty masterpiece, as both women bring their share of odd energy and humor to the flick.

Sybil Danning co-stars as the corrupt Warden Sutter.

The plot of the film is pretty straightforward, and it screams late-night fun.

A virginal teenage girl named Jenny is sent to a reform school run by the sinister warden and her sadistic and abusive henchwoman, Edna (Ast).

While there, Jenny is intimidated by Charlie (Williams), who rules the roost via bullying and threats. Jenny is accompanied by several other terrified girls, who are stripped and degraded by Edna.

This leads to an attempted escape and protest scene by the girls and others as they try to remove themselves from their tormentors.

Reform School Girls is simply great fun.

The poor acting is actually a strength of the film, as one scantily clad female after another prances around the reform school.

Wendy O. Williams regularly wears skimpy panties, a bra, and heels, and is laughable playing a teenager since the actress was pushing forty years old.

The film’s climax is fantastic, as a chase culminates at an enormous tower on the prison grounds, resulting in the dramatic deaths of Charlie and Edna.

Edna’s charred remains are met by an uproar of cheers by the inmates- I half expected them to burst into a chorus of “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead”.

Reform School Girls (1986) is a perfect cult classic for a late Saturday night.

1992 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Los Angeles, Satire, Top 250 Films

The Player-1992

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The Player-1992

Director Robert Altman

Starring Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi

Top 250 Films #181

Scott’s Review #601

Reviewed January 11, 2017

Grade: A

The Player (1992) ranks up there with other Robert Altman classics such as Gosford Park (2001), Nashville (1975), and Short Cuts (1993).

The film is an excellent piece of Hollywood satire and centers on a jaded movie executive, played by Tim Robbins, who does an incredible job in the role.

Robbins plays Griffin Mill, a man with no scruples. Feeling usurped by a younger executive, played by Peter Gallagher, as well as receiving death threats, he goes on the hunt for the person he feels responsible for, which leads to murder.

The audience is unsure whether to love or hate Mill, thanks to Robbin’s performance. He is snarky, but also vulnerable and a tad sympathetic.

The film contains a slew of real Hollywood celebrities (Cher, Malcolm McDowell, Bruce Willis) playing themselves and is largely improvised (as many of Altman’s films are).

Whoopi Goldberg and Lyle Lovett star as odd police detectives.

The plot is nothing new, but it’s the realism and direction that make this movie a must-see, especially for Robert Altman fans.

The Player (1992) is a hidden gem.

Oscar Nominations: Best Director-Robert Altman, Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published, Best Film Editing

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 1 win-Best Feature (won)

1965 Films, Best International Picture-Golden Globe Winners, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, International, International Comedy, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

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Juliet Of The Spirits-1965

Director Federico Fellini

Starring Giulietta Masina

Top 250 Films #188

Scott’s Review #725

Reviewed February 15, 2018

Grade: A

A true Fellini film in every sense, and perhaps his most personal, 1965’s Juliet of the Spirits is a colorful, masterful experience with fluid art direction and stunning sets and costumes.

As with most of his films, the story and its intricacies are odd and do not always make perfect sense, but the film is meant to be absorbed and felt, and it has more of a central plot than some of his other works.

Juliet of the Spirits is undoubtedly a must-see for fans of Fellini or any novice who wants an introduction to the great director.

In a compelling tidbit of background information, lead actress Giulietta Masina, wife and muse of director Fellini and sometimes deemed the female Charlie Chaplin, plays a true-to-life character.

In real life, the woman suffered from a philandering husband- Fellini himself!

For this reason alone, the film is fascinating as a true-to-life story, leading the audience to empathize with Giulietta and her life of doldrums and turmoil.

Giulietta Boldrini (Masina) is an affluent woman living in Italy with her successful and dashing husband, Giorgio (Mario Pisu). Despite wealth, two housekeepers, and free time to do whatever she pleases, she is dissatisfied with her life and surroundings.

This occurs mainly after she hears her husband mutter another woman’s name in his sleep. Concerned and intrigued, Giulietta hires investigators to unravel the mystery, which spawns an adventure for her.

Instead of a cookie-cutter film with a basic plot, in proper Fellini form, Giulietta embarks on a journey into a dreamlike, odd experience, tapping into her repressed desires and innermost thoughts while being exposed to her larger-than-life, sexy neighbor, Suzy (Sandra Milo).

The oversexed Suzy enlightens Giulietta to the joys of her mansion, treehouse, dazzling, weird friends, and bubbling sensuality.

Juliet of the Spirits is a joy to watch and quite a bit more linear than other complex masterpieces, such as the 1960s La Dolce Vita or 1969’s Fellini Satyricon.

The plot is spelled out presently- Giulietta is depressed and anxious for something new and exciting. Her journey into this new life, marked by her wrestling with demons and resistance, makes this film so much fun.

Styles and colors are brilliant and lavishly loud. Take the gaudy and glamorous nest that Suzy calls home. Her palace is both tawdry and sophisticated, with a built-in underground swimming pool where she bathes after lovemaking and velvety red walls and furniture.

Fellini uses gorgeous reds, greens, and blues throughout the film to create dazzle and spectacles with larger-than-life characters.

To further focus on Suzy for a minute, the blonde bombshell frequently visits her very own treehouse, complete with a swing. She flirts with handsome young men who gaze up at the scantily dressed beauty as she tosses her high-heeled shoe down to them in a suggestive manner.

When they come up to the top of the treehouse by way of a mechanical basket, presumably for sex, this is too much for the overwhelmed Giulietta, who returns to the safety of her own home.

But she is excited and scared.

The film belongs to Masina, and we cannot help but wonder if Fellini created Juliet of the Spirits for the actress because of his reported years of cheating.

Regardless, Masina plays a confident woman on the outside- insecure on the inside- flawlessly.

With her expressive eyes and a nice smile, Masina enthusiastically embraces the role, making her a perfect fit for a Fellini film.

Juliet of the Spirits mixes several film genres, including fantasy, drama, and light comedy, and contains interesting supporting characters.

Suzy’s seemingly clairvoyant mother is a great side character. When she meets Giulietta, she immediately sees that the woman is troubled. Giulietta’s father, whom we meet when she is a little girl appearing in a religious play, is boisterous and spirited.

I was fortunate enough to stay at the Grand Hotel in Rome, a lavish yet strange establishment where Fellini spent many nights as a guest. While watching Juliet of the Spirits, I fantasized that he drew inspiration for this film from the hotel.

The grand red textures that appear in both the hotel and the Fellini film could have created a truly inspiring setting.

Stalwart, creative, and masterful director Fellini once again crafts a stylish film that warrants thoughtful consideration after a solid viewing.

Too much analysis, however, will ruin the enchanting experience. Juliet of the Spirits (1965) is best enjoyed as a treat that will mesmerize you in glamorous fashion.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction, Color, Best Costume Design, Color

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Foreign Film-Foreign Language (won)

1975 Films, Art, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, International, International Drama, Italian, Top 250 Films

Seven Beauties-1975

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Seven Beauties-1975

Director Lina Wertmüller

Starring Giancarlo Giannini, Shirley Stoler, Fernando Rey

Top 250 Films #194

Scott’s Review #1,364

Reviewed June 3, 2023

Grade: A

Italian Director Lina Wertmüller was the first female ever nominated for the coveted Best Director Oscar. She did not win the award, but the nomination is a bold victory for women artists in 1975 and a testament to her visionary approach to filmmaking.

With Seven Beauties (1975), she tackles the painful subject of concentration camps during World War II with artistic merit and a powerful message of survival by her lead character, Pasqualino, brilliantly played by Giancarlo Giannini.

Through Pasqualino’s backstory, Wertmüller provides comic relief and a sizzling Italian style. This counterbalances the terrifying German elements with cultural and sometimes humorous sequences set in Italy. Pasqualino’s family hijinks are explored.

Back in the 1930s, Italy, Pasqualino is a struggling low-level Sicilian thug who accidentally kills a man who disgraced his unattractive and vulnerable sister, Concettina (Elena Fiore). He escapes imprisonment by joining the military, but goes AWOL when things get too severe.

Eventually, Pasqualino is captured and sent to a concentration camp, where he vows to do anything to survive. He attempts to seduce an evil and obese female German camp commander (Shirley Stoler), but this comes at a deadly price.

I’ll argue that Stoler should have received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination. Her callous nature only deepens as her character is peeled back, and Pasqualino’s hope that she has a glimmer of kindness in her is dashed. She is one of the best screen villains of all time.

Seven Beauties is an art film with gorgeous visuals, especially potent in the concentration camp and the surrounding forest. The greyness of the camp is the perfect opposite of the pizazz of Italy.

As Pasqualino and comrade Francesco wander through the looming German forest, the camera looks up at the sky in a blurry, dizzying way.

At the start of the film, black and white footage of World War II encompasses the screen, and slivers of the tyrants Mussolini and Hitler are displayed.

If not for the macabre dark humor we see in Italy, Seven Beauties might be too much of a downer. Pasqualino’s seven sisters are unattractive, and one is living the life of a struggling stripper and prostitute. He also manages to cleverly chop a body to bits and stuff the body parts into suitcases.

Back in Germany, the scenes between Pasqualino and the female commander are frightening. He is forced to provide sexual pleasures in exchange for his survival, but when she callously orders him to select six mates to be executed, her viciousness is apparent.

Giannini is a fabulous actor and heartbreakingly reveals Pasqualino’s vulnerabilities as the film plows forward. His good-natured innocence is lost forever, and the man he becomes is darker.

But the caveat is that the character is never purely good; rather, they are layered with complexities. Always, Giannini emotes deep expressionism through his powerful green eyes.

Similarities between Seven Beauties and Fellini’s Amarcord (1973) or Fellini’s Roma (1972) are evident.

Had I not known Wertmüller directed the film I would have thought Fellini had. This is more so because of the Italian sequences featuring a bevy of zany, homely characters, which adds flavor and humor.

Fernando Rey, well-known for playing the villain in The French Connection (1971), appears as a doomed prisoner who ends up in a large tub of shit rather than suffer a forced execution.

The executions are sob-inducing as lines and lines of prisoners being callously shot and killed are tough to watch. But the film’s core is the viciousness of humanity, and this must never be forgotten.

Wertmüller delivers a masterpiece that I’ve now seen only twice. I plan to watch this film again and again for the content to sink in more.

The comic elements of Seven Beauties (1975) never diminish or lighten the horror of the Nazi’s actions since they are not done in parallel. The back-and-forth between periods only adds value and balance to a powerful subject.

Oscar Nominations: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director-Lina Wertmüller, Best Actor-Giancarlo Giannini, Best Screenplay-Written Directly for the Screen

2011 Films, Chick Flicks, Comedy, Favorite Film of the Year, Romantic Comedy, Top 250 Films

Bridesmaids-2011

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Bridesmaids-2011

Director Paul Feig

Starring Kristen Wiig

Top 250 Films #216

Scott’s Review #784

Reviewed July 6, 2018

Grade: A

Although raunchy romantic comedies aren’t my favorite genre, and I’m not much of a fan of Judd Apatow (a producer of several films like this), Bridesmaids (2011) is easily the best of its kind.

Influential in a multitude of female empowerment-themed comedies that followed, this one is witty, genuine, and funny because of its star, Kristen Wiig, who also co-wrote the film.

It is one of the best comedies (if not the best) of the decade.

Apatow is known mainly for producing comedy films that mix in the standard potty humor for cheap laughs. He is responsible for This Is 40 (2012) and Trainwreck (2015), both of which I found moderately funny, but they are also needlessly gross-out and tired.

My point is that, minus the talents of Wiig (both in front of and behind the camera), Bridesmaids would likely have been as mediocre as these films. Instead, Bridesmaids is a wonderful, uproarious experience with a star who captures a moment.

My one gnawing gripe is that a woman shouldn’t direct a film about women.

Annie (Wiig) is asked to serve as the maid of honor at her best friend Lillian’s (Maya Rudolph) upcoming wedding. Rather than being thrilled, Annie is depressed due to an ongoing string of bad luck.

Her bakery business fails, she loses her unfulfilling job at a jewelry store, she is dating a jerk (Jon Hamm), and her car is about to die. She has difficult roommates and is on the verge of moving back in with her mother at age thirty-five.

The story hilariously follows Annie’s rivalry with Helen (Rose Byrne), Lillian’s soon-to-be husband’s boss’s controlling wife. Helen is intent on taking over the wedding planning, much to Annie’s chagrin.

The ladies compete to one-up each other throughout the film- Rose is the perfect princess for Annie’s grit and cynicism.

Annie struggles with her issues, unhappy with her love life, when she meets police officer Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd), and they begin a tender friendship. However, their attraction is tested by Annie’s shenanigans.

Annie must then fly to Las Vegas with the other bridesmaids despite being terrified of flying.

Despite the story being nothing new, seen dozens of times before in romantic comedy history (the setups), the film is a laugh-out-loud riot. In addition to Wiig, Rudolph, and Byrne, the rest of the ladies have tremendous chemistry.

Special kudos go to Melissa McCarthy in her fearless role as Megan, a tomboy misfit who somehow ends up in the wedding party. With her “tell it like it is” attitude, the actress sinks her teeth into this fabulous role without crossing the line into ridiculousness.

In rip-roaring fashion, multiple scenes are permanently etched in my mind.

After Annie suggests a Brazilian steak restaurant for lunch, followed by a fitting at a chic dress shop, the girls suffer from food poisoning. This results in torrents of diarrhea scenes and one unlucky character being reduced to going to the bathroom in the middle of the street.

The scene, while super raunchy, is hilarious and fraught with perfect comic timing.

Not to be outdone, the airplane scene is equally tremendous; however, the scene belongs to Wiig rather than the entire ensemble. Forced to fly coach while everyone else gets first class, Annie unwisely accepts a pill from Helen to calm her during the flight.

Instead, Annie becomes belligerent and wild when she mixes the sedative with alcohol.

As good as the supporting cast is, Wiig owns the film from start to finish. Every scene she is in and each line she utters is perfectly timed. Wiig’s improvisation (the scene in the jewelry store) is evident and only adds to the film’s genuine feel.

To Wiig’s credit, she has since chosen more complicated roles to avoid the risk of being typecast. And a sequel was wisely never made- this would have ruined the appeal.

Bridesmaids (2011) is an authentic story rich with hilarity and crisp dialogue. The film is enhanced a being female-centered and written by women (though the direction and producers, too, would have been better).

Thanks to a tremendous cast led by Wiig, the film is blazing with humor and sparked a firestorm of similar “girl power” films (mostly bad) well into the decade.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actress-Melissa McCarthy, Best Original Screenplay

1977 Films, Camp, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy, Top 250 Films

Desperate Living-1977

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Desperate Living-1977

Director John Waters

Starring Mink Stole, Liz Renay, Susan Lowe

Top 250 Films #225

Scott’s Review #534

Reviewed December 4, 2016

Grade: B

Desperate Living (1977) will not be everyone’s cup of tea. It is a raunchy, late-night comedy, similar to other John Waters-directed cult classics.

This one, however, suffers from the absence of Waters’ staple, Divine, who did not appear due to scheduling conflicts.

For this glaring omission, Desperate Living is not the greatest of the Waters films, but it is a fun experience all the same.

The film features choruses of political satire, specifically on fascism and the overthrow of the government.

Mink Stole (Peggy Gravel) takes on the lead role as a crazed, mentally unhinged, neurotic woman on the lam with her maid, Grizelda, after they accidentally cause the death of Peggy’s husband.

Peggy has been in and out of mental hospitals and is clearly off her rocker as she yells at neighbors about communism.

After an encounter with a lewd police officer, the duo is banished to Mortville, a town filled with outcasts and social deviants. They align with others in the town to overthrow the tyrannical Queen Carlotta, played by Waters fixture Edith Massey.

Carlotta plots to spread rabies throughout the community and is at war with her daughter, Princess Coo Coo.

The issue with Desperate Living is the absence of Divine, originally set to play Mole McHenry, a self-loathing female wrestler, determined to receive a sex change operation.

One imagines the Divine in this important role, which Susan Lowe, a capable star, played, but not the Divine. With Divine in the part, the hilarious possibilities are endless.

Mink Stole carries the movie well, but traditionally being a supporting player in Waters’s films, she is not quite the star the film needs to be a true success.

This is not to say that the film is a dud- it is entertaining and will please most Waters fans. It contains gross-out moments and vulgarity from the very first scene- as the opening credits roll, we see a roasted rat, daintily displayed on good china, on an eloquent dinner table, presumably to be served.

Later, Carlotta meets her fate by being roasted, pig style, on a spit with an apple in her mouth. Another character is executed by being shot in the anus. The offensive moments never end!

There also exists a quite controversial scene that I am surprised made the final cut. Peggy, already in a frazzled state due to a neighbor boy accidentally shooting out her bedroom window, is shocked to find another boy playing “doctor” with a little girl in her downstairs basement.

Both children are completely naked, leaving not much to the imagination. This scene is tough to watch as one wonders what the child actors thought of all of this.

I have never viewed another scene quite like this in a film.

Otherwise, Desperate Living is filled with cartoon-like characters, lots of sexually deviant leather men, grizzled men with facial hair, and other odd-looking characters who make up the community of Mortville.

Water’s set creations for the exterior scenes of the town are great using mainly cardboard and rubbish he found throughout Baltimore where the film was shot, the sets show a bleak yet colorful underworld.

Desperate Living (1977) is a raunchy good time with over-the-top acting, trash-filled moments, and laugh-out-loud fun.

The lack of any Divine makes it not the first offering to watch from the Waters collection. Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974) would take that honor.

2023 Films, Comedy, Fantasy, Favorite Film of the Year, Satire, Top 250 Films

Barbie-2023

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Barbie-2023

Director Greta Gerwig

Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, and America Ferrera

Top 250 Films #226

Scott’s Review #1,381

Reviewed July 23, 2023

Grade: A

Greta Gerwig is a tremendously talented director who is influencing Hollywood films. The gifted woman crafted Lady Bird in 2017 to critical acclaim and forged ahead with another feminist and progressive project.

In Barbie (2023), she takes a traditional and iconic ‘Barbie doll’ product by Mattel and explores the positives and negatives of the doll throughout its existence.

An incredible opening sequence harkening to Stanley Kubrick’s 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey explains the evolution of the doll.

Barbie incorporates gender balance, creativity, thought, satire, and slapstick comedy fraught with meaning. Not forgotten is heart and humanity, and a look at how much progress has been achieved for women over the years, and how much more is still needed.

As if that’s not enough, Barbie deserves praise for its direction, production design, costumes, music, and cast performances.

Well done.

The film stars Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken, who embark on a journey of self-discovery after Barbie faces an existential crisis. Deemed the ‘stereotypical’ Barbie, she begins having peculiar and ‘un-Barbie’ thoughts of death and analytics, and must return to the real world to find her doll’s owner.

She soon longs to return to Barbie Land, which is a perfect place. Unless you’re a Ken who exists merely to pine after Barbie, but do they secretly resent this?

There are numerous positives to explore regarding Barbie, but one slight drawback is its proximity to silly comedy and goofiness. The meaning of the film mostly offsets this, but I fear that some audiences may be overwhelmed by gag jokes and lose the overall point of the story.

Let’s take a deep dive. The production design and art direction are dazzling and immediately noticeable. Particularly, I’m referring to Barbie Land and its pink and pretty sets. Luxurious pools, streets, houses, and cars are rich with color and ooze a fun vibe.

I can’t imagine these teams being overlooked during the year-end awards season.

Robbie and Gosling, looking blonde, buff, and tanned, are wonderfully cast and not only look the part but quickly switch from physical comedy to heavy drama without looking foolish.

Robbie, for example, while the classic Barbie type has layers of emotion that she channels. And Gosling could have looked like a buffoon with over-the-top sequences if not for a startlingly good dramatic scene towards the film’s climax.

The supporting cast is brilliant and includes Kate McKinnon as ‘weird Barbie,’ a perfect role for her to unleash her comedic prowess. How lovely to see Rhea Perlman again in the small but powerful role of Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel and creator of the Barbie doll.

Finally, America Ferrera and Will Ferrell add both comedy and meaningful spirit to their roles. And how could the inclusion of British stalwart Helen Mirren as the narrator not create credibility?

The main attraction, though, is the writing. Isn’t it always the case when it’s done intelligently?

The dynamic duo of Gerwig and Noah Baumbach (famous for, among other works, the 2019 film Marriage Story) pair well, giving equality messages to both Barbie and Ken. While it is easy to dismiss Ken, his role is valued and respected within the overall context of showing that everyone deserves a seat at the table.

I was touched by the film in various moments more than I ever expected. Wonderful sentiments about being a mother are powerfully stated by Ruth and Gloria (Ferrera) during various scenes and messages, such as everyone deserves respect and serving a purpose, which are hard not to get choked up over.

Barbie wins points for diversity and inclusion with nearly every ethnic group represented and a transgender character, Dr. Barbie (Hari Nef), featured prominently.

Providing roaring entertainment, bubble gum sets and design, and a message that will break your heart while exuding intelligence, Barbie (2023) is a win.

It’s a story about the wills of plastic and humanity, making for a perfect, harmonious blend. Who would have thought a film about Barbie would be so important?

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor-Ryan Gosling, Best Supporting Actress-America Ferrera, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Original Song-“I’m Just Ken”, “What Was I Made For?” (won)

1976 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Drama, Satire, Top 250 Films

Network-1976

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Network-1976

Director Sidney Lumet

Starring Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, William Holden

Top 250 Films #228

Scott’s Review #1,481

Reviewed May 13, 2025

Grade: A

A conceptual film laden with intelligence and satire, Network (1976) is innovative, not easily digestible, but satisfying nonetheless. It pairs well with films like All the President’s Men (1976) or Spotlight (2015), with a focus on media frenzy, ratings, and the frustrating search for the truth amid chaos.

Or, does the truth even matter? It’s a sobering question the film explores.

The film received nine Oscar nominations and won three of the four acting awards. Decades later, it holds up tremendously well and is a stark reminder of the power of television and public perception, for better or worse.

Brilliant acting, rich writing, and impressive editing make Network a timeless treasure for many generations, not to mention Lumet’s creative and sometimes shocking direction.

Over narration, we meet veteran news anchorman Howard Beale (Peter Finch). He learns from his friend and news division president, Max Schumacher (William Holden), that he has only two more weeks on the air with the UBS network due to declining ratings.

After threatening to shoot himself on live television, instead, he launches into an angry televised rant, which turns out to be a huge ratings boost for the network, and he is kept on for entertainment purposes.

But what happens when the public grows tired of his antics and craves even more outrageous programming?

Ambitious producer Diana Christensen (Faye Dunaway), obsessed with her career and ratings, takes actions to dangerous new levels.

The poignancy that immediately caught my attention was how little the bottom line has changed in almost fifty years of television since Network was released. One could argue that things have gotten worse, with ratings making or breaking a television broadcast.

Depressing still is the knowledge in 2025 politics where liars, cheats, and felons callously hold the highest offices and wield the most power; newscasts are currently created based on the truths their target audiences believe, regardless of the truth.

Lumet, well-known for creating the groundbreaking Dog Day Afternoon (1975) just a year earlier, uses split screens to show four perspectives and adds frightening, gun-toting rebels who are angry and intent on making political statements.

But Diana needs them for a significant ratings share.

Lumet’s sequences teeter between long soliloquies in which characters reveal their deepest motivations and emotions and rapid-fire editing involving shootings and bank robberies.

I loved seeing the 1970s-style corporate offices with retro telephones, notepads, pens, pencils, stylish carpets, and colorful elevators. The glamorous and polished interiors perfectly reflect the gorgeous Manhattan skyline seen in numerous sequences.

The lavish restaurants and strong cocktails provide a luminous texture to the time.

The screenplay, written by Paddy Chayefsky, was based on the idea of a live death as the film’s central focus, as he said later in an interview, “Television will do anything for a rating… anything!”

The statement hit home in frigid reality.

Dunaway and Finch are clear favorites and provide the deepest character structures. Dunaway’s Diana is frigid and opportunistic, offering the audience no vulnerability or sympathy. In a way, she is not a human being, lacking emotional depth.

I half expected her to tear her face off and reveal herself as a fembot.

Finch steals the show as the tired and depressed veteran who feels dismissed and forgotten. Even when he reveals his intent to commit suicide on live TV, the news crew tunes out his monotone voice as they do nightly.

Finally, Beatrice Straight brilliantly delivers an acting 101 tutorial as the aging housewife being cheated on by her philandering husband.

One miss is Robert DuVall in a one-note performance we’ve already seen him deliver.

Network (1976) is a top-notch film from my favorite decade in cinema. The 1970s produced many meaningful and introspective gems, and Network is one of them.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture, Best Director- Sidney Lumet, Best Actor- Peter Finch (won), William Holden, Best Actress- Faye Dunaway (won), Best Supporting Actor- Ned Beatty, Best Supporting Actress- Beatrice Straight (won), Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

1964 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Satire, Top 250 Films

Dr. Strangelove-1964

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Dr. Strangelove-1964

Director Stanley Kubrick

Starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott

Top 250 Films #242

Scott’s Review #958

Reviewed November 13, 2019

Grade: A

Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, more commonly known simply as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 political satire black comedy film that satirizes the Cold War and fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States.

The film, timely in the 1960s, is as relevant decades later amid the chaos during the 2016 United States Presidential election and the following tumultuous years.

The film is powerful, brave, and essential.

The story centers around an unhinged United States Air Force general (Sterling Hayden) who orders a first-strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union.

The plot follows the President of the United States (Peter Sellers), the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer as they try to recall the bombers to prevent a nuclear apocalypse.

The film also follows the crew of one B-52 bomber as they try to deliver their payload.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was fresh in viewers’ minds when this film was released, and President John F. Kennedy was recently assassinated. The United States and the Soviet Union were hardly best buddies.

The film was a robust offering because its political satire was fresh. The ironic controversy between the two leaders, nearly sixty years after the film was released, is unintentionally clever.

The acting is excellent. Peter Sellers plays three prominent roles. Each is quite different from the others. Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, a British RAF exchange officer, President Merkin Muffley (what a name!), the President of the United States, and Dr. Strangelove, the wheelchair-using nuclear war expert and former Nazi.

Each glistens with goodness as the actor chomps at the bit, making them precise and unique, careful never to stray too far overboard into ridiculousness.

Director Stanley Kubrick wisely chooses black-and-white cinematography with stellar results and prominent filmmaking techniques.

As creative and progressive as many 1960s films started to become as the decade blossomed, it feels like it could have been made in the 1940s.

Kubrick, well known for masterpieces such as The Shining (1980) and 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), delivers perhaps the oddest film in his catalog with Dr. Strangelove.

The story does not feel dated, and the dialogue remains crisp and razor-sharp in its delivery and meaning. With fast dialogue delivery and a monotone vocal style, the film is entertaining and humorous. It does not take itself too seriously yet brings a poignant and vital idea to life.

The film keeps gnawing at the viewers that as far-fetched as events seem, the possibility they could become real is more than a bit scary.

Who can forget the final sequence of the looming nightmare of the mushroom clouds, set to Vera Lynn’s hopeful We’ll Meet Again?

Since the film has a 1940s cinema style, the rude awakening that the 1960s produced in nuclear weapons and insecurity hits home in this sequence.

Dr. Strangelove (1964) is pure satire but frightening in its realism and uncertainty about how one crazy leader could lead an entire nation to detrimental results.

The film highly influenced later satires and unique filmmaking styles—Wes Anderson’s creations immediately spring to mind.

One can wonder about the different possibilities offered—in a way, the situation’s absurdity and the unthinkable way it could quickly become a reality.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Director-Stanley Kubrick, Best Actor-Peter Sellers, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium

2024 Films, Best Feature- Independent Spirit Award Winners, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Comedy, Drama, Independent, Independent Comedy, Independent Drama, New York City, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Drama, Top 250 Films

Anora-2024

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Anora-2024

Director Sean Baker

Starring Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelstein, Yura Borisov

Top 250 Films #243

Scott’s Review #1,450

Reviewed November 3, 2024

Grade: A

Anora (2024) is one of the boldest films I’ve seen in some time and is my favorite Sean Baker film so far. Tangerine (2015) and The Florida Project (2017) are also great works.

Those planning to see the film should do homework and learn what Baker films are about. He frequently directs independent feature films about the lives of marginalized people, especially immigrants and sex workers.

Baker’s films are dirty, dark, and outrageous.

Because Anora has received awards buzz and is classified as a romantic comedy, the audience at my showing seemed slightly overwhelmed by its raw nature. While there are comedic moments, they are shrouded in darkness, and I don’t think my audience quite knew how to respond.

Some cover art captured the main couple, played by Mickey Madison and Mark Eidelstein, happily dancing and depicted them with the caption ‘a modern day Cinderella story’. This is misleading to the gritty nature of the story.

Madison plays Ani (Anora), an exotic dancer and part-time sex worker at a swanky Manhattan strip club. She lives in a Russian section of Brooklyn. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets and impulsively marries Vanya (Mark Eidelstein), the childlike son of a Russian billionaire.

When Vanya’s godfather and parents catch wind of the union, they send their henchmen to annul the marriage, setting off a wild chase through the streets of New York. Vanya flees the scene, and the others must find him.

Madison is brilliant. Known for a small role as Susan Atkins in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) and a role in one version of Scream (2022), the young actress comes on as gangbusters.

Her character is tricky. We only know she lives with her older sister, and their mother lives in Florida with her boyfriend. Presumably, her father is absent, and she has had to find work to support herself. She is brassy, savvy, and intelligent. Most importantly, the audience roots for her.

Madison has an aura surrounding her, and she believably plays loving and hysterical with ease. Ani wants love but is also intelligent enough to know love doesn’t come easy and has a price. Madison channels each emotion with seeming ease.

Baker has become a favorite director of mine. He also writes, produces, and edits most of his projects. Although his films are not easy to watch, that’s what I like about them.

His films take marginalized or dismissed groups and provide representation.

Another standout is Russian actor Yura Borisov. Since Ani is the only character worth rooting for, Borisov’s character, Igor, slowly becomes a fan favorite. Assumed to be a henchman, he begins to care for Ani and strive to do the right thing amid chaos.

Borisov provides Igor with warmth and kindness in a world of chaos. I yearned to know more about the character. How did he get to be where he is? Did he need to escape Russia any way he could?

It’s hard to like the other characters, and I wouldn’t say I enjoyed quite a few, especially the wealthier ones. I yearned to leap across the aisles and smack Vanya, his mother, and one stripper who is Ani’s rival.

This caused me to react viscerally to the film and think about my emotions after it ended. Anyone who appreciates good cinema knows that the longer you think about it, the better it is.

Towards the end, Baker incorporates satisfying moments of Ani standing up for herself, especially against Vanya and his mother. This only reaffirmed the passion of her character. Even in despair, Ani remains tough and refuses to be mistreated by anyone.

My favorite sequence is at the end, during a January snowstorm in Brooklyn. A tender moment occurs between Ani and Igor where the writing, cinematography, and camera angles are beautiful.

Anora (2024) is recommended for fans of Baker’s work. He successfully and carefully weaves an emotional and raw tale of adventure, romance, desperation, and the haves versus the have-nots.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Sean Baker (won), Best Actress-Mikey Madison (won), Best Supporting Actor-Yura Borisov, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Film Editing (won)

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 3 wins-Best Feature-(won), Best Director-Sean Baker-(won), Best Lead Performance-Mikey Madison-(won), Best Supporting Performance-Yura Borisov, Karren Karagulian

2023 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Top 250 Films

Poor Things-2023

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Poor Things-2023

Director Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe

Top 250 Films #244

Scott’s Review #1,413

Reviewed December 27, 2023

Grade: A

Yorgos Lanthimos is a peculiar director and the suggestion is for potential viewers to be familiar with his work before seeing his latest film release, Poor Things (2023).

I’ve said recently that other directors like Alexander Payne, Todd Haynes, Quentin Tarantino, and Martin Scorcese can easily be added to this list with a style not for everyone but that Cinemaphiles will salivate for style and texture alone.

Anyone who has seen Lanthimos’s Dogtooth (2009) or The Lobster (2016) will know exactly what I mean.

With Poor Things, he hits a grand slam home run that might garner him some Academy Awards in what can be arguably classified as his most progressive film.

Mentions like the art direction, cinematography, set design, and fantastic performance by Emma Stone must be immediately celebrated and called out as highlights.

The film is hardly mainstream or conventional and way out there channeling a parallel to Frankenstein with frightening and gothic sets and sequences galore.

All with a twisted and refreshing feminist quality.

Ultimately, I was satisfied with the knowledge that I had witnessed a cinematic marvel that encourages repeated viewings.

During the nineteenth century in London, England, Bella Baxter (Stone), is a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) who is referred to as ‘god’.

He inserts the tender brain of the baby she was carrying when she leaped from a bridge to her death suicide style.

Under Baxter’s protection and supervision, Bella is eager to learn but acts like a toddler with limited speech and motor skills. She teeters around smashing plates with gleeful joy as she discovers her surroundings.

With superior intelligence and a hunger for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and horny lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents from Lisbon, Portugal to Paris, France, and back to London.

Free from the knowledge and the prejudices women of her time were forced to endure, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation. She challenges societal norms with her vision and determination.

I can’t think of anyone else to play the role of Bella other than Stone. With wide eyes filled with wonder, she infuses her character with comedy and wit as she asks questions many women have but never dare to utter aloud.

Especially in Victorian London.

Ruffalo is outrageous and Dafoe is hideously stoic. Both actors bring star quality and wacky performances in different ways.

The look of the film is to die for as Lanthimos offers a looming fairy tale set design led by cinematographer Robbie Ryan.

The European cities of Lisbon, Paris, and London are given their chapters in the film and their focus. The waterfront in Lisbon in particular resembles the real city in a gothic and foreboding way.

The hotel in Paris where Bella becomes a prostitute is regal and polished. Bella wonders aloud why the male customers get to decide which woman they want to spend time with instead of the reverse.

It’s a fair question.

Her friend and fellow prostitute introduces her to socialism while Madame Swiney (Kathryn Hunter) explains capitalism.

Finally, the musical score by Jerskin Fendrix offers shrieking classical strings mixed with haunting pizazz and perfectly timed arrangements. They promote tension and drama at just the right moments.

2023 was a fabulous year for women in cinematic terms but not so much by the United States Supreme Court but that’s another story. The bombast and box office enormity of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is followed by Lanthimos’s celebration of the thought-provoking Poor Things.

Both elicit insightfully quirkiness that successfully bulldozes over traditional gender norms with messages that women can do whatever they set out to do which is a vital quality for young minds to be exposed to.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Yorgos Lanthimos, Best Actress-Emma Stone (won), Best Supporting Actor-Mark Ruffalo, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design (won), Best Production Design (won), Best Original Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling (won)

2020 Films, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Independent, Independent Comedy

Butt Boy-2020

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Butt Boy-2020

Director Tyler Cornack

Starring Tyler Cornack, Tyler Rice

Scott’s Review #1,483

Reviewed June 28, 2025

Grade: B+

Despite the title, Butt Boy (2020) is not a film intended for adult entertainment during a seedy escapade to a cheap motel.

It’s better than that.

It’s a wacky, darkly humorous comedy played straight, without relying on easy gags.

With an experimental feel and co-written, directed by, and starring newcomer Tyler Cornack, it conveys a sense of creative freedom and an expressive nature.

To its resounding credit, Butt Boy is an independent film and hardly a studio production, where it undoubtedly would have been made more mainstream if not for the titillating title.

The film is a spinoff from a Tiny Cinema comedy sketch.

I am surprised I am awarding it a ‘B+’ rating because early on I wasn’t as enamored with it as I was when the credits rolled and I was able to ‘digest it’, pun intended.

The story doesn’t make complete sense, and has a fantasy edge where it’s not always clear what is happening or why.

Chip Gutchell (Cornack) is an IT specialist and married father trapped in a loveless marriage with his wife, Anne (Shelby Dash), who may be cheating on him.

He develops a compulsive behavior after a routine rectal exam, where anything he inserts into his anus provides intense pleasure and then mysteriously disappears. This fetish consists of objects, animals, and people.

Detective Fox (Tyler Rice) loves work and alcohol. After going to AA, his sponsor, Chip, becomes the main suspect in his investigation of a missing kid.

Fox also starts to believe that people are disappearing up Chip’s butt.

The audience immediately relates to Chip. He works in a sterile office with colleagues who engage in enthusiastic work chants to celebrate successes. He counts the minutes until the work day ends.

His home life is no better with a distant wife who chats on the phone and goes out with the girls. It’s revealed that Chip got her pregnant, causing them to forge a life of doldrums.

The story goes off course after Chip discovers the pleasures of anal stimulation. He kidnaps a baby, a young kid, and his dog to shove them up his butt where they are trapped inside his intestines.

Why he needs the stimulation to be a living being instead of an object is never revealed.

Bizarre sequences of Chip farting and inevitably having an explosion of diarrhea thus making his victims escape his anus covered in fecal material make no sense.

Nonetheless, I slowly became absorbed by Butt Boy mostly because it’s an idea in cinema that has never been done before. The film’s tone is awe-inspiring in its serious nature, opting not to rely on cheap laughs or easy comic points.

Deeper subjects like compulsion, addiction, and career emptiness are easy to correlate to the central premise.

I found myself intrigued by the character of Detective Russell Fox as well. Rice seems like a good actor and a poor man’s Christian Bale, with his slicked-back hair.

A revelation later in the film about Fox connects the dots better regarding his story and character motivations.

Butt Boy was recommended by John Waters, a left-of-center film director most known for gross-out indies like Pink Flamingos (1972) and Female Trouble (1974). I trust his warped appreciation for film implicitly.

The mood is comparable to that of other film gems, such as Under the Skin (2013) and Nightbitch (2024). The finale is reminiscent of The Substance (2024) in its absurdity even though Butt Boy was made several years prior.

I’m curious about Cornack and whether Butt Boy (2020) is a one-off novelty idea or if there’s more to come from his distinguished creative mind.

Time will tell.