CharlesCrumb Reviews

The Public Enemy (1931)

Cagney is very good indeed!

[20 July 2002]

This is James Cagney's first major starring role, and it is a powerhouse performance if their ever was once. Cagney plays a young thug named Tom Powers, who is working his way up in various mobs. He has an odd relationship with his brother, and his mother feels as if he can do no wrong. Cagney is very much the character of Tom Powers, and he attacks the role with a massive amount of creative energy. It should be mentioned that Hollywood films during the early 1930s could get away with quite a bit, as the whole censor crack down didn't really take effect until the end of the decade. Plenty of strange violence and ugly characters are peppered throughout this classic of the gangster/crime genre. Rather stark directing and some wooden performances only add to the strangeness of it all. Worth your time, and an excellent early starring role by Cagney!

Starcade (1982–1984)

Brilliant!

[18 July 2002]

This is the best Game Show in the history of TV. I like it a great deal, and watch it daily on G4TV. This program was on the air during the year 1983, and only lasted for one season. Contestants compete in a number of different rounds to score enough points, in order to when an Arcade video game machine! Each round, contestants play a number of different Arcade games, including Miss Pac-Man and so on...

Plenty of Atari games are showcased on this program as well, and this Game Show aired at exactly the same time video Arcades were opening up across the US. Great show! Great piece of history! More important than Saving Private Ryan!

Schindler's List (1993)

Speilberg has failed.

[18 July 2002]

This film is quite awful, if only because Steven Speilberg is intent on viewing all tragedies of the past in terms of black and white. I cringe to think that Speilberg will eventually go about making an "epic" feature in regard to the events that took place in September of last year. And again, I do believe that Speilberg is only capable of viewing major events of the past or present, in terms of black and white. Speilberg is much like George Lucas, in that he has the imagination of a child. A film of this nature would have been much more effective as an in-depth documentary, but if a feature must be made, then it should have went into the hands of a David Lynch or Stanley Kubrick. Steven Speilberg simply does not have the emotional depth to bring a feature like this fully to life. He is a highly overrated director and should probably stick to making his laughable fantasy films, and go about marketing toys and other such nonsense.

976-EVIL (1988)

Stephen Geoffreys is hip!

[18 July 2002]

Stephen Geoffreys is the type of actor that Bob Saget and Eminem wish they could be! Stephen takes a bland horror flick and transforms it into a surreal epic! Stephen is Hoax, a shut-in of a teenager who lives with his insane and controlling mother. Stephen rules, dude! He is one of the best actors that I can think of, and his performance in this film will make you, as the viewer, feel quite a variety of emotions all at once! Good stuff, man!

Bottle Rocket (1996)

Fails somehow.

[16 July 2002]

When I first saw this film, I truly enjoyed all of the original characters involved, and the story itself was also quite creative, but this has all worn a little thin with time. We now know the Wilson brothers very well, and they play the exact same characters in each film that they participate in, which means that they have absolutely no acting ability. And then there's director Wes Anderson, who has somehow evolved into the mouth-piece for upper-middle class youth. He later went on to make painfully boring films that included: 70s Folk Rock, painfully eccentric characters and truck loads of pretension. But back to "Bottle Rocket," this film does work on certain levels, and the only thing that really stays afloat is the story of aimless southern bred brats, who haven't any real interest in taking part in the "rat race." And so, they rob...but don't happen to be very successful at it. Surprisingly, the Wilson brothers manage to bring these characters to life fairly well and the story, which is something that I have been returning to in this review, is highly original.

Cabin Boy (1994)

Great flick, dude!

[15 July 2002]

Much better than Larry Clark's "Kids." Do yourself a favor, man! Rent this movie, buy this movie, live this movie! Chris Elliot is quite funny and the supporting cast is very effective as well. This is a surreal and confusing film about one fancy lad's strange adventures with a group of fisherman. Eat pizza.

Almost Famous (2000)

Horrible!

[13 July 2002]

This is like a Walt Disney variation of what should have been a repulsive Rock 'N' Roll epic, but we only have the director to blame. The characters in this feature are all one dimensional and painfully boring to gaze upon. I feel as if this movie is just some sort of lie that was made to control the thoughts of those who love dinosaur rock. I won't even mention that director's name, but he is one of the worst film makers I have ever come across, right up there with Steven Speilberg. This film couldn't be more false, it would be like making a Civil War epic and using disco as the soundtrack to the film...it just doesn't add up somehow.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

Says a lot about American Culture

[13 July 2002]

George Romero's "Night of The Living Dead" tells a very basic story, but in a truly intense and surreal way, much like David Lynch's epic about fatherhood..."Eraserhead." We see every kind of personality type imaginable in this film, and George is a very stylish director. You see the world through the eyes of the victims and those of the lifeless killers at the exact same time. You sit back and watch as sanity unfolds into insanity, as seemingly normal people are faced with the reality of a horrible nightmare come to life. Each death is very graphic yet classy. The black and white visual very much adds to the over all bleakness of the film. And it is quite obvious that George threw in quite a bit about the dreadful situation in which African Americans were treated during that time in the South, as one of the main performers of the film is African American. We also witness a certain brand of humanity in the lifeless zombies, almost as if they are attempting to teach the living a moral lesson. The film also goes into great detail as to how people can be truly numb and uncaring to those around them, especially when thrown into extreme situations, as are carefully shown in this brilliant and surreal Horror epic.

Pardners (1956)

Jerry and Dean are doing things!

[13 July 2002]

This is a great Martin and Lewis Comedy from 1956, which is the same year that they broke up as a Comedic Duo, and this film "Pardners," was the second to their last that was made. Jerry's father and Dean's father were the best of friends, and died together in the hopes of saving their land. And of course, the story picks up with the children fully grown and ready to go back get some justice in the western town in which they were both born. Dean has some great singing numbers in this film, and Jerry's special brand of physical comedy is very effective in a number of saloon fight scenes. A very entertaining comedy!

Mad Love (1935)

Pure Peter!

[13 July 2002]

German actor Peter Lorre made his American film debut in "Mad Love," which I believe was an MGM release and proved to be competition for some of the popular Universal Horror films of the time. Peter Lorre had made his epic debut with 1930's "M," in which Peter amazingly played a child-killer under director Fritz Lang. Peter is a demonic performer if their ever was one, and every memorable scene in this film has Peter's lonely mad doctor character at the helm. Peter is very much in love with a stage actress who is preparing to marry a popular pianist, and all of this gets in the way of Peter's fantasy to have the woman all for himself. A train accident occurs, which leaves the pianist with little hope, but it is Peter the doctor who goes about replacing the pianist's hands with those of a dead criminal, whom Peter himself had watched the beheading of a few days before the train accident. Things take a very silly turn, when the hands somehow take over the very personality of the pianist, and Peter's mad doctor plays the innocent with the pianist, while at the time, telling his actress girlfriend that he is simply mad and that she should stay far and away from him. I would rather not mention how the story unfolds, because that would ruin the good fun for those who have yet to watch this feature, but I must admit that the ending is very funny in a sad way, and there's so much going on with Peter's sanity throughout the film. Worth seeing for a variety of different reasons, so watch it.

Funny Games (1997)

Sticks with you.

[11 July 2002]

I enjoy stories about youth that are foreign to me, so it is no surprise that the Austrian film "Funny Games" is just such a film. Michael Haneke is an amazing film director, and uses music very effectively, and the viewer is treated to the beautiful sounds of John Zorn's Naked City. The film is essentially about a weathly family spending time in their summer home. The classic Husband, Wife and child. We watch the family peacefully settle in for a long summer stay, but then we meet two very clean cut twentysomething college students. They are dressed in rather impressive summer wear, and have a very strange way about them. Director Michael Haneke throws a lot of surprises at the viewer, and that is ultimately what makes the film work so well. It is also in good taste to leave certain things to the viewer's imagination, so that your own thoughts about certain events that take place in the film are far superior than seeing it all spelled out for you on screen. The director takes on the topic of violence in the media and simply has good cynical fun with it. In fact, this film is almost a Science Fiction epic in a way. A horror film if there ever was one, watch "Funny Games!"

The Tin Drum (1979)

Watch it for David Bennent's amazing performance.

[11 July 2002]

David Bennent is one of the most intense and entertaining film actors I have ever seen, and it is my opinion that he is equally as talented as the likes of Klaus Kinski or Peter Lorre. David brings the young fellow Oskar to life, and you care about him and his experiences. I won't get into any sort of controversy that surrounds this particular film, but it is difficult for me to believe that anyone would be particularly offended by the honesty that the director and his cast bring to life in this feature. Told during the second world war, and essentially about one unique young man's adventures and horrors. The Tin Drum is a rare experience in Cinema, in that, it includes such raw feeling and power. Each scene is a carefully conducted orchestra, and is a real treat for the eyes. Not the best film ever made, but certainly a close second or third...

Multiple Maniacs (1970)

Mink Stole is thoroughly delicious!

[11 July 2002]

The very best John Waters film! Great performances by Mink Stole and Divine in particular. A collection of circus freaks gather locals into their various tents and then go about murdering them. Filmed in a beautiful black and white, and full of fantastic and original performances that will stay in your memory for quite a while. Divine is on quite a religious adventure in this one, and Mink Stole is very devilish and strange as an epic whore of sorts. The supporting cast consists of the classic John Waters regulars, so if you haven't seen this film before, go about renting it or purchasing it. And also, the ending of this film is one of the most surreal movie watching experiences I have ever had! Beware of the lobster!

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

The Greatest Film ever made!

[8 July 2002]

Tobe Hooper's "TCM" has it all! I cannot think of another film to equal this one as far as interesting characters are concerned, and 99% of what makes a film work is an excellent cast! We have this amazing family of grave robbing killers, who also kill the living at times and use them for BBQ at some gas station that one of them owns. There is Leather Face, There is The Hitchhiker, There is the old man(the fellow who sells the human BBQ), and of course, there's Grandpa too. All of these characters are a mystery in American culture, and we have seen them all at one point or another. The Hitchiker works on a variety of different levels, he's the disturbed child, the sadistic killer, but he's also just a young guy looking for a good time. Leather Face is truly like a Jack The Ripper of sorts, because it is painfully difficult to figure out who and what he is all about, but, then again, perhaps he is just a meaningless beast? The old man is able to blend in with everyday people quite easily, by wearing the mask of a southern gentlemen, although I use the term very loosely. Grandpa is a classic character if there ever was one, because we often see in society, those who look so painfully awful that they make us physically sick, and Grandpa is a very good example of this sort of person. The victims are quite funny, and you do actually care about them to a certain extent, which is entirely rare for even the best of horror films. Also, a couple of the victims actually have fully developed personalities and are more than just one note characters to be laughably killed.

I could carry on about this film for quite some time, because it works on every level any decent film works on. You will laugh, you will cry, and it will truly make you think. One last thing, the entire cast were very desperate performers and artists working in the medium of film when this feature was put together, and it really shows in the final product. Everybody involved added so much to create for a truly unique cinematic experience. I must also add that I am very fond of the female lead, because she needs not one person to help her when horrible and troubling situations occur, she survives by will alone.

And if this review seems painfully vague to you, then perhaps you should simply rent the film so that you can watch the brilliant story unfold for yourself?

Easy Rider (1969)

A very good comedy!

[8 July 2002]

Come on, this film is such a great comedy! Dennis Hopper and Jack Nicholson, high in the woods and chatting about various things? I can't think of anything funnier, or maybe I can, but it is a truly unique experience to watch those two performances wasted on camera. The story, if anything, is poking fun of the times! So many modern "hip" people just refer to it as a bunch of Hippie rubbish. But it is quite clear that Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda knew exactly what they wanted to do with this story, and took the time to make fun of themselves and those around them. The greatest joke was about those ignorant fellows in the deep south who want nothing more than to kill a longhair. There is some great abuse that takes place in a diner, and it is also quite funny for a group of horny teenage girls to freakout when the two outlaw bikers(Hopper and Fonda), and the failed lawyer(Nicholson), hop on their motorcycles and hit the road. Deaths occur in a very unique way in this film, and I remember each death very well, which is great that this film could have that sort of lasting affect with me. My favorite scene is when Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda go on an acid trip with a couple of intense and creepy hookers, all of which takes place in a graveyard. This is a fantastic road movie, and quite a surreal experience if you are open to it. The film contains many popular hit songs of the time, which I guess is fine if you happen to dig the more commercial oriented late 60s Rock.

Hannibal Brooks (1969)

Brilliant Movie!

[15 May 2002]

They simply do not make films like this any longer. Anyone who is reading this probably already knows what the film is essentially about. This particular movie has a truly timeless quality about, and all the various plot twists and surprises never leave the viewer at all bored. Michael J. Pollard and Oliver Reed work very well together on screen, and it is too bad that this is the only film the two them made with one another.

Try your best to locate this film, as it is frequently listed. Again, this movie is great fun and is worth repeated viewings!

Harold and Maude (1971)

Truly awful.

[27 April 2002]

This film simply does not hold up one bit. The performances are very bland and entirely meaningless. The only character that is even remotely enjoyable is Vivian Pickles as 'Harold's' Mother. Ruth Gordon falls flat on her face and Bud Cort is essentially being himself. The only other truly positive thing about this film, other than Vivian Pickles, is the excellent musical score by Cat Stevens.

I find it extremely difficult to believe that there was any real love that existed between these two characters. The humor is clearly speaking to a specific generation, and often fails to be effective. I haven't much else too add, other than the fact that this film is pretty much a waste of time.