Movie review - "An Irrational Man" (2015) **1/2

Woody Allen rips off himself again - there's a brooding misanthrope with a disastrous love life who worries about the Meaning of It All; an artistic environment (in this case the philosophy department of a college); a nubile young woman who can't resist the lure of a middle aged man; a murder; debates about morality; scenes in the rain; nicely presented furniture; awkward expositional dialogue.

Joaquin Phoenix adapts very well to Woody Allen-land - his quality (lost, intelligent, charismatic) is spot on and he's very good in the role, even if all the hip flask sipping to indicate his alcoholism was clunky. I loved the Russian roulette sequence and his motive to commit murder.  Emma Stone and Parker Posey are good value as the women in Phoenix's life and it was nice to hear a vaguely modern tune on the soundtrack - "The In Crowd" - instead of that croaky jazz (although it is over used - how about two new tracks Woody?). At least this is a film for grown ups.

But it's frustrating, especially for Allen fans who would have seen so many of these elements before. On a simple murder tale basis I felt he could have used supporting characters more - Stone and Parker both have boyfriends and Stone has parents and a friend who get introduced, and I kept waiting for them to do something important in the story, but they don't. Even Parker barely does anything in the last portion of the film.

Because it has movie stars, nice production values and adult themes I did enjoy watching it. I just wish it had been better.

Movie review - "Hatari" (1962) ***

I think the success of Lauren Bacall made Howard Hawks believe he could cast any old person in a movie and get away with it - haphazard castings were a feature of many of his later films. He probably figured as long as he had one genuine star and a decent support or two he could prop up anyone else with his skill - so you've got Ricky Nelson in Rio Bravo and Jennifer O'Neill and Jorge Rivero in Rio Lobo and Michelle Carey in El Dorado.

This has a bunch of international names who can't really act - Elsa Martinelli as the girl, Gerard Blain as the new kid, Michele Girardon as another girl, Valentin de Vargas as some guy who is part of the group who just hangs around and doesn't really do anything.

Hawks gives them lots of Hawksian bits to do. Blain is meant to be a brilliant shot; Martinelli hangs on to a cigarette all the time and gets Wayne to kiss her, and has scenes with baby elephants and cheetahs - she even dons blackface to dance with the locals. Girardon does a lot of singing and dancing and being cute. But they're extremely awkward. You can ignore de Vargas, Girardon and Martinelli are at least pretty, Blain can barely walk.

There are some professional actors on hand at least. John Wayne effortlessly dominates the movie, as usual; Red Buttons zips around, looking spectacularly out of place but at least a pro; Hardy Kruger seems like someone who lives in Africa (making this did inspire Kruger to buy a farm there).

All the characters act as if they're, well, characters in in a Howard Hawks movie - they're tough, professional, jokey, loyal, fond of a drink (and drink driving, by the way); the women swap barbs with the men, and have sexy moments; the men pal around and are loyal to each other; there's a platonic love story between two men (Kruger and Blain) who start off hating each other, fall for the same girl, lose her and then go off to Europe together.

There are lots of "scenes" which are there pretty much just to be scenes. I like Howard Hawks movies and I did enjoy the scenes - I also felt that at two and a half hours running time, the film pushed its luck (especially in the rockets sequence).

The characters do a spectacularly low stakes job - capturing animals to put in a zoo. It does make for some interesting pictures - and location filming certainly helps - and at least they're not killing them, but I kept feeling for these poor old animals having fun on the veldt who were nabbed and shipped off to Salzburg or San Diego or wherever. It's certainly not a job worth risking life and limb - no Only Angels Have Wings.

The plot where Girardon falls for Red Buttons is yuck - she's like a teenager, he seems so old. The generation gap between John Wayne and Elsa Martinelli isn't much better. There was a similar gap between Wayne and Capucine in North to Alaska but I went with it in that film, because of story (Capucine played a prostitute, so it made more sense she'd grab the chance of a new life) and acting (Capucine was surprisingly good, whereas Martinelli isn't). Hawks gives Martinelli plenty of chances and protection - aforementioned scenes with baby animals and cheetahs, Wayne commits as always - but she never quite sells it.

Still, the movie has a lot of charm. I liked Wayne, there is some terrific location filming, Henry Mancini's music is catchy and I can't help but smile in moments where baby elephants run down the main street.  I just wish it was shorter and had a better supporting cast.

My John Hurt Top Ten

In honour of the passing of Mr Hurt... the top ten times they tried to turn him into a star
1) Sinful Davy (1969) - perhaps the most obscure film John Huston directed
2) Mr Forbush and the Penguins (1972) - one of many unsuccessful (financially that is) films greelit by Bryan Forbes at EMI.
3) East of Elephant Rock (1977) - Hurt as a right on stud muffin in a British colony
4) Night Crossing (1981) - Hurt as an East German family man making a go over the wall
5) Champion (1984) - Hurt as a jockey with cancer.
6) Partners (1982) - Hurt in a high concept comedy - playing one of his many on screen gays opposite Ryan O'Neal
7) Little Malcolm (1974) - George Harrison's early involvement in film producing.
8) Love and Death on Long island (1997) - Hurt's career was always rescued by films like this... but even then he never even really became an art house name.
9) Nineteen Eighty Four (1984) - with this I thought he was going to become a star - he was so good - but it didn't last.
10) The Elephant Man (1980) - see above!

Script review - "The Long Goobye" by Leigh Brackett

Found a copy of this on the excellent Cinephelia website. It's a solid, tight adaptation. None of the famous Robert Altman flares are here - the cat food, the music, the overlapping dialogue - the role of Marlowe doesn't seem obviously "Elliot Gould". But the novel has been knocked in to shape - it's been years since I read it, mind, but it's a simple, effective structuring, with a clear story - Marlowe helps friend Terry Lennox escape to Mexico then defends him when he's accused of killing his wife and commits suicide; in another case he searches for a writer who has taken off, and someone Lennox owes money to comes after Marlowe.

There are several vivid characters - the debt collector, the alcoholic writer who beats his wife (clearly based on Chandler), the friend Lennox, a dodgy doctor. There's some swearing and attitude.

It's not a magical adaptation but it completely holds and you could see a great director sprinkling fairy dust on it.

Movie review - "Rio Grande" (1950) **1/2

Most film buffs love Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon but not this one, the third in the unofficial cavalry trilogy. It's definitely a John Ford movie - it was shot in Monument Valley, is full of the Ford stock company (Victor McLaglen, Harry Carey Jnr, Ben Johnson, John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara), they fight Indians, there's some Irish comedy and a plot about a neglectful husband and father. There's no John Agar but there are plenty of carefully composed shots of horses and cavalrymen going past.

The domestic subplot is the most interesting thing about the movie, especially considering it's resonances with Ford's own poor home life. John Wayne hasn't seen his wife since his troops burned down her family's plantation in Shenandoah; his son turns up at the fort determined to make a man of himself.

One of the great things about Ford films is they would subvert expectations. The Indians win at the end of Ford Apache; the climax of Ribbon involves driving off a lot of horses to avoid war. There's none of that here.

I've read Joseph McBride's biography on Ford which points out that the film was influenced by the politics of its right-wing screenwriter, James Warner Bellah. The Indian enemies (Apaches) are savages who kill and kidnap for no reason, and retreat in Mexico. The national border is an annoying thing getting in the way of goddam justice and General Sheridan (J Carroll Naish) gives Wayne the green light to go into Mexico and kick some Indian butt (promising to rig the jury in any court martial so he'll get off). Maureen O'Hara resents her husband but soon learns her lesson and is happily doing his washing by the half way mark. (A massive problem dramatically - their relationship should've remained unresolved until the end). A murder charge (faced by Johnson's character) is justifiable to protect a woman's honour.

Wayne and O'Hara are good value, as are the Ford regulars. Claude Jarman Jnr is okay. I was really intrigued by that soldier with the eyepatch played by Peter Oritz and wish he'd gotten the chance to romance O'Hara more. The singing interludes from the Sons of Pioneers are a drag.

Script review - "Point Blank" by Alex Jacobs (re-view)

Re-reading this - it's not as sparse and unusual as I thought it would be, certainly less so than Hill's scripts from the mid 70s to early 80s. It's a solid revenge tale with lots of late 60s hipness. It loses steam once Reece is killed. Walker goes "oh I want the top guy" but there's no emotional connection to them. Did the ending need to be so confusing?

Script review - "Manhattan Murder Mystery" by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman

A really great script. It's amazing to think Woody Allen made it as his relationship with Mia Farrow was disintegrating. It's first rate stuff, bright and funny and beautifully structured.

The success of the comedy isn't that surprising - at this stage of his career at least, Woody was spot on dealing with neurotics in New York, and having them investigate a murder gives it freshness. (The spirit of Bob Hope lives very much in this). More impressive is that the actual murder mystery is very satisfying; there's plenty of twists and turns. Also it has a very strong theme - the importance of having an adventure before you get old.

The subplots and supporting characters are expertly incorporated - the playwright with the crush on the married woman, the aspiring actress who is a mistress, the scorned woman, the killer, the feisty author who takes over the investigation.

It's fantastic work and ranks among Allen's masterpieces.

TV review - "The Crown" (2016) ****

First rate look at the early reign of Queen Elizabeth II by one of my favourite writers, Peter Morgan. The hefty budget was not wasted - marvelous recreations of old England, whether it's the Cabinet room, hunting lodges in Kenya, the royal plane, the palace.

Strong acting across the board - I especially liked Jared Harris and the woman who played Princess Margaret but everyone was good. Love those accents. Some of the incidents are well known - the wedding, the Margaret Peter Townsend affair. Other was more fresh, at least to me - the Great Smog, Churchill's second Prime Ministership. Really classy, enjoyable TV.

Book review - "Legionnaire" by Simon Murray

Famous memoirs of a British youngster who joined the French Foreign Legion and gutsed it out for five years. He left, went to work for Jardine Matheson in Hong Kong (of James Clavell fame), and became a multi-millionaire.

It's a remarkable historical document as Murray joined in the early 1960s and was in Algeria during the final days of the Algerian War as well as the attempted putsch. The first part of the diary is the best - the harrowing induction, the tough training, fighting Arabs (an ambush, cutting off someone's head - it's very exciting), the tension of the OAS. There's even a romance with a hot local girl.

It's less interesting once Algeria gets its independence and there's less fighting and more shooting competitions. Murray makes friends and the stories get even semi comic at times. It's sometimes hard to tell the other legionnaires apart. But that first half especially is awesome.

Movie review - "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" (2014) *** (warning: spoilers)

Final installment in the series. They really should've made one third film - I get why they did what they did but it doesn't change how I feel. This has more weight - it involves the deaths of several characters, a clear goal (to take the capital), some very good actors, a complex political scenario. The military strategy stuff feels bodgy and they struggle to find stuff for Jennifer Lawrence to do - media stars aren't that important in war? Why not just send her on a mission to kill the president? Why miss out on a final battle? Why not have Woody Harrelson describe the contents of Philip Seymour Hoffman's wishes instead of reading a letter? (Would PSH really put it on paper).

Anyway the resolution of the love triangle was well done, the production values are good. It takes itself terribly seriously but that's part of it's charm.

Script review - "The Battle of Algiers"

I remember not loving this film when I saw it years ago - perhaps it had been over hyped before I saw it - but I was knocked out on reading the script. It's a tough, uncompromising look at the urban part of the war in Algeria. It focuses on one section - the terrorism campaign, in particular as practisde by young Ali.

The film is empathetic to the struggles of the Arabs but also the French - the commanding officer Mathieu is tough, brave, ruthless and smart. He's doing a job to finish it and if that means torture so be it. But the human face of torture is not overlooked. The incidents and writing feel well researched and believable. (I know it's based on a true story but it feels true - which isn't always the same.)

Movie review - "Spirits of the Dead" (1968) ***1/2

Anthology films were all the rage in Europe in the 1960s - they were reasonably popular in Hollywood too. Roger Corman had done an Edgar Allan Poe anthology, Tales of Terror - some enterprising producers had the idea of getting art house darlings to do one. This has Fellini, Vadim and Malle, not a bad line up (Orson Welles, Chabrol, Visconti and Bergman were also approached).

Vadim's segment is the campiest fun - Jane Fonda is a vixen who runs around her estate killing people, having orgies and seducing unwilling women as part of threesomes.  She falls in love with the boy next door... played by Peter Fonda! Which is a bit perverse, even for Vadim... but they don't kiss or anything he's not keen until so she accidentally kills him and then lives to regret it. Its all garish and not particularly well made but the Fondas make it fun (Jane really, that is - Peter is only in it briefly).

Malle's segment is much better directed, more serious. Alain Delon is very effective as a nasty piece of work (it's a shame Delon didn't play more villains he suits them) who tackles his own conscience - manifested as an actual person. Brigitte Bardot is not convincing in a black wig and feels wasted but I enjoyed this bit - it's not as highly regarded, I'm not sure why.

Fellini's segment is superb. It's a sort of companion piece to La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2  with Terence Stamp, at the height of his sixties groovy-ness, playing a Shakesperean actor who is in Rome to make a Christian Western. He's hassled by various parties - the paps, director, interpreter, press, random women etc. Its done with flair and vivacity. The "horror" is more muted but Stamp hooning along the highway is genuinely scary - I wish Fellini had made a horror film or two.

A strong, entertaining film with gorgeous colour.

Movie review - "Popeye" (1980) **

A controversial film - it prompts mixed reactions in people, but you can't say Robert Altman didn't give Paramount and Disney a Robert Altman film. All his trademarks are there - sprawling scenes full of overlapping improvisational dialogue, roaming camerawork, the ensemble acting, seemingly careless formation of scenes, lack of close ups. Not to mention Shelly Duvall who, as Olive Oyl, is one of the most perfect matches between actor and character I think in the history of cinema.

It doesn't work, at least it didn't to me. The film has some fantastic things - that set is magical, I adored it. It deserves to be in a better remembered film (although Popeye did make money). There's Duvall, and much of the cast seem to suit their roles. I liked the romantic scenes between Olive and Popeye and her song 'He Needs Me' is really touching. The basic story should have worked - Popeye searching for his father is very empathetic.

But the story is muffled - we don't get a sense of Popeye's character or background, the search for his father lacks emotional resonance, I didn't get a sense of Bluto or Whimpy, the townsfolk were not very likeable, the songs seemed tossed off.

It's a weird movie. Very Altman. Very flawed. Definitely an ending of 70s auteur cinema as much as say Sorcerer was.

Movie review - "Universal Soldier: The Return" (1999) *

The basic idea of Universal Soldier is so good, it could sustain a bunch of sequels. I haven't seen the first two but they were straight to video - this apparently ignores their existence.

It's terrible. The basic idea isn't bad - Jean Claude is a recovering Universal Soldier with a kid (but no partner) working with a new bunch of Universal Soldiers, who mutiny. There's a reporter.

It's badly directed - like an average episode of a TV series (from the 90s not the awesome TV we have now). Scenes are poorly constructed; there's no suspense or excitement. The acting is bad, except Xander Berkeley.

There's a random visit to a strip club - a woman hits on the female reporter. There's no decent banter between Jean Claude and the journo. There's a hacker with blue hair. There's an opening action sequence which is revealed to be a training exercise. Awful dialogue. The villains have great abs and bad acting.

It's dull. And dumb. It feels cheap. Opportunities thrown away wholesale.

Movie review - "Masculin Feminin" (1966) *** (warning: spoilers)

I mainly watched this because I felt I had to, it being from the classic Godard period and everything, and was prepared to be hostile but wound up enjoying it more than I thought. It's very arty but the art has integrity and there is energy and talent - you can feel it's influence on 90s art house cinema.

The star is Jean-Pierre Leaud, best known for being Francois Truffaut's alter ego in many different movies. He plays a guy just out of the army who fancies himself as a bit of a Marxis; his best mate (Michel Debord) is a union activist; he tries to get on to a pretty girl (Chantal Goya) he meets at a cafe, who has two friends, one of whom (Marlene Jobert) seems to fall for Leaud.

This isn't very story heavy, to put it mildly. It's more notable for the stylistic devices: chapter headings, long scenes consisting of only a few takes where a guy asks a girl questions (I really loved these scenes they reminded me of talks I used to do when younger, firing off questions to women), Leaud talking to himself in a laundromat, spotting Brigitte Bardot in a cafe (she has this random cameo), the film in jokes (references in dialogue to Pierre Le Fot), going to see a porn film where there is artistic stuff, the depiction of Leaud's death via reportage, the combination of culture references (a doll is guillotined listening to a radio report of De Gaulle going Mitterand, talk of Satre, anti-Vietnam protests), the sound track.

I'm not super across what life was like for teens in 1965 Paris but a lot of it was recognisable: they talk pretentiously about politics, and also about sex; the guys want to get the girls into bed, the girls are curious. One of them (Goya) becomes a pop star, which is different (she becomes big in Japan which made me laugh).

The women are shown to be not that involved or interested in politics - dim pretty things. But the guys are pretentious idiots. Mind you they are more active and get more of the attention - this sort of misogyny is not un-familiar to French cinema from this period.

Jobert is very pretty - so too is Goya but Jobert has more life. I'm not sure what she sees in little Leaud, but I guess he is the director's surrogate. Jobert is Eva Green's mother in real life, which is pretty cool.

An energetic, lively movie. In an odd way I felt you could remake this for different generations and cultures.

Movie review - "The Long Riders" (1980) ***

I always found this movie not satisfactory and could never put my finger on it. Watching it again, for something like the third time, it hit me - it doesn't feel like a proper movie, it's more like an album, a collection of various "tracks". Vignettes that are cobbled together.

There is no one over-riding story, really, it's a series of incidents. There are thematic links of course - it's the tale of the Jesse James gang, and the device of having brothers play brothers works wonderfully - but there isn't momentum.

Much of it is repetitive - a robbery, David Carradine calls Pamela Reed a whore, a person is killed because they know the Jameses, another robbery, David Carradine calls Pamela Reed a whore again, another person is killed because they know the Jameses. You get the feeling scenes could have been rearranged or even taken out and you wouldn't have noticed.

Too many of the scenes aren't particularly memorable. Too many characters are similar - Randy Quaid and Robert Carradine both explain they got into robbing "just because"; Keith Carradine's woman and James Keach's woman both seem to be the same winsome thing. There's too much bullets hitting bodies in slow motion.

But some of it is outstanding - Ry Cooder's musical score, the production detail. There are excellent performances from Stacy Keach, David Carradine, Keith Carradine and James Whitmore Jnr. I found James Keach's Jesse James a little unsettling at first but then got into it. Fine acting from all involved, down to the little roles eg Dennis Quaid, James Remar,

Many of the scenes I remember as well - James Whitmore Jnr's exasperation at not getting the gang, James and Frank crossing the river after the Northfield Minnesota Raid, the final moments between Frank and the Pinkerton, Pamela Reed hopping out of the bath. There is some good album.

Lots of people love this movie. I admire it. But feel it should've been a mini series.

Movie review - "Bright Lights" (2017) ****1/2

Perfect remedy (or at least treatment) for those who were genuinely upset at the death of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds so close to each other. It's a fascinating look at these two old broads - kind of like Grey Gardens only with money and more career respect: they were neighbours, great friends, who cared for each other. It's easy to see why Debbie would not want to have lasted long without Carrie.

It's also clear why Carrie didn't live to an old age - she doesn't look well, puffing away on the ciggies and sucking down the Cokes, grumbling at the personal trainer hired by Lucasfilm to look after her (I kept calling out to the screen "listen to him, Carrie! He's not a bad guy.") There's also a few scenes where Carrie seems to be high on something.

Debbie is no saint. She looks fantastic, with little plastic surgery - but to be blunt in a few scenes (especially at the end) she seems to be tripping on something as well.

The directors had incredible access and there's some amazing home footage of little Carrie and Todd, as well as Harry Karl and a handsome Eddie Fisher. There's also a later interview with Debbie's mum who seemed like a bitch and an old Eddie Fisher who looks awful - this was the most disturbing part of it for me.

Debbie does her one woman show full of corny jokes and her fluffing lines and misremembering lyrics (the directors devote long takes to this, which is great), but she loves performing. Todd helps out. Carrie goes to London, attends Star Wars conventions. Both go to award ceremonies and live in a houses full of trinkets and junk. Both mad, both lovely, both talented, both pros. It's a fantastic love story.

Book review - "Titans of Toho: An Unauthorized Guide to the Godzilla Series and the Rest of Toho’s Giant Monster Film Library" by Brian Matthew Clutter (2014)

Fun, irreverent look at the history of Toho's monster films - most famously Godzilla and it's sequels but also Mothra, King Kong and all the others. It's a personal view of the films. There's a lot of recap of plots and fun descriptions. You won't find that much about the background to the making of the movies. But it's an easy, breezy read.

TV review - "Westworld Season 1" (2016) *** (warning: spoilers)

Not bad. It was hard going at first but there were two decent twists - I kind of guessed that Jeffrey Wright was a robot (well maybe not him exactly but I guessed someone would be) but the second one (the time jump) I didn't spot coming.

I felt maybe the show runners focused too much on the end game for season one and didn't exploit the possibilities inherent in the "world" - just casual little stories. There was a lot of piano playing of modern songs, and orgies and shooting people, but that was about it. Like many an HBO show, slow moments would perk up outbursts of sex and violence.

The acting was very high quality, the production values were divine and it did get better as things went on.

Movie review - "The Siege of Jadotville" (2016) *** (warning: spoilers)

Not a great movie but I love siege films and this gets points for sheer novelty, focusing on the adventures of Irish UN peacekeepers during the Congo Crisis of 1961. The film does an okay job of setting up the conflict - the Congo is torn by civil war, the democratically elected Lumumba is killed, Tshombe leads a pro mining company secession, the UN are called in to keep the peace in the form of Irish soldiers- who find themselves under attack.

There are two main problems with the story, both from history. First, no Irish died, so the film lacks emotional kick. There's no death bed scenes so vital for stakes in war films. There's wounded and people almost died and absolutely the commander gets credit for bringing his men back alive - but lack of a death makes things follow.

Secondly, the Irish surrendered, so the whole battle really was kind of pointless - sure they were brave and proved themselves men, but they didn't help anyone escape, or win the battle, or do anything that important. (I had the same problem with the Siege of Jerusalem film, Kingdom of Heaven.)

In dramatic terms, the film suffers from a lack of interesting characters and interpersonal conflict. Compare to say something like Zulu where you had so many clearly drawn people - driven Stanley Baker, toffy Michael Caine, anti-hero James Booth, bluff Nigel Greene. Here you've got decent, a little insecure Jamie Dorman, a French mercenary, Mark Strong as Connor Cruise O'Brien (not very flatteringly depicted), Emmanuelle Seigner as a white Congolese (who looks as though she's about to do something interesting but is really just there for a some exposition espousing a pro mining company line). I found it hard to tell apart the soldiers who weren't Dorman - there was a coward, a sergeant (I think), some guy with glasses.

It also hurts that the battle sequences - excellently filmed and directed, with impressive production value - tend to be repetitive: the enemy attack, are repelled, lots of gunfire... and repeat. It's a shame because the sequences are well done. And the political background is interesting. I did enjoy the film - it was just flawed.

Movie review - "Asterix: Mansions of the Gods" (2014) ****

A rather odd choice for an Asterix adaptation - instead of one of his journeys to a colourful location it's a satire of property development. But the filmmakers have completely captured the spirit of the best of the books - this is a fast paced, lively, funny, even exciting adventure.

It improves on the books because the magic potion is removed for the bulk of the climax - most of the villagers turn into Romans, Getafix gets captured, the Roman family forced to take an apartment are under threat.

Maybe I'm over praising it with four stars. There is a wonky subplot involving slaves - blacks with big lips, which is true to the book. It just felt yuck especially as these are the only coloured characters in the film.

But the tone of the rest of it is right. The gags are funny. The animation and acting is excellent. (I'm going off the French language version). Asterix is actually brave here instead of being a cheater. The depiction of village life (markets, boar hunting, banquets) is spot on. Some genuinely rousing moments like little potion free Asterix up against it and the boy saying goodbye.

Movie review - "The Story of Adele H" (1975) ****

Crazy women driven to desperate things in the name of love are a soapie staple - you can get months of story out of them with plenty of twists and turns. It's always kind of a jolt to remember that such things happen in real life. This Francois Truffaut film is based on the real saga of Adele Hugo, daughter of the legendary Victor Hugo, who spent a lot of her life chasing a British soldier.

He is Bruce Robinson, a handsome but awkward actor, best known as the writer-director of Withnail and I. Robinson looks the part but isn't very good. It doesn't matter that much as long as Adele is cast well and Isabelle Adjani is stunning in the part. It's a star making a role as say Captain Blood or The Graduate. She's beautiful, haunted, empathetic, touching, mad... It's wonderful.

The film is mostly from Adele's point of view, quoting from real life letters. Truffaut made a lot of films about nutty women and he is very sympathetic for Adele. The fact Adjani is so good looking adds an extra layer - as does the fact Robinson's character is such a prat.

Strong support cast and period detail (location filming in Guernsey and Barbados really helps). A powerful, romantic film.

Movie review - "Heat" (1995) ****1/2 (re-viewing)

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Some random thoughts from re-watching this film

1) Al Pacino's hair is really outstanding

2) I've never eaten ham as finely cut as Pacino's performance in this film. Not a criticism. It's really outstanding ham.

3) Surely one of the best endings of all time.

4) I always totally forget Natalie Portman is in this film and has quite a meaty role.

5) The Dennis Haysbert subplot is brilliant and really holds up.

6) There are few more thankless support parts than the roles of Al Pacino's support crew. Unlike Bobby de Niro's three dimensional awesome crew, the non-Al cops just spit forth exposition and ask Al questions. If they weren't cast with Village People diversity (black man, Indian, white guy with moustache) I'd have trouble telling them apart. There's some random young guy who hangs out the back who looks like he's there on work experience.

7) The Waingro subplot is by necessity really dark and unpleasant but it still remains not-fun to watch.

8) So much stunningly good acting from everyone - I don't think Val Kilmer was ever better...

9) Al Pacino takes a hell of a risk shooting at Tom Sizemore. Usually when this happens in real life the kid ends up dead.

I've seen this film maybe ten times now. I do fast forward through some bits now. But what a masterpiece.

James T Aubrey MGM Top Ten

James T Aubrey's regime at MGM is one of the most notorious of modern day Hollywood history - he cancelled a bunch of projects from major directors, sold off the backlot and props, cut up films, helped MGM leave distribution, and greenlit a lot of schlock.

So for sheer fun here's a list of the top ten films made at MGM under his time
1) Shaft (1971) - the film that saved the studio? It certainly kicked off the blaxploitation cycle. It's actually not a very good movie.
2) Skyjacked (1972) - genuinely good, understated thriller
3) Soylent Green (1973) - another solid MGM effort from Charlton Heston
4) Kansas City Bomber (1972) - flawed but easily one of Raquel Welch's best roles
5) Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) - pervy insane movie from Roger Vadim
6) Hit Man (1972) black remake of Get Carter
7) The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973) -never actually seen this but any movie where there was a murder investigation is automatically interesting
8) Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) - a divisive film, cut about by MGM but still worth watching
9) Westworld (1973) - made when Dan Melnick came in who almost turned the studio around
10) The Outfit (1973) - lesser known Westlake adaptation waiting for rediscovery
 
A special subsection - the top 5 made by MGM Britain
1) Villain (1971) - tough Brit violence
2) Get Carter (1971) - Michael Caine at his best
3) Sitting Target (1972) - Oliver Reed/Alex Jacobs toughness
4) The Go-Between (1972) - how did MGM get involved in this?
5) Percy (1971) - smutty British sex comedy at it's best

A lot of these movies have cults. I feel Aubrey would be remembered if he'd made/financed them through a brand new studio instead of MGM - like an MGM spin off. 

Movie review - "Skyjacked" (1972) ***

One of the highlights from the James T Aubrey regime at MGM - this is a good, solid thriller, expertly handled by John Guillermin and acted by Charlton Heston. The plot involves a plane being hijacked by a bomb threat - the hijacker wants it flown to Russia.

The cast is campy fun: Susan Dey, Nicholas Hammond, Walter Pidgeon, Jeanne Craine, Yvette Mimeux, James Brolin, Leslie Uggams. It gives Pidgeon a decent role. While Aubrey was a slash and burner this is in its own way a solid old fashioned piece of entertainment.

It is hard after Flying High to take the disaster film tropes seriously but it's all good drama - the passengers include a heavily pregnant woman, a stewardess who used to date Heston, a black singer, a nubile young starlet. Actually more could've been done with it - a love triangle between Heston, Mimieux and co pilot Mike Henry feels underutilised. Would've loved to have a character from Brolin's past etc.

Lots of bits are unintentionally funny - the romance between Hammond and Dey, flashbacks to Heston pushing Mimieux on a swing. It's very 70s. But it;s also well done and I loved the third act arriving in Russie. Heston is perfect for this thing - he was born to play a pilot.

James Aubrey on filmmaking

Extract from a 1986 interview with James Aubrey. He talks about his time running MGM:

The thing that separates the men from the boys, in my opinion, the one thing in terms of leadership that stands out, is not intelligence or ability. Those who operate most effectively, those I respect most, simply are not afraid. And most people are afraid, they're scared of decisions. Bill Paley could be ruthless, but he was not afraid of decisions. Everybody has a fear level, when you've gone as far as you can go, but you do have to go that far. Your modus operandi can't be, `What if it doesn't work?' I never really analyzed this, but maybe it's why I've taken the blame for many things. I was willing to take that blame... 

[The studio was in] total disarray. Until you were in a position to lift up the rug, there was no way to know how much disarray. The crown jewel of studios had become a shambles... Kirk and I decided we'd get rid of everything else, and we did. The banks had extended credit to such a degree that we had to have a meeting to indicate our willingness to make good. We sold off acreage, European movie houses, whatever we could... 

[Without my changes] There would be no MGM today. But I was silhouetted against a garish horizon... The buck had to stop somewhere, and it was with me... Nostalgia runs strong out here, so we were criticized for selling Judy Garland's red shoes. To us they had no value, and they had no intrinsic value... In all honesty, I don't think anyone-Kirk, Greg, myself-knew just what it was going to take to save MGM. We really had to claw our way back...

The major difference about movie making is that everything here is manufactured from dreams. TV did not work that way. Movie producers and directors are told that every picture is going to be a smash, and get academy nominations. The moment a movie begins shooting, the dream machinery proclaims it a hit. I find that attitude unrealistic. Some movies are not going to turn out well. Yet very few directors will stand up and say, `I did my best, but it didn't work.' So the executive becomes the heavy....

[on his resignation] I just didn't want to do it anymore There are people who don't know when to walk away, or can't walk away, and it's painful to see that. I just no longer had interest in the machinery of a big studio." Was he gun-shy? "Maybe a little, but in all honesty I've never been afraid of failure. And I've never been afraid to admit failure.
 
From "Aubrey: A Lion in Winter" by Paul Rosenfield, Los Angeles Times, 27 April 1986 p Z1

Movie review - "The Swarm" (1978) *

Absolutely terrible - but not completely terrible. I mean the structure is actually quite sound. It starts excitingly with troops coming into an army base to find everyone dead except for mysterious Michael Caine, and the action is developed well. There are some strong emotional sequences such as a kid watching his parents die in front of his eyes, and scientist Henry Fonda risking his life testing venom, and Bradford Dillman bitching about Caine and Richard Widmark, no fan of Caine's character, scolds Dillman for being a backstabber.

And the movie "goes there" - the kid sees his parents die, a train crashes wiping out half the cast, Houston is burned, hundreds of people die... the stakes are massive.

But it is terrible. The whole concept is flawed from the start. Disaster movies about fire and capsized boats and earthquakes work because such things happen in real life - but not mass attacks by killer bees. It's completely made up.

Okay so that wasn't fatal - zombie movies are completely made up and they work. But zombies are scary. Bees - why a bit scary in real life (they sting!) - aren't that effective on the big screen, at least not as dramatised here. They are a buzzy fuzzy mass descending on people - it's as visually exciting as watching people get attacked by clouds. We don't even get some cool gory close ups of faces exploding or something.

 The acting is poor. I don't think Michael Caine has ever been so bad - half asleep, delivering his awful lines in monotone, occasionally shouting at Richard Widmark. Katherine Ross isn't much better as his dopey love interest. Richard Widmark is at least professional as a military officer.

You've got varying performances from people such as Richard Chamberlain, Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Ben Johnson, Fred MacMurray. They all struggle with some horrendous dialogue. Stirling Silliphant was a good writer - I'd like to think he wasn't responsible. William Goldman has often downplayed the importance of dialogue, allowing that sometimes sparkling dialogue can really be an attraction. In this one it's fatal.

The story isn't bad in a junky way - it's got structure, it moves. But its inherently silly with that agonising dialogue. Badly directed to. Worth seeing! (I'm serious it's great campy fun.)

Movie review - "City Lights" (1931) ***

Chaplin's classic. Some people claim it's the greatest film of all time. It's a perfectly decent, sweet comedy with Charlie helping a blind girl regain her sight. This stuff is hokey but completely works and Virginia Cherrill is lovely as a the girl. Harry Myers is very funny as a millionaire who only recognises Chaplin when he's drunk. The fake fight is funny but why not make it more essential to the story? You could cut it out. The ending is lovely.

Script review - "Public Enemies" by Michael Mann, Ann Biberman and Ronan Bennett

I remember enjoying the film but reading the script a few years later I was disappointed. Maybe it's not as good as I remember - or I was distracted by all that Michael Mann style. It's a choppy, vignette-esque look at the Dillinger story which covers the greatest hits well enough - breaking out of prison, the shoot out at Little Bohemia Lodge, the final death at the Biograph - but isn't particularly bold or remarkable. The characters feel stock, for all the research Mann likes to do. I mean it's alright, it's just not sensational.

Stars Under Dore Schary at MGM

I became interested in the Dore Schary era at MGM when researching my book on Rod Taylor - he signed to the studio in late 1955, towards the end of Schary's regime. Schary's reputation as a studio exec is mixed to say the least - when people think about him, that is. He doesn't seem to polarise buffs the way say Leo B Mayer did. He's not regarded as one of the great moguls. He famously replaced Mayer in 1951 but was given the boot himself a few years later.

Schary's credits do demand he be taken seriously as a filmmaker - some okay ones as writer, but very good ones as producer. He championed some difficult subjects as studio head: Battleground, They Live By Night, Bad Day at Black Rock. These are movies to be proud of - and the world is a better place for them being in it.

However when it came to stars, Schary was a clear second-rater. Maybe a third rater, even. This was particularly noticeable because of the studio he ran.

Before Schary's arrival, MGM was renowned for it's stars - it had the biggest, the brightest, etc. They had everything: crusty old farts (Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore), charismatic tough guys (Clark Gable), pretty boys (Robert Taylor), novelty acts (Esther Williams), comediennes (Jean Harlow), plucky teens (Mickey Rooney), boys next door (James Stewart, Van Johnson, Robert Walker, Robert Young), kids (Freddie Bartholomew, Margaret O'Brien, Claude Jarman Jnr), old bags (Marie Dressler, Marjorie Main), wacky girls (Lucille Ball), posh girls (Greer Garson, Deborah Kerr), comics (Red Skelton, Marx Brothers), sexpots (Joan Crawford, Ava Gardner, Lana Turner), classy dames (Myrna Loy, Katherine Hepburn), stunning musical talent (Judy Garland), foreign imports (Greta Garbo, Hedy Lamar, Greer Garson), Frenchmen (Jean Pierre Aumont), actors who had failed at other studios (Spencer Tracy, William Powell, Lew Ayres), opera singers (Mario Lanza, Jane Powell, Nelson Eddy, Jeanette MacDonald), even blacks (Lena Horne) and Chinese (Keye Luke).

Louis B Mayer had a genius for discovering and managing stars that still isn't fully appreciated today. Absolutely Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling played their part too but they at the studio after Mayer left - and the studio lost its ability to create stars.

Let's look the big MGM stars during Schary's time at the studio and Schary's involvement in their careers:

* June Allyson - the girl next door star of musicals, very much a Pasternak/Mayer kind of star, when Schart took over she was at her peak (The Three Musketeers, Little Women, The Stratton Story) - her career declined under his watch - Too Young to Kiss, The Girl in White, Remains to Be Seen (though to be fair they did put her in Battle Circus and Executive Suite). Maybe this decline would have happened anywhere but it's interesting that Allyson's career was revitalised in the mid 50s with a series of "perfect wife" roles outside MGM (The Glenn Miller Story, Strategic Air Command) that saw her back in the top ten stars. MGM responded by putting her in The Opposite Sex, a flop musical remake of The Women.  I think Allyson was not a typical Schary kind of star - suited for saccharine roles in musicals and dramas - and he didn't know how to handle her.

* Pier Angeli - became a star in Teresa and Schary must have been convinced he found his own Garbo. But he failed to build on the momentum: The Light Touch, Devil Makes Three, Story of Three Loves, The Flame and the Flesh.

* Leslie Caron - one of the biggest stars of Schary's time at the studio, she was a star in An American in Paris and brought them in in Lili (and later Gigi) but also a lot of money losers (The Man in a Cloak, Glory Alley, Gaby, The Glass Slipper). A mixed success.

* Cyd Charisse - a Mayer discovery who never really made a mark outside of musicals, but lasted at the studio a long time. Schary didn't know what to do with her outside musicals, not really.

* Glenn Ford - already a star at Columbia, but it was at MGM he really came into his own. His man next door looks and slightly tormented air suited the Eisenhower era, with it's secretly PTSD men in suits smoking cigarettes and having domestic dramas. He suited Schary style movies such as Trial and The Blackboard Jungle and went well in comedies such as Teahouse of the August Moon. I think Ford's elevation from B to A star owes something to Schary. 

*Clark Gable - the King of Hollywood, he wasn't handled with particular skill by Schary who seemed uncomfortable with Gable movies. In fairness, Gable was on the slide - but he was capable of bringing them in, as Mogambo (and his post MGM movies) showed. Schary should have been able to handle him better.

* Ava Gardner - a reluctant MGM discovery (came up via marriage to Mickey Rooney) they actually did well by her with choices parts such as Showboat, Loan Star and Mogambo. Schary didn't "get" female stars but he "got" the noir-ish Gardner.

* Stewart Granger - a good MGM star from 1950-56, although he was already a star in Britain before he joined the studio, and mostly thrived in remakes while there (King Solomon's Mines, Prisoner of Zenda, Scaramouche). Nonetheless, while Granger whinged a lot about Schary he whinged about everyone and made a hash of his career post MGM; I think Schary did okay by Granger.

* Howard Keel - decent musical star who appeared in several classics of that genre whose career declined with the musical. Made some classics under Schary (notably Seven Brides for Seven Brothers). Could he have done more under Mayer? Maybe... maybe not... Keel did lack a little individuality.

*Gene Kelly - a tremendous talent who blossomed in the Schary era but it was really in musicals made under Mayer ally Arthur Freed that he became a legend.

* Grace Kelly - she became a star in the Schary era, but her great films were made at other studios (especially Paramount with Hitchcock). Schary tried to take some credit for her success, and he did sign her up, but he also cast her in her only critical flop, Green Fire, and her one commercial flop, The Swan. (Every film she starred in outside the studio was a critical and commercial hit. Every single one.)

*Deborah Kerr - a back up Greer Garson who eventually came into her own in the 1950s but not really in MGM films. Like many Schary era MGM stars (eg Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor), she did better outside MGM.

*Mario Lanza - a triumph of Mayer's star making abilities... and Schary's lack of them. Lanza was a major talent who was nurtured carefully by the studio, rewarded them with some minor hits then a massive one with The Great Caruso. He wound up leaving MGM. I can't imagine Mayer struggling to handle Lanza, he was so skilled dealing with high maintenance stars... Schary did struggle.

* Ricardo Montalban - the dancing Latin, who came in as a support to Esther Williams. He had good roles in some very Schary-leaning productions: Battleground, Mystery Street, Right Cross... Schary probably had dreams of turning Montalban into the first big Mexican Hollywood star. But ultimately it didn't work. Too many dud Schary films. (And to be fair I don't think Montalban had the individuality to be a great movie star... he was a TV man.)

* Eleanor Parker - not remembered as a big name, she was a solid MGM star in the 1950s, even though it was Warners who established her. She had some good years at Metro under Schary as their kind of back up Ava Gardner - Scaramouche, Interrupted Melody - but could never move into the first rank, having some big flops (eg The Painted Veil). Still, probably deserves to be remembered better and Schary gave her plenty of chances. She was probably too much of a character actor and not individual enough to be a great star - as she admitted.

* Walter Pidgeon - gentlemanly actor who found his niche as a leading man for Greer Garson. By the time Schary came along his great days were over; he drifted into support roles which I think would've been inevitable. Schary did give Pidgeon one of his best roles with Forbidden Planet. I think Schary "got" Pigdeon - he could play authoritative types. 

*Jane Powell - pretty, pert discovery of Joe Pasternak who spluttered along under Schary then faded as musicals went out of fashion. Schary didn't do that well by her but it's hard to imagine Mayer at his peak doing much more.

* Debbie Reynolds - people think of Reynolds as a bigger star in the early 1950s than she was because of Eddie Fisher and Singing in the Rain but she played a lot of support roles in unsuccessful musicals for MGM - Hit the Deck, Athena, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis, Give a Girl a Break - and the odd successful comedy (The Tender Trap). It's a tribute to Schary's lack of star making nous that she only really became a genuine star once she left the studio for Tammy; she returned to MGM once Schary left and did well for them (eg The Main Game). Schary simply didn't use her well.

* Elizabeth Taylor - discovered during the Mayer regime, she flowered in the 1950s... but her big films were at other studios (eg A Place in the Sun) until the late 1950s, when MGM gave her something to bite into (Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof).

* Robert Taylor - handsome lunk who spent the early part of his career on the arm of leading ladies, but who had a long, strong career. MGM did well by him when he came back from the war, and although very much a Mayer type star he did unexpectedly well under Schary, finding an unexpected niche as the star of swashbucklers (Quo Vadis, Ivanhoe) and more expectedly Westerns.

* Spencer Tracy - the resuscitation of Tracy's career at MGM was a triumph of Mayer and Thalberg (they took a well regarded but not particularly popular star and turned him into a legend). Schary loved Tracy and did very well by him, unlike most of the legendary MGM names: Father of the Bride, Bad Day at Black Rock, Adam's Rib, etc. Schary didn't break new ground with Tracy but their films together are definitely in Schary's credit column.

*Lana Turner - stunningly pretty, couldn't act, but was a star... the sort of star Schary simply didn't know how to handle. The Schary regime is notable for its mishandling of Turner's career (Diane, The Prodigal) with the exception of The Bad and the Beautiful. There was still life in her career, too, as proved by her success after leaving Metro - Peyton Place, Imitation of Life, Portrait in Black... MGM under Schary just didn't know how to do it, whereas Jerry Wald and Ross Hunter did. Maybe if Schary had used her in more harder-edged films things could have been different; he clearly didn't "get" glossy entertainments.

*Michael Wilding - had a four year contract with the studio while married to Elizabeth Taylor. MGM never really seemed to know how to use him (miscast in The Glass Slipper) - he may never have found a home in Hollywood but his career never recovered from the years at MGM.

*Esther Williams - Williams was the story of star who probably only could have been developed and exploited by Mayer. Her films were a joke at the time but they were enormously successful - far more profitable than the classic Freed musicals - and they have held up well, mainly because they have such integrity. They came under the ambit of Joe Pasternak so Dore Schary couldn't do too much damage to them... but eventually he did put her in Jupiter's Darling, her biggest flop, and she left the studio. Williams later bitched about Schary in her memoirs... though she bitched about everyone. In fairness even Mayer would've been challenged to extend Williams' career as she aged and musicals declined in popularity - but he would've done a better job than Schary.

Most of the above were developed by people other than Schary. Below is a list of people who came up under his tutelage.

*Richard Anderson - handsome young man who was around for a long time in support parts but never looked like evolving to a star. A TV name at best, which is what he became.

*Don Burnett - handsome young actor in the Richard Anderson mold who never really rose better than his role in the TV series of North West Passage.

*John Cassevetes - briefly under contract to MGM in the late 50s; they used him in Edge of the City and Saddle the Wind. So MGM's ability to spot talent was in... they just didn't always know how to use the actors they had.

*Vic Damone - handsome guy with a terrific voice and married to an actor (Pier Angeli) but was curiously lifeless in his film appearances: Athena, Kismet, Hit the Deck. Another flop Schary star.

*Nancy Davis - whatever you say about her politics, Nancy was a bland middle of the road actor who got a surprisingly large amount of lead roles at MGM, almost all of which lost money. Had no business being a star - a dull support act at best.

*Sandra Descher - MGM child star who underwhelmed in The Last Time I Saw Paris, The Cobweb, The Prodigal.

*Robert Dix - son of Richard Dix, he was signed to MGM from 1954-56 and mostly had bit parts plus a decent ish role in Forbidden Planet. Had an interesting career, making some memorable exploitation films (for Al Adamson, among others), but a long, long way from a star.

*Jim Drury - handsome young man who MGM contracted and put in some minor roles eg Diane, The Tender Trap. They let him go and he had success on TV playing The Virginian. That was about all he did but it wasn't a bad "spot" from MGM.

*Tania Elg - beautiful, leggy Finnish dancer, it was her misfortune to be signed as MGM's output of musicals was in decline. She was given some non musical chances (The 39 Steps, Watusi) but lacked the individuality which might have given her more of a career.

*John Ericson - handsome man who was launched to kind-of stardom in Teresa but never seemed to make a big impression despite several chances at the studio: Rhapsody, The Student Prince, Green Fire, Bad Day at Black Rock.

*Steve Forrest - handsome man who never graduated beyond "handsome man" roles at MGM. Later had more success on TV.

*Anne Francis - pretty but bland leading lady who actually appeared in a few classic films during her time at the studio (The Blackboard Jungle, Forbidden Planet, Bad Day at Black Rock) but is hard to remember.

*Anthony Franciosa - an interesting talent, he signed towards the end of the Schary regime (This Could be the Night) and had a good career, but he never made the top rank.

*Ronald Green - contractee whose best known MGM performance was as The Dauphin in Diane and who had bit parts in The King's Thief, The Glass Slipper and The Scarlet Coat. Did not go on to have much of a career.

*Dolores Grey - top notch stage star, winner of several Tonys, who signed to the studio and made several films for them - Designing Woman, The Opposite Sex, It's Always Fair Weather, Kismet - but failed to make too much of an impression. Another example of Schary being unable to exploit a genuine proven talent.

*Dean Jones - amiable boy next door type in the Jack Lemmon mode who later found great popularity as a leading man in several Disney films. He started his film career as a contract player for MGM with small parts in The Rack, Tea and Sympathy and The Opposite Sex. His career didn't really get going until he left the studio but I think MGM do get some points for spotting him.

*Judi Jordan - had small roles in Raintree County and Ransom! and... that's all I can find on her.

*Anna Kashfi - Indian-American actress best known for her marriage to Marlon Brando. Was under contract to MGM but I'm not sure she made any films for them.

*John Kerr - a Broadway sensation in Tea and Sympathy, Kerr at one stage was so "hot" he turned down The Spirit of St Louis and Friendly Persuasion. MGM used him for The Cobweb, Tea and Sympathy and Gaby - the latter two leads. A very underwhelming talent, and indicative of Schary's failure to spot male stars.

*Janet Lake - un-memorable starlet once married to Robert Dix. Small roles in films like The Fastest Gun Alive and These Wilder Years.

*Barbara Lang - blonde sexy Marilyn Monroe type under contract to MGM who had small parts in films like Hot Summer Nights, Party Girl and House of Numbers. Had some okay TV appearances.

*Luana Lee - MGM glamour girl who never moved beyond small parts in films like Raintree County, The Opposite Sex, The Fastest Gun Alive.

*Jarma Lewis - starlet in the Luana Lee and Tania Elg mould, and became about as successful despite roles in The Tender Trap, The Cobweb and Raintree County. She married well though - to a bowling alley tycoon.

*Dewey Martin- one of those actors who got chances (The Big Sky, Land of the Pharaohs) but never seemed to become a star. Made a few MGM films, including Tennessee Champ but failed to become a star.

*Liliane Montevecchi - ballerina who MGM seemed to have on their books as a back up Leslie Caron, appearing in The Glass Slipper, Moonfleet and Meet Me in Las Vegas. They failed to turn her into a star.

*Roger Moore - handsome cardigan model with a fantastic voice and became a much beloved star via The Saint and James Bond. His MGM experience was less happy - to be frank he was pretty bad in a series of films; the studio did give him chances but he blew them (Diana, The King's Thief, Interrupted Melody).

*Elizabeth Mueller - European star who was tried by MGM in The Power and the Prize but didn't take off.

*Leslie Nielsen - another bland handsome face who was highly unimpressive in his MGM films (ef Forbidden Planet) then settled into TV... and who then had a surprising late in life renaissance as a comedy actor. Like Roger Moore, a talent that MGM/Schary spotted but did not use well (though in fairness, was Nielsen a great lost star?).

*Irene Papas - yes, Irene Papas of Guns of Navarone, Z and Zorba the Greek fame really was under contract to MGM during the Schary era - appearing in Tribute to a Bad Man. She didn't have her big success until after she left the studio but Schary and MGM deserve some points for trying.

*Edmund Purdom - a handsome lunk from England who was doing bits then launched to overnight fame in The Student Prince. Schary thought MGM had a new star - especially after Fox borrowed him for The Egyptian - but returns for The Prodigal, The King's Thief and Athena proved their eye was out again. In his memoirs Schary makes it seem as though he turfed Purdom after the latter asked for more money, which may have been true - but Schary doesn't mention he also cast Purdom in three vehicles, which all flopped.

*Jeff Richards - Schary era discovery, a baseball player who became an actor, but he proved to be no Kurt Russell. One memorable part was in Seven Brides to Seven Brothers. And that was about it.

*Gena Rowlands - a surprisingly far-sighted signing from MGM, who nabbed her after her stage success in Middle of the Night. She only made one film - The High Cost of Loving. A great talent that they didn't know how to use.

*Willard Sage - small time actor, a character actor type, who was under contract to MGM but never did much more than bits in films like Gaby and The Tender Trap. Didn't have a spectacular career once he left the studio either.

*Elaine Stewart - Schary's attempt at creating a sex bomb. Stewart shone in small roles in The Bad and the Beautiful and Brigadoon then was promoted in Take the High Ground, A Slight Case of Larcency and Code Two, without making much of an impact. 

*Russ Tamblyn - child actor who turned into a great dancer and a decent-ish actor with a strong boy next door quality; Schary had him pegged as a next big thing (maybe he was dreaming of creating his own Mickey Rooney) and gave him lots of chances. Although Tamblyn had his moments (Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, High School Confidential, Tom Thumb) he never quite broke through. MGM put him in a lot of movies where he looked plain odd (The Last Hunt, Cimarron). Overall though he was one of Schary's more successful actors.

*Rod Taylor - a big name in Aussie radio, was given two good chances by Schary, The Catered Affair and Raintree County. He didn't particularly shine in either but his later career demonstrated Schary had some success with talent development. He made a lot of good films for MGM post Schary: The Time Machine, The VIPs, Young Cassidy. 

*Bill Travers - handsome lunk from England who was signed by MGM off the back of his success in Geordie but failed to light the public's fire in Bhowani Junction, The Seventh Veil or The Barretts of Wimpole Street. Another Schary-era dud star.

*Ralph Vitti - young actor who was contracted to MGM and given small roles in Somebody Up There Likes Me and Raintree County. Was dropped by the studio, later went to Warners, and had an okay career as "Michael Dante". 

*James Whitmore - a Spencer Tracy lookalike who seemed to get a lot of the roles Tracy didn't want to do at MGM (Battleground, The Next Voice You Hear, Because You're Mind). A capable, sturdy actor, not a star.

In fairness it was a tricky time to create stars - but let's look at how other studios did during the 1950s...

  

Universal developed Jeff Chandler, Rock Hudson, Audie Murphy, Yvonne de Carlo and Tony Curtis. Later there was Sandra Dee. This is a pretty strong record.

Warner Bros had Paul Newman, Dennis Hopper, James Dean, James Garner, Troy Donahue, Tab Hunter and Natalie Wood. An excellent result.

Columbia had John Derek, Aldo Ray, James Darren, Kim Novak, Judy Holliday, Jack Lemon. Very good.

20th Century Fox had Robert Wagner, Jeffrey Hunter, Sheree North, Pat Boone and Jayne Mansfield. In the late 1950s Buddy Adler went on a star building rampage: Stuart Whitman, Gary Crosby, David Hedison, Jill St John, Fabian.

So MGM didn't just do badly in comparison to their past they did in comparison to their competitors.

Which is life. But what prompted me to write this article is that Schary had the gall to write pieces on how to make stars, such as "Then It's Up to the Public: Dore Schary Tells How to Create a Film Star" in Los Angeles Times 9 January 1955 p D1.

In actual fact Schary would consistently misuse the stars he had (Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor), be unable to handle stars (Mario Lanza), not know what he had under his nose (Roger Moore, Debbie Reynolds), or promote duds (Edmund Purdom, Jeff Richards, James Whitmore). He helped kill the careers of Esther Williams and Jane Powell. He did treat some stars well, such as Walter Pidgeon and Spencer Tracy, and was an early promoter of people like Rod Taylor. But overall it's a shoddy record.

Executives can be miscast just like actors and Dore Schary was miscast to run MGM.

Movie review - "Red Dawn" (1984) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

In hindsight, it's odd that John Milius didn't get to make more movies in the counter culture 70s than the Reagan-era 80s when you would think his bare chested machismo would have been more in fashion - especially when this and Conan the Barbarian were quite successful. Maybe he was too much trouble - too outspoken or annoying or something. Maybe he was too much of a public joke. Maybe the stars never aligned. Or maybe there was a more satirical edge to his work in the 70s - he didn't take himself so seriously. There's a lot of black comedy in Apocalypse Now, Judge Roy Bean, Dillinger and The Wind and the Lion - the attitudes of the characters have freshness. That went in the 80s.

This benefits from a very strong premise - so strong it was used in the Tomorrow When the War Began series and also a remake. And there are plenty of fun things about the film - it gets right into the action, the opening sequence of the students fleeing town under attack is exciting, the scenery is beautiful, the production design top-notch.

I thought the acting was good. Sure it's a bit campy to see a cast including Patrick Swayze, C Thomas Howell, Lea Thompson and Charlie Sheen but they can all act - they're believable teens. Swayze is a believable heroic lead; Thompson is very good. The adults include Powers Boothe, Harry Dean Stanton, Ron O'Neal and William Smith - a decent line up. There's a bunch of other young kids in there I didn't recognise.

I love it how "into it" Milius is. The storyline really is a Milius wet dream - you get to hang out in the Rockies fighting for freedom by killing people, living out tropes from World War Two films. It's harsh and bitter and tough - it's quite a downbeat movie, but that's all part of the dream ("I wish I could die gloriously", "I wish I could be tired and resigned at the end").

There were some very effective emotional moments. The initial attack; saying goodbye to parents; the little romance-but-not-really between Lea Thompson and Powers Boothe; the death of Jennifer Grey; C Thomas Howell going down in a blaze of glory going "Wolverines" (actually this is more campy fun); Lea Thompson reaching freedom; Patrick Swayze killing his former friend for betrayal.

The action sequences did get monotonous. Things started well with that opening attack but then it became one ambush after another. (I find this a few times in Milius films - he's not great at action).

A bigger problem was the lack of distinguished characters. The young people are all basically "young people" with Swayze a bit older and heroic and the mayor's son a bit nerdy. It was hard to tell them apart - it helps that some of them are stars. I wish that some were at least a different race or something to tell them apart. There's no real character development - the affect of war on people etc. I wish they'd had less explosions and more drama. (I've read an original draft of the script which did.)

Anyway it's an interesting film. I think Milius attracted too much attention for making it though - it turned him into a bit of a joke and it's one of those successes that could actually harm your career.

Movie review - "Return to Salem's Lot" (1987) **

Larry Cohen made this back to back with It's Alive 3 for the straight-to-video market and I feel it was a mistake. This feels too lazy, too sloppily made. I actually got angry at it - Cohen pretty much disregards Steven King's excellent source material entirely and comes up with his own story. That would be okay if his own story was interesting but it's not really. There are, as always in Cohen films, some bright ideas - Michael Moriarty is an anthropologist who the vampires want to write their story, Sam Fuller as a Nazi hunters - but they aren't really developed. I kept getting confused why Moriarty was acting the way he did and the kid who plays his son was annoying.

Scenes seem rushed and done in a grab-bag fashion.There's no atmosphere or sense of horror, mystery or dread. It is fun to see a cast including Evelyn Keyes, June Havoc and Fuller, as well as a young Tara Reid, an Katja Crosby is very pretty, but I would have preferred some suspense or decent comedy/satire. Michael Moriarty really got on my nerves.

I'm really bagging this one, aren't I? I can't help it. I just think Cohen had a fantastic vampire film in him somewhere but this isn't it.

Movie review - "Laddie" (1940) **

Tim Holt became known as a Western star for RKO but although this is set in the West it isn't really a Western. It's more a slice of life Americana, a genre popular at the time (The Magnificent Ambersons - which also starred Holt - was a darker example of the genre). It reminded me of something like Hound Dog Man or Pollyanna - lots of gentle observations about young people. The sort of thing that's always based on a "beloved" novel.

The central thrust of the plot revolves around farmer Holt being in love with Virginia Gilmore, whose English father (Miles Mander) doesn't approve. A lot of time is spent on Holt's younger sister Joan Carroll, who is very good. Gilmore isn't much - her character is a bit of a bitch. Miles Mander is fine as is Spring Byington. Peter Cushing - as in the horror star - pops up as Mander's estranged son, which gives the end of this a massive lift.

I've long been interested in the career of Tim Holt, who appeared in so many classics despite mostly making B Westerns. This isn't a classic - it's a nice enough thing, very light; it really needed a top flight director to add lots of touches and atmosphere to make it fly.

Holt is handsome and adequate; to be honest he's a little dull. He's not a star who leaps off the screen - he seems to be more of a leading man, the sort of guy to play opposite a vivacious female star, or to play someone's son. He doesn't have a personality that comes across - contrasted with, say, Carroll.

To be honest the film probably would've been better off had it totally focused on Joan Carroll - told everything from her point of view. (It does for a lot of it but then keeps popping away from her POV.) But he's fine - like the movie itself. I know I use that word a lot about this movie but I can't help it - it's "fine".

Movie review - "Small Change" (1976) ***

Childhood and school was a horrible place in The 400 Blows but Truffaut offers a warmer, more optimistic view in this ensemble piece. It's set in a small town in France and consists of a series of vignettes and moments.

There's a memorable scene where a kid climbs out a window and falls to the ground. It's a real heart stopper although you wonder why at least some of the adults just staring at the kid don't yell or something, they just stand there. (The doll standing in for the kid isn't very realistic either).

Other key "storylines" include: a boy gets a crush on an older woman (there is a fair bit of boys perving on women), the reveal that one of the boys is being physically abused, a girl is stuck at home without any food, a boy and a girl have their first kiss. 

Sometimes the scenes are too on the nose eg two adults talking about how kids are more resilient than you think, the teacher talking to his students at the end how important kids are and how Abuse Is Bad. But generally the touch is light and warm and the film has a good soul. It is very male orientated.

Movie review - "Original Gangstas" (1996) ***

This blaxploitation throwback has a fine premise - a bunch of old blaxploitation stars (Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Pam Grier) reunite to take on a gang that they helped set up which is causing grief in the town of Gary, Indiana.

The structure is solid - a kid is killed for hustling a gang at basketball (I loved the low stakes-ness of this) and an old man is wounded for helping the police, prompting the old man's son (Williamson) to return and team up with the parents of the dead kid (Grier, Brown) to get revenge.

There's some satisfactory scenes of middle aged men kicking young arse - this film is kind of aimed at the black Clint Eastwood crowd. The quality of the cast is high - it includes Ron O'Neal, Richard Roundtree, Robert Forster, Charles Napier and Wings Hauser.

The script deals with some important issues, there's complexity to the characters. I don't feel it's as good as the premise - you could get a sequel or two out of it - but I liked this a lot more than I thought it would.

Movie review - "Overland Telegraph" (1951) **1/2

One of the last of the many (many) Westerns Tim Holt made for RKO and it's an entirely decent B Western, with strong production values and brisk handling. There's a solid story with some complex (ish) characters and memorable moments. I get the feeling people tried on this one. It also benefits from a good cast.

Hugh Beaumont adds some low-wattage star power the baddy - a saloon owner. Universal's favourite Rock Hudson back up, George Nader, does likewise as a sort of anti-hero - a man who is trying to sabotage Gail Davis' telegraph, but isn't as bad as Beaumont, his best friend. Davis has a memorable introduction, dangling from a telegraph pole, and a strong character - she's feisty, gun-toting, in charge of camp, and willing to whip up a lynch mob. She's not there for romance (Holt apparently didn't often engage in it despite his good looks - it would upset his kid fans).

I don't want to overpraise this - it is a B Western - but there is constant action and story. Tim Holt is a solid star - not bright or bubbly, yes okay you could call him bland, but he's a steady center for the action. Richard Martin is his Mexican-Irish sidekick. Mari Blanchard adds some extra glamour as Nader's fiance.

Movie review - "Commando" (1985) **1/2

A silly outlandish comic book movie which has some historical significance (no kidding) - it was the first hit Arnie had without the backing of a big character, like Conan or The Terminator. Arnie basically plays Arnie.

The set up and ticking clock are all fine - Arnie is an ex special ops guy living in the mountains with his daughter, who is kidnapped in order for Arnie to kill the president of a fictitious country. When Arnie knocks off his watcher on a plane, he knows he's only got X hours before the plane lands to rescue his daughter.

That gives the film good pace, although it's a shame Arnie never goes to the country and/or gets the president involved. There are other gaping holes in the story - why doesn't Arnie call his officer James Olson right away? (They could have covered it by having Arnie think the government might be in on the conspiracy but they don't.) Why did they bother killing off members of his team at the beginning other than to have an exciting opening sequence? Isn't it an awfully risky strategy for him to turn up on the island and starting to kill everyone before he found his daughter?

But the film has so many things going for it. James Horner's score is genuinely great - catchy and a bit different. The cast is fantastic: Alyssa Milano as the daughter; Rae Dawn Chong in the Madeleine Carroll 39 Steps part; David Patrick Kelly and Bill Duke as baddies; Dan Hedaya in brown face as a villain; Bill Paxton in a small role; and most of all Vernon Wells as Arnie's psycho former colleague (should've done more in Hollywood, Wells, he's great). It has a cheerful nature. It's very violent - things being plunged into chests and so on - but none of it feels real. It's silly and crappy and gets worse as it goes along but the foundations are strong and Arnie is perfect in the lead.

Movie review - "8 1/2" (1963) ***

This film has a lot to answer for... it prompted a bunch of other filmmakers to make movies about filmmakers who can't think of ideas for their next film (eg Alex in Wonderland).

It's Fellini's journey up his own arse, with Marcello Mastroianni as a handsome, battered, weary Fellini-like director, set upon by various crises: a nagging critic, visions of an ideal woman (Claudia Cardinale), an annoying mistress (Sandra Milo), his producer, his wife (Anouk Aimee).

It is lively. Some of the visuals are impressive, I liked the cast (Barbara Steele pops up as a friend's girlfriend). But a lot of it I could take or leave.

Book review - " “Ruth Chatterton: Actress, Aviator, Author” by Scott O'Brien (2013)

Chatteron isn't regarded as one of the great Hollywood stars - when I first read David Shipman's book on legends from this era she was one of the few I hadn't heard of. But she had her moment in the sun, particularly in the early 1930s. Today she is best remembered if at all for her role as the wife in Dodsworth and maybe the lead in Madame X.

She was born into what should have been an affluent background (dad was an architect) but things got harder when her parents separated. Dad was a bit useless so Chatterton went on to the stage at a relatively young age in order to support her mother. Chatterton travelled around the country doing a lot of acting. She worked for a company run by a husband and wife where the husband, Henry Miller, fell in love with her and cast her in several hits including The Rainbow and Daddy Long Legs.

Chatterton's stage career was winding down when she decided to go out to Hollywood. She had a good reputation from Broadway and went straight into leading roles at Paramount. She was fortunate to arrive with the coming of sound too so her theatre training stood her in good stead.

For a few years Chatterton was a genuine draw, featuring in a series of melodramas and comedies that are rarely seen today for whatever reason. Her career went into decline in the mid 30s - she made a few films in Europe then went back to the stage, touring steadily and making the occasional trip back to Broadway,

Acting wasn't the be all and end all to Chatterton. She loved the money Hollywood bought her - she spent it like it was going out of fashion- but she didn't live for it. She had a very lively love life (partners included Miller, Fritz Lang, Rex Smith, Ralph Forbes, and George Brent - the last two she married); she enjoyed travel; she was a pioneering aviatrix, palling around with Amelia Earhardt and running her own competition; she was highly intelligent - which caused her to interfere a lot with her productions (arguing with directors, rewriting scenes)... I'm sure she was a good critic and astute and all that but her improvements didn't seem to improve anything; later in life she became a best selling novelist; she was politically and culturally progressive (lots of gay friends, very much a liberated woman).

There was lots of stuff in here I didn't know - I'm unfamiliar with much of Chatterton's career. O'Brien does a very good job, it's excellently researched. I have to admit though that for much of the time I didn't really care - this wasn't O'Brien's fault as much as mine... I didn't find Chatterton that interesting, or her films.

Movie review - "It Conquered Hollywood! The Story of American International Pictures" (2001) ****

Fun documentary about one of my favourite - if not the favourite - movie studio: American International Pictures. If you're a fan of the studio you probably have already read a lot about it - the memoirs of Sam Arkoff and Roger Corman, the books of Mark Thomas McGee, etc. I certainly had so there wasn't that much in it I didn't already know - but it was great to see talking heads such as Arkoff, Corman, and McGee. We also hear from Joe Dante (who I don't think ever worked for AIP but did for its spiritual off spring, New World Pictures), AIP talent like Susan Hart and Aaron Kincaid.

There's a brilliant clip where Nicholson and Arkoff argue in front of a camera over the message of Wild in the Streets. I would've liked more of that and a longer running time.

Bogdanovich does the narration, even though he didn't really make anything for AIP. Someone more tabloid-y and rapid-fire, less sonorous might've been better (like say Dante). He doesn't "feel" AIP, that's all.

Movie review - "Daisy Miller" (1974) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

The first of the "three flops" that famously brought Peter Bogdanovich back down to earth. This is decent take on Henry James' novel (which I admit I've never read) about a stuffy American who falls for a flirty American in Europe.

In hindsight you can see the appeal of the novel to Bogdanovich - it's based on novel which isn't really like a typical Hollywood genre, so it was something different; it offered a great role for Cybill Shepherd; the relationship between the male lead and Shepherd/Miller  was clearly something Bogdanovich understood - hot girl worshipped by nerdy guy.

It's a very Bogdanovich style of film too - Shepherd of course, his stock company (Eileen Brennan, Cloris Leachman), use of long takes with rapid fire dialogue.

It's an interesting sort of movie rather than enjoyable. I tuned in and out. The ending was moving when Shepherd dies - but even that happens off screen. Certainly no dog but you can see why the public didn't go for it.

Larry McMurtry's kid is in it.