The Trouble With Harry

The Trouble with Harry (1955)

Runtime: 99 minutes

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: John Forsythe, Shirley MacLaine, Edmund Gwenn, Mildred Squared (Natwick and Dunnock)

From: Universal

Couldn't have had more people here if I'd sold tickets.

My last Alfred Hitchcock movie (it may be a few weeks before I see another one... or maybe it'll be a few months), it will be one that is abnormal for Old Alfred. Of course the vast majority of his work has at least a few comedic moments but films that were comedies first & foremost were quite rare. As I DVR'ed this a few days ago and figured the picture would look great-it did-last night was finally the time to discover if this would tickle my funny bone. As apparent from my nice rating, it did.

In the woods outside a bucolic small Vermont town, the titular Harry is found dead; various people stumble into him-sometimes literally-but as this was absurd, the residents don't seem too concerned about treating the corpse with a proper dignity-rather, they have their own concerns and are more worried about being seen with the cadaver by the law than letting someone like a coroner know about it or even feeling sad that he passed away.

Thankfully it wasn't (usually) too illogical in the nutty world it resided in and there were various colorful characters seen, from an old British man who was pretty awesome and was happy to go on a date (Edmund Gwenn) to a lady with a great pixie cut and young son-what a combo Shirley MacLaine and a pre Leave it to Beaver Jerry Mathers was; this was her film debut-to a quirky artist, a general store owner and more. The script provides plenty of darkly humorous laughs so the movie was rather humorous to me.

A tremendous bonus was that this was actually filmed in rural Vermont and it was during the fall season. Those worldwide may not know this but at least in the United States and probably Canada, the New England region is famous at that time of year for the leaves changing color and it is a popular destination for tourists. Throughout the movie leaves of various hues are seen and it was a gorgeous sight. The Trouble with Harry was a nice change of pace-as many movies very good or better that Hitch did, most were in a similar wheelhouse so something different was a swell idea.

 

Frenzy

Frenzy (1972)

Runtime: 116 minutes

Directed by: Yep, Hitchcock

Starring: Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey, Alec McCowen

From: Universal

Bob's your uncle!

Somehow this was a first time watch for me despite of my knowledge of this being unfiltered Hitchcock for years now. He was known for years as someone who pushed boundaries in cinema but this was the only time he went totally explicit and made a hard R movie. Thankfully it is not unrestrained vulgarity and constant adult moments-rather, it is a typical sort of tale for Hitch (of course, he used various familiar tropes, but they still did not feel hackneyed or cliched and some were used for the very last time) where a man is falsely accused; however, this time there is more a ferocity and one extended scene in particular is very brutal & unpleasant even after almost half a century. Overall though, it is less explicit than something like Straw Dogs or A Clockwork Orange.

The accused man is Richard Blaney, someone who is rather flawed and has various vices. He is not as heroic as other Hitch protagonists by any means, although that's the point... it is easier to accept that the police would deem him as a viable suspect in a series of strangulations (via a necktie) of young women. Yet he is not such an irredeemable lout or a loathsome human being that I wouldn't piss on him if he was on fire-the actual killer is a rather hissable villain.

Frenzy is a dark tale set & filmed in London which thankfully was not so dour it made for a miserable two hours; in fact, there are plenty of darkly humorous moments, although some are definitely off-color in 2021. At times perhaps I shouldn't have chuckled at something... thankfully there were occasions which we could all find hilarious, such as lead investigator Oxford being served awful-looking (and I am sure pungent-tasting) food by his wife-don't forget a great closing line as well.

The cast overall is solid and so is the talent behind the camera; even if it's not among the best Hitchcock movies, it is well worth seeing if you're like me and have seen many of his pictures. An impressive effort from a man in his early 70's who had been making movies for almost 50 years at that point.

Suspicion

Suspicion (1941)

Runtime: 99 minutes

Directed by: Yes, another movie from Hitchcock

Starring: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine, Cedric Hardwicke, Nigel Bruce, Dame May Whitty

From: RKO

Pro tip: never trust a loved one who constantly refers to you as “monkey face.”

As I continue on my marathon of reviewing Alfred Hitchcock films-who knows how many more days it will last-my opinion on this first time watch won't be as blasphemous as my take on Vertigo. The movie is pretty good although either the movie studio or “the production code”-I've heard both-necessitating a change in the story hampered the plot (an outside entity negatively impacting a motion picture and the director's intent? The more things change...) and in another case of history not changing, Joan Fontaine is said to have won an Oscar for her role here as atonement for her role in Rebecca not earning an Oscar the previous year... yes, the Academy Awards did such things even 80 years ago!

That is not to slight Fontaine in this movie-I've never seen Rebecca and she totally carried Suspicion. Cary Grant is usually pretty solid but here he either decided and/or was lead to play his role as totally obvious and one-note... from the beginning this “charming playboy” was totally a phony, a goof that the lead girl mainly falls for due to circumstance and wanting to break her “spinster” image. Old Joan was totally the highlight of the film.

Sure, the movie has a plot that never was boring, had some laughs before it got serious, and BEAKY was a character I dug due to his nickname and his jovial nature. But it was Fontaine who held everything together. As she learned more about her man's misfortunes and lies, her heart is broken and when she spots clues which seem to suggest that he wants to murder her for the insurance money... as typical it was a solid job of direction from Hitch. The aforementioned change from what Sir Alfred wanted to do is only a small part of the story, although it definitely changes the denouement and that is unfortunate. In any case, this shouldn't be viewed before his many classics yet it does have worthwhile elements and was at least an entertaining noir.

Vertigo

Vertigo (1958)

Runtime: 128 minutes

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones

From: Paramount

Why is Turner Classic Movies showing 48 hours of Alfred Hitchcock movies in a row? Beats me but I'll take advantage of it.

A few days ago I discovered that TCM has this as programming for the entire weekend. The reason for the tribute is unknown to me as it's not his birthday (or even the date of his death); in any case, the next few days will be devoted to reviewing his work, as the DVR will be getting a workout. In addition, I will revisit a movie or two but not discuss it here.

I was excited to finally give Vertigo another shot. It was only seen once before, ages ago; my opinion was that it was liked more than loved, which will be blasphemous to many here. I'll discuss why in a bit, along with why my viewpoint has not changed. Not that long ago I saw about a minute of it in a recent TCM showing and from the print quality, they must be using the new 4K scan that can be viewed on 4K discs; on a 4K TV the picture will look great. This movie has a lot going for it: a twisty and turny plot, mirrors appearing often, the frequent usage of red and green, an awesome score from Bernard Herrmann, great Saul Bass opening credits, and a capable cast that tries their hardest.

Regrettably, the story I just don't care for, and likely never will. Someone becoming obsessed with a person's significant other after being asked to tail them for the purposes of investigating their whereabouts is fine as honestly, most people have become obsessed with a person, even if they are already romantically entangled w/ someone else. But there's a tease of reincarnation/possession and a whole lot of nonsense, some of which will forever be baffling to me. That's not even factoring in the lead's increasingly disturbing behavior, especially towards the gal known as Judy. Controlling your loved one's behavior will forever be creepy to me, even if it's done by Jimmy Stewart. I know, I know... this movie was basically Hitchcock playing out his id and he actually treated actresses like that, but that's pretty rotten and ever since discovering that and other unsavory stories, I was better off knowing less about the personal life and peccadilloes of a legendary director.

Most will disagree but the movie is just not that enjoyable for my tastes no matter if everyone else finds it to be a masterpiece. Instead of being haunted by this fact, I won't worry about ever watching Vertigo again and instead there will be the satisfaction that there are many Hitchcock films that are more enjoyable, fun, and even thought-provoking which are more worthy of revisit.

The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep (1946)

Runtime: 114 minutes

Directed by: Howard Hawks

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, John Ridgley, Martha Vickers, Dorothy Malone

From: Warner Bros.

Philip Marlowe: Ladies Man?

It's been too long since I've watched any film noir; randomly I decided to finally watch this classic so it could be discussed here. The most noteworthy aspect is the complexity of the story and how not everyone is a fan of that. Personally, it is not THAT difficult to follow and comprehend; paying attention is important but when Marlowe recaps things more than once to another character as exposition, it is not a Gordian Knot that is extremely difficult to untie, in other words. Admittedly, I've heard for years (and presume it's true) that in Raymond Chandler's novel this was based on, he did not know who committed one of the murders. As others have noted, the investigation was more about the process than the end result, although the story of what happened was still interesting.

Philip Marlowe is a PI-or a shamus, as he's referred to a few times-who is asked by an old invalid rich dude to investigate a blackmail case involving one of his daughters, Carmen. Carmen is a wild child so she's been in trouble before; in contrast, Vivian is way more staid yet also causes problems for Philip in other ways. What results are various twists & turns, surprises, murders, etc. To reveal more would spoil the story; I will say that there are plenty of intriguing characters throughout, even if their screentime is limited. I think of such people as the bookstore lady who helps out Philip (and is one of the many women who act like he is absolutely irresistible, which resulted in me chortling whenever it happened) or the small role played by Elisha Cook, Jr.

It was a mystery I enjoyed trying to figure out, it has the usual noir trappings (nice usage of light & shadows, snappy dialogue, hardboiled moments, etc.) and it was simply a delight seeing legendary real life couple Bogie & Bacall interact with each other. Not my favorite noir but still a good time for me... and it may be for you as long as you are not intimidated by the idea of a complex plot.

A Quiet Place Part II

A Quiet Place Part II (2020)

91% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 309 reviews)

Runtime: 97 minutes

Directed by: John Krasinski

Starring: Everyone in the family plus a new character played by Cillian Murphy

From: Paramount

As I mentioned in my review for A Quiet Place that was posted yesterday, I saw both movies theatrically for the first time yesterday. While I enjoyed that, I do think this was a little better. It was appropriate to see them back to back as Part II-after an intro that shows Day 1 of the invasion-picks up right after Part I concludes.

As this is new, much of the plot won't be revealed; instead it will be noted that from the trailers witnessed by my eyes, they did not reveal as much as they appeared to. Part II is a different beast from Part I in several ways: there are more monsters, more dialogue, more people, and more of the universe seen. This worked instead of flopping because the essence of the series is still the same and the lead characters all grow & mature from what was seen in the first movie.

John Krasinski has grown as a director since his debut; not only was he more assured and the overall product was less clunky, the very good sound design & score has returned and editing plays a big role in the final act... thank heavens Michael P. Shawver was up to the task. Two of the characters (one returning and one new) were the true highlights. Another relief was that this had more scares than the first.

The ending is on the abrupt side-I guess that's better than being relieved that the film is over, which has happened too often in modern movies. Personally, I am glad this movie is not a few things: something that shoehorns in humor that was not needed, avoids being needlessly long, and is not pretentious crap. Give me either of these motion pictures to most of the product of the “heightened horror” movement. Whenever Part III is released in the future, there will be no delay in my theatrical viewing of that. As I prefer Part II, expectations will be high for III.

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place (2018)

96% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 386 reviews)

Runtime: 90 minutes

Directed by: John Krasinski

Starring: Krasinski, Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe, Cade Woodward

From: Paramount

Last week, I discovered that yesterday there would be a one night screening of this and its sequel; as I had never seen either, someone late in '18 asked me for my opinion on something they wanted to see (they may have been disappointed I had no opinion to give them), it was two for the price of one and my AMC A-List app could be used to pay for the ticket.. it was a no-brainer. Some things I've heard concerning the movie did give me pause-which is why this is a first time watch-but in hindsight I was a fool for not giving this a chance three years ago. My review of Part II will be posted tomorrow.

By now I will assume everyone is familiar with the general story so time won't be spent on that. In just about every movie, nitpicks can be made and some can be made here: the alien creatures aren't the most original in terms of appearance, although that has been a Hollywood problem for YEARS now. What people have deemed to be plotholes could indeed be called that (an explanation for the most niggling ones weren't explained in the sequel either), information was at times presented to the viewer in an inelegant manner and I don't know if there should have been as much score or those musical stingers. I know some did not like the idea of someone having a kid in this environment... sure that is quite the risk, although at least a reason was provided. All that said, this was still pretty good.

It was a pleasant surprise to see and hear a big studio release in the past few years have LONG stretches between dialogue at volume, and seeing all the translated sign language. The small cast managed to work because I personally liked everyone in the Abbott family; having a real life husband and wife play the same on screen doesn't always work, but it did here. Much to my relief none of the children were irritating & it was nice to spend time with them before Seeing this on the big screen was nice as I could appreciate the sound design, not to mention the scenic beauty of rural New York. Thankfully, there were nice scares in the final act which made the journey feel like one worth taking.

Before the movie, Krasinski appeared on screen and besides thanking the audience for coming out, noted that this was “a creature double feature”; I did not think of it that way beforehand but indeed it was. It was also a noteworthy directorial debut which took various chances and many of them were successful. I never asked that person if they ever did see this. If not, I'll tell them to soon.

Hondo

Hondo (1953)

Runtime: 83 minutes

Directed by: John Farrow

Starring: John Wayne, Geraldine Page, Ward Bond, Michael Pate, Rodolfo Acosta

From: Warner Bros.

The reason why I watched Shane Sunday night: earlier that day I DVR'ed this movie and as I heard they share some similarities... Hondo is lesser than Shane but that's no slight-as this was still pretty good.

One similarity is that both start with a young boy on land in the middle of nowhere by a body of water, spotting a stranger walking towards him from a distance*. This boy, Johnny (played by 50's TV actor Lee Aaker, who passed away just a few months ago) also likes this mysterious new man but otherwise the two movies are different. The titular hero is a typical cowboy, one who is happy to start and finish a barroom brawl. Johnny and his mom Angie technically live on Apache land (the husband is missing) but the natives have never given them much problem. Of course, “the whites” start problems with the Apaches so eventually they act like “whooping Indians” mainly played by those who are decidedly not natives.

That said, the movie at least tries to paint them in a sympathetic light. Like I said, the movie accurately noted how it was typically dumb white people that broke peace treaties w/ the Native Americans; plus, the lead trio are all treated with some respect by the tribe and even at the end, respect is shown & the eventual loss of their way of life is noted as “a shame.” The biggest laugh for me came when Hondo noted that he was “part Indian”; that was a little absurd. Anyhow, there's enough action and intrigue in the scenic American Southwest (and Mexico) to satisfy my tastes; the exciting finale-allegedly directed by John Ford-made the brief but fun journey-this was less than 90 minutes-worth it. As expected, The Duke once again played a cowboy with little effort and Geraldine Page in her big screen debut brought the goods.

Oh, and this was filmed in 3D; one day I'd like to jump on it and see the movie in that format-it's probably a gas.

* Here, he also is accompanied by a dog, played by Pal, who most famously portrayed Lassie in the 40's and 50's; this dog is more wild and the opposite of a friend to all children. It's fate... yeah, don't watch this movie if “the dog dies” is a big problem for you.

Shane

Shane (1953)

Runtime: 118 minutes

Directed by: George Stevens

Starring: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde, Jack Palance

From: Paramount

The main reason for me finally seeing this classic Western: as means of comparison with what I'll be reviewing tomorrow night. But it was about time I saw something I've known of for years. This is a mature entry in the genre, one where violence was not portrayed as actions done in a heroic manner but rather something started by villains or as retaliation done by the heroes.

The titular Shane was a gunslinger who happened to be passing through rural Wyoming (where this was filmed) and stops at the homestead of the Starrett family, featuring parents and one young-sometimes annoying-son. They became buddies so Shane stays there to work on their property, while the son idolizes this new man in his life. As this was also based on the Johnson County War in Wyoming that was portrayed in Heaven's Gate, the Starrett clan and others in the area have a legal right to their parcels of land but a cattle baron is a real SOB about it and tries real hard to drive them away, including hiring a gunslinger of their own in Walter Jack Palance, as he was known back then. Despite Shane wanting to stay out of trouble, he gets roped right into it.

For someone who is not a tall imposing figure-he would have been dwarfed by John Wayne-Alan Ladd was great as an ace gunslinger who now prefers a more placid life. The rest of the cast is solid overall (including Jean Arthur in her last role) but Van Heflin in a rare heroic role is more a focus of this tale than you might expect. He rallies everyone else to not back down from the villains and is admirable in trying to defend both his land and his family. Little son Joey may love Shane but he should be proud of his old man, which was appropriate for a Father's Day viewing; thankfully Heflin's performance is also aces.

Mix in a solid score, gorgeous 1.66.1 cinematography (a first for Paramount) and a classic ending & this is a classic Western for good reason. In addition, those that love Logan... from what I've heard this was a big inspiration for that. Ironically, the production filming in Jackson Hole, Wyoming was appropriate for me as right now I know someone who is vacationing in nearby Yellowstone National Park.

Humanoids From The Deep

Humanoids from the Deep (1980)

Runtime: 80 minutes

Directed by: Barbara Peeters... mostly

Starring: Doug McClure, Ann Turkel, Vic Morrow, Cindy Weintraub, Anthony Pena

From: New World Pictures

A movie better than its infamous reputation.

Friday night I viewed this on Shudder as the second half of the last The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs for the season, where he continued his interview w/ Roger Corman and he continued to provide many interesting anecdotes; before I watched Humanoids I only knew of the movie for its infamy. You see, the title creatures are indeed fish men from the sea and well, the viewer gets to see them sexually assault several women. That was controversial at the time; in 2021, some will be quite offended. Now that I've finally seen this motion picture, it is for certain sleaze and trash... but it's also greatly entertaining.

It is a monster movie where some famous names (Doug McClure, model turned actress Ann Turkel, and Vic Morrow w/ a tremendous head of hair) were roped in as it originally wasn't going to be so outrageous and in fact the grossest moments were not filmed by director Barbara Peeters but instead were done by New World Pictures stalwart Jimmy T. Murakami.

She was not happy with the final product for years and that is unfortunate. It's the sort of movie where the first person you see killed is a little boy and after that is several dogs... yes this is outrageous. Yet it's a story set and filmed in a bucolic area of Northern California and a pleasant-looking town known as Noyo where this actually addressed such things as DNA and GMO's long before that became fashionable... specifically, that is modifying animals for the sake of food production. There's also tensions between “the whites” in town and Native Americans. Yes there is prejudice although the main source is controversy over opening a cannery factory in that seaside village. The script was more thoughtful than I expected.

Of course there is plenty of gore and carnage for those that enjoy such things. As that was done by the great Rob Bottin, even on a tiny budget the monsters and the graphic moments all look superb. The final act in particular provided plenty of over the top entertainment. Other familiar names are present: this was an early effort from Mark Goldblatt as editor before he worked on various James Cameron movies... and this was the first ever film score from James Horner. In addition, I did chuckle at seeing Rowdy Herrington's name in the credits... he went on from being an electrician in this to directing the legendary Road House.

Humanoids from the Deep is not the only New World Pictures effort that has been a pleasant surprise-Battle Beyond the Stars is a fun space riff on The Seven Samurai. Those that want another trashy effort should check out Forbidden World.

The Little Shop Of Horrors

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

Runtime: 72 minutes

Directed by: Roger Corman

Starring: Jonathan Haze, Jackie Joseph, Mel Welles, Dick Miller, Myrtle Vail

From: The Filmgroup/Santa Clara Productions

Or: When you watch a pair of movies so you can participate in a watchalong discussion on a movie messageboard.

It was only earlier in the month that I discovered a movie messageboard I always frequent (admittedly, I mainly only look at one thread on that board) talks about each episode of The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs with a few people engaging in discussion. So yes, on Sunday I'll be posting my review of Humanoids from the Deep, which was... quite the spectacle. This was my first time viewing The Little Shop of Horrors, and as a kid I only saw parts of the 80's remake. Not only was it interesting to see a pair of films new to me that are both cult favorites, it was a treat getting to see the legendary Roger Corman be interviewed-more on that at the end.

This was not the typical Corman movie as it is dialogue-driven. When you make a movie in either 2 or 2 ½ days (I've seen both be noted) in order to win a bet, that is what will happen. Those that only have seen the Frank Oz movie, from what I know the characters are the same and so is the plot aside from some minor differences and this not being a musical. Of course the movie is cheap although because it reuses sets, the cast is fine-as always it's great to see Dick Miller-the score is catchy and it has laughs-of the Jewish variety because of said cast having a few members of that faith-that makes this watchable.

It's a film that's the opposite of subtle about a talking carnivorous plant starring a guy that looks like Oscar Issac (of course some people want to remake this again, with Taron Egerton as Seymour. Balderdash, I say! If it has to be done, might as well have Isaac play a bumbling nerd) so it will forever be a silly picture filled with caricatures of human beings... that thankfully was entertaining and did not wear out its welcome at only 72 minutes. There's even a dental patient who is a masochist... here played by Jack Nicholson in quite the unforgettable brief role for a then-up and coming actor. In a sad note, I was surprised to see that Karyn Kupcinet had a small role; I have known of her for a long time as the daughter of a longtime Chicago columnist... and someone who was tragically killed on Thanksgiving Day 1963 and the identity of her murderer or murderers has never been identified. In fact, various true crime podcasts have covered this case.

It was great getting to hear Roger Corman be interviewed. For someone who is 95 (!) he still appears to have all his faculties and intelligently answered all of Joe Bob's questions... it was fascinating, especially when he casually mentioned that Nicholson was familiar with LSD in the 1960's! No matter what you think of Corman's product, he helped launch the careers of MANY notable talent in the movie world. The industry would be better off if there was someone around now who has a low-budget studio like Roger did and young talent can have a place to cut their teeth and pay their dues before they go on to Hollywood success.

The Wrestler

The Wrestler (2008)

Runtime: 109 minutes

Directed by: Darren Aranofsky

Starring: Mickey Rourke, Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Mark Margolis, Todd Berry

From: Fox Searchlight

I'll note right away that my opinion on this movie is colored by my familiarity not just with professional wrestling, but the years in the past when I attended the sort of independent wrestling events held in the likes of VFW halls and National Guard armories and some of the real life wrestlers in the film-including current WWE superstar Cesaro-I saw in such a setting. Of course this was first watched theatrically back when it was first released and later was rewatched as a rental... but that was more than 10 years ago so it was LONG overdue for me to talk about this here; we can thank Amazon for putting this on Prime for me.

Most people may not remember or even know, but originally NIC CAGE was going to play Randy the Ram; for reasons unknown to me, Mickey Rourke got the part instead... but I couldn't imagine anyone else playing the role as excellently as what was immortalized on screen. Mickey's real life problems in Hollywood and the viewer's knowledge of this only adds to the portrayal. Randy the Ram was an 80's wrestling star who like some in the industry has fallen on hard times and besides wrestling on local shows and having to work a “real” job, he is a chronic screw-up **and** his health has gone downhill. The movie is a stone cold bummer and that has to be one of the reasons why some pro wrestlers hate this movie-every line of work has chronic F'ups who are cautionary tales... but pro wrestling is a weird niche form of entertainment and the wacky human beings in it are quite protective of it.

The story is engrossing-no matter how depressing it all is-is filmed intimately by Darren Aranofsky & has tremendous performances from Rourke, Marisa Tomei and Evan Rachel Wood-even if you are not a fan of pro wrestling this movie should be quite appealing. In terms of “modern wrestling”, that hasn't been appealing to me in many years. Stupid storylines, matches that look phony and overly choreographed (because they are), stupid “comedy”, and during this pandemic the WWE has turned science fiction, completely divorcing themselves from reality. Some places actually do have that “death match” crap which was portrayed here... where The Ram and that tall bearded guy known as THE NECRO BUTCHER used staple guns, panes of glass, barb wire, and other weapons and it's a freak show rather than actual wrestling. Don't even get me started on two of the worst gimmicks in pro wrestling history, that being Orange Cassidy and The Fiend...

At least there's no shortage of actual good wrestling from the past to stream, and there are many people around today that take the piss out of how bad the modern product is.

Journey To The Center Of The Earth

Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)

Runtime: 129 minutes

Directed by: Henry Levin

Starring: James Mason, Pat Boone, Arlene Dahl, Peter Ronson, Thayer David

From: 20th Century Fox

Featuring Icelandic Dolph Lundgren

This was watched last night on Disney +; it was something I hadn't viewed since I was a little kid, way back in the VHS days. Finally being able to see this in nice quality and Cinemascope was a treat... this has nice visual moments, the effects typically still look fine & this is a fun adventure with exotic worlds and giant monsters-actually lizards in disguise. Note that I've never seen the 2008 movie starring Brendan Fraser or its sequel with The Rock... nor the apparently atrocious picture from the 80's.

Based on a Jules Verne story I've never read, James Mason discovers it is not as difficult as you'd think to find a passage to enter Earth's interior. He is accompanied by Pat Boone, the mom of Lorenzo Lamas (Arlene Dahl) and a guy I'll talk about in a bit who I call Icelandic Dolph Lundgren... who is accompanied by duck Gertrude. Of course there is someone else who wishes to reach the center. As the setting is 1880, of course there is plenty of sexism. Otherwise, this was quite enjoyable and had a blend of comedy, drama, some action, and even a few songs. It's not the most scientific or logical flick, but I presume that echoes the novel. Animal lovers may not love everything in the movie, though...

The guy I compared to Dolph-due to both being tall athletic Scandinavians-was an actual Icelandic athlete (who competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics in the 110 meter hurdles) who acted under the Anglicized name of Peter Ronson. The production managed to find someone of the right nationality for the part as Ronson was in California for college and they discovered him. While this was his only film role and he mainly spoke his native tongue, he was good for what he had to do.

Pat Boone is someone who not everyone is a fan of, whether it be his religious/political views or how he recorded some incredibly white covers of R&B songs in the 50's; me, I hold no hatred towards him. In fact, back when Cypress Gardens was still a thing in Florida, I saw Boone perform live outdoors when I was there around 15 years ago. No one should be stunned that the crowd was geriatric & full of people with gray hair-I did hear him perform one song. It was... Enter Sandman! For those unaware, back in the late 90's he recorded a big band album that covered famous metal songs. At the time some of his fanbase were NOT happy with that decision; after all, he transitioned long ago into recording gospel music. He acknowledged that controversy right before I heard him perform Enter Sandman. That album and the similar album done by Paul Anka a few years later-both are pretty funny to me.

The Amusement Park

This is a must for any George A. Romero fan. For a few years now (ever since this long-lost movie was rediscovered) I've known of this unique product, a movie that Romero was commissioned to do between Season of the Witch and The Crazies. Running 50 minutes and change, it was made for a Lutheran group in Western Pennsylvania who wished for a piece that was a screed against ageism and elder abuse. Presumably they never released it because those Lutherans thought this surreal nightmare was far too nontraditional compared to what they expected. Like I said, it was found a few years ago and was restored in 4K; for the moment it is exclusively on Shudder.

The only face in the cast that anyone would know is Lincoln Maazel of Martin fame. He and other elderly people in an old-timey amusement park are treated poorly in a series of metaphors to real life situations; it isn't subtle, although perhaps that isn't a surprise. Also not a surprise: expert sound design and editing play a key role in creating the chilling atmosphere, not to mention creating sympathy for the lead... although Maazel also delivered with his performance.

As this was released just a week ago, it'd be a crime to reveal much more. Thus, no more spoilers on what occurs in The Amusement Park. Instead, I'll mention that I was reminded of my father and his two older siblings... they are all senior citizens-it's also a reminder to all of us that we should respect our elders & treat them better. Maazel certainly led a long life... he passed away at the age of 106. One of the (many) ideas for what to see later in the year is to visit or revisit various Romero movies-it's a relief this lived up to the lofty praise I've seen in the preceding week.

Sanjuro

Sanjuro (1962)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Akira Kurosawa

Starring: Toshiro Mifune, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiju Kobayashi, Yuzo Kayama, Reiko Dan

From: Toho

Last night I realized it had been too long since I'd seen any Mifune; as I had watched Yojimbo more than once yet never gave a shot to its companion movie Sanjuro, that is what was viewed on the Criterion Channel.

This is different from Yojimbo and while I do prefer that, Sanjuro is still very good. Old Toshiro plays a disheveled ronin who stumbles upon a small clan who is caught in a sticky wicket of a situation; their master is kidnapped and as they are naive at best and dopey at worst, the title character is a great asset to them-and much of the time he looks bored of it all, tired and appearing to be lackadaisical while actually a quality swordsman and an even wiser tactician. A nice twist is that they all get input from others that also assist them. Sure, there is action but the real draw is not that and neither is many of the characters being on the forgettable side. Rather, it's all the machinations and scheming between the two sides, and Mifune being such an effortless badass.

Sanjuro is simply a fun movie that naturally was filmed expertly by Kurosawa, and had an engrossing story which was much more comedic than Yojimbo, and the funny moments typically worked well for me. It has a solid cast, a catchy score, and an unforgettable ending; while not my favorite it was a mistake on my part to not have watched this much sooner.

Radioland Murders

Radioland Murders (1994)

Runtime: 108 minutes

Directed by: Mel Smith

Starring: A great cast

From: Universal/Lucasfilm

RIP Ned Beatty

I realize it may seem absurd to see a movie for the first time in more than 25 years because you recall it featured a great actor that just passed away. I've already watched Beatty's most famous work... whether it be Deliverance (which is much more than just the Squeal Like a Pig scene), his bumbling henchman Otis in the Christopher Reeve Superman movies, his small yet incredible role in Network-where he delivered what has to be one of the best soliloquies in motion picture history-and his voiceover as Lotso in Toy Story 3. Other films could have been selected-I decided upon one that I had watched before, albeit on VHS and practically all of it was forgotten long ago.

This is infamous as a passion project for George Lucas; he wanted it made right after American Graffiti but it languished in development hell for 20 years before he finally had the opportunity. This evoked the era (late 30's) where radio was the main way people could have entertainment beamed to their homes. In Chicago, WGN... er, excuse me, “WBN” launches a national radio network with an extravaganza that included live musical performances, a talent contest, radio shows of all genres, & more... unfortunately, it is utter chaos with various people at the station feuding w/ each other and that's not even factoring in the person who is murdering various people at WBN. Now, in hindsight perhaps there were warning signs; after all, this was a product of people who gave us Howard the Duck. But there's also a George Lucas story in a movie where yes-man Rick McCallum was a producer. With 2021 eyes, this should have been a warning as to how the prequels would turn out!

As for this movie's demerits, they are notable. It has quite the fast pace; sure, so do the screwball comedies of yore this attempts to emulate. However, those typically gave us characters we care about and were more successful at being funny than this was. Radioland Murders in contrast felt exhausting too often and that's a shame as this has an all-star cast (everyone from George Burns to Joey Lawrence), great production design and music that did sound good. It's a movie I should have enjoyed and thought was better than just “meh”; alas... Beatty was fine in his role but lead girl Mary Stuart Masterson was the highlight both in performance and role. She was certainly more tolerable than the buffoon that Brian Benben played. Yet to everyone's chagrin, something that had the likes of Brion James, Michael Lerner, Michael McKean, Jeffery Tambor, Christopher Lloyd, Rosemary Clooney and many others only had sporadic laughs and sporadic entertainment value. This is probably why I barely remembered anything about this from that initial viewing oh so long ago.

Having seen movies of its type between '95 and now, that only makes this look more inferior. There are even mystery comedies from the late 30's through the early 40's set in radio stations that I've never seen but might be better; that includes Abbott & Costello's Who Done It? One last note: while I won't reveal specific information, a Letterboxd mutual actually was a background extra in the movie and you can spot them several times throughout. They enjoyed the experience and as someone who has never been on a film set, I do envy this person for having that sort of work in a few motion pictures, no matter the end result of those productions.

One Hundred And One Dalmatians (The Cartoon)

Percival Fauncewater is one of the most British names I've ever heard.

While I have Disney + it should be used more often by myself; besides that, it allows me to note that without having seen Cruella except for the trailer and a minute of the most infamous moment (at least everywhere aside from Letterboxd) I will be a judgmental bastard and note that it is not something I'll ever watch. The whole Disney remake trend has always been garbage-no matter how popular those are at the box office-and after having seen this for the first time in at least 30 years, it was especially absurd that they would make Cruella De Vil into a sympathetic figure. I am glad that many here seem to like that motion picture but nothing about it seems appealing to me, especially after discovering there is a backstory reason as to why De Vil hates dalmatians... to me that is dopey as this movie suggested she is just a vile old crone who is a heiress, loves fur and only wants to skin puppies alive because a dalmatian fur coat will look tres chic.

All that said, this cartoon was still a charming good time. I hardly remembered anything from this so it was a surprise seeing that lead human male Roger's dog Pongo hooked him up with a gal named Anita because she had a female dalmatian as a pet and he was tired of dull bachelor life... not to mention one of the 15 dogs born of Pongo and Perdita was feared stillborn. Cruella wasn't in the movie as much as I recalled; that was fine as goofy henchmen Jasper and Horace not only brought some laughs, their UK slang tickled me pink. It was a cute story with plenty of memorable characters (including those that assisted the puppies in returning home), some nice music-appropriate as Roger is a songwriter-and animation that started the trend of using Xerox to save money... it usually looked fine and there was some colorful backgrounds but one moment just did not look right.

This helped save Disney's animation division after Sleeping Beauty (which I'll eventually revisit); even without this being a favorite from the studio and divorced from the new movie based on the property, this was a pretty good animated flick.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)

Runtime: 115 minutes

Directed by: Philip Kaufman

Starring: Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum, Veronica Cartwright, Leonard Nimoy

From: United Artists

Or: When you appear on camera for only 10 seconds and earn yourself a new Eddie Bauer jacket.

Last night I attended my first baseball game in almost two years-the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2. Thursday night this movie was seen via a DVR recording I made a few days previous. I had known of its two most famous moments for years so it only made sense to finally give a shot to a highly rated piece of 70's horror. Long ago I saw someone bemoaning how the final shot of the movie was merchandised to death and was unhappy because it was the final shot. Sure, but that horse had left the barn for years before that comment was made... knowing of those moments did not ruin my enjoyment of this and it should not for you either.

I've never seen the original film from '56 where alien spores land on Earth & create emotionless pod people; thus, I won't be comparing the two. In San Francisco, a health inspector and his female colleague Elizabeth soon discover this insidious plot; Elizabeth is the first, due to her husband completely changing his behavior; it's early on in the movie where the ball gets rolling. Despite her qualifications, she is treated as “a hysterical woman” at first... I can only imagine how you'll feel as that if you identify as a female. They have pals in married couple Veronica Cartwright and Jeff Goldblum (even back then he played a total Jeff Goldblum role) who get involved in this conspiracy.

The movie is frightening from beginning to end; this is due in part to a solid story but there's also a quality cast, cinematography that not only is influenced by by film noir but is also off-kilter on purpose to express an unsettling feeling, and great score/sound design which are assets in creating a chilling plot that is one of the many paranoid conspiracy thrillers we got in the 70's. It was also tremendous casting in getting Leonard Nimoy in a movie revolving around emotionless alien beings... in addition, there are some disturbing practical effects and that is one of several reasons why this would be a perfect double-bill with another remake of a famous 50's sci-fi/horror flick... Carpenter's The Thing. The 70's San Francisco setting was also pretty rad. Overall, this was a very good time.

The beginning has a 10 second cameo from a famous actor at the time, who is still well-known now. I won't reveal who it is for those that wish to be surprised; this actor happened to be in the area at the time and had worked with director Philip Kaufman before. For payment, he apparently received... a new Eddie Bauer jacket! Long ago I had one of those and that is a nice gift to receive.

The Beyond

The Beyond (… E Tu Vivral Nel Terrore! L'aldlia) (1981)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: Lucio Fulci

Starring: Catriona MacColl, David Warbeck, Cinzia Monreale, Antoine Saint-John, Veronica Lazar

From: Fulvia Film

Pro tip: Never pick up a blind woman and her dog if she is in the middle of the road on a long bridge.

Last night I watched this on Shudder and years ago I had actually seen about the first twenty or so minutes; that was when it was on TCM Underground. I actually turned it off after the movie turned into an illogical mess; some people online weren't happy with this decision. Finally, last night was the time to give this a proper shot; turns out, the entire movie after the first act was quite baffling! Allegedly this was done on purpose for the purposes of creating a surreal atmosphere; I am not 100% sure that is the case.

Personal preferences dictate that I don't love this as much as many others do; be that as it may, the movie is still fine. It's a tale where a young woman inherits a Louisiana hotel that is built over one of the seven entrances to Hell-don't you hate it when that happens?-and as expected from the director, the highlights are a groovy score-from Fabrio Frizzi-and plentiful gore that was well-realized. My complaints with logic aside, at least the plot moved at a quick pace so I was never bored; plus, a few times I did laugh. There was a character named Joe the Plumber... not the guy who somehow went viral in '08 when he asked Obama a question about small businesses while Barack was on the campaign trail. There was also a sign that said “Do not entry”; why wasn't that ever corrected by someone that knew English?

This has unforgettable scenes, sure; while I don't understand all the linking material between the scenes or even such basics as how much time passed during the movie, overall I'll say that this was good, even if I prefer something like Zombie or Don't Torture a Duckling.

Magic

Magic (1978)

Runtime: 107 minutes

Directed by: Richard Attenborough

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margaret, Burgess Meredith, Ed Lauter, David Ogden Stiers

From: 20^th Century Fox

A look at the life of Jeff Dunham?

For the next few days, I expect to extend the trend of seeing horror films either set or having been made in the late 70's/early 80's. This and something I'll view later in the week was recorded Monday night on HDNet Movies onto the ol' DVR. This movie is far more than an infamous commercial which managed to be traumatizing to millions of children just from having a creepy-looking ventriloquist dummy talking to the audience.

The movie could have turned out real sour considering it's based on a book which does not directly translate to the screen yet its author also wrote the screenplay... plus the gimmick is kind of wacky. Yet it managed to be a pretty good movie which actually isn't about a killer ventriloquist doll and instead is more grounded, which makes it all the more tragic. A rather awkward magician manages to find success after incorporating a vulgar dummy into his act but fear of stardom is not why he is wary of advancing farther in his career...

This does have some assets in its favor: Richard Attenborough does a solid job as director, as is the main cast of Anthony Hopkins, Ann-Margaret-it's not hard to understand why our lead falls for her-Burgess Meredith (sporting a unique look because it was based on an old agent known as Swifty Lazar) and Ed Lauter, with a young in comparison Anthony as the highlight. I've learned the Jerry Goldsmith score is divisive but I liked it; plenty of time was spent in rural California-which served as rural New York state-and it was quite scenic. In this day and age I appreciate long scenes featuring only two quality actors that talk to each other and it manages to be captivating; this has plenty of that. While I won't call anyone a dummy for scoffing at the premise of the movie, it is definitely NOT something like Child's Play or even the ventriloquist doll final segment in the Dead of Night anthology; this was even better than what I was hoping for.

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It

The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

58% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 185 reviews)

Runtime: 112 minutes

Directed by: Michael Chaves

Starring: Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Ruairi O'Connor, Sarah Catherine Hook, Julian Hilliard

From: Warner Bros./New Line Cinema

Featuring A DEMONIC WATERBED

I've at least enjoyed most of the films in The Conjuring Universe (I've never seen the one about La Llarona, but just earlier today was a story seen by me which cast doubt if that movie is even “officially” in the franchise; apparently the movie stinks so that is why I never bothered), despite the fact that Ed & Lorraine Warren were most likely charlatans, characters full of phony stories and poppycock. The stories themselves and competent or better directing-especially the ones from James Wan-are big assets, along with the performances from Patrick Wilson & Vera Farmiga that portray a nice warm couple; I at least won't suggest that they were terrible in real life. Despite some bad buzz, last night Devil was viewed theatrically; regrettably, this is not as good as the first two.

A big problem for me is that this hardly shows any of the truth concerning the real life case of Arne Johnson, who in 1981 claimed he was possessed by a demon after he invited it in during an exorcism of his girlfriend's young brother (I'm sure it's just a coincidence that sounds like the ending to a legendary horror film from the 70's...) and he subsequently stabbed someone to death. While it's true the Warrens convinced his attorney to claim “demonic possession” as a defense, there is a clear reason why the actual trial was hardly shown at all and most of the story seen here is fictional nonsense. That fiction is foolishness concerning various tropes and far-fetched scenarios. I know that The Conjuring 2 featured creatures due to “studio notes” and between that & the final act that story was also not truthful, this was beyond the pale.

This feeling far different from the first two isn't automatically bad; the fact that this is far less frightening than the first two is. The director this time (Michael Chaves) did not do a bad job; it's just that James Wan did it better. As this goes through the motions, not even a capable cast or an appropriate creepy score help make this better than a “meh” experience from me. The movie helps remind you it is set in the early 80's between there being a waterbed (no, it being demonic was not a joke from me) and a soundtrack that mostly is from the SirusXM 80's station... as an aside, eye-rolling was done when they tried to make a Blondie song terrifying; that perhaps wasn't the most prudent idea.

Like with the recently departed Ronald DiFeo, Jr., I suspect that Arne Johnson used the “possessed” angle as a defense for having taking someone's life; as made clear already, the true story of Johnson is far different than what was portrayed here. As he and various family members are still alive now, who knows what they think of what this movie said happened to him. It's not the worst recent big studio horror movie by any means, and not even the worst of the franchise. It just suffers in comparison to the other two The Conjuring movies specifically.

High Anxiety

High Anxiety (1977)

Runtime: 94 minutes

Directed by: Mel Brooks

Starring: Brooks and his typical stock crew of actors

From: 20^th Century Fox

At least Sir Alfred Hitchcock really liked this...

For loving (or at the least really enjoying) some of the films directed by Mel Brooks, I haven't seen all of them by any means... even if his output there was minimal in comparison to most famous directors. This played about two weeks ago on the FXM channel and via my DVR recorded it. As I am me, I waited until last night to give it a shot.

While it does not have as many laughs as something like Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles or even History of the World, Part I, it was still an entertaining send-up of Hitchcock films. Not only was this made in the twilight of The Master of Suspense's life and was able to see it before his death, he worked with Brooks on the script. As Mel put in the effort to replicate the look and feel of Hitchcock's films, it is a nice love letter to those that love the director's oeuvre. As always humor is especially subjective so others will find this funnier than I did. At least I derived joy from such things as the fourth wall breaking moments, the acknowledgment of such Hitch tropes as the MacGuffin, and directly referencing some of his most famous films... Vertigo is an obvious one; Brooks as the lead has the title affliction, which is like a mix of acrophobia and vertigo.

Mix in a cast of actors that typically appeared in Brooks movies (the late Cloris Leachman, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Dick Van Patten, etc.) and it helps make this a good time, although too scattershot for me to think of this as one of my favorites.

On Deadly Ground

On Deadly Ground (1994)

Runtime: 101 minutes

Directed by: Famously, this is Steven Seagal's only directorial effort

Starring: Seagal, Seagal's massive ego, Michael Caine collecting a paycheck, John C. McGinley, Joan Chen, R. Lee Ermey

From: Warner Bros.

What does it take to change the essence of a man?

As sometimes broached by myself, I talk about a film here I hadn't seen in many, many years; it was finally time for me to revisit the most Seagal movie ever made, the only one where he had total control and was allowed to be a director. As it's a po-faced and tries to be serious concerning environmentalism & Native Americans, not a shock that many people (whether Joe Q. Public or nerds like us) thought he was a goofball at best. Me, I can enjoy this silliness despite-or perhaps-because of its issues.

Seagal is Forrest Taft, an expert firefighter (even though this implies that fire is far more predictable than it actually is; some people never saw Backdraft, I noticed...) employed by a polluting oil company run by a guy (Michael Caine w/ jet black hair!) who might as well be a Captain Planet villain; he wants to open an oil refinery on time despite the high probability of ecological catastrophe just because he does not want to lose rights to said oil to the Inuit people. Taft changes his ways in part due to a stereotypical vision quest and soon becomes an ecoterrorist and attempts to save the environment by... blowing up multiple buildings. That's one of at least a few plot points which can be seriously questioned.

Silliness aside, the movie still entertains me between the action, all the explosions, the rampant fluffing of Seagal's ego, a decent Basil Poledouris score, some amazing lines of dialogue, lovely Alaskan scenery, and a more than capable cast (Joan Chen, John C. McGinley, R. Lee Ermey, Billy Bob Thornton, Mike Starr in a legendary scene, director Irvin Kershner for a brief moment, and even Bart the Bear. While inelegant, I still appreciate the pro-environmental and pro-Native American messages; even the amazingly blunt speech at the end concerning big corporations being corrupt and polluting the environment probably is more truthful than most people would like to admit. That monologue lasts for a few minutes but originally was TEN minutes long; I'd be dropped off in the Arctic Circle wearing only bikini underwear in order to see the full speech!

That aforementioned legendary scene-taking place in a remote bar called Abby's-is one that people seem to hate but it tickles me pink... it's always nice seeing a cruel bully be emasculated by a hero, even if it's from someone who is likely a terrible person in real life. Believe it or not, I know some people who actually went to the real life bar that was filmed at... I am pretty sure it's not actually called Abby's but no further info is known by me. Needless to say, the actual interior is nothing like what was shown on screen. Oh, to walk on such hallowed ground...

Sledgehammer

Sledgehammer (1983)

Runtime: 87 minutes

Directed by: David A. Prior

Starring: Ted Prior and no one else anyone would have heard of

From: I & I Productions

The first ever direct to video movie... perhaps is is fortunate this wasn't also the last.

Indeed, last night I saw Sledgehammer, which was the first movie shown as part of VHS Night on The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs. As it actually has historical value as the OG shot on video production that was done privately rather than financed by a studio or some rich guy or some company/corporation (that of course received some sort of official release), might as well give my props to the genesis of so many subsequent independent DIY productions... even if many are not good, including this. In addition, this was the first of many productions directed by David A. Prior and starring his brother Ted. Apparently most of those aren't great either but I'll say more about that at the end.

The general idea of this was fine; I mean, they apparently were familiar with many of the cliches already present in the slasher genre. A 7 year old boy is locked in a closet by his abusive mother; as she boinks her lover, he somehow breaks out and kills them both w/ the titular weapon. A decade later, beer-swilling youths party in the same house & killings occur... at a glacial pace in between the L-O-N-G establishing shots of the house, slow killer walking, drunken buffoonery among buffoons, beer being poured on each other, mustard poured on someone, interminable food fights, Budweiser-fueled charades, someone who looks like a cross between John Holmes and John Oates, White People Dancing (a personal fave), allegedly at least one cast member who WAS in adult movies of the time, amazingly unerotic sex scenes, including one where Holmes/Oates was shown around his lady's fruitcage, a villain dressed like Nada from They Live, & more.

The movie is technically pretty bad with all its faults, the picture looking exactly like something recorded on one of the first camcorders on an early blank VHS tape, and even David A. years later was embarrassed by it. At least I could recognize what they were trying to do: a short opening that presents the killer's backstory, horny young adults, fake jump scares, a Casio synth soundtrack that I thought was cool, a séance, etc. Besides, I have seen some truly dreadful genre efforts, such as Night of Horror or Ax'em, both in that shortened version and its original The Weekend It Lives cut (I am apparently one of a few people on the planet that somehow have seen that). In comparison, at least they seemed like they tried here...

This is not funny-bad like the Priors' Deadly Prey nor is it so divorced from reality it comes off as a product made by alien beings (I am looking at you, Things... which was the second movie of VHS Night); I'll rate it as two stars and move on. Yet David A. was still able to find enough success to be in the business for years and make 50 some odd motion pictures. Also to his credit, I howled at some of the fake names used to disguise how much of the production was done by the director. The editor being “Ralph Cutter” and “Michael Watt, Lighting Technician” is cute, but there is also DAVID FUCHSIT, HARRISON BAULES, MIKE HUNT, I.C. KNUN and JAC MEOUGH.

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)

Runtime: 93 minutes

Directed by: Joe Johnston

Starring: Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, several kid actors who never became famous

From: Disney

From the people that brought you Re-Animator, From Beyond and Society.

Yesterday I subscribed to Disney + for the first time in months; as I spent plenty of time since Sunday at Walt Disney World... BTW, my sister and nephews made it back home to the Midwest fine. This movie in particular was selected not just because it was something I liked as a little kid yet haven't viewed in what was probably 30 years. It is the fact that people don't often enough note how the story came from Stuart Gordon and Brian Yuzna; once that fact was learned as an adult, it made me laugh and it will never not make me laugh for the rest of time. In fact, if Gordon hadn't fell ill right before production, he would have been the director. Even so, those two playing a big role in a big Disney hit is amazing.

The story is basic yet that is fine: a pair of siblings (who are kids that not only live next door to each other, each has beef with the other three to varying degrees) get shrunk to 6 inches tall and have to navigate the jungle that is a backyard. Naturally, the quartet begin to get along the further the journey progresses; even if the movie overall does not rise above “fine”, that is no slight as at least it was breezy entertainment. Furthermore, all four kids did at least one thing to advance the plot, there are funny moments throughout, and yes it was nice to see Rick Moranis again as I am also one that misses him.

As an adult, not only do I appreciate most of the practical effects still looking fine, but Matt Frewer playing a real Matt Frewer sort of part (meaning, a smarmy jerk) tickled me pink. A nice James Horner score-I've seen some say they go bananas for it-is a helpful bonus. I've never seen any of the sequels nor the television show; OF COURSE there are rumors of it being rebooted somehow but a version of this idea with CG... no thank you. At least this holds up... as I sometimes state, it is a movie which would be more than acceptable for any of my nephews.

Shadows

Shadows (1958... or 59)

Runtime: 82 minutes

Directed by: John Cassavetes

Starring: Ben Carruthers, Leila Goldini, Hugh Hurd, Anthony Ray, Dennis Salas

From: Lion International

My first John Cassavetes... but not the last.

Recently I realized I should fix this hole and discover why so many have loved his work over the years. Starting at the beginning of his career seemed like a wise idea, although the rest of my journey will not be in chronological order.

This film is rather distinctive and has a unique vibe; long said to be “the first United States independent movie” it has a different sort of feeling... raw and naturalistic, seeming to be a relative of the French New Wave movement. Black siblings in New York City are followed; two are striving jazz musicians who can't find success for various reasons, and a sister who is light-skinned so white men can easily become confused and not realize she is Black.

Shadows is a movie I more admire than I love; that is no slight as it was still pretty good. All the close-up shots do make it feel intimate and it was at least a different sort of world to be immersed in. Regrettably, the topic of interracial romance is still controversial in the U.S.; plenty are still concerned with skin color and will reject a love one if they think they were bamboozled by them because they were mistaken about their race. Shadows does address this still-relevant issue in a striking way. In addition, I did get some laughs concerning the movie taking the piss out of pretentious types with their high-brow vocabulary and whatnot. In addition, a character is named Davey Jones who was neither a pirate, a Monkee nor David Bowie. And of course the movie (which feels rather loose) has some nice music.

As I said at the beginning, other movies from Old John will be viewed; the cast of mainly nonprofessionals did a swell job here but I am quite excited to experience one of his collaborations with his wife Gena Rowlands, who has an unbilled cameo here.

Way Out West

Way Out West (1937)

Runtime: 65 minutes

Directed by: James W. Horne

Starring: Laurel & Hardy, Sharon Lynn, James Finlayson, Rosina Lawrence

From: MGM

Let's do the tango jiggle with a Texas Tommy wiggle.

I have finally returned from taking a few day break to hang out with one of my sisters and two of my nephews, which required multiple trips to Walt Disney World and I am absolutely exhausted now. They are still here now and are leaving tomorrow afternoon; for certain my life will be a lot quieter once they are gone but it's still been nice to see them enjoy various rides and have a good time. Today I thankfully had the time to see a movie barely an hour long, so I went with a classic comedy duo. There's not a lot of time for me to write my opinion; alas...

Our heroes end up in a Wild West town; they have to meet a young lady working in a bar-this is deliver the deed to a gold mine. Unfortunately, this lady's guardian runs the saloon and he's an A-hole. In fact, he tries to do a shim-sham with his wife, who performs on stage. There is some singing and even dancing to go along with the expected wordplay and sight gags. Everything from sink holes and holes in shoes to donkeys and lockets on chains (& even tickling, believe it or not) are used to comedic effect and there were so many laughs-I dare not spoil all the gags-this gets a very good rating; just note that the first ten or so minutes are on the slow side. After that the pace quickens and there's comedy gold that is presented.