Driftwood (1947)

This little-remembered B-movie from near 'Poverty Row' studio Republic Pictures picks itself up by its bootstraps because of the wealth of acting talent from a cast better-known for other roles.  It's the story of a little girl raised in the wilds who makes her way to town when her great-grandpappy (H.B. Warner, the chemist from "It's a Wonderful Life") dies.  En route she finds a lovely collie whose role becomes crucial to the story (not, I think, played by Lassie!).  She is found and initially looked after by Dean Jagger, still a romantic lead as such, best known for playing Brigham Young and an Oscar-winner for "Twelve O'Clock High".  He lives with his uncle Murph played by two-time Oscar winner, three-time nominee Walter Brennan, a reliable character actor from silent days to the mid-seventies.  His girl-friend is Ruth Warwick, best known as Kane's society wife in "Citizen Kane".  She in turn lives with her aunt Charlotte Greenwood, a long-legged eccentric dancer and Aunt Eller in "Oklahoma".  The self-centered town mayor who won't give the funds to build a local hospital for doctor Jagger is played by Jerome Cowan, the man whose son gives such crucial evidence in the Santa Claus trial in the original "Miracle on 34th Street".  We even have Margaret Hamilton in a small role, who as everyone would immediately recognize is Oz's Wicked Witch of the West.

The glue which holds all of these performances together is a remarkable turn from 8-year old Natalie Wood, who was always something of a heart-breaker as a child actress. She manages to bring together the would-be romances amongst the cast, avoid the orphanage by finding herself a ready-made family, and surviving a dire bout of Spotted Fever which is Dr. Jagger's area of expertise.  Naturally the wonder-dog is a key player in developing a suitable serum.  Yes, a true B-effort, but a hugely satisfying one on so many levels.

Tags: Driftwood, Natalie Wood, actors

Requiem for a Vampire (1971)

I have seen many films by French director Jean Rollin over the years, but had not seen this one previously.  Never mind, his movies are much of a muchness -- seen one, seen them all -- or nearly.  A pretty confection of sex, tasteful nudity and vampires.  The interesting thing about Rollin is that he has an artist's eye and his films are beautiful to behold, the composition well thought out, despite the obviously miniscule budget, but they are absolute tosh and piffle.  In this one, the last vampire of his race knows that he is losing his powers, but briefly seeks to re-establish his realm by initiating two nubile young virgins into his dying community.  However one of them manages to lose her virginity before he can achieve this and, happy to at long last be free of blood-letting, he is sealed into his tomb bringing an end to his line.  Not that this stopped other vampires baring their teeth in subsequent Rollin movies.  Another day, another bite! 

Tags: Jean Rollin, vampires

La Antena (2007)

According to the brochure, the Raindance Film Festival (a spin-off from Sundance) is in its l5th year in the UK (news to me, since I don't recall hearing anything about it for more than a couple of years).  Anyhow we decided it was time we supported this celebration of independent cinema and chose two likely films from the many being screened.

The first of these was a Japanese film, "Uncle's Paradise" (2006), and positively, horrendously awful.  I hadn't realised that it was a so-called "pink" film which is not, as it might suggest, a gay movie, but rather a cheaply-made sex film, rather akin to Category III from Hong Kong, but without any semblance of production values.  The blurb ran that the young hero had to rescue his uncle from the clutches of Hell, but all we got was the tale of his randy uncle who did his best to control his insatiable sexual urges by chug-a-lugging vitamin drinks and a whole lot of very uninspired bonking.  I can't even say that it was fun!

However our second choice, the above film from Argentina, which translates as 'The Aerial' was an amazing experience, quite unlike anything I've ever seen.  Again the blurb was a little misleading as it suggested that this largely silent film was a homage to German Expressionism and Murnau; it in fact was more reminiscent of the rather weird output of the Canadian Guy Maddin, especially in its delicate use of black and white cinematogaphy.  The gist of the story is that a tyrant has robbed the inhabitants of a city of their voices and totally controls all words and images.  Communication is by text bubbles with the words incorporated into the layout of the composition; in a way it was a shame that we had the requisite subtitles under the picture which distracted from the visual impact of the design.  Only a beautiful (and faceless) singer is known to still have a voice, but so does her son who is literally eyeless; a sound engineer, his estranged wife, and their young daughter who befriends the lad attempt to broadcast sound before the population are robbed of their words as well.

I haven't really done justice to this remarkably-conceived film from director Esteban Sapir.  It is a fairy-tale, an allegory, a political statement, and a work of art all rolled into one. 

In closing I must briefly mention another recently viewed silent, "Finis Terrae" a French film from 1929.  This was a mock documentary of the sort produced by Robert Flaherty following the fortunes of some isolated fishermen on the Brittany coast (I think), but it was so beautifully photographed in the crispest black and white, with the magical eye of an experimental film-maker, that the banal story became something surreal.  Another treat!

Tags: Raindance, Pink Movies, La Antena, silent film

The Black Dahlia (2006)

This movie was a big disappointment on nearly all fronts.  I like films set in old Hollywood or environs and of recent vintage "L.A. Confidential" and even "Hollywoodland" (recently reviewed) were successful in conjuring up the period.  This so-called film noir by usually reliable director Brian De Palma, despite good production values and a decent cast, just did not hack it.  Based on the novel by James Ellroy of the still unsolved so-called 'black dahlia' murder, De Palma has decided to solve the mystery in his own convoluted and unconvincing way.

Part of the problem is having Josh Hartnett in the lead since, while a pretty face, he is ever so lightweight.  He finds himself trying to solve both the murder of a two-bit actress plus that of his own partner, an equally unbelievable Aaron Eckhart.  We're presented with a love triangle of Hartnett, Eckhart, and the fragrant Scarlett Johansson, a totally unnecessary lesbian spin on the events, and a secondary triangle of Hartnett, Johansson, and society dame Hilary Swank.  Neither of the actresses particularly excel in this movie, although we know that they are both able -- Swank has two Oscars for goodness sake!  We are also introduced to Shakespearian actress Fiona Shaw in the role of Swank's 'cokehead' mother, who is so over the top that she seems to have wandered in from a production of "Macbeth".  The pacing was poor as well; something of a pity, since the source material should have produced a cracking movie.

Tags: Black Dahlia, Brian de Palma, Scarlett Johannson, Hilary Swank, Fiona Shaw, Josh Hartnett

In-flight Movies (as always)

Well I'm back, but it's taken me two days to get my act together and get online for my regular in-flight movie report (the four other films I've seen since I'm back --! -- will have to wait).

On the outward flight I actually managed to view three movies in a pathetic attempt to keep my average up, since I almost never get to see any films whilst in New York.  Here goes -- although I shall keep this brief:

Night at the Museum (2006):  This is a perfectly adequate time-waster starring Ben Stiller who usually manages to carry his movies, although his appeal is something of a mystery.  Here he plays a loser who needs to re-establish his halo with his son and his divorced wife; he takes a job as a night watchman at the Natural History Museum where his wrinkly predecessors have not quite prepared him for the fact that all of the exhibits become alive at night.  The computer effects of animated dinosaurs, wild beasts and miniature warriors are fun, but the actual comedy is pretty non-existant, and personally I could do without the cameos from current comic flavours of the month Steve Coogan and Ricky Gervais.

Scoop (2006): This is the second of two movies that Woody Allen directed in Britain, both starring Scarlett Johansson, and neither has been granted a UK release, which is something of a shame.  I know that it is currently unfashionable to like Woody's films and to hark back on the early "funny" ones, but I still find them generally good value.  Here Woody plays a second-rate magician who befriends Johannsson's journalism student as she tries to unearth a serial killer who may or may not be Hugh Jackman.  I found it a bit of a lark, professionally made and certainly worth an hour and a half of anyone's time.

Happy Feet (2006): This animated movie is yet another penguin pic and tells the sad tale of a baby penguin who is unable to sing but who is a nifty dancer.  Frankly I hope I don't have to see any more penguin movies for the duration, as I personally find masses of these bobbing birds scary to say the least.  And when they are all dancing -- oh my God! 

The return trip was something of a wash-out since I was far too weary to watch all of my first choice "The Fountain" (2006).  Darren Aronofsky has been trying to get this made for some years now and the resultant film starring his current partner, Rachel Weisz, and Hugh Jackman as lovers in different time periods, as Jackman tries to find a cure for his dying wife, came across as ever so precious.  Perhaps were I more awake I might not have given up halfway through and I suspect that this will get its second chance in due course.

After a bit of a kip, there was only time to watch half of a second film and since I had seen a number of them and didn't particularly want to see many of the others, I chose "Man of the Year" (2006).  This choice was actually an odd one for me since I am no Robin Williams fan (plus this was his third role of this trip, since he played a Teddy Roosevelt mannequin in the museum movie and was one of the penguin voices).  Here he is a talk-show host who as a lark runs for President of the good old U S of A and, because of a computer glitch, actually wins.  I  must confess that I found Williams far more tolerable in this role than in other recent ones and I am actually eager to discover how the film finishes.  How about that then?

Hopefully I shall be back to abnormal in a few days.  See you soon...

Tags: Ben Stiller, Woody Allen, penguins, The Fountain, Robin Williams

Opera Jawa (2006)

I think I've been sold a bill of goods!  I wasn't the least bit tempted to see this 'gamelan musical' from Indonesia when it premiered at last year's London Film Festival.  However when the National Film Theatre decided to devote a month to it, hyping it as a one-of-a-kind experience and when several reviewers reinforced this come-on, I gave in. It's a retelling in modern dress of the most famous episode from the "Ramayana" where a good king and an evil king spar over the affections of the good one's queen and how she is destroyed by him in the name of love, except in this film the tale is translated to a poor potter, a former temple-dancer, and the local butcher.

What makes this film so unusual is that the whole tale is sung by the ( mainly dubbed) actors and by singers of varying ability to the Western ear, ranging from a positively obese market storyteller to an older woman with a very distracting huge mole on her nose.  Much of it is danced too.  Finally local artists have designed a number of art "installations" amongst which some of the action takes places; these range from an abattoir filled with red wax human-head candles through a market of television sets carved from stone and a "wrapped" red roadway.  While some of these are visually arresting they add little to the cinematic quality or overall success of the movie which was, I thought, poorly cut and edited.  If I were to compare this film to another that was a true visual treat and really unusual, like "Princess Raccoon", this movie comes up short, especially at its two-hour running time.

As Michael said afterwards, seeing this movie twice would be one time too many.  I won't go as far as to suggest that seeing it once falls into the same category, but shorter would have been far less boring.  I'm sorry; for my money strange does not necessarily equal good.

It's that time of year again when I'm off to New York for one of my regular trips, so there will be no new musings before the end of the month.  But do check back then...

Tags: Opera Jawa, film, Gamelan

The 'Burbs (1989)

Unlike the film reviewed below, not all movies can stand a second viewing or better yet a re-evaluation of their reputation.  I was frankly puzzled when I came across the above film in my collection, since I can't imagine ever purchasing it, unless it was a make-weight for a "buy 5 for £20" offer or something.  Anyhow since there were some potential possibilities in its favour, I popped it into my player.

So what were these possibilities?  Well for a start there was an incredibly young-looking Tom Hanks who I used to really like before he came over all serious.  Then there was Bruce Dern, an actor I have always admired for the something out-of-kilter behaviour behind his knowing smile.  Further, there was a final film appearance from one Brother Theodore who about a million years ago presented a cult late-night sick humour stand-up in New York; I'm not positive that I ever actually saw him, but I certainly knew about him.  So far so good, but unfortunately not enough.  The story concerns neighbours in a supposedly quiet suburban backwater who become suspicious about the possibly dark deeds being committed by the never-seen newcomer weirdies, as played by Henry Gibson, Brother T. and a ghoulish-looking youngster.  This paranoia is fuelled by Hanks' buddy Rick Ducommun, an actor I knew nothing about when I first saw this film and whom I still know nothing about, who fills his friends' heads with grisly scenarios -- until they are breaking and entering and ultimately destroying the house in question.  Is any of this funny?  No, not really.  The one person on the block who thinks it is entertaining is that ubiquitous kid from the '80s, Corey Feldman, who invites all his mates 'round to watch the fireworks.  As he says at the film's end, "I love this street" -- but he's the only one who would willingly return. 

Tags: The 'Burbs, Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Brother Theodore

Hard Target (1993)

Legendary Hong Kong director John Woo was much admired in the 80s for his so-called bullet ballets by those with a penchant for stylish violence.  When, like so many other talents from the Colony, he left to seek his fortune elsewhere before the Chinese takeover in 1997, he pitched up in Hollywood where he has never quite re-attained his status, no doubt largely because of the different approaches of the two areas to film-making.  In Hong Kong he was very much in control of the product and despite lower budgets, could somehow finalise his vision.  I do not doubt for a minute that in the States, the "suits" had the last word.  What is certain is that he was forced to make numerous minor cuts to get this, his first U.S. movie, certificated, and even then it was pooh-poohed by the critics as not being a patch on his earlier work.

Not having seen it for a while, I thought it might be overdue for re-evaluation and it really is a slam-bang action corker.  Woo was probably not helped by having Jean-Claude Van Damme as his lead, but he managed to hone something of a performance from him and it is probably one of the "Muscles from Brussels" better efforts.  Similarly the female lead Yancy Butler is really at best just a TV actress and her part neither adds nor detracts.  Where Woo lucked out was in getting Lance Henriksen as his villain, although back then it is a role that the actor could have played in his sleep -- yet his cultured evil is tangible.  He is aided by an equally villainous turn from Arnold Vosloo as his murderous sidekick.  What the film boils down to is yet another version of "The Most Dangerous Game" where bored hunters pay to chase down the most satisfying prey: Man, here in the colourful streets, cemeteries, and bayous of New Orleans.  It may be an oft-told tale, but Woo manages non-stop and quite stylish fireworks and bloodshed and even has some shots of his trademark birds.  The final half-hour's gunfight in a Mardi Gras storehouse, amongst the oversized heads and grotesque carnival paraphernalia, is the product of a director with a brilliant visual approach.  One only wishes one could have viewed the original, uncut conception of this unfairly-dismissed movie.

Tags: Hard Target, John Woo, Van Damme, action movie

Dirty Dancing:Havana Nights (2004)

There are lots of folk who think the original "Dirty Dancing" movie is a wonderful experience and the epitome of the chick-flick, but I am not one of them.  These same people are likely to enjoy this sequel in name only, which has nothing to do with the original film.  In short, a rich American girl moves to Cuba when her father's job takes him there, just before the Revolution in 1958 and becomes enchanted by Cuban dance rhythms.  Romola Garai who made such a strong impression in "I Capture the Castle" in 2003 and Diego Luna who equally hit the radar in 2001's "Y Tu Mama Tambien" play the gal and the poor native fella.  While they make an interesting couple and while their dancing is undoubtedly sexy, this movie did nothing for either career, which on one level is something of a shame, especially when one considers the career trajectory of Luna's co-star from "Mama", Gael Garcia Bernal.  Patrick Swayze, star of the original film has a cameo as a dance teacher, which unfortunately adds nothing to the party; he's still swivel-hipped and graceful, but is beginning to look as if he is made of plastic.  I'm sure the producers were hoping to profit by the first film's reputation, but it all seems something of a waste of talent and time.

Tags: Dirty Dancing, Romola Garai, Diego Luna, Patrick Swayze

The Cat's Paw (1934)

Nearly two years ago, I bought a Harold Lloyd comedy collection which included all of his feature films through 1934, about half of which I'd seen previously, and a good assortment of his silent shorts (many of which I assume are now "lost").  It did not include his penultimate talkie made in 1938 nor his last one, the fabulous "The Sin of Harold Diddlebock" released in 1947 or the re-edit as "Mad Wednesday" from 1950.  I have been dipping into this collection over the period and a very enjoyable experience it has been too.  The above movie was the last to be seen and while nowhere as magical as his best silents, since Lloyd seemed bent on re-inventing himself as a character actor for the sound period, it too has some memorable moments.

Lloyd is raised from an early age in China by his missionary parents and only returns to the States some 20 years later to "find a woman to be the mother of my children".  While well-versed in Chinese manners and aphorisms, he is quite unused to modern Western life and the comedy stems from his being a very polite fish out of water.  He falls in with crooked politician George Barbier who urgently needs a dummy candidate to oppose the corrupt mayor, thereby maintaining the party's graft. Of course -- or there would be no story -- Lloyd actually becomes popular with the electorate and wins the election.  When he tries to clean up the town, the horrified and financially-suffering bigwigs do their best to bring him down.  However with the help of the local Chinese community and a famous Eastern illusionist, he manages to expose all the baddies and usher in a new period of reform.  He also finds a woman to marry, the wise-cracking Una Merkle (her name always suggests some disease to me!) for the requisite happy ending.  This was a pleasant enough finale for my Lloyd viewing, if not exactly a high point.

Tags: The Cat's Paw, Harold Lloyd

The Queen (2006)

I was in no rush whatsoever to view this film, since I was never one who worshipped at the shrine of Diana and was sure that it would annoy me.  Now that it has finally come my way, I must admit that I didn't like it as such, but thought it was extremely well-made and that Helen Mirren justly deserved the many plaudits she received for her work in the title role.

I remember the week in question well, even 'though I was at a conference in the States at the time.  Nearly everyone I knew kept coming up and offering their sincere condolences, as if all of my nearest and dearest had just been massacred.  As I followed the news from England, I kept getting more and more angry at the pressure being put upon the Queen by the opportunistic press, and I'm not even British for goodness sake! The director Stephen Frears has produced an even-handed and professional film, mixing the actors with news footage from that time -- much more effective than having someone pretending to be Diana.  As for Mirren, for an avowedly anti-Royalist, she did a remarkable job at getting under the Queen's skin and revealing her as the most human of all the protagonists, as she fought between years of tradition and realising that she could be misreading her subjects; it was a well-rounded, sympathetic, and all-too-believable performance.  Michael Sheen as the new Prime Minister was also excellent, using the developing events for his own political mileage, yet showing great empathy with the dilemma the Queen faced.  But as for the actors portraying Mrs. Blair and political-spinner Alastair Campbell, I felt like roundly slapping them for their self-serving vitriol. In short, this was an intelligent and quite fair look at a very uncommon and hysterical week, but frankly not one I would care to revisit again.   

Tags: The Queen, Helen Mirren

Terrible Joe Moran (1984)

I don't write about television movies very often although I do see a fair number of them in the course of my obsession with watching unknown films; most of them (and they are not all disease-of-the-week) soon fade from the memory.  However there are exceptions, foremost of which are those which feature well-known stars late in their careers.  For example the only time that Bette Davis and James Stewart ever appeared together was in a weepy TVM from 1983, "Right of Way".  Another favourite of mine, Katharine Hepburn, was magnificent in an earlyish TVM with Laurence Olivier, "Love Among the Ruins" in 1975.  Walter Matthau also appeared in some thought-provoking made for television movies.  All of these actors made more than one television film, normally superior to the run of the mill, and none disgracing their cinematic legacy (if not necessarily of equal standard).

What makes the above film so special is that it was not only the only TVM that James Cagney ever made, but he was 84 at the time and it was the last film of his long career.  He plays a former welterweight champion boxer, now confined to a wheelchair, bitter and isolated in his vast New York townhouse, with only his day-carer, the wonderful Art Carney, for acerbic company.  Into his life comes the grand-daughter he has never known, played by a very young and able Ellen Barkin, who is really there to try to cadge some money for her wastrel boyfriend, played by an equally young Peter Gallagher, who is in debt to the mob in a big way.  The growing affection between the old man and the talented youngster turns to disappointment when he discovers how he is being used, and the final tearful denouement is a killer.  The old Cagney is contrasted with the cheeky young Cagney by incorporating some boxing clips from his early films, and we can still see signs of the brash persona that was his.  Some people might say that actors should leave their careers while their image remains in tact, rather than risk letting us see how time wreaks havoc; personally I wouldn't miss seeing a film like this one for the world -- even if it was made for the idiot box. 

Tags: Television Movies, James Cagney