Saturday, June 30, 2018

Film Discoveries - May 2018

Hello everyone!  May's selections feature murder, bloodshed, vengeance and all manner of sordid acts (in other words, it's a typical month).  I made a concerted effort to watch a few Blu rays I'd received as gifts or been lent by gracious siblings, but it so happened that none of these cracked the top four.  So, while I'd have liked to talk more about 50/50 or Arrival (both of which you should see if you haven't yet), here are the films that edged them out...

Rolling Thunder - 1977


Previously, I'd mentioned that I've found a new appreciation for the films of the 1970s.  In keeping with this, I checked out 1977's Rolling Thunder and was blown away.  I'd heard it brought up on podcasts as an example of a great revenge movie, but I think that actually undersells what a great portrait it is of a man who has been hollowed out by his trauma.  It's ugly, but it's human and challenging at times.  Definitely worth a watch. 


My Letterboxd review:

Availability 
Rolling Thunder is currently available on blu-ray from Shout Factory.  



Blue Velvet - 1986


David Lynch has had a profound impact on me over the past few years, so I was anxious to see Blue Velvet.  A twisted nightmare journey through the underbelly of an idyllic small town, its bizarre characters and intense situations have a way of sticking in the brain.  I'm usually on board for Lynch's weirdness, so for me, if anything, the film could have stood to be even more of bizarre.  That's not a knock by any stretch, though.


My Letterboxd review:

Availability
Blue Velvet is currently available on  Blu-ray from MGM.



The Scarlet Empress - 1934


I love it when a film genuinely surprises me, and The Scarlet Empress did this on multiple levels.  I was surprised at its levels of violence and sexual content that somehow survived the rigors of the Hays Code, surprised that such complex cinematography could be in a mid-1930s filmm and above all surprised that this highly fictionalized telling of Catherine the Great's rise, with its ahistorical costuming, beautifully garish set design, and disparate acting styles could somehow hang together as something more than the sum of its parts.  This is a masterpiece. 


My Letterboxd review:
The Scarlet Empress is set to be released on Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection as part of their Dietrich & von Sterberg in Hollywood box set.



Tomorrow Is Another Day - 1951


I typically watch a lot of film noir and it's always nice to run across a gem of the genre that's not quite as well known as a Double Indemnity or an Out of the Past.  Tomorrow Is Another Day definitely qualifies in my book.  The subject matter may be familiar, but the performances are strong and there's some very impressive cinematography on display here as well. 


My Letterboxd review:

Availability
Tomorrow Is Another Day is currently available on DVD from the Warner Archive. 

Sunday, June 3, 2018

Murder by Proxy (1954)


          "She paid me me £500 to marry her."
          "Did you?"
          "I don't know."

Over the past several years, Terence Fisher has crept into the ranks of my favorite directors.  Before he made his mark on Hammer’s Frankenstein and Dracula series, he took on several low budget noir assignments for the studio, then called Exclusive Films, directing the likes of Diana Dors, Paul Heinreid and genre stalwart Lizabeth Scott.  My favorite of these is Murder by Proxy from 1954.  Released as Blackout in the United States, it's the story of a man, who wakes up to find that he's wanted for murder.  To complicate matters, he can't remember what happened last night.                   



Amnesia is a common trope in noir and thrillers of the 1940s and 1950s and remains a part of such films to this day.  Noir and noir-adjacent movies, from Two O’Clock Courage (1945) and Deadline at Dawn (1946) to Dark City (1998), use the condition as the impetus for a protagonist's journey of discovery.  Murder by Proxy uses an alcohol-induced blackout in much the same way, as our hero Casey Morrow (Dane Clark), wakes up in a strange apartment with a hell of a hangover.  He may also have gotten hitched to the very attractive blonde he met the night before, but he can’t be sure.



Casey’s life is on the skids, but he’s a likable, mundane sort of person.  That would probably please Dane Clark, who once remarked ''The only thing I want to do in films is to be Mr. Joe Average as well as I know how.”  Here, "Mr. Average" is a bit of a lush and a bit of a bum and in more than a bit of trouble after falling in with the aforementioned blonde.  He's taken a job in London that has fallen though, so when she approaches him in a nightclub, is willing to buy their drinks, and has a lucrative proposition for him, he's on the hook.  That proposition turns out to be a marriage proposal.  

Movies of the 1940s and 1950s were preoccupied with the way men and women relate to one another in the wake of the social upheaval brought about by WWII.  Male concerns coalesced in the figure of the femme fatale who was often set in contrast to a more wholesome romantic interest for the protagonist.  In Murder By Proxy, this issue isn’t treated in quite so simple a manner.  As Casey begins to unravel the web he's stuck in, he encounters many women, but there isn’t a cut and dry femme fatale in sight.  Four of these are of primary importance in Casey's story.



The first woman Casey runs into is the blonde with the job offer, played by Belinda Lee.   She’s easy on the eyes, but her motives aren’t initially clear.  On the night they meet, Casey observes that she "even smells like money."  She's nowhere to be found the next morning when Casey wakes up, although a photo in the morning paper identifies her as Phyllis Brunner, an heiress whose father was murdered the night before.  Casey discovers that he's a suspect in the investigation that ensues.



When Casey awakes, he finds himself in the apartment of the second woman in this little web of criminal incident, Maggie Doone (Eleanor Summerfield).  Maggie is tough; a stiff upper lip exemplar of British intelligence and tenacity.  She gives Casey the kick in the pants he needs to take charge of his situation.  "Do some detecting!" she exclaims at one point.  That detecting points to some drama of a murderous variety in Phyllis' family.  



Enter the (possible) mother-in-law, played with poise by Betty Anne Davies.  Mrs. Brunner's motives, much like those of her daughter, are very unclear at first.  Her insight is sharp, cutting to the core of Casey's character.  At one point she's able to tell Casey a crucial fact that he's not able to see about himself.



The past is never far from the noir protagonist and the degree to which Casey can square with it will have a profound impact on his future.  Eventually, the desperate situation forces Casey to seek out his mother.  We discover he's separated himself from her, burying his former life as far down as possible.  This portion of the film is brief, but meaningful, as Nora Gordon imbues the character with all motherly concern and devotion and really makes the most of her screen time.   

Casey's navigation of these relationships with friends, love interests, mothers and extended family can be seen as a kind of maturation through socialization.  By knowing these women, Casey knows himself better.  In that way, Murder by Proxy, in addition to being a crime story, is a coming of age tale.

I won't spoil the fun by delving further into the plot, which is typically knotty.  Noir has a reputation for its bewilderingly complex storylines.  Complications are piled on, although plot is usually secondary to mood.  Murder by Proxy almost comments on this when, in one scene, a police inspector unravels the complexities for the benefit of another character who reacts with annoyance and disinterest.

All-in-all, Murder by Proxy is a fairly modest film, but it's definitely worth checking out and not only for the novelty of its British setting.  Daniel Clarke's lead performance is solid and the supporting cast is quite good as well.  I would single out Andrew Gordon, whose portrayal of a dangerous upper crust businessman, is appropriately menacing and villainous.  



On a technical level, Terence Fisher's direction is skillful and is well-suited to a suspense story, maintaining dramatic tension throughout.  Some of the shot composition is impressive as well, and I appreciate the care taken in constructing memorable images on a modest budget.  In the final analysis, there's just a little more craft and creativity here than there needs to be and I think that if the movie had a recognizable star, it would be more well-known.  A nice little gem, I have no reservations about recommending it, especially to fans of film noir.





Note:  I wrote this review for the The Great Hammer-Amicus Blogathon.  Many thanks to Barry at Cinematic Catharsis and to Gill at Reelweegiemidget 
for putting this online event together.  I plan to keep an eye on their blogs for roundups of all the Hammer and Amicus goodness people are posting this weekend and I'm definitely looking forward to reading and learning more about the output of both studios!



Sources

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Film Discoveries - April 2018


Hello everyone!  My top watches for April were a pretty diverse bunch.  We've got a little drama, some crime and even a little science fiction/horror.  First up is a John Huston flick about small time people...

Fat City - 1972


The 1970s was a period of filmmaking that I used to reflexively dislike.  The film stock seemed muddy and ugly to me and that turned me off to it.  Now, I see that ugliness and rawness as a feature, rather than a downside.  I've grown very tired of the artificial look that many modern films go for.  The last thing that films from the 1970s look like is artificial, feeling like real life, in all its imperfect, non-color-corrected splendor.  

That all goes to say that I really responded to how real Fat City feels.  There's no glamor here. The plot is driven by the characters and I never get the sense that the drama is being ramped up unnaturally.  It's not particularly uplifting either, but it's meaningful.  It's life on film.


My Letterboxd review:

Availability 
Fat City is currently available on a region free blu-ray from Indicator.  Digital purchase and rental options are also available.



Charley Varrick - 1973


Continuing with the theme of my reappraisal of 1970s films, next up is Charley Varrick.  Varrick is the kind of protagonist that the Man wouldn't allow in our crime films today, never mind that the average guy is probably a bit more Walther Mathau than Tom Cruise.  Don Siegel directs this smarter-than-average crime flick, while the excellent cast includes Joe Don Baker and Andy Robinson.


My Letterboxd review:

Availability
Charley Varrick is currently available on Region B Blu-ray from Indicator as well as on DVD from Universal.  Digital purchase and rental options are also available.



Diabolique - 1955


Diabolique has quite the reputation.  Noted as a great suspense piece with far-reaching influence, I'm happy to say it more than lives up to its accolades.

It's a French film, and that's actually pretty important as the norms surrounding sex and marriage in that country were quite different from those in the U.S. during this period.  In the film, an abused wife teams up with her husband's mistress to bump off the dirty, rotten, no-good man.  The whole situation is handled in a very frank manner, which distinguishes it from some American films of the '50s.

You're probably not going to be watching Diabolique to study the society of 1950s France, though.  You watch it because it's a great, tense piece of storytelling.  I was unaware of how much the movie was affecting me until I caught myself holding my breath, waiting to see how it would play out.


My Letterboxd review:
Diabolique is available on physical media, both DVD and Blu-ray, from the Criterion Collection.  It's also available to buy or rent digitally.



A Quiet Place - 2018


A Quiet Place isn't a success because of its (very) high concept.  A near future in which humans hide from blind monsters who use fine-tuned ears to hunt prey is only interesting for so long.  Rather, it's the themes of the film that set it apart.  A family coming together to face their attackers, with input from the mother, father and children isn't a political statement, but it's refreshing to see it presented without crippling amounts of dysfunction or turning either of the parents into villains.


My Letterboxd review:

Availability
A Quiet Place is currently available for pre-order from sellers like Amazon.

Monday, April 30, 2018

Film Discoveries - March 2018


Hello everyone!  Again, my apologies for the lateness of this post. I've been getting some ducks in a row and should be more timely in my posting going forward.  This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of March 2018.  This month's picks are pretty eclectic, with everything from Japanese crime to new existential sci-fi and comedy represented.  So, without further ado...

Annihilation - 2018


First up, from Alex Garland (whose film Ex Machina, I love) is Annihilation.  I don't want to go into too much detail, but this movie hit me like few ever have.  I do take issue with a few character reactions and with some of the dialogue, but I can't remember the last time a film filled me with so much pure existential dread.  Natalie Portman, a performer who doesn't typically impress me, does solid work here, but it's the ideas embedded in the story that really elevate it.  

My Letterboxd review:

Availability 
Annihilation will be coming to home video on May 29th.



High and Low - 1963


Last month's list also featured a foreign crime movie from a noted director (1967's Le Samouraï), so I might be becoming a bit predictable.  I don't care, though, because this movie is exceptional.  The sheer creativity on display is staggering, from the framing of interior scenes, which utilize the full frame in a way so few movies do, to the way it sustains tension through a very long run time.  It also gives us a lot to chew on with its presentation of uncomfortable moral choices and its theme of the haves and the have nots.  I have appreciated Kurosawa films in the past, but this is easily my favorite film of his that I've seen.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability
High and Low is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. 



Johnny Belinda - 1948


Johnny Belinda is a movie that snuck up on me.  It isn't flashy.  It's not really swinging for the fences in any way (although its subject matter was probably pretty controversial for 1948).  That said, it gives us relatable characters that we root for and want to spend time with.  By the time the film's third act began, I was surprised how much I cared about their plight and that's a testament to the power of simple, good storytelling.

My Letterboxd review:
Johnny Belinda is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.  Digital options are also available.



Game Night - 2018


Comedies rarely appear on my monthly discoveries lists.  That's largely because I'm very particular about my funny films.  I enjoy many, but love few.  So for Game Night to be on this list is a very big deal.  I had a blast with it!  The jokes come fast, there are actual character arcs (!!!), and the cast is outstanding.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability
Game Night will be coming to home video on May 29th.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Hullabaloo!





A little over a week ago (April 14th), I had the good fortune of attending the Houston Alamo Drafthouse’s fourth Hullabaloo event.  An annual movie marathon programmed by Rob Saucedo, Meredith Borders and Alan Cerny, rather than having a strong unifying theme, the programmers simply choose movies that they would like to share with an audience.  That simple guiding thought has resulted in some very eclectic lineups (see Houston Hullabaloo Lineups) over the years and, as someone who eyes the film scenes in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago with envy, I’m grateful that Houston has an event of its own like this.

As opposed to last year’s Hullabaloo, which consisted of four comedies, Hullabaloo 2018 was possibly the most diverse in terms of the genres and tones represented.   This year’s movies (all first-time watches for me) ran the gamut from science fiction and horror to comedy and animated drama.  

The event kicked off with Alan’s pick, which was 1981’s Arthur.  A really good romantic comedy, it rests to a huge extent on Dudley Moore’s performance as the charismatic drunk of the film's title.  At turns touching and hilarious, I'd definitely recommend seeking it out if you haven't seen it yet.  While this was probably my favorite film of the day, there was still a lot of great entertainment ahead.   
       
Next up was American Pop, an animated journey through the bulk of the 20th Century seen through the eyes of multiple generations and set against the background of America’s evolving popular music scene.  I’ll be upfront here: this movie was not for me.  I think I see what director Ralph Bakshi was attempting to convey with it, but I don’t think it's successful in getting much meaning across.  I do feel the film is extremely interesting, though, and I would love to speak with more of its fans about its appeal.  Maybe I’m just missing something.

Following American Pop, we were fortunate to see the Houston premiere of Hearts Beat Loud.  A really solid movie about a father and daughter who make music together, it’s elevated by the performances of Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons and bolstered by supporting turns from Ted Danson and Toni Collette.  It’s rousing but real, and doesn’t go for sentiment at the expense of realism or consistency.  Look for it when it’s released in June!

Next up was Meredith Borders’ pick: David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune.  I’m wrong to like this movie, aren’t I?  It would be easy for me to nitpick the performances, the Cliff’s Notes feel of the second half of the story, or a dozen other things, but I didn’t find myself doing that.  Instead, I was impressed by this attempt at bringing Herbert’s story to the screen with 1980s technology and grateful that this blockbuster-style film feels like it was made from a very specific perspective, rather than engineered to hit all four quadrants.  It feels personal.  So, for all its weirdness, I enjoyed myself and feel blessed that something so weird can exist.

The final movie of the day was the Houston premiere of Ghost Stories.  I’m going to do my best to tiptoe around any spoilers here.  Suffice it to say that this is a well-constructed little anthology horror film with some very creepy moments and some truly excellent performances.  Martin Freeman takes to his role with relish and Alex Lawther, here playing a very disturbed young man, gives what may be my favorite supporting performance of 2018 thus far.  Seek this one out when it’s released!

I always come to Hullabaloo with high hopes and I've never been disappointed.  I'll be looking forward to next year's event with my usual enthusiasm, excited for what the organizers cook up.  In the mean time, feel free to let me know what you think of any of the movies from this year's lineup.  Was I too hard on American Pop?  Too easy on Dune?  I'm always down for good, thoughtful discussion.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Film Discoveries - February 2018

Hello everyone!  My apologies for the lateness of this post.  Things in my personal life have been hectic, but I'll try to be more timely after this bit of catch-up.  This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of February 2018.  Lots of crime and darkness in this month's discoveries! 

Angel Face - 1953

As with January's list, February's batch of new discoveries begins with a great 1950s film noir.  I may be a sucker for old crime films, but because I've seen so many, I'm pretty hard to impress.  Please take that into account when I say that Angel Face is excellent.

I'd heard the movie brought up a few times before, but I'm surprised it isn't praised more highly because this is really top tier film noir.  It's bleak, twisted and morally complicated, with a focus on consequences that is really powerful.  It doesn't hurt to have Robert Mitchum and a wonderful Jean Simmons performance either.  

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

Angel Face is currently available on DVD from the Warner Archive.



Le Samouraï - 1967

Next, we move from 1950s California to France in the 1960s for Jean-Pierre Melville's classic Le Samouraï.  I'm always a little disappointed when I have to highlight a film that is so well-known and highly-regarded because a) it may be a "discovery" to me, but it certainly isn't to the majority of serious film fans and b) there is very little I can add to the conversation surrounding it.  I will say that it is a masterpiece of direction as you feel Melville's hand in every tiny aspect of the movie.  

While I enjoyed the director's Le Cercle Rouge, I found its coldness to be off-putting.  Here, and maybe the difference is that Le Samouraï is more focused, I had no such issue.

If you've been putting off seeing this because it's an oldie, stop!  It's about as cool as they come.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

Le Samouraï is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. 



Klute - 1971

We continue our dive into the darkness with Klute.  Klute is many things, most ostensibly a mystery, but it's also an exploration of addiction and a meditation on human connection.  I'd argue that it's solid as the first of those and far better as the other two.

Jane Fonda gives a truly great performance as the prostitute at the center of the story.  Not to be missed!

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

Klute is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.  Digital options are also available.



The Curse of the Cat People - 1944

The Curse of the Cat People is one of the few Val Lewton movies I have yet to check out.  While I don't love every one of his films, they are always interesting and often display a great command of tone and suspense.  It's not surprising to me, then, that this movie is one of my best first time watches.  

First of all, if you're a fan of 1942's Cat People, do not expect this to be a standard sequel.  Rather, The Curse of the Cat People uses the original movie as background for a story about childhood and the ways in which adults allow their own fears to control their relationships with their children.  That could get ugly fast, but there's real beauty to the visuals here, rendering the film evocative and meaningful instead of harsh.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

The Curse of the Cat People is available in several DVD versions that appear to be out of print.  A brand new Blu-ray from Scream Factory is scheduled to be released June 12, 2018.

Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Robert Osborne

One year ago today, fans of classic film were hit by the sad news of Robert Osborne's passing.  Apparently one of the most well-liked human beings on the planet (I've never come across a single negative thing said about him), Mr. Osborne was a lifelong ambassador for classic film.  I knew him as the person who intro'd movies every night on TCM.

In watching his introductions, I was immediately struck by his intelligence.  Seeing him speak about old movies was probably one of my first encounters with someone treating film like something that could be taken seriously.  Another thing that nobody who had even a passing familiarity with him could miss was his love of the movies.  As someone who always felt like I ought to apologize for loving film as much as I do, Robert Osborne was a model of the thoughtful, intelligent fandom I wanted to exhibit.

Today, I've seen a lot of tributes to Mr. Osborne.  It might seem strange to the casual onlooker that so much digital ink is being spilled by film lovers over someone who wasn't even a filmmaker.  I think that view really misses the point, though, because the life of a film doesn't end with its release, and a film's post-release life is often as important as its initial run in theaters.

One of my favorite quotes from Before Sunset is the Ethan Hawke character's observation that "...a memory's never finished, if you really think about it."  Robert Osborne's legacy is one of championing, and contextualizing the films he brought to us.  He may not have made Casa Blanca or Gone With the Wind, but he was there to tell us why those movies are great and/or interesting and worthy of our time and to give us a little of the history behind them.  In that way, he became an important part of the "afterlife" of these films.  He kept them in our minds and was integral in framing our memories of them.  As with a memory, a movie's never really finished until we're done thinking of it, and the contribution of people like Mr. Osborne will be felt for decades to come.