HK Cat Reviews

The Mothman Prophecies (2002)

Nice try but no cigar

[29 January 2002]

I have been intrigued by the Mothman lore since the 1970s. So naturally when I found out that the myth was to find its way to the silver screen, I could hardly wait to purchase my ticket. After viewing the movie, however, I can't help but be a bit disappointed. Director Mark Pellington did comment that he did not want to make a monster movie, but rather a psychologically terrifying story. The problem I had with the film is that knowing that the story is not about the mothman as an entity, but rather the prophecies it tells, diluted its energy.

Cut this film down to say an hour and it would play better. Two hours and it becomes a drawn-out exercise in realizing a specific prophecy, which by the way is no secret. The trailers gave it away. So how can the tension sustain itself? I got tired of watching Richard Gere confounded by the endless barrage of haunting events. They seemed to repeat themselves over and over. And the answers to all this mystery was more mystery. At least in a film like "Memento," which was not meant to be anything more than a subjective interpretation of facts, it was clever. "Mothman" teased us. It gave us the Twilight Zone spookiness, with the reality of a disaster film. Yes, it followed the events of the book. Maybe a bit too closely.

The Gorgon (1964)

Eerie and Haunting

[6/10 · 24 August 2000]

As mentioned by many, the Gorgon is not your typical scare-fest horror film. It's driving force is its atmosphere, its lore and understanding various subplots. Cheaply made, the film has no doubt turned some to stone-cold hysterics with its campy effects and home movie-like makeup of the creature. While the story has wonderful elements of mystery and lure, it never reveals certain motivations. For example, why has the Gorgon's spirit returned to earth? What is the Cushing character's intentions? Many of the story's characters know the myth behind the murders (how many variations are there to a creature turning a man to stone with her gaze?), so controlling the creature was no revelation. But all that aside, the film's theme is captivating. If you don't expect a monster movie, but view this film as a mystery based on folklore and with a haunting backdrop, you too will be delighted with this hidden gem. There is a scene in castle, when Mageara first appears and we catch glimpses of her peeking out at a prospective victim. It's a tantalizing prelude to the terror to come. But the scene that had me mesmerized , and that singularly crystalizes the Gorgon's chilling presence is when she has turned a character with her demonic stare, then seemingly drifts back into the shadows. It is a strangely beautiful scene. The Gorgon, called the Mageara, is a true mystery. She has no emotion, no true motivation, and she is not shown stalking her prey. Like a black widow in human form, she merely waits for (perhaps even lures) innocent souls to come to her parlor. Mageara seemingly in incapable of harming man, except for her petrifying gaze; she quietly floats about the castle. If I were to remake this film, I would tell the story from the perspective of the female host, and the struggle to understand her curse. There is sheer tragedy in what Hammer has presented, and I find myself looking upon many of the story's characters with sense of sadness and doom. Finally, I want to say that I wish the stone victims could have turned quickly, like those poor souls in the film "Thief of Baghdad," with Steve Reeves. Oh well, just a last thought.

Love and a .45 (1994)

Unoriginal, but comes out blazing

[12 March 2000]

Love and a .45 is all about doing the Tarantino thing. Style, violence, humor, quirky characters. It has no shred of originality, only out-of-this-world situations and how the story's characters will swim through the chaos.

A professional robber and his gal are on the lam after killing law enforcement types. On their trail is a screwed and screwed-up ex-partner.

But that isn't to say this flick isn't entertaining. It's a wild ride to tell the truth. If Tarantino copies aren't your ilk, this one movie will ruffle your feathers. If it doesn't bother you, check this film out. Talkington seems to have some talent for making flicks, and if he could dig up something more clever, he could be a contender.

Wonder Boys (2000)

Why all the hoopla?

[7 March 2000]

I was neither disappointed, nor knocked out by Wonder Boys. It's an okay film with some interesting characters, but played out a bit flat.

The cast was okay, but I do agree with those who commented that the lovely Katie Holmes was underutilized. I thought she was most riveting and mysterious. There were some unanswered questions about her character that worked against the story line.

Douglas was good as a burned-out, weed-smoking writer at the crossroads. He looked bad, and that's good. None of that pretty boy b.s. this time around. But that Toby Maguire character opens as a typical brooding, withdrawn artist who is as abstract as he is cliched. I could never get a grasp on what the hell was going on in his head. He flashes literary brilliance, but there were scenes of him so morose and sad early on, I thought he would just do himself in at some point. He has some gay scenes, but I never get the hint that he has feelings in that direction. So is he just confused, or detached?

What bothered me about Wonder Boys most was that the story played out like nothing great was at stake. Douglas loses his wife, so what. Can't write, so what. Robert Downey jr. is also hanging on the ropes, but that's what we were told. Not what I sensed. So what. Francis McDormand didn't seem to be too involved in anything--she never seemed to be in love with Douglas, didn't much care about her husband, wasn't upset the blind dog got nailed; she was a sleep walker throughout. So what. Every character was at some point in their life where they had to make a choice, go right or go left. The problem was it didn't matter which way they went. So what? So what?

All I can conclude is that the book must have had more depth to these wandering souls. Again, not a bad film despite my criticism. But all these gushing reviews, well I had to stand up and take the other side. It could have been so much more. Oh well...

The Promise (1979)

Touching but not too syrupy

[9/10 · 21 February 2000]

I've seen this film about three times and find it to be one of the better TV-made love stories. The shell that Marie Adamson builds around herself is impenetrable and the strong performance by Kathleen Quinlan is what sold me on the story. She fights so hard to remain strong, that her confrontations with people in her past is both powerful and touching.

I love Kathleen Quinlan, and think this is her best performance, be it film or TV. Her transformation from soft and loving to betrayed and unforgiving is sizzling. Adamson's face-to-face meeting with her former lover's mother, years after her beauty has been restored, is wonderful. Just to see the mother's expression is priceless. Reminds me of the scene in Madame X when Constance Bennett realizes that she has done irreversible damage in blackmailing her daughter-in-law. Money cannot erase an undying love. Wow.

Psycho (1960)

Timing, Hitchcock made it special.

[20 February 2000]

In reading the comments of some, I think that to have seen Hitchcock's Psycho when it opened in '60, is to fully understand its impact today. It was a masterpiece then and remains a masterpiece today. Superior direction and camera work, and as one person commented, the film was released at a time when [psychological] monsters in the form of the "boy next door," was not explored in films. Yes, Psycho started slow by today's standards, but the style back then was to move from the pleasant familiar to the darkest of horrors. Hitchcock understood how to create atmosphere and mood. His shower scene, while some today wonder what the hoopla is all about, set a standard of horror in an ordinary setting. How many films have copied this scene? I remember as a kid, fearing showers and hotels after seeing this flick. Hitchcock reportedly said that it was a good thing he didn't place Crane on the toilet (sic), or people would have a phobia about toilets. Ironically, in Psycho 3 (?), a character was killed while on the toilet. The remake of two years ago sucked--big time. Hitchcock's Psycho not only had the master at the helm, but it was also a matter of timing in cinema history. Those elements cannot be duplicated.