Movie review - "No Good Deed" (2002) **

 Samuel L Jackson does a favour for a friend, looks for a missing daughter, and finds himself with a bunch of whackos about to commit a robbery. They include Stellan Skarsgaard, Joss Ackland, Mila Jovovich... and Jackson might've had more fun in those parts than a more conventional leading man role.

This was dull. I wanted it to be fun. Maybe it would've worked at 70 mins at Warner Bros or RKO in black and white with their stock company. The cast was good enough. Everyone hams it up. I don't know it just annoyed me I got bored.

Based on a Dashiell Hammett short story.

Was Rafelson a good director? He was a good producer - look at The Monkees, BBS. He had an eye for talent - Bogdanovich, Jack Nicholson, Sally Field in a different role, Jessica Lange in a different role, Arnie, Laslo Kovacs. Maybe the life went out of him after Mountains of the Moon.

Movie review - "Poodle Springs" (1998) **

 It's got Bob Rafelson, Chandler, Caan, Tom Stoppard, HBO... but it's not very good. The story wasn't the best, this doesn't nail it. Caan is too old for Dina Meyer (who suits period movies). Brian Cox and Joe Don Baker add the right tone but there's not enough of them.

Movie review - "Blood and Wine" (1996) *** (warning: spoilers)

 Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson return to surer material than Man Trouble - a plotty thriller about a heist that goes wrong, done by Nicholson. Stephen Dorff has a big role as Nicholson's stepson. Watching him tee off against Nicholson you can see why Dorff never became a star. He's TV. You can see why Jennifer Lopez (Nicholson's mistress, directed in pervy fashion by Rafelson) did. And Michael Caine. 

Film would've been better had Judy Davis or J Lo squared off against Nicholson.  Film has a strong middle but runs into problems when Judy Davis and Michael Caine die.

Movie review - "Mountains of the Moon" (1990) ***

 Bob Rafelson is best known for his Jack Nicholson starring vehicles but this piece shows another aspect of him - the travelling, individual side (he liked to traipse over the third world). It's about Burton and Speke, and I'm surprised Hollywood or Britain never tackled them in the 30s when explorer biopics were the rage. Maybe Burton was too scandalous with him translating the kama sutra.

The film made - temporarily as it turned out - Patrick Bergin into a bit of a name. Fiona Shaw goes nude. Ian Glenn is the other guy. Richard E Grant adds some old school villainy into it.

For all the modern takes (hero into sex, gay upper class Britishers), the Africans are still depicted as a savage mass.

Movie review - "Man Trouble" (1992) *1/2

 A famous flop which reunited the writer, director and star of Five Easy Pieces in an odd romantic comedy/screwball comedy which might've worked in 1971 when I think it was first written. Or maybe with younger stars or maybe just never.

Jack Nicholson is just old now which can be effective. Ellen Barkin tries. Beverly d'Angelo tries. Look, people try. It was long, unfunny, charmless and a drag.

Movie review - "Black Widow" (1987) ***1/2

 Bob Rafelson takes a leave of absence from Jack Nicholson with a sexy 80s concept thriller - Theresa Russell is an enigmatic female Bluebeard who knocks off her husbands, while Debra Winger is on the case.

It's a strong concept with two very good actors. Russell's enigmatic beauty and presence was rarely used better and Winger is typically excellent, not afraid to play dowdy so she can transform.

The film feels a little choppy in places - not as confidently put together as other Rafelson movies, I assume because of working for a studio and him trying not to scare anyone.

It really kicks up a gear when Winger and Russell meet, surprisingly late in the piece (around 50 mins or so).  These are all great - I wanted more.

A lot of deaths happen off screen - might've been easier to follow if we saw them. There's a little too much time spent on the French guy, Sami Frey - and I kind of wish there was a more mano a mano climax between Winger and Russell instead of them facing off behind bars. They hint at same sex attraction - as Rafelson said they do it as much as anyone could in a studio film then.

Terrific support turns from Nicol Williamson (marvellous as a rich guy besotted by Rssell) and James Hong.  Also people like Dennis Hopper, Louis Smith. Mary Woronov and David Mamet have small roles! (Mamet at a poker game).

Movie review - "The Postman Always Rings Twice" (1981) ****

A remake with point because it is more faithful to the source novel and can take advantage of more relaxed censorship. Jack Nicholson and especially Jessica Lange are superb in the leads - apparently Meryl Streep auditioned but it's hard to see how anyone could be better than Lange (who comes across as a bit more low rent, shall we say).

This was the first screenplay credit for David Mamet who praised Bob Rafelson's treatment of writers -so too did Ron Bass for Black Widow.

John Colicos - aka Baltar - is okay as the cuckolded husband. Other supporting actors much better. I love the shonky lawyer and Angelica Huston as a lion tamer and John Ryan as a slimy assistant. Maybe it's a little long.

Movie review - "Stay Hungry" (1976) **

 The difference between a real star and a handsome character actor. Jack Nicholson is a star. The film would've been perfect for him - a Southern rich boy who falls in with characters at a gym as park of a shonky land deal. But they've got Jeff Bridges. Handsome, excellent actor. Just not a star. Doesn't have the charisma.

This is an odd sort of movie. Rich kid means... gym. Sally Field is in a career changing performance as the receptionist, flashing her but and boobs. She's very good. Arnie is in this too. (Rafelson's casting eye was really good - there's also Robert Englund and Robert Moseley).

Some Rafelson regulars like Scatman Crothers are in this. The film feels like it's made up as it goes along. I went with this for a bit but then got bored.

I'm surprised this got Rafelson kicked off FIST (according to Joe Eszterhas) but it's not very good. The best thing about it is the acting, especially Sally Field.

Movie review - "The King of Marvin Gardens" (1972) ***

 The career of BBS weirdly echoed that of Peter Bogdanovich: three hits, three flops. This was one of the latter, along with Drive He Said and A Safe Place although its reputation is higher than others. It's got Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern as brothers, the gimmick being Nicholson plays the quiet, depressed one. He's a radio host who is allowed to ramble on in monologues - does this happen?

Lovely acting (by everyone except that fourth lead girl), photography and boardwalk atmosphere. Ellen Burstyn very good. Ditto Dern and Nicholson.  I did wish there was more sex and violence because the glimpses of it (the gals being nude in Dern's room playing cards, Scatman Crothers' gangster) are good. I know that wasn't the point it just would've sparked things up. Like a Bergman film.

Movie review - "Five Easy Pieces" (1970) ***1/2

 The "two" in the one-two punch from Jack Nicholson following Easy Rider. A big hit, critically acclaimed - very much a moment in 1970. Not obviously commercial - I know that's not everything but jeez, it hit the moment. I guess it had a big new star in a charismatic performance. It also had a bit of nudity and sex - Nicholson rooting Karen Black then also his brother's girl, Susan Anspach. There's some interesting quirks like location filming in Washington and the gimmick of Nicholson being a pianist and oil field worker.

While it's got selfish man-itis - lots of sex, dumping women, abusing waitress - the female roles strong, thanks to a female writer, one feels: Karen Black's low rent girlfriend, Anspach's lust object (human enough to be attracted to Nicholson, smart enough to not go with him), Toni Basil as a hippy type, Helena Kallianiotes as a rebel type.

Beautiful photography.

Movie review - "Head" (1968) ***

 The Monkees trashed their career with this nutty movie. It's imaginative, far out, clever, fun. It spends a lot of time spoofing old movies - Arabian nights, Westerns, war films - throws in some anti-Vietnam stuff. I think even if it hadn't made a point of toying with the Monkee image it wouldn't have made money - too plot less (even Hard Day's Night had more unity). Also a downer ending with the Monkees trying to escape and being recaptured. Maybe if it had some out earlier - by the late 60s the tide was going out on bands appearing in films (eg Good Times). Maybe if it had nudity.

Great songs. Genuinely good soundtrack. Endearingly odd cast, including Annette Funicello (who has two scenes I think), Victor Mature (the Monkees are dandruff in his head), Frank Zappa, Sonnie Liston. I don't love it the way other people do but it's totally worth watching.

Movie review - "The Last Picture Show" (1971) ***** (warning: spoilers)

 This could've gone wrong so easily - Texasville gives some indication how - but this just works. Every decision: location work, black and white, being set twenty years ago, a 1971 view of 1951 meaning sex and violence could be shown but it was still in present memory, the casting.

It meanders on a bit but always with point. At times I was thinking this is a four star or four and a half star film but the ending walloped me: the shocking death of Billy (Sam Bottoms) and Sonny (Tim Bottoms) going to see Cloris Leachman who goes him. Stunning.

Although specific to time and place it is universal - leaving school, falling in love, regret, the death of an old man. It focuses on two boys but the women all get a turn: Jacey is a vixen but a three dimensional one, motivated by her mother who gets a terrific monologue, Eileen Brennan the waitress gets a great monologue and Leachman's speech is divine. I love the matter of fact acceptance by Ellen Burstyn of Bottoms having a fling with Leachman ("it's a scratchy age").

So much great stuff: the plot about a preacher's son being a pedophile and the way it's dealt with (I forgot that whole storyline but it's well done), the second-rate-ness of the football team, the matter of fact nudity, John Hillerman trying to engage his school class. 

Better writers have written about this movie but it is just damn good. Why didn't Bogdanovich make more dramas?

All the actors are perfect: both Bottoms, Ben Johnson, Cybil Shepherd, the old faces, etc.