Tommy

Tommy (1975)

Runtime: 111 minutes

Directed by: Ken Russell

Starring: Oliver Reed, Ann-Margaret, Roger Daltry, many other actors & musicians

From: Columbia

No one should be surprised that I found the plot of Tommy a little baffling yet also found the music to be incredible and the bizarre maximalism moments to be hilarious. No one should be surprised either that I have even more to say than typical about the movie.

I hadn’t heard most of the songs on the Tommy album as rock operas aren’t always my bag yet who could believe that a Ken Russell (no relation) film would play on IMAX screens across the United States both Tuesday night & last night in the Year of Our Lord 2026? I’d seen Russell’s OTHER 1975 rock opera starring Daltrey (Lisztomania) so no better way to finally tackle the film. Many Who songs I do enjoy, for the record.

Surprises occurred throughout; having viewed some of the director’s films before, bizarre moments were expected. I wasn’t quite imagining the titular Tommy to become “deaf, dumb, & blind” after a certain traumatic event, Tina Turner appearing in a bedroom above a strip club w/ red cape then turning into a metal knight, Ann-Margaret straddling a long pillow after being doused w/ baked beans & chocolate sauce, her being seduced by Jack Nicholson (on-screen during his one scene… although presumably he also tried to do so off-screen! Also, he SANG), Elton John’s Giant Shoes, or many other moments that probably shouldn’t be spoiled by me.

The film has a wacky plot… yet as I’ve seen others eloquently proclaim, the story is more thoughtful than I expected concerning such topics as abuse, exploitation, religion, cults, stage parents, celebrity worship, & more. At the time I realized the story of Tommy Walker wasn’t a cheery one; after all, he was obviously sexually abused by a relative (a trigger warning for those out there). Well, after reading other reviews, there might have been implicit abuse of that nature by other loved ones that was beneath the surface of the bizarre scenes… yes, morbid.

Perhaps it’s better I be amused by such things as the clothing Oliver Reed wore, or another assumption: on set wasn’t the only time that Reed and Keith Moon partied with each other. The story was more than expected when going in, I only knew the wacky premise of “a deaf, dumb, & blind kid can sure play some mean pinball.”

I’ll give Pete Townshend (I REALLY hope the reason he provided why he got “in trouble” in 2003 was true) and Russell credit; they collaborated on this film and created a product that greatly entertained me-while sometimes puzzling me as well-and was deeper than I first give it credit for. Then again, with hindsight, I should have given Phantom of the Paradise more kudos for presenting serious themes & some evils concerning real life behind the veneer of bombastic moments & catchy music.

Like w/ De Palma, Russell is a talented director despite his proclivities towards seedy genre material. His direction was a huge asset for Tommy; the final few minutes before the end credits alone were incredible… it featured an epic journey to a great song, leading to an awesome shot that mirrored the opening, then hearing the great song again during the end credits. I am glad that a director like Russell had one undeniable commercial success while maintaining his outrageous style.

Between the quality sets, the music, & the ending, that alone is one of the many reasons why I don’t feel quite the same about modern films as I do older ones. I also have to acknowledge that Ann-Margaret was the MVP; afterwards, I discovered she won a Golden Globe & was actually nominated for an Oscar.

As for the crowd that came out on this night: a mix of people, but many older folks who could have watched this on the big screen in ’76. Not all the Gen-Z’ers stuck around to the end of the film (the heck with them. I know those reading this aren’t like them) but most of the middle-aged & older stuck around for the end credits, then loudly cheered & clapped. Not only was I happy they had a great time, but that it’s easier now than ever before to view older movies at all the major theatrical chains in the United States. While it’ll have to be done at home, I’ve probably been sleeping on Ken Russell for too long.

Gugusse and the Automaton

Wake up folks, a lost film from 1897 (!) was recently found again: 

In this special post earlier than usual for a weekday, I discuss the tremendous story behind this piece of lost media, which was recently revealed as having been found again. This 45-second short features director Georges Melies interacting w/ an automaton dressed as Pierrot the clown, using the trademark Melies camera tricks & editing. Whether or not this should be considered as “the first instance of a robot in cinema” or even “it was the first sci-fi movie” can be debated.

Instead, I’ll focus on how the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. acquired this on a film reel. They were donated a box of reels from a Bill McFarland in Michigan; his great-grandfather William Frisbee was a potato farmer and schoolteacher who was a showman at night who went around w/ a projector and another new device (a phonograph) to show the world’s first films to paying customers. How cinema was shown way back when during those nascent days is a topic I know little about but need to do a deeper dive on in the future. The topic sounds endlessly fascinating to a nerd like myself.

I’ve not seen the Scorsese film Hugo but I do realize Melies is a key character & like in the film, he had his own automatons. My granting a rare 5 star review is not entirely due to the content of this short (shorts are always difficult to rate as it’s not a fair comparison to feature films) but rather the story of how Automaton was discovered. I'm thankful the LoC was able to restore this nitrate print; it's always nice seeing silent cinema "found" again-much of it is still lost. Perhaps London After Midnight is out there somewhere... 

Blood & Gold

Blood & Gold (2023)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: Peter Thorwarth

Starring: Robert Maaser, Marie Hacke, Alexander Scheer, Roy McCrery, Jordis Triebel

From: Netflix

This was much preferable to Sisu to me. Earlier in the year, someone on a messageboard discussed the German Netflix film and noted the same opinion that I did. It was a relief that Blood & Gold wasn’t a massive letdown like Sisu was. An actual story was present, the hero (heroes in this case) weren’t superhuman like they were part of the MCU, the dark humor actually landed, and Nazi scum were still killed.

As a deserter of the German Army is captured and hung from the neck until dead, Heinrich isn’t dead due to rescue from Elsa, a woman who lives on a remote farm w/ Paule, her brother that has Down Syndrome. Heinrich would really like to see his young daughter again. Meanwhile, the same Nazi scum are looking for a cache of gold belonging to some Jewish people.

Some minor nitpicks could be made; instead, I’ll focus on the positives. Heinrich is an enjoyable hero, while Elsa was competent in facing off against the villains without being OOT unstoppable. The action wasn’t a must-see yet was still enjoyable, especially the gory moments. The characters were fun, whether the heroes or the hissable villains. Paule was the most memorable role-& not just because the character wasn’t a lame stereotype. Of course, the highlight was seeing Nazi Scum Get Wrecked ™

Adding personality to the mix was that this had the flavor of a Western (including the score) and featured several songs, including one from Marlene Dietrich during a key scene. My negative opinion of Sisu puts me in the minority; regardless of your opinion, re: that motion picture, Blood & Gold is one I recommend for those that have their interests piqued by the premise.

Cat City

This is quite the animated feature film from behind the Iron Curtain: 

This sure was a 1986 Hungarian animated movie featuring anthropomorphic cats & mice where the former are the villains & portrayed as gangsters. Instead of watching the Oscars last night (they haven’t been viewed by me in at least the past few years), my time was better spent on the Eternal Family streaming platform; I went to one of their 24/7 streaming channels, and a movie was ending. This played next-as this was on my watchlist anyhow, the channel wasn’t changed.

There’s a Star Wars crawl and the movie was announced as taking place “80 Years After Mickey Mouse”… no, I don’t know why either.

Cats and mice live on Planet X but it’s not harmonious. A badass mouse named Grabowsky is tasked to grab plans from a city called “Pokio” (i.e. Tokyo. Expect to see mice that some will describe as “racially insensitive”… but there’s an even worse example of that I’ll mention in a moment) to built a weapon that will protect the mice for good. The cats attempt to stop this, although that is done via bumbling henchmen.

A subplot is present involving someone called LAZY DICK who is a police officer & becomes involved w/ crude Mexican stereotypes; that did not age well. Otherwise, I had a pretty good time with this adult cartoon (which was never graphic or OOT) and had a silly sense of humor that typically did make me laugh. The animation was nice, as was the score. Oh, and Cat City randomly had several musical numbers.

From other reviews, evidently not all the Hungarian humor and situations will translate well for those like me that are ignorant of the culture, either 40 years ago or now. Even so, I was still happy to have tackled an interesting animated feature film like Cat City last night. Thankfully, Deaf Crocodile released it on Blu in the West. One day, the similar Felidae (a German animated movie featuring only cats)-which I’ve known of for far longer-will finally be viewed then reviewed here.

The Pledge

The Pledge (2001)

Runtime: 124 minutes

Directed by: Sean Penn

Starring: Jack Nicholson, Tom Noonan (RIP), many others

From: Morgan Creek/Franchise Pictures

A belated RIP to Tom Noonan. While many-myself included-will remember him best as Francis Dollarhyde in the incredible Manhunter, I was always delighted to see him pop up in a film… even ones I didn’t care for like RoboCop 2 or The House of the Devil. The reason why I selected The Pledge: the impressive cast, the plot, and hearing a recommendation from-of all things-a Patreon episode of a true crime podcast that did something different one time and discussed underrated crime dramas rather than actual crimes & mysteries.

Police chief Jack Nicholson is on his last day before retirement but pledges to the mother of a slain girl (Ginny) he will find her murderer. Ginny was brutally assaulted then killed-the viewer sees some graphic images of her; that was more than enough motivation for him to work this case despite now being retired. The Pledge is the sort of film I should gravitate towards more frequently. A crime drama, character-driven, takes its time, full of famous faces.

As Nicholson will turn 90 next year, I should give my props to a legendary actor while he’s still alive. He was as magnetic here as ever; the role wasn’t flashy or bold yet his Jerry Black was still convincing as the determined officer who the viewer believes would be the honorable type that would keep such a promise… yet becomes consumed by obsession. The other famous faces seen throughout (no matter how small or large their parts were) included Patrick Clarkson, Mickey Rourke, Vanessa Redgrave, Helen Mirren, Aaron Eckhart as-naturally-a police officer-Benicio Del Toro, Sam Shepard, Robin Wright, and Harry Dean Stanton. It was a treat to see all those actors.

The movie was made w/ Franchise Pictures; I won’t go down the rabbit hole of discussing who they were or their brief troubled history. I will note that I wasn’t surprised to read afterwards of money problems and scenes that weren’t filmed. This included scenes w/ Noonan-his screentime was limited yet effective.

Yes, Sean Penn is another guy I put in the “separate the art from the artist” category. However, as a director he did a swell job even w/ that story handicap. The music, the cinematography, the setting-much of this is rural British Columbia substituting for rural Nevada, my interest never wavered.

Some viewers have their issues w/ The Pledge, either feeling disappointed or downright disliking the movie, for reasons that obviously can’t be revealed without massive spoilers. That is understandable-what I recall from that podcast episode, hints were given that prepared me for certain things. Patient viewers and those accepting what the story was about after its final resolution… hopefully you’ll find the journey rewarding. Soon, the film won’t be on Netflix any longer but The Pledge has the rare distinction of also streaming on Peacock AND Hulu.

Kate

Kate (2021)

Runtime: 106 minutes

Directed by: Cedric Nicolan-Troyan

Starring: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Miku Martineau, Tadanobu Asano, Jun Kunimura, Woody Harrelson

From: Netflix

After a rare but needed night off from watching film, last night I returned to that world by checking out something that easily could have been Netflix gruel yet the idea was to see more Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Even now, hardly anything’s been seen from her; I’m not interested in The Farting Corpse Movie given my loathing of Everything Everywhere All at Once & Scott Pilgrim has always seem equally as repellant to my tastes. One day I’ll get to 10 Cloverfield Lane but my desire for an action flick, the basic plot description, the Japan setting, and Woody Harrelson (his political leanings aside) intrigued.

Yes, Kate is rather improbable, predictable, and quite silly. That doesn’t mean I was not entertained by the film. Kate-the lady-is a badass, mentored since childhood by Harrelson’s Varrick… presumably a nod to the quality 70’s film Charley Varrick. She wants to retire, and that goes exactly as well as that proclamation does in films… she is poisoned and looking for revenge during a very long night in Tokyo.

As flawed as the movie can be, several aspects are assets. The Japan setting was neat-Tokyo at night will always be exotic to my eyes. The cast is fine, including the Japanese talent-some of whom I of course instantly recognized; even newcomer Miku Martineau was not bad… although Winstead was of course the highlight and pulled off this vulnerable badass character. The action was from 87North Productions; the John Wick-flavored house style hasn’t grown tiresome with me quite yet. Those action beats were fun-a further asset in my enjoyment of the film.

The other half of the Spiderman pointing meme (of course, I’m referring to Gunpowder Milkshake) stands a stronger chance of rubbing me the wrong way-don’t expect a review from me, even to compare the two. I was thankful that Kate wasn’t a waste of time and did not turn me off—even if I wish there would have been less of the “overly explanatory moments” that I should refer to as “Netflix’s house style” no matter who makes their original movies.

Soup to Nuts

Soup to Nuts (1930)

Runtime: 70 minutes 

Directed by: Benjamin Stoloff

Starring: Ted Healy and the men to be later known as The Three Stooges

From: Fox

This was a good movie to watch last night to celebrate the 131st birthday of Shemp Howard. Those not familiar w/ the early lore of The Three Stooges, at this time they were a vaudeville act of Moe, Larry, & Shemp but led by their leader/manager, a dude named Ted Healy. This was their debut on film. A few years later, Shemp left the act, Moe & Larry dumped the allegedly abusive alcoholic Healy, and added Curly. This was also of interest to me as a co-writer of the script was Rube Goldberg. Yes, the guy who the phrase “Rube Goldberg Machines”-an idea I’ve referenced more than once in reviews. He even has a cameo as himself.

To copy and past from his Wiki article:

“Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was an American cartoonist, sculptor, author, engineer, and inventor. Goldberg is best known for his popular cartoons depicting complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways.”

As for the movie… it made me realize that Ted Healy and his Stooges would never have been beloved even in 2026 like The Three Stooges are. I don’t know if people back then were supposed to like a loudmouth verbally abusive jerk that was Healy’s lead character, but I certainly didn’t last night.

The plot: Healy works at a costume shop, ran by a guy obsessed with Rube Goldberg Machines; this is why the business is bankrupt and taken over by creditors. Healy also enjoys hanging out at the fire station where Moe (billed in the credits as HARRY HOWARD, no lie), Larry, & Shemp work at… just because. A mute fireman named Freddie also is a fireman; there’s always a risk in injecting a political reference in a review but saying that “Freddie has Ben Shapiro’s eyebrows as they appeared in a recent viral Photoshopped image” is an accurate statement!

The Stooges are only shown in a few scenes before the final act; Healy is in many more… my belief that the movie is “fine” is DESPITE Healy and his odious presence. The other characters and scenarios thankfully gave me enough entertainment to counteract Ol Ted. This includes child actor Billy Barty (who in the 60’s had a TV show on KTLA in Los Angeles that would air Three Stooges shorts), Mack Swain of The Gold Rush fame and Heinie Conklin, who would appear in a few dozen Stooge shorts.

As a fan, it was fascinating to see routines and lines of dialogue that would appear when they were on their own. Most people, there likely is little need to check out Soup to Nuts & its threadbare plot unless you’re a huge Stooge fan and/or had the foreknowledge that there was a person named Rube Goldberg.