Change Your Image
morrisonm-1
Reviews
The End (1978)
A shallow life versus The End
This is an extremely funny movie. The humor is timeless; easily transcending it's 1970's origin. Burt Reynolds plays Sonny Lawson, a divorced and shady real estate salesman. The movie opens with Sonny being told he has a fatal blood disease and a two month to one year life expectancy.The humorous tone of the film is set early in the exchange between Sonny and his doctor, played wonderfully dryly by Norman Fell. Sonny is, to put it mildly, shallow. Not exactly evil and certainly not good, Sonny is an aging hedonist whose only truly valuable contribution to life is his daughter Julie. Still, even with all the limitations of his character, Sonny tries to get around The End. The bulk of the movie involves Sonny's attempts to weasel out of his inevitable End. Burt Reynolds plays Sonny with just the right blend of whine and bravado. The results are hilarious. Characters come and go throughout the movie. All of them are as shallow as Sonny and hence cannot be of any help. Robbie Benson is hilarious as Father Dave and Sally Field is wonderful as the free spirit or as we say now 'new age' love interest. A truly exceptional performance however comes from Burt's co-star Dom DeLuise. I think that Dom deserved an academy nomination for his brilliant performance as the psychiatric patient Marlon Borunki. His character is a blend of gentle self deprecating humor and maniacal danger and he is the man to watch in every scene he's in. His instant changing of mood, voice and emotion is simply brilliant. There are some movies which provide a catch-phrase that you can use in real life. I never did relate too much to Arnie's "I'll Be Back" line but one which has made it into my personal use is Dom's rather strangled version of "I Understand". Watch 'The End' and you too will understand.
Big Time (1988)
The perfect visual match to the aural adventure that is Tom Waits music
This movie is perfect for those who have an appreciation of the artistry of Tom Waits, or who can say with some degree of honesty that they watch and enjoy movies on the IFC channel. I would not recommend this movie however to those who are unfamiliar with his work. The combination of his visual imagery and unique sound is likely to be too much for the uninitiated. You should be comfortable with his music before watching Big Time. This warning of course does not include IFC watchers who can handle just about any degree of weirdness. The movie itself is a series of vignettes very loosely tied together, with Tom as the central character. Each includes or at least introduces one or two songs and a monologue. The vignettes include portions of concert shows but all are set within the environs of a rather seedy theatre, including such areas as the loge, the bathroom and the ticket booth. It is a great treat to see Tom Waits performing live. If you are familiar with and enjoy his music you will surely enjoy this movie. Turn the sound down and you will quickly realize that the visual aspect of the performance is structured much as his music is. The result is a wild agglomeration of disparate elements that cuts to the quick but delivers a soul satisfying experience.
Innocent Blood (1992)
This is not a slasher flick but it is great fun
If you're looking for Freddy or Chucky or Jason this is not the movie for you. In this movie the horror is part of the supporting cast, it is not the star. This is a 'boy meets girl who eats boys' movie. The effects are great. The music ranges from gangster Sinatra to strip club Prince. All of the roles, even the bit parts are well written and well acted. There is a lot of humor in the movie particularly in the exchanges between the beautiful but deadly Marie (Ann Parillaud) and Joe (Anthony LaPaglia) the undercover cop who wants to arrest her but finds himself falling for her instead. If you are used to slasher movies then yes, you will find parts of Innocent Blood slow. But these are the parts that have the dialog gems like Marie sitting on the bed beside Joe when she says 'Face it Joe you trust me, (looking out of shot at his crotch) at least partially' This is a movie that appeals to both sexes. Try it, you'll like it
Vice Versa (1948)
brilliant movie English humour at its best
English comedy tends to fall into one of two types. The first involves the clever and often risqué use of the English language. The second involves physical or slap-stick humour. The best English comedies successfully combine both types and the 1948 version of Vice Versa is just such a comedy. To see the great Roger Livesey cavorting as a young boy is alone worth the price of admission. It is arguably easier for a young person to act old than it is for an old person to act young, mimicry being easier than regression. To carry either role off is, however, no mean feat. Anthony Newley is brilliant as the young Dick Bultitude imitating his fathers sophisticated and worldly ways. It is also great fun to watch the young Petula Clark years before she became a famous pop star. If you want to watch both the 1988 version of this story starring Judge Reinhold as well as the 1948 version, I would strongly recommend you see the 1988 version first. You will enjoy the 1988 version. The 1948 version of Vice Versa is however the definitive one. After seeing it you will be spoiled for all others.
Let It Be (1970)
A beautiful and sad movie
Let me write two reviews of this movie. One for those who remember 1970 and the other for those whose response to the term 'The Beatles' is a brow crinkling..Who? For the old folks like me that lived BB (before Beatles) and enjoyed their rise to fame this movie has the bitter sweetness of attending a good friend's funeral. It runs the emotional gamut of every great loss; denial, anger, sadness, depression, resignation etc. I saw it in theatrical release in 1970 and remember it still. Set primarily in the recording studio the movie blends the bickering and infighting of the dying band with the different styles and qualities of their music. Often raw and unpracticed the songs proceed in fits and starts, serving as an accent to the discord in the band. Gradually, the quality of the music improves and the band tightens up. Songs like the Long and Winding Road, and 'Across the Universe' serve to heighten to sense of loss over the break-up of the band. If you are or were a Beatles fan you won't be thinking about cinematography or setting when you watch this movie. It gets that special level of preforgiveness that all documentaries are afforded. Now for you young whippersnappers who were born PB (post Beatles). Watch the movie. It will give you insight into how your parents ending up the special people they are. The music won't hurt you and you may get some pointers on inter-personal skills.
Enjoy