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Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
The Semiotics of Fake Masculinity
All the symbols are there: monster trucks, tractor/trailers, antique cars as hot rods, guns, flames, explosions, tattoos, gravelly voices, attack dogs, a junkyard, leather gloves, studs, chains. There's room in this dystopian world for women and girls if they just get "with it." It's equity, baby. "Mad Max, Fury Road" (2015) was the epitome of George Miller's genre. Miller has a genius for hooking the audience visually and keeping it moving, this time for another 148 minutes in the Australian desert. The plot of this prequel is immaterial to what we're seeing. But this act may be getting stale. Perhaps, it is time for Miller to consider something else, but probably not unless audiences vote with their feet. How much money can you spend, George?
The Lost Weekend (1945)
Brilliant
After having worked with novelist/screenwriter Raymond Chandler on "Double Indemnity" (1944) who then "fell off the wagon," Billy Wilder decided to adapt Charles Jackson's novel with Charles Brackett about a writer/alcoholic. The desperation of Don Birnam (Ray Milland) is well captured, but sometimes seems exaggerated to the point of comedy, thus provoking some laughter in a preview. The great Miklos Rozsa was called upon to provide a new score that conveyed the suspense of Don Birnam's inner struggle and, with the use of a theremin, its perversity. Phillip Terry has arguably his best screen role as the caretaker brother and delivers; Jane Wyman excels as the caring fiancee. Beautiful Doris Dowling, sister of beautiful Constance Dowling, appears in support. Howard daSilva is just right as the cynical bartender and Frank Faylen is superb as a male nurse, touching upon, without developing, the homosexual subtext. This is a magnificent presentation of alcohol addiction as well as an exemplar of great film craftsmanship, one of Wilder's best: a very popular film that earned 7 Nominations, 4 Oscars.
The Stratton Story (1949)
Feel Good Biopic
Based on the life of pitcher Monte Stratton, this baseball story was very popular and inspiring for people with bad luck or a handicap. James Stewart and June Allyson do some if their best work for director Sam Wood. After much success with Orson Welles, Agnes Moorhead is cast as a mother yet again and Frank Morgan is cheerful as the baseball scout, who discovers and encourages Stratton. Bill Dickey and Jimmy Dykes play themselves along with Gene Bearden and Mervyn Shea, lending authenticity to this amazing tale. Douglas Morrow won the Oscar for Best Motion Picture Story against stiff competition.
The Babe Ruth Story (1948)
The Beatification of The Babe
In 1927, when Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs for the New York Yankees, the other seven American League teams did not hit 60 home runs AS AN ENTIRE TEAM. For a contemporary slugger like Shohei Otani or Aaron Judge to match this achievement in 2023, they would have had to hit in excess of 233 home runs in one season, a pure impossibility. Ruth, referred to as "The Bambino" or "The Sultan of Swat" was the one major mythological figure to emerge from the Roaring Twenties, exceeding even Charles Lindbergh and Al Capone. This sappy biopic was produced and directed by, of course, Roy Del Ruth. It depicts this ballplayer as a saint-like patron of the poor and the innocent, performing miracles like healing the lame and the halt. As Hollywood well knew, every boy from a broken home needed the the nurturing guidance from a Roman Catholic priest like Brother Matthias (Charles Bickford), at Ruth's side from childhood to his deathbed. Ruth, despite previous acting experience, could not play himself due to ill health, and recommended barrel-chested William Bendix in his place, saw the film and soon died. Bosley Crowther accurately described the title character as "a great, mawkish, noble-spirited buffoon," a role Bendix continued in his TV series, "The Life of Riley."
Bodyguard (1948)
Late 1940s Claptrap
Possibly typecast, Lawrence Tierney stars as a hot-tempered, two-fisted ex-LAPD detective hired as a bodyguard for a stubborn old woman (Elisabeth Risdon), being cheated out of her business, in a story co-written by future director Robert Altman. Resourceful, daring Priscilla Lane, in her final film appearance, is the dependable Gal Friday every successful man needs. DP Robert De Grasse's shadowy photography and Paul Sawtelle's suspense music suits the genre. Director Richard Fleischer includes every possible cliche of physical action, while treating the audience to enough period automobiles and LA street scenes to make this contrivance seem realistic. Boredom is barely averted by its 62 minute length.
Alibi Ike (1935)
Cornball Baseball
One of three baseball movies, starring Joe E. Brown and based on a Ring Lardner story inspired by major league pitcher King Cole, it relates the tale of a small town yokel, who saves a franchise with his skill. During the Great Depression, excellence was attainable for the poor in sports. Beautiful Olivia de Havilland, age19, debuts as the love interest, but the slow, plodding pace of the film is an even bigger limitation than the farfetched antics and the constant lying and bragging of the hero. William Frawley excels as the exasperated manager, but Brown's elaborate windup misses the target.
Fireman, Save My Child! (1932)
Hollywood In The Early Thirties
Joe E. Brown stars as a lumbering galoot, who is a great baseball player and who invented a new, chemical based fire extinguisher, delivered in a baseball sized sphere. This wildly improbable yarn includes two of the beauties of the period, Evelyn Knapp and Lilian Bond, two of the many young women, who flocked to the dream factories at the outset of the Great Depression. Demonstrating the effectiveness of his invention and leading St. Louis to victory over New York keeps Brown busy in Lloyd Bacon's involving, suspenseful 67 minute yarn. When he's not eating bananas, Brown has a hectic schedule, swinging from one task to another. Even New Yorkers can cheer this daring young man!
Stranger on the Third Floor (1940)
Not Bad
Writer/producer Boris Ingster took a stab at directing three times. This distinctly B picture was well cast and its leads are exceedingly good looking, John McGuire and Margaret Tallichet, the latter's career abbreviated when she became Mrs. William Wyler. The story is common enough: a man mistaken as a criminal, who in this case, is Peter Lorre in his typical role of mild-mannered homicidal maniac. It includes a lengthy, elaborate, entertaining dream sequence. The screenplay is boosted with a contribution by Nathanael West, but it is very predictable. Still, DP Nicholas Musuraca's backlot black & white work is excellent and it moves along in a brisk, satisfying 64 minutes.
The Journey (1959)
The Travails of Tourism
Set during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and inspired by a short story by Guy de Maupassant, Hungarian writer George Tabori's script makes a good vehicle for Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, in the wake of their success in "The King And I" three years earlier. A busload of western Europeans are trying to go from Budapest to Vienna, but run into a group of Hungarian nationalists that includes Anouk Aimee, looking to kill a Soviet Major (Brynner). Jason Robards Jr debuts; Senta Berger and Ron Howard, age 5, make early appearances. Robert Morley, yet again, plays the English gentleman in awkward circumstances in a foreign country. DP Jack Hildyard does a fine job as does director Anatole Litvak. But Kerr and Robards trapped in Hungary, like Ilsa and Victor in "Casablanca" (1942), dependent on cynical boozer Major Surov, in a version (or perversion) of Bogart's love-struck Rick, the two hours feels long and the ending seems contrived to jazz up the relatively weak plot.
Lincoln (2012)
History Class
Based on a book by history hustler Doris Kearns Goodwin, Steven Spielberg has offered a high production value account, limited to the final months of Lincoln's life. It is involving and detailed, although some historians have disputed some of the facts. It may work well for those who want history in a movie theatre, although history is not drama and drama is not history. So this documentation is, for the most part, informative, without being emotionally involving. Daniel Day-Lewis plays Lincoln in a way that seems accurate and Tony Kushner's screenplay shares some of Lincoln's wit and humor. But this is less of a film about history than, say, "The Devil's Disciple" (1959), based on a play by George Bernard Shaw, which, while being astute about late 18th century history, mocks the presentation of history as truth, with superb wit, verve, and intellectual gravity.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Overlong and Anti-Climactic
As far as I'm concerned, the landing on Omaha Beach is the movie that should have been made. Surely, it took more than a couple of hours to secure the beachhead. Everything else is mostly filler, telling American audiences what they love to hear: we're the "exceptional" ones; we're the "indispensable" ones. We are good people, so let's wave our flag. Considering the time, effort, and expense of filming that brilliant military operation--which had been made possible by the actions of many very brave men--telling that story would be well worthwhile. Everything that follows is dwarfed by that sequence. The casting, acting, and effects are all excellent. I find that war films that are blatantly anti-war are more realistic, such as "Attack" (1956) and "Paths of Glory," (1957). The naturalistic presentations of gruesome injury are not needed to make war look wasteful and tragic. The purpose of the Normandy landing was not to defeat Germany; that already happened at Kursk and Stalingrad. The purpose was to prevent the Red Army from taking all of Germany and perhaps more, despite their investment of 27 million fatalities. I hope that Gen. Smedley Butler's book, "War Is A Racket," will someday inspire someone to make an even better, more truthful war picture.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)
Brilliant
The marvelously talented writer/producer Albert Lewin occasionally directed, with the same level of skill and focus that he did everything else, and could be relied upon to link 19th century decadent literature to 20th century magic realism. Opening with a barrage of Oscar Wilde aphorisms delivered with aplomb by George Sanders, we are introduced to Hurd Hatfield in the title role and guided through his history of depravity by narrator Cedric Hardwicke. Only Lewin's friendship with Irving Thalberg and the presentation of this project as a horror film can explain how Lewin got this story approved by the head of the "family," Louis B. Mayer. DP Harry Stradling earned an Oscar for black and white cinematography, interrupted by a Technicolor glimpse of Ivan Albright's shocking painting. Angela Lansbury never looked or acted better and was nominated, as was Cedric Gibbons et al for Art Direction. This rare and remarkable film is a credit to all involved, especially Oscar Wilde, the genius who spawned it.
Murphy's Romance (1985)
Age Confers Wisdom?
The writers Ravetch & Frank had a half dozen hits with Martin Ritt and two or three misses, the last hit being this picture. A romantic comedy, it careens between cuteness and contrivance, adding up to something cheesy. An attempt is made to surround the likeable leads, Sally Field and James Garner, with the supposed charms of small town life, buttressed by a community of dear friends, loitering in the wings, and summoned to center stage by the writers, whenever needed to keep the ball rolling. Field has a cute little son (Corey Haim), who needs a real man for a role model, instead of her flighty, fickle first husband (Brian Kerwin). And the considerable skills of all involved manage to keep this souffle aloft for 107 minutes.
Los que volvieron (1948)
Men Hunt, Women Cook
This plodding remake of the 1939 hit, "Five Came Back," was RKO's effort to cash in with a Spanish speaking market. But the remake, with a screenplay by Salvador Novo and directed by Alejandro Galindo, focused on creating a utopian society featuring male authority and female subservience. The much superior original, written by no less than Dalton Trumbo and Nathaneal West, develops the irony of an anarchist who must impose social order for the sake of a future, in which he has no part. The conversations between the Professor C. Aubrey Smith and the rebel Joseph Calleia were intriguing and suspenseful. Superb director John Farrow got excellent performances from a great 1939 cast and was brought back for the 1956 remake, "Back From Eternity."
Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951)
Don't Tell
The final line of dialogue in "Gone With the Wind" (1939) is the fillip that sends this wildly improbable story in motion. I cannot recall a more farfetched plot than this one, but the story of a man, age 31, released from prison after 18 years easily arouses interest, even sympathy. The talented cast do a good job of putting it over, but it doesn't get any easier. Made at a time when film noir was of automatic fascination and pulp novels dominated the ubiquitous mass market paperback carousels in almost every store, estimable producer Henry Blanke bit, but the original ending had to be fixed to lure in an audience.
The Rack (1956)
You Decide
Following the success, for Stanley Kramer and Columbia, of "The Caine Mutiny" (1954), Dore Schary rolled the dice on this Rod Serling teleplay for MGM, a giant step in the same direction. As is typical of Rod Serling's best work, moral issues take center stage and shocking the audience is part of his game. After Glenn Ford turned down the lead, newcomer Paul Newman took the challenging role, with major support, and became a major star. We know that the treatment of American soldiers, by the Japanese during WW II, was very harsh, often criminally so, so this story of cruelty in a North Korean camp is plausible. But the conclusion seems more like a veiled reference to the McCarthy Period than to military events.
Stagecoach (1939)
The Turner Thesis Goes To Hollywood
This is not a mere movie; it's Americana. Three years after the release of the film version of Robert Emmet Sherwood's great stage play, "The Petrified Forest," old Broadway hand Ben Hecht helped to recall its themes here: a group of diverse individuals are thrown together in a high pressured, tight geographical area and from that combustion, a nubile young woman emerges to indicate a future. "Ringo Kid" (John Wayne) and "Dallas" (Claire Trevor) both labor under a cloud. Can they escape the past and make a family somewhere on the endless prairie? The All-American theme of "e pluribus unum" (from many, one) is intensified by observing the dramatic unities of time, place, and action. And John Ford guided B oaters into A status, making a star of Wayne in the process, with former silent star George Bancroft providing the send off. The climactic gunfight was to be an obligatory scene in many of these pictures, until it became the title sequence in the most popular TV western series ever, "Gunsmoke."
The Lovely Bones (2009)
The Joy of Death
This may be a part of a new post-apocalyptic genre. In the wake of "On the Beach" (1959), "Dr. Strangelove" (1964), and "The Day After" (1983), we may rest assured of the pretty possibilities to come post mortem. All that's required is a little patience. And faith. Jim Crace's 1999 novel, "Being Dead" was followed in short order by Alice Sebold's book in 2002, adapted here by Peter Jackson's high production value version. This is the new optimism: life sucks, but hope that what follows may be a lot prettier. The design and special effects are very lovely as is superb leading lady, Saoirse Ronan. But the game is up with dopey detective Michael Imperioli, missing clues, and with goofy Grandma Susan Sarandon, who dresses, speaks, and behaves more like a Madame than a grandmother, in a characterization intended to be comical. Jackson's arty manipulations of the story and sentiments only betray weaknesses that Crace's naturalistic yarn avoids.
Night Flight (1933)
Fear of Flying
Inspired by the novel by Antoine de Sainte-Exupery, this movie must have inspired many boys and young men to aspire to be aviators, needed especially after December 7th, 1941. The broad grin worn by Clark Gable, as he soars above the clouds, clinched the argument. Of course, their feats of derring-do alarmed the ladies, but then a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do. The sufferings of the women who loved them are understandable, considering the rickety biplanes used to transport polio medication through the fog shrouded Andes, for the dying youngster who needs it. Their noble deeds are a fitting tribute, before any of them depart for that great airport in the sky.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
The Overstretched Manchuria to Kuwait Supply Line
Since the USA has been at war almost continuously since WW II, it was necessary to update the clever original version of this story from the Korean War to something audiences in 2004 remembered. It is amusing to see how they managed to pull a "Manchurian Candidate" out of the sands of Araby. Although the production values and cast are strong, this color version is very slowly paced and much less dramatic than the earlier black & white film, directed by John Frankenheimer. It is awkward in its flashbacks, exposition, and the actors are less distinct in their speech. And Jonathan Demme is much too fond of extreme close-ups. The story line is pure nonsense.
Alice (1990)
Nice Costumes And Decor
Mia Farrow and William Hurt are a wealthy New York married couple. Her life revolves around shopping, arranging her husband's social life and supervising the servants who supervise her children, in whom she has only a cursory interest. Suddenly, she becomes sexually aggressive with Joe Mantegna, a jazz musician. Due to her "Catholic guilt," she is afflicted with odd back pains and consults Keye Luke, a weird Chinatown acupuncturist/herbalist, whose office doubles as an opium den. Supposedly inspired by Frederico Fellini's "Juliet of the Spirits" (1965) starring his wife, Giulietta Masina, director Woody Allen seems obsessed with forced visual trickery that is as unlikely as the actions of his characters. Allen made some superb films with Mia Farrow in 1984, 1985, and 1986. But in this box office flop, she is portrayed as a ditzy, frivolous, self-absorbed twit with artistic pretensions. Two more movies and two years later, their partnership ended, with "Blue Jasmine" (2013) providing the post mortem.
Intruder in the Dust (1949)
Digging For Truth
Twelve years before the publication of "To Kill A Mockingbird" and thirteen years before the release of the movie based on Harper Lee's novel, William Faulkner's book was adapted by Ben Maddow and produced and directed by Clarence Brown. David Brian plays a pipe-wielding attorney before Gregory Peck played a bespectacled attorney, but both can philosophize and set a good example for younger people, who, hopefully, will live in a South that has relegated racism as public policy to the past. Will Geer, facing his upcoming blacklisting, does a fine job as a small town sheriff and Robert Surtees's black & white cinematography is excellent. Juano Hernandez well represents a black middle class and Elizabeth Patterson is an amusing tough guy.
Where the Spies Are (1965)
Where the Audience Isn't
Spy stories were all the rage in the 1960s and Ian Fleming had suggested David Niven to play James Bond, however Producer Albert Broccoli wisely chose Sean Connery instead. The idea that Niven would be a good choice to play a British spy persisted at MGM, but, here, he seems more facile than debonair as everything conveniently falls into place, including beautiful Francoise Dorleac, four features before her tragic death. Mindful of the strong box office of "Where the Boys Are" (1960), this title was chosen for this James Bond mimicry. It was of little help and any idea of a sequel was shelved.
Extortion (2017)
Where Not To Go On Vacation
The waters are clear, the beaches are clean and a pleasant time may be had beneath the warming sun, but problems may follow if the outboard motor on your rented boat leaves you stranded on a remote island. Dr. Kevin Riley (Elon Bailey), his wife and son, hope for rescue when a psychopathic fisherman (Barkhad Abdi) arrives demanding one million dollars for his assistance. The craftsmanship for this film is very good, but writer/director Phil Volken must sometimes strain to keep the pot on a full boil. Go along for the choppy ride and it's an involving, suspenseful story, with very pretty scenery.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Masterpiece
After a decade as a staff writer at Warner Bros., John Huston got an opportunity to direct and, thanks in part to meticulous pre-planning, did a great job. The Dashiell Hammett novel had been adapted twice before: "The Maltese Falcon" (1931) with Ricardo Cortez and Bebe Daniels and "Satan Met A Lady" (1936) with Warren William and Bette Davis. Huston had a stroke of luck when George Raft turned down the lead and Humphrey Bogart, who had been playing gangsters, got the job and, as Sam Spade, perfectly straddled the fence between cop and crook. The unsentimental, cynical story followed the novel closely, including much of the dialogue with actors who perfectly fit their roles. It is especially a classic, because it points to crime as historical fact and locates it in the fundamental character of people, whose unremitting greed and selfishness is identified, not condemned. Principles, articulated by the hero, are the only barriers to plain bestiality. This profound theme lifts the movie above ordinary crime stories and renders the final scene and final shot impossible to forget, a triumph for both Huston and Hammett.