Reviews
Sharky's Machine (1981)
Burt Reynolds Best Movie By Far
Sharky's Machine was released in December, 1981 in order that it would qualify for Oscar consideration that year. Timing is everything and the reason perhaps this classic has never received the recognition it deserves. It was Christmastime in 1981 and the public didn't have the interest in seeing the graphic violence in the film. Had it been released over the summer, with the kids out of school hungry for a superb action thriller, history might have been very different. Sharky's Machine received a lukewarm reception and Reynolds stuck to routine action formula after this, most of which are forgotten today, and rightly so. He might have had Clint Eastwood's career under different circumstances and we would have a wealth of material from Reynolds to remember today.
Based on William Dehl's gritty novel, Reynolds' plays an Atlanta undercover narcotics cop who's drug bust goes violently sideways in the opening scene. As a result, he is demoted to Vice, a place where good cops go to buy time until retirement with little of importance to do. We are introduced to a small rag tag group of cops supposedly past their prime, arresting cross dressers and street hookers in a the basement of police headquarters. Eventually, Sharky and his "Machine" stumble across a big time international crime syndicate with links to a gubernatorial candidate and the police department itself. When a cop and hooker are brutally murdered while in bed doing lines of cocaine together, instead of turning the case over the homicide, they wiretap the home of Dominoe played by Rachel Ward and Sharky conducts 24 hour surveillance. The scenes of Sharky growing fonder of Dominoe are done with taste and authenticity. The sex scenes are suggested as not to overpower the emotional balance Reynolds seeks to achieve.
Rachel Ward is stunning as Dominoe the call girl at the center of a dangerous racket. In lesser films, The Hero Gets the Girl storylines are thrown in like obligatory window dressing but it's much more complex here. The emotional connection to the developing love story draws the audience in. We see the nuance in each character...Dominoe the call girl who is also a dancer with a somewhat childlike essence (we later find out why)...Sharky is a tough guy who still needs to be loved. He is a guardian of innocence.
The supporting cast are top notch, Charles Durning is the lieutenant who spends a lot of time yelling to assert authority but also to remind everyone not to get to involved with anything important because he has 2 years left until retirement. Brian Keith, Bernie Casey and Richard Libertini are all gems who mix tough guy persona with humor and humanity. Burt Reynolds celebrates old school masculinity, the good, the bad and the ugly but most of all reminds us of the scruffy underdogs who cannot be bought, who get the bad guys in the end, (sometimes at a terrible cost) and take back their cities.
Henry Silva is just remarkable as a drug addicted hit man, one of the scariest killers in cinema history. The city of Atlanta is the backdrop as is the classy, unforgettable jazz score which includes Randy Crawford, Doc Severinsen, Sarah Vaughn and Joe Williams. I have the soundtrack downloaded on my phone to this day.
1981 was the year the Academy fell over themselves to honor Warren Beatty's long, boring, emotionally vacant ode to communism, Reds, yet overlooked Burt Reynolds because of his reputation as a gruff barbarian dope who was a superstar amongst the stinky unwashed. What a disservice to a great film, it's just fabulous.
The Constant Gardener (2005)
Romantic Thriller Soured with an Overly Political Message & Poor Visual Technique
The filmmakers clearly wanted to make a PBS documentary disguised as a romantic thriller. Its not the fault of the actors, I've loved Ralph Fiennes since The English Patient and Rachel Weisz is terrific. However dropping the 2 leads into a Lecture on Poor Abused Africans and Evil Big Pharma soured a story with a lot of promise. I'm reading the book right now and it puts a lot of meat to the bones of a superficial presentation here.
Justin Quayle is a mild mannered diplomat and avid gardener. One day while giving a lecture to a disinterested audience, Tessa jumps up and shouts her disapproval at Justin over the U. K. involvement in the Iraq War. Smitten with her passion and commitment, he falls in love with her. It's a scenario you can buy into: he is passive and steady, tending to his garden diligently with patience and care. She is a passionate radical, a vocal advocate for left wing causes. He likes her passion...he makes her feel safe. It makes sense.
Tessa and her African guide are murdered early on and grief stricken Justin begins to uncover a sinister and far reaching Big Pharma plot involving using Africans as guinea pigs for research of a new TB drug that can cause severe side effects. It would cost millions of dollars and years of research to start over with a new drug. The conspiracy goes all the way to the top of the U. K government and the diplomatic office where Justin works. There is paranoia as we don't know who is involved...could it be Justin's colleagues? Another interesting plot device is the suggestion in the beginning of the film that Tessa is cheating on Justin. Later as Justin picks up where Tessa left off, uncovering the sinister plot we learn just how deep her love for Justin was. It's all a great framework.
Unfortunately, the story is told in flashback which for some reason desensitizes the viewer to any sense of real attachment to the world of the characters. By the end of the film I just don't care if Justin allows himself to be found by the bounty hunters and killed so he can be with Tessa in the afterlife and at this point I should care deeply. I was devestated at the end of The English Patient. Technique and and overly political message...the filmmakers couldnt wait to take a shot at Big Pharma, the Iraq War, the Bush administration, White Colonialism and Her Majesty's Government and it cheats of us out a real experience with the characters. Even the gardening metaphor which I can relate to as a gardener myself gets lost in The Social Justice Message.
Final judgement: It's OK, it held my attention, and I love the lead actors. Some interesting plot twists but read the book it's much more rewarding.
Missing (1982)
Forgotten Political Thriller More Timely Than Ever
Although never mentioned in the film, the story takes place during and in the immediate aftermath of the military coup of Salvador Allende in Chile in 1973. American journalist and filmmaker Charles Horman disappears while discovering possible U. S. involvement in the military takeover of the country.
Charles' father, Ed Horman (Jack Lemmon) a conservative businessman from New York arrives in the country to begin a frantic search for his missing son only to be given lip service by the U. S. ambassador and consulate. To complicate matters, Ed and Charles' wife Beth (Sissy Spacek) are on opposite ends of the political spectrum with Beth being the unicorn hippie and Ed harboring resentment towards her lifestyle and worldview. There is a lot of prickly back and forth between Ed and Beth that drives a lot of the emotional connection to the story. I found that I was on Ed's side a lot of the way, identifying with his sense of frustration and anger but at the same time sympathizing with Beth's anguished plight. Ultimately, the 2 draw closer and reach a mutual understanding by the film's tragic conclusion.
There are chilling visual metaphors in the film...the beautiful white horse being chased and shot at by the military symbolizing the boot of the government crushing the natural order...the makeshift morgue with countless bodies...the constant ring of gunfire interrupting attempts at resuming normalcy...the (most likely) fictionalized scene of the U. S. official walking in on Spacek taking a bath...a brazen and arrogant violation of autonomy echoing the brutal nature of the coup...the eerie paranoia of government officials that on the surface are there to protect American citizens but may not only be complicit in the cover up, may have participated in the disappearance. Ed is ultimately told from a source at the Ford Foundation that his son was executed and buried in a wall in the stadium where mass arrests have taken place. One of the many agonizing moments of the film is not only when Ed learns his son is dead but his government, who has trust and faith in, has lied to and betrayed him.
There are many parallels that resonate 40 years later. I felt extreme anger and kinship with Charles' father and wife. Missing was a rare movie for it's time as it triggered the deep state. A 150M lawsuit was filed by the former U. S. Ambassador to Chile (who is not portrayed favorably in the film) but later dismissed also caused the film to be removed from distribution for many years. The director, Costa-Gavras, was accused of being anti-American which is laughable put into context of today.
The movie is unforgettable, if you can find it, and I had to watch it on my phone, it's definitely worth while.
JFK: Destiny Betrayed (2021)
Disappointing
I was optimistic about this miniseries but unfortunately its mostly a let down. Episode one starts out interestingly enough with the untold story of Dag Hammerskold's plane crash and various other nefarious activities of the CIA. It then goes into minutiae of released documents that for the most part don't go anywhere. The dots aren't connected. Too much time is spent on Kennedy's foreign policy by Hollywood lefties. I wanted focus on the Deep State and how a president isn't really in charge of the executive branch to this day. The Assassination and Mrs Paine is much better option on the subject, also available on Amazon.
The Assassination & Mrs. Paine (2022)
The Greatest Trick the Devil Ever Played
The story of Ruth and Michael Paine, a couple who befriended and took in Lee and Marina Oswald in the months leading up to the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963. On the surface, they are a charitable, religious couple; Ruth a Quaker, Michael a Unitarian. But there is way more to this couple than meets the eye.
The Paines move from the East coast to the working class neighborhood of Irving, TX a suburb of Dallas because of Michael's job with Bell Helicopter. At some point they separate and Michael moves out. Ruth is lonely and out of her element and
eventually meets Marina Oswald at the home of George de Mohrenschildt, a white russian anti communist and CIA informant. After this brief introduction, Ruth decides to open her home to Marina. The summer before the assassination, Ruth drives Marina, her children and all her worldly belongings from New Orleans to Dallas out of the goodness of her heart. After the assassination, Ruth discovers Lee Harvey Oswald had been hiding a gun in her tiny garage as well as various other letters and damning evidence given to the Warren Commission. Ruth's testimony is instrumental in painting Oswald as a lone nut who wanted attention, glory and credit for killing the most powerful man in the world. She is asked more questions (5,000 to be exact) than any other witness before the commission. (It's curious, however, that Oswald didn't seem to want any credit and publicly insisted he was a patsy before being gunned down by Jack Ruby 2 days later.)
The problem with the Paines is that there are too many head spinning coincidences to be believable. Such as:
The Paines come from wealthy, elite, east coast families. Ruth Paine's lineage dates back to the Mayflower. Michael Paine is a member of the Forbes family. His mother was very close friends with a woman named Mary Bancroft. Bancroft is the mistress of, wait for it, ALLEN DULLES. Yes, THAT ALLEN DULLES. The Director of the CIA who Jack Kennedy fired after the Bay of Pigs fiasco. The ALLEN DULLES who was the central figure in the Warren Commission (Deep State, anyone?) The Paines, even though they were separated, vacationed together in the summer of 1963 on Naushon Island, a private retreat off Martha's Vineyard owned by the Forbes family for 150 years. The same summer that Ruth drove all the way back to New Orleans to pick up Marina, then back to Irving. All happening 2 months before the killing of the President.
Michael Paine's step father was the designer of the Huey, a helicopter that became an icon of the Vietnam War which made a fortune during that war.
Ruth's sister worked for the CIA along with her father who worked for USAID, a known CIA front. (Members of congress are today trying to reign in USAID) Her father was also under consideration for covert operations in Vietnam in 1957.
Ruth got Lee Harvey Oswald the job at the School Book Depository and was hired without a background check even though he had been a Soviet defector at the height of the Cold War (the Cuban Missile Crisis had taken place the year before) Ruth also failed to inform Oswald of another job offer that paid significantly higher than the one at the book depository.
Michael Paine got a security clearance for classified work at Bell Helicopter despite his father being a Trotskyite. (This was at a time of McCarthy blacklisting for suspected leftist affiliations)
Despite being a known defector, Ruth meets the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, Marina, at the home of a white russian anti-communist (and known CIA informant)
Ruth claims her family is staunchly anti communist yet attends meetings of famed socialist Norman Thomas with her father?
Despite coming from families of vast wealth and power, the Paines live in a tiny ranch house in a working class suburb of Dallas. (And although not included in the documentary some internet sleuths claim the Paines owned other much larger houses but never took in charity cases like Marina, the wife of a Russian defector. The sleuths claim the Paines did not open their doors to the neighbors and were actually quite snobby to others not of their social station.)
It's simply implausible that so many coincidences exist around the Paines to be explained away by naivete and misplaced trust. It would make sense the CIA recruited families and friends from the same circle of elites rather than unknowns in the outside world. People with the same worldview and sense of entitlement. The blue bloods were probably greatly threatened by not only Kennedy's radical foreign policy departure but by his power itself. An Irish Catholic only a few generations removed from the potato famine was a far cry from the Brahmins. We'll probably never know exactly what role the Paines played in the assassination but they certainly weren't the heartwarming do gooders they've been portrayed as for almost 60 years. In all likelihood they were CIA babysitters and disinformation agents.
An excellent documentary and a must see for all patriots! What's past is prologue.
Violets Are Blue... (1986)
A Touching and Memorable Story About Longing for the Past
I'm not a huge fan of romance movies in general but when in the mood I usually go back and watch the ones that touched me. I remember seeing this film when in first came out in 1985, around the time of my high school graduation. It's stayed with me all these years. If nothing else, you'll have a hankering to visit Ocean City, Maryland on a warm summer day. I visited the town over 30 years after this movie was released and it was one of the first things I thought of!
In the opening scene we're introduced to Augusta "Gussie" Sawyer (Sissy Spacek) and Henry Squires (Kevin Kline), young lovers on the eve of their high school graduation and the start of their adult lives. Both have dreams of leaving their hometown and setting the world on fire in their respective careers. (he in journalism, she in photography) Fast forward 13 years. Gussie has achieved her dream...she is a successful photographer, a celebrity in the town she was dying to escape from. Returning home for the first real vacation in years, she by chance runs into Henry, who's now married with a son. They soon realize nothing's changed and they are still in love, sharing stolen moments desperately trying to find a way to bring back the past.
The remainder of the film is a bittersweet story of lost love and leaves the viewer torn. Henry's wife, Ruth, is a wonderful woman, (played by Bonnie Bedelia, bringing a depth and dimension to the character that only a skilled actress could manage) a lady content with her life in the "small" coastal town in a house decorated with artifacts from rummage sales and making French toast for her "men." Ruth knows that a part of Henry has always wanted bigger things than running a small town newspaper while she's happy with life as it is. It's left unspoken as they raise their son but it's always there. Now the past has returned and a choice must be made that will be irreversible one way or the other.
The movie is more than just a simple romantic story of lost love and "the one that got away" but is a metaphor itself. The wistful longing for warm summer days in a beautiful coastal town, knowing the season is short and will soon be gone. The "old timers" who live in the town year round that give it a sentimental feeling of a vanishing age. The old, time worn houses that are past their prime. Childhood memories of amusement parks and the fun that goes by far too fast. Returning home to aging parents (John Kellogg is moving as Gussie's gruff but warm hearted father) who offer wisdom and unconditional love. It all gives it a feeling of a wonderful time that's short and fleeting but where the memories will last forever.
I'll watch any genre; war, western, horror, dystopian science fiction, true crime and usually romance is my bottom pick, but I highly recommend Violets are Blue, even if you watch it just once. Sorry it seems to be forgotten these days, it certainly doesn't deserve to be.
This Property Is Condemned (1966)
Tennessee Williams, Natalie Wood and a haunting Southern Gothic drama
Set in a small depression era town in rural Mississippi, This Property Is Condemned tells the story of a single mother with 2 daughters operating a run down boarding house at the side of the railroad tracks. The railroad is the major employer of the town...most of the men work for the railroad in one capacity or another. The mother, Hazel Starr (Kate Reid) is cold, calculating and self centered, caring little for her daughters' emotional well being. The daughters Alva (Natalie Wood) and Willie (Mary Badham) are more or less pawns in Hazel's quest for economic survival. A particular burden is placed on the beautiful, sexy Alva who is expected to be the 'star attraction' in the boarding house. She is flirtatious with the male boarders and (while under the Hays code of the 60s) is strongly suggested that Alva trades sexual favors with the men for gifts and occupancy at the boarding house.
Enter Owen Legate (Robert Redford), the handsome young stranger, new to the boardinghouse. Unbeknownst to the Starr women, he is there from the railroad to give out pink slips to a large number of railroad workers, includiing fellow boarders. Alva is immediately drawn to him as she dreams of getting out of her dying Mississippi town and life of misery selling her body to keep her mother's head above water. Redford is both repulsed and bewitched by the seductive beauty Alva. Eventually Alva learns of Legate's reason for being in town but still sees him as possibly her only way out. He hands out the pink slips and the town is devestated (the railroad workers beat Redford to an inch of his life in one harrowing scene) Owen leaves for New Orleans but not before confronting Alva on the disgusting folly of her life.
Once most of her railroad borders are fired and can no longer stay at the boardinghouse, Hazel sets up a "business opportunity" for Alva to move to Memphis, selling off the dying boardinghouse to a wealthy older man who's wife is an invalid and is looking for "companionship" from Alva. After pressuring Alva into the faustian bargain with the older man and laying a heavy guilt trip on her, Alva, the elderly suitor, Hazel and the town bully (Charles Bronson) go out for a night of heavy drinking. After drunkenly eloping with the bully to spite her mother, she runs away to New Orleans and meets up Owen. The two have an illicit but ill fated rendezvous.
This is one of my favorite Natalie Wood movies although it deserved a much better conclusion. I'm a sucker for Tennessee Williams and this one delivers although it leaves you slightly unsatisfied. The cast is solid, especially Kate Reid (who was only 8 years older than Natalie Wood at the time). She gives a memorable performance as the loathsome, selfish mother Hazel, forcing her older daughter into an unspeakable choice and ultimately abandoning her younger daughter to save herself. But the star of the show is Natalie Wood. Putting into context what we know now of Natalie's life story, her portrayal of Alva Starr is mesmerizing. A ghostly pall hangs over the entire film, with a sense of impending doom thats heartbreaking. There will be no happy endings here, for This Property is Condemned. The town is wiped out, lives are scattered to the four winds and all that's left are dilapidated buildings and a young girl wearing raggedy clothes and eating out of garbage cans. I go back and watch this one once a year. Despite it's flaws its a moving tragedy that does what movies are supposed to do...make you feel.
United 93 (2006)
Gripping Historical Record Despite Overly Sympathetic Portrayal of the Terrorists
United 93 is a gripping historical drama that's both engrossing and horrifying but unfortunately, disconnected from any central characters except for the terrorists. Right from the beginning, we are introduced to the world of the terrorists and they are presented in a sympathetic light. The crosstalk throughout the film doesn't allow us to really learn about any of the victims. We don't have an emotional connection to them until the final 15 minutes of the film which are the most devestating moments ever captured in movie history, in my opinion.
I was 4 blocks away from the WTC on 9/11/01 so this hits home especially so for me. I saw how leadership organically happens in life or death situations. I was sitting on a bus from Staten Island heading to my job in lower Manhattan that day. I was in the Bklyn Battery Tunnel when the first plane hit the North Tower. The bus got out of the tunnel and a few minutes later the second plane hit the South Tower. We all got of the bus and I ran to the Brooklyn Bridge. I was walking along with thousands of people over the Bridge and was in the middle of the bridge when the first tower collapsed. I braced myself because I thought I was going to be trampled to death as thousands of people started to run. Then a guy behind me said, don't run, don't run and everybody stopped running. So I can completely understand the events on Flight 93. Some people become leaders and take the situation into their own hands. We have evidence of this by the phone calls that were made by the victims to loved ones from United 93. What we DO NOT have evidence of are the terrorists becoming weepy and emotional, displaying second thoughts and possibly regret the way the filmmakers would like us to believe. This "poetic license" by liberal Hollywood takes away from an otherwise gripping film. I hope one day in the future we can see a film that tells us more about the victims and less about the terrorists.
I'm giving this film an 8 out of 10 because it's an important historical lesson especially for younger people despite the disturbing lack of sympathy for the victims.
Raise the Titanic (1980)
Fun, popcorn entertainment
Why do people go to the movies? To be entertained for goodness sake! I don't understand why this movie gets such a bad rap! It's far from the greatest movie ever made but who cares? I have to go back 40 years to find a movie that doesn't give a woke lecture, it's just entertainment!
Raise the Titanic was made in 1980, five years BEFORE Dr. Bob Ballard made headlines around the world for discovering the wreckage of the fabled luxury liner that went down in 1912, two miles beneath the surface. Please keep that in mind when watching this movie...there was a world BEFORE we knew exactly WHERE the Titanic went down. For over 70 years, the world was not sure where the Titanic was, let alone if it went down in one piece or not. That alone is worth watching this movie for, in my opinion. Now granted, James Cameron's 1998 epic Titanic was a vastly superior film in every aspect; acting, story and technological accuracy. I'm not going to mislead you. However, this movie is a neat little time capsule that grabs you from the beginning and holds your interest to the very end.
Based on a novel by Clive Cussler, Raise the Titanic has a cold war backdrop in addition to the search for the massive ocean liner. The navy believes a rare mineral called byzanium, which can be used as a defense in nuclear war, had gone down with The Titanic. It would be in the U.S. national security interests to raise the Titanic to retrieve it. Naturally, the Soviets get wind of this and are interested in the byzanium as well. Dirk Pitt, played by Richard Jordan, is the hero who is enlisted in this impossible mission. David Selby is the scientist, Dr. Gene Seagram, who believes the rare mineral can be developed as a nuclear deterrent. Jason Robards is the Navy commander who approaches the president to seek approval to go ahead with dangerous project.
There is a love triangle with Anne Archer playing the female at the center but it's never explored to any degree. Apparently it was decided when making the film that most of the budget would be spent on special effects and that was a mistake. Im not giving it a 10 because character development would have given the movie an emotional angle that's missing. John Barry's score is rich and adds the necessary tension. Overall, if you aren't a snob and are looking for a nifty look back at the world as it was in the 70 year span before we found the storied ocean liner that went down in the gilded age, check out Raise the Titanic, it's definitely worth it.
Out of Africa (1985)
Visually Satisfying, Emotionally Flat
It took me 36 years but I finally sat down and watched Out of Africa because it was included in my Amazon prime membership. While not as bad as some reviewers have said, it was certainly not worthy of the Best Picture Oscar of 1985. (In those days, anything with Meryl Streep and a foreign accent seemed to be automatic winner.) I love historical dramas, especially historical romances but this one left me flat, however, it did make me want to visit Kenya.
Streep is Karen Blixen, a wealthy Danish woman who has been jilted by her lover. The year is 1913 and opportunities for women are limited and a woman who has been "taken" is not considered viable for marriage. She turns to the brother of her lover, Bror, and makes him a business offer. Marry her and they will run a farm together in Africa. He agrees but reneges on his end of the bargain. Instead of establishing a cattle ranch, Bror purchases a coffee plantation. Karen knows nothing about running a coffee plantation and to make matters worse, Bror has no interest in helping her with the day to day operations. He spends most of his time going out on safaris and leaving her to fend for herself. The first hour of the movie is spent on Karen and Bror developing a mutual affection and respect, if not a passionate love. It's never really explained why she would even LIKE the guy let alone develop some kind of affection for him since he wasn't even a good friend to her in the upkeep of the coffee plantation AND she didn't even want it in the first place. Worse than that, he gives her syphillis, a potentially deadly disease in the days before penicillin.
The second half of the film is focused on her relationship with Denys Finch Hatton played by Robert Redford. (It's odd that Redford doesn't even attempt a British accent and sticks with his southern California trademark) Denys is an adventurous, free spirit and not very big on commitment. He wants to live every moment to the fullest and wants to be free to jump in his plane and see another part of Africa on a moment's notice without any ties or responsibilities. Karen falls hard for Denys and their different experiences in the African wilderness make for the most spectacular (and sometimes, brutal) scenes in the movie. It was the only emotional attachment I felt during the entire 2 hours and 40 minutes, the African countryside and the animals in their native habitat. If there was some intended message about certain people and animals needing to roam free, I didn't get it. Director Sydney Pollack TELLS us what we're supposed to feel but the script doesn't deliver unfortunately.
The movie have could've gone in a lot of directions that would have given the audience the emotional connection that one wants when watching a movie, particularly a historical romance. Karen's relationship with her lover in Denmark is never introduced we are simply told that Karen has a broken heart in the opening scene and in the next breath is making a marriage offer to his brother. The woman seemed to have spent a good portion of her life with the wrong men, men who would never give her the committment she longed for...or was she really just a free spirit who didn't want the committment either? It's never really explored. The movie could have also focused on Karen's time on the coffee plantation and the hardships and struggles she endured in a wild, untamed land. Her relationship with the natives, the eventual mutual respect they come to and the respect she earns by the end of the movie by the colonial boys club all are aspects that are dangled in front of us but never connected to us in any meaningful way. The Redford romance could have been a subplot and it would saved a lot of time and been more succinct.
A far superior movie from the 80s with a female protagonist on her own in Africa was Gorillas in the Mist. In that film, we are shown the hardships the Sigourney Weaver character endures while also having a romantic entanglement mixed in the middle somewhere with a hunky Bryan Brown. Again, the romance was secondary to the overall struggles of the female character in the foreign land and the audience is given the emotional payoff. My main beef with this movie is I don't care about any of the characters. The men are all commitment phobic and self absorbed and the female main character isn't fleshed out in a way that makes me care. Director Sydney Pollack ends up giving us a glossy Hollywood epic that's visually satisfying but emotionally flat, exactly what you don't want in a big, larger than life romance.
I recommend Out of Africa for the breathtaking visual shots of Africa. Overall, the story isn't completely bad and you can sit through it once but if historical dramas/romances are your thing, I recommend Gorillas in the Mist (as I said before) and Nicholas and Alexandra (a different subject, the Russian revolution)
Breezy (1973)
Love it or hate it, the viewer feels the story
Breezy is the type of story that evokes strong emotions one way or the other. I honestly had a hard time with the age difference between the 2 leads and almost bailed half way through it. Slowly, however, we are drawn into the world of Breezy and Frank and are just a little better for it, which I think was the entire point.
William Holden plays Frank, a middle aged divorced man, hardened, cynical and who lives alone in a big, beautiful house in the hills. He's a successful real estate agent who indulges in casual relationships with women closer to his own age but is very careful not to let anyone get too close. One day as he is driving to work, he meets Breezy, a 19 year old free spirit who jumps in his car looking for a ride to nowhere in particular. The story is a deliberate slow burn. Frank, no fool, at first thinks Breezy is just another free loading hippie looking for a meal ticket. But Breezy is more than just another spaced out flower child on the side of the road but genuinely wants love. Her youthful wonderment at things like looking at the ocean over time, grows on Frank. A central moment in this surprising film is when the couple are driving and find a dog on the side of the road. Breezy demands Frank pull over and help the dog. At first glance it appears he is dead and Breezy runs away in tears but Frank realizes the dog is still alive. He picks up the dog and puts it in his car, driving away. We aren't told what happened to the dog until midway through the film and it helps defines the events for the rest of the movie.
WIlliam Holden is one of my favorite actors of all time. There is a strong sensitive performance by Kay Lenz as Breezy and skillful direction by Clint Eastwood much earlier in his career. (The love scenes, which could have ruined the story, are handled tastefully.) Roger Carmel offers an insightful supporting portrayal as Frank's middle aged buddy who bares his soul (and envy) in a few memorable scenes. Marj Dusay is moving as Frank's former lover that, in a surprising twist at the end, leads him down the path to his final decision.
A forgotten little gem definitely worth seeing.
Oliver's Story (1978)
Beautiful, uplifting sequel to Love Story
I don't know why this movie has such a low rating on IMBD. Oliver's Story is a beautiful, uplifting tale about coping with unimaginable loss. Its not Love Story nor should one expect it to be.
The story begins with Oliver (Ryan O'Neal) at Jenny's funeral, insisting on staying until the casket is lowered into the ground. It then moves ahead 18 months as Jenny's father encourages Oliver to move on with his life. At first glance it seems odd that Oliver's father in law would take him to a singles bar to try and force him to date again. However, it's through Phil we can almost envision Jenny trying to get Oliver to move on with his life.
Later on, Oliver meets a beautiful department store executive (Candice Bergen) at the same place in Central Park where he and Jenny used to go ice skating. He's carrying his skates and is crestfallen when he finds the rink drained so early in the year. At the same moment, Marcie Nash (Bergen) jogs by, giggling at him.. Again, its as if we can feel Jenny making an intervention to push a devastated Oliver into living his life again.
Much has been made by other reviewers about money and social status of the 2 love interests but thats hardly the point. Its the death of Jenny and learning how to cope that ultimately opens Oliver up to accepting who he is and making peace with it. The most touching scene in the movie isn't between Oliver and Marcie at all but when he reconciles with his father (excellently portrayed by Ray Milland).
Strong performances all around, very life affirming. Sorry it was so misunderstood at the time of its release, worth seeing during a pandemic, a miserable political climate and overall gloom and doom in the world.
The Competition (1980)
Interesting but hard to believe in certain spots
Classical pianists compete for stardom...sort of America's Got Talent for gifted classical musicians in the early 80s. (None of the actors actually play the piano themselves from what I read, it took months of rehearsal and training for the cast to fake it convincingly.) Richard Dreyfuss and Amy Irving are the leads who are competing for the same prize and fall in love. Intriguing questions are raised...in a cutthroat, winner take all contest can they afford to be distracted by a love affair? Is one of them leading the other on so they won't be at the top of their game? Can their new love survive if one wins and other loses? In the end, they both must decide what's more important.
From the jump, Amy Irving's Joanie is far more likeable than Dreyfuss. She's unpretentious and self deprecating even using her middle name which she says "helps her cope with a first name like Heidi". She's very gifted and devoted to her musical work but it's Dreyfuss who has the most to lose. He's 5 months away from the cut off age for the competition and then must give up a dream he's been chasing since childhood, to be a concert pianist and take a mediocre music teacher job in a public school. For Joanie, there will be next year but this is it for Paul. Is he setting her up because she is the only serious competition for the prize or is it true love?
All the supporting actors are fine, Sam Wanamaker turns in a journeyman performance as a talented but temperamental conductor. There is a sub plot about a Soviet teenager (the movie was made back in 1980 during the Cold War) who's piano teacher defects creating an international incident and forcing the competition to be delayed for a week. This is handled sloppily and just feels like filler. Ty Henderson's Michael is an interesting character that you wish were given a little more screen time to find out what his backstory is. But the real scene stealer is Lee Remick, who basically runs away with every scene she's in as Amy Irving's cold, demanding teacher who understands the rules of the game a lot better than the younger woman does. Richard Dreyfuss, on the other hand is really miscast here. He makes it almost impossible to understand why a fairy princess like Amy Irving (who even has a princess name like Heidi) would fall for a self centered jerk like him in the first place! And this is going to be really shallow to say, but Dreyfuss was way too short and physically unappealing to be believable. I know back in the 70s Hollywood was shifting their ideas of sex appeal to more cerebral types like Dustin Hoffman and Woody Allen but I just don't get it.
All in all, an interesting little love story with plot holes that may be difficult for some to believe. Wonderful classical music and a great love theme at the end by Randy Crawford that I've since downloaded to my phone.
The Right Stuff (1983)
It takes a special kind of man to volunteer for a suicide mission
This is more than just an 80s movie, it's a historical drama for the ages. Should be required viewing for all middle school/high school students. The space race was not only which super power would reach the moon first...it was about the future of humanity. JFK articulated the essence when he said "who will plant the first flag on the moon; will it be a flag of peace and freedom or will it be a flag of hostile conquest." It's very easy for viewers from the safety of time and their keyboards to forget this. During the height of the Cold War, in the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the mission of the Mercury 7 meant the ultimate psychological victory. We did it, our guys did it, and it created a sense of national pride that doesn't exist anymore. It was an AMERICAN achievement, and a gift to mankind based on OUR values.
The movie is a love letter to the spirit of the test pilots, starting with the mighty Chuck Yeager who actually has a very brief cameo, if you blink you will miss it. In an early scene at Edwards Air Force base Jeff Goldblum and Harry Shearer are bad mouthing Yeager because he wasn't a college graduate. The real life Yeager appears as a goofy waiter so quickly it's both startling and heartbreaking. Ive read that he has had to overcome his share of misconceptions a "West Virginia hick"...this cameo seems to poke fun at that. Sam Shepard is flawless as Yeager, I've never seen him better as is Barbara Hershey as his adventerous and devoted wife. The images are all woven intricately together...the run down watering hole in the middle of the dessert, the infamous "wall of death", photos of all the test pilots that died trying to push the envelope, the black clad, somber looking undertaker on standby. The wives who live in fear and dread knowing that every trip up could be their huband's last...the young wife clutching her child watching as the messenger of death walks up to the door. All leading up to that spectacular moment when Yeager breaks the sound barrier in 1947. THIS is what it's about, the technology is astonishing but this is and always will be, a HUMAN story.
The cast are all top notch, especially Ed Harris as clean Marine John Glenn, Veronica Cartwright as an anguished and embittered Betty Grissom, Mary Jo Deschanel as a speech impaired Annie Glenn and Scott Glenn as a sometimes bawdy Alan Shepard. Everyone is in top form. The scenes of the spacecraft awaiting takeoff give a sense of almost being a living, breathing creature and add to the suspense. What it must have been like to climb into a tiny, claustrophobic tin can on top of a 16 story bomb with a good chance you might be incinerated by this gigantic beast. I noticed some negative comments about Tom Conti's score, I don't get that at all. The score is electrifying. The only reason I'm not giving it a 10 is because of the portrayal of Gus Grissom. The actor Fred Ward is excellent but as written is grossly inaccurate. Gus Grissom paved the way for the moon landing and is instead portrayed as incompetent. The film is ambiguous on his role in the loss of his space capsule upon reentry...he was ultimately exonerated in real life.
It takes a special kind of man to volunteer for a suicide mission, especially one thats on TV says Yeager, summing up the space program in his usual plain spoken brilliance. A must see.
The Last Married Couple in America (1980)
A fun look back at the 70s
A fun take on the aftermath of the sexual revolution but could have been better. Natalie Wood and George Segal are a 40ish couple who are happily married but seem to be the only ones left in their circle of friends who still are. They are under constant peer pressure from their friends to seek out extramarital affairs. Eventually Segal is seduced by Wood's friend Barbara played by a blonde Valerie Harper (cast against type from her long TV role as Rhoda Morgenstern) The supporting cast are stellar, a who's who of comedic actors of that era; Richard Benjamin, Alan Arbus, Bob Dishy and Priscilla Barnes but its the effortless chemistry between Natalie Wood and George Segal that are the backbone of the movie. Natalie's performances in her later years were far better than she's been given credit for. Her entire career were various snapshots of the mores of the times. She ultimately always made America feel good about its moral center even in her tragic roles. The sitcom feel of the whole film does it a disservice because it could have held up better over time if the script was better. Seeing this in 2020 is more like an archeological excavation digging up bones of a long lost civilization instead of a witty character study like Annie Hall or Manhattan. All and all its a worthwhile watch even just to see Natalie's last completed theatrical release.
Zodiac (2007)
How Could a Movie With So Much Going For it End Up such a Big, Fat Bore?
I can't believe how many good reviews this movie got on IMBD, maybe users don't want to appear low brow, even anonymously? I don't get it. It's got everything going for it, a great cast, very realistic set and costume designs, rousing 60s soundtrack and a chilling real life serial killer. And I struggled to get past the first hour. The murder scenes are extremely compelling and the juxtaposition between the killings and the 1969 setting very early on grabs you and then completely falls flat. The problem is the story has no focus, it doesn't know if it wants to be a riveting historical crime drama or a character study of the men obsessed with solving the case and it's neither. I was very excited to turn off the endless corona virus fear mongering on the news and watch an engrossing true crime thriller. Now its back to the Corona Virus Show!
The Verdict (1982)
Well acted if unbelievable legal melodrama
When I first saw The Verdict back in 1983 I thought it was a gripping, thought provoking legal drama with outstanding performances by Paul Newman, James Mason, Jack Warden and Milo O'Shea. Had I written a review back then, I would have given a 9. However, I was a teenager back then with a naive and inexperienced worldview. Now 36 years later, when I went back and watched it again I really see all the flaws with the film. While the performances still are the best part of the movie, Im bothered by all the plot holes.
1 - The film drags on about Newman's drinking and ambulance chasing in funeral homes. Not enough explanation is given on how he got to this place in his life, except for a couple of brief scenes. Flashbacks to his experience standing up to corruption at his previous law firm would have pulled the story together more cohesively and garnered more sympathy and emotional connection to Newman's character, Frank Galvin. We are left to pretty much draw our own conclusions about Newman's path to this state of despair.
2. Why in the world would Frank turn down an offer of 200k and not at least consult with his clients? I'm no lawyer but how is that even possible in the real world, couldn't he lose his law license over That? That would be like me selling a house and getting an offer from a buyer but turning it down without even telling them.
3 How in the hell is that judge (O'Shea) and defense lawyer so obviously chummy that Mason got to hang up his coat in the judge's closet but Newman had to hold his coat. Are judge's supposed to be that blatantly biased, the whole thing smacked of a conflict of interest but Newman never reported him, he seemed like he was on the take from the start. Perhaps this was to make the audience feel for the corruption, the David and Goliath thing our leading man was up against.
4 If the Charlotte Rampling character was a lawyer at a firm in New York, why did she have to sleep with Paul Newman and spy on him for a $1,500 check from Mason, why not just get a job somewhere. And why did Mason pay her by check anyway so it could be traced? Why did Jack Warden put the check back in her pocketbook, why the hell wouldn't you keep it as evidence of bribery?
5 The scene where Newman punches Rampling in the face to the point she fell down and was bleeding was gratuitous and excessive even back then. That's not the first time Newman used unnecessary violence against women in his movies.
6 Newman just never convinced me he was a great lawyer throughout the entire movie, if anything, Mason was a legal scholar. Either you use the law to help your client or you do something else for a living, go work in a homeless shelter. The ending was just 12 jurors decided to do the right thing even tho legally they weren't supposed to consider the surprise witness. That's great Hollywood but it doesn't make Newman the terrific lawyer who lost his way which is the premise of the whole movie.
Movies are about suspension of disbelief and a lot of viewers may feel differently when watching but this movie didnt age well, for me anyway.
Killer Legends (2014)
Disappointing Follow up to Cropsey
I loved Joshua Zeman's first documentary Cropsey even though it was frustratingly short on details and hard facts. Killer Legends was uneven and hard to follow, especially the first segment about the hookman killing a couple in a lover's lane in Texas. It got better and more focused later, especially the candyman segment but it just wasn't as good as Cropsey. Watch that instead of this one.
Cropsey (2009)
This happened in my neighborhood
I lived in the section of Staten Island where this documentary took place for 19 years. By the time Id moved there in the late 90s much had changed and I didn't know about the history of missing/murdered children. I didnt know the College of Staten Island was once the infamous Willowbrook. I didnt know that the cops tracked down Andre Rand buying baby food in the same Shop Rite I bought my son's baby food years later. And I didn't know that Jennifer's Park, the playground next to my son's school where he spent a great deal of his childhood was named after Jennifer Schweiger, the only murder victim who's body was recovered. I do know having lived there for many years and raised a child there that no murders or abductions have occurred in the area since Andre Rand went away. So for those on this board who have been speculating on a possible innocent man being convicted, I am happy to report that much to you.
My personal experience aside, the documentary does a very effective job building a darkly fascinating narrative, weaving an urban legend with the real life case of Andre Rand. Everyone likes a spooky story and the filmmakers do a terrific job keeping us spellbound by the story of the missing children in the 70s and 80s. While some of the witnesses may not have been presented as credible in the documentary I doubt we saw all the evidence the jury saw. One of the more compelling eyewitnesses was the guy who said he and a group of his friends were kidnapped by Rand when they were very young and they were let go because Rand realized he couldn't complete his mission under those circumstances he had to come up with a different method of operation. If Rand were truly railroaded by a kangaroo court he surely could have told the filmmakers or anyone else in all these years. An innocent person takes any opportunity they can get to proclaim their innocence. Rand wasn't just a poor, random homeless guy who looked different that a hysterical gang of white trash and dirty cops pinned the rap on (which is what was presented as an option by Zeman and Brancaccio) he was an orderly at Willowbrook for years during the height of the abuse and horror that was happening there in the 1960s. Some may have been left with lingering doubts, however, I was satisfied in the end, the cops, prosecutors, and jury ultimately got it right.
Ive already watched the film several times over the years and its still spine tingling. I only wish more fact based information was included instead of the merry go round of alternative theories. It leaves you wanting for more.
Logan's Run (1976)
Science Fiction Classic with Thoughtful Ideas
It's a shame that you need to go back 44 years to find a thoughtful Science Fiction film where the special effects are secondary to story and themes, but here we are. Originally when I first saw Logan's Run, it was on television after a successful theatrical release and even if edited for TV, movies on TV were a big deal for Gen X kids in the 70s. At the time, I liked the futuristic setting, being a Planet of the Apes and Twilight Zone fan growing up. However, you really need to see this as an adult to get a full appreciation for it. It's a Message Movie for sure and if that's not your cup of tea, don't bother.
In the year 2274, the world has been destroyed by wars and environmental disasters. Humanity now lives in a domed city, controlled by Computer, where all of your fantasies and desires are available to you. The only catch is, when you are 30, you have to submit to Carrousel, an event where you have a chance at Renewal, where you are reborn and live again (or so says Computer), but you will actually be killed while a crowd of onlookers cheers. It's really a totalitarian society, controlled by Computer, but everyone is conditioned into thinking that it's Utopia. There are some who refuse to submit to Carrousel and become Runners in search of Sanctuary, a mythical society on the Outside where Runners can live on past 30 and grow old. Logan is a Sandman, a type of law enforcement officer for the New Order, dictated by Computer, where he hunts down Runners and kills them if they refuse to submit to Carrousel on their 30th birthday.
After awhile, Logan is ordered by Computer to investigate Sanctuary on the Outside and has his crystal Life Clock fast forwarded 4 years. When realizing his time is up, he too becomes a Runner. His best friend, Francis, who is also a Sandman, must hunt him down along with Jessica, a fellow Runner, who wants to reach Sanctuary too. After a series of narrow escapes with various bad guys, they reach a frozen cave and meet Box, a killer robot who freezes Runners before they can get to Freedom. Again, narrowly escaping death from Box, they get Outside and see the Sun for the first time. The domed city is near the old Washington D.C., now run down and virtually destroyed by wars fought centuries ago. They meet Old Man and are stunned to see a person who is older than 30. They are enraptured by stories of his parents, long dead, that were married and the concept of a couple staying together for love and children and being remembered after death. From here, the movie has a very satisfying ending.
I'm not giving the movie 10 stars only because it could have been better with tighter editing and it drags in spots. I think Old Man should have had more depth and character development. Old Man is the moment of Logan's Truth but he's merely a one dimensional back drop. Yet aside from some problems, this movie leaves you with deep themes, Empty Consumerism, Loss of Individualism, Societal Stagnation, Truth, Love and Spiritual Revelation. Yes, the set reminds me of Epcot Center at Disney World Meets a Shopping Mall in New Jersey but that's hardly the point. What a tragedy an entire generation has been taught that if a movie doesn't have mind blowing special effects, it doesn't have anything to say.
To Die For (1995)
You're Nobody if You're Not On Television
I watched this movie again following the death of Buck Henry. I'd forgotten how good it was and even more relevant today than it was 25 years ago. Henry's adaptation was taken from a book by Joyce Maynard (which I just ordered yesterday) based on the real life case of Pamela Smart. Smart has made headlines recently because of the 30th anniversary of her trial and that of her teenage lover who she recruited to kill her husband. It was one of the first sensational murder trials that was televised...before O.J there was Pamela Smart.
The movie hammers themes bigger than a sensational murder case and is savagely funny. Vapid celebrity worship, empty values and narcissistic Me culture...Suzanne is the personification of the best and worse of the decade that was on a holiday from history, the 90s. Nicole Kidman is brilliant in her starring role as Suzanne Stone, a beautiful, plastic china doll who is ruthless in her ambition to become the next Barbara Walters. Nothing will get in her way, and God help the fool who says No to her. The story is told in flashback which gives it the correct irreverant tone. From the very beginning we see through Kidman's (who's never been more beautiful in any role since then) phony warmth, a thin veneer that most everyone sees through except for the men she used for her own ends. She wears a cheezy Miss America exterior with not much else underneath.
Kidman is surrounded by an outstanding supporting cast giving memorable performances in their own right. Matt Dillion is spot on as Suzanne's kind hearted but clueless husband who pays the ultimate price for daring to question Stone's goals. Joaquin Phoenix is zombified perfection as her sex obsessed teenage lover who is ultimately betrayed by Suzanne. Illeana Douglas is terrific as Dillion's sister who "never got the Suzanne thing." Buck Henry has a cameo as a school administrator and makes the most of his brief screen time. You really have to check this one out, although television has been replaced by social media, the cultural narcissism has only gotten worse since then.
The Running Man (1987)
This movie predicted Alexa, Reality TV and Cultural Narcissism among other things
I remember renting this movie from a neighborhood video store back in 1987 or 1988. It was one of those movies that didn't interest me enough to see it when it was out in theatres. When I first saw it I thought it was fun and entertaining but too far fetched and too much gory violence. Its scary to watch it 32 years later and see how much has closer to home it hits now. An Alexa type system turns on TV and other appliances. The world economy has collapsed (Greece and other EU nations have faced similar economic crises in recent years) there are food shortages (Venezuela, the native country of Maria Conchita Alonso have empty grocery store shelves and unrest because of mass starvation). The U.S. government and the entertainment industry work in concert to keep the populace distracted by a savage reality TV show called The Running Man. Enemies of the state have no trial by jury they are merely turned over to the ruthless, scuzzy host of the show, played by Richard Dawson. Arnold Schwarzenegger is a member of the military who is railroaded by the State into participating on the show. (Keep in mind Reality TV wasnt even a concept until almost 15 years after this movie was made.) The Running Man is the #1 show on television with people caring more about the deadly cat and mouse game with the hunted actually being brutally killed on live TV with an enthusiastic studio audience cheering it on. (A chilling reminder of the desensitization of the culture in our current age of social media.) No interest in the constitution, freedom or human rights...free board games and household gadgets given away by Dawson to the audience is a much bigger draw. The movie even predicts millennial ignorance of classic TV (Gilligan's Island, is that the one with the boat? Who's Mr. Spock?)
The movie itself isn't brilliant film making or acting but 32 years on, it's not as much fun as it used to be because its too close to reality for comfort! I strongly recommend it, especially for younger viewers.
The Twilight Zone: On Thursday We Leave for Home (1963)
I can't believe I never saw this episode!
I've been watching Twilight Zone marathons twice a year for 30 years and somehow I missed this phenomenal episode...possibly because it's from season 4 where the shows were an hour long. In any event, this is a timeless masterpiece by Rod Serling...a message show for the ages! Nevermind that the special effects are cheesy and dated! Today's youth are being taught that if there isn't wall to wall CGI is isn't worth sitting through. Have I got a lesson for them!
A group of colonists leave Earth in search of a more utopian society without war, famine, disease, etc. They land on a desolate, barren planet that has a hostile, unforgiving climate and is nearly impossible to survive on, let alone thrive. James Whitmore plays their defacto leader who shows them how to survive and keeps their morale up by telling the group of 187 men, women and children of life on Earth and impending rescue. They live under these conditions for 30 years until one day when a spaceship arrives from Earth to, at long last, take them back home. Tim O'Connor is the strong, young, good looking astronaut that comes to their rescue. At first Benteen (and I've learned that Benteen was the name of one of Custer's men) is as happy and excited about their rescue as the rest, but it quickly begins to dawn on him that his days of being the leader are over and he's no longer needed. From this point on, Captain Benteen (Whitmore has made himself a captain in his time there) becomes obnoxious and controlling, desperate to cling to his position of power.
Whitmore and O'Connor play perfectly against each other with the latter the flawless personification of freedom and individuality...strong, welcoming, desirable, with an element of risk. (there are problems with their spaceship and may have difficulties getting back with such a large group) He allows Whitmore to continue his leadership role for the final few days for the sake of social harmony. Towards the end, Benteen declares that the group cannot go back and the O'Connor character tells them to take a vote. Naturally, the outcome is unanimous.
The show is either the perfect political metaphor for totalitarian government and the corrupting influence of power on the human psyche or could simply be a tale of a meddling in law or parent who refuses to let go. It doesn't matter what your interpretation is because its ambiguity is precisely the point. Power corrupts and the need for dominance and control ultimately destroys. A must see.
Charlie's Angels: Lady Killer (1976)
Hugh O'Brian is dynamite here!
The Angels are hired by a Hugh Hefner type magazine publisher to investigate the murders of 2 of his centerfolds. Lots of nifty plot twists and turns but the main reason I love this episode is Hugh O'Brian. His portrayal of Tony Mann gives dimension and likability to an otherwise sleazy character by today's standards and besides I always had a big crush on him, sigh...RIP Hugh.
Charlie's Angels: Angels at Sea (1977)
Frank Gorshin saves a sinking ship
Frank Gorshin saves this otherwise silly episode that's full of holes. He rattles off most of the superstars of 20th century Hollywood in less than 5 minutes. (We don't have Hollywood superstars anymore, so there's no one memorable enough to mimic, I guess) Gorshin climatic scene is pure gold. The ending with the Angels disarming bombs with the help of a sweaty, humorless "bomb expert" was the precursor to the later Airplane movies. Where has our pop culture gone?