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As Above, So Below (2014)
If you see something, is it really there?
I knew practically nothing about "As Above, So Below" when I started watching it. That made it all the more interesting. It's understood to be an allusion to a famous literary work. Even beyond that, one might interpret it as having the same gist as "Poltergeist": we don't know what horrible secrets lie buried beneath our feet.
A lot of the stuff about symbology reminded me of "The Da Vinci Code". I wonder if the director and screenwriter took any inspiration from that.
All in all, it might scare you out of your wits, or it might interest you in Paris's catacombs. Either way, this is not a movie that you're likely to forget anytime soon.
Blue Jasmine (2013)
one of the rare instances when the Woodman leaves New York
After making a couple of movies outside the US, Woody Allen returned to the states and made the comedy-drama "Blue Jasmine", an updated version of "A Streetcar Named Desire". In an Academy Award-winning role, Cate Blanchett plays a New York socialite whose world comes crashing down when her husband gets arrested. Moving to San Francisco, she insinuates herself into her sister's life and starts seeking out relationships.
One of the things that I noticed is the problematic cast. The bespectacled one is only behind the camera, but in front of it we have Louis C. K. (later MeToo'd) and Alec Baldwin, whose mismanagement of a movie set got a woman killed in 2022. As for Andrew Dice Clay, I've only heard stories about him, mainly that his humor has a misogynistic streak.
Whatever the case, it's not Allen's worst movie by a long shot (that dishonor goes to the crime against humanity that was 1996's "Everyone Says I Love You", one of the few movies so bad that it needs to get unmade). Blanchett puts on an intense performance, as does Sally Hawkins as her sister. The rest of the cast includes Bobby Cannavale, Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbarg (with whom Hawkins later co-starred in "The Shape of Water"). Worth seeing, although Allen's best movies remain his stuff from the early '70s.
A Song to Remember (1945)
Hungarian rhapsody of a Pole
OK, so "A Song to Remember" took a number of creative liberties with Frederic Chopin's life, but Charles Vidor's movie is still a fine piece of work. I suspect that the depiction of him championing his homeland's resistance to a foreign occupation was an allusion to the Nazi occupation of Poland at the time that the movie came out.
Although it focuses on a Pole, star Cornel Wilde and co-star Stephen Bekassy - as well as the director and some of the crew - were from Hungary (the movie also depicts Hungarian composer Franz Liszt). Obviously the Magyar Republic - part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire when they were born - was the homeland of a number of immigrants at the turn of the last century.
Anyway, it's worth seeing, despite the historical inaccuracies. The rest of the cast includes Paul Muni (as Józef Elsner) and Nina Foch (as George Sand).
If you're not familiar with Franz Liszt, probably his best-known work is "Hungarian Rhapsody #2", frequently used in cartoons, as well the scene in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" where Daffy Duck and Donald Duck play the pianos.
Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)
we all need someone to look up to
With World War II in full swing, it made sense that Hollywood movies were going to reference it. Preston Sturges's Academy Award-nominated "Hail the Conquering Hero" makes full use of this. Eddie Bracken's character is what one might call an accidental hero, with his hometown misinformed of his bravery and wanting him for mayor.
Admittedly, some of the humor is a little outdated - not to mention the ethnic slurs - but the movie still manages to be funny. Overall it's a political satire, but still finds time for plain old silly humor (such as when the bands try to play at the wrong time). I guess that the gist of the movie is that our heroes might not be exactly what they seem; if you don't believe me, just watch Barry Levinson's movie about Joe Paterno.
In the end, there's no denying that this is one of the all-time comedy classics. If the name Eddie Bracken sounds familiar to you, you might've seen him in "National Lampoon's Vacation" (as the theme park owner) and in "Home Alone 2" (as the toy store owner).
Vredens dag (1943)
all that it takes is an accusation
The idea of witch hunts occasionally appears in cinema. Most famous is probably "The Crucible", written as an allusion to McCarthyism. Other movies include "Witchfinder General" (aka "The Conqueror Worm") and the overrated - by which I mean truly awful - "Hocus Pocus".
A lesser known one these days is Carl Theodor Dreyer's "Vredens dag" ("Day of Wrath" in English). This focuses on witch hunts in 1600s Denmark. I should note that it's the sort of movie that tests your attention span. Long scenes usually in one location, consisting of dialogue. If you're used to movies full of explosions, car chases and CGI, then you'll want to avoid this one like the plague. Otherwise, I recommend it as one of the all-time classics.
Am I the only one who thinks Lisbeth Movin looked like Elizabeth Montgomery?
In a Violent Nature (2024)
Canadian cinema gets brutal
It might surprise us Yanks to learn that our northern neighbor has made horror flicks, but they have. Horror movies made by the Canucks in previous decades include "The Clown Murders" (starring a young John Candy) and "The Brain".
We now have a new slasher from Canada. "In a Violent Nature" has gotten described as an ambient slasher. The plot sounds typical of these movies - a boy who died an unnatural death gets resurrected when someone disturbs his grave - but a lot of the movie gets told from the killer's point of view. Not POV shots, mind you, but it follows him around as he seeks out those who desecrated his burial place.
And then of course there's the kills. One kill in particular is one of the most shocking things ever put on screen (you'll know it when you see it). The practical effects make it all worthwhile.
At the same time, I should note that the movie tests your attention span. It deliberately movies slowly - think a Jim Jarmusch movie - and there's no music until the end credits. I guess that adds to the realism.
All in all, I enjoyed it. This is one horror flick that you won't soon forget.
Lord of Misrule (2023)
Is the Gallowgog a real thing?
It seems that folk horror has become a common trope in the genre over the past decade. William Brent Bell's "Lord of Misrule" is the first one that I've seen. It's a mediocre movie. It's about a priest whose daughter disappears at a festival, and while searching for her, the priest discovers the town's unsettling past.
Basically, this movie is just a way to pass time. There's nothing edifying or innovative about it, although I did wonder if the monster was based on anything from actual folklore.
My point is that my favorite British horror flicks are the old ones starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (a good recent one was 2021's "Censor"). This is something that you'd watch if there's nothing else available.
Four Sons (1928)
somehow, somewhere, the family has to survive
John Ford is one of the most famous directors from old Hollywood. Among his most notable works are "Stagecoach" and "The Grapes of Wrath". I happened to come across this early movie of his during a perusal of a neighborhood video store (yes, they still exist).
"Four Sons" tells the story of a woman in a Bavarian village with four sons. These young men know the importance of taking care of their mom, even after one of them moves to the United States. But once World War I starts, it becomes clear that they can't be "nice" to each other forever.
Personally I thought that the war sequence was the most effective in the movie. It seems like most of the movies released at the time tended to be anti-war (namely "All Quiet on the Western Front"). It probably would've stayed like that had a second world war not broken out.
Anyway, it's worth seeing. Audiences back then were probably surprised to see a humanizing depiction of Germans.
Wild Company (1930)
the first part is slow, the second part holds your attention, the last scene is silly
For most of the first half of Leo McCarey's "Wild Company", I felt like it wasn't going anywhere, with a spoiled rich youth (Frank Albertson, better known as the banker who loans Marion the money in "Psycho") getting involved with a nightclub singer at a place frequented by gangsters.
The second half proves intense, after a big pivot. It keeps you on the edge of your seat...until the end. The judge's speech might have seemed serious in 1930, but nowadays it looks silly at best (and possibly bigoted). People always say those sorts of things about the youth. As to the issue of coddling them too much, that could be a case of affluenza, as seen in the case of the boy in Texas whose lawyer argued that his privileged upbringing deprived him of a sense of right and wrong, and he got off with a slap on the wrist.
Anyway, an okay movie, nothing great. Watch for a pre-fame Bela Lugosi as the club owner.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941)
this isn't the Hitchcock you know
When you think of Alfred Hitchcock, you think of his deftness with suspense, masterfully displayed in "The Lady Vanishes", "Rebecca", "Shadow of a Doubt", "Rope", "Rear Window", "Vertigo", "Psycho" and "The Birds".
That will make it all the more surprising that his "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is a romantic comedy with absolutely no suspenseful elements. While not a bad movie, it's a dated one in terms of gender mores. Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery (nowadays best known as Elizabeth Montgomery's dad) do a decent job with their roles, given the material.
I guess that it's just not the sort of movie that Hitch was used to directing, despite having some legitimately funny scenes. After this, he returned to his usual stuff, and his only other comedy (The Trouble with Harry) was a black comedy. He certainly worked best when keeping the audience on the edges of their seats.
The New Lot (1943)
there comes a time when you have to fight
We in the US have no doubt seen a number of the training films made for our troops in World War II. We might not know about the ones made for British troops. "The New Lot" is an example. It depicts a couple of new recruits going into the army and having to go through the usual training.
We in the 21st century are bound to view these movies differently, given the sorts of wars that we've seen waged since World War II. I guess that we can accept these, considering that the enemy in World War II was responsible the slaughter of twelve million people (it's always worth reminding people that there are NO good Nazis).
Anyway, worth seeing. The cast includes Peter Ustinov and Bernard Lee (M in the original James Bond movies).
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
Sandra Hüller has her great year
I first learned of Sandra Hüller from her role in 2016's "Toni Erdmann", wherein she played the protagonist's daughter. Last year, she starred in two of the most important movies, both of which won Academy Awards. In "The Zone of Interest", Hüller played the wife of a Nazi official, simply carrying out her domestic duties and unfazed by the evil getting perpetrated on the other side of a nearby wall. The other movie was "Anatomie d'une chute" ("Anatomy of a Fall" in English).
This movie casts Hüller as a widow on trial for allegedly murdering her husband. An important point is that the movie isn't about whether she's innocent or guilty; it's about the matter of trying to find the truth in a fraught case. Most of the first half of the movie is about the facts surrounding the man's death, and most of the second half is about the trial. Although a French movie, a lot of the dialogue is in English (and Hüller never uses her native German).
All in all, this is a fine piece of work. It would make a great companion piece to other courtroom dramas (Anatomy of a Murder, To Kill a Mockingbird, Breaker Morant, The Client).
Tár (2022)
when things are going wrong, it's best to take a break
Todd Field started out as an actor, appearing in Woody Allen's "Radio Days" as a crooner, and Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" as a pianist. He made his directorial debut with 2001's Academy Award-nominated "In the Bedroom" (about how a tragedy exposes the problems in a couple's marriage), following it up with 2006's Academy Award-nominated "Little Children" (about the moral vacuity of the suburbs). After a sixteen-year break, he's back with the Academy Award-nominated "Tár".
This movie looks at the intrigue and dramas going on behind the scenes in orchestras. Cate Blanchett's title character is a masterful conductor going through a mental breakdown. A lot of shocking things go on during the movie's three-hour runtime.
I don't know if I would call the movie a masterpiece, as the length goes overboard on dramatizing everything. What I won't deny is the power of the acting (not that I would expect less from Blanchett). It's interesting that the protagonist talks about Leonard Bernstein, since he got a biopic just last year.
This wouldn't be my first recommendation, but it's worth seeing. As to the previous reviewer who said that people will remember this movie and not "The Fabelmans", I'd say that people will remember both movies and forget whatever pointless action flick Tom Cruise was in that year.
Le million (1931)
Clair embraces sound
René Clair's second talkie is topsy-turvy musical comedy. "Le million" has a convoluted plot and a lot of jolly scenes. Unlike what are generally thought of as musicals, this isn't just an excuse for people to start singing messages to each other; the songs are integral to the plot. In the process, Clair - who was initially reluctant to embrace sound in movies - creates an unforgettable experience. Personally, I wouldn't call the movie a masterpiece, but it's guaranteed to be one of the most enjoyable times that you'll have while watching a movie. One could make the argument that the movie cares more about being pleasing to the eye than about having substance, but does that matter since its purpose is to be fun?
Definitely check it out.
Le sang d'un poète (1932)
there will be blood
For a brief period, surrealism was the big thing in European cinema. The most famous example is "Un chien andalou", a collaboration of Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dalí. Lesser known but no less out there is "Le sang d'un poète" ("The Blood of a Poet" in English). Like the aforementioned movie, it's not something that one can explain logically. It's a series of bizarre images that serve to show what one can do with cinema.
Basically, it's the sort of movie that you have to see to believe. I don't think that I'd go so far as to call the movie a masterpiece. It's something that you'd watch if you want an example of surrealist cinema.
She Had to Say Yes (1933)
Busby Berkeley debuts
Busby Berkeley went down in cinema history for directing musicals, so it might surprise people to learn that his directorial debut was a pre-code comedy. "She Had to Say Yes" casts Loretta Young as a garment worker whose boss realizes that the company could be losing customers to other stores, so he has his garment workers moonlight as call girls for the customers.
To us nowadays this doesn't seem particularly scandalous, but it was probably these sorts of movies that led to the Hays Code's enforcement (it got created in 1930, but didn't get enforced until 1934). I wouldn't call this a masterpiece, but it does have some funny scenes, namely the meeting in the restaurant. I don't know if the movie's available on any streaming platform, so you'll have to see if a local video store has it.
No Greater Glory (1934)
What do you achieve when the only goal is dominance?
One of the things that one notices about movies made in the 1930s is the prevalent anti-war attitude. The most famous example is Lewis Milestone's "All Quiet on the Western Front", which depicts the sheer pointlessness of World War I. A lesser known but equally important movie is Frank Borzage's "No Greater Glory", based on Ferenc Molnár's play "The Paul Street Boys". Opening with a soldier denouncing war as a hideous endeavor, the rest of the movie is a metaphor for war, played out by schoolboys whose obsession with keeping their territory goes too far.
A particularly effective shot shows the watchman's medal next to a rolled-up sleeve where his arm used to be; that shot alone says just about all that needs to get said about war. I suspect that this anti-war sentiment would've continued had the world not seen another global war (which had its roots in the Versailles Negotiations).
Anyway, a fine movie, and a warning about excessive zealotry. The teacher's speech reminds me of any instance where someone preaches "the greater good", which of course only benefits those in power.
PS: Two of the cast members later provided voices in Disney's "Pinocchio". Christian Rub (the watchman) voiced Geppetto, while Frankie Darro (Feri) voiced Lampwick.
Out of Luck (1921)
Felix searches for food
We in the 21st century probably know Felix the Cat from a TV series in the early '60s where he has to protect his bag of tricks from lascivious scientist and aggressive dog. It turns out that the clever feline originated in a cartoon series in the 1920s. An example is "Out of Luck".
The cartoon is nothing special. Basically, Felix goes around looking for something to eat, coming up with unusual tricks (and, because this is a cartoon, violating the laws of physics). We can forgive the simplistic plot since animation was in its relative infancy at the time, so they had yet to come up with the clever stuff seen in the cartoons of the '40s and '50s.
Okay for its three-minute run.
Die Liebe der Jeanne Ney (1927)
intrigue in the wake of a revolution
Probably the most famous movies focusing on the revolution are David Lean's "Dr. Zhivago" (about a physician caught up in the revolution) and Warren Beatty's "Reds" (about US journalist John Reed, who covered the revolution). A lesser known one is "Die Liebe der Jeanne Ney" ("The Love of Jeanne Ney" in English). The convoluted plot of G. W. Pabst's movie depicts intrigue and treachery in the wake of the revolution, with the titular character - the daughter of a French diplomat - in love with a Bolshevik.
The movie is hard to follow at times; this isn't some Michael Bay movie where you can simply shut your brain off to watch it. Even so, you'll feel fulfilled by the end of it. The only cast member whom I recognized was Brigitte Helm, who that same year played the Machine Man in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis".
Not a masterpiece, but worth seeing.
Watch If You Dare (2018)
What was this supposed to be?
"Watch If You Dare" sure didn't come across as a horror movie. More like a loose parody of one, except that it doesn't even work as a parody. Just a series of vignettes where ugly things happen. Not even a connection between them. The last vignette is the only one that at least tries to be an authentic horror movie, but the movie's pretty much worn out its welcome mat by then. The movie has no Wikipedia entry, and quite frankly doesn't deserve one. There are far better horror anthologies out there (especially the old Hammer movies). I don't know who greenlit this movie, but they obviously don't have a real eye for horror. Just avoid it.
The Dreamers (2003)
this is the third production that I've seen in less than a week that uses "La mer"
A number of Bernardo Bertolucci's movies over the years have been sweeping epics - notably "The Last Emperor" - so "The Dreamers" is a different turn for him. Set amid the student uprising in Paris in 1968, it's about a college student from the US who meets a pair of free-spirited siblings. Over the course of the movie, they graphically experiment with sex, discuss cinema and politics, and look for ways to break away from the old order.
I figure that the movie was intended both as a celebration of classic cinema and a look at the era's politics. It was easy to see an analogy to the resurgence in politically-charged topics during the era when the movie got released (a combination of protests against globalization and the so-called War on Terrorism).
All in all, it was a fine piece of work. I've liked every Bertolucci movie that I've seen, including this one.
And yes, this is the third production that I've seen in less than a week to use Charles Trenet's song "La mer". The others were episodes of "Black Mirror" and "Shetland".
So yes, do come see me, Queen Jane.
Cypher (2002)
devastated possible reality
Right after "The Matrix" got released, there was a similar, thought-provoking movie about questionable reality (eXistenz) and a crummy one (The Thirteenth Floor). It took a few years for the genre to return to the silver screen, but it came back with Vincenzo Natali's intense "Cypher". Jeremy Northam (of "The Net" and "Gosford Park") plays an employee at a major corporation hired to spy on other corporations at conferences. That is, until he meets an enigmatic woman (Lucy Liu) who reveals that all is not what it seems.
I wouldn't call this any sort of masterpiece, but I liked the twists and turns. Personally I found Liu's character to be the most interesting, with the evolution that they give her as the movie progresses. We could be cynical and say that the movie has things that we've seen in other movies - I certainly saw a lot of similarities to "The Matrix" - but it still manages to hold you throughout. Worth seeing if you can find a copy.
Griselda (2024)
evil men don't like it when an equally evil woman cuts in on their turf
I've heard quite a bit about the cocaine trade of the '80s, and how Miami was the capital, but I had only loosely heard about Griselda Blanco. Well, with the Netflix miniseries "Griselda", we now get her story.
If you only know Sofía Vergara as the feisty stepmom on "Modern Family", then you're in for a pleasant surprise with her performance here. The show apparently minimizes just how brutal and merciless Griselda Blanco was, but it still makes her out to be pretty vile, even if she saw the cocaine business as the only way out of a bad marriage. Another thing was that the cocaine business was mostly a man's world, and the men didn't like a woman cutting in on their turf (evil though she was).
While I admit that I can't verify its veracity, I can say that this is one of the grittiest miniseries that you'll ever see. Sofía Vergara deserves all the acclaim in the world for her performance.
Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023)
horror fans are bound to love it
When I started watching Andrew Bowser's "Onyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls", I only knew that it co-starred Barbara Crampton, knowing pretty much nothing about the plot. It turned out that she only had a small role. Nevertheless, it was one enjoyable movie. Fans of horror flicks, the occult, satanic stuff, and the like are going to take a lot of pleasure in this one. In addition to star Andrew Bowser and Barbara Crampton, we also have Jeffrey Combs as the satanic leader (you may recall that he and Crampton co-starred in "Re-Animator", wherein a certain shot of her almost certainly turned millions of boys into men).
Basically, this isn't the sort of movie made with the intention of winning Oscars. Its goal is to entertain and stir up some nostalgia, and it succeeds in both regards. I first read about it playing at some festivals, but it didn't come to my city, so I finally managed to watch it on Tubi. You're sure to have a great time with it.
White Shadows in the South Seas (1928)
this is the last sort of movie that you'd have expected to get released back then
A common trope in the propaganda about colonialism was that the rational-minded, forward-thinking white people introduced Christianity to the ignorant natives and civilized them. That's what makes W. S. Van Dyke's "White Shadows in the South Seas" all the more surprising. Far from pushing the image of heroic colonizers, this movie acknowledges the effect that colonialism had on the indigenous populations. Admittedly, it might be a bit cliched to have the single white man who falls in love with an indigenous culture and seeks to defend the natives from the colonizers, but the movie is serious about it. It just goes to show that what's now called wokeness isn't some newfangled phenomenon; there were socially aware people 100 years ago. I recommend this movie.
Every time that the name Fayaway came up, I kept thinking that it said Faye Dunaway. Fayaway's portrayer, Raquel Torres, later co-starred with the Marx Brothers in "Duck Soup".