wjkelly-2 Reviews

Soylent Green (1973)

Great Charlton Heston movie...one of his BEST from the seventies.

[8/10 · 26 August 2008]

Yes, Charlton Heston was a supporter of the Republican Party, but he was also a STRONG supporter of the Civil Rights Act and an environmentalist. This movie is more about the environmentalism that Heston, himself, was concerned - the overpopulation of the planet, which could lead to an environmental holocaust. The rise of global warming, lack of food supply, and an ecosystem breakdown could easily happen in the blink of an eye. You can see the effects of the air pollution on the city and the yellowish horizon has become the atmosphere. People wear masks, have little or no money, and they are eating Soylent Green - a soy product that is "rich in vitamins". The film takes place in 2022 A.D., which is not too far from now.

Heston plays the part of Detective Thorn along with his partner and friend, Sol (Edward G. Robinson in his final role). Thorn and Sol soon discover what Soylent Green is and they must risk their lives in the process.

I liked Heston's character as it reminded me of Harrison Ford's role in Bladerunner - the loner detective who is trying to solve the problems of society.

A science fiction classic.

GRADE: 8/10

The New Temperatures Rising Show (1972–1974)

Amen to that brother...Nancy Fox STOLE the show.

[10/10 · 3 May 2008]

When I was little, I could remember very few things at the age of seven on television except Captain Kangaroo. However, lightening had struck the night I first saw Nancy Fox on ABC's "Temperature's Rising". She was my FIRST childhood crush. I can remember seeing her in TV Guide, and when my dad threw the magazine in the garbage, I had lost my soul-mate and my whole world was in a mess.

The only reason that I am giving this TV show a perfect "10" is because of Nancy's presence on the sitcom. I remember she played a gorgeous, dim-witted student nurse, Ellen Turner. After the show went off the air, I searched and searched for Nancy, but I couldn't find her on TV. She was such a goddess, and I'm sure she still is, and had a sultry, perky voice with fabulous curves. For years I thought she had played "Vera" on the popular CBS TV show, "Alice", but it was a different actress, Beth Howland. Nancy did appear on episodes of "Charlie's Angels" and was a childhood friend of Jaclyn Smith.

In case you should happen to come across this writing, Nancy, I guess the world wants to know how you're doing these days??? You should have a website and photos on the Internet. We, who miss you, bow in prayer and say, "Hail, Nancy!"

Alien (1979)

Shakespeare and Hitchcock would have wept...

[10/10 · 19 April 2008]

Here is a movie that transcends both time and space. One thousand years from now, I will guarantee you, people in the next millennium will still be talking about this movie. ALIEN is SCIENCE FICTION, DRAMA, SUSPENSE and HORROR rolled into one masterpiece of celluloid. ALIEN has everything going for it - a great screenplay, direction, actors/actresses, special effects, score, and most of all, art direction, which I feel, is the BEST EVER in cinematic history. One of the BEST tag-lines in cinema: In space, where no one can hear you scream.

The movie begins with the gigantic, mining spaceship Nostromo. It is so Gothic in appearance. It is returning to Earth with twenty million tons of mineral ore. The crew of seven is awaken by the ships computer, MOTHER, and they discover an SOS beacon from a nearby planet. The crew reluctantly launches a rescue ship, the Narcissus, to the planet's surface. They discover the remains of a derelict alien spaceship. One of the crew members, Cain (John Hurt), decides to investigate and finds millions of alien eggs. The old saying "curiousity killed the cat" applies here (ironically, there is a mysterious cat named Jones on board with the crew). When Cain startles one of the eggs, a parasite bursts from its cocoon and clings to his face. The rescue team returns to the Nostromo and learns to their horror that the parasite has impregnated Cain with an alien life form. What follows is survival of the fittest for both humans and the alien.

A TOP NOTCH SCIENCE FICTION HORROR CLASSIC.

score: 10/10

Bullitt (1968)

Steve McQueen - The Essence of Cool

[10/10 · 1 April 2008]

If there ever was a Steve McQueen movie to own and love, this is it. Great editing, direction, acting, screenplay, but most of all, Steve McQueen and his vintage Mustang GT 390 coupe. The film is remembered solely for a fantastic car chase sequence. It's no wonder that McQueen LOVED racing. Peter Yates did a GREAT job of directing, too. Another favorite police drama of mine is The French Connection with Gene Hackman. Both movies are superb, and I take time out of my day when this movie is on television even though I've seen it a zillion times. I have a copy of it on DVD, too.

We miss you, Steve. YOU WERE THE BEST.

What About Bob? (1991)

Simple, funny, Odd Couple style of comedy...IT WORKS.

[10/10 · 28 March 2008]

Here is a movie that works right from the very beginning and should be the catalyst for future comedies. It has been a LONG time since I have seen a GREAT comedy. All of the GREAT comedies are in the past - Animal House, Caddyshack, Stan and Ollie, Chaplin, Stripes, Groundhog Day, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Odd Couple, It Happened One Night, The Graduate, Some Like It Hot, Ghostbusters, Duck Soup, Bringing Up Baby, just to name a few, as well as this film. Movie makers could use a good lesson in how to create a GREAT comedy. This movie should be the benchmark. Bill Murray is the "Bob Hope" of the Boomer Generation. I LOVED him on SNL, on the golf course, as well as other films that I mentioned. He KNOWS, LIVES, and BREATHES comedy, and I have yet to find someone with his genius and charisma.

This is a movie that has a little of everything - The Odd Couple, in particular, where fussy Felix Unger drives his sloppy roommate, Oscar Madison, to the brink of insanity. The same formula applies here, only on a LARGER scale. Dr. Leo Marvin (Richard Dreyfuss) is celebrating the good life - great career as a psychiatrist, family, children, wealth, and most of all, his new book, "Baby Steps". Everything is splendor until Leo meets his new patient, Bob Wiley (Murray). This is when sparks fly. Leo agrees to see Bob for a brief introductory visit and prescribe "Baby Steps". Bob suffers from every type of mental illness in the book. He also craves attention, and suffers from hot sweats and cold sweats. The list goes on and on. Leo tells Bob to read "Baby Steps" and he will see him again in six weeks. Bob feels Leo is the only one on Earth who can cure him. He loves Leo so much, that he doesn't want to shake him - not for a second.

Leo is ready to take his family on vacation, and Bob will try everything in the book to make sure he doesn't let Leo out of his site. Bob follows the family to their lake house retreat. Startled by Bob's persistence, Leo tells him to keep reading "Baby Steps" and all of his problems will be solved. This isn't enough for Bob, so he decides to take a break from his problems, too, and join Leo and family on their vacation. Leo's family LOVES Bob, however, Leo is losing his family because they think Bob is a better family man than Leo. This drives Leo to the brink of insanity and he tries almost anything he can imagine to get rid of Bob, even if it means murder.

A classic.

Score: 10/10

12 Angry Men (1957)

Great legal drama that takes place in a jury room!!

[10/10 · 17 March 2008]

Eleven jurors in a murder trial feel an 18 year-old is GUILTY for killing his father and should receive the death penalty. Henry Fonda's character is the LONE JUROR, who feels that the boy is innocent.

The brilliance of this movie is how close to "real life" it is - full of adult material, which was unusual in those days. How many of us, who have served on jury duty, have faced these types of people? I know that I have. The room is HUMID and HOT and you know that it is going to be even MORE HOTTER during the ninety minutes of deliberation. Fonda is wonderful in how he is capable of presenting the "what if" arguments and his own investigative speculation into the case, which is also a drawback to the film in that such speculation is not permissible under current legal proceedings.

None of these jurors know each other and they come from different backgrounds - one is an architect (Fonda), while another is a calm, observant older man (Joseph Sweeney). These two are capable of dissecting the facts of this case better than their fellow jurors. The other ten jurors are either unconcerned, unwilling, inpatient, bored, selfish, prejudiced, or sadistic, or they simply don't care. Each character brings with them different backgrounds and education. Obviously, those who are better educated, or older and wiser, (Fonda and Sweeney), tend to be more careful and analytical in their decisions than the sadistic businessman (Lee J. Cobb), the prejudiced garage owner (Ed Begley), or the selfish salesman (Jack Warden) - the WORST types of jurors that one could ask for in a legal case. The football coach, (Juror # 1 - Martin Balsam), who is the overseer of the jury proceedings, is likable, but would prefer to be elsewhere. They are anxious to come to a conclusion and be on their merry way, especially Warden, who has to be at the ball game on time.

The shy, uncertain bank clerk (John Fiedler) is willing to go with the flow of the others. The advertising agent (Robert Webber) is the same way. These are also poor qualities for a member of the jury. The confident broker (E.G. Marshall) is certain the boy is guilty based on the facts of the case. His argument would be more relevant in a true legal proceeding.

The self-conscious common man (Jack Klugman), the dependable painter (Edward Binns), and the careful, East European watchmaker (George Voskovec) are more willing to compromise with Fonda. How will it play out? It depends on those jurors who are uncooperative and uncontrollable, especially the sadistic Cobb. "Kids these days."

Score: 10/10

Atonement (2007)

An epic story of love, tragedy, and atonement.

[8/10 · 13 March 2008]

The best movies and novels about ill-fated lovers are GONE WITH THE WIND, ROMEO AND JULIET, A FAREWELL TO ARMS, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, BRIEF ENCOUNTER, and WUTHERING HEIGHTS, which is my personal favorite. This movie tries to live up to those standards, especially A FAREWELL TO ARMS and WUTHERING HEIGHTS.

The film is set in three parts. In the beginning, we find our real-life young lovers, Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley), a daughter from a wealthy family of aristocrats, and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy). a proud gardener, who is the son of a housekeeper on the Tallis' estate. They develop a passionate romance over time. Cecilia's younger sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), wants to be a novelist and she also has a crush on Robbie. That's when things turn nasty. When Briony catches Cecilia and Robbie having romantic interludes, she develops resentment and jealousy towards Robbie. After a series of mishaps, Briony falsely accuses Robbie of rape and he is sent off to prison. As a result of this terrible situation, Cecilia starts to estrange herself from her family, especially Briony.

The second part of the film is set during the start of World War II, where Robbie has made a deal to avoid prison life and join the armed forces in France. Cecilia has become a nurse in London. During this time period, they write and try to make contact with each other. The Battle of Dunkirk ensues and Robbie must fight with Cecilia on his mind every step of the way. The special effects of the battle sequences, which make use of CGI technology, are very impressive. Will Cecilia and Robbie meet again after the war? I'm not going to say, even though others have shared additional comments regarding the end of the film.

The final moments of the movie are about Briony's test of atonement. By this time, Briony, too, has become a nurse and has prepared a novel that sheds light over her treatment of Cecilia and Robbie. The novel depicts a better life for the two lovers, despite their actual fate. The final moments of the film bring the movie into full circle, where an aging Briony (Vanessa Redgrave) explains the "true" facts of her novel to reporters. This is where the audience is left hanging. Some people wanted more from Cecilia and Robbie, but they get Briony's confession instead? Ouch, that hurts. Can you imagine if the director had shown the lovers' "true" fate and then Briony's last testament to the press? The tomatoes would have been REALLY flying at the screen! I guess that it is hard for most people to forgive, and even harder for some to say "I'm sorry".

Score: 8/10

The Hustler (1961)

Shakespearean tragedy in the confines of a pool hall

[9/10 · 4 March 2008]

From the beginning of the film, we can see that Eddie Felson (Paul Newman) is nothing more than a pool hustler without a soul. The setting is a sleazy, darkened pool hall. Eddie's only goal throughout the movie is to conquer Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) - the greatest pool shark in the country. When Eddie loses to Fats in the first showdown, he is broke and ruthlessly dumps his agent, Charlie Burns (Myron McCormick) in the process. He turns to a wealthy promoter, Bert Gorden (George C. Scott), in order to face Fats again. Gorden can see through Eddie as being nothing more than a loser. He retorts, "Eddie, you're a born loser." It is only when Eddie develops a relationship with a tragic figure, Sarah Packard (Piper Laurie) that he finds true love. Sarah is a cripple and an alcoholic. She senses that Eddie has problems too, and warns him to stay away from her. Eddie and Sarah encounter numerous pitfalls, in what Sarah calls, a "contract of depravity" between her and Eddie. He has his thumbs broken. Sarah must nurse him back to health. They make love and drink all day long.

When Eddie and Sarah are short on money, they must gain momentum by getting help from Bert. They travel to Louisville and Eddie must hustle a millionaire (Murray Hamilton) in a game of billiards for enough money to face Fats. Tragedy erupts along the way between Sarah, Eddie, and Bert. In the end, Eddie returns with enough money to face Fats for a final shootout. By this time, he has found his character and soul, despite the enormous sacrifice made by Sarah and the evil manipulation by Bert.

The film is slow at times, especially when it centers around Newman and Laurie, but picks up the pace when Scott and Gleaaon are on the screen. The film was nominated for nine Oscars, including great performances by Newman, Scott, Gleason, and Laurie, and won only for art-set direction and cinematography.

Score: 9/10