Various rantings on movies, books about movies, and other things to do with movies
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Book review – “Mind Warp: The Fantastic True Story of Roger Corman’s New World Pictures” by Chris Koetting
This work doesn’t have an index (very frustrating) and also seems to be based almost entirely on secondary sources (the exception is the writer seems to have read some original scripts with a view to disputing some urban legends about Corman’s contribution to them eg Death Race 2000). But at least some of those sources are contemporary trade papers and news papers.
It also benefits from not being a Corman vanity project – in amidst the much deserved praise of Corman (his eye for new talent, the way he found and promoted foreign films, his tenacity when other companies went to the wall), there is criticism. Of course he’s famous for low budgets (even cutting them during filming) but there’s less pleasant stuff too like inserting a lot of rapes into Humanoids of the Deep. And all the New World films are covered, even the pick ups - there are making of stories and production details, so it really is an invaluable book for Corman/New World fans (such a good reference book that the lack of an index really is annoying!)
Lots of stuff I didn’t know – among New World’s biggest ever successes were two Tim Conway-Don Knotts vehicles (why didn’t they keep making these?); they also tried making TV movies and romances (Julie Corman’s influence); Fighting Mad was made by Corman and Jonathan Demme for Fox and was constructed specifically to be a hit – and flopped. I was also surprised that New World enjoyed a fair amount of success post-Corman – Robert Rehme ran it, and he was very skilled in the exploitation field (he worked at New World, and ran Avco Embassy for a while): their hits included Children of the Corn, Flowers in the Attic and Angel. (Girls Just Wanna Have Fun isn’t mentioned.) Eventually the tide ran out of course – as it seems to do for everyone in indie land except Roger Corman.
Corman’s post-New World output has little renown – few film buffs know the films, there haven’t been too many graduates from the Roger Corman school. The main reason seems to be the fact he makes films for video now, not the big screen; also budding filmmakers have the indie self-funded film festival route to go now. So when people talk about Roger Corman, this book does cover the last chapter of Corman as a major player in Hollywood.
Radio review – Lux - “Alexander’s Ragtime Band’ (1947) ***
Movie review – “The Hurt Locker” (2009) ****1/2
Watching this it’s also clear the American’s haven’t really learned how to fight a police action since Vietnam – they still have these massive outposts and drive convoys in which they are terrified of every foreigner they run into. It seems Americans are still stuck in the siege/forts/stagecoach mentality. (Contrast them with the British mercenaries, who are low key and dressed like locals – mind you, the British still lose a few men and the Americans save them – but then this is an American film.) And why don’t the Americans insist on clearing a perimeter from everyone when disarming a bomb instead of allowing people to casually watch and film? It’s not very good acting.
Occasionally the drama scenes feel a bit flat – they’re okay, it’s just in comparison to the other stuff. I liked the cameos from Guy Pearce, David Morse, Ralph Fiennes and Evangeline Lilly – everyone earns their keep. Good acting from the mostly unknown lead players. The only bit I felt could have been cut out was when Jeremy Rimmer leaves the camp on his own one night – it’s not really needed, and there’s a sneaking-through-the-streets-of-Baghdad scene later on.
Movie review – “Motorcycle Gang” (1958) **
Ashley walks around in a leather jacket with a gang of bad people – just like Eric von Zipper. There are lots of scenes of teens dancing in a cafĂ©, plus a comic Chinese cook who speaks slang, and some decent motorcycle scenes - although it's a shame there couldn't have been more of these.
There’s a lot of camp value – like Neyland in tight shorts straddling a motorcycle talking about wanting to go fast (John Waters surely had this movie in mind when he wrote Cry Baby). For the most part the low budget isn't particularly noticeable, except at the end when Ashley and his mates go on a rampage and it isn't much of a rampage (the film is highly influenced by The Wild One). Terrell isn't much in his role - when he drives off a bridge you can't help laugh, he has such a wet expression on his face - but then it isn't much of a role, essentially being an Uncle Tom teenager, who sucks up to the cops. Ashley is better value in a better part - a snarly rebel.
TV review – “Law and Order” Season 6 (1995-96) ****
The plots remain strong. There’s a decent black episode for a change – about adoption of black crack babies by white families (the black side is given a decent argument) with a reappearance by Robert Brooks, now a lot more militant and interesting. In LAO style they are always throwing in some twists – there’s a cross over with another show, a final utterly untypical episode where our main characters deal with the fall out of having sent someone to be executed (it’s like everyone was making a dash for the Emmy; it’s a bit slow and could have been done in half the time but has some great bits, like the revelation of Jill Hennessy’s father, Jerry Orbach falling off the wagon, Sam Waterston’s good drunk acting – a hard thing to find - and Hennessy’s death).
Guest stars include Amanda Peet as a Patty Hearst type, Peter Skarsgaard as a victim’s boyfriend, Sandy Duncan (terrific as a cheerful defence lawyer), Jennifer Garner as a wish-fulfilment student who seduces Bratt on an afternoon, Sunday in New York style, Ellen Pompeo, Chris Cooper (as a Klan lawyer), Patti Lu Pone (brilliant as another seen-it-all defence lawyer). One ep makes a big deal out of the defence attorney being an old friend of Jill Hennessy’s and you get the feeling maybe they were testing her as a possible replacement for Hennessy.
Movie review – Hercules #2 - “Hercules Unchained” (1959) **
The story has a flaw – most of the running time concerns Hercules losing his memory and living with a hot princess who loves him (the scriptwriters raid liberally from The Odyssey); then he escapes from the land 20 minutes to go and goes off to rescue his wife, which feels like an add-on part.
Reeves isn’t that good to be honest – I mean, he looks the part with the physique and beard, but he doesn’t have much personality (the eyes aren’t very animated). Also it’s laughable when he emotes. This was the last time he played Hercules – other actors took over for the sequels, although Reeves continued making swashbucklers for a number of years.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Movie review – “Run for the Sun” (1956) **
Now hints are dropped that Howard is into hunting humans - he has lots of guns, and a pack of wild dogs. But they don't ever say he does - he's motivated to chase Widmark and Greer because Widmark recognises him as a Lord Haw Haw like traitor during the war (van Eyck is his brother in law). Which kind of robs the whole story of its point - about humans being game, and the former hunter learning a lesson. It just makes it a standard chase film.
Some of the chase is interesting, as is the location work. At times I wished Widmark and Howard had swapped roles but both are okay. Greer is a bit of a debit - her character isn't very smart, and there's not much chemistry with her and Widmark (at least Fay Wray got progressively nuder in the 1932 film).
The ending bit has a rip off of Rogue Male with Widmark managing to outsmart Howard while being cornered using an item handed by Howard through the door (in this case a bullet - it's a clever bit of business but co-scripter Dudley Nichols used it before in his version of the tale, Man Hunt.)
Watchable - but why didn't they use stuff from the original story? (The director was Roy Boulting, then going through the international phase of his career - he was okay with suspense not so crash hot with action.)
(NB The executive producer was Bob Waterfield - Jane Russell's football playing husband. He and Russell had a four picture deal with United Artists at the time.)
Radio review – Lux – “The Awful Truth” (1955) ***1/2
Radio review - Lux - “All My Sons” (1950) ***1/2
Movie review – “Hard Candy” (2006) **1/2
Movie review - “The Incredible Petrified World” (1958) *
Movie review – “High School Caesar” (1960) **1/2
It has the novelty appeal of films made in this era: Ashley in a leather jacket, high school dances, souped-up cars with fluffy dice, girls with pointy boobs. Ashely gives an effective performance and I really liked that enigmatic doll faced girl who is his love interest.
The plot has definite parallels with Dragstrip Girl – Ashley has a rivalry with a clean cut kid and kills someone in a road accident which sets up the third act – only the person he kills here is said clean cut kid. But it’s a better film, with a more interesting central character, better acting and car racing scenes; there’s also an effective wind-swept finale where Ashley is left all alone waiting for the police to come. Still, it was probably too late in the JD cycle to be a big success – Ashley spent the next few years in TV before emerging as a second lead in the Beach Party movies. (NB This isn’t an AIP film although it was distributed by Roger Corman’s Filmgroup.)
Movie review – “Dragstrip Girl” (1957) **
Parents have a stronger presence in this than I remembered from AIP films (Spain’s parents in particular are quite prominent) – but then, I guess this was 50s AIP as opposed to 60s beach party AIP where there were no parent.
You can’t help wishing there was more car action, and the murder plot is introduced too late – Ashley runs someone over in Tyrell’s car (this is accidental and the film would have perhaps worked better had it been a deliberate set up). Also they cheat at the end without having a really big car chase – although I did like the fact that Fay Spain steps in for Tyrell. The same team later appeared in a re-hash of these elements, Motorcycle Girl.
Movie review – “Couples Retreat” (2009) **1/2
Some talented actors, pretty surroundings and intriguing idea results in an okay enough entertainment – there are some bright lines but the filmmakers don’t really dig into the subject. The matter cried out for a bit more seriousness, or at least insight – there is some there, but it’s skin deep. All the lead actors are impressive – I think Kristen Bell is going to be a big star if she gets the right rom-com; the people at the retreat are caricatures (stuffy waiter with a secret, suave Fabio type – there’s also Temura Morrison, who does nothing).
Probably should have busted up one of the couples. Half way through I started thinking "I wonder if Vince Vaughan and Jennifer Aniston ever went to one of these retreats" - and once I did I couldn't stop thinking that that would have made a better movie.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Movie review – “War of the Colossal Beast” (1958) **
Movie review – “Julie and Julia” (2009) ***
After the misfire of Bewitched Nora Ephron found form again by making a film on a subject she was really passionate about – food. When I say “found form” I really mean she made a good Nora Ephron film; my wife adored it but I found myself nodding off a bit.
Meryl Streep is good value as Julia Childs and her relationship with Stanley Tucci is one of the most believable depictions of a loving supportive marriage (very subtly played, like the way he’s supportive and how the fact the can’t have children is conveyed). The modern section is less good; it’s simply less of an achievement to cook a lot of stuff than it was to do what Julia Childs could, the character of Julia’s husband is nothing (if they didn’t give him a character why not just make him really good looking, or funny, or cast a TV star keen to break into features?).
Also Amy Adams is surprisingly un-engaging; I was always a big Amy Adams fan but it's like she's hamstrung by having to play a real character and has tried to dig in where she can, creating pain and frustration that's all too well. The film really just needed a good old fashioned bubbly star performance like from a young Meg Ryan, or say Reese Witherspoon or Kristen Bell. Bright support cast and great art direction if you're into that sort of thing.
The film also gets points for acknowledging that Julia wasn't particularly appreciative of Julie when she found out about what was going on.
Radio review – Lux- “Prisoner of Zenda” (1939) ***
Radio review – Lux - “The Devil and Miss Jones” (1945) ****
Norman Krasna’s famous farce – a rare pro-union film from Hollywood - is given bright treatment by Lux – although Charles Coburn was excellent in the film, Frank Morgan is very well cast (perhaps not as scary as Coburn), and Linda Darnell acquits herself well in the Jean Arthur role (she was no Jean Arthur but she could be lively and she is here).
Some guy called Garret Oliver or Oliver Garret or Oliver someone plays Robert Cummings; they remove the Spring Byington plot and the sequence where Morgan/Coburn is arrested. Krasna’s structure remains a delight. Morgan is a rich man who goes undercover to find out who is leading industrial dissent against him; he finds himself adopted as an example of capitalist exploitation by Darnell who brings him to the attention of her unionist boyfriend; the macguffin in the third act is the list of names of employees who want to join a union. Funny and lots of fun; unlike a Lux version of Bachelor Mother this is fast paced.
Radio review – Escape – “The Birds” (1954) ***
Radio review – Escape – “She” (1947) ***
Radio review – SDP – “Shadow of a Doubt” (1951) ***
Radio review – SDP – “My Favourite Wife” (1951) **
Movie review – “Voodoo Woman” (1958) *
Tom Conway once achieved movie greatness with voodoo in I Walked with a Zombie and is here with some natives again this time for AIP – however Alex Gordon was no Val Lewton and Edward Cahn no Jacques Tourneur, and this is very poor. His co-star is Marla English, who comes across in Mark McGee’s book on AIP as a sexy, enigmatic good time girl – it was because of her I wanted to see this. She’s quite fun – never as good looking at the beginning as she is later on when she goes on safari along with great white hunter Mike Connors to look for some treasure. They run into Conway who has a creature who he gets to kill people. Typically dull handling from Cahn – if you ever want to know why Corman is regarded so highly, compare Corman’s films from this time.
This doesn’t really feel like an AIP film – there’s no teenagers, or crazy creature, just a lot of running around a studio jungle – it’s more like a Monogram Picture from the 40s, without George Zucco, Lionel Atwill or Bela Lugosi (the film cries out for someone like this, a mistake AIP would rectify in their 60s horror films.)
Very ordinary.
Movie review – “Shake, Rattle and Rock” (1956) *1/2
Radio review – Escape – “The Most Dangerous Game” (1947) ***1/2
Radio review – SDP – “The Fugitive” (1951) *
One of John Ford’s lesser known films, this is about a priest who is being pursued in an unnamed American country simply by virtue of being a priest. Henry Fonda isn’t very good as said priest, mainly because he doesn’t convey the complexities of the part (which is one of Graham Greene’s “whiskey priests”).
There are some interesting chats about the nature of religion, but this piece really had its balls cut off – and anyway I don’t think Ford was the director for it; he was better with myth than a serious treatment of religious prosecution, even if done in the guise of a chase fiml.
Movie review – “How to Make a Monster” (1958) **
That’s a pretty good idea for a horror film – you have your crucial ingredient, a sympathetic villain/protagonist – but after that the ideas run out. There’s not enough satire of AIP, or horro movies, or teen films, or anything memorable really apart from the fact the last ten minutes are in colour.
It lacks interesting teenage characters (there are two young actors who are drawn in to kill on behalf of the make up man) and is really badly undercast. I kept wishing it was written by Chuck Griffith and starred someone like Vincent Price or Dick Miller – the lead guy is bland. John Ashley makes a cameo singing an Elvis-style number.