Thursday, September 04, 2008
Movie review – “The Proposition” (2004) ***1/2
Powerful, striking look at Queensland history from a script by Nick Cave and you can tell - lots of violence, brooding landscapes and tortured expressions... and even a Kylie Minogue surrogate (Emily Watson) - a breath of fresh air amidst the pain. Obviously made with great talent and skill and I was consistently jolted out of my chair. I couldn't say I actually liked it, but it's mightily impressive. Especially strong performances from Ray Winstone and Danny Huston.
Movie review – “Lords of Dogtown” (2005) ***1/2
Visually arresting look at the rise of skateboarding in the late 70s California. Combines elements of the sports movie with "rise and fall" sagas - early success, corruption in the Garden of Eden, redemption. Giving it extra weight is the character of the friend of theirs with brain cancer. Heath Ledger's flamboyant support performance as an early supporter of the skaters who didn't realise what he had is a forerunner in some ways to the flamboyance he would later bring to the Joker.
Book review – “Next” by Michael Crichton (2006)
We expect Crichton to tackle something “futuristic-only-really-it’s-not” and his topic matter here is genetics, which is fascinating and makes for some thought-provoking reading, esp the stuff on gene patents. Crichton's got his activist hat on again and includes a final chapter where he makes five recommendations about how genetics should be handled - they all sound reasonable to me, though I fully admit I don't know much about this area.
Crichton still takes out some time to make side swipes at some of his more usual targets - academia, the media, the way teenage women dress, environmental movement - but to compensate he does offer a fresh structure. The last few Crichton novels would establish some bland hero and basically follow him or her on their journey; here is has a wider canvas and introduces a whole bunch of characters and you're not sure who is going to be the hero (though when you see one is a single mother you get the feeling she'll get a lot of the action towards the end... and you'll be right.)
The tone feels a bit lighter here - there is peril, but it doesn't seem as deadly, and there is a bit more humour than usual. The stuff about the talking parrot and chimpanzee boy didn't quite 100% work. I'm not saying it's not true or won't happen soon, it just felt a little bit silly. On the other hand the stuff about bounty hunters trying to extract genes felt all too believable and was terrifying and exciting.
Crichton still takes out some time to make side swipes at some of his more usual targets - academia, the media, the way teenage women dress, environmental movement - but to compensate he does offer a fresh structure. The last few Crichton novels would establish some bland hero and basically follow him or her on their journey; here is has a wider canvas and introduces a whole bunch of characters and you're not sure who is going to be the hero (though when you see one is a single mother you get the feeling she'll get a lot of the action towards the end... and you'll be right.)
The tone feels a bit lighter here - there is peril, but it doesn't seem as deadly, and there is a bit more humour than usual. The stuff about the talking parrot and chimpanzee boy didn't quite 100% work. I'm not saying it's not true or won't happen soon, it just felt a little bit silly. On the other hand the stuff about bounty hunters trying to extract genes felt all too believable and was terrifying and exciting.
TV review – “The Abbott and Costello Show” (1952) ***1/2
There’s little doubt that the quality of Abbott and Costello’s movies slid during the 50s, so it came as a wonderful surprise to come across this sitcom they made in the 50s. For some reason I thought this was a dud – I read somewhere that they just rehashed old routines, and they faded compared to Martin and Lewis.
Well, there’s no doubt that the duo look old, but performing in a sitcom, where they only have to come up with only 20-odd minutes of material, seems to have rejuvenised them. They’re not hampered by the weak plots which dogged their films – a short running time enables them to keep things simple, concentrate on just being funny, emphasise verbal comedy as opposed to elaborate slapstick. They do rehash their routines but it’s still funny and it helps to have a regular support cast, to give it more of a family feel.
Jerry Seinfeld talked about the influence of Abbott and Costello on his sitcom; I always assumed he was talking about their movies, but from watching this it’s more likely it was the sitcom. The Abbott and Costello show feels like Seinfeld a lot – not the observational stuff, but the adventures to two misfits running around New York City having random adventures; like Seinfeld too there are surreal episodes, the lead uses his real name, and there is no hugging and no learning. Great fun.
Some specific notes:
Ep 3 – “Jail” Hilarious episode with all sorts of stuff happening but basically Costello winds up in gaol. The support cast really go gang-busters in this one. There’s yet another version of “Slowly I Turned”
Well, there’s no doubt that the duo look old, but performing in a sitcom, where they only have to come up with only 20-odd minutes of material, seems to have rejuvenised them. They’re not hampered by the weak plots which dogged their films – a short running time enables them to keep things simple, concentrate on just being funny, emphasise verbal comedy as opposed to elaborate slapstick. They do rehash their routines but it’s still funny and it helps to have a regular support cast, to give it more of a family feel.
Jerry Seinfeld talked about the influence of Abbott and Costello on his sitcom; I always assumed he was talking about their movies, but from watching this it’s more likely it was the sitcom. The Abbott and Costello show feels like Seinfeld a lot – not the observational stuff, but the adventures to two misfits running around New York City having random adventures; like Seinfeld too there are surreal episodes, the lead uses his real name, and there is no hugging and no learning. Great fun.
Some specific notes:
Ep 3 – “Jail” Hilarious episode with all sorts of stuff happening but basically Costello winds up in gaol. The support cast really go gang-busters in this one. There’s yet another version of “Slowly I Turned”
Vale Michael Pate
A real jolt to read today that Michael Pate had died. He was getting on in years but he always seemed so indestructible. And no kidding I had “call Michael Pate” on my “to do” list – I wanted to chat to him about an article I’m researching on Alec Coppel. Pate worked with Coppel – one of the many, many people Pate worked with. He had an amazingly long and varied career – not just an actor but also director, producer, writer, soldier. Enjoyed a prosperous career in Hollywood as a character actor, came home in the late 60s and continued to work solidly.
His looks typed him as a villain in Hollywood – I particularly remember his Indian in Hondo and his bitter white settler in Something of Value. Marvellous speaking voice, great presence.
A film writer once told me Pate “could talk the arm off a chair” – and he was dead right: I interviewed Pate about Rod Taylor a number of years ago and he certainly liked to tell his stories. But they were funny stories. He was still trying to get up projects too. Actors never retire!
His looks typed him as a villain in Hollywood – I particularly remember his Indian in Hondo and his bitter white settler in Something of Value. Marvellous speaking voice, great presence.
A film writer once told me Pate “could talk the arm off a chair” – and he was dead right: I interviewed Pate about Rod Taylor a number of years ago and he certainly liked to tell his stories. But they were funny stories. He was still trying to get up projects too. Actors never retire!
Movie review – Tarzan #22 - “Tarzan the Magnificent” (1960) ***1/2
Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure was such a terrific film producer Sy Weintraub promptly rehashed many of the same elements in this follow up: the opening sequence has a bunch of villains rob a township, Tarzan uses his bow and arrow and can still talk, the basic plot is a “chase” (only this time its Tarzan being pursued), a finale fight on top of a waterfall.
It starts with a robbery. A British colonial officer figures out whodunit, tracks them down and captures one (Jock Mahoney) – his family kill the colonial officer (who is depicted as a tough but smart type who could be a hero of his own movie… the first time that happened in a Tarzan) but then Tarzan captures Mahoney.
The story then turns into High Noon with Tarzan trying to get white colonials to watch Mahoney until the cops come and pick him up but they won’t do it out of fear of offending Mahoney’s nasty family.
For good reason too: the family (led by John Carradine) hold up a stage coach, oops I mean river boat, and kidnap the passengers – who include our own Charles Tingwell (just before he got chubby so still looking spunky). But then let them go and… anyway it gets complicated for a bit but then gets simple: Tarzan has to escort Mahoney to civilisation for arrest and trial across country with a bunch of civilians, followed by Mahoney’s family.
I never realised Tarzan had such devotion to law and order – old school Tarzan surely would have just killed Mahoney then knocked off his family one by one (like he did in Tarzan's Greatest Adventure). Actually, just thinking about it, a lot more could have been made of this – Tarzan having a dilemma whether to knock off Mahoney or see him trailed. It would have been a great Tarzan vs. Jane conflict – only there’s no Jane in this film (he doesn’t even get a love interest).
Marvellous location work and authentic Africans. Mahoney makes a superb villain, right up there with Anthony Quayle. I also enjoyed John Carradine as the paterfamilias – though I started thinking “how great would it have been if he’d three sons been played by David, Keith and Robert?” and once I started I couldn’t stop. Lionel Jeffries is also strong as a surprisingly sympathetic coward. Tingwell is fine; his role isn’t that much, he just is sort of sympathetic.
Occasionally the location stuff doesn’t quite cut together with studio, it has a nasty edge (the baddies shoot a doctor for no reason) and sometimes the squabbling amongst the travellers gets a bit tiresome, but it’s very entertaining and has some excellent, full-on action sequences: someone gets eaten by a lion, another person has their face blown off with a gun, the final fight between Scott and Mahoney is enthralling.
It starts with a robbery. A British colonial officer figures out whodunit, tracks them down and captures one (Jock Mahoney) – his family kill the colonial officer (who is depicted as a tough but smart type who could be a hero of his own movie… the first time that happened in a Tarzan) but then Tarzan captures Mahoney.
The story then turns into High Noon with Tarzan trying to get white colonials to watch Mahoney until the cops come and pick him up but they won’t do it out of fear of offending Mahoney’s nasty family.
For good reason too: the family (led by John Carradine) hold up a stage coach, oops I mean river boat, and kidnap the passengers – who include our own Charles Tingwell (just before he got chubby so still looking spunky). But then let them go and… anyway it gets complicated for a bit but then gets simple: Tarzan has to escort Mahoney to civilisation for arrest and trial across country with a bunch of civilians, followed by Mahoney’s family.
I never realised Tarzan had such devotion to law and order – old school Tarzan surely would have just killed Mahoney then knocked off his family one by one (like he did in Tarzan's Greatest Adventure). Actually, just thinking about it, a lot more could have been made of this – Tarzan having a dilemma whether to knock off Mahoney or see him trailed. It would have been a great Tarzan vs. Jane conflict – only there’s no Jane in this film (he doesn’t even get a love interest).
Marvellous location work and authentic Africans. Mahoney makes a superb villain, right up there with Anthony Quayle. I also enjoyed John Carradine as the paterfamilias – though I started thinking “how great would it have been if he’d three sons been played by David, Keith and Robert?” and once I started I couldn’t stop. Lionel Jeffries is also strong as a surprisingly sympathetic coward. Tingwell is fine; his role isn’t that much, he just is sort of sympathetic.
Occasionally the location stuff doesn’t quite cut together with studio, it has a nasty edge (the baddies shoot a doctor for no reason) and sometimes the squabbling amongst the travellers gets a bit tiresome, but it’s very entertaining and has some excellent, full-on action sequences: someone gets eaten by a lion, another person has their face blown off with a gun, the final fight between Scott and Mahoney is enthralling.
Movie review – Tarzan #21 – “Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure” (1959) ****
Talk about a transformation – under the stewardship of producer Sol Lesser the Tarzan films had become increasingly poor, boring and badly made. He sold the rights to a new producer, who actually put some effort into the thing, and the result is one of the best Tarzans ever. Great colour photography, top notch location work, strong story, excellent support cast, and a really good director – John Guillermin.
It’s still got Gordon Scott, star of four unremarkable Tarzan movies, but he’s allowed to speak in full sentences has a more sensible haircut, and uses his brains more instead of just going the biff and calling in an elephant stampede when things get too hard. We see him tracking the baddies, using a bow and arrow – it’s a tougher, more ruthless Tarzan. He’s motivated by anger but he’s steady and precise in his response (the whole film is really Tarzan on a hunt).
He’s given a proper female co-star too – not a Jane, but a feisty, flirty female pilot. She’s a bit of a dill (she crashes her plane and is a bit shallow and complains), but at least she’s sexually aggressive and allowed to get involved; she even saves Tarzan’s life towards the end. And they have sex (well, they kiss and fade out and in Tarzan land that’s always meant sex). Indeed, it’s actually a touching relationship – they come to admire each other but he’s a guy from the jungle and she’s a socialite and that’s the way it is.
She’s not the only tail on display – Anthony Quayle’s got this sexy European moll who at one point literally lures Quayle into the bushes, making this the most female-oriented Tarzan movies in ages.
There is a great “rogue’s gallery” of villains – admittedly, sometimes their squabbling amongst themselves seems contrived at times, but they are played by excellent actors. Sean Connery is very appealing and charismatic (as an Irishman with a Scots accent) – you know, he would have made a great Tarzan. (He and the others are blacked up for the opening sequence.)
But it’s Quayle who steals the show. He is superb as the scarred baddie with a history with Tarzan; he is intelligent, resourceful, ferocious and virile – the best Tarzan villain to date (and their fight on top of a cliff at the end is breathtaking).
The film was partly shot in Kenya, perhaps explaining why there’s a scene at the beginning where a British colonial officer brings Tarzan up to speed about what’s going on. Plenty of hard violent action – falling in a pit of sticks, crashing on rocks. Extremely well-made and enjoyable movie.
It’s still got Gordon Scott, star of four unremarkable Tarzan movies, but he’s allowed to speak in full sentences has a more sensible haircut, and uses his brains more instead of just going the biff and calling in an elephant stampede when things get too hard. We see him tracking the baddies, using a bow and arrow – it’s a tougher, more ruthless Tarzan. He’s motivated by anger but he’s steady and precise in his response (the whole film is really Tarzan on a hunt).
He’s given a proper female co-star too – not a Jane, but a feisty, flirty female pilot. She’s a bit of a dill (she crashes her plane and is a bit shallow and complains), but at least she’s sexually aggressive and allowed to get involved; she even saves Tarzan’s life towards the end. And they have sex (well, they kiss and fade out and in Tarzan land that’s always meant sex). Indeed, it’s actually a touching relationship – they come to admire each other but he’s a guy from the jungle and she’s a socialite and that’s the way it is.
She’s not the only tail on display – Anthony Quayle’s got this sexy European moll who at one point literally lures Quayle into the bushes, making this the most female-oriented Tarzan movies in ages.
There is a great “rogue’s gallery” of villains – admittedly, sometimes their squabbling amongst themselves seems contrived at times, but they are played by excellent actors. Sean Connery is very appealing and charismatic (as an Irishman with a Scots accent) – you know, he would have made a great Tarzan. (He and the others are blacked up for the opening sequence.)
But it’s Quayle who steals the show. He is superb as the scarred baddie with a history with Tarzan; he is intelligent, resourceful, ferocious and virile – the best Tarzan villain to date (and their fight on top of a cliff at the end is breathtaking).
The film was partly shot in Kenya, perhaps explaining why there’s a scene at the beginning where a British colonial officer brings Tarzan up to speed about what’s going on. Plenty of hard violent action – falling in a pit of sticks, crashing on rocks. Extremely well-made and enjoyable movie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)