brainyidiot Reviews

Little Lord Fauntleroy (1921)

Suspend Disbelief and Enjoy the Charm

[10/10 · 27 August 2009]

After you get used to the idea of the then 29 year old Mary Pickford playing a boy, you'll find this silent film is a classic in its own right. Miss PIckford also plays the lads mother incorporating techniques quite clever for its day. Tricks like forced perspective, over-sized sets, and double exposures that reportedly took many hours to film to get it right. The sentimental story's acting is superb all around and encompasses quite a bit of humor as well as drama. The sets are very good and it's amazing how Miss Pickford acts a bit naive like a young boy would but full of genuine heart and compassion for others. Claude Gillingwater is excellent as the cantankerous Earl who sends for the American boy who he had disowned because his late son had married a American commoner. Also excellent is Joseph Dowling as the Earl's lawyer who handles his affairs including being the bearer of bad news. The film has been restored by the Mary Pickford Foundation and a very nice orchestra soundtrack was added in recent years. It all adds up to a timeless movie fill of charm and it's easy to see why Mary Pickford was a superstar in her time. Another note: She became so popular that she formed her own company and along with others like Charlie Chaplin was a founder of United Artist which is an organization of independent film companies.

Rainbow Bridge (1972)

Good Soundtrack in Spite of Hippie Airheads

[2/10 · 24 August 2009]

The great Jimi Hendrix studio soundtrack doesn't save this chaotic poorly edited film where members of a hippie cult on Maui get stoned and practice several versions of pseudoscience like when an astrologer tries to convince some chick that his charts can "channel her energy" or something. She keeps telling him what he's saying about her must be someone else's chart but it doesn't faze him like any other true believer. He keeps talking about her sex life so maybe he was just trying to get laid as he sits inside an inner tube. Then there's the guy who cuts open a surfboard to reveal the hash he smuggled in so he and his pals can get wasted and cough a lot. There's Jesus freaks, meditation weirdo's, claims of UFO SIghtings and endless boring babble about topics perhaps only coherent to someone with a room temperature IQ as the real life Hendrix groupie Pat Hartley takes it all in. Finally Hendrix performs in the final minutes of the film to a couple hundred hippies who showed up for the free concert. Trouble is it was so windy the sound quality sucked overall. Oh yeah, there's psychedelic images and lefty political talk. The typical diatribe on what a mess the world is in. I guess it gave the cast something to get stoned about. Unfortunately Hendrix died a very young man a few months after the concert in this movie was filmed with the plus being he didn't live long enough to be embarrassed by this silly awful movie he was briefly in. Not to be confused with the excellent unrelated Hendrix studio album of the same name.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Ride the Nightmare (1962) Season 1, Episode 11

Taut Psychological Drama

[8/10 · 21 April 2008]

Very well acted story of a married man haunted by his criminal past. Gena Rowlands is a real standout as an unknowing wife who learns of her husbands criminal career from a visit by one of his former cohorts that leads to an unfortunate set of consequences. Hugh O'Brien plays the conflicted husband with a nervous demeanor who tries to reassure his wife that he's a reformed man. The late great John Anderson plays a heavy with ambitions of his own. Watch for a brief but memorable appearance from the prolific character actor Olan Soule as a bumbling drunken neighbor who shows up at a most inopportune time. David Cronenberg's "A History of Violence" follows a similar story line.

The Bridge (I) (2006)

Suicide isn't painless and neither is "The Bridge"

[1/10 · 12 January 2008]

"The Bridge" manipulates the viewer into a voyeuristic view of pathetic people ending their lives by taking that final leap from the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge. It's a real downer of a movie that features interviews with mostly annoying family members and nutty friends who unprofessionally attempt to analyze why the victims did what they did and rationalize their own guilt trips. It doesn't make for entertainment or compelling commentary unless you're drawn to plodding dialog and the unsensational short moments of the jumpers falling to their deaths. Are these people troubled? They gotta be. Did this viewer care? Not in the least.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007)

Suspend disbelief and enjoy the ride

[7/10 · 25 December 2007]

National Treasure: Book of Secrets is the kind of high adventure movie that succeeds in keeping you on the edge of your seat while Nick Cage and company follow a sort of secular New World Da Vinci Code by following one clue after another up until the exciting climax. Seems like Cage's family is linked to the Lincoln assassination so he sets out to prove it untrue. His nemesis played by the always reliable Ed Harris is ominously following him for reasons of his own. The lovely Diane Kruger is back but this time they're estranged-but as in all formula flicks we already can figure out the outcome of that plot twist. It's a plus that Helen Mirren is along as John Voight's long ago ex and Cage's mother and it turns out she has a talent of her own as an expert on ancient carvings that proves useful in Cage's quest. Unfortunately, Harvet Keitel only has a few scenes as does Bruce Greenwood as the President. But it all amounts to a good popcorn movie the whole family can enjoy. Oh yeah, Ty Burrell makes a likable sidekick computer geek with tricks of his own. Is it far fetched? Sure, but it works as entertainment.

Waitress (2007)

annoyance as entertainment?

[3/10 · 16 November 2007]

It's difficult to say anything bad about a motion picture after the brutal murder of its director. What can you say about a picture where the most appealing thing about it is a wonderful selection of pies. The actors do their best struggling to bring meaning into a script that falls flat in its attempt to reflect true life with a meandering story that has you laboriously counting the minutes after a promising first half hour. The big question that comes to mind is how can an attractive women have such a jerk as a husband-be passive about it, and could a doctor really fall for a bloated pregnant mental case of a woman-especially after it's revealed that he has a loving together wife of his own? All the main characters except Andy Griffith are completely annoying and unworthy of any entertainment value. It's basically a chick flick gone bad and a total waste of talent and time. If you wish to feel pain watching painful lives you might like it. Others beware.

Death Proof (2007)

Detroit Extreme Machines & Powerful Hotties

[10/10 · 7 September 2007]

Being a gear-head originally from the Motor City I found Death Proof quite satisfying. A bit of a anti-climatic start following Planet Terror in the edited down version for Grindhouse, the stand-alone full version hits on all 8 cylinders high octane. No sissified upscale coffeehouse yuppie pleasing imported hybrid cars here, but genuine pumped up blue-collar Detroit steel right out of the rust belt making powerful use of their 8 miles to the gallon, cheater-slicks, headers, and glass-packs. From the applied film damage and choppy cuts to the transition into the more pristine second half, Mr. Tarantino succeeds in presenting an exciting homage to a time when smoke filled 2nd and 3rd run cinema houses would play a genre of machine chase movies that delighted while keeping you on the edge of your seat-that is when you weren't making out. Awesome soundtrack too. Kurt Russell is simply outstanding as a homicidal maniac who has a taste for hot colorful women. Trouble is, he really wants to kill them with his jacked-up muscle stunt car. Real standouts among the female cast are the lovely Rosario Dawson and the absolutely phenomenal Zoe Bell--herself a stunt women who demonstrates some smokin' moves and surprising acting talent. Marcy Harriell has a brief but memorable scene as a aspiring actress coaching Vanessa Ferlito on how to handle a pickup line. All of the female characters are very good and sassy. Tracie Thoms plays an intriguing fowl-mouthed but lovable control freak. Sure, there are unfortunate female victims along the way, but the ultimate message is "chick power!"

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Happiness is Hot Fuzz!

[9/10 · 18 June 2007]

Despite it's awful title, Hot Fuzz is an unexpected thrill ride of a buddy flick. Everything about the movie works--from the fine acting all around, to the crisp direction, sharp dialog, and inventive editing, this sleeper hit is bound to become a cult classic in the vein of Local Hero. It's a tale about a transfered city cop out of his element in a country village where a gallery of quirky characters aren't what they seem. A series of deaths has the new cop in town figuring out that there must be some kind of conspiracy. The townsfolk are pleasant enough but something isn't quite right. Why are people dying from odd accidents? What are the motives for what is going on? Finely crafted action scenes and original story leaves the viewer wanting more. Hot Fuzz rocks!

The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961)

Ultimate Global Warming Movie

[9/10 · 1 June 2007]

The lack of special FX in TDTECF only proves that you don't need them to convey an effective story. The sharp dialog and excellent acting makes this 60's sci-fi yarn about the end of the world a must-see for those who can stomach the nihilistic view on how people would behave if facing the end of the world. Edward Judd delivers a fine performance as a newspaper man jaded from a failed marriage and having to deal with the daily sensational stories that make good press. The late Janet Munro is also very good as his love interest in a tale that fleshes out its characters in a full 3 dimensions within what is most distinctly adult situations. As the world heats up, we're reminded that humankind may have the power to destroy itself but the culprit isn't CO-2, but rather other factors brought upon by destructive technology. It's the old "we are destroying ourselves" argument. One memorable scene near the end has a bunch of crazy teenagers running amok. Everything about this movie works.

No Substitute for Victory (1971)

Parallels to Today Uncanny

[6/10 · 27 November 2006]

It's easy to dismiss this propaganda film as right-wing rhetoric because of its pro-military view on fighting an unpopular war. John Wayne was a fervent rightist and believer in the fundamentals of a Constitional Republic. That is--besides being a movie superstar. Mr. Wayne's narrative acts as a sort of lead-in to military leaders who comment about the facts of the warfare and politics of Vietnam as they see them, and the consequences of fighting a war they felt Congress didn't have the will to win. Plus there's mention of the 'Liberal Press' not helping matters much by how they report the news. Sound familiar? "If it bleeds it leads" is still prevalent in the media. Many of the arguments in this film could be shifted to what's going on in the war against terrorism. Could be that the tenets of modern warfare have commonalities in any case when it comes to the defense of freedom. Highlights include archival scenes of air attacks, refugees ritualising with their dead, and a whole spectrum of war-torn Vietnam with the American's being fundamentally the good guys. Whether you agree with this film or not, it's a great curio for propaganda film buffs and can be found for typically a dollar in a cheap DVD bin. The film transfer and sound quality are passable for a color film from 1970. Bonus: Check out John Wayne's bad toupee!

Casa de los babys (2003)

turkey

[2/10 · 12 October 2005]

As a fan of John Sayles and many of the people in this tedious production, I wonder why Sayles would write a story involving a bunch of annoying yacking women I wouldn't want to spent 5 minutes with let alone the length of a movie. It's just a waste of good talent. You know you're in trouble when the most entertaining part of the movie is the brief glimpses of the beautiful locations. If I had a mother like anyone of these women, I would have ran away from home. Daryl Hannah, though lovely was so much better in Kill Bill. Marcia Gay Hardin was excellent in Pollack, but I hated her here. Mary Steenburgan hasn't really done anything good since Time After Time, and Lily Taylor was probably the most interesting of the bunch here, but why bother? It stinks.

Soul Plane (2004)

blaxploitation run amok

[1/10 · 24 September 2005]

I watched this movie and gave up after about 45 minutes. Every recycled cliché in the book about the worst aspects of black culture are in this swill. The plot is a sort of black version of "Airplane" with just about no laughs. Tom Arnold isn't funny, nor Snoop Dog, nor just everyone else. A bunch of talented people were wasted in this movie. One of the few laughs came early in the film, then it was all downward from there. How a film this awful could get someone to invest in it is a mystery to me. I'm sorry I wasted the gas to go to my local library where I checked this one out for free. It was the special "Unrated Mile-High Edition." It's one of those comedies that isn't funny unless you're amused by lowbrow bathroom jokes and bad everything. It stinks.

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

entertaining, but factually inaccurate

[5/10 · 20 September 2005]

The real Bonnie and Clyde were neither glamorous or attractive. And they were largely unknown nationally until their violent deaths. One day alone during Bonnie's funeral, 20,000 people visited the funeral home where she laid in state and was mostly condemned by those who attended it out of curiosity as being the ruthless murderers they in fact were. No real Robin Hood types as glamorized by this film. The FBI was in its early days plagued by ineptness and disorganization. Plus many local police agencies were corrupt and uncooperative in their dealings with them. This movie takes great liberties with their portrayal of these uneducated white trash brutal criminals. If you want to know the actual facts, read the fascinating book "Public Enemies" by Bryan Burrough. It tells the 2 year story of the early days of the FBI, Bonnie and Clyde, Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barker Gang-among other bank robbers of the day. While this movie may work as entertainment, the true story of Bonnie and Clyde will sicken you.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

artfully boring

[4/10 · 16 June 2005]

I love art and thought this film had some beautiful composition in the camera work.

A very nice look and feel for the times too.

I also thought Scarlett Johansson was quite lovely in the title role and does share a striking resemblance to the girl in the painting.

One problem I had was that the movie is a big snore. I wanted to like it, but the pacing was so slow that I had a hard time staying awake.

It did spark in me an interest in Vermeer though. I found a website with examples of his some 35 known works and I can see why he was considered a "Dutch Master." The painting "The Girl with a Pearl Earring" was posed by a model that is unknown to this very day. Speculation was that she might have been Vermeer's daughter, but his eldest at the time was only 11.

In my view, the painting is far more interesting than the movie. Anyone agree?