Wednesday 31 March 2021
Mank (2020)
1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish "Citizen Kane."
David Fincher has meticulously assembles a detailed, multilayered, maybe a bit overladen account of
Mankiewicz' contribution to Citizen Kane, beautifully photographed in black-and-white, full of witty dialogue, enhanced by great performances, but probably can only only appreciated with some knowledge of Hollywood history - repeated viewing.
The House on Sorority Row (1983)
After a seemingly innocent prank goes horribly wrong, a group of sorority sisters are stalked and murdered one by one in their sorority house while throwing a party to celebrate their graduation.
Sonny Boy (2011)
A true story about interracial love during the WW2.
Heartfelt romantic drama does give a good impression of the period and its hardships under Nazi impression and makes it point, although the narrative makes some large jumps in the time depicted.
Tuesday 30 March 2021
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (2017)
An estranged family gathers together in New York City for an event celebrating the artistic work of their father.
Excellent observant drama of a more privileged family of eccentric characters is both witty and sad - and entertaining, due to a smart script and a magnificent cast.
Monday 29 March 2021
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.
Congenial adaptation of the Cormac McCarthy novel finds the Coen Bros. at the top of their art spinning a dark, sinister and thrilling tale full of excellent scenes, great photography and top performances all around.
Maltin***1/2: "Crackling tale...Creating tension from the first moments onward (and without the use of music), the Coens' adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's novel is a brooding tale of fate set against a stark backdrop...but not without irony and humor. Set on fire by Bardem's Academy Award-winning performance; brilliantly photographed by Roger Deakins."
New Wave Hookers (1985)
Two guys fall asleep in front of a porn video, and dream of becoming owners of a luxury bordello.
A Fig Leaf for Eve (1944)
An "exotic dancer" is thrown in jail for "lewd activity." She later discovers the raid was set up by her boss to get publicity.
Fair to middling drama with quite a far-fetched plot is only mildly entertaining.
Sunday 28 March 2021
Without Honor (1949)
Jane Bandle has recently married, but Bill, her husband's brother, tries to wreck her marriage because Jane rejected his sexual advances before her marriage.
Well-cast and suspenseful film is staged as a one-room drama, so it relies very much on dialogue rather than action.
Maltin**: "Good cast talk endlessly..."
Fando y Lis (1968)
Fando and his partially paralyzed lover Lis search for the mythical city of Tar.
Madcap surrealist road trip in a post-apocalyptic world is full of imaginative sequences and absurd and shocking moments, but altogether doesn't seem to make much sense as a cautionary tale (which obviously was the intention).
The Missing, Season 1 (2014)
When five-year-old Oliver vanishes, it sets off a manhunt that will last for years to come.
Compelling and haunting drama series with excellent performances manages to present a complex plot with many sub-plots as an intense personal drama and as a suspenseful thriller.
Saturday 27 March 2021
The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016)
On the morning of June 13, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman are found stabbed to death outside Brown's Brentwood, Los Angeles condominium. Brown's ex-husband, NFL player, broadcaster, and actor O. J. Simpson, becomes a person of interest in their murders.
Good, informative and at times even slightly humorous Account of the O.J. Simpson case is thoroughly watchable, but the quality of the performances are variable from excellent (Paulson, Brown) to campy (Travolta, Gooding Jr.).
Friday 26 March 2021
Wadjda (2012)
An enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school's Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest.
A simple story, beautifully told with realism and good eye for details, gives light to the everyday inequalities of life in Saudi Arabia and manages to do so without harshness, but with an uplifting spirit.
Maltin***: "Engaging story, told with directness and humor, which quietly conveys many truths about societal norms in the Arab world. Young Mohammed, making her screen debut, is a charming and completely believable heroine."
Thursday 25 March 2021
Curse of the Swamp Creature (1968)
Deep in the rural swamps of Texas the mad Dr. Simond Trent is conducting experiments on the local swamp people in an attempt to discover the secret of evolution.
To call this mad scientist hokum low-budget would be an understatement; bad in every department.
Maltin BOMB: "Low-budget junk."
Fog Island (1945)
An inventor recently released from prison invites a group of former business associates to a holiday in his island home, intending to exact revenge on them.
Average, low-budget crime drama with some Gothic atmosphere.
Halliwell (no star): "Very tolerable minor mystery lifted without permission from Agatha Christie's And The There Were None."
Maltin*1/2: "Grade B chiller...Zucco and Atwill are potentially terrific team."
Wednesday 24 March 2021
The Big Lebowski (1998)
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire of the same name, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it.
Easy-going (like its titular character), serendipitous drama, full of black humor and numerous memorable sequences and with a colorful ensemble of eccentric characters is thoroughly entertaining; an instant cult classic.
Halliwell**: "A meandering thriller that provides a great deal of incidental pleasures on a journey to nowhere in particular."
Maltin**1/2: "One big shaggy-dog joke, courtesy of the Coen brothers...Mostly an excuse for off-the-wall character vignettes, some of which are amusing, some of which are just...strange. Minor Coen concoction with a most agreeable cast. Turturro is a standout as Jesus the bowler, but Bridges' Dave the Dude has become a pop culture icon."
Between Earth and Sky (2018)
A father and daughter are on their way to dance camp when they spot the girl's best friend on the side of the road. When they stop to offer the friend a ride, their good intentions soon result in terrible consequences.
Highly construed drama has its moments of suspense and mystery, but doesn't quite compel, which may also be due to the cast of thoroughly disagreeable characters.
The Snow Creature (1954)
American botanical expedition in the Himalayas stumbles across a Yeti den, capture one and transport it back to Los Angeles, where it escapes while customs officials are debating whether it is animal or human.
Risible and unexciting creature feature was very obviously made on a
shoestring budget; the creature's costume is particularly pitiable.
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