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Reviews
Dark Harbor (1998)
An intriguing small-budget film worth experiencing
Before Norman Reedus became a fan-favorite on the popular television series, 'The Walking Dead,' he was a small-time actor gathering a bit of attention through a conjunction of both mainstream and independent films - such notable titles being a small role in the tense thriller, '8MM' with Nicolas Cage, the John Hughes-penned drama, 'Reach the Rock,' and of course an early role opposite Mira Sorvino in the sci- fi thriller, 'Mimic.' But in 1998, he starred opposite Alan Rickman and Polly Walker in the rather strange, tautly-wound, independent, suspense film, 'Dark Harbor,' an eerily eccentric tale of forbidden love with only a select few characters inhibiting the screen throughout its duration.
The movie follows three characters woven into a sort of psychological array of hidden motives and blind attraction. Norman Reedus stars as a drifter who is picked up by a bickering married couple (Rickman and Walker) and finds himself getting stuck with the two on a rather isolated property in the south-eastern part of Maine. Along the way, tension grows and the shaky marriage begins to be questioned further due to the interference of the drifter.
The film features a haunting musical score by relatively unknown composer, David Mansfield, atmospheric locations, and a psychological foray into one of the darkest areas of the human mind. The film may not be one to revisit too often due to its dark nature, but it's certainly worth experiencing. I, for one, really respond to the movie's overall feel, or atmospheric tone, and relish in the director's intent to focus his story against a backdrop of moody and isolated locations for the purpose of extracting of his stars from the rest of the world. The DVD, released by Artisan Series in the U.S. and now out of print, features a commentary track by director Adam Coleman Howard which is essential listening if one enjoys this type of movie. It dives deep into the oddities on screen and assists in understanding the film's coveted structure. Check this one out, especially if you like suspenseful dramas with unconventional themes. The disc can be had for a reasonable price on the secondary market as of this writing and is worth adding to your collection - especially for you Reedus fans clamoring to see him outside his zombie-hunting escapades.
Chef (2014)
A charming, intimate picture about proving one's worth amid a competitive and changing world
I've always enjoyed writer/actor/director Jon Favreau in what seems to be his most comfortable and endearing element: small, independent films. After working on many high-profile pictures over the years, including Iron Man and its first sequel, the family-adventure film Zathura, and of course the poorly-received Cowboys & Aliens, starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, Favreau turned his attention to the more intimate comedy, Chef (2014), for which he wrote, directed and starred in himself.
The movie is a feel-good account of Carl Casper, a crafty Los Angeles-based chef who is now past his once-celebrated reputation, subtlety played for laughs and heart by Favreau. But as washed-up as Casper may first appear, he certainly hasn't lost touch with his craft, a nurtured respect that no doubt comes at the cost of having spread himself thin with his young and idolizing son, as well as an aid to his failed marriage. It also seems to have caused him a bit of bewilderment at socializing with his fans and peers in the more modern of ways, though this is often played to great comical effect. Working at a well-known, yet predictable outfit ran by his content boss, Dustin Hoffman, he yearns to re-establish himself with the critics and prove to those around him - a colorful cast of characters featuring John Leguizamo, Sofia Vergara, Robert Downey, Jr., Scarlett Johannson, and Oliver Platt - that he can still surprise his audience with something fresh.
If I were to isolate one aspect of the film I really enjoy, it's in the honesty of its flawed but likable protagonist, Carl. He is so real in fact, that in one scene he wildly confronts a naysayer in an open and populated restaurant and we, like his nemesis, simply take the punishment, almost as if we cannot possibly disagree with his emotional reaction, crude as it may be. In addition to the character's honesty, there is some real chemistry between he and the supporting acts, particularly his bandit of kitchen admirers, and a tasty theme- centric soundtrack, heavy on the Cuban and New Orleans jazz.
While there's nothing completely profound on display within the movie, there's an integrity we can't ignore, with plenty of laughs along the way. I wish Favreau did more films like this. They're seen by me as the prized jewels of his filmography, as an actor, writer and director. Currently, you can see the film on Netflix, and it's also available on DVD and Blu-ray via Universal Studios. Great movie. smile emoticon
Maniac (1980)
An eerie, effective slasher that takes its time and develops its main character very well.
Falling eyes-first into the provocatively dark poster-art for William Lustig's controversial 'Maniac,' one may suspect it's mostly jump-scares and over-the-top gore that will sustain the viewer throughout their experience, and while there are certainly elements of both woven into the picture (well-done in their executions, to the filmmakers' credit), it's the psychological nature of its voyeuristic suspense by way of its troubled antagonist that really sets this movie apart from the worn-down slasher film we have all come to expect with genre favorites such as 'Friday the 13th' and 'Halloween.' This is a story at its core that can easily permeate any one of our realities, and that, in-and-of itself, is sobering; it is only its production that we can admit to being fictitious. Along the way, we are of no mistake in recognizing how this accurate portrayal of evil is as real as any monster we are able to conjure or confront via our own imaginations, and certainly more dangerous.
Joe Spinell bravely and aptly conducts an amazing and harrowing performance as Frank Zito, a deeply-disturbed man who cannot conquer his impulses to commit murder or disconnect himself from his poisoned childhood. The character is incredulously tender as he is terrible, and Spinell brings a humanity to the performance I've rarely witnessed in these sorts of films. If director William Lustig, through atmospheric and seedy direction, brings us to the forefront of the frenzied terror of Frank's street-combing atrocities, it is Spinell's performance that reminds us that we are not experiencing a typical slasher film, but one of which is much more deeply rooted somewhere in our subconscious - a place we may feel uneasy in visiting. While certainly diseased, there's a human nature to be found in Frank Zito; he wants to stop, he knows the differences of right and wrong, only he's constantly left ill-fated, along with that of his victims, by his own damaged decisions.
This film is not an easy watch, and perhaps it's not for everyone, but if one is willing to take a close glimpse at how deeply tragic life can be on both sides of the scream, I cannot recommend 'Maniac' enough. It's creepy, it's accurate, it's almost surreal in its telling of the monsters who live among us. It's not a perfect film by any means; in fact, my main quibble is in regard to the relationship between Frank and his photographer love interest played by Caroline Munro. Their chemistry, while great, could have stood for a greater dynamic between the two as the film went along. However, it's a rather small loss in contrast to what we do get: a brilliant lead performance, spot-on direction, a terrifically aiding, musical score by synth-based composer, Jay Chattaway, fantastic special effects by the one and only, Tom Savini (Dawn of the Dead), and a resonating remembrance of just how rarely these things all come together to produce such a memorably important Horror film.
DVD and Blu-ray distributor, Blue Underground, released the film back in 2010 in a 30th Anniversary Edition, and it's a real treat, featuring commentaries, interviews with the stars, and the excellent 'The Joe Spinell Story,' documenting the late-actor's life and times. It's a must-own for any fan of the genre, or those of us who just love great films despite the labels attached to it.
Citizen Kane (1941)
One of the greatest films of all time - beautifully shot and directed
Many critics and fans alike regard Citizen Kane as the greatest film of all time, and it's easy to see how that endearing reputation has befitted its audacious production for so many decades. In experiencing the film on Blu-ray (the 70th Anniversary Edition, to be exact), the film holds up magnificently well through the innovative and distinctive structure, make-up/visual effects, and lighting employed by Orson and his team all those years ago.
Citizen Kane, of course, was the directorial debut of Orson Welles, whose booming and authoritative voice had made a him career in radio after co-founding the Mercury Theatre with John Houseman in 1937. By 1938, they created the Mercury Theatre on Air which would showcase their famous reading of the H.G. Wells classic, 'War of the Worlds,' a prank many took serious upon first hearing. Eventually, RKO Radio Pictures would grant Welles total freedom to make any picture he wanted; needless to say, Citizen Kane was born and became the darling it now is with both critics and fans around the world. While the picture did lose RKO money initially, the financial loss says nothing of its considerable contribution to cinema.
The film is known for its incredibly poetic composition, deep focus, and nonlinear storytelling, which I must say, allows revisiting the picture to be a much more pleasurable experience since one is always trying to dissect all these wonderfully visual elements. Much of this credit should go to cinematographer Gregg Toland, whose use of 'deep focus,' a terrific technique whereby the back and foregrounds are equally in focus, became essential in giving Citizen Kane its unique and often-times deceptive appearance. Toland of course won the Academy Award for cinematography for William Wyler's 'Wuthering Heights' the year prior, and would subsequently assist Welles in making a picture that allowed the audience themselves to decide the importance of what was on screen without obvious dictation from the director or crew. So many of these incredible shots allow for plenty of clever effects and underlining of character foreshadowing as the story moves along.
The acting is also a remarkable standout, in particular Joseph Cotton and Agnes Moorehead, both of whom were friends with Welles from his Mercury Theatre on the Air radio crew, as were most of the actors in the film, in fact. The latter however - the stunningly enigmatic Agnes Moorehead - is my favorite performance of the entire picture. There's such a restraint and composure to her character that goes unmatched by anyone else. Sadly, she has less screen time than her co-stars, but this of course makes her no less effective in my view. Her performance is so boldly pronounced that she alone is responsible for quickly hooking the audience into the story of young Charles Foster Kane; we cannot help but want to learn of what happens to this young man through seeing his mother portrayed so fearlessly in such an important context of the movie. Bernard Herrmann's music is also a grand addition to the picture, loaning its duties to all sorts of emotions - drama, comedy, suspense; he even supplies an original aria for one of Kane's opera- singing mistresses. It's a fantastic, widespread composition for which brings a lot of weight to Welles' vision. The Blu-ray of course is great and features the stunning, Academy Award-nominated documentary, The Battle for Citizen Kane, along with commentaries and other features. It's definitely worth upgrading from the DVD and I urge anyone who has yet to see this film to purchase it immediately.
Citizen Kane is a fine example of how motion pictures can establish themselves as true art and what young filmmakers should focus on as an influence over their own productions. Let us not forget those who laid these tracks before us; they surely lead back to some magnificent places, don't they?