8/10. Great looking Gothic werewolf movie.
Benicio Del Toro plays English stage actor Lawrence Talbot, who while searching for answers to his brother's death near his wealthy father's estate, is bitten by a werewolf.
Great acting. Benicio is understated intensity as usual. As is Anthony Hopkins who plays his father. Emily Blunt is the beautiful fiancee of his late brother. And Hugo Weaving is the scotland yard inspector tasked with dealing with the werewolf issue.
Don't look to the script for the draw of this film. There's a little about prodigal sons and the thin line between man and beast, but this is mostly a visual movie. Joe Johnston directs somewhere in the middle of his hits and misses, and he plays this action heavy. The look of this film was the best feature in my opinion. A combination of light computer imagery, and perfectly designed and lit sets and landscapes totally evokes the Victorian Gothic feel of the original story. I was constantly reminded of Edward Gorey's illustrations when viewing this film, which always means "Gothic" to me.
The bloody action of the movie lets us know it's there. And when it's gory, boy is it intense. Decapitations, amputations, disembowelments, this ain't no Lon Chaney Jr. flick. Some cheap scares to make you jump, some terrifyingly bloody werewolf attacks, but it's all done in conjunction with the wonderful visual atmosphere of the film.
If you rent it. Watch it at night.
July 31, 2011
July 24, 2011
Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011)
7/10. Sam Witwicky (Shia Lebouf) helps the Autobots save mankind once more, this time from a robot technology that has been hidden for decades.
First off let me say this is the best use of 3D I've seen since Avatar, which makes sense as it was shot with the same PACE3D cameras that were used in that film.
The effects of course are mind boggling, which is on par for a Michael Bay film. There are some exceptionally mind blowing shots however during the climactic battles in Chicago.
Sam's new love interest (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) is annoying, but not as much as Megan Fox was, so that's a plus. Patrick Dempsey plays a baddie, which is quite a turn for him. Leonard Nemoy voices one of the new Autobots, even throwing out some Wrath Of Khan dialogue before the climax. And all the old characters from the other movies make return appearances (save Megan Fox of course).
Over all though, the film was just too long. At almost three hours in length, the majority of time is taken up with seemingly endless robot battles of the second half of the film. These could really have been cut in half and no loss would have resulted. It's a fun popcorn movie if you want to spend the three hours on it, but if you go you must see it in 3D, otherwise you might as well wait for it's DVD/Blu-ray release.
On a nitpicky note: At the start of the film, the Apollo 11 crew discover a robot ship on the "dark side of the moon". This is impossible as the dark side of the moon always faces away from the Earth and the Apollo 11 crew landed on the Earthward side. So unless they hiked thousands of miles in 20 minutes to see the ship... the logic just falls apart. This is a constant frustration I have with Michael Bay movies, the ignorance of logic and science. For me this goes all the way back to the impossible logic of Armageddon (fires in space???). But, I'm used to it with him, so I just suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.
Also I think Rosie Huntington-Whiteley botoxes her lips.
First off let me say this is the best use of 3D I've seen since Avatar, which makes sense as it was shot with the same PACE3D cameras that were used in that film.
The effects of course are mind boggling, which is on par for a Michael Bay film. There are some exceptionally mind blowing shots however during the climactic battles in Chicago.
Sam's new love interest (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley) is annoying, but not as much as Megan Fox was, so that's a plus. Patrick Dempsey plays a baddie, which is quite a turn for him. Leonard Nemoy voices one of the new Autobots, even throwing out some Wrath Of Khan dialogue before the climax. And all the old characters from the other movies make return appearances (save Megan Fox of course).
Over all though, the film was just too long. At almost three hours in length, the majority of time is taken up with seemingly endless robot battles of the second half of the film. These could really have been cut in half and no loss would have resulted. It's a fun popcorn movie if you want to spend the three hours on it, but if you go you must see it in 3D, otherwise you might as well wait for it's DVD/Blu-ray release.
On a nitpicky note: At the start of the film, the Apollo 11 crew discover a robot ship on the "dark side of the moon". This is impossible as the dark side of the moon always faces away from the Earth and the Apollo 11 crew landed on the Earthward side. So unless they hiked thousands of miles in 20 minutes to see the ship... the logic just falls apart. This is a constant frustration I have with Michael Bay movies, the ignorance of logic and science. For me this goes all the way back to the impossible logic of Armageddon (fires in space???). But, I'm used to it with him, so I just suspend my disbelief and enjoy the ride.
Also I think Rosie Huntington-Whiteley botoxes her lips.
Where The Sidewalk Ends (1950)
8/10. Man, do I love these Golden Age film noirs.
Dana Andrews plays a cop with a temper trying to cover up his crime of murdering a suspect. It's only complicated by the fact that the crime is pinned on the victim's father in law, and the fact that he's falling in love with the victim's estranged wife played by Gene Tierney.
Dana Andrews plays against the honorable good guy type he was later known for, this time portraying an on the edge detective trying to break out of the shadow of his deceased criminal father. We've seen this type of cop before, but Andrews really captures the conflict or at least as much as can be expected in a film of this era.
Nice to see Andrews and Tierney together again. Their chemistry is undeniable, and it's understandable why the studios paired them up for a total of five films.
The usual class of noir character actors make appearances, including the thuggish Neville Brand (who I liken to today's Michael Madsen). And we get to see a young Karl Malden playing the by the book precinct lieutenant. Really though, this is Andrews' show, he makes a crooked cop really likable (I mean come on, it is Dana Andrews after all).
I will say it ends up bad for Andrews in the end, but it is the morally right outcome.
Dana Andrews plays a cop with a temper trying to cover up his crime of murdering a suspect. It's only complicated by the fact that the crime is pinned on the victim's father in law, and the fact that he's falling in love with the victim's estranged wife played by Gene Tierney.
Dana Andrews plays against the honorable good guy type he was later known for, this time portraying an on the edge detective trying to break out of the shadow of his deceased criminal father. We've seen this type of cop before, but Andrews really captures the conflict or at least as much as can be expected in a film of this era.
Nice to see Andrews and Tierney together again. Their chemistry is undeniable, and it's understandable why the studios paired them up for a total of five films.
The usual class of noir character actors make appearances, including the thuggish Neville Brand (who I liken to today's Michael Madsen). And we get to see a young Karl Malden playing the by the book precinct lieutenant. Really though, this is Andrews' show, he makes a crooked cop really likable (I mean come on, it is Dana Andrews after all).
I will say it ends up bad for Andrews in the end, but it is the morally right outcome.
July 17, 2011
River Of No Return (1954)
4/10. Run of the mill western that serves mostly as a vehicle for Marilyn Monroe.
Farmer Robert Mitchum and his son, Lassie's Tommy Rettig, rescue Marilyn Monroe and her husband Rory Calhoun from a river raft with dire consequences.
Not much here, though I was hoping for something with Otto Preminger attached as director. But this film was really just a draw for audiences to see Marilyn Monroe in a western. There's a few of scenes with Marilyn singing, a scene where she's clothed only in a blanket, she almost gets raped by Robert Mitchum, and she gets her overshirt torn off by an Indian. Plus there's a moral about when it's ok to shoot someone in the back. That's it. Other than some not so beautifully shot vistas in Cinemascope, this film has nothing really to offer.
Farmer Robert Mitchum and his son, Lassie's Tommy Rettig, rescue Marilyn Monroe and her husband Rory Calhoun from a river raft with dire consequences.
Not much here, though I was hoping for something with Otto Preminger attached as director. But this film was really just a draw for audiences to see Marilyn Monroe in a western. There's a few of scenes with Marilyn singing, a scene where she's clothed only in a blanket, she almost gets raped by Robert Mitchum, and she gets her overshirt torn off by an Indian. Plus there's a moral about when it's ok to shoot someone in the back. That's it. Other than some not so beautifully shot vistas in Cinemascope, this film has nothing really to offer.
July 16, 2011
Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)
5/10. Slightly above average grindhouse throwback. Rutger Hauer is the titular Hobo who dons a shotgun for some gory vigilante justice in a crime riddled city.
The only reasons I rented this movie is my love of grindhouse cinema, Rutger Hauer's draw, and the cover art for the DVD release.
Slightly fun over the top movie, but didn't quite capture the 70's and 80's grindhouse feel ala Troma or Corman. It was silly and it knew it, this film didn't take itself seriously at all which is a must for good exploitation cinema. IMO to have good grindhouse shlock you need to be unintentionally silly, but serious in tone, while at the same time understanding that some might not take you seriously. This movie was just too over the top for it's own good. Also, not enough nudity which is a requirement of good grindhouse.
As a side note, this is probably among the best films I've seen to come out of Canada.
The only reasons I rented this movie is my love of grindhouse cinema, Rutger Hauer's draw, and the cover art for the DVD release.
Slightly fun over the top movie, but didn't quite capture the 70's and 80's grindhouse feel ala Troma or Corman. It was silly and it knew it, this film didn't take itself seriously at all which is a must for good exploitation cinema. IMO to have good grindhouse shlock you need to be unintentionally silly, but serious in tone, while at the same time understanding that some might not take you seriously. This movie was just too over the top for it's own good. Also, not enough nudity which is a requirement of good grindhouse.
As a side note, this is probably among the best films I've seen to come out of Canada.
Witness For The Prosecution (1957)
8/10. One of the best courtroom dramas (not to mention one of the earliest and most memorable), with a great twist ending.
Charles Laughton, recovering from a heart attack, defends Tyrone Power when he is accused of murdering a wealthy widow. His wife, Marlene Dietrich, is the titular witness for the prosecution.
Pretty straightforward courtroom drama co-written by Billy Wilder from an Agatha Christie play. Billy Wilder directing.
Other than the surprise twist ending (which the audience is requested not to reveal during the end credits), the main offering of this film are the performances by all those involved, all excellent. Unfortunately Marlene Dietrich was not nominated for an Oscar, though she herself was convinced she would be, but all of the performances are pretty near Oscar worthy, especially for the time period.
Billy Wilder's script is excellent, not quite Sunset Boulevard level, but good just the same. And his direction is unintrusive and pretty straightforward. Of course his pace is excellent, even during the slow parts of which there are few.
All around good suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Charles Laughton, recovering from a heart attack, defends Tyrone Power when he is accused of murdering a wealthy widow. His wife, Marlene Dietrich, is the titular witness for the prosecution.
Pretty straightforward courtroom drama co-written by Billy Wilder from an Agatha Christie play. Billy Wilder directing.
Other than the surprise twist ending (which the audience is requested not to reveal during the end credits), the main offering of this film are the performances by all those involved, all excellent. Unfortunately Marlene Dietrich was not nominated for an Oscar, though she herself was convinced she would be, but all of the performances are pretty near Oscar worthy, especially for the time period.
Billy Wilder's script is excellent, not quite Sunset Boulevard level, but good just the same. And his direction is unintrusive and pretty straightforward. Of course his pace is excellent, even during the slow parts of which there are few.
All around good suspense that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
July 10, 2011
The Bravados (1958)
7/10. Henry King directs Gregory Peck as a man hunting down four criminals across south Texas for the crime of raping and murdering his wife.
Enjoyable western, even if it was pretty dark in tone. Nice to see Stephen Boyd as the main bad guy. I wonder if this role is what got him the part of Messala in Ben-Hur the next year. I feel he is quite underrated.
Gregory Peck is wooden and cold as usual, but still sympathetic.
Not much else I can say about this film. Pretty much your run of the mill western for the fifties. Not as epic as The Searchers but somewhere in the middle ground. Just a little on the dark side, like I said.
Enjoyable western, even if it was pretty dark in tone. Nice to see Stephen Boyd as the main bad guy. I wonder if this role is what got him the part of Messala in Ben-Hur the next year. I feel he is quite underrated.
Gregory Peck is wooden and cold as usual, but still sympathetic.
Not much else I can say about this film. Pretty much your run of the mill western for the fifties. Not as epic as The Searchers but somewhere in the middle ground. Just a little on the dark side, like I said.
July 9, 2011
The Trial (1962)
7/10. Modern. Expressionistic. Avant Garde. Absurdist. Dreamlike. Kafkaesque.
In what Orson Welles called his greatest film, we are presented with Josef K. A clerk played by Anthony Perkins who is arrested for a crime, but not told what the crime is. After attempting to navigate through a nightmarish legal system and meeting many interesting characters along the way. He is finally condemned and executed.
This confusing dreamlike movie forced me to scour the internet for explanations as to what it all meant. Here is the best brief I could find on the novel and subsequent film. I will let you discover this one for yourself.
Something to note about The Trial is the feel of the French New Wave that is apparent. Not sure if this is due to it being filmed in Paris during the New Wave, or if Welles was simply a large influence on the New Wave directors, or if they were on him, or some combination of the above, but it's definitely present.
Also, I imagine the Wachowski's were influenced at least by the novel as there are many elements that are present in the Matrix series.
Altogether it was quite a hard film to digest on a Saturday morning, but I enjoyed the ride.
In what Orson Welles called his greatest film, we are presented with Josef K. A clerk played by Anthony Perkins who is arrested for a crime, but not told what the crime is. After attempting to navigate through a nightmarish legal system and meeting many interesting characters along the way. He is finally condemned and executed.
This confusing dreamlike movie forced me to scour the internet for explanations as to what it all meant. Here is the best brief I could find on the novel and subsequent film. I will let you discover this one for yourself.
Something to note about The Trial is the feel of the French New Wave that is apparent. Not sure if this is due to it being filmed in Paris during the New Wave, or if Welles was simply a large influence on the New Wave directors, or if they were on him, or some combination of the above, but it's definitely present.
Also, I imagine the Wachowski's were influenced at least by the novel as there are many elements that are present in the Matrix series.
Altogether it was quite a hard film to digest on a Saturday morning, but I enjoyed the ride.
July 7, 2011
The 13th Warrior (1999)
6/10. So this is what a flop looks like. Apparently going over budget to a cost of $160 Million, this film lost $123 Million upon release. When McTiernan's original cut apparently didn't please test audiences, Michael Chrichton took the helm and made at least a presentable effort out of the film.
The story of an Arabic poet, outcast from his native land and into the midst of a group of Vikings. He is among those chosen to travel north to fight a mysterious enemy in a mysterious land.
I remember reading part of Chrichton's novel in high school, "Eaters of the Dead". It was pretty slow, but had elements of interest to me. It was unique in that it was written both in Old English (like Beowulf) and in modern English as well.
Unfortunately McTiernan and Chrichton and the screenwriters turn it into a pretty mundane hack-and-slash Medieval action film. No indication in the film that the mysterious hordes were actually descendants of Neanderthals, as was presented in the book. Nor is any of the feeling of coarse poetry, that bled through the pages of the book.
Chrichton was actually my favorite author growing up, and I'm familiar with most of his works (both his writings and his films), and this I would have to say is among the most middling of the film efforts. Entertaining enough, but not really capturing the power of the original story.
The story of an Arabic poet, outcast from his native land and into the midst of a group of Vikings. He is among those chosen to travel north to fight a mysterious enemy in a mysterious land.
I remember reading part of Chrichton's novel in high school, "Eaters of the Dead". It was pretty slow, but had elements of interest to me. It was unique in that it was written both in Old English (like Beowulf) and in modern English as well.
Unfortunately McTiernan and Chrichton and the screenwriters turn it into a pretty mundane hack-and-slash Medieval action film. No indication in the film that the mysterious hordes were actually descendants of Neanderthals, as was presented in the book. Nor is any of the feeling of coarse poetry, that bled through the pages of the book.
Chrichton was actually my favorite author growing up, and I'm familiar with most of his works (both his writings and his films), and this I would have to say is among the most middling of the film efforts. Entertaining enough, but not really capturing the power of the original story.
July 2, 2011
A Bullet For Joey (1955)
6/10. Entertaining spy/crime thriller. Geroge Raft plays a crime boss hired by international spies to kidnap a nuclear scientist in Canada. Edward G. Robinson is the police inspector on his trail.
This was your average crime thriller from the 50's. The big bonus was the brief scenes with Edward G. Robinson and George Raft acting together. Up until that point it was just one or the other carrying the shot.
I was expecting this to be something more noirish along the lines of "Kiss Me Deadly", but it ended up being more like "G-men". Not a terribly bad thing, but I ended up giving it a lower score because of that. Really the only reason I gave this film above average score at all was because of Raft and Robinson.
Also of note is Peter van Eyck playing a variation on his evil Nazi, only this time we get the impression that he's an equally evil Commie.
This was your average crime thriller from the 50's. The big bonus was the brief scenes with Edward G. Robinson and George Raft acting together. Up until that point it was just one or the other carrying the shot.
I was expecting this to be something more noirish along the lines of "Kiss Me Deadly", but it ended up being more like "G-men". Not a terribly bad thing, but I ended up giving it a lower score because of that. Really the only reason I gave this film above average score at all was because of Raft and Robinson.
Also of note is Peter van Eyck playing a variation on his evil Nazi, only this time we get the impression that he's an equally evil Commie.
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