Thursday 31 October 2019
Bullet (2014)
A tough cop takes the law into his own hands when his grandson is kidnapped.
OK actioner is tough, but utterly predictable and has a plot littered with hole; and Danny Trejo does his usual thing.
Hardcore (1979)
A conservative Midwest businessman ventures into the sordid underworld of pornography in California to look for his runaway teenage daughter who is making porno films in California's porno pits.
From memory: Intense and at times depressing drama about bigotry confronted with the harsh realms of reality is fascinating; the "happy" ending is deliberately ambiguous.
Halliwell***: "Intense and solemn treatment of a situation that could have gone over the top, and very nearly does; the acting saves it."
Maltin**1/2: "...at times fascinating, sad, and repellent. Marred by unbelievable conclusion."
Wednesday 30 October 2019
Die Hamburger Krankheit (1979)
West Germany is haunted by a mysterious, deadly plague. In Hamburg, a group of people head for an odyssey through the country to search for survivors and a rescue.
From memory: Surreal, eccentric doomsday drama is a bit wobbly staged, but consistently fascinating.
Tuesday 29 October 2019
Hair (1979)
In New York City for the first time while on his way to enlist in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, an Oklahoma farm hand meets up with a freewheeling group of Central Park hippies.
From memory: First-rate adaptation of the successful 1968 musical is quite entertaining, but was produced way beyond its expiring date.
Halliwell*: "Slick, vigorous but eventually unsatisfying version of a quickly dated musical frolic with some obvious points to make."
Maltin**1/2: "...hit musical play celebrated the '60s as the Age of Aquarius; unfortunately, it's now a period piece and its impact considerably muffled...has exciting musical moments, but doesn't hang together."
Monday 28 October 2019
Fear in the Night (1947)
A man dreams he committed murder, then begins to suspect it was real.
Good Cornell Woolrich adaptation with a capable cast captures the author's nightmarish noir atmosphere quite well.
Halliwell**: "Intriguing small-scale puzzler later remade to less effect as Nightmare. Adequate performances and handling, but the plot's the thing."
Maltin***: "Nifty chiller..."
Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)
A faded television actor and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the film industry during the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.
This Tarantino movie shows all the panache, high production quality, good set pieces, cinematic allusions and top performances and cameos, for which the director is generally celebrated, - so there's lots to be found here to please the senses - but it's essentially without a plot and therefore outstays its welcome; it's very superficial and mainly a buddy movie with outstanding DiCaprio and Pitt chemistry combined with a heavy streak of nostalgia for a bygone Hollywood era - and the Manson family (plus Sharon Tate) angle is cynically pitched in as a stilted plot device.
Tiger House (2015)
A young woman sneaks into her boyfriend's house to share some bad news, but their conversation is cut short when a gang of armed thieves break in and take the family hostage.
OK thriller staged mainly with the confines of one house - and Kaya Scodelario wins as the sole hero of the show.
The Brink's Job (1978)
Crime story based on the real armed robbery of the Brink's Building in Boston, Massachusetts, on January 17th, 1950.
From memory: Professionally made, star-cast heist movie is offered with humor, but not much excitement.
Halliwell (no star): "Farcical variation of a much-told true tale. Despite much mugging by the stars and a frantic narrative style, it does not come off."
Maltin***: "Entertaining, comically oriented account...Excellent period and location flavor."
Sunday 27 October 2019
The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)
A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case.
Slyly convoluted crime drama is lively and efficient; more sophisticated than the usual fare.
Halliwell (no star): "Efficient crime drama."
Maltin**1/2: "Generally absorbing murder yarn."
Lady Bird (2017)
In 2002, an artistically inclined seventeen-year-old girl comes of age in Sacramento, California.
Excellently executed movie about a mother-daughter drama made with cinematic sense and in good taste; Ronan and Metcalf are extraordinary.
Foul Play (1978)
A shy San Francisco librarian and a bumbling cop fall in love as they solve a crime involving albinos, dwarves, and the Catholic Church.
From memory: Likable, but messy Hitchcock spoof with lots of hit or miss humor, mainly watchable for its star cast.
Halliwell*: "Sometimes sprightly, sometimes tired rehash of Hitchcock elements, rather on the level of the similar Silver Streak."
Maltin**!/2: "Likable stars, good fun, but protracted story, tasteless comedy, and Hitchcock plagiarism detract."
Saturday 26 October 2019
Blonde Ice (1948)
A society reporter kills men for fame and money, then tries to frame a sportswriter.
Watchable crime drama with a touch of film noir and a good female lead; however, her motivations remain vague, and the psychoanalytical mumbo-jumbo at the ending explaining it all is annoying.
Maltin**1/2: "Enjoyable noir-ish programmer; Brooks delivers as an icy femme fatale."
Goin' South (1978)
Due to the lack of men after the Civil War, a small western town allows a bachelorette with ulterior motives to save a horse thief from the gallows by marrying him.
From memory: Imagine Jack Nicholson indulging himself in directing a humorous Western with himself in the lead role and you pretty well know what you're getting; entertaining, but very messy and overlong.
Halliwell (no star): "Curious semi-comic Western which might have made a good two-reeler."
Maltin***: "Amusing Western comedy, not for all tastes...Steenburgen is refreshingly offbeat and Belushi's disappointingly small role is a real hoot."
Friday 25 October 2019
Still Alice (2014)
A linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.
Good, but not very thorough look at the descent into Alzheimer's and its impact; great vehicle to showcase Julianne Moore's talent, together with a capable supporting cast.
Shed No Tears (1948)
A wife convinces her husband to fake his death so they can collect on the life insurance.
Above-average noir drama with an especially ruthless femme fatale; lively and entertaining for what its is.
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
Three daring men make a possible successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.
From memory: Upright, concise and dark reconstruction of a still mysterious escape also gives a realistic portrayal of prison life on the island.
Halliwell*: "A dour, terse, depressing prison movie which makes an uncomfortable star vehicle and not very much of an entertainment, but does preserve a certain integrity right to its ambiguous ending."
Maltin***: "Straightforward, methodical telling of true story...Vivid and credible throughout."
Thursday 24 October 2019
Auf Einmal (2016)
Karsten apparently has it settled. However, in a provincial German town, a moment of weakness turns to disaster, disappointment soon fuels anger, justice hides behind hypocrisy, and evil gradually unfolds.
Intriguing, Chabrol-like plot is carefully told with good cast and stylish photographed, the ending, however, is slightly dissatisfying.
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