Films I Watched - October, 2004
Submitted by lbangs on Mon, 10/04/2004 - 02:18
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- 10/31 - Dressed to Kill - ****Spoiler: Highlight to viewHow does a critic handle Dressed to Kill, a film which is obviously a blatant Psycho rip-off? It is a tough call. Every scene seems to scream Hitchcock (and not just Psycho; but also Vertigo, Rear Window, and others), and yet every obvious influence is refined with such impressive skill to such terrific effect that it is impossible to deny that this is one fantastic thriller. Almost embarrassingly cinematic, this careful suspense flick manipulates with ease, providing shocks, creeps, and frights at every appropriate turn. Few directors have ever been displayed such naked skill, even if that direction wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Ultimately, I surrender. De Palma may not be the most creative, original artist, but damn it, he is one killer director, and that mastery is dripping off of every frame of this film. This is one bold, startling film, and no amount of obvious bloodlines can dilute its power.
- 10/31 - The Howling - Time has been very unkind to this film. Sure, the transformation scenes are still somewhat impressive, but the tone is a lost cause, veering towards gags one too many times when it should be scary. The themes are a bit obvious and banal, with little of the sublime subtlety John Sayles would deliver in his future screenplays. Marsha is a fetishist’s dream, and it is still fun to watch Slim Pickens and the parade of cameos, but The Howling is more of a curiosity piece than a satisfying film. **
- 10/29 - The Big Heat - Critics can yammer on all they wish, but the plain fact is that any list of the cinema’s greatest directors that does not include Fritz Lang is not worth using to line your canary cage. Over twenty-five years after his stunning Metropolis, Lang delivers a hardcore, brutal film noir loaded with paranoia, revenge, and body blows beneath the rib cage. Glenn Ford, Gloria Grahame, and Lee Marvin all seem form-fitted to these grimy roles in this gritty world, and at least two scenes still pack a surprising wallop even today. The mise-en-scene is glorious, each set perfectly capturing a world often contrasting dramatically with the ones before while never being over-showy or attention baiting. The shadows are delicious, and the narrative moves at a sure pace loaded with some surprising tone shifts. Surely, this is one of the best film noirs ever. ****
- 10/25 - Orpheus - Occasionally, a film simply throws me for a loop. This is neither an normal experience nor one that happens very often at all, but the intrigue is quite delightful when I do run into a mysterious film. I first watched Orpheus in my lone film appreciation class, back in 1991, and I remember images overwhelming me while the highly symbolic plotline left me a bit cold. Thirteen years on, and Orpheus is still a strange beast. The film opens hip European chic and ends oddly sentimental and romantic. The story is more a struggle of allegorical archetypes than a narrative of real people, and even hours of thought have not convinced me that I still understand everything Cocteau is trying to say here. Those images, however, still drift through my mind, and I find certain scene incredibly moving even when I am at a loss to explain why they are so effective. The toughest task good critics takes on is analyzing a film they are not entirely sure they fully comprehend. Orpheus is confounding, but it is also haunting. That’s a rare, potent combination, and if it massages the subconscious more than it justifies itself to the conscious mind, then I admire the achievement. *** 1/2
- 10/21 - Variety - Shakespeare will tell you that it is not the originality of the story that matters as much as how you tell the tale. Variety, arriving in arguably the crest of the silent film era, must spin its story using mostly visual means, and Ewald Andre Dupont and Karl W. Freund tear into the narrative. Using a killer cast that delivers some of the most naturalistic yet intense performances of the dialogue-free times, the two masters use a standard storyline to create startling effects. Perhaps if Emil Jannings could shed his German accent (and his support of Nazi Germany), he would carry the respect for his talent the Best Actor Oscar (the first ever) crowned. This film, The Last Laugh, and The Blue Angel prove he may well have been the greatest dramatic screen actor of his time. Lya de Putti shapes a sensuous portrayal that the camera lubricates to saturation, and Warwick Ward is the epitome of amoral aristocracy. The view swings throughout the scenes, capturing each nuance and highlighting each emotional state. Few films have achieved such an amazing partnership between cast and camera, each underlining the quirks that make these characters live. In this edited American version (the only version I could find), Variety zips by at a blazing pace, yet it never leaves an important element lacking the appropriate emphasis. Did I mention this all centers around a love triangle made up of trapeze artists? Variety is one of the greatest silent films; it may no longer be in the spotlight, but it stands proud with The Battleship Potemkin, Napoleon, Metropolis, and The Passion of Joan of Arc as one of the finest films of the 20s, surely the most under-rated decade in film history. Now if only this would arrive on DVD, preferably with both the American and the original cuts… ****
- 10/17 - Super Size Me - Spurlock has obviously swallowed his Michael Moore before he attacked his Big Macs. This film plays like an expanded short from Moore’s TV Nation. It is funny, informative, and a bit slight. Fast food is an easy target, and besides his self-induced personal trauma, Spurlock brings very little new here to the table. Still, his strange self-promotion / -torture is an interesting hook to build his agitfilm around, and he does present some tried and true information in an intriguing matter. Many certainly over-rate the most recent deluge of documentaries making the rounds of the college and art circuits over the last two years, but at least these films are for the most part entertaining, informative, and well worth an hour and half of one’s time. ***
- 10/16 - Lawrence of Arabia - Rarely has a character study wearing the mask of an epic adventure left so much mystery swallowing up its main protagonist. In his first major role, Peter O’Toole did the impossible. He created a man with a unity and a steadfast, defining purpose that is utterly believable as a coherent character on the screen while also taunting the audience with the reality that it will never understand him, despite his broad strokes and his exposure to publicity. Like Welles’ Citizen Kane, Lawrence is somebody the viewer grows to know, but never entirely figures out. Sure, much about the man is fathomable; from the way David Lean lenses that vast, scorching desert, any person can grasp at the madness waiting for a dweller of those sands. The scenes of high adventure are certainly addictive, and many scenes provide glimpses into how the mind of O’Toole’s character must work. It, however, is a slippery trick. Also like Welles’ masterpiece, this puzzle always promises to complete itself, also starts to make sense for the first hour or so. The viewer is always just so close to seeing the big picture, believing that this viewing will at last grant a glance at the grand view, but ultimately, the main character escapes examination. Each viewing may frustrate one a bit more, but it also convinces one at least that much more of its brilliance and its fair claim at being one of the greatest films in history. ****
- 10/14 - Star Wars - George Lucas was once an excellent producer and storywriter, but as a director, he was limited at best. At his brightest, he is a top-drawer collaborator, bonding disparate talents into a working artistic mass. At his dimmest, he is an artistic egomaniac, sure of his own muse and unaware of his own flaws. Decades down the line, Star Wars is still grand entertainment, but it is not the invincible cinematic juggernaut my generation worshiped as children. It didn’t need to be perfect; it was a popcorn flick, aiming for gasps and awes. Lucas may claim Kurosawa as a major influence, but he knew he was not working in the same realm. He wanted to tell a story, while Kurosawa was painting masterpieces. The great news is that this film is still a breathtaking ride. Seeing the new CGI effects clash and contrast against the original wonders highlights just how good those original sights really were. They were dusty and grimy, and they leapt to life in a real world, not a Tron-like computer fantasia. That was vital, since the narrative demanded accepting Luke as a real farm boy in a deserted world far removed from adventure. Beyond the laser swords and explosions, Luke’s story, his escape from mundane existence to a fate determining the future of an entire galaxy, is what grabbed the children that fell in love with this film. Luckily, even Lucas’ inane tinkering has not scrubbed that story away, because Star Wars is not science fiction. It is a fairy tale, and any fairy tale that shows the fairy but forgets the tale is merely a soulless carnival sideshow.
- The long-awaited DVD is decent, but I could not escape many problems most reviewers do not mention. Beyond any issues in characterization (which are really fairly minor), Greedo’s shot is simply lousy. Han’s meeting with Jabba plays like the added outtake it is; it serves little purpose, and the manipulation of Harrison over the tail looks laughably silly. The CGI scenes on Tatooine are conspicuous anachronisms, but the touch-ups to the space battles are fantastic. Most problematic is the disc’s sound. As the commentary relates, Ben Burtt took great care to give the sonics of the film a real world quality. He recorded in rooms with care for acoustic atmosphere. The DVD too often sounds sterile and processed, especially any time Carrie Fisher speaks. Those of us who pay attention to this sort of thing know exactly what the offending element is, and so I was not surprised to see the Cedar hiss reduction credit at the end. The process removes hiss by stripping away certain frequencies at which the distortion tends to occur. Unfortunately, it cannot do this without stripping away much of the audio information, particularly ambience and atmosphere, with the hiss. In other words, it is a restoration method which negates much of the incredible work Burtt created. Using Cedar was a horrible decision, one of several flubs Lucas’ revisionism has unleashed on the film. On the bright side, the visual restoration is incredible; save for the new visuals, Star Wars looks terrific. For all the buildup and hype to this DVD release, I was surprised that many of the deleted scenes shot were not included as bonuses. Overall, the DVD is fine, but it is not as good as I believed it would be.
- I would love to see a Criterion original version of this film.
- Film: *** 1/2 DVD: ***
- 10/13 - Office Space - Remember those 80s teen comedies? A few were worth a viewing, but most were dismal, clichéd affairs. Still, they played to an audience in high school, and those kids related enough to the situations that many films in the genre became over-rated cult classics. That generation is older today, and most of those teen flicks are now merely nostalgia markers. The fans moved into the workplace, and now they make up a sizable chunk of Office Space’s core cult. It is too bad that this film is about as good as the average John Hughes knock off, because this is a rich field begging for exploitation. Like in those teen films, a plot is clumsily shoved into the movie, and it manages to be quite out of place and entirely too predictable at the same time. I could forgive this easily if it was only a skeleton with great humor to flesh it out. However, like many of those older films, Office Space is simply about a third as funny as it ought to be, telegraphing most of its uninspired gags and lacking in much real office satire. Even the great Stephen Root is more strange than amusing, and only the underemployed Gary Cole earns a real laugh. I know this film is quickly ascending to a status near cult classic, and I fully acknowledge that large cult is growing. It is only the classic part of that term I quibble over. Office Space is surely one of the most disappointing esteemed comedies of the 90s. * 1/2
- 10/12 - Bulworth - Watching Bulworth a second time really does very little to my opinion of the film. It is a very interesting idea only occasionally realized on the screen, and while there are glimpses of a masterpiece hiding in the political satire, somehow the greatness just does not shine through. It is a joy to see a gutsy film emerge from Hollywood, one that even bites its own feeder’s hand, but on a dramatic level, Bulworth is just a bit off. The idea of a rapping Beatty is intriguing, but the reality is not quite successful. Still, this does make me long for the pre-Oscar days in Halle Berry’s career, before the silly search for a goldmine franchise steered her career into a dead-end cul-de-sac, and the political heart on the film’s sleeve is a refreshing, if sometimes naïve, change from the usual film. Still, one cannot help wishing the great film trapped in here found its way to the surface. ** 1/2
- 10/11 - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - With a second viewing, Eternal Sunshine really reveals its strengths. The cast is superb, from Jim Carrey's best-yet performance, Winslet and Wilkinson's usual terrific job, and even Kirsten Dunst's fine turn. The soundscape is as effective and creative as the audio from a David Lynch film, the visual motifs are unusual and perfectly fitted to the material, and Kaufman manages to wrap his usual narrative twists and turns around a thought-provoking, moving story. I fear this year's Oscars may take away much of the good will generated by last year's awards; 2004 already has my vote for the two best films of the decade (this and Before Sunset), and chances are good both will get the shaft come ceremony night. It is the academy's loss, since both films are absolute masterpieces. ****
- 10/10 - Casablanca - The Circle Theater, an incredibly cool art house theater here in Tulsa, is now showing revivals as Sunday matinees, and they started with this classic. On the huge screen, this is simply even better. The café is bubbling with life, the shadows shimmer sable, and Bogart and Bergman are every bit as huge as they ought to be. This is one of the few acclaimed films that never seems to show up on over-rated lists; its dark, doomed romantic vision has a dangerous universality to it that transcends the inaccessibility many find classics to exude. Next week, the Circle is showing Lawrence of Arabia, and you can bet I am already saving my pennies. ****
- 10/09 - Shaun of the Dead - In the grand tradition of Tremors and Re-Animator, Shaun is a terrifically fun horror comedy. Er, make that a horror *romantic* comedy, one that unlike most attempt at scary laughs gets the bizarre mixture of creepy and funny perfectly blended and squirted out. Toss in some humor poking fun at us vinyl junkies, and I am helpless. The story, while hardly novel, handles enough curveballs and film quotes to delight the cinema buff, and the cast is perfectly in tune with the concept. I usually find this sort of films highly over-rated by the horror crowd. I, however, loved this one. It was a bloody good time at the theater. *** 1/2
- 10/03 - Control Room - To celebrate the opening of The Circle, the only art house theater in Tulsa, I paid my money for their sole offering this weekend, Control Room. The film is a behind-the-scenes documentary examining the Arabic news station Al-Jazeera during the latest Iraq war. Jehane Noujaim, the director of Startup.com, lets the cameras roll without narration; this decision provides immediacy to the film, but also allows many people to make statements that stand unquestioned. Even taking into account several debatable declarations, the film provides an involving fly-on-the-wall look behind the sets of the network and a moderate challenge to viewers to watch all news critically and somewhat skeptically. ***
Author Comments:
I'm rating the films on a zero to four star basis. ** 1/2 is average.
Just saw Lawrence again. That film would RULE on the big screen.
I am incredibly excited about this. I never really thought I would have a chance to see it on the silver screen. I should probably bring my sunscreen.
From what I hear, The Graduate might be the next classic to show. :)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Wow, how psyched are you about the new theater in town! I'm incredibly jealous, but laughed at your "sunscreen" line anyway. :-)
I am very happy about the Circle opening. While Control Room was not well attended, Casablanca drew quite the crowd. Here's hoping my town supports the theater. Tulsans are notorious for not realizing what they got until it is too late...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Bummer about Office Space a movie I liked more than you, but didn't love. Have you seen the BBC series The Office? Superior in every respect, and mines the rich field of office satire for all it's worth.
The Office is very high on our 'to see' list. I only have to wait until my wife has some free time to watch it with me!
We caught the guy behind the series on David Letterman one night, and he was the funniest guest ol' Dave has had in quite some time.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
It's interesting how Office Space was such a flop at the box office, but has since become something of cult fave thanks to cable and DVD. I love the movie and think it's a brilliant satire. But, then again, I'd say the same thing about Mike Judge's other earlier creation, Beavis & Butt-head.
Office Space has certainly found an audience on video. I believe I am the only person I know who didn't like it.
My favorite Judge project so far is King of the Hill.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
King of the Hill is, indeed, a superb television show.
Wow, great Star Wars review, and I had no idea about the "Cedar hiss reduction" (probably because my TV is small, crappy, and plays sound through its built-in speakers). Thanks!
Thank you, Jim!
After typing up the review, I did a little searching to see if anybody else noticed the audio issues. They did, but many people complained about another problem I only noticed on one scene but apparently is a problem for the whole film. The rear surround speakers tracks are reversed, with the rear left channel going to the right and vice versa.
I am really pretty shocked with the audio quality of the disc. Your built-speaker is a blessing of sorts.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Though I knew the Star Wars films were the Spec. Editions, I was still disappointed with the DVDs, mainly beacuse it's not the same film I saw when I was 9 and not the same film I've loved since then. The extra robots flying around were pointless and like you, I would love a Criterion restored copy. At least I still have the original VHS copies...no widescreen though. And the Greedo shot angered me that I had to go back and watch it in slow motion a few times to try and understand why Lucas put it back in, it was awful. Oh well...
I agree with you. I think I would be a bit less bothered if the Special Edition improved or, heck, just didn't cheapen the original. When you add the lack of the originals with the fact that IMHO the Special Edition of Star Wars is a slightly weaker film than the original, you get some pretty angry fans...
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
Wow Office Space only * 1/2 stars...as you can see HERE i Really liked it.
Alas, Office Space seems to have one of the few cults I am not a member of.
Forgive me?
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs (PS - My wife enjoyed the film much more than I did, and she *is* usually right...)
Np you are forgiven! You completely redeem yourself because you like "The Pallbearer" your ok in my books, lol.
=whew=
:)
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs