Archive for Reviews
50 Greatest Movies – The Blues Brothers (1980)
“Jake, you get wise! You get to church!”
Number of Saturday Night Live skits made into movies: 11. Number of tolerable movies made from Saturday Night Live skits: 1. And that one is genius. The reason most SNL movies fail is that skits are basically one joke, which can be pretty funny seen once every couple of weeks. One joke stretched over two hours gets old. Much as I love “Samurai Delicatessen,” I wouldn’t watch it for two hours. But The Blues Brothers were about music. And not just any music, but 1950s and 60s Blues and Rhythm & Blues. Good music. Fun music. And since it wasn’t a one-joke routine, they could build a story.
Directed by John Landis, (one of my favorite directors) The Blues Brothers is an outlandish classic. The brothers, Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) Blues bicker with each other, but are pretty unflappable otherwise. They visit the Penguin (Kathleen Freeman), a nun who raised them in an orphanage. She tells them the orphanage needs five thousand dollars to pay the taxes or it will close. It must be honest money. This discourages Jake from wanting to help. Curtis (Cab Calloway) the janitor tells them to go see Rev. Cleophus James (James Brown). Jake wants nothing to do with church, but he goes.
During the service, while James Brown is singing, the Reverend James Cleveland Choir is singing, and the whole church is dancing, Jake gets an epiphany (who wouldn’t be inspired by all that?). Put the Blues Brothers Band back together to raise five thousand dollars. Yes indeed, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Speaking to ol’ heathen Jake to raise money for His charity. Later Jake says “Me and the Lord, we got an understanding.” As a side note, I’ve been to a Holiness Church service, and this scene isn’t too far off from the truth. Except for the spinning in the air part.
However, Disaster seems to follow the brothers everywhere. They end up driving through and destroying a mall, during which they do plenty of product or brand placement. “Hanson Burgers.” “Disco dance haircuts.” “Pier 1 Imports.” Buildings get blown up, Nazi are run off bridges, phone booths explode, Daley Plaza is destroyed, gas stations ignite, etc. And, what the movie was notorious for, the most cars destroyed in one movie, mostly police cars. Hardly seems like “a Mission from God.”
The cast is fabulous, the Laugh-In poet Henry Gibson as the head Nazi, Stephen Spielberg as the clerk, Carrie Fisher as the mystery woman, Steven Williams as Trooper Mount, Charles Napier as Tucker McElroy (leader of The Good Ol’ Boys), John Candy as Burton Mercer, and the rest.
One thing I’ve noticed as I’m writing these reviews is I almost always talk about the dialog. While The Blues Brothers has some classic lines, I was surprised during my re-watching at how few there were. The situations are what’s laugh-out-loud hilarious, not the dialog.
But, what really makes this movie a standout is the music. James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, and of course, “the band.” The band includes Steve Cropper and Donald Dunn, two members of Booker T. & the MGs (Green Onions), the house band of Stax/Volt
records in Memphis. They played on hundreds of classics, almost every hit by Sam and Dave (Soul Man), Wilson Pickett (Land of 1,000 Dances), Otis Redding (Sitting on the Dock of the Bay), among many, many others. R&B and Blues had fallen out of favor, even with an upswing in the popularity of Oldies during the late 1970s. Oldies at that time was pre-Beatles rock and roll. All of the artists appearing in this movie had a comeback afterwords. Aretha Franklin even made it back onto the Top 40 charts. And they well deserved it. Like the music and artists, this is one movie that never gets old.
records in Memphis. They played on hundreds of classics, almost every hit by Sam and Dave (Soul Man), Wilson Pickett (Land of 1,000 Dances), Otis Redding (Sitting on the Dock of the Bay), among many, many others. R&B and Blues had fallen out of favor, even with an upswing in the popularity of Oldies during the late 1970s. Oldies at that time was pre-Beatles rock and roll. All of the artists appearing in this movie had a comeback afterwords. Aretha Franklin even made it back onto the Top 40 charts. And they well deserved it. Like the music and artists, this is one movie that never gets old.
The Blues Brothers, directed by John Landis, starring John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd. Written by Dan Aykroyd and John Landis. 1980. 133 minutes, extended version 148 minutes. Rated R.
50 Greatest Movies – The Maltese Falcon
“By gad sir, you are a character. There’s never any telling what you’ll say or do next, except that it’s bound to be something astonishing.”
Sam Spade is one cold son of a gun. And one smart son of a gun. And, as played by Humphrey Bogart, one explosively unpredictable son of a gun. “You’re absolutely the wildest most unpredictable man I know. “
Sam Spade is sitting in his office when in comes the secretary (Lee Patrick). Bogart is rolling a cigarette, his first words, “Yes Sweetheart?” This is a fantastic beginning, but it only gets better. Seems there is a woman who needs help, “You’ll want to see her, she’s a knockout.” The knockout’s name is Ruth Wonderly. She wants a man named Floyd Thursby followed. Spade’s partner agrees to follow the man and is killed. When Sam tries to call he finds Wonderly has checked out of her hotel.
Later that night, Thursby is killed. Wonderly calls Sam and tries to get him stuck in her web. She’s in a different hotel under the name LaBlanc. Finally she confesses it’s really Briged O’Shaughnessy. She thought she’d be pulling the strings but he turns it around on her.
This is very complex plot so I’ll give some cryptic sentences with name-dropping. Joel Cario (Peter Lorre) comes to Spade’s office asking about a “black figure of a bird” and intimates that Thursby had something to do with the bird. Wilmer Cook (Elisha Cook, Jr.) begins to follow Spade and Cario. Kaspar Gutman (aka The Fat Man) (Sydney Greenstreet) is willing to do anything to get his hands on the bird. Anything. Gutman explains the bird is the The Maltese Falcon
, encrusted with jewels but covered in black enamel. Brigid will also do anything to get her hands on the Falcon.
, encrusted with jewels but covered in black enamel. Brigid will also do anything to get her hands on the Falcon.
Ward Bond and Barton MacLane play the cops. They do the same with the roles reversed in Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1950) which by the way is Ward Bond’s best acting. And that’s saying something as Ward Bond was in almost every movie made between 1930 and 1950.
Many consider The Maltese Falconthe first film noir. What really sets this movie apart from and above so many other films is the dialog and the story. And Bogart. And Greenstreet and Lorre.
the first film noir. What really sets this movie apart from and above so many other films is the dialog and the story. And Bogart. And Greenstreet and Lorre.
The dialog in The Maltese Falcon is sharp and even stunning at times. The only current screenwriters I can think of that come close are David Mamet and Coen Brothers . “When you’re slapped you’ll take it and like it.” “I don’t mind a reasonable amount of trouble.” “We didn’t exactly believe your story, Miss O’Shaughnessy. We believed your 200 dollars. I mean, you paid us more than if you had been telling us the truth, and enough more to make it all right.” “’You’re a close-mouthed man?’ ‘No, I like to talk.’…’I’m a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk’”
The story builds and interweaves beautifully. Be aware however, that The Maltese Falcon is a bit talky. It is not an action flick, and there is quite a bit of exposition, mostly lifted directly from Dashiell Hammett’s book by director and screenwriter John Huston.
I love Bogart.
The Maltese Falcon, directed by John Huston, written by Dashiell Hammett (book) and John Huston (screenplay). Starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Ward Bond, Elisha Cook, Jr. 1941, 100 minutes.
Some photos are from The Annex because I have a VHS tape. I don’t bother to upgrade just because the format has changed.
Don’t forget to donate to film preservation! This year it’s for film noir.
50 Greatest Movies – My Favorite Brunette (1947)
“You see, I wanted to be a detective too. It only took brains, courage, and a gun… and I had the gun. ”
Spoofs are nothing new. Only they used to be clever. This Bob Hope vehicle is a spoof of film noir, or private eye films, compete with pulp slang, voiceover, a femme fatale, rain, an innocent man on the run from both the good and bad guys, a flashback, and a real mystery. Bob Hope as Ronnie Jackson gets beat up, has knives thrown at him, is shot at, and is framed for murder. All because of a dame.
Now My Favorite Brunette might come as a surprise for a top movies list, as very few people even list it as the top Bob Hope movie, much less as a top film of all time. However, this is a very complete film with a solid story and is very funny. But what makes My Favorite Brunette stand above so many other films is that the story would work even if it was played straight. Of course if it was played straight, it probably wouldn’t make my list.
The movie opens with Jackson on death row explaining to some reporters that he had a sweet racket. “Legit?” they ask. “Even better, it was profitable.” He was a baby photographer whose office was next door to a private detective. He wanted to be a private eye. The detective heads out of town for a few days and asks Jackson to keep an eye on the place. While he’s hanging around in the office, a beautiful dame (Dorothy Lamour) bursts in and begs him to help her without giving him a chance to tell her that he’s not a private eye. Then he is swooning and decides not to tell her. This gets him in WAY over his head.
He agrees to meet Carlotta Montay at a remote mansion. Peter Lorre is the butler who lifts Jackson’s “gat,” shoulder holster and all, without Jackson even realizing it. Carlotta tells Jackson that her uncle (whom she had earlier said was her husband) is missing.
The owner of the house gets Jackson away from her and tells Jackson that she is crazy and introduces him to Baron Montay who is in a wheelchair. Due to the uncle/husband thing, Jackson is inclined to believe she’s wacko. But on his way out he realizes his gun is gone and for some reason decides to climb a tree to get back in the house and get it from Miss Montay, who he assumes lifted it. He sees the Baron up and walking and so know he knows she’s not cracked. Along the way we also meet Lon Chaney Jr. and have quite a few laughs.
Hope’s very funny and uses double entendres without being gross or offensive. Something about Bob Hope’s delivery slays me. His witty responses to questions, his under his breath mutterings, make him one of my favorite comedians. Highly recommended for fans of humor and film noir.
My Favorite Brunette, directed by Elliot Nugent, written by Edmund Beloin and Jack Rose. Starring Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Peter Lorre, Lon Chaney Jr. 1947. 87 minutes.
50 Greatest Movies – Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
“Mr. President, I’m not saying we wouldn’t get our hair mussed. But I do say no more than ten to twenty million killed, tops. Depending on the breaks.” George C. Scott as General Turgidson
Black Comedy: n. Comedy that uses black humor. [how appropriately absurd -RH]
Black Humor: n. The juxtaposition, as in writing or drama, of morbid or absurd elements with comical or farcical ones.
The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition.
Black Humor: n. The juxtaposition, as in writing or drama, of morbid or absurd elements with comical or farcical ones.
The American Heritage Dictionary, Third Edition.
Dr. Strangelove is one of the most hilarious, most outlandish, most frightening movies ever made. Almost every line is quotable. And it is perfectly cast: Slim Pickens as Major Kong, Keenan Wynn as Colonel ‘Bat’ Guano, George C. Scott as General Buck Turgidson, Sterling Hayden as General Jack D. Ripper, and of course Peter Sellers as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake, Peter Sellers as President Merkin Muffley, and Peter Sellers as Dr. Strangelove. Oddly enough, given the title of the film, it’s the character of Dr. Strangelove that almost sends the movie out too far into unreality. For a satire to work well, it must be firmly grounded in reality. Dr. Strangelove is not really believable as real person, though he is hilarious. Director Stanley Kubrick should have reigned him in a little.
The full title, Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, can be interpreted different ways. Some think of it as an ironic statement. Others, as I like to read it, understand that it would take such a ridiculous set of circumstances to bring about a nuclear holocaust that it will never happen. Of course that was only true when nuclear weapons were limited to a few countries that cared about their way of life.
The brilliant Coen Brothers pay tribute to Dr. Strangelove in Raising Arizona when we see P.O.E. and O.P.E. spraypainted on a bathroom door.
Sterling Hayden, who hadn’t been in a movie in six years, was convinced by Kubrick to come out of retirement for this picture. He’d been in Kubrick’s The Killing in 1956. As General Jack D. Ripper, puffing out his cheeks as he talks to emphasize words such as “precious,” smoking his cigar, he is supposed to be the most insane person in the film, but he plays it the straightest. Ripper has many of the best lines talking of “our precious essence” and “precious bodily fluids.” “Mandrake, have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?”
Slim Pickens wasn’t supposed to play Major Kong. Peter Sellers was supposed to, but he broke his leg falling 15 feet from the bomb to the floor. It would have been interesting, but even someone as fabulous as Sellers wouldn’t have been as memorable. Slim Pickens owns the role. Most memorable to me is when the crew of the B-52 bomber are given the “go” code, pilot Major Kong pulls his cowboy hat out of the on-board safe and puts his flight helmet away.
George C. Scott is flat out fabulous as a possible co-conspirator with General Ripper. If not a co-conspirator, then at a least like-minded war-monger. His expressions, his mannerisms, his vocal inflections, all are perfect. He’s got a notebook labeled “World targets in Megadeths.”
What a freakin’ awesome movie! I had a very difficult time trying to narrow down my selection to just 50 greatest movies, but there was never a second’s doubt that Dr. Strangelove would be here. One of the best of all time. Check out my almost 100 screen caps below.
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Written by Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern, and Peter George based on the book Red Alert
by Peter George. Starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden. 1964. 95 minutes.
by Peter George. Starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden. 1964. 95 minutes.
You don’t own it? Buy it here. Right now!Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)
Dr. Strangelove [Blu-ray]
Stanley Kubrick Collection (2001: A Space Odyssey / Dr. Strangelove / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining / Lolita / Barry Lyndon / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut)
Dr. Strangelove [Blu-ray] Stanley Kubrick Collection (2001: A Space Odyssey / Dr. Strangelove / A Clockwork Orange / The Shining / Lolita / Barry Lyndon / Full Metal Jacket / Eyes Wide Shut)50 Greatest Movies – Citizen Kane
Yes. I said my list was going to be like no other, yet here I am starting with the movie that ranks #1 on almost every list out there. You know why I’m including it? Because Citizen Kane is a great movie. The first time I watched it I was blown away. I was not influenced by lists, critics or any of that stuff.
In 1940, in the midst of tight studio control of every picture made, Orson Welles was given a practically blank check and no studio interference for his first picture. So of course, he created a masterpiece that was a financial flop.
So why is Citizen Kane a masterpiece? The story, the acting, the dialog, the directing, the cinematography, the editing, it all comes together in a way that few movies do.
The story by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles is about a kid who inherits a gold mine. With all his money, when he grows up what he wants to do is to run a newspaper. He then uses this position to accumulate fame and power. His greatest wish is to be loved, but he doesn’t understand love. As he grows older, he grows more demanding, more arrogant, and ultimately withdraws from a painful world.
Citizen Kane introduced a handful of actors that you may be familiar with. This is the first full-length picture for Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten (Gaslight, Niagara), Agnes Morehead (Bewitched), Ruth Warrick (Payton Place), and Everett Sloane (character actor in a zillion things), all of whom are familiar faces to classic movie lovers. Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland is outstanding as the moral center of the story.
Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, Nashville) gets lots of acclaim for realistic overlapping dialog, but there is plenty on display in Kane which predates Altman’s movies by 25 years. Many memorable lines are sprinkled throughout the script:
Bernstein: Well, it’s no trick to make a lot of money… if what you want to do is make a lot of money.
Leland: Bernstein, am I a stuffed shirt? Am I a horse-faced hypocrite? Am I a New England school marm?
Bernstein: Yes. If you thought I’d answer you any differently than what Mr. Kane tells you…
Charles Foster Kane: You know, Mr. Bernstein, if I hadn’t been very rich, I might have been a really great man.
The direction can be a bit “stagey” compared to what we are used to today, but each scene develops organically. Camera placement, lighting, blocking, and the deep focus photography by cinematographer Greg Toland create a spectacular visual feast. The editing pulls together things like the camera coming thought the skylight and the “years of marriage at the breakfast table” scene beautifully.
Ultimately, every film is an ensemble piece, but Citizen Kane was obviously Orson’s baby. Like Charles Foster Kane, Welle’s ego and stubbornness eventually was his undoing. However, we are grateful that he was given a chance, for even if this was his only cinematic creation, he would still rank among the greats.
Citizen Kane, 1941, directed by Orson Welles, written by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles, produced by Orson Welles, starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, and Everett Sloane. 119 minutes.
Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition)
The Greatest Halloween Movie Ever – The Ghost and Mr. Chicken
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is hands-down the best Halloween movie ever. The music alone is worth the price of admission. It’s got that groovy 60s organ music by Vic Mizzy. Don Knotts, in his first film, plays Luther Heggs, a very nervous employee of the newspaper in Rachel, Kansas. He is awfully fond of Alma Parker (Joan Staley). The Ghost and Mr. Chicken is peopled with a who’s who of character actors, including Dick Sargent and Charles Lane. It’s a great family Halloween movie, with the caution of some scares for the youngest ones.
As the movie opens he is driving his 1958 Edsel when someone screams. Luther jumps out of the car and sees a man lying by the side of the road with a 2×4 beside him. He grabs his camera and press card, takes photos, then goes to the police station jumping with excitement. They tell him to calm down. Luther exclaims, “Calm down? Do ‘calm’ and ‘murder’ go together? ‘CALM’ and ‘MURDER’?”
Turns out the body walks into the police station. He was a man who likes to drink and was wacked over the head by his wife. Luther is disgraced and ridiculed. When we see him at his job at the newspaper, he is not a photographer. Or a reporter. He’s just a typesetter who dreams of being a real newspaperman.
When word spreads through town that the Simmons Mansion will be torn down, it’s big news. You see, a murder-suicide took place in the house years ago, and some people say the old blood-stained pipe-organ still plays at night.
Luther gets assigned to spend the night the supposed haunted house. To prove he’s not a coward, he agrees to do it. When he goes into the mansion, there is some real suspense and horror, perhaps a bit much for young kids. (It was a bit much for me just a few years ago. But then, I identify with Luther.) Luther becomes a hero, then a disgrace once again when he is sued because his story prevents the house from being torn down.
My lousy synopsis doesn’t in any way capture the coolness of this movie. Far and away Knott’s best, the bright colors of the film, the music, and the dialog all combine to make The Ghost and Mr. Chicken the world’s best horror-comedy.
Thanks to The Uranium Cafe for a good review himself and all but one of the pictures. I forget where I got the other.
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, starring Don Knotts, Joan Staley, and Dick Sargent. Directed by Alan Rafkin, written by James Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum, with some uncredited help from Andy Griffith. Universal Pictures 1966.
The Ghost and Mr Chicken Movie Review
