As late as 1970, the old Hollywood star system still worked and still sold. Elizabeth Taylor and five years younger Warren Beatty fill the screen with their charm and beauty, and that's more than enough to carry Frank D. Gilroy's play "The Only Game in Town." As a dividend, Liz has her three-time director George Stevens to shepherd her. They electrified audiences in the 1950s with "A Place in the Sun" and "Giant."
Paying her own way and working as a Vegas dance hall girl, Fran (Liz, who was 38 at the time) is waiting for her multi-millionaire boyfriend to get his divorce. Fran meets Joe (Beatty) at a piano bar. Fran invites Joe to share expenses by sharing her apartment. They vow not to fall in love. Well, you know how that's going to pan out. This is a stylish, tempting dish when you have an appetite for glossy, goopy cuisine. Dig in.
Reviews
49 Reviews
Against All Odds
(1984)
Hot-Paced Film Noir, But in Color
2 May 2024
Odds are if you liked the romantic nature and character confrontations of director Taylor Hackford's "An Officer and a Gentleman," you will pick up on the sizzling sex and criminal element that populate this picture. Ex-football player Brogan (Jeff Bridges) is hired by nightclub owner Wise (James Woods in another astounding sinister role) to track down his runaway girl friend (Rachel Ward). Down Mexico way, the hunted and the hunter predictably begin a romance. Unpredictable are the twists and turns that result. The upshot is a battle among the two men, some other men, and the woman in question. With surprise suspense thrillers like this, the less plot divulged, the better the enjoyment. Listen for that wonderfully desperate Phil Collins title song at the end.
Bonnie and Clyde
(1967)
Fast-Paced Depression Era Struggle
2 May 2024
Controversial for its perceived romanticism, jaunty bluegrass music and places of humor between the violence, "Bonnie and Clyde" shook things up at the cinema in 1967. To be far, the pair were anti-hero legends in their own time. They robbed banks. In the early 1930s, banks were perceived as the enemy, especially when they foreclosed on farms. The newspapers used Bonnie and Clyde as entertainment. If Bonnie couldn't make her dream of Hollywood stardom come true, she was going to publish a poem about herself and her paramour as the most notorious duo that lived and died together.
Producer-star Warren Beatty infused this American crime story of Depression ear struggle with French New Wave flavor. He even tried to recruit director Francois Truffaut and initially considered Leslie Caron for his Bonnie. Ultimately, he hired Arthur Penn to direct a fast-paced, bullet riddled outing ala Godard's "Breathless" (1960). And Faye Dunaway won the female lead.
Unforgettable is Dunaway's horrific expression when Bonnie's sad-faced mother tells them "you best keep on running" rather than settle down next to her. Equally striking are Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons as participating relatives. Michael J. Pollard as C. W. Moss is a fictional character, a composite of real Barrow gang accomplices.
There have been more accurate video accounts. Bruce Beresford's 2013 revisionist version staged a more correct sequence of events. Beatty's crack at it set main stream studio productions on a new track.
Producer-star Warren Beatty infused this American crime story of Depression ear struggle with French New Wave flavor. He even tried to recruit director Francois Truffaut and initially considered Leslie Caron for his Bonnie. Ultimately, he hired Arthur Penn to direct a fast-paced, bullet riddled outing ala Godard's "Breathless" (1960). And Faye Dunaway won the female lead.
Unforgettable is Dunaway's horrific expression when Bonnie's sad-faced mother tells them "you best keep on running" rather than settle down next to her. Equally striking are Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons as participating relatives. Michael J. Pollard as C. W. Moss is a fictional character, a composite of real Barrow gang accomplices.
There have been more accurate video accounts. Bruce Beresford's 2013 revisionist version staged a more correct sequence of events. Beatty's crack at it set main stream studio productions on a new track.
High Anxiety
(1977)
The Usual Brooks Suspects
2 May 2024
Mel Brooks' comic adoration of Alfred Hitchcock is more than a mere imitation. "High Anxiety," like Brooks' "Young Frankenstein," formulates creative bits of its own, as well as proceeding as a parody of "Vertigo," "Psycho" and "The Birds."
The usual Brooks suspects are hired. Cloris Leachman is nurse Diesel, head nurse of the Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, where Brooks is appointed director, following the mysterious death of his predecessor. Harvey Korman is the sneaky assistant director, lethally aligned with Diesel. Ron Carey is Brooks' chauffeur sidekick, the little guy who smells the rat that Brooks must trap. Madeline Kahn is hoping to rescue her committed father from the Institute. All very droll.
Starting Over
(1979)
An Unmarried Man Meets "An Unmarried Woman"
2 May 2024
An account of an unmarried man was inevitable, but who would have guessed that it would also star the star of "An Unmarried Woman" (1978). Burt Reynolds is paired with Jill Clayburgh in a James L. Brooks screenplay that knows the particulars of love and love lost. Miles away from his macho world of fast cars, trucks and CB radios, Burt plays a creative writing teacher stricken with divorce. His psychiatrist brother and his sister-in-law try to set him on a new romantic path. Clayburgh at first rejects Reynolds because he is too newly single. When she does consent to date, she is the aggressor, a move that makes him feel uneasy, like he is cheating on his former wife. The church divorce group workshop where lonely men can lament their past is one of the highlights.
Seems Like Old Times
(1980)
Silly Simon
30 April 2024
"Seems Like Old Times" doesn't seem like Neil Simon, not the Neil Simon who wrote "Barefoot in the Park," "The Heartbreak Kid," "The Goodbye Girl." Here he is more interested in physical follies rather than foibles in human nature. The characters are molded to suit the talents of the stars, again not a Simon trait. Chevy Chase fumbles, falls and smirks to his comedic content. Goldie Hawn whirls about in a dither, flashing her considerable eyelashes. They were more successfully paired in 1978's thriller-romance "Foul Play."
Director Jay Sandrich sticks to an old Hollywood screwball formula - a household of kooks, a car chase, games of hide-and-seek and a day in court, shades of "What's Up, Doc?" here. Chevy makes us roar in at least two scenes. Under a bed, his frantic right hand motions are hysterical when his left hand is suffering under the foot of another man. His impromptu romantic pass in Goldie's kitchen is inspired. The day in court has the judge proclaiming "This is silly on the surface, in the middle and on the bottom." He might just as well be referring to the film he is in.
Shenandoah
(1965)
Perfection for Stewart
27 April 2024
"Shenandoah" is one of those perfect Jame Stewart pictures. He is tough, forceful when called for, righteous, a dedicated father gifted with a humorous line and a livable philosophy. A veteran actor among rising young troupers (Doug McClure, Patrick Wayne, Glenn Corbet), Stewart is fed the finest lines by script writer James Lee Barrett in a strong Civil War story that deserves accolades as much as say "Gone with the Wind."
We immediately come to care for the Anderson family and their plight. Charlie Anderson(Stewart) is a Virginian farmer determined not to take sides. He reasons that he and his six sons and a daughter have worked their land without slaves all their days. Circumstances one day force him to be enveloped by the war.
Andrew V. McLaglen, director of numerous Stewart and John Wayne westerns, has a sure hand here too. The focus on Phillip Alford as the youngest sibling is poignant.
Andrew V. McLaglen, director of numerous Stewart and John Wayne westerns, has a sure hand here too. The focus on Phillip Alford as the youngest sibling is poignant.
Funny Lady
(1975)
7 Years After 'Funny Girl,' Streisand is Still Forceful
27 April 2024
A piece of humor here, a touch of sentiment there, a musical production number everywhere, "Funny Lady" has funny girl Fanny Brice growing older but no wiser in her romantic choices. Streisand vibrantly returns as the Depression era singing comedienne. Omar Sharif makes a cameo appearance as Fanny's gambling ex-husband. The new addition is James Caan as showman Billy Rose, Fanny's next husband.
The new Kander and Ebb songs try to proximate the "Funny Girl" libretto. "How Lucky Can You Get" is this movie's "People." "Let's Hear It For Me" tries too hard to parallel "Don't Rain on My Parade." Caan is physically unlike the real Rose. But who remembers what Rose looked and talked like? Caan wields his own endearing comic facial and manual mannerisms, and does decent vocals on "Me and My Shadow" and "It's Only a Paper Moon." Ultimately it is Streisand's picture. The camera lingers lovingly, seductively on her profile. A quiet Streisand tear or a resounding Streisand vocal chord can dominate the proceedings.
The new Kander and Ebb songs try to proximate the "Funny Girl" libretto. "How Lucky Can You Get" is this movie's "People." "Let's Hear It For Me" tries too hard to parallel "Don't Rain on My Parade." Caan is physically unlike the real Rose. But who remembers what Rose looked and talked like? Caan wields his own endearing comic facial and manual mannerisms, and does decent vocals on "Me and My Shadow" and "It's Only a Paper Moon." Ultimately it is Streisand's picture. The camera lingers lovingly, seductively on her profile. A quiet Streisand tear or a resounding Streisand vocal chord can dominate the proceedings.
New York, New York
(1977)
Liza's 'Star is Born' Turn
27 April 2024
This is a drama with music from an unlikely source - director Martin Scorsese and his protege actor Robert DeNiro, the duo notorious for the bloody narratives "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver." To be fair, Scorsese has been open to other genres. He stretched on "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," a woman's point-of-view story.
"New York, New York" uses cardboard sets for much of its surroundings, yet that is part of its charm. The production recalls the MGM musicals of the 50s. The standards and some new songs by Kander and Ebb ("Cabaret") are executed through Liza Minnelli as a jazz-pop singer. She is especially funny and first-rate in her resounding "nos" to DeNiro as he propositions her on V-J Day. He later accompanies her with his sax playing at an audition. This is the closest Liza comes to reflecting the charisma of her mother Judy Garland, whether she intended to or not.
DeNiro is especially affecting in an on-the-spot, wonderfully affectionate marriage proposal. Sadly, as the couple ascends to the showbiz top, their relationship becomes volatile. DeNiro starts acting a lot like his previous Scorsese-directed manic men: throwing tables, starting a drunken brawl and becoming abusive.
"A Star is Born" comes to mind in the latter half of the story.
"New York, New York" uses cardboard sets for much of its surroundings, yet that is part of its charm. The production recalls the MGM musicals of the 50s. The standards and some new songs by Kander and Ebb ("Cabaret") are executed through Liza Minnelli as a jazz-pop singer. She is especially funny and first-rate in her resounding "nos" to DeNiro as he propositions her on V-J Day. He later accompanies her with his sax playing at an audition. This is the closest Liza comes to reflecting the charisma of her mother Judy Garland, whether she intended to or not.
DeNiro is especially affecting in an on-the-spot, wonderfully affectionate marriage proposal. Sadly, as the couple ascends to the showbiz top, their relationship becomes volatile. DeNiro starts acting a lot like his previous Scorsese-directed manic men: throwing tables, starting a drunken brawl and becoming abusive.
"A Star is Born" comes to mind in the latter half of the story.
On A Clear Day You Can See Barbra
25 April 2024
'On A Clear Day' is a panorama showcase for Streisand's talents as a singer and comedic actress. She alternates smoothly between a clownish ethnic affectation and a commanding British manner as she impersonates dual roles in this bright, canorous comedy involving ESP and reincarnation. Breezily floating between 20th century New York City and 19th century England, 'Clear Day' is a clear choice for classy Technicolor diversion. Cecil Beaton's period costumes cloak Streisand voluptously, and the Lerner and Lane libretto give her a lot to sing about. "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here" is a rousing opener. "Love With All the Trimmings" is reminiscent of the "Tom Jones" sensuous supper sequence.
Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994)
Attractive Performers Need More Time
25 April 2024
The ebb and flow of love and marriage are the primary concerns of this British import, an ensemble piece on couples, couplings and singles, most of them in their twenties and thirties, and how five events shape their life philosophies. A loopy film on the humor that flows naturally out of crowded celebration scenes and the tenderness emanating from one burial, 'Four Weddings' has some forced humor that is gag-oriented.
The Hugh Grant/Andie McDowell relationship is the centerpiece amid fringe stories of their friends, but they need more courtship. You can't earnestly wish this romance lasts a lifetime when all they share is a couple of nights in a hotel bed. The writers seem unsure about making this a satire or a full-fledged love story. The peripheral chronicles around them, especially the gay couple's, read more believable and rock steady than the main affair. If only Grant and McDowell, obviously two very attractive performers, had more time and words to flesh out their roles, we would have a better time.
The Hugh Grant/Andie McDowell relationship is the centerpiece amid fringe stories of their friends, but they need more courtship. You can't earnestly wish this romance lasts a lifetime when all they share is a couple of nights in a hotel bed. The writers seem unsure about making this a satire or a full-fledged love story. The peripheral chronicles around them, especially the gay couple's, read more believable and rock steady than the main affair. If only Grant and McDowell, obviously two very attractive performers, had more time and words to flesh out their roles, we would have a better time.
First Love
(1977)
From The Guy's Point of View
25 April 2024
This time the guy is looking for perfect love. The guy is the romantic. The guy is the partner easily hurt. Based on a short story "Sentimental Education," "First Love" is seen through the tender eyes of a sensitive man. William Katt is that dewy-eyed guy who spots his first love (Susan Dey) in the college cafeteria. She gives him an initial rejection, acts busy, knowing all the while she would be thrilled to date him. Her sad family history and her pointless side affair will strain their romance. The couple's liaison is richly, humorously written. For such a commercial venture, "First Love" has an soul-stirring density not always present in maudlin love stories.
Renaissance Man
(1994)
'Dead Poets' in Fatigues
25 April 2024
If you enjoy the familial, emotional approach of director Penny Marshall, "Renaissance Man" boasts Danny DeVito's most likeable role in a likable movie. Bill Rago (DeVito) reluctantly accepts an English teaching position on an Army training base. Given his 70s anti-war sentiment and indifferent attitude about teaching (he has no degree, just work experience as an ad man), you know the laugh set-ups and character conflicts before they happen. They are fun and funny just the same.
Gregory Hines has the thankless job of playing the no-frills drill instructor, a by-the-book Army bully. He detests Rago's emphasis on literary appreciation. Mark Whalberg in 1994 was the rapper formally known as Marky Mark. He is surprisingly impressive.as one of the resistant Privates. Mark composed the rap you will hear.
Gregory Hines has the thankless job of playing the no-frills drill instructor, a by-the-book Army bully. He detests Rago's emphasis on literary appreciation. Mark Whalberg in 1994 was the rapper formally known as Marky Mark. He is surprisingly impressive.as one of the resistant Privates. Mark composed the rap you will hear.
The Flintstones
(1994)
The Flintstones Are Interchangable with The Kramdens
23 April 2024
"The Flintstones" were always just an animated version of "The Honeymooners." Fred and Barney are the cartoon foils of Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. Both sets of guys had their marital foibles, working-class duties, and were members of a men's organization. A live-action rendering of "The Flintstones" with John Goodman as Fred and Rick Moranis as his sidekick Barney is just a situation comedy reverting back to its roots. Goodman and Moranis even imitate the comic styling of Gleason and Carney. Rosie O'Donnell has that Betty Rubble giggle. Elizabeth Perkins seems too young as Fred's wife.
The real stars of the movie are the Jim Henson puppets, the scenic design and the set decorations. The Slate Company in the rock quarry is splendidly built. The little castle homes are outlandishly fabulous, complete with a lively Dino the dinosaur pet and a burping boar garbage disposal. You can count on the original Flintstones theme at beginning and end for that all-important nostalgic appeal.
Plot? What plot? It's enough to fill a half-hour episode, yet this extravaganza is an hour and a half. The bulk of it is sight gags and sounds. A sequel would have been in line so we could go beyond the sets and move into situations. Letting the children Peebles and Bam-Bam grow into teens might have been good fodder for another film. Hey, how about securing Ann-Margret to play Ann-Margrock again? Alas, none of this materialized. A prequel called 'Viva Rock Vegas' appeared in 2000 with a new cast. Ann-Margret did get to sing the theme song.
The real stars of the movie are the Jim Henson puppets, the scenic design and the set decorations. The Slate Company in the rock quarry is splendidly built. The little castle homes are outlandishly fabulous, complete with a lively Dino the dinosaur pet and a burping boar garbage disposal. You can count on the original Flintstones theme at beginning and end for that all-important nostalgic appeal.
Plot? What plot? It's enough to fill a half-hour episode, yet this extravaganza is an hour and a half. The bulk of it is sight gags and sounds. A sequel would have been in line so we could go beyond the sets and move into situations. Letting the children Peebles and Bam-Bam grow into teens might have been good fodder for another film. Hey, how about securing Ann-Margret to play Ann-Margrock again? Alas, none of this materialized. A prequel called 'Viva Rock Vegas' appeared in 2000 with a new cast. Ann-Margret did get to sing the theme song.
Love Story
(1970)
Big Sentimental Punch
18 April 2024
What can you say about a picture that sends audiences clutching their handkerchiefs? That it is beautiful. And brilliant. And better than the basically "she said/I said" material in the Erich Segal bestseller. Credit goes to director Arthur Hiller and cinematographer Dick Kratina for staging Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal amid romantic landscapes, to the sweet strains of Francis Lai's haunting love theme. That's the secret to the film's success. All the cinematic elements are in sync.
The screenplay, by Segal, is completely dependent upon the actors and visuals to keep interest. Neither disappoints. The story is simple. Preppie Harvard hockey player Oliver Barrett IV meets Jenny Cavilleri, self-confessed social zero Radcliffe music student. They annoy each other, but you know love will win out.
The screenplay, by Segal, is completely dependent upon the actors and visuals to keep interest. Neither disappoints. The story is simple. Preppie Harvard hockey player Oliver Barrett IV meets Jenny Cavilleri, self-confessed social zero Radcliffe music student. They annoy each other, but you know love will win out.
Grease
(1978)
"Grease" IS the Word
18 April 2024
An evocation of a time and place often labeled "the good ole days," "Grease" is a near operatic salute to bobby socks, taffeta dresses and black leather jackets. Quoting its own vernacular, it's peachy keen, whirling its viewers through chorus tunes inspired by 50s rock 'n' roll. Comic book characters make out, sing out, break out at pajama parties, sock hops, soda shops, drag strips and high school carnivals! Did your school have carnivals? Mostly staged around Hollywood-built sets, "Grease" is a throwback to 50s movie musicals.
While the cast members are well beyond their teen years, it is no matter. Just have fun with it. Danny (24 year old John Travolta) just wants to score. Sandy (30 year old Olivia Newton-John) desires middle-class romance and marriage. "Trashy" Rizzo (34 year old Stockard Channing) claims "there are worst things I could do."
While the cast members are well beyond their teen years, it is no matter. Just have fun with it. Danny (24 year old John Travolta) just wants to score. Sandy (30 year old Olivia Newton-John) desires middle-class romance and marriage. "Trashy" Rizzo (34 year old Stockard Channing) claims "there are worst things I could do."
The Reivers
(1969)
Rascally 'Reivers'
18 April 2024
A reiver is a rascal, a scoundrel, a con-artist, an operator. It's an old Scottish word meaning robber. "The Reivers" captures the spirit and scenery of early 20th century Mississippi. The jaunty journey begins when grandfather (Will Greer) departs for an out-of-town funeral and instructs handyman Boon (Steve McQueen) to lock up his beautiful 1905 Winton Flyer. Predictably, itchy-handed Boon heads for Memphis in the vehicle, with the grandson 11-year old Lucius (Mitch Vogel) in tow. Hiding in the back seat is friend Ned (Rupert Crosse). The hell-raising trio stop off at a bordello where employee Miss Corrie (Sharon Farrell) joins the frolicsome itinerary that leads to horse smuggling and a bet on the races as the characters steal your heart away.
The rogues are lovable. Vogel makes an impressive screen debut. McQueen is exuberant and exciting, not his usual detached, sullen self.
The rogues are lovable. Vogel makes an impressive screen debut. McQueen is exuberant and exciting, not his usual detached, sullen self.
The Secret of Santa Vittoria
(1969)
Community Spirits
18 April 2024
The 'secret' is a million, more or less, bottles of wine. The Nazis want it. The townspeople need to hide it. As the story opens in the summer of 1943, Santa Vittoria is celebrating the downfall of fascist dictator Mussolini. The dancing in the streets is short lived because the Germans are coming to confiscate the wine, the small town's livelihood. It is always amazing what a concerted community can accomplish. It is amazing what producer/director Stanley Kramer and screenwriters William Rose and Ben Maddow have accomplished in bringing Robert Crichton's best seller to the screen. Crichton's inspiration comes from his experience as an infantryman in Italy.
Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn plays Bombolini the Italian with as much gusto as he played Zorba the Greek. His inimitable performance as the town drunk and cuckolded husband who becomes mayor is matched by the spirited, earthy performance of Anna Magnani as his argumentative, long suffering wife. In turn they are surrounded by carefully chosen actors who also expound the funny, expressive gestures of their ethnicity. If your relatives came from the old country you will appreciate the hand motions and facial contortions.
The villain of the piece is the German commander (Hardy Kruger) assigned to appropriate the wine. It's inferred that he secretly admires the steadfastness of this fellowship. After threatening, to no avail, the lives of some of its citizens, he asks in amazement "What kind of people are you?" We've known all along - they are caring, tough, loving, devoted compatriots. Kramer has taken great care in presenting them to us.
Mexican-American actor Anthony Quinn plays Bombolini the Italian with as much gusto as he played Zorba the Greek. His inimitable performance as the town drunk and cuckolded husband who becomes mayor is matched by the spirited, earthy performance of Anna Magnani as his argumentative, long suffering wife. In turn they are surrounded by carefully chosen actors who also expound the funny, expressive gestures of their ethnicity. If your relatives came from the old country you will appreciate the hand motions and facial contortions.
The villain of the piece is the German commander (Hardy Kruger) assigned to appropriate the wine. It's inferred that he secretly admires the steadfastness of this fellowship. After threatening, to no avail, the lives of some of its citizens, he asks in amazement "What kind of people are you?" We've known all along - they are caring, tough, loving, devoted compatriots. Kramer has taken great care in presenting them to us.
Yentl
(1983)
Streisand's Tour de Force
17 April 2024
Beautifully photographed, tenderly written, lushly scored, "Yentl" is Streisand's pet project come to fruition, a masterwork of drama with music.
Storybooks are for women, sacred books are for men in 1904 Eastern Europe. Yentl wants to study Talmud. Upon the passing of her father, she cuts her hair and poses as a boy in order to enter a Yeshiva. Inherent problems arise when she meets her study partner (Mandy Patinkin) who she is secretly attracted to, and his intended (Amy Irving). Gender complications incur, similar to "Tootsie" and "Victor/Victoria." Producer, director, co-writer, star Streisand is most generous to her co-stars, despite her being in nearly every scene. All the performers get to shine. Unfortunately, singer Patinkin does not get to sing. The Michel Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman compositions are heard only as Yentl's internal observations. Characters do not burst into vocals as in traditional Hollywood musicals.
Storybooks are for women, sacred books are for men in 1904 Eastern Europe. Yentl wants to study Talmud. Upon the passing of her father, she cuts her hair and poses as a boy in order to enter a Yeshiva. Inherent problems arise when she meets her study partner (Mandy Patinkin) who she is secretly attracted to, and his intended (Amy Irving). Gender complications incur, similar to "Tootsie" and "Victor/Victoria." Producer, director, co-writer, star Streisand is most generous to her co-stars, despite her being in nearly every scene. All the performers get to shine. Unfortunately, singer Patinkin does not get to sing. The Michel Legrand and Alan and Marilyn Bergman compositions are heard only as Yentl's internal observations. Characters do not burst into vocals as in traditional Hollywood musicals.
Rosemary's Baby
(1968)
Horror Played Out in Broad Daylight
17 April 2024
There are no brooms or tall black hats associated with the witches in Ira Levine's "Rosemary's Baby," yet this is a terrifying intense read. Director Roman Polanski's screenplay is just as meticulously mounted. Even if you read the book you will be riveted by the film's slow reveal. This is a horror movie played out in broad daylight. The devil worshippers are an outwardly kind, talkative elderly couple played by veterans Sidney Blackmer and Ruth Gordon, who befriend their Manhattan apartment neighbors the Woodhouses.
Mia Farrow (as Rosemary Woodhouse) knows this is a casting opportunity not to be missed, even though Frank Sinatra, her husband at the time, recommended she pass on it. All our empathy is with her as she gradually fears for herself and her unborn child. She comes to suspect her actor-husband Guy (John Cassavetes) is in on a diabolical plot. Convincing someone to believe her is the tussle.
This is most unusual for producer William Castle, schlock and shock master of gimmick driven terrors ("The House on Haunted Hill," "13 Ghosts," "The Tingler"), I read he was pressured not to direct. The fright images here are much more subtle. They scare without being graphic. The darkest moments occur in the impregnation sqeuence which may or may not be a drug-induced nightmare. The scenes that send the most chills happen in the daytime. Letters from a scrabble game spell out an anagram of one of the conniving characters. Rosemary makes a desperate phone booth call for help to her former obstetrician. In another revealing talk, listen for the uncredited voice of Tony Curtis on the phone with Rosemary.
Cassavetes is the weakest link in an otherwise completely superb cast. He seems distant and uninterested, which may have been the intent. By this point in his career, he was active in pursuing his independent projects with wife Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk.
Mia has most of the screen time, and rightly so. Even after work with Woody Allen, she will be mostly remembered for this.
Mia Farrow (as Rosemary Woodhouse) knows this is a casting opportunity not to be missed, even though Frank Sinatra, her husband at the time, recommended she pass on it. All our empathy is with her as she gradually fears for herself and her unborn child. She comes to suspect her actor-husband Guy (John Cassavetes) is in on a diabolical plot. Convincing someone to believe her is the tussle.
This is most unusual for producer William Castle, schlock and shock master of gimmick driven terrors ("The House on Haunted Hill," "13 Ghosts," "The Tingler"), I read he was pressured not to direct. The fright images here are much more subtle. They scare without being graphic. The darkest moments occur in the impregnation sqeuence which may or may not be a drug-induced nightmare. The scenes that send the most chills happen in the daytime. Letters from a scrabble game spell out an anagram of one of the conniving characters. Rosemary makes a desperate phone booth call for help to her former obstetrician. In another revealing talk, listen for the uncredited voice of Tony Curtis on the phone with Rosemary.
Cassavetes is the weakest link in an otherwise completely superb cast. He seems distant and uninterested, which may have been the intent. By this point in his career, he was active in pursuing his independent projects with wife Gena Rowlands and Seymour Cassel, Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk.
Mia has most of the screen time, and rightly so. Even after work with Woody Allen, she will be mostly remembered for this.
Hello, Dolly!
(1969)
Streisand Delights as Dolly
16 April 2024
A most lavish screen adaptation, despite unusual choices. Gene Kelly directs, but Michael Kidd is the choreographer. At the time twentysomething Barbra Streisand is cast as the widowed matchmaker. Granted she is made up to look older. Who's to say she couldn't be a young widow. Certainly her vocal chords lend resonance to the Jerry Herman lyrics. "Before the Parade Passes By" recalls her "Don't Rain on My Parade" from "Funny Girl." "So Long Dearie" gives her a waggish Mae West imitation. Her quiet, slow renderings on "It Takes a Woman" and "Love is Only Love" are standouts.
As unmarried, half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, Walter Matthau may be too aged and tone deaf next to his co-star, yet he is appropriately cantankerous. The astronomical production budget shows on the screen, in the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant set, and the costumes, especially Dolly's gold-laden gown.
As unmarried, half-a-millionaire Horace Vandergelder, Walter Matthau may be too aged and tone deaf next to his co-star, yet he is appropriately cantankerous. The astronomical production budget shows on the screen, in the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant set, and the costumes, especially Dolly's gold-laden gown.
"This never happened to the other fella"
16 April 2024
George Lazenby, in the role Sean Connery vacated in 1969, knocks off five armed thugs, and rescues a lady from drowning herself, all in the first ten minutes, to which he responds, "This never happened to the other fella." The producers were well aware that "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was going to be a harder sell, after Sean Connery's five Bond features. They put "James Bond 007" above the title, not Lazenby's name. They loaded the action with the usual guns, gadgets, girls and global locations.
Interestingly, Lazenby's 007 is less flippant, more tender. The villain is Blofeld again, successfully played by Telly Savalas. Employing a bevy of programmed beauties, world domination is the goal. Diana Rigg is a worthy love interest, more predominant than previous Bond girls. A thrilling chase scene on skis and skidoos down snowy slopes is the set piece. Louis Armstrong performs the beautifully ironic "We Have All the Time in the World" over the soundtrack.
Interestingly, Lazenby's 007 is less flippant, more tender. The villain is Blofeld again, successfully played by Telly Savalas. Employing a bevy of programmed beauties, world domination is the goal. Diana Rigg is a worthy love interest, more predominant than previous Bond girls. A thrilling chase scene on skis and skidoos down snowy slopes is the set piece. Louis Armstrong performs the beautifully ironic "We Have All the Time in the World" over the soundtrack.
Funny Girl
(1968)
Funny and Tender Barbra
16 April 2024
Debuting on screen in the role she made famous on Broadway, Streisand is completely captivating and charming in the bitter-sweet bio of singer-comedienne Fanny Brice. If there ever was the perfect actress in the perfect part, she is it. Seated alone in a darkened theatre, Fanny thinks back on her career, including her struggle to get noticed and hired, her work in the Ziegfeld follies, and her tumultuous marriage to professional gambler Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif).
The picture boasts big, brassy numbers ("I'm the Greatest Star," "Don't Rain on My Parade"), comic moments ("You are Woman, I am Man") and sentimental ballads ("People," "My Man").
The picture boasts big, brassy numbers ("I'm the Greatest Star," "Don't Rain on My Parade"), comic moments ("You are Woman, I am Man") and sentimental ballads ("People," "My Man").
The Owl and the Pussycat
(1970)
Streisand, Segal, Sensational
16 April 2024
For her first non-singing role, Streisand chose this raucous, foul-mouthed, salacious, provocatively dressed (or undressed, as the case may be) hooker. Thrown out of her apartment for illicit activity, she comes knocking on the door of neighbor, would-be writer/bookstore clerk Segal, whom she suspects is the squealer. A clamorous altercation continues nearly non-stop throughout the night, resulting in them being evicted from the building. They call upon the generosity of Segal's Doubleday co-worker. They continue arguing in the friend's living room, eventually moving into the vacated bedroom for a romp, followed by a morning-after of embarrassing inquiries and crude comments. Buck Henry's screenplay is riotous. Streisand and Segal dance around our funny bone and finally into our hearts.
The Main Event
(1979)
Barbra and Ryan are the Main Attraction
16 April 2024
"The Main Event" is a featherweight entertainment reminiscent of 40s romantic comedies with the added attraction of 70s male/female sensibilities. It is the lightest, happiest frolic you are likely to encounter as a frizzy red-haired, scantily clad Barbra Streisand takes on her "What's Up, Doc?" mate Ryan O'Neal. They make movie magic again. Successful perfume mogul (Barbra) is swindled by her accountant. Her response: "And he didn't leave a number in south America?" He did leave her a money-losing tax-shelter contract with Kid Natural (O'Neal), a boxer who hasn't fought in four years. They agree, upon conditions, to work out of their poverty together. Their bickering runs like NIagara Falls. They act frustratingly celibate for the longest time. Their relationship, after all, is supposed to be strictly business. At one theatrical preview, the audience laughed so loud and long that portions of continued conversation became inaudible! You won't have that problem at home.
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