Tag Archives: Louis Jourdan

1982 Films, Adrienne Barbeau, Camp, David Hess, Dick Durock, Louis Jourdan, Ray Wise, Super Hero, Wes Craven

Swamp Thing-1982

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Swamp Thing-1982

Director Wes Craven

Starring Adrienne Barbeau, Louis Jourdan, Ray Wise

Scott’s Review #1,445

Reviewed October 14, 2024

Grade: B+

Wes Craven’s murky swampland, Adrienne Barbeau’s cleavage, and a battle of good versus evil make Swamp Thing (1982) a titillating watch.

It is marketed as a superhero movie and contains a famous cover art shot of the ‘swamp thing’ carrying a scantily clad Barbeau across a swamp. This is warranted since it is adapted from a DC Comics character of the same name.

Swamp Thing is pure camp and makes no bones about it.

There’s not a lot that is interesting from a story perspective other than a run-of-the-mill plot. The bad guy greedily plots to take over the world with a mysterious serum and is conquered.

But, the visuals make Swamp Thing atmospheric, the bizarre romance works, and Barbeau carries the film making it an entertaining one hour and thirty-one minutes.

Dr. Alec Holland (Ray Wise) is a botanist on the verge of a breakthrough to wipe out world hunger when special government agent Alice Cable (Adrienne Barbeau) arrives on the scene to protect him from a threat.

A brief flirtation ensues between the pair.

Psychotic scientist Anton Arcane (Louis Jourdan) wants to steal Holland’s research for his fame. An unforeseen accident during the heist turns Holland into the Swamp Thing, an enormous plant-like creature that fights back against Arcane’s henchmen to save Alice.

Swamp Thing hints at Craven’s notoriously dark revenge film, The Last House on the Left (1972) though nowhere near as dark as that film.

The exterior settings resemble each other despite being filmed in different locales and characters frequently charge or flee the woodsy atmosphere in peril. Watching on a streaming service provided a grainy video which enhanced a rawness that helped the film look less cartoonish.

A repeated watch might need better video production to notice subtleties missed during its first viewing.

I can’t be critical of Swamp Thing because it’s an enjoyable experience.

The early romance between Alice and Alec is nice though limited. I confess to nearly being teary-eyed during a tender moment between Alice and ‘Swamp Thing’, now played by Dick Durock. After Alice is shot in the breast she is tenderly healed and held by the creature.

Speaking of breasts, Barbeau bares them during a scene where she bathes in the swamp. The intent is sensational and to showcase her ‘girls’ as much as her running around or being chained in a low-cut dress is.

Being a fan of Barbeau’s this didn’t bother me as much as it should have but where were the scantily clad men? They didn’t exist.

Also laughable is Barbeau as ‘damsel in distress’ when the actress is well known for tough girl roles like Rizzo in Grease or Maggie in John Carpenter’s Escape from New York made only a year earlier.

As she meekly cried out for help I couldn’t help but chuckle inside, especially since her character is part of a government security team sent to protect.

Jourdan is excellent as the evil Anton playing the role over the top like standard superhero villains. This proves successful as we cheer on his ultimate demise.

The musical composer Harry Manfredini also scored most of the Friday the 13th film series (1980-2001) which is easy for fans with a knack for spotting eerie yet 1980s-based soundtracks.

Swamp Thing (1982) may not be a cinematic genius but there is enough to enjoy for the average viewer, especially early superhero fans. Barbeau and Craven make the film better than it would have been without them.

1963 Films, Anthony Asquith, British, Drama, Elizabeth Taylor, Elsa Martinelli, Louis Jourdan, Maggie Smith, Margaret Rutherford, Orson Welles, Richard Burton, Rod Taylor, Romantic Drama

The V.I.P’s-1963

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The V.I.P’s-1963

Director Anthony Asquith

Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Louis Jourdan

Scott’s Review #1,263

Reviewed June 4, 2022

Grade: B+

The V.I.P.’s (1963) is a sweeping drama set against a foggy London airport. It’s a good film but hardly a masterpiece as the trials and tribulations of the stranded passengers are explored and sometimes intersect in standard ways.

The film is formulaic and offers little surprise but I enjoyed it and was entertained by the parade of stars shuffling through the vast airport.

Some stories are more interesting than others and the film has a soap opera style with glamorous and rich characters.

One wonders if The V.I.P.’s influenced the creation of the film Airport (1970) seven years later, but the film itself is patterned after 1932’s Grand Hotel both distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

Real-life couple, and Hollywood A-listers, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton star and are the main draws of the film.

The all-star cast also features Louis Jourdan, Maggie Smith, Rod Taylor, Orson Welles, and the scene-stealing Margaret Rutherford.

Inclement weather has delayed a flight from London’s fabulous Heathrow Airport to New York City. A cross-section of elite passengers (V.I.P.s) impatiently wait to board the plane as they experience various life crises in the airport.

The main storyline surrounds Frances (Taylor), a gorgeous woman fleeing a loveless marriage to her millionaire husband, Paul (Richard Burton), and in love with the dashing Marc Champselle (Jourdan).

Supporting stories feature a dotty duchess (Rutherford) who has fallen on hard times, and a handsome businessman (Rod Taylor) trying to thwart a hostile takeover.

At the same time, his secretary (Smith) lusts after him, and Gloria (Elsa Martinelli), an aspiring actress, and her money-grubbing producer, Max (Welles).

Despite the heavy-sounding plots the film is not overly severe and provides comical moments peppered in small doses. This secures the pacing and offsets too much doom and gloom.

The big soapy moments belong to Liz and Richard and rumor has it that the idea for the screenplay came to the writer Terence Rattigan because of a real-life situation.

Actress Vivien Leigh was planning to leave her husband Laurence Olivier for another man but was delayed at Heathrow Airport.

How scandalous!

Nonetheless, Taylor stoically gives an acceptable performance as a conflicted actress in love with a man other than her husband. The setup plays out as tired as it sounds except for the juicy reality that Taylor and Burton were married providing the only interest.

Taylor and Burton have terrific chemistry though she also does with Jourdan. Still, there is something uncompelling and unsatisfying about the story.

Shockingly, they are all upstaged by Rutherford who steals the entire film resulting in her surprising Best Supporting Actress victory. She may have won because of the Academy’s tendency to sometimes award an older actor with the prize for a lifetime body of work.

Her riveting story is my favorite as she desperately seeks a way to save her historic home.

The actress hits a homerun providing the much-needed comic relief and the liveliest of performances. Her peril offsets her cleverness and her performance is filled with heart.

Many critics hastily insisted that Rutherford was the only reason to see The V.I.P.’s. Personally, the combination of an airport, peril, and big stars was more than enough to have me hooked.

The only addition that might have made the film better was an enormous fire or a hijacking crisis.

The V.I.P.’s (1963) will only appeal to fans of Taylor and Burton or those seeking something sudsy. Otherwise, the film is not too well remembered.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Supporting Actress-Margaret Rutherford (won)

1949 Films, Best Film of the Year, Drama, Gladys Cooper, Harry Morgan, James Mason, Jennifer Jones, Louis Jourdan, Van Heflin, Vincente Minnelli

Madame Bovary-1949

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Madame Bovary-1949

Director Vincente Minnelli

Starring Jennifer Jones, James Mason

Scott’s Review #930

Reviewed August 13, 2019

Grade: A-

Madame Bovary (1949) is a film adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s famous novel. Remade a handful of times since this version, Jennifer Jones is cast in the lead role and does a fantastic job with a complicated part.

The title character is central to the controversial film which will undoubtedly result in mixed opinions of her actions and motivations- she will be loved or loathed.

Director Minnelli successfully mixes melodrama and glamour with pain and defeat as one woman’s attempt at happiness is told.

Cleverly, the story is told within a story as the viewer is immediately amid a compelling and dramatic trial. Flaubert (James Mason) defends his novel depicting an adulterous woman (Jones) ruining the lives of men, deemed disgraceful to France and all womanhood.

He tells the story from his perspective and, through this, Madame Bovary’s perspective. She (Emma) marries a small-town, country doctor, Charles Bovary (Van Heflin), and quickly grows disappointed with his lack of status.

Feeling trapped and unfulfilled, she embarks on failed romances with other men as she attempts to ascend the social ladder.

The theme, as with the novel, is either understanding or abhorring Emma’s feelings and actions, or perhaps a mixture of both emotions.

Who would not forsake her for being true to her feelings and desiring her piece of the pie? Most women of her day were reduced to matronly statuses or asexual feelings, but Emma wanted satisfaction and life, at the risk of her own family.

To counter these lustful feelings, she does not treat her husband very well, resenting his passivity and being disappointed at her daughter being a girl instead of her desired son.

This, she feels, would have allowed her better status, so her daughter is nearly shunned, preferring the affections of the housekeeper to her mother’s feeble attempts at love.

Is she Hellion or a sympathetic soul? Emma is one of the most complex of all female film characters.

With Madame Bovary being made in 1949 and the novel earlier, the progressive slant is rich and worthy of much admiration. The female perspective and the courage to reach for the stars and grasp life are spirited and wonderful to see, especially given the period.

A mixture of romantic drama and torrid affairs is at hand during this experience and always is the character’s center stage.

The film mixes in remnants of Gone with the Wind (1939), especially with the lavish dance hall sequence. The ball is the highlight with gorgeous costumes, great cinematography, and bombastic dances.

As Emma cavorts with a dashing aristocrat, Rodolphe (Louis Jourdan), Charles gets drunk and makes a fool of himself, as her true disdain for her marriage becomes clear. The smashing windows with chairs moment is ahead of its time by way of the effects used and the constant dance twirls are dizzying.

So much importance occurs in this pivotal sequence.

Jones, while more than adequate, would not have been my first choice for the role. Married to influential producer David O. Selznick, it was rumored that many of the actresses’ roles were given to her.

Delicious is to fantasize at what legends such as Bette Davis or Vivian Leigh might have brought to the character. Especially Leigh, given her dazzling performance as Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind, a follow-up as a similar and arguably more complex character is fun to imagine.

A film that allows for post-credits discussion is always positive, with Madame Bovary (1949) a lengthy analysis of a character begs deliberation.

Minnelli pours love and energy into a work dripping with nuances, long before his famous musicals came to fruition. A strong and vital female character suffers a lonely and despairing fate on her own which is tragic and sad, but she did live her life with a zest that should empower us all.

Oscar Nominations: Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White

1983 Films, Action, Desmond Llewelyn, James Bond, John Glen, Lois Maxwell, Louis Jourdan, Maud Adams, Roger Moore

Octopussy-1983

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Octopussy-1983

Director John Glen

Starring Roger Moore, Maud Adams

Scott’s Review #716

Reviewed January 17, 2018

Grade: A-

Hardly regarded as one of the most stellar of entries in the James Bond franchise, 1983’s Octopussy is nonetheless a guilty pleasure of mine.

This is undoubtedly due to the film being the first installment that I was allowed to see in the movie theater and is filled with exciting memories.

As the film stands in current days it is perfectly fine, containing all of the enjoyable elements necessary for a good Bond film- interesting villains, solid action, and gorgeous women. Perhaps at times suffering from a bit of silliness, Octopussy is still quite the fantastic watch.

Roger Moore, admittedly looking slightly aged and sagging, returns to the fold as 007, the shaken, but not stirred action hero known as James Bond. However, he is, true to form, as witty and suave as he always is with witty one-liners and a mischievous smirk.

Moore ritualistically infuses the character with a measure of comedy- a wink of the eye or a raised eyebrow adds humor to the character so than any other actor who has portrayed Bond.

In this installment, Faberge eggs, clowns, and gorilla suits are featured. Attempting to escape from East Berlin to West Berlin, 009- dressed as a circus clown, is murdered on the estate of a British Ambassador while attempting to deliver a fake Faberge egg.

Assuming the Soviets are involved, MI6 instructs Bond to investigate the matter, and a complex smuggling ring is uncovered- featuring a gorgeous female smuggler named Octopussy (Maud Adams), along with sinister Afghan exiled prince Kamal Kahn (Louis Jourdan), and his bodyguard, Gobinda.

Watching the film in 2018, and even though it was made in 1983, Octopussy does not suffer from the dreaded “1980s look” that so many other films do and seems surprisingly clean and fresh.

The colors are vibrant- especially in the prevalent circus and clown scenes, and the best two scenes- the airplane and train scenes- still bristle and crackle with good action.

As the climax to Octopussy culminates, the inevitable heroine and main Bond girl- Adams’s “Octopussy”, has been bound and gagged and taken hostage by the baddies in a fleeing airplane, Bond grabs hold of the fuselage, and begins a harried flight over the mountains of remote India, clinging for dear life.

The scene climaxes with an exciting fight scene atop the rooftop of the speeding plane as Bond and Gobinda fight to the death as Kamal unsuccessfully attempts to twist and turn the plane and rid themselves of pesky Bond.

The scene is still compelling and loses none of its appeal over the years, never appearing dated.

The train sequence is still relevant but does suffer from a small dose of silliness. The action is plentiful as Bond races against time to prevent a Russian missile from detonating and killing thousands of American citizens, and worthy of note is the timely Cold War subject matter of the Russians versus the Americans- plentiful in American cinema during this time.

As Bond dons a phony-looking gorilla outfit- embarrassing even for the comical Roger Moore- he can successfully take off the costume and sneak out of a train car, all before the three seconds that it takes for Gobinda to turn around and slice the head off of the gorilla thinking it is Bond.

Suspension of disbelief is required.

Impressive is the female empowerment slant that is evident. From the strong businesswoman character that Adams portrays- she is decisive, intelligent, and savvy, she is neither cowering nor impressionable and cannot be bullied or pushed around.

Albeit her name, “Octopussy”, does teeter on male chauvinism. Be that as it may, her gang of feminist followers, all wielding assault rifles, are quite inspiring and, at this point, unusual for a Bond film- typically masculine leaning.

Octopussy (1983) is an overlooked, under-appreciated, too easily dismissed slice of goodness served up with a bit of comedy, plenty of action, and good solid villains- everything that makes a Bond film a Bond film.

The film is worthy of a viewing.