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Reviews
The Great McGonagall (1975)
Pretty Terrible - One of the Only Films I Couldn't Watch Till the End
I came to THE GREAT MCGONAGALL first because I'm a big Peter Sellers fan, especially of his earlier b/w films. Secondly, I've been a fan of McGonagall's "poems" for decades - I've carried around his collected works for years and years. But this film is just a mess, not funny save for a moment or two. Now let me say I love British humor, and I also love absurdist/surreal films (THE BED SITTING ROOM and BEDAZZLED are excellent). I'll also admit I don't know much about Spike Milligan, other than he's a comedian. The film itself is basically a series of skits, many of which just don't come off for a US audience. Milligan's Scottish accent is difficult enough to understand, but most of the vocals sound like the actors are speaking in a tunnel (I know the film was shot on the cheap). And perhaps the print has not aged well, much of it was dark and hard to see at times. Sellers is barely here, although he's billed as one if not THE star. A better film would have been an actor simply onstage reciting the poems - they're hilariously bad.
Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)
Amusing, but did they get lost along the way?
Took my ages to see LCGA and enjoyed it, but I was a bit bothered by the actual route they took. From Natchez they next hit New Orleans - no problem. But then why would they drive to Natchez, Mississippi (170 miles to the northwest - basically back toward Memphis) then to Galveston, which is pretty much a straight drive west from New Orleans? Afterwards, they stop in Houston, then another city far to the west, then they're back in Houston and finally on to Del Rio (about 350 miles southwest of Houston). Almost seems like some of the scenes were spiced in the wrong order! or maybe that's the point?
Alicja (1982)
Odd Isn't the Word for this Adaptation of Alice In Wonderland
Definitely the oddest version of Lewis Carroll's classic novel ever conceived. A Belgian-Polish collaboration, AlICJA humanizes the familiar characters, although it's often difficult if not impossible to see the connections (other than for those actors whose characters are named for the Carroll originals. The plot wanders aimlessly, with often no connection between scenes or explanation of what is going on at times. The direction is haphazard at best, the dance numbers (and there are plenty of them) filmed awkwardly (although performed apparently by members of the Warsaw Ballet), and the songs laughingly bad. Lots of wasted talent - one only hopes that Cassell (the best thing about this film is his dancing), York, and Paul Nicholas were able to take the money and run. And then there's Jack Wild....
Nightmare Alley (1947)
Excellent and Interesting Compared to the Novel
Great performances by everyone, especially Power, but I note one interesting change between the book and film. Gresham in his novel repeatedly notes Stanton's (Power's) "corn-colored" hair - he's very blond throughout the novel. Gresham even has several scenes where the sun reflecting on Stanton's hair radiates, coming awfully close to giving him an angelic effect. Stanton also ages significantly in the novel - he's only 21 when he joins the carnival and runs off with Molly, but he's at least in his early 40s by the time of his downfall. A raw book and movie - both "musts" for everyone to investigate!
Miracle in Soho (1957)
How Much on the Cuttingroom Floor?
MIRACLE IN SOHO is an odd film, an overly romantic picture of a single street in London's Soho District in 1957. The street itself is a miniature United Nations, although here everyone gets along with everyone else, regardless of national origin (or ethnicity, for that matter, although the families of color disappear after the first scene). The plot itself doesn't surprise, which is a shame, as a different ending could have made for at least a somewhat richer film, particularly since the would-be here is basically a jerk throughout. But the biggest problem with this film is the repeated lack of follow-through on plot lines. Characters get into situations, most fairly serious, but the writers and director never wrap up those stories (poor Tom's story, for example). As the film runs 93 minutes, I can only guess that scenes would up on the cuttingroom floor. The viewer can only wonder what the denouement is for many of the secondary characters.
On the plus side, the cast itself is fairly good. Billie Whitelaw has a smallish part, and Cyril Cusack is always winning. Belinda Lee is absolutely lovely. And Johnny, the hero's rival for Lee's hand, is a young Brian Bedford, looking like he should pop into one of the era's teen musicals at any time.
The Scout (1994)
Two films for the price of one
After seeing THE SCOUT again on TV, I've come to accept that the main problem with the film is that it's actually two completely different films smashed together. On the one hand you've got the comedy surrounding Albert Brooks and his hunt for that one baseball player who will save his scouting career. As one of our great comic screen writers, Brooks delivers some witty lines now and then, particularly in the first part of the film. However, the second film is a half-written drama dealing with the emotional/mental problems of Steve Nebraska, Brendan Frasier's character. There's next to know explanation and/or resolution to his emotional storyline, and although the wonderful Diane Wiest as his psychiatrist is on the team, she barely makes it to the warm-up spot and pretty much fades out without much ado. Screenwriter Brooks keeps tossing tantalizing hints into Frasier's emotional mix - the laundry concerns, for example -- but then does nothing with them. By the last inning, THE SCOUT can't decide whether it's FEAR STRIKES OUT or MAJOR LEAGUE.
The Flaming Urge (1953)
Coded Message
Just finished viewing THE FLAMING URGE, primarily on the basis of the Alpha Home Entertainment cover description of Harold Lloyd, Jr. ("tormented by chronic alcoholism and masochistic homosexual urges"). One of the other reviewers here noted something that I picked up on about halfway through the film--the "flaming urge" is a 1950s code term for homosexuality. The protagonist is a young man, always neatly dressed (highlighted by a colorful bow tie), extremely polite, who must move from town to town because of his uncontrollable urge. He is unfamiliar with the normal male rituals of the period and is pretty much a loner. But everyone seems to know how to cure him - his urges will stop once he's married! An oddly amusing movie overall.
Murder at the Vanities (1934)
Tons of fun, with a great cast
I just viewed MURDER AT THE VANITIES in the newly-released Universal Pre-Code set, and I was amazed at how much I enjoyed the vehicle end to end. Most of the other commentators have covered the story, a murder mystery within a musical, but I wanted to add a few additional notes. Brisson and Carlisle are relatively bland, compared to even most of the minor players, and neither one really seems to have the proper voice for what they're singing (Carlisle being a trained opera singer, Brisson a bit wobbly on some of his high and low notes). The great Victor McLaglen and Jack Oakie play well off each other, with an excellent sense of timing that keeps the ball rolling between musical numbers. Yes, Lucille Ball and Ann Sheridan are Vanities girls, but let's not forget the splendid jazz singer Ernestine Anderson in the "Ebony Rhapsody" number. Gail Patrick makes one of her early appearances, sounding a bit like Eve Arden; Patrick would go on to become the executive producer of the Perry Mason TV series. Then there's Jessie Ralph as the wardrobe mistress--you'll spot her also in David COPPERFIELD (as Aunt Peggoty) and THE BANK DICK. The music is very good--Brisson introducing the standard "Cocktails for Two" in two different scenes; "Sweet Marihuana" with barely clad peyote button girls in the background (blood dripping on one chorine's white skin was wonderfully chilling); the "Ebony Rhapsody," with Duke Ellington's Orchestra and a bevy of beautiful dancers, both black and white, mixing it up. And I believe this is one of the only early musicals to feature such a mix--and the costumes leave nothing to the imagination.
Nacho Libre (2006)
Makes the Three Stooges look like Neil Simon
Maybe I'm just way too old for this movie, or maybe I've watched too many good comedies over the years, but I didn't find a single thing funny in this theoretical comedy (I say theoretical since it's labeled a comedy, but that might be a printer's error). Most of the "jokes" were either mildly funny seventy years ago or fell flat even then, and it looked as though whole scenes were missing throughout, it was that disjointed. Then again, I haven't thought Jack Black was funny since HIGH FIDELITY. Take a look at some of the old b/w Three Stooges shorts from back in the thirties and forties--they did a few wrestling parodies that worked good as shorts, but they had the sense never to try and extend those routines into a feature-length film. Come to think of it, wasn't Curly always the poor fat sap in the ring, pitted against a larger opponent who he ultimately defeats? Sounds awfully familiar...
Assaulted Nuts (1984)
Great series, too few episodes
I also remember seeing this series in the U.S. on one of the cable stations years ago, and it stuck in my memory because of Wayne Knight and Emma Thompson, but no one I know has ever heard of this title. The one episode I recall the best was one of the younger guys being baptized in the name of "Cheezus" by having the priest shove his head repeatedly into a tub of liquid cheese. The cast also seemed to have a recurring skit where they were all sitting around in a living room watching television or at least talking; I can still picture after all these years Knight and Thompson sitting there. Overall the skits were more surreal than you'd find on some of our U.S. or Canadian series; it must be that wonderful British sense of humor. I'd love to own a copy of all the episodes, but I'm afraid that's a lost cause.
The Dark Knight (2008)
Bit of a mess, and far too long
Some caveats to begin with: I haven't seen any of the Batman movies since the one with Schwarzenegger, and I never heard of Frank Miller until the SIN CITY movie came out. I'm also old enough to fondly recall the silliness of the TV series, Christian Bale as a young boy actor, and Heath Ledger when he was just another middlin' teen actor. Anyway. I went to a matinée showing this afternoon, mainly since everyone else seemed to be going to see this film, and figured I'd at least be entertained. Well.
First off, the film is far too long. A few people left well before the halfway mark, and at one point I was afraid it was never going to end (not realizing it was clocking it at over 2.5 hours). The whole money laundering plot could have been cut down, and the sequence in Hong Kong eliminated altogether (and maybe a lot of the ferryboat sequence). A two hour film would have come off much better for those of us who aren't Batman aficionados. The Two-Face sequence could also have been cut--why introduce another villain when the film is almost over? Speaking of villains, so what happens to the Joker? The last I recall, he's dangling from a skyscraper, and I was waiting for some sort of resolution for his character. Granted that the plot is pretty simplistic--Joker sets up situation, Batman to the rescue (sounds like the Die Hard movies, come to think of it)--but the writers seem to think that throwing everything imaginable into one script makes for good writing. We've seen it all before, from the flawed hero (SHANE and HIGH NOON come to mind, along with THE SEARCHERS) to the exploding buildings to the car chases. Speaking of which (again), was I the only one thinking 'FRENCH CONNECTION' during the chase sequence with Dent in the back of the SWAT wagon? The acting was OK--it's not Shakespeare, after all, or even Paddy Chayevsky--but I think Ledger's performance is being over-hyped. Then again, I preferred Nicholson--now THAT was a memorable performance. Good to see Eric Roberts still able to get into a big-draw movie, but Caine and Freeman seemed wasted in what were essentially extended cameos.
It'll be interesting to see, after a couple of years have passed, whether THE DARK KNIGHT has staying power. Remember the hype over TITANIC? Lots of oohs and aahs over that film, but most critics will agree that A NIGHT TO REMEMBER is a better film overall. Who know what the rest of 2008 will bring us?
Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
Quite a mess
Just saw this film about a week ago in Los Angeles with a friend who desperately wanted to catch it, primarily because of the great cast. I'd heard a bit about it previously, mostly negative reviews from the professional critics, but I thought I'd give it a go, primarily for Susan Sarandon. After about the first half-hour, I had a few solid impressions: (1) the sing-alongs mostly didn't work and were sometimes just annoying; (2) the editing went from fair to non-existent, with scenes just vanishing; (3) most of the actors were wasted -- more like cameo appearances than roles (did Elaine Stritch just happen to be in the neighborhood?); (4) the choreography apparently was supposed to be unstylish and clunky, but it often was just distracting. While watching the final credits, I saw the 2005 copyright date and assumed that the studio thought the film too poor for release, and my friend agree--after saying that it was one of the worst movies he'd ever seen.
If you want to see singing and dancing noir, stick with Potter's THE SINGING DETECTIVE or the underrated Martin-Peters flick PENNIES FROM HEAVEN.
Senior Trip (1981)
All over the map, but occasional quality
Just caught this film again yesterday, without commercial breaks, and I was reminder of how all over the map it is. SPOILER ALERT: If you're willing to suffer through occasional inane "comedic" bits, there are a few treasures here and there. Scott Baio actually isn't bad as the wannabe businessman who suffers from hemophilia (he's not shooting heroin, as another commentator suggested), and Faye Grant as the "good girl with a reputation" (who saves herself from a near-rape; Baio is nowhere in the vicinity, as the same commentator writes) tries to rise above her material. The big surprise for me was the character Judy, who wants to be a Broadway performer. When she finally belts out her song, I thought, "wow, what a great voice!" Turns out it's cabaret diva Liz Callaway. And lots of familiar faces in the supporting cast: Vincent Spano, Jason Alexander, Robert Townsend. On the downside, Mickey Rooney's cameo is jarring--why him and not Ann Miller, Luci Arnez, or any of the other female stars then on Broadway (you can see their marquees in a number of scenes)? The quicktime scenes of the two sightseers are just misplaced here, also. And by today's standards (or even the standards of twenty years ago), the "save me from being gay" stereotype is hard to watch (although, ironically, the marquee for DEATHTRAP is often in the background). All in all, could be better, but could also be a whole lot worse.