Chimpanzee

Before I post my review for the 2012 DisneyNature documentary Chimpanzee, an announcement: Now's the time for me to announce that until Saturday, December 13th, I won't be on Letterboxd as frequently. It's vacation time; I'll explain later why I'll be even more preoccupied with other things than the previous times I was on vacation. I still hope to post some reviews, but they won't be daily by any means-the next one won't be for a few days.

The review for Chimpanzee: 
 

Now felt like the time to see another DisneyNature documentary. A few have been viewed; as I always say when diving into that world, the more serious, “adult” sort of nature documentaries (such as the ones narrated by Sir David Attenborough) are more my speed. That said, what DisneyNature does is still good and full of great footage of animals & the worlds they inhabit. The narration from celebrities can be too goofy at times and/or cloying-I can comprehend that it’s for an all-ages audience and to list a specific example, I’d be fine with my four nephews & one niece viewing something like Chimpanzee.

Chimpanzee follows a young member of the species named Oscar. The viewer follows his clan as we see the stunning jungle habitat they reside in (the Tai National Forest in Ivory Coast), feuds w/ other clans, some peril, etc. Along the way, educational facts are presented. As I’ve stated in other reviews, the assumption is that more than one chimpanzee was used as “Oscar.” Other nature documentaries do craft narratives, after all. It is wacky that they decided to have a villain named… SCAR.

Celebrities always provide the narration; in this case, it was… Tim Allen. I know, a controversial figure now but he was fine as a narrator. At one point, he does impersonate Tim “The Toolman” Taylor; perhaps those in power wanted him to do that to placate audiences. My carping, re: certain details of these documentaries don’t mean that I don’t like them as infrequent viewing or that they don’t have anything to educate/entertain me, let alone Joe Q. and Jane Public. While not theatrical releases anymore, DisneyNature still makes these documentaries. It won’t be a future project to view all of them—but that doesn’t mean rare viewings won’t occur.

Carry On Jack

Carry on Jack (1964)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Gerald Thomas

Starring: Bernard Cribbins, Juliet Mills, Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtry, Donald Houston

From:Anglo-Amalagated Film Distributors

It’s actually been years since I’d seen a Carry On movie from the 60’s. Yeah, those aren’t watched that often anymore and many from the 60’s were already witnessed by me. The same, I was happy to see one of the films that I have on DVD as part of a set purchased long ago; furthermore, I’m sure the Dr. Who fans will like that this starred Bernard Cribbins as the lead. Who knows what you guys will think of his name: ALBERT POOP-DECKER.

Yes, this had the randy and bawdy humor you’d expect from the franchise, albeit less frequently than typical. The setting is naval in general and specifically, the time of Horatio Nelson-the opening shows him passing away, establishing the year as 1805. It involves the War of the Third Coalition-the particulars aren’t important but it was Britain and several other countries versus France/Spain and several areas that would later become a part of Germany. Poop-Decker is inept but is forced to become part of the crew of the ship Venus. Juliet Mills cosplays as a guy to find a long-lost love.

An important detail: of course, the setting and plot wouldn’t easily allow for the inclusion of the distaff regulars to the franchise: Hattie Jacques, Joan Sims, etc. However, Jim Dale only appears for a few minutes and only two other regulars appear-at least they were Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey, portraying exactly the sort of archetypes you’d expect. Be that as it may, two familiar character actors make their only appearance in this universe: Donald Houston and Cecil Parker.

While atypical, the film was still silly and still entertained me. Nice ship sets was an asset, as was the inclusion of pirates in the final act. It won’t be all those months later that I finally see another Carry On picture-however, what I’ll select for next time should be more the archetypical movie you’d expect.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Runtime: 95 minutes

Directed by: Jack Clayton

Starring: Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd (RIP), Royal Dano, Vidal Peterson, Shawn Carson

From: Disney

A belated RIP to Diane Ladd. In the upcoming month or two, there’s more than one person who’s passed away this year that I need to tip my cap to. As I’m subscribed to Disney+ for December, I’ve only seen some of Ladd’s movies-this was a small yet important role-and until its addition to the platform two months ago, this movie was infamously hard to track down.

I’m fascinated by this era of Disney where they weren’t quite sure what they were doing in the world of cinema and they didn’t have subsidiary companies like Touchstone or Hollywood Pictures to release pictures not meant for a family audience, that’s how we had oddball films (like this, Return to Oz and The Watcher in the Woods, which I hope Disney+ adds one day) that tried to be of a darker tone from the Disney label.

In this tale where a Mr. Dark brings an ominous carnival to a bucolic small Illinois town during an October at least 100 years ago, the talent involved was impressive. An adaptation of a Ray Bradbury novel, the stars included Ladd, Jason Robards (as a really old father; the movie stresses that point), Royal Dano, Pam Grier in a supporting role, and Jonathan Pryce as Mr. Dark. This was in gestation for years-Bryna Productions was the production company, meaning Kirk Douglas was involved. James Horner provided a proper whimsical score-it wasn’t the original soundtrack, but more on that later-and the rural setting was pleasant.

Regrettably, I only liked rather than loved the film-perhaps if there had been childhood viewings, a different tune would be whistled. Like with Watcher, this had production issues, reshoots, an unhappy Disney, and other drama which undoubtedly did harm to the potential this had. The idea that this carnival grants the told & untold desires of the town’s residents (only of course it’s of the Faustian bargain variety) is a swell one, and I’m sure the book is better. The presumption is that the overblown special effects finale were part of the reshoots. Be that as it may, it was still a movie I liked. The town’s setting is pleasant, as was the carnival-aside from the whole evil aspect thing.

The cinematography was quality; that was due to future De Palma chief cinematographer Stephen H. Burum. Pryce did a nice job; somewhere in the multiverse are versions where either Peter O’Toole or Christopher Lee would have been Mr. Dark. Disney wanted to save money, you see, so they cast a talented actor, but one who was almost always in the world of theater at the time. The film’s from the perspective of two young boys; the actors and the characters were both fine, not intolerable to follow.

A shame that there were those issues, those reshoots, the replacing of the original Georges Delerue score (from a short listen on YouTube, it is more ominous) and other problems. There are still nice practical effects and a few effective scares as well. Plenty do love the movie more than moi-for their sakes, I’m glad the film is on Disney+. The Blu release was a limited exclusive deal back in ’21 as part of a now-defunct program—the prices on eBay are as expensive as you would expect. There are rumors of an upcoming remake; now this is the sort of movie that does need one… if they don’t screw it up with various tropes and movements I’m not a fan of in modern cinema.

Breaking News

Breaking News (Dai Si Gin) (2004)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: Johnnie To

Starring: Richie Jen, Kelly Chen, Nick Cheung, Yong You, Shiu-Hung Hui

From: Several different Hong Kong companies 

Breaking news: I was happy to see this Johnnie To movie. I’ve only scratched the surface of his filmography, despite seeing 2013’s Drug War soon after release and finding it to be great. This will leave the Criterion Channel after today, forcing a watch now. 

I knew we were in good hands in the opening minutes. A police stakeout goes horribly awry. There’s a LONG tracking shot lasting a few minutes-panning along and moving up/down via a crane, capturing both the cops and criminals. The shootout continues after that-law enforcement looked particularly bad as media happened to be nearby, filming and photographing the bungled operation, including a cop holding his hands up in fear to a criminal pointing a gun at him.

How do they handle this embarrassment? Better training, a reprimand for the mistakes made, improved planning? Of course not! Instead, they manipulate the power of the press via engaging in a PR campaign. Let’s be glad such things couldn’t happen now anywhere in the world… both sides are followed.

I dare not reveal much more of the plot-the satire, the quality action scenes well-filmed, the humanizing moments. The score from Ben Cheung Siu-Hung and Chung Chi-Wing was uniquely effective… percussion, flamenco guitar, what sounded like bagpipes, and other interesting sounds. Yeah, a decent amount of the film is in a blue hue that is indicative of the early 2000’s-even then, that amused me. I missed out on not giving Breaking News a shot much sooner.

 

The Long Goodbye

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Runtime: 112 minutes

Directed by: Robert Altman

Starring: Elliott Gould, Nina van Pallandt, Sterling Hayden, Mark Rydell, Henry Gibson

From: United Artists

What better way to announce my safe return home to Central Florida after spending a few days in Fort Myers than viewing one of Robert Altman’s most famous movies before it leaves the Criterion Channel after Sunday? Considering the noir and neo-noir I’ve viewed in my life, it seems like a misstep on my part that I’ve never tackled this until earlier in the day. Of course, I’ve viewed some other Philip Marlowe pictures before, but never one set in the 70’s.

Right away, I laughed that the movie opens w/ Marlowe’s forced journey to a 24-hour store to purchase cat food for his constantly-meowing feline. It reminded me of a previous journey to Kansas (this one with my father and late mother) when she helped out sis and fed one of the two cats she had at the time. It wasn’t 3 AM but feeding time was late; the kitty constantly meowed as mom prepared the food, much to my mom’s consternation! No, mom did not smoke constantly like Marlowe did here, nor did she act laconic like Elliott Gould’s portrayal of a man who deliberately felt out of lockstep with his surroundings… a 40’s or 50’s detective who lives right by a bunch of attractive young women who do yoga and love being topless.

Our private eye associates w/ a cad named Terry Lennox; much to his misfortune, Lennox is missing & accused of murdering his wife. The film had some interesting casting; Lennox was played by Jim Bouton… yes, the former baseball player who caused controversy by writing a 1969 book called Ball Four, where people at the time were shocked that pro sports players were human and thus did drugs, drank, and were womanizers. What innocent times back then. Anyhow…

It’s not my favorite movie involving the character nor my personal favorite from Altman-that said, The Long Goodbye was still a very good time. In fact, you might say that it was OK with me… the film was a satirical look at the life of a private eye involved in a convoluted case with various shady characters, some of them real reprobates. Marlowe was a jerk, albeit a funny jerk. It was a nice cast with several other recognizable faces… yes I did know that Arnold Schwarzenegger appeared in a scene as a hood, but not that an actor famous at the time had an uncredited part. I wasn’t familiar with Nina van Pallandt but that Danish actress did a swell job.

The biggest assets the film had came from a trio of legends: Gould’s performance as the lead, the jazzy score from John Williams, and the cinematography from Vilmos Zsigmond. The film was downbeat, although given the decade and its neo-noir style, this should not have been a surprise. I’m personally happy that in 2025, several famous 70’s pictures were finally partaken in by me.

Time for Me to Catch Up

I'll be making three posts in total tonight. The first is for the 1920 Buster Keaton short Convict 13, posted on Letterboxd this past Friday night: 

While I have been having fun on my Thanksgiving break, I am still glad to have some time to talk about a silent short. I'll be returning home and in about 24 hours, I hope to have a review of something else, short or feature-length. 

I felt like Buster Keaton, as it's been awhile. Keaton starts off unsuccessfully playing golf for the purposes of wooing Sybil Seely-a lady I've mentioned before as the 1920's version of Milana Vayntrub. The titular Convict 13 is a prisoner who escapes and runs into a knocked-out Buster. Unsurprisingly, the prisoner exchanges clothes with Keaton, and of course Keaton literally runs into prison. While behind bars, his main foe is the prison's main foe... a large human portrayed by Joe Roberts.

This was not top-tier Buster; that's not a slight as Keaton still had his creative moments and funny pratfalls. Black comedy is also present-they attempt to hang our hero but the rope is like a bungee chord. There's also an old gag that is used at the conclusion of the short which evidently was used by Buster during his vaudeville days, at least according to a mutual's review. The final 10 or so seconds could have been a groaner even back in 1920-it sure is in 2025... even then, there's more carnage and people being knocked out cold than you'd expect, so I can't carp about Convict 13 too hard.

Marco

Marco (2024)

Runtime: 145 minutes

Directed by: Haneef Adeni

Starring: Unni Mukundan, Siddique, Jagadish, Abhimanyu Shammy Thilakan, Kabir Duhan Singh

From: A few different Indian companies

This went a step too far.

As always, during the week of (American) Thanksgiving, I am like many in the United States in that my movie-watching won’t be as frequent due to the aspect of traveling to other cities to hang out w/ loved ones. Not only do I expect to post at odd times, it won’t be every day and I won’t be able to like as many reviews as usual.

As for Marco… it’s an Indian movie I was finally able to track down. Months ago, someone on a messageboard informed everyone that Marco was even more violent than another Indian release from last year, Kill. Kill I have seen—and that was bloody gruesome. My interest was piqued, yet it was just now the reason why I couldn’t find it streaming anywhere in America w/ English subtitles: it’s an exclusive title for SonyLIV. Thankfully, YouTube has that as a service you can subscribe to… I am doing a free one-week trial, you see.

Concerning the film: the titular Marco is part of a crime family, even though he was adopted in rather than it being by blood. Some A-holes kill the blind Victor (via a dip in acid!), who is the sibling he was the closest to. It might as well be a bromance. Despite this being my first motion picture in the Malayalam language, it has the same characteristics that I’ve viewed in the pictures in the tongues of Tamil, Telugu, or Hindi.

Marco doesn’t appear right away-the plot is established then he receives quite the introduction… children argue over his character then we see him escape kidnapping via the killing of dogs (regrettable, even if Marco explains that he had to and he’s a dog lover) and like the sort of movies from India I end up seeking out, it’s macho OOT moments-typically in slow-motion-as he wrecks multiple dudes… most of the time while smoking a cigarette! He smokes more often than a Chow Yun-Fat character! It’s funny: like the YouTube copy I saw of the 2019 Tamil film Kaithi, there are messages that tobacco and alcohol are bad each time they are seen on screen-believe me, that is seen constantly in Marco the movie.

The first hour has some action but it’s only after this point that most of the grisly moments occur. A memorable scene involves… a chainsaw. Dog dying isn’t the only questionable moment; there seemed to be an implication that a key character was being punished right after they admitted their bisexuality. Be that as it may, I was still entertained by this trash (at least up to a certain point) which did attempt to create a story before the worst of the carnage occurred.

The obvious digital moments weren’t always beloved by me—even then, limbs are broken like prime Seagal, limbs are chopped off, there is more than one trap that Jigsaw probably had in his mind… I was digging that, then they not only blatantly stole a line from Heath Ledger’s Joker, they went the direction of those extreme French horror movies from the early 2000’s-or a few Korean movies of the same era-none of which I liked because in part they were just too gross, too much.

To give a hint as the direction this goes, another message popped up: “Violence against women and children is punishable by law.” Kill was a lot of fun, definitely graphic but they didn’t go overboard in attempting to shock or nauseate the audience. One scene here just turned me off. It’s a shame, as the film at least attempted some stylish moments ripped off from other sources… there’s a short POV fight segment, a simulated long one-take fight, a scene in black and white until the red of blood appears.

Of course, “too much” possibly or probably won’t be the case for you; YMMV. Additionally, checking out Indian movies that aren’t the same archetype (such as, checking out pictures from the past) may be beneficial for me. As derivative as Marco could be, I was happy to finally cross this off the list… not to mention, it wasn’t a movie I thought was bad.