bd_gordon Reviews

The Thing (I) (2011)

Best Sci-Fi "Remake" Ever!

[10/10 · 30 December 2011]

So many sequels and prequels fall flat and fail to reach the originality of its predecessor - never mind reach its impact and longevity (i.e. the silly Star Wars I-III, Matrix 2-4, and Tim Burton's Batman series...) but the 2011 version of John Campbell Jr.'s 1938 short story, "Who Goes There?" aka "The Thing" is equally as original and entertaining as the 1982 John Carpenter version. I wondered how the prequel would tie in the continuity of certain scenes, such as the two faced duplicate in progress; the suicidal radio operator; the transition from the Norwegian science station to the American one... I was very happy with this prequel, though probably more intended to demonstrate its metal as a remake. It's not a perfect story and there are a couple noticeable errors (i.e. 2011 circa headphones in an early '80's setting) but this in no way detracts from the eye and ear candy that assails the senses with this well-produced film, which stands tall in its own right. Mary Winstead is not in enough movies; she has the lead role, but she plays it without coming across as the lead - the sign of a good actor with staying power. I hope to see her in more films, but for now, she is very interesting to watch in this fast-paced story. There are enough twists and turns to throw off the viewer from the perils of predictability, and both the visual and audio quality of the effects will not fail to please. If you like sic-fi and horror, and aren't embarrassed to enjoy even the B&W oldies-but goodies (such as Howard Hawks' 1951 first version of "The Thing From Another World") then you will thoroughly enjoy this remake. I only hope the Blu Ray version comes packaged with a cleaned up print of Hawks' original film...

The Pledge (I) (2001)

Slow-paced, but powerful......

[7/10 · 20 December 2011]

I hadn't heard of "The Pledge" until searching for a freebie to watch on Netflix. I love Jack Nicholson and saw this film as an undiscovered gem. The story pulled me in and kept me riveted through several scenes, but in most of them, Penn spent so much time on atmosphere, camera angles, and the scenery, that I found myself getting a little annoyed, and this killed the build up that he was obviously aiming for, but failed to deliver. I believe the film would have been better paced and less frustrating to watch at times if Penn cut 30 minutes from it. This wouldn't have made this movie any less powerful because the writer's hold their cards very close to their chest, pulling each one out very discretely, and only when they have you begging for more information. This created a good measure of suspense for me, but as I mentioned, the excessive time trailing after each punch - instead off winding up for the next one, deflated what should have been much better film. The ending is tragic, but this made the film stand out from so many action- heavy losers it competed against in 2001. It's an honest and real movie worth watching.

Until the Light Takes Us (2008)

Dumb.

[1/10 · 14 March 2011]

Fifteen years too late, and nothing new. Varg's interviews were interesting, but way too much time was spent (wasted?) on Fenriz and Frost - two aging harmless teenagers screaming from the shackles of the enemy for any kind of attention they can grasp before 'black metal' washes away into the Mists of Misnomer. I fast-forwarded through much of it (especially the Fenriz and Frost sections) and this seemed to make this documentary slightly more watchable. Varg is one of the most confused people I've ever heard. He goes on and on about how alien the Christian faith is to Norwegians, so he believes in Norse fairy tales... He's also a hypocrite. He burns down alien Christian churches because they aren't Norwegian... so why doesn't he record all his records using just Norwegian instruments? The guitar, bass, amplifier, and microphone were all invented or developed/improved upon by Jews... yet he hates Jews... If he's such a Nordic purist why isn't he using the goat horn, willow flute, and Hardanger fiddle on all his hypocritical recordings? These poseurs are all the same, except in his case, he's also a murderer and arsonist. Oh joy.

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

Surprisingly Hilarious!

[10/10 · 12 March 2011]

I am mostly familiar with Woody Allen's earlier work, such as the goof-ball comedies of the late '60's and early '70's. When he went cerebral, I lost interest... For 10 years, I've heard that "Curse of the Jade Scorpion" was considered by everyone - including Woody himself - his worse film, so I never bothered with it... One night last week, Netflix was showing it as a "Watch it Now" free offer, so I thought I'd at least give it a chance. I will tell you that I feel cheated all these years! I laughed through the entire film, and loved it so much that I bought the DVD! I've watched it several times with family and friends over a few occasions, and they loved it too! Perhaps it was released before it's time? I have no idea why it failed at the box office when it was released in 2001, nor can I understand why it was so disliked by the main critics of that time, but I honestly cannot find anything not to enjoy about this film: the story, the characters, the lavish 1940's sets and soundtrack... the chemistry between Allen and Hunt is believable, with witty, snappy dialog, and Woody is back as the underdog comedic hero again. I hope you give this movie a chance, it really has improved with age, and I am really happy I finally watched it.

Goin' South (1978)

100% Funny!

[10/10 · 30 November 2007]

For some mysterious reason, this film failed to delight both critics and the public when it was first released in 1978, probably because it did not match the celluloid and writing quality of Nicholson's previous multi-million dollar funded blockbusters, "Chinatown", and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". I first watched "Goin' South" on video back in 1987 when I was 26. I watched it with six other people, and we all laughed hysterically throughout this delightfully funny film (and we don't drink or take drugs). The critics, and sadly, Nicholsen's fans, completely missed the point of this great movie. It was Jack taking a break from the 'biz' to explore his directing gifts (though no Spielberg, he is capable) and due to the low budget, he makes up in performance what the Hollywood trimmings and glitz cannot provide. His co-stars, especially John Belushi in his first major film role, is absolutely hilarious. Every one of his films pale compared to his toothless, Mexican loser of a bandit impersonation. When I watch this movie every now and then, I can see why the critics were so hard on this film. Mary Steenburgen (in her first film role too) was not the right person to play the part of the prissy, virginal, and headstrong maiden who saves Jack from the gallows (some old Civil War law where a woman can save a condemned man by marrying him). She's just too bitchy, and none of us want to see the misguided, but lovable Jack treated this way. You kind of feel sorry for the guy, and this unintentionally brings the viewer down a little here and there (but not much!). Even though things change for the better, by that point in the film, you just don't care. If the film had a larger budget, they would have been able to afford an actress of the caliber of Julie Christie, Sally Fields, or even Goldie Hawn. There are times when Steenburgen just sort of sucks the life out of the scene, and if it weren't for Jack's over-the-top acting, even I might get annoyed. This being said, the film is still one of the best 90 minutes I can spend in front of the boob tube. I love it, and I think you will too.

The Green Slime (1968)

A "10" for the GREAT STORY behind "The Green Slime"

[7/10 · 31 May 2006]

Sure, the special effects are cheesy, but they are hilarious! Hilarious = a "10" in my book. You have to look past the special effects in order to see the clever story behind them. An astronaut picks up a slimy splash of an unknown alien organism. He brings it back with him - unbeknownst that it's hitching a ride on his leg. The mucous develops into a tentacled creature that feeds on electricity and the whole ship is infested with these things! How I wish they would remake this film today. Good Story + State-of-the-Art special effects = a "10" for sure! Even on video, it's a hoot for the kids - pure, clean, and fast-paced fun! For the men in this crowd, the sheer presence of Luciana Paluzzi (bad girl in "Thunderball") is worth 4x the price of this gem!

The Abominable Snowman (1957)

Good Old Horror!

[7/10 · 28 May 2006]

I saw this film on "Creature Feature" one Saturday night after my bath with my two younger brothers in 1970. To this day, the scene where Forrest Tucker pulls out the half-eaten body of a man from under his bunk, still haunts me. For its day it was terrifying, and although it lacks today's sophisticated special effects, it had a GREAT STORY - the one thing that lacks in today's multi-million dollar, and OH! so boring films.

Peter Cushing also gave a memorable performance, but it was Forrest Tucker who stole every scene. At that time - when I was just nine years old, I couldn't figure out how Sgt. O'Rourke of "F-Troop" could find himself in such a situation. Wasn't it great being a kid back in the Black and White 60's and 70's?