jmillerdp Reviews

Mars (2016–2018)

Most Boring Space Show Ever!

[1/10 · 14 November 2016]

Wow! What a major miss!

I am seriously stunned at how impossibly boring this show is. After all the build up, it's a serious swing and miss!

The show is a dramatization/documentary hybrid. And, the two halves seem to be from two entirely different production teams. The two halves are clumsily cross-cut with massive, full-screen "2016" and "2033" titles, I am guessing because the show's overseers have no confidence in viewers' ability to distinguish the cuts. And, having the standard "Inception"-like "Boom!" on the soundtrack with the show's logo before each commercial break is as "dramatic" as this show gets!

The documentary portions are okay enough. But, are done no better than they have been on a hundred Science Channel shows. In fact, they are a bit low-key and can get kind of sleepy.

The dramatization portion is a full-on failure. Dull, boring, and very badly shot. As I said, after all the build up, and someone like Ron Howard being involved, how can that be? Howard made two of the greatest docudramas ever, "Apollo 13" and "Rush." Maybe Howard is a PINO here (Producer In Name Only).

Tons of the dramatic parts are shot in EXTREME CLOSE UP! Fans of "Wayne's World" know exactly what I mean! The color is, of course, desaturated, so it's ugly to look at. The music is next to non existent. The actors seem to have just awoken from naps before their takes. The visual effects are no better than what visual effects artists post on YouTube.

The show goes out of its way to be inclusive, and have people from all ethnic backgrounds. Now, you would think that the point of this would be to have people with spirit and life in them. But, they are easily as boring as any white guy would be.

Wow! I am really floored by how badly this turned out. I am guessing that there are tons of people online who could crank out much more inspiring cases for going to Mars. And, since we face the possibility of NASA funding being slashed even further, this was a critical time to make an excellent show on going to Mars.

Major fail, National Geographic!

* (1 Star Out of 10)

The Firm (1993)

Hilariously Ludicrous!

[2/10 · 8 July 2016]

Tom Cruise's character is officially the dumbest lawyer who's ever lived! He doesn't ask a question when a supposedly small Memphis law firm offers him far more than a Wall Street firm. Really? And, it's all downhill from there in John Grisham's impossibly laughable pulp thriller.

Grisham has always turned out potboilers, melodramatic legal tales that strain credulity. But this, his first, is even more impossible to believe than most!

The film is reasonably made. But, a competently made film that has a truly Loony Tunes blueprint is just that. And, the believability just gets more and more strained as it goes.

Dave Grusin attempts a one-instrument-only film score with performing the whole thing with only a piano. It's an admirable attempt, but it just doesn't work. Bernard Hermann created an all-string film score for "Psycho," but that included the full string section: violins, cellos, bass violins, etc.

This movie is such a joke! Embarrassing.

** (2 Out of 10 Stars)

National Parks Adventure (2016)

Truly Disappointing

[4/10 · 3 July 2016]

Considering you gotta fork over a full-price ticket to see a short- subject film, I was certainly disappointed.

The film inexplicably features three people who use the National Parks as their personal playground. Bizarrely, the film spends 10 minutes or so watching them cooking, riding in their car, tightrope walking, whatever. A true waste of time. Maybe these three people in the movie were related to the director? I have no idea.

Add to it the bizarre disservice done to who should have showed up in the movie and been the centerpiece: Native Americans. Having three white people as the centerpiece was a truly strange way to "celebrate" our National Parks.

If you have ever heard the stories Native Americans have about the lands of our country, you would be transfixed! Truly fascinating. If we had heard about how they worship the land and believe in its power, it would have made a tremendous difference. Instead, all we get is a brief reference to it by off-screen narrator Robert Redford.

A true missed opportunity, and a true disappointment.

**** (4 Out of 10 Stars)

The Lady in the Van (2015)

Sickening and Insufferable

[1/10 · 30 April 2016]

(SPOILERS THROUGHOUT)

This Alan playwright basically uses this psychologically tortured woman and lets her stew in her sorrow and dysfunction for 15 years so he can get some material out of it.

Now, I can't imagine why he would want to put up with someone who treats him like garbage for all that time for letting her stay there. But, you're doing no one a favor to let them suffer for 15 years, instead of finding the people who can actually them that person.

Otherwise, the supposed "revelations" the film has are obvious from the first second of the film, like Alan being gay, the woman having killed someone, etc. etc.

Truly reprehensible "filmmaking" on every level. It is mind bending how Britain can turn out garbage like this. Add it to "The Theory of Everything," which turned a film about one of the most fascinating humans who ever lived, Stephen Hawking, into a routine-at-best, Made- for-TV-level "film."

0 Stars out of 10 (0)

Sunshine (2007)

Too Much Disaster Movie in this Sci-Fi

[7/10 · 12 December 2015]

There is a lot of good stuff in "Sunshine." There is. Alex Garland, who wrote and directed "Ex Machina" and wrote the also-Danny-Boyle- directed "28 Days Later," has a lot of talent.

But, he makes writing decisions that don't work. Here, there is that "Gravity"-type problem of having one calamity after another happen to our hapless heroes.

And, it gets to be too much. Also, the movie goes a bit too quickly, just like "Gravity," which, yeah, I know came afterward. But, still, they share that issue.

Otherwise, the atmosphere and effects used are very evocative and impressive. You truly feel that you are out in space with these characters and what they go through. The cinematography and film score are also first rate.

Still, the ending does get to be too much! (SPOILER) Having this superhuman-zombie character running amok completely strains credulity. But, it is rescued by the transcendent moment of Cillian Murphy meeting his fate in the nuclear fire. (END SPOILER)

A very good movie. It just has its issues.

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

Ex Machina (2014)

Creepy Kubrickian Mind (Bleep!)

[11 December 2015]

(Begin SPOILER) The moment where Domhnall Gleason has a near- breakdown moment, and the screen goes to black with a title for the next chapter, I got that freaky feeling and smile on my face like I do watching similar moments from "The Shining!"

That's pretty cool! (End SPOILER)

That's really all you can ask of a movie, isn't it? Well, there are some other things! But, that is definitely the high point. After that, you of course have to find a way to wrap the story up. And, while there are good elements to the ending, it isn't as satisfying as that moment.

The writer/director also wrote "Sunshine," one of the best sci-fi movies of this century. So, he does have talent.

The cinematography takes on the same style as Kubrick, which is cool. And, the electronic score is evocative without being obtrusive.

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

Rich and Famous (1981)

Wow! This Was B-A-D !

[2/10 · 7 December 2015]

Incredibly embarrassing final film for director George Cukor. His great career wheezes to a stiflingly bad conclusion in "Rich and Famous." I am guessing it is supposed to be an R-rated version of the popular "women's pictures" from times previous.

But, instead, it lurches so uncomfortably with terrible dialogue that no one would EVER speak. The performances are rudimentary, at best, with Bergen's terrible come-and-go attempt at a southern accent the most egregious.

I only watched it on TCM because: 1.) There was nothing else on, and 2.) To see how bad this trainwreck would be. Conclusion: Pretty bad!

** (2 Out of 10 Stars)

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Vietnam as Hallucinatory Nightmare

[10/10 · 2 December 2015]

This is a classic that has one of the more storied histories of any film. The complications of filming, the now also-classic documentary on those struggles, and the multiple versions of the film that have been released.

I have been lucky to see it once in 70mm 6-Track Dolby Stereo. And, I just got to see the "Redux" version at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria Queens, New York.

The film has the all-time best Sound Design, thanks to the great Walter Murch. It is so immersive to hear the soundscape he constructed in excellent-quality sound once again!

Everything else works from the original version very well. The "Redux" version, at 3 hours, 22 minutes, is quite a bit to sit through! But, there are many parts that are interesting for fans of the original version to see.

I know lots of people went through lots of torment making this great film. But, I'm glad they did!

What was achieved is a hallucinatory vision of the Vietnam War that takes on that conflict in a nightmarish, compelling way. While a vast majority of filmmakers have approached Vietnam in straight-forward ways, Coppola created a surreal vision that will likely live on far more than others will.

********** (10 Out of 10 Stars)

In Cold Blood (1967)

The All-Time Classic True-Crime Film!

[10/10 · 18 November 2015]

Whenever this comes on, I find myself watching it. A fascinating, riveting account of the grisly murders of a farm family for money that never existed.

The book was by Truman Capote. The writer/director here is Richard Brooks. He is masterful in his crafting of this story.

The highlight is Conrad Hall's superlative cinematography! This is the all-time greatest widescreen black and white work ever.

Robert Blake's performance has always been considered masterful. It's so tragic how he himself has fallen so hard.

Recommended to anyone who loves true crime dramas, or classic cinema.

********** (10 Out of 10 Stars)

All the President's Men (1976)

The All-Time Greatest Docudrama

[10/10 · 22 October 2015]

Impressive on all counts, "All the President's Men" is one of the most well-made examples of presenting real life events in a film.

Like all great movies, it is about that magic confluence of bringing together the right actors, director, screenwriter, etc. onto a project. And, so it is here. Alan Pakula was just right to helm the production, William Goldman to write, and Gordon Willis to photograph.

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford get right into their roles and give performances like they've been reporters all their adult lives. The supporting performances are very well cast and acted, including Jason Robards and Martin Balsam.

The recreation of the Washington Post set is perfect and puts you right in the action of the story. Yes, it is very dialogue driven, but it plays like a tightly wound thriller.

For decades, I've been riveted to screen every time this movie has come on! And, it's still fascinating viewing. Highly recommended!

********** (10 Out of 10 Stars)

High Fidelity (2000)

Great Movie, Messed Up Character!

[9/10 · 18 October 2015]

It's a great movie! Lots of great music and great characters. But, it is pretty difficult to sympathize with John Cusack's character. He is definitely self-centered and thoroughly self absorbed. Cusack's character mellows enough by the ending to make him certainly more tolerable than he was at the beginning.

But, everything else works great. The script is by four screenwriters, including Cusack. Regardless, it all clicks, which you wouldn't expect from a screen writing-by-committee production.

The big discovery in this film was Jack Black. And, it's great to see what Black was like when he was full of boundless energy, instead of his more-subdued self today. The rest of the cast is very good too!

The original novel was based in England, and was transplanted to Chicago for the film. It works well, and you have to love the talk of vinyl between all the characters, especially since vinyl is currently making the resurgence it is.

Recommended for those who love a good movie, and can put up with Cusack's character while he grows up during the film!

********* (9 Out of 10 Stars)

The Martian (2015)

Better Beginning Than Ending

[7/10 · 17 October 2015]

I just saw both "The Martian" and "Jurassic World" this week. And, here are two movies whose first halves are better than their second halves.

The setup of "The Martian" is very good! Stranded on Mars, Matt Damon must use his science background to engineer his way out of dying on the red planet before a return mission can come and get him.

(SPOILERS BEGIN) His plan goes well, and he meets with setbacks, which you would expect. Meanwhile, everyone on Earth tries to figure on a way to come and rescue him. Everything goes well, in that respect. But, the ending gets a little crazy, including a space- based "Gravity"-type action sequence that defeated the decidedly better science-based opening. (END SPOILERS)

Ridley Scott does have a return to form here, after the muddled "Prometheus." Scott has always seemed at home with science-fiction, and I hope that he continues making more sci fi.

The acting is very good, especially by Damon, who must carry the film by design. The film score is pretty routine, which like "Prometheus" doesn't help the film like it should.

The cinematography is fine. I did have a problem with the visual effects. Those set on Mars are okay enough, even though they occasionally lack polish. But, the space-based ones look worse than those in the superior 2000 entry "Red Planet." That's odd, and might be a reflection of budgetary restrictions. ILM is on board here, but is a minor player. The effects seem more suited to a higher-budget Science Channel program.

With Scott Kelly doing his year in space at the moment on the International Space Station, it is especially odd to not see The Milky Way in the background while the ships are moving though space. As seen from Kelly's photographs, our galaxy should be very prominent, and really impossible to miss. Instead, we just get black, with a few scattered stars.

So, a good, but mixed entry. I am going to listen to the audiobook, and it should be interesting to see how that turns out compared to the film.

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)

Searing Documentary

[8/10 · 15 October 2015]

Excellent classic documentary by Barbara Kopple! She and her crew stepped into a near war zone when a strike hit the coal mines of Harlan County, Kentucky. What followed was an examination of the grisly tactics strikers faced: intimidation, being shot at, and outright murder.

The film screw is right there with them, taking fire. It's an impressive film, especially knowing how much film was shot and how much editing must have been done to reach the finished product. There was a lot of courage needed to get the film to screen, and Kopple delivers one of the most impressive documentaries in the history of film.

One of the most impressive aspects is the cinematography. Shot on 16mm, the film still very much holds up today. Sharp, focused and clearly tells the story needed.

If you appreciate documentaries, this is a must! The horrors workers have faced through the centuries are clearly portrayed here.

******** (8 Out of 10 Stars)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Very Good Film, But I Don't Consider It Great

[7/10 · 27 September 2015]

This is a very good film, set in the grievously antiquated times of the early 1960's, when psychology and psychiatry were woefully and almost brutally out of their depth.

Doping up patients constituted pretty much the extent of psychiatric capability. I actually worked in a state psychiatric hospital in the mid-1980's. The patients there were even more in that state than what is shown in this movie.

That context is helpful in understanding what goes on in "Cuckoo's Nest." I personally don't remember if it is specifically mentioned that the film is set in 1963.

The performances are excellent, added to the direction and script. The battle of wills pitting Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher is legendary. The assortment of other characters paint a vivid picture of the different kinds of patients to be found in a state psychiatric hospital of that time.

The ending has very much divided audiences over the past four decades. And, it's understandable why. I can see why what happens, happens. It does present a challenging and even brutal commentary on the state of psychology/psychiatry at that time.

Because of that, I had a visceral, negative reaction when I have seen it in the past. This time, I can more see why what happened, happened with the ending. Still, I think another 1975 film, "Dog Day Afternoon," is easily superior to "Cuckoo's Nest." The perfection of that docudrama has been nearly unmatched since then.

So, a very good movie, but I think Academy voters went for this for its message advocating better help for mental patients, than for its actual filmmaking.

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

I, Robot (2004)

Too Effects Happy for Its Own Good

[5/10 · 22 September 2015]

Alex Proyas had directed a number of interesting films up to this point in 2004. But, maybe getting a big budget got him effects happy! And, boy does he way over do it in "I, Robot!"

The film ends up becoming yet another feature-length effects reel, seemingly made to show us the abilities of the effects crew, instead of telling a decent story.

And, that wouldn't be too big a deal, except for the fact that the movie is based on the science-fiction classic by Issac Asimov. So, when you are watching the mindless effects-packed action sequences, you are absolutely thinking about what a waste of time this movie can be.

Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics serves as an important plot element here, but that's pretty much it for the source material's involvement. The story created for the movie does have some good elements, but just when the story gets interesting, it's time for another please-make-it-stop effects sequence!

It definitely gets wearing on the viewer, to the point that you're just ready for the movie to wrap up by its end.

Best to grab Asimov's original, and get the "I, Robot" that's worth your time!

***** (5 Out of 10 Stars)

The Invisible Boy (1957)

Great for Those Who Love Child Abuse

[1/10 · 22 September 2015]

The main "feature" of this movie is watching the poor child getting the hell spanked out of him time and time again for over an hour and a half.

It's hard to imagine how someone could allow that to happen. But, it did. The writer, director and actors all seem to be fine with subjecting this child to endless humiliation. And, the actors who portrayed the mother and father seem to really be getting off on it.

Maybe they recruited them from Nazis who worked the extermination camps? Or, maybe Catholic priests who were taking breaks from raping children?

Hard to know. But, as a child of abuse, this really sickened me. And, it shouldn't be shown, on Turner Classic Movies, or anywhere else.

* (1 Out of 10 Stars)

Interstellar (2014)

Metaphysical Journey More Than Intergalactic Journey

[9/10 · 14 September 2015]

While classified as Science Fiction, "Interstellar" is much more about its characters than it is about outer space.

Co-Writer/Director Christopher Nolan has a very antiseptic approach to film. His movies have a clinical, clean room feel to them. So, emotions in his films often fall to the background.

And, because of that, I often feel that I am being kept at arm's length by his films. But, what makes "Interstellar" work are the actors, especially Matthew McConaughey. He gives a great performance that could have easily gained him another Best Actor Oscar if this weren't a Science-Fiction film.

The other actors also do a great job, and that's what makes the film work. There is a lot of science to absorb, and I am sure that could be challenging for those who don't watch Science Channel's space- programming block every week!

But, it is the characters, and the performances that carry the movie. When you get to the end, that's where I choked up. And, it was because of that. The story has lots of good stuff in it, but that isn't why you care about what happens.

Hans Zimmer delivers yet another excellent film score! He is probably the one great film composer working today, besides John Williams, whose work is legendary.

********* (9 Out of 10 Stars)

The Gunfighter (1950)

Excellent Revisionist Western

[8/10 · 9 September 2015]

This film is best known for it being at the beginning of the revisionist western. That is, where the world of clear-cut good guys and bad guys had reached its end. Here, we have a gunfighter whose skills with a gun became too good for his own good.

Wherever Gregory Peck's gunfighter goes, trouble goes, right from the beginning, where he's taken on by a young'un who wants to take on the west's top gun. That young man's brothers track the gunfighter down to a town where Peck goes to visit the family he left behind.

As you can imagine, trouble follows. The movie takes on a "High Noon" construct, as the clock ticks down as the brothers close in. Adding to that is yet another young gun who wants to take on the gunfighter.

The drama continues as you would expect. But, the closing section contains some excellent moments, and a finale that has a lot of gritty punch, especially for a movie from 1950.

Thus began the era of the gritty western, where the easy lines of good and evil were erased for good.

******** (8 Out of 10 Stars)

The Man from Laramie (1955)

Excellent Stewart Performance!

[7/10 · 9 September 2015]

Jimmy Stewart and Director Anthony Mann made great movies together, including westerns like this. What was great was how we got to see the hard edge that Mann could apply to Stewart's performances.

It was great to see how Stewart could expand his acting range like he did. With these Anthony Mann westerns, we got to see what an excellent actor Stewart was.

In this film, we are introduced to a King Lear scenario. In Shakespeare's Lear, a king is late in his reign and divides his kingdom among his daughters. As in Shakespeare, tragedy follows. We do have elements of that here. With it, we have Stewart seeking vengeance for those who sold repeating rifles to Indians who killed Stewart's brother.

The film is very well made, with an especially subtle score by George Duning, who scored many other westerns. The film has many good elements. But, it has the feel of having a script that was chipped together. There is a very good through line to the story, but we get a lot of Stewart refusing to leave town, but not telling anybody why. This gets repeated many times.

But, when the film gets to focusing on the matters at hand, it works, and the conclusion is very satisfying.

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

An Enemy of the People (1978)

Pointless

[4/10 · 3 September 2015]

There really isn't any point to this. Everyone so instantly turns against Steve McQueen's character that there is nothing to discuss. There is no conflict of ideas. Just a man who has the truth on his side being quickly beaten down and crushed.

I guess if your world view is as pitch black as this, you'll get right on board. Otherwise, you won't have any use for it. Strange what the point of Henrik Ibsen, who wrote the play, or Arthur Miller, who adapted it to English, is.

This was McQueen's passion project. But, for what reason, only he could know. He gives a good enough performance, but that doesn't change what the play is about.

**** (4 Out of 10 Stars)

The Magnificent Seven (1960)

Okay Enough Western

[6/10 · 1 September 2015]

Based on Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samauri," this western version has an excellent cast, score and cinematography. In fact, Elmer Bernstein's score is legendary! The set up to the movie is very well done. I loved the pace and the introduction of the various characters.

After that is the wait to get to the confrontation with the banditos led by Eli Wallach. There is a lot of filler in between, which is where I lost interest.

The ending is stirring, but it takes a while to get there.

One of the most interesting things about the movie is seeing Yul Brynner, portraying the dressed-in-black cowboy that was later used to excellent effect in "Westworld!"

****** (6 Out of 10 Stars)

Rage (1972)

Wow, That Was Pointless!

[29 August 2015]

(FULL SPOILERS)

A lot of potential, but little worth watching. George C. Scott's first directorial effort is about a father who loses his son to the Army's chemical weaponry. He is also dying, and goes on a rage-filled tirade against the chemical factory. He ends up dead at the end, destroys the factory (although the chemicals were already removed), and the Army remains unaffected. Nothing comes to light, and no one is prosecuted for what happened.

So, what's the point? Don't know. Too bad, when you have a great actor like Scott on screen and at the helm.

***** (5 Out of 10 Stars)

The Swarm (1978)

It's Awful! I Love It!

[7/10 · 7 August 2015]

Such an incredible trainwreck! And, yes, there is a trainwreck in the movie! You can say that it is at that point in the movie where the movie goes off the rails. (Get it?)

First, I have to tell you perhaps the funniest story of my movie-going life. It was summer 1978. Our family had rented an RV, and were about to go to Colorado. I loved disaster movies, and still do! Well, back then, with a truly great movie like "The Poseidon Adventure," and recent silly, but still likable ones like "Airport '77," I was ready for Irwin Allen's latest! Like, really ready!

Now, I couldn't just see it. I had to see it on the BIG SCREEN! That meant the Grandview II, with two 550-seat auditoriums, in St. Louis' North County, 30 or so minutes away. So, I basically dragged my mother and brother up on the opening day afternoon to see "The Swarm!" And, it is as delightfully awful as you know!

So, instead of getting ready for our trip, I had the three of us spending hours in going up and back and seeing this crazy movie! You can bet that I didn't hear the end of it for a while. And, the thing is? I didn't care! I loved it. It's awful, it's gloriously insane! It all-but-immediately ended Irwin Allen's career!

Plus, I got to read the terrible one-star (at best!) reviews all during our vacation!

Everything else you know, if you've seen it. The hilarious actor's reactions to being killed by bees. The endless disasters within disasters: the aforementioned trainwreck, the nuclear plant magically blowing up (!) because bees got into the control room (what?!). It goes on and on.

Plus, introducing all these characters, just to kill them off for the heck of it! And, the only-here-for-the-paycheck actors of the requisite "All-Star Cast." Lastly, you have to LOVE the way they deal with the bees at the end! The one thing I can unequivocally endorse is Jerry Goldsmith's score. 1978 was his greatest year, with one great score after another (plus, another Oscar nomination for "The Boys from Brazil") Here, Goldsmith again provides a score as if he is providing music for the greatest film ever!

I love this movie, as impossibly bad as it is! Please, please, remaster this and release it on Blu-ray. After all, we could all use a good laugh these days!

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

Janis (1974)

Good Documentary That Doesn't Get in Its Subject's Way

[7/10 · 28 June 2015]

Very good, narration-free documentary that intercuts performance footage with interviews. This is a straight compilation film, using then-existing material. I don't think there was anything shot specifically for this film.

For such an electric talent, it is especially good that the directors just stay out of the way, and not try to staple significance, meaning or whatever to their subject. They just let Janis Joplin sing and speak for herself.

And, that's the best thing you could possibly do for a Janis Joplin doc!

******* (7 Out of 10 Stars)

Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985)

Reagan-Era Wet Dream

[4/10 · 27 June 2015]

After the great "First Blood," the Rambo series immediately sinks into complete jingoism with this thoroughly absurd sequel. Here, it is the obsession with "winning" The Vietnam War for war-hungry conservatives who were too gutless to ever go into battle themselves.

And, that includes screenwriters Stallone and James Cameron, who get sucked into the whole Reagan-era obsession with winning, even if it is a war that was as close to un-winnable as you can get. The United States could have given every drop of blood we had. But, the South Vietnamese just didn't have the passion needed to fight for their own country. So, no matter how hard we fought, there was never a solid foundation to build anything upon. That's why the south fell the second we left.

It doesn't matter that tens of thousands of American soldiers died fighting. For the Reagan types, it was all about putting one in the win column, nothing more. The Reagan era was all about their belief that the world was purely black and white, instead of the infinite shades of gray that it actually is.

That's why it's tough to divorce the premise of this movie from its action, its filmmaking, etc. All of it is competently carried out. And, it's all carried out quickly, because Stallone wanted a brief 90-minute run time. That way, the maximum number of showings could be made each day, and the most money could be made.

Film composer Jerry Goldsmith came out best here, with another excellent action movie score.

**** (4 Out of 10 Stars)