sapblatt Reviews

Vertigo (1958)

Perhaps Hitchcock's best effort

[9/10 · 4 January 2004]

Most critics, myself included tend to overuse the words `masterpiece' and `genius.' No adequate critique of 1958s `Vertigo' can be written without referencing the fact that the film is truly a masterpiece work from the genius director, Alfred Hitchcock.

The storyline is complex in `Vertigo.' Jimmy Stewart, always one of Hitchcock's favorite actors puts on his best performance in a Hitchcock film as Scottie, a retired San Francisco detective who has vertigo brought on by a trauma that occurred on a rooftop. Scottie is reluctantly taken out of retirement when an old acquaintance played by Tom Helmore (`Secret Agent ' `The Time Machine') asks him to investigate the strange behaviors and habits of his wife, played by Kim Novak (`The Man With the Golden Arm' `Kiss Me, Stupid'.)

Scottie tails the wife and is sucked into the story and of course he ends up finding the beautiful Novak irresistible. Not wanting to spoil the story for anyone who has not seen this classic I will just mention that once Stewart meets Novak the complexities and twists and turns multiply significantly.

The filming is done beautifully, particularly the location shooting near the Golden Gate Bridge and the two scenes that take place at the mission south of the city. A scene where Stewart is following Novak and she parks her car in a back alley while our detective stares at her is wonderfully honored in Martin Scorsese's `Goodfellas' in a scene where Robert DeNiro tries to lure Karen Hill (Lorraine Bracco) into an alley way so she can help herself to some stolen dresses – or get herself killed.

Perhaps the most famous shot is the classic stairway shot filmed at the mission. Stewart has to fight his fear of heights and chase Novak up a long stairway. I am not a cinematographer, but I believe Hitchcock accomplished this by filming a Stewart going along the stairs while the camera simultaneously zoomed in on Stewart while the same camera was wheeled back and away from the subject. This creates a dizzying sense to the viewer that is meant to mimic Scotties's vertigo. Absolutely brilliant.

Also fantastically brilliant in this film and the special effects and the score. A while back, a friend's husband turned me onto the world of artist Saul Bass. Bass contributed so much to the movies and is yet not known too many. Bass was an artist who designed sets, titles and visual effects like the dream sequence in `Vertigo.' If you have seen many movies from the 1950s you know that the nightmare sequence in `Vertigo' is one of the few visual effects from any movie if this era that still works for the viewer in the new millennium. Bass was perhaps best known for his work with Otto Preminger, and he also did the titles for many Scorsese movies. Bernard Herrmann (`Psycho ' `Cape Fear (both versions' `Taxi Driver') composed the chilling and compelling music for `Vertigo,' in what I think is his best work. The music from this movie is available on a soundtrack CD.

Other reviewers and critics have mentioned in the past that `Vertigo' is perhaps Hitchcock's most personal film. One could only guess that Hitchcock found this story to be a somewhat cathartic experience. Stewarts somewhat kinky, perverted scenes with Novak in where he tries to convert her into the perfect woman that was the object of his desires are at the same time interesting and unsettling to the viewer.

`Vertigo' also displays some great acting, particularly by James Stewart who is pretty much in front of the camera during the entire film. Through the necessities of the script Stewart had to carry the brunt of this film, and he does not disappoint. Allegedly, Kim Novak was chosen by Hitchcock for her looks (surprise, surprise) and her performance was completely controlled by Hitchcock (yet another surprise!) Barbara Bal Geddes ably portrays Stewarts long-term artist girlfriend in waiting. It is never adequately explained why she waits and why she does not seem to mind.

All in all, a great piece of work from the master of suspense.

The Window (1949)

Top flight film noir

[8/10 · 4 January 2004]

While 1949s "The Window" may not be a noir classic many have heard about I strongly recommend seeing it if you can find it. (It is occasionally on TCM, but it is not currently available on DVD or VHS.)

The film stars child protege Bobby Driscoll ("Song's of the South" "Peter Pan") as a young boy who is living the Aesopian nightmare of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf." His parents are portrayed the ever capable Arthur Kennedy ("Champion" "High Sierra") and Barbara Hale ("Perry Mason.") After the boy witnesses a murder his parents and the foolish police department refuse to beleive him until it is almost too late.

The murderers are also well-played by veterans Paul Stewart and Ruth Roman (who also were in 1949s "Champion" with Arthur Kennedy and Kirk Douglas.) The husband and wife would have gotten away with murder if at not been for the young boy, . The ensuing chase and scary finale are very well done. The police in this movie were so ignorant you would wonder if they did not inspire the moron cop, Officer Barbrady on "South Park."

This fine film was actually considered to be a throwaway "B" movie. It turned out to be quite popular even though it only runs for 73 minutes. The young actor, Bobby Driscoll received a special Oscar for his work in 1949 but soon found his acting career drying up as he aged and his life ended tragically from drug related issues in 1968 at the age of 31.

Seabiscuit (2003)

Shallow story about a great horse

[6/10 · 2 January 2004]

Gary Ross's 2003 film `Seabiscuit' is a nice, albeit long family tale with little redeeming value beyond filling a much needed void for family movies when the children are too old for Disney cartoons, but too young for older fare like the `Lord of the Rings.'

The story is filmed in an entertaining way and is exciting at times, particularly during the nicely filmed race sequences. At other times the movie plods along quite slowly and really avoids some of the major issues that are surrounding the main characters, namely the need to deal with loss and abandonment.

Two actors truly shined in this movie – William H. Macy and Chris Cooper. Macy portrays a wondrously nervous and alcoholic racetrack announcer while Cooper depicts the talented and quiet horse trainer, Tom Smith. Jeff Bridges and Toby McGuire did not harm the film, but either through their own means, the directors or the scripts they add little to the films potential depth and merely just move the plot along.

Not a great film, but worth a look on video especially with pre-teen children.

Affliction (1997)

Great acting and a better story than most critics state

[7/10 · 2 January 2004]

Paul Schrader's 1997 `Affliction' features a top-flight cast that plays out the lives of a lot of people that society would rather not know about. Set in northern New Hampshire (although the film is actually filmed in Canada, the location shooting looks remarkably authentic to an area I am quite familiar with) `Affliction' traces the lives of the Whitehouse family. The word `family' does not really apply to this group except for the fact that they are related. There is no love or compassion, just a lot of detachment and alcoholism.

Nick Nolte plays the lead role of the oldest son Wade, and as usual he delivers a convincing performance. Wade is a man with many demons that have been brought on by the nightmarish upbringing meted out to him by his alcoholic father Glen, frighteningly portrayed by Academy Award winner James Coburn (`Hell is for Heroes' `Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid'.) Sissy Spacek also plays wonderfully as Wade's girlfriend who wants to believe things can change. Spacek again does a wonderful job playing a norther New Englander in a tough situation (`In the Bedroom.') Willem Defoe plays Wade's brother Rolfe. Dafoe also serves as the narrator to the story and he is perhaps the one true survivor in this sad tale as he has become educated, does not drink and has escaped the nightmare of his past. The downside to this of course is that he generally avoids or denies his past, or at least distances himself. One could argue that this may the only way to move on from this hellish existence.

Schrader has a knack for the story and angle in these tales of horrific commoners. Not unlike the material he worked with in `Taxi Driver,' `Blue Collar,' and `Hardcore' his work in `Affliction' shows us the dark side of many people's seemingly normal lives. The filming techniques used to show the flashbacks to the childhood of Rolfe and Wade is well done. Schrader uses a grainy and angular home-movie look that makes Coburn look even more menacing and the boys and their mother look more frightened.

The Searchers (1956)

Never knew John Wayne could act so convincingly

[7/10 · 30 December 2003]

************* CONTAINS SPOILERS ***************

John Ford's 1956 epic western `The Searchers' features some excellent acting from John Wayne as the returning home confederate soldier Ethan Edwards. Soon after Ethan reunites with his extended family they are slaughtered by Comanche Indians (except for the two young girls.) This action predictably sends our hero off on a course of vengeance.

What makes `The Searchers' interesting is that Wayne's character is not on a traditional rescue mission, but rather he is setting out to kill the younger girl (the posse quickly discovers that the older girl had been murdered on the trail) because she has been contaminated by the Comanche tribe. It seems as if he is trying to rescue her from her horrible plight of being with the tribe for five years. These two characters are rater complicated as the various feelings and motivations are unclear. Does the girl (Natalie Wood) desire to be rescued, or is she happy amongst the Comanche? What causes Wayne to suddenly become more humane at the end and spare her? He seemed rather trigger happy and racist, so it was surprising that he did not end her life.

This movie is considered to be amongst the best of all western movies, particularly amongst the John Wayne/John Ford epics. I do not have enough movies under my belt to comment on the latter, but as to the former I find the `The Searchers' to be highly over-rated. John Wayne's character is complex and played very well, but I find the rest of the cast to be pretty horrible with the exception of veteran character actors, Ward Bond (`Rio Bravo' `Mister Roberts') and Vera Miles (`Psycho' `The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.') The other roles, particularly the ones played by Jeffrey Hunter, John Qualen and Hank Worden seem to be comical and over played.

The movie itself is amongst the most beautifully filmed I have ever seen. John Ford's familiarity with the location shooting in Monument Valley give this film great quality. Cinematographer Winton C. Hoch was surprisingly not nominated for an Oscar for this film (he won three times prior.) Even with all of the scenic beauty of this film I had trouble `buying' it as the location shooting looks nothing like the Texas prairie that was supposed to be depicted.

The overall story of `The Searchers' has served as inspiration for many other movies involving a loners search for a missing girl, notably George Lucas's `Star Wars' and Paul Schraeder/Martin Scorsese's `Taxi Driver.' While there are some general similiarities with these stories I find that the original character is far more despicable than the `Star Wars' hero or the `Taxi Driver' anti-hero, Travis Bickle. I never got the impression that Travis was willing to kill Iris/Easy (Jodie Foster) in order to rescue her from her nightmarish existence and worthless life; he only desired to remove the evil forces that surrounded her.

All in all, your time is not wasted watching `The Searchers' but it may not be as good as you have heard. John Wayne's performance along with the beautiful location shots are well worth viewing. For my money, the best serious westerns are `Once Upon A Time in the West,' `The Wild Bunch,' `High Noon,' and `The Unforgiven.' On the lighter side I suggest `Cat Ballou,' `Destry Rides Again,' and `Blazing Saddles.' `The Searchers' seems a little unclear to me as to what type of story it is trying to tell.

Champion (1949)

Great fight film

[8/10 · 30 December 2003]

Mark Robson's (`Bridges at Toko-Ri' `Von Ryan's Express' `Earthquake') 1949 fight film `Champion' is one of the best depictions ever filmed of the fight game. This film is more than just a movie about a boxer, or just another rags to riches/American dream story, but rather a deep character study of man driven to succeed at any cost.

The man is Midge Kelly played brilliantly by Kirk Douglas. Midge's trek from train hopping hobo to dishwasher to prize fighting champion is realistically portrayed in a style that is not unlike Kirk's son Michael's portrayal of Wall Street businessman Gordon Gekko in `Wall Street.' Family, friends, lovers all better steer clear of Midge as nothing is going to intimidate or stop him.

Two other actors are very worthy of mention here; Arthur Kennedy and Paul Stewart. The able Kennedy (`Cheyenne Autumn' `Lawrence of Arabia' `Nevada Smith') plays Midge's honest and idealistic brother, Connie. His role in `Champion' earned him one of his five Oscar nominations. Paul Stewart (`12 O'clock High' `Kiss Me Deadly' `The Joe Louis Story') does a great job of depicting Midge's first manager, Tommy Haley. Besides these two and Douglas I found most of the acting to be typical of the era, overdone.

Lastly, it should be noted that this film one won Oscar; the 1949 award for editing went to editor Harry Gerstad (who also won for `High Noon.') The brilliantly filmed fight scenes are cut in a manner that adds a lot of impact to what is going on in the ring and in the arena. It is safe to say that Martin Scorsese and his editor, Thelma Schoonmaker had seen this film a number of times and borrowed from Gerstad's fight scene editing techniques in `Raging Bull,' which is the one boxing film I would rate higher than `Champion.' Forget Rocky Balboa…remember Midge Kelly and Jake LaMotta.

A Beautiful Mind (2001)

Good, albeit overrated film

[7/10 · 28 December 2003]

Ron Howard admirably put together 2001's Bet Picture `A Beautiful Mind,' the story of Professor John Nash's battle against his schizophrenia. As anyone who has read my reviews knows I tend not too watch too many of these modern, major Hollywood productions and I usually find them to be too slick and with no edge. This fact, along with my general dislike of Russell Crowe had me avoiding this Oscar winner for a while.

With all of my personal baggage now set aside, I must admit I enjoyed this film more than I thought I would, and even more surprisingly, I found the best part of the film to be Crowe's convincing portrayal of Nash. The depth and talent that must be utilized in order to convincingly portray mental illness must be staggering. Jennifer Connelly (`Pollock') deservedly earned her Oscar for her heart-felt depiction of Nash's wife, Alicia. The other actor that warrants mentioning is the always brilliant Ed Harris (`Pollock,' `Apollo 13,' `Nixon.') Is it just me or do others feel that if Ed Harris starred in a remake of `Plan 9 from Outer Space' it would warrant Oscar consideration? The man is an amazing talent.

The area of this project that seems the most beautiful to me is the combination of Howard's direction, Roger Deakin's (`O' Brother Where Art Thou' `Fargo' `Kundun')cinematography and the editing of Dan Hanley and Michael Hill (editing team on `Apollo 13' and `Backdraft'). The way that this film depicts the inner workings of Nash's mathematical and schizophrenia is wonderfully done.

The Wild Bunch (1969)

A blood and guts thriller from Sam Peckinpah

[9/10 · 28 December 2003]

POSSIBLE SPOILER

THIS REVIEW IS BASED UPON THE DVD 145 MINUTE DIRECTOR'S CUT

Sam Peckinpah's 1969 masterpiece `The Wild Bunch' must have turned a good deal of Hollywood and the movie-going public on their heads upon its release. This film, along with Sergio Leone's epic `Once Upon a Time in the West' brought new levels of sinister, violent evildoers to the screen that had never been seen before.

As many before me have stated with regards to this film the plot is somewhat basic - a bunch of outlaws are finding that the ways of the old lawless west are dying and as the movie progresses they come to terms with the idea that their type of `man' is also dying. What makes Peckinpah's film so remarkable is not the plot as much as it is the characters and their development throughout the story - most films are lucky to have a couple of strong roles and actors, this film is blessed with many.

Observing William Holden and Robert Ryan travel through the story is awesome. The former outlaw partners now find themselves a the opposite sides of the law and order business, but they have the utmost respect for each other - the unwritten code, or honor among thieves. Holden has an intense argument with his toady Dutch (Ernest Borginine) about respect and honor for a man's word. These poor souls truly believe they are living a moral life and that their standards are crumbling before them.

Quality supporting roles abound in `The Wild Bunch.' Veteran character actors Edmund O'Brien, Dub Taylor, Albert Dekker, L.Q. Jones, Bo Hopkins, Ben Johnson (`The Last Picture Show' Oscar winner,) Warren Oates and Strother Martin (`Cool Hand Luke,' `Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' `Slapshot') shine in this film. Strother Martin annunciates the most authentic western gibberish I have ever heard! As difficult as it was supposed to be working for Sam Peckinpah these actors apparently totally bought into the system and supported a timeless masterpiece. Other reviewers have commented on the homosexual themes in this movie and I must state that I missed them at first. However, Martin and Jones do play this angle brilliantly and I am somewhat intrigued by one reviewers comments on Dutch's (Borginine's) fascination and near worship of Pike (William Holden.)

I have not seen many Peckinpah films but I consider this movie and `The Getaway' to be two of the best films around. Peckinpah's style is amazingly violent and frightening. The slow motion violence helps drive through the horror and reality of violence - this is an important step for a Hollywood that was starting to develop in the mid 1960s, but it needed the full throttle direction of Peckinpah to breakthrough to its new found limits. Movie violence is an important tool for a society to observe the inherently violent nature of man. While some of society is influenced in the wrong way by such depictions I feel that most see the horror that is part of their inner make up and choose to steer clear of the violent path. A `good' war film (Kubrick's `Full Metal Jacket' and `Paths to Glory') should make you abhor war, while a `bad' war film (`To Hell and Back') makes you enlist.

I am still awestruck at the beauty and vivid clarity that Peckinpah and his cinematographer Lucien Ballard achieved in this film. The natural beauty of the southwestern and Mexican settings is magnificently juxtaposed against the raging violence that is at the heart of this story. I truly hope that one day I can see the 190 minute original version of this movie that so shocked the few audiences that saw it in Kansas City and in London.

The Wild Bunch (1969)

A blood and guts thriller from Sam Peckinpah

[9/10 · 23 December 2003]

POSSIBLE SPOILER

THIS REVIEW IS BASED UPON THE DVD 145 MINUTE DIRECTOR'S CUT

Sam Peckinpah's 1969 masterpiece `The Wild Bunch' must have turned a good deal of Hollywood and the movie-going public on their heads upon its release. This film, along with Sergio Leone's epic `Once Upon a Time in the West' brought new levels of sinister, violent evildoers to the screen that had never been seen before.

As many before me have stated with regards to this film the plot is somewhat basic - a bunch of outlaws are finding that the ways of the old lawless west are dying and as the movie progresses they come to terms with the idea that their type of `man' is also dying. What makes Peckinpah's film so remarkable is not the plot as much as it is the characters and their development throughout the story - most films are lucky to have a couple of strong roles and actors, this film is blessed with many.

Observing William Holden and Robert Ryan travel through the story is awesome. The former outlaw partners now find themselves a the opposite sides of the law and order business, but they have the utmost respect for each other - the unwritten code, or honor among thieves. Holden has an intense argument with his toady Dutch (Ernest Borginine) about respect and honor for a man's word. These poor souls truly believe they are living a moral life and that their standards are crumbling before them.

Quality supporting roles abound in `The Wild Bunch.' Veteran character actors Edmund O'Brien, Dub Taylor, Albert Dekker, L.Q. Jones, Bo Hopkins, Ben Johnson (`The Last Picture Show' Oscar winner,) Warren Oates and Strother Martin (`Cool Hand Luke,' `Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' `Slapshot') shine in this film. Strother Martin annunciates the most authentic western gibberish I have ever heard! As difficult as it was supposed to be working for Sam Peckinpah these actors apparently totally bought into the system and supported a timeless masterpiece. Other reviewers have commented on the homosexual themes in this movie and I must state that I missed them at first. However, Martin and Jones do play this angle brilliantly and I am somewhat intrigued by one reviewers comments on Dutch's (Borginine's) fascination and near worship of Pike (William Holden.)

I have not seen many Peckinpah films but I consider this movie and `The Getaway' to be two of the best films around. Peckinpah's style is amazingly violent and frightening. The slow motion violence helps drive through the horror and reality of violence - this is an important step for a Hollywood that was starting to develop in the mid 1960s, but it needed the full throttle direction of Peckinpah to breakthrough to its new found limits. Movie violence is an important tool for a society to observe the inherently violent nature of man. While some of society is influenced in the wrong way by such depictions I feel that most see the horror that is part of their inner make up and choose to steer clear of the violent path. A `good' war film (Kubrick's `Full Metal Jacket' and `Paths to Glory') should make you abhor war, while a `bad' war film (`To Hell and Back') makes you enlist.

I am still awestruck at the beauty and vivid clarity that Peckinpah and his cinematographer Lucien Ballard achieved in this film. The natural beauty of the southwestern and Mexican settings is magnificently juxtaposed against the raging violence that is at the heart of this story. I truly hope that one day I can see the 179 minute original version of this movie that so shocked the few audiences that saw it in Kansas City and in London.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)

Well-made, classic Western epic from Sergio Leone

[9/10 · 22 December 2003]

Sergio Leone's epic 1968 (1969 USA release) western masterpiece `Once Upon A Time in the West' is a visually and emotionally stunning film from start to finish. The location shots filmed in Utah and Arizona are wide and bright to the eye. Leone and his cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli have complete grasp on what they are seeing and how they want it to appear on the big screen.

Beyond the stunning visual aspects of this film one should not lose sight of the high-quality acting that is going on all around. As someone who is under of the age of 40 (in 2003) I mainly know Henry Fonda as a grandfather figure in `On Golden Pond.' Fonda's depiction of the gang leader Frank is one of the most harrowing and evil characters you will ever come across. Fonda's steely blue eyes and lack of any moral sense at all are played beautifully. Frank is as scary as Michael Madsen (`Mr. Blonde') in Tarantino's `Reservoir Dogs.'

Jason Robards, as usual is great as another `bad guy,' Cheyenne Gutierrez. However for my money, Charles Bronson steals this movie. I usually enjoy Bronson, and have seen most of his classics (`The Dirty Dozen,' `The Mechanic,' `Mr. Majestyk,' `Death Wish') and have never seen him act this well. He is truly a gifted actor when under the capable direction of Leone. Claudia Cardinale (a Tunisian born Italian actress that has had few roles in US films) also does an admirable job as the widow/prostitute Jill McBain.

Some directors have a great deal of difficulty retaining complete artistic control of their projects. Leone is perhaps the greatest example of this. Two of his best films (this one and `Once Upon a time in America') were originally released in the United States only after being edited down by about 35 % from their originally intended length. Needless to say, both edited versions are impossible to follow and not worth following. After fifteen years `Once Upon a Time in the West' was re-released in the United States in 1984 to rave reviews and it is now regarded as one of the best westerns of all time. Other directors like Francis Ford Coppola (`Apocalypse Now') and Quentin Tarantino `Kill Bill, Volume I') have had similar fates with their projects. Perhaps someday studio heads will understand when they are working with genius, or at least cut a little slack to directors who have made them plenty of money and have a good track record as was the case with Paramount and Miramax with the aforementioned films. Of course, the more likely scenario is that things will remain the same and artists who make studios millions will be asked `what have you done for us lately?'

Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)

Excellent, Oscar worthy performance by Robert Donat

[8/10 · 21 December 2003]

Director Sam Woods (`Kitty Foyle: The Natural History of a Woman,' `King's Row,' `For Whom the Bell Tolls') 1939 film `Goodbye Mr. Chips' features a top-notch performance by Robert Donat as the somewhat stuffy English prep school teacher, Mr. Chippings. Chippings early career difficulties are overcome, as is his shyness after he meets Greer Garson (`Mrs. Miniver') in the Alps while on holiday. Garson is able to show the stodgy Chips how to live life and her effect on him lasts throughout the rest of his life, although Garson is not around for long.

The film uses recurring patterns to show the passage of time, namely the showing of the boys arriving at the school each year in the autumn. These segments often contained little historical snippets between the boys, such as `we now have telephones, do you know how to use one?' and mention of Queen Victoria's death and the remark that `it is going to be strange to have a King.' Other historical comments occurred between the teachers such as the remark on a book by a new author, H.G. Wells and how he will never last because his writing is too fantastic. Sadly, Chip's historical error occurs when he comments to the boys that they will not have to go off to World War I as the war cannot possibly last more than a few weeks. So many of the teachers and students end up losing their lives in the Great War. Some other scenes from this film have been parodied through the years in comedies, most noticeably the scenes in the great hall when the headmasters are speaking to the boys is sent up hilariously by John Cleese in `Monty Python's the Meaning of Life' and the scene where Chips canes an insolent student (it is filmed as a shadow against the wall) is later parodied when a punisher is reprimanded for whipping the shadow, not the victim (my memory is failing me here, but I think this is in 1969s `Take the Money and Run' by Woody Allen, I could be wrong as a part of me also thinks that this could be in Mel Brooks' `Blazing Saddles.')

Donat aptly handles the complex role of Chips through the years, from about his mid-20s until his 80s. This may be one of the earlier movies that so aptly chronicles the life and times of a person through such an expanse of years, Dustin Hoffman in `Little Big Man' also performs n this manner, as does Al Pacino in `The Godfather Trilogy,' albeit over the length of three long movies. Even more outstanding and interesting about Donat and his character is that he covers so much of a common man's existence; Chips is a teacher, not a King, general, messiah or Mafia chieftain.

The Getaway (1972)

Exciting McQueen/MacGraw action movie with violent Peckinpah direction

[8/10 · 13 December 2003]

This 1972 action crime movie begins with Steve McQueen (Carter `Doc' McCoy) passing time in prison. The fact that the time is slowly destroying him is creatively directed by Sam Peckinpah with lots of repetitive machine images and stop-action photography. McQueen's inner turmoil is exacerbated by losing a chess match with a fellow inmate and by his destruction of an intricate bridge model he spent a great deal of time building. The plot thickens when McCoy tells his wife to contact the local political boss and tell him that he is for sale and will do anything to get paroled.

McQueen gets out and the action is on from this point forward. The bank robbery is screwed up and the leads to the long crazy getaway. McCoy's force partner Rudy, played by Al Lettieri (`Mr. Magestyk,' `The Godfather') has always played the consummate bad guy, and he does not disappoint here. In `The Getaway' Rudy kills the third partner, tries to kill McCoy at the meeting spot and then kidnaps a veterinarian and his wife (Sally Struthers and eventually makes her his girlfriend and her husband, who cannot takes it hangs himself.

Like in most Peckinpah films it is the style and the violence that sticks out. There are memorable fisticuff scenes as well has the required explosions and gunshot scenes. Ones that stand out include the all too realistic slaps to the face to Ali MacGraw after Doc learns that he had been set up by her and the incredible beating of a thief played by Richard Bright (`The Panic in Needle Park' and `The Godfather' who unknowingly steals the bank robbery money in a con game in a train station and is eventually caught by McCoy. Also of note are a series of diversionary explosions that are set off right after the bank robbery and an incredible shotgun destruction of a police car. The grand finale in an El Paso hotel is not to be missed. As rough and violent as all of this is it is important to note a quieter more sympathetic side of McCoy that is played my Steve McQueen. On a few occasions he makes it clear to people in his path that if they do what he says, when he says it they will be left alone and therefore survive. Much like in Peckinpah's earlier film, `The Wild Bunch' there is an honor among thieves, or a code of ethics that is important for the protagonist(s) to uphold.

Another aspect of this morality is played off in a sarcastic and ironic manner in the last seen. A trash collector played by Slim Pickens (`Dr. Strangelove,' `Blazing Saddles') is willingly kidnapped to assist McQueen and MacGraw cross the border into Mexico. Even though he has a good idea of the kinds of life the criminals are leading Pickens is very happy to hear that the couple is married and he feels that society is falling apart due to a lack of morals. In light of the excessive violence that occurs in this film it is funny that Peckinpah's film comments that all would be morally OK if young people just stick to the traditions of marriage.

The Panic in Needle Park (1971)

Al Pacino is outstanding this movie starts a great career

[7/10 · 13 December 2003]

Al Pacino took advantage of his role in 1971s `The Panic in Needle Park' to propel his career that would reach superstar status in the next years `The Godfather.' Pacino plays a pathetic heroin addict that is hell bent on bringing down his new girlfriend, Helen (Kathy Winn) with him. The realism and location shooting of this gritty inner city drug tale seems to be way ahead of its time as the disgusting reality is portrayed much as it is in later, more graphic films such as `Sid & Nancy,' `Drugstore Cowboy,' `Basketball Diaries' and `Trainspotting.'

As the movie progresses Helen moves from being just a girlfriend to being another junkie to being a prostitute that will do anything with anyone in order to the next fix. There is not to be any redemption in this story, much like the bitter truth that is the existence of many drug addicts – just a long downward spiral that ultimately ends in death or prison.

There are some great supporting roles in this film, namely Richard Bright (`The Getaway,' `The Godfather Trilogy') as Pacino's brother who is only slightly better off; he is not an addict, he is a thief. One of the most ironic, sad parts of this story is when Pacino decides to marry Helen and his brother wants to see them get off on the right foot so he offers him a job on his next heist. Of course, our addict manages to overdose that afternoon and cannot make it to his first day on the larcenous job. Joe Santos (`The Rockford Files') and Raul Julia are also mart of the good supporting cast.

Others have commented on this movie having a poor ending; I do not agree. I think this movie has an all to realistic ending when Pacino leaves a prison term that was brought on by the traitorous activity of his girlfriend only to have her meet him a the doors of the prison as they walk off together. Sadly, this is often the way it is in addiction – nothing matters at all except the next fix.

Inherit the Wind (1960)

Great performance by Spencer Tracy

[7/10 · 11 December 2003]

I found the overall tone and performances in this movie to be quite poor by two of the three leads; namely Gene Kelly, who should stick to dancing, and Frederic March who played the lawyer/religious zealot. On the other hand, Spencer Tracy's performance was impeccable. As a friend of mine once pointed out he seems to be incapable of overacting. He makes his points and only gets excited when it is warranted. He does not appear to be acting, but rather living the life of the character.

One side note...I enjoyed watching so many TV stars from the years appear in various roles in this movie. Harry/Henry Morgan (Dragnet, M*A*S*H*), Norman Fell (Threes Company, the Ropers), Richard Deacon (Leave it to Beaver), Noah Beery, Jr. (the Rockford Files) and Dick York (Bewitched) all appear in this movie in their younger days. I found York to be a bit contrived and overbearing while Morgan was excellent. The other roles are quite small.

It Happened One Night (1934)

Proof that sappy romantic comedies can be done well

[8/10 · 10 December 2003]

While this is definitely not my type of movie I had a great time watching Frank Capra's 1934 "It Happened One Night." The pace and timing throughout this movie is impeccable and I really enjoyed Claudette Colbert's role as the wealthy heiress trying to escape her father's wrath and find true love. The movie is a lot racier and more risque than many movies of the '40s and '50s. There also seemed to be a lot more location shooting than you find in most movies of this era.

This movie works a lot better than the more modern sappy romances for me, like "Sleepless in Seattle" and "When Harry Met Sally." Wile all of these stories are simple and contrived in such a way to ensure everything works out "for the best" in the end, it somehow seems a lot more believable with Gable and Colbert at the helm.

Taxi Driver (1976)

Someday a real rain/reign will come down and wash away

[10/10 · 6 December 2003]

Martin Scorese's 1976 direction of Paul Schraeder's script `Taxi Driver' depicts the decline of civilization in urban America and one man's driven obsession to clean up the defilement.

The protagonist of the film, Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro) cannot sleep at night and begins working twelve hour and longer shifts driving a cab in New York City. Bickle is a Marine veteran from the Vietnam era (although it is unclear if he ever saw combat) who through his daily existence observes the filth, scum and urban decay of the modern metropolis. An interesting part of Travis's observations and life is that he does not seem to notice, or care that he is a part of the same hypocrisy. He is disgusted by the city and its urchins and yet he drinks and pops pills constantly, is racist and practically lives in porno theaters during his off hours. Through all of this he reaches to try and find a real human connections.

Travis is obviously lonely and seeks to find the company of a woman. A presidential campaign worker, Cybil Sheperd, infatuates him and he does well with her for one and a half dates until his moment of undoing when he takes her to the movies. Sadly for Travis, he only seems to know about porno movies and Cybil quickly leaves him. Bickle also tries to befriend the concession girl at the porno theater (Diahnne Abbot) only to have her quickly call management to remove the harassing patron. The true find and motivator to action for Travis is the twelve year old prostitute played by Jodie Foster (Iris.) He runs into her a few times early in the action and later decides that he wants to try and rescue her from the world of drugs and pimps, particularly her pimp, Sport (Harvey Keitel.)

Nobody understands what is bothering Travis; not Betsy (Shepherd) or his fellow cabby, Wizard, played by Peter Boyle. Wizard seems to simplify all of the problems of the world into categories that work for him, like the notion that a man becomes his job and that all problems can be resolved by getting `laid.' Travis needs more than this to correct his problems.

The acting in this film is superb all around. DeNiro, Foster and Keitel are all brilliant. Cybil Shepherd plays her role well; there is a lot of depth in the character even though she is not on screen for long. Her coworker, Tom (Albert Brooks) is so totally annoying you just kind of hope that he enters Bickle's rage. The fellow cabbies are portrayed so well and given such great dialogue I really think that they are cabbies and not actors. Like Hitchcock, Scorsese always puts himself in his own movies. In `Taxi Driver' he has more than a mere cameo as he portrays a passenger in Bickle's cab who is hell bent on setting his faltering marriage straight with the aid of a .44 magnum. Even Travis seems scared listening to his rants and raves. Scorsese should act more often.

The climax is near when Bickle decides to meet with one of his colleague's friends, Easy Andy (Steven Prince.) Andy is the type of person that Travis is reaching out to destroy in this movie and yet he has no problem dealing with Andy because he will help Travis obtain the means to his end. Travis ends up purchasing a large assortment of heavy-duty handguns from Andy that he will use to invoke is reign of terror on the pimp, Sport and his associates.

The ending of this movie seemed unbelievably gory and violent at the time of the movies release, and it still does to this day. The main difference is that now in the post-Bundy, Dahmer, Hinckley, Chapman, Columbine, Susan Smith, 9/11 world it is not as shocking. Post-modern society has bred a number of people who have murdered indiscriminately for no apparent reason except of their overwhelming hatred of society and their inability to fit in. I have always seen Bickle as something more than this; perhaps as the rescuer of a kid trapped in prostitution and a cleaner of street scum. But we cannot overlook Travis Bickle's flaws and contradictions. Isn't he a part of what he eradicates?

The Cincinnati Kid (1965)

Gritty dialogue and location shooting make a great classic

[8/10 · 6 December 2003]

Norman Jewison's (`In the Heat of the Night,' `The Thomas Crown Affair,' `Fiddler on the Roof')1965 `The Cincinnati Kid' contains top notch location shooting in New Orleans and gritty dialogue (screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr., `M*A*S*H*') that seems way ahead of its time.

The star power of this film is immense, with Steve McQueen portraying `the Kid' who is overly confident that he can beat `the Man,' Edward G. Robinson at his own game, stud poker. McQueen is ever confident while Robinson has seen it all and will not be surprised or scared by anything that he sees on the card table.

As in all great movies there is a very strong supporting cast in this film. Led by Karl Malden as `the Kid's' confidant, Shooter and a trio of strong supporting actresses, Ann-Margaret, Tuesday Weld and Joan Blondell. Ann-Margaret portrays Shooter's wife, Melba with great flair; she sees her husband as a loser and as a weakling. She openly commits adultery and talks down at him in front of anyone. Her characterization appears to be the role model for Fredo Corleone's wife Deanna, in `The Godfather, Part II.'

Beyond the obvious supporting roles is one of the best supporting/character players of all time, Jack Weston. He appears in many films in the 1960s and 1970s often as a person who gets in over his head with people and situations he cannot handle. In this movie he plays `Pig,' the first victim of Edward G. Robinson at the big card game. Pig thinks he is a pro but quickly and thoroughly gets gutted by `the Man.' Weston portrays a similar character in the original `Thomas Crown Affair.' Nobody sweats on camera like Jack. His type of adept characterizations can be seen in more recent settings, for example William H. Macy's `Jerry Lundergard' in 1996's `Fargo.'

Al in all this is one of the all time classics and by far is my favorite of any of the serious gambling movies such as `The Hustler,' `The Gambler' and `The Color of Money.'

Charade (1963)

What an enjoyable film!

[7/10 · 5 December 2003]

Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn were the two biggest names in lights in 1963 when they starred for the first and only time in Stanley Donen's (Singin' in the Rain, Blame it on Rio) Charade. The two stars do not disappoint as Hepburn and Grant take us all over the streets, rooftops and subways of Paris trying to get to the bottom of a missing/stolen $250,000 of OSS/CIA World War II loot.

Not only is this movie blessed with two big names, it also has an outstanding supporting cast that features Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, James Coburn and Ned Glass. Somehow, Matthau has always excelled at roles that border on comedic and serious, this film, along with Charley Varrick and The Taking of Pelham One, Two, Three quickly come to mind.

I do not want to give it away other than to say that this movie has one great ending and I really did not see it coming!

Nevada Smith (1966)

Beautifully filmed western

[6/10 · 4 December 2003]

Henry Hathaways's 1966 western epic, Nevada Smith features many majestic shots of the rough and rugged terrain of the American west. Steve McQueen is excellent as the young (he really does not look the least bit young, I think he is supposed to be about 16 years old!) survivor when his mixed marriage parents are murdered and skinned by a band of outlaws led by a very evil Karl Malden.

The revenge plot is quite straight forward as McQueen embarks on a cross-country jaunt to seek out and destroy the killers of his parents. The swamp prison scene (with escape) is excellent as his eventual run in with Karl Malden...the ending, which is influenced by McQueens meeting with a monk (Raf Vallone) is quite different and unusual; particularly for a western.

Other members of a great supporting cast include Martin Landau, Suzanne Pleshette and Brian Keith as a gun salesman are all outstanding.

Another Man's Poison (1951)

Great Bette Davis feature

[6/10 · 4 December 2003]

I am getting more and more into Bette Davis' style, which is on fine display in this feature where she plays a mystery writer who gets tangled up in her own sordid tale.

Davis kills her own estranged husband and then gets set up by his criminal friend who thinks he can successfully hide under the guise of Bette's unknown husband. This poor character has no idea who or what he is up against when he takes on Bette. For that matter, her poor secretary has no idea either when Bette suddenly decides that she wants her fiance.

While I found most of the supporting cast to be quite bland and annoying (the neighbor), the movie does a great job highlighting Bette's talents and is quite enjoyable to watch.

Scarface (1983)

Not a chick flick, no happy ending, and no sequels

[8/10 · 3 December 2003]

I had the privilege of watching Scarface on the big screen with its beautifully restored 35mm print in honor of the 20th anniversary of the films release. It was great to see this on the big screen as so much of it is lost on television sets and the overall largesse of this project cannot be emphasized enough.

Scarface is the remake of a classic rags to riches to the depths of hell story featuring Al Pacino as Cuban drug lord Tony Montana. In this version, Tony comes to America during the Cuban boat people immigration wave in the late 1970s, early 1980s. Tony and his cohorts quickly get green cards by offing a political figure in Tent City and after a brief stay at a Cuban restaurant; Tony is launched on his horrific path to towards total destruction.

Many of the characters in this movie a played in such skilled manner that is so enjoyable to watch I have forgot little of this film over the last twenty years. Robert Loggia as Tony's patron, Frank Lopez is wonderful. His character is flawed by being too trusting, and as Tony quickly figures out, soft. Lopez's right hand, Omar Suarez is portrayed by one of our greatest actors, F. Murray Abraham (Amadeus.) Suarez is the ultimate toady and will do anything for Frank; it is like he does not have a mind of his own. Tony quickly sees this and he constantly battles with Suarez, but really only sees him as a minor problem to get through on his way to the top. The character that always comes back to me as being played so perfectly is Mel Bernstein, the audaciously corrupt Miami Narcotics detective played by Harris Yulin (Training Day.) Mel, without guilt extorts great sums of money form all sides of the drug industry. He plays Tony off of Frank until it catches up with him in a scene that marks the exit from the film of both Frank and Mel. It is priceless to hear Frank asking for Mel to intercede, as Tony is about to kill him only to hear Mel reply, `It's your tree Frank, you're sitting in it.' This is from the man who Frank had been paying for protection!

Tony's rise is meteoric and is only matched in speed and intensity by his quick crash and burn. After offing Frank and taking his wife and business Tony's greed takes over and he never can seem to get enough. As Tony plunges deeper into the world of drugs, greed and the inability to trust he eventually kills his best friend and his sister who had fallen in love and married. This all sets up the ending in which Tony's compound is stormed by an army from his supplier who feels betrayed because Tony would not go through with a political assassination that was ordered. This all stems form a compassionate moment when Tony refused to be an accomplice in a murder that would have involved the victim's wife and children.

All in all this is a great depiction of 1980s excess and cocaine culture. DePalma does a nice job of holding it all together in one of the fastest moving three hour movies around. The violence is extremely graphic and contains a few scenes that will be forever etched on any viewers mind, particularly the gruesome chainsaw seen, the two point blank shots to the head and the entire bloody melee that ends the movie. This is a highly recommended stylistically done film that is not for the squeamish, or for those who need upbeat endings and potential sequels; DePalma let it all fly right here.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Excellently filmed, albeit confusing

[7/10 · 1 December 2003]

I finally got around to watching this epic sci-fi movie by Kubrick and while I was completely awed by the camera work and special effects (not many movies from the 1960s have effects that do not look dated in 2003) I was not sure `what happened' at the end.

The early plot with the apes discovering tools, and the evolution of the first tool (a bone hammer) into the `latest' tool (a space ship, and furthermore, a super computer) made sense to me I just did not get what happened when our astronaut arrived in the bedroom/womb/Jupiter.

Also, the supercomputer HAL is wonderfully portrayed and explored. I enjoyed watching HAL develop the ability to rationalize and make complex decisions. Even better was listening to HAL trying to sleaze his way out of being turned off.

All in all, I am glad I stayed with it, and I may try to read the book one of these days

The Fortune Cookie (1966)

Matthau and Lemmon work effortlessly together

[8/10 · 29 November 2003]

One of these days I am going to watch a bad Billy Wilder movie...so far I have not even come close. Each year we observe the passing of great talents (this year, 2003 has seen an extrordinary number of death), I begin to realize we will never again see the likes of Lemmon and Matthau who passed away in 2000 and 1999 respectively. These two are great actors in comedic or serious roles. Matthau's sleazy lawyer is played just right, not too over the top and Lemmon plays the victim in this movie who is basically going along for the ride. As the movie progresses Lemmon gets further disenchanted with the pending cash settlement for his fake injuries and in his own inimitable way blows the whistle on his brother-in-law, Whiplash Willie (Matthau.) I found Wilder's use of Cliff Ormond and Noam Pitlik as the bumbling private eye surveillance team to be reminiscent of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney on the Honeymooners, or even a latter day type of slapstick in the style of Abbot and Costello. Also, the supporting role of Boom Boom the Cleveland Browns running back who accidentally injures Lemmon on the sideline at a game was played with depth. All in all another wonderful treat this movie is to watch.

All About Eve (1950)

excellent work

[8/10 · 26 November 2003]

This is one of those many old movies that I am glad I finally got around to viewing. "All About Eve" seems to bridge the gap to some extent between the old, slick movies of the '30s and '40s (where you always knew you were watching entertainment) and the grittier, more realistic material that began to appear more and more during and after the '50s. The performances are incredibly good all around (particularly Betty Davis, Anne Baxter and George Sanders,) a fact that is obviously enhanced by such a strong script.

I still have not seen Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard", which is allegedly the one of these two Hollywood on Hollywood commentaries that stands up better to time, but it is on my short list!

The Producers (1967)

The Original Nazi Humor Movie

[8/10 · 6 November 2003]

While I find this movie a bit uneven (it picks up a good deal in the second half) it is an amazing satire of Nazism and is probably the first mainstream piece of pop culture that joked about something as serious as the Nazis and the Holocaust. It is important to remember that this movie came out a little over twenty years after WW II...considering the standards and mores of the time this movie must have hit hard...

Great performances by all...particualry Zero Mostel and Dick Shaun.