ClassicAndCampFilmReviews Reviews

Born to Be Bad (1950)

Camp classic - so bad it's hilarious

[26 October 2011]

"Born To Be Bad" is basically a really bad variation on the classic Bette Davis film "All About Eve", without the theater background, and it is not a good movie. It's a really bad film in fact, but bad in a great way. It's a cheesy 1950's B-film, hilarious without intending to be - the best kind of classic camp.

"Born To Be Bad" has a surprisingly stellar cast, including Joan Fontaine (in the lead as the conniving Christabel Caine), Zachary Scott, Robert Ryan (at his hunky bad-guy best), Joan Leslie, and Mel Ferrer. The story centers around Christabel Caine, who seems innocent on the outside...but is pure opportunistic bitch on the inside.

That's about all the plot line you need.

Joan Fontaine is her usual melodramatic self, complete with her signature eyebrow antics - her left eyebrow always seemed to have a mind of its own - also apparent in her performances in films such as "Rebecca", "Suspicion" and well, every film she was ever in, come to think of it), but her role in "Born to Be Bad" suits her mannerisms well. She makes a great little sweet-faced bitch. The dialogue is completely over-the-top, and coupled with the melodramatic mannerisms of most of the cast (Robert Ryan and Joan Fontaine's scenes together are some of the best), makes for a very entertaining camp film.

Nicolas Ray (who 5 years later directed the classic "Rebel Without A Cause") has created a total bomb, a classic of camp film that is worthy viewing for lovers of the genre.

Bell Book and Candle (1958)

Sweetly witchy romantic comedy

[26 October 2011]

"Bell Book And Candle" is a classic romantic comedy starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. The film bears similarities to the 1942 Veronica Lake film, "I Married A Witch", and most likely inspired the hit 1960's TV show "Bewitched", which was produced by Columbia's television division.

Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak) is a modern-day witch who lives with her Siamese cat familiar, Pyewacket, in a Greenwich Village apartment building where she owns a small gallery that offers primitive art.

Book publisher Shep Henderson (James Stewart) lives upstairs, and when she discovers that Shep is engaged to her old nemesis from college, Merle Kittridge (Janice Rule), Gillian casts a spell to make him be in love with her instead - only to fall in love with him herself.

The predictability of this does nothing to spoil the fun - skillfully directed by Richard Quine, based on the Broadway play written by John Van Druten, screenplay by Daniel Taradash - "Bell Book And Candle" is wonderfully written, full of playfulness and poignancy throughout, in addition to being a visual delight.

Novak at her prime is showcased in outfits designed by Jean Louis, all gorgeous - some of them backless - Novak had a beautiful back, so was often dressed in open-backed clothing in her films. She is first seen in a red jacket over a black pullover and slacks, barefoot, and she moves with a feline fluidity befitting her role and her clothing.

"Bell Book And Candle" boasts a solid co-starring cast: Jack Lemmon as Gillian's brother Nicky Holroyd, a mischievous bongo-playing (Lemmon played the bongos himself) warlock; Elsa Lanchester as Queenie Holroyd, their somewhat addled aunt and fellow witch; Janice Rule as the snooty fiancé, Merle Kittredge; Ernie Kovacs as Sidney Redlitch, the boozy author of a book on witchcraft; and Hermione Gingold as Bianca de Passe, another witch.

This was Stewart's last film as a romantic lead, as he felt that at age 50 he was becoming too old to be convincing in that category. He and Novak do however exhibit the same chemistry that was evident in their other on-screen pairing ("Vertigo", one of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock films, released earlier the same year). "Bell Book And Candle" was originally written as a serious play; however it was revised to a light romantic comedy when audiences kept unexpectedly laughing during try-outs. The revised play, starring Rex Harrison and Lili Palmer, was a Broadway hit. The film "Bell Book And Candle" was honored with two Academy Award Nominations: Art Direction and Costume Design.

Trivia - to stock Gillian's art gallery, $75,000 worth of African and South Seas island primitive art was borrowed from New York's Carlebach Gallery. Also, as the actress spent much of her time barefoot for her role, Columbia hired an attendant whose sole responsibility was to provide blankets for Novak's feet to keep them warm in between takes.

Phantasm (1979)

"Boyyyyyy!"

[26 October 2011]

"I am fascinated and frightened by the American way of death...how a corpse is spirited away by the mortician to some place we are not allowed to go, refabricated by the embalmer, and grandly interred. I knew the subject would make a great horror movie." - Don Coscarelli Directed, written (in an isolated mountain cabin in an intense three weeks), photographed and edited on a modest $300,000 budget by Don Coscarelli, who was only 24 at the time, and starring Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, and Angus Scrimm, "Phantasm" ranks high on my list of camp classic horror films.

Jody Pearson (Thornbury) is 24 and doing his best to raise his 13-year-old brother Mike (Baldwin) in their small hometown after the deaths of their parents. As a result, Mike exhibits separation anxiety issues, and follows his older brother practically everywhere he goes, including a funeral. After the funeral Mike sees the mortician, a creepy-looking old tall man (Scrimm) easily pick up the coffin under one arm and steal it, including its contents.

This of course triggers his already active curiosity, and along with his brother and their ice-cream vendor and musician friend Reggie (Bannister) he becomes involved in trying to stop the Tall Man, who in addition to his superhuman strength shows a talent for flinging whizzing lethal silver spiked spheres at people's heads. The Tall Man ploddingly pursues Mike while darkly calling out to him, "BOYYYY!" (the most-quoted line in the film, and with good reason).

The bodies pile up (and disappear) as the Tall Man reanimates them to be dwarf slaves in some alternate world...still with me? As ridiculous as this all sounds (and is), combined with the great soundtrack, sometimes unintentionally hilarious dialogue and visuals, and bizarre scenes that don't have any relevance whatsoever to the already convoluted storyline (such as Reggie suddenly whipping out his guitar for an impromptu jam with Jody), and some truly campy and gory special effects (the film was originally rated X for the sphere scenes), it somehow all works, because all this and more make "Phantasm" a prime example of the Camp Horror Classic genre. If you enjoy this genre and have never seen this film, you're in for a treat!

The Hunger (1983)

Stylish and classy vampire fare

[26 October 2011]

"The Hunger", the directorial debut of Tony Scott (Ridley's brother), is a stylish, beautifully directed and sensual film starring Catherine Deneuve as vampire Miriam Blalock, and David Bowie as John, the most recent in her succession of chosen humans she has turned vampire to be her lover and companion. The two live together in a beautiful New York townhouse, private tutors of classical music as their cover. At night they haunt nightclubs, dressed in elegant clothing and sunglasses, hunting prey (look for Ann Magnuson in a bit part as one of their meals).

Miriam is a centuries-old bisexual vampire dating back to ancient Egypt, who met John in 18th century France, promising him eternal life; unknown to him, she has promised the same to many others before (she alternates the genders of her chosen companions throughout the ages). The lie begins reveal itself as John starts to have trouble sleeping, then as he abruptly and rapidly ages in the waiting room of Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), a researcher of sleep and aging disorders. Miriam looks to Sarah as John's potential successor; Sarah falls under her spell when she goes to the townhouse to find John, and encounters Miriam instead, leading to the scene for which this film is best known.

If you're expecting a fast-paced vampire film showcasing fangs, flying bats, wooden stakes, and the usual trappings, look elsewhere; "The Hunger" is a film of striking imagery and languid elegance, even in its violent scenes, and an all-encompassing sexual atmosphere right up until the shocking and almost surreal ending. The performances of Deneuve and Bowie (Deneuve is the epitome of the classy and distant blonde ala Alfred Hitchcock's preference for his female leads, and Bowie expertly handles his character's transition from young to old, both physically and emotionally) ensure that The Hunger will remain known as the perfect vampire film of the 1980s, and a timeless cult classic in its own right.

The 1981 novel of the same name by Whitley Strieber is a compelling read, and a fitting addition to the bookshelves of anyone who enjoys books by authors such as Anne Rice or Charlaine Harris.

The Innocents (1961)

Classic psychological horror

[26 October 2011]

Directed by Jack Clayton, and starring Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave, Martin Stephens, and Pamela Franklin, "The Innocents" is a dark and eerily disturbing film of psychological horror. Set in Victorian England, and based on the novella "The Turn Of The Screw" by Henry James, with its Freudian screenplay written by Truman Capote, "The Innocents" has long been a favorite of fans of the genre.

Cinematographer Freddie Francis' skillful lighting and Clayton's direction give the film its eerie atmosphere - the beginning is completely black, with only singing heard (which confused projectionists of the time), for almost a minute, before the credits begin. This sets the tone for the entire film, in the manner of another masterful black and white film of the genre - Robert Wise's "The Haunting" (1963).

The uncle (Redgrave) of orphaned Flora (Franklin, age 11 at the time in this her first film role) and her brother Miles (Martin Stephens, an extremely popular child actor of the 50s and 60s) grants Miss Giddens (Kerr) her first position, as governess. He gives Miss Giddens full rein with them, as he is busy and does not want to be bothered. Her repressed sexuality begins to be evident in her scene with Redgrave, and is brought to the surface more as the film develops, especially in a couple of particularly unsettling scenes with Miles.

Miss Giddens is convinced soon after she moves into the estate (the film takes place on location in a Gothic estate in England) that the spirits of the former governess Miss Jessel and valet Peter Quint (Peter Wyngarde- who fans of "The Avengers" TV show will recognize from the most popular episode of the series, "A Touch Of Brimstone", have possessed the children, and she strives to free them of the dead lovers' influence - resulting in unforeseen consequences.

Evil Dead II (1987)

Camp classic of horror comedy

[26 October 2011]

Directed by Sam Raimi, written by Sam Spiegel, and starring lovable ham Bruce Campbell, "Evil Dead 2" (also known as "Evil Dead 2 - Dead By Dawn") continues Ash Williams' (Campbell) unfortunate saga in a remote cabin in the woods, where a group of evil spirits possess the living, turning them into screeching, gooey, and hilarious monsters, after being summoned by readings from The Book Of The Dead.

If you have seen "The Evil Dead" (1981) then be prepared for even crazier shenanigans as Ash fights for his life, even to the point of cutting off his own arm "It got into my hand and it went bad" then attaching a chainsaw to the stump. Filled with terrific one-liners, and Raimi's trademark directing style utilized to perfect effect, "Evil Dead 2" raises the level of camp at least one big notch up from the first film. "The Evil Dead" was scary and campy, "Evil Dead 2" is pure horror satire.

"GROOVY!" is this particular film's standout catchphrase, and is another one forever linked with Campbell - his collaborations with Sam Raimi have resulted in such classic camp films as the first in the trilogy "The Evil Dead", then "Evil Dead 2","Army Of Darkness" (1992), and have also spawned several video games based on the films, with Campbell lending his voice.

The Return of the Living Dead (1985)

"Somebody get a flashlight over here....!"

[26 October 2011]

"The Return Of The Living Dead", written and directed by Dan O'Bannon, and starring Clu Gulager, James Karen and Don Calfa performing at their over-the-top best, is one of the prime examples of the no-holds-barred camp zombie movies to date, with laughter-inducing imagery, lines such as "Send...more...paramedics" and "They're rabid weasels" to a soundtrack with tunes by legendary punk rock groups such as The Cramps. The supporting cast includes "Scream Queen" Linnea Quigley as Trash, a red-haired punker with a tendency to take her clothes off on a random and frequent basis and dance on the tombs in the local graveyard.

The plot: at the Uneeda Medical Supply (you have to love the name) warehouse in a small town in Kentucky, foreman Frank (Karen) decides to show the new employee, Freddy, some old military barrels that accidentally ended up in the basement. Containing the leftovers of the botched army experiment that inspired the classic "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), the gas inside the barrels sprays all over when Frank starts fiddling with the containers, putrid zombies break out, and the fun is just beginning as Frank phones his boss Burt (Gulager). Burt rushes over to try and help contain the problem, but of course matters only worsen (split dogs! headless cadavers running amok!), so the two enlist the help of his mortuary friend (Calfa).

Freddy's teenage friends and his squeaky-voiced goody two-shoes girlfriend Tina show up at the supply house to pick him up when he gets off work, and become entangled in the havoc.

"The Return Of The Living Dead" is a truly hilarious camp classic of zombie films, a must-see for first-timers and a must-see-again-and-again for all fans of zombie films.

The Haunting (1963)

Masterpiece of psychological horror

[26 October 2011]

Based on the classic 1959 novel "The Haunting Of Hill House" by renowned author Shirley Jackson, and starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Russ Tamblyn, masterfully directed by Robert Wise, the original 1963 version of "The Haunting" (don't bother with the hideous 1999 remake) is a true masterpiece of psychological horror.

Dr. John Markway (Johnson) is a psychic researcher who invites a group of people with paranormal experience to help him investigate Hill House - an imposing 90 year-old estate which "had stood for 90 years and might stand for 90 more", feared by the locals because of its lurid and violent history that began with its original owner, Hugh Crain.

Only two of the invitees show up: the emotionally fragile and introverted Eleanor Vance (Harris); and Theo (Bloom, sporting a wardrobe by edgy '60s designer Mary Quant), stylish, outspoken, beautiful, and sexually ambiguous - in direct contrast to the meek Eleanor. Russ Sanderson (Tamblyn) is the skeptical young relative who stands to inherit Hill House, and he tags along to "protect (his) investment."

Early on in the film there is some humor from the group's interactions with the crabby caretaker and his wife, Mrs. Dudley ("No one lives any nearer than town. No one will come any nearer than that. In the night. In the dark."), a creepy, skull-faced woman. After that brief injection of humor (which does of course warn the audience of events to come), the film gets down to business: ghostly voices, a superbly mood-setting soundtrack, stark lighting, off-kilter camera angles and subtle insinuations all meld seamlessly with the skillful casting and direction to create some of the most chilling moments in psychological horror.

Rest Stop (2006 Video)

Poorly written, directed, and acted.

[1/10 · 20 May 2007]

This was one of the worst horror movies I have EVER seen, and it wasn't even campy-bad. Just awful. If I could have given it NO stars for a rating, I would have. My husband and I just wasted two hours watching it on TV. Then I told him I was going to look it up on IMDb and see what people rated it. I cannot believe it was rated as high as it was. What a joke.

The characters in the movie were too stupid to incite any kind of sympathy, and this film has some of the worst dialogue ever in a horror film. An example that elicited raucous laughter from us: "You missed! Shoot me again!"

Clerks II (2006)

Even funnier than the first one!

[8/10 · 30 July 2006]

My husband and I are fans of Kevin Smith's films, especially Clerks. We went to see Clerks 2 at a matinée at noon, the first day it opened,and we loved it. We went to the first possible showing of it, and we are people who rarely if ever go out to the theatre; we usually wait to rent/buy films. We were the only two people there (beautiful day out, and the first matinée of the day, we were hoping it wouldn't be crowded). It's a good thing we were the only ones because we were laughing so loudly we would have most likely bothered anyone sitting near us.

Clerks has a better soundtrack, but we thought that Clerks 2 was twice as funny. If you don't like profanity in movies you won't care for it, if you can't stand the word "f***" you won't make it through the first five minutes of the film, but then again that goes for seeing the first one too.

And yes, if you didn't see Clerks, you do need to watch it before Clerks 2; if you saw Clerks and didn't like it, I doubt you'll like Clerks 2 either.

Most of the raunchiness is in the dialogue during and about events that you know are occurring, but are not actually shown, and that includes discussion at length about a certain *ahem* distasteful sexual act.

And a scene involving a donkey. LOL The cast has all the lead actors from Clerks, and adds a couple of great new characters to the mix, including the versatile and sexy Rosario Dawson (Sin City) as Becky, the manager of Mooby's, the fast-food joint and main hub of activity in the film. And relative newcomer Trevor Fehrman is great as Elias; his facial expressions and comic timing were really fun to watch.

Jason Lee, most recently known as the lead on the hilarious TV show My Name is Earl, has a very effective small part/scene in the film, and other actors such as Ben Affleck and Wanda Sykes have meaty little cameos.

There are also some great snarky winks to other films such as Silence of the Lambs, and Jay (Jason Mewes) remains my favorite character.

I Spit on Your Grave (1978)

This is a nasty, nasty movie

[1/10 · 2 July 2006]

I love horror films, and I'm not squeamish. But this movie I can't imagine anyone enjoying unless they get some slight thrill from watching a woman being raped, whether or not they want to admit it. It's like a very violent porno. And the revenge sequences didn't make me feel any better about it...at that point it seemed more like what I might imagine a snuff film is like...and I don't want to see one of those either! Its violence is too...voyeuristic.

It just left a very bad taste in my mouth. And for some reason it's in the drama section at the local video store, it should be in the horror one.

My Name Is Earl (2005–2009)

Great new show! If you like the Coen brothers films, you might love this

[21 September 2005]

I saw the first episode of "My Name Is Earl" last night, (9 p.m. on NBC) and I just had to plug it. I thought it was brilliant - wonderfully cast, written, and directed. I hope the show is a hit and keeps it up.

If the Coen brothers wrote and directed a TV sitcom, it could be very much like this show.

The premise is simple: Earl (the very likable Jason Lee, often seen in Kevin Smith films, and whose on screen demeanor sometimes reminds me of Chevy Chase in his youthful prime) is Earl, a small-time raggedy thief who snags a $100,000 winning lottery ticket. Seconds later he's mowed down by a car, and the ticket floats away in the breeze. While recovering in the hospital, doped up on morphine, he watches a TV show with MTV host Carson Daly talking about doing good deeds so that good things will happen to you...and he comes up with the the idea of repairing his mess of a life by making a list of all the people he's harmed in the past, tracking them down one by one, and making amends however he can.

When Earl briefly thinks of backing out on his plan, the ticket miraculously floats back seemingly out of nowhere..inspiring him to keep up the good work. Karma is a funny thing, as the tagline says.

The inimitable evil vixen Jaime Pressley (as his trashy ex-wife Joy) is part of a great supporting cast, and the superior writing and directing of the show gives it a comedic, quirky quality that reminded my husband and myself of Coen brothers' films such as "Raising Arizona". I hope the show can keep the quality up as the season progresses. The bar's been set pretty high with this first episode.

Anyway, "My Name Is Earl" is on NBC on Tuesdays at 9:00. Give it a whirl, and let's keep this one on the air, as long as the creators can maintain the quality of its premiere. As long as it keeps its sharp wit and avoids sinking into maudlin sentimentality, it should stay a winner.

Raising Arizona (1987)

"They GOT more than they can handle!"

[10/10 · 30 August 2005]

"Raising Arizona" is one of what I consider to be the five instantly classic films by the team of Ethan and Joel Coen, the others being "Blood Simple", "Fargo", "Oh Brother Where Are Thou", and "The Big Lebowski".

But "Raising Arizona" is my personal favorite, and probably the most quotable films I have ever seen, with some of the best dialogue ever written for film.

The story in brief: H.I. (Nicholas Cage) and "Ed" (Holly Hunter, in one of my favorite roles of hers) portray, respectively, an ex-con and a cop who meet when he keeps getting arrested for robbing convenience stores. They fall in love, get married, decide that "there is just too much love" between them, and they need a "critter to share it with". Upon finding that "Edwina's insides were a rocky place" where H.I.'s "seed could find no purchase", they try to adopt, but are turned down because of H.I.'s record. Then they read in the newspaper about local unpainted furniture storeowner Nathan Arizona (Trey Wilson), owner of "Unpainted Arizona", and his wife having quintuplets as a result of fertility pills, and who joke that "They got more than they can handle". The couple hatch a plan to take one of the babies and raise it as their own.

What results is an ongoing, fast-paced, hilarious set of misadventures, complicated by the appearance of a ruthless, heartless outlaw named Leonard Smalls (Randall "Tex" Cobb) Nathan Arizona hires to find the missing baby, and two felon friends from H.I.'s past (John Goodman and William Forsythe), who make a childbirth-like escape from prison. Sam McMurray (the smarmy dad in "Drop Dead Gorgeous") is H.I.'s....smarmy boss, Glen. Frances McDormand (real-life spouse of Joel Coen, and star of other Coen films such as "Blood Simple" and "Fargo") is his excitable wife Dot. M. Emmet Walsh ("Blood Simple") has a scenery-chewing cameo role as H.I.'s talkative co-worker.

When Ed finally opens up her 5'2" can of Southern-fried whup-ass, throwing her badge to the dirt, striding towards Leonard Smalls as she bellows with all her might, "Gimme back that baby, you warthog from HELL!!!" I always fling my arms up and shout "You go girl! Kick his ass!"

And the way Hunter cries is hilarious.

Holly Hunter was great in this role, as one would expect. She's a very talented actress, in both serious and comedic roles.

Nicholas Cage and Holly Hunter made a great on screen couple, Cage with his hair standing out in every direction, looking like a hapless, browbeaten puppy half of the time, and Hunter as his diminutive firecracker of a wife who loves him and tries to keep him honest (oh yeah except for that little kidnapping excursion).

I could go on and on about this film but suffice to say that so far I haven't met anyone who didn't find "Raising Arizona" hilarious. And as any great Coen brothers film, it has a certain mythic quality that's hard to describe, but is present all of of the brothers' best efforts. When I was single, I often used Coen brothers films as a barometer of sorts for prospective boyfriends. For instance, I remember seeing "Fargo" on a first date, and when we came out of the theater, the guy (whose name I have since forgotten anyway) remarked "Huh, I didn't think much of that", while I was thinking how blown away I was by the film! I immediately thought to myself "So much for him! This relationship won't last long."

For more great Coen comedy, check out "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" (2000), which is loosely based on Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey". Another great Coen comedy is "The Big Lebowski" (1998), which also includes my favorite singer/songwriter Aimee Mann in a brief cameo, and boasts a cult following that has resulted in an annual "Lebowskifest" for fans of the film.

"Blood Simple" (1984) is probably my favorite film noir modern-day classic tale of lust and betrayal, and is my personal second-favorite Coen brothers film. "Fargo" (1996), which won the Screen writing Oscar, and an Oscar for Frances McDormand, is another must-see Coen classic.

Psycho Beach Party (2000)

A decent parody, but Lauren Ambrose is the real reason to see it

[4/10 · 30 August 2005]

"Psycho Beach Party" is a parody of teen slasher horror films, taking place in the 1960's. It's a combination of beach movie, horror film, and camp. It's really not a very good movie for the general public, but as a cheesy camp flick it has its appeal, and it's worth at least a rent, at least for people who like this kind of John Waters-esquire camp. My main complaint is that it seems to try a bit too hard. But it's a great movie if you're in a certain kind of relaxed mood. Anyway, we have a copy of it in our collection, and re-watched it yesterday.

Florence "Chicklet" Forrest (Lauren Ambrose, of "Six Feet Under") is the highlight of the whole movie, and makes the film worthwhile just on her merits alone. Her character has multiple personalities, the main two being the nice, peppy Florence, but the hilarious one is her alter-ego "Anne Bowen", a dominatrix minx. Ambrose switches back and forth seamlessly and hilariously between these two personalities (and a minor third one).

The story: Florence and her best friend Berdine (Danni Wheeler) get involved in a series of murders after Florence starts hanging out with the all-male surfers' club, wanting to be part of the group. Captain Monica Stark (played by writer, actor and novelist Charles Busch, who for some reason saw fit to be cast in this female part - he is not really funny, and the character is treated as if she were really female, instead of a obvious man in drag) is the officer in charge of the case. Add to the mix a sequestered B-horror film actress, Bettina Barnes (Kimberley Davies), Florence's picture-perfect mother, Ruth (Beth Broderick), psychology major dropout Starcat (Nicholas Brendon, of the TV series "Buffy The Vampire Slayer"), the catty Marvel Ann (Amy Adams, of "Drop Dead Gorgeous"), Swedish exchange student, Lars (Matt Kessler), Kathleen Robertson as the bitchy, wheelchair-bound Rhonda, whom you really just want to literally push out of her chair, and the supposedly omnipotent Kanaka (Thomas Gibson), a great soundtrack, and you've got a completely silly, fun film for lovers of the cheesy camp genre.

Giant (1956)

"The legendary epic that's as big as Texas!"

[9/10 · 30 August 2005]

The plot: Texas ranch owner Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) travels to purchase a prize horse, but falls in love at first sight with the owner's pampered daughter Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor). He woos and wins her quickly, they marry, then travel back to his isolated ranch.

Leslie, after a rough start, proves herself quite the force of nature. Ranch hand Jett Rink (James Dean) falls into unrequited love with Leslie, uttering, in one scene, one of my favorite lines in the film, something like, "Mrs. Benedict, you sure do look right good enough to eat, yeah, good enough to eat...." (voice trails off and he looks like he's going to lick his lips) - and then when he strikes it rich with oil, he takes his bitterness out in several ways.

With a stellar supporting cast including Mercedes McCambridge, Sal Mineo, Carroll Baker, and Dennis Hopper, "Giant" is the original miniseries before anyone knew what a miniseries even was...except this is of course a classic film of the big screen, not a TV movie.

Directed by George Stevens, the sprawling epic (201 minutes, but it goes fast, believe me) beautifully covers two generations of family and a variety of issues, including marriage, family, childrearing, social snobbery and racism, the latter two being covered especially well. When in the mood for a well-paced, involved, alternately funny, sad, heartwarming, and emotionally fulfilling epic, "Giant" always fits the bill for me.

My favorite bit of trivia - Liz Taylor and Rock Hudson became fast friends on the set, and indulging together in partying/drinking binges most every night, after filming stopped. In the scene where the two are watching a marriage, the two actors had to stop during the filming several times to take turns going outside to throw up, as both were terribly hungover from the previous night's revelries.

The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Gary gracefully gets it right, as Gehrig.

[10/10 · 4 August 2005]

First off, my favorite actor of all time is Gary Cooper. I love his acting style, the gawkiness he often used in his screen roles, in addition of course to the fact that I thought he was absolutely gorgeous, in his prime (when he was in his 30's and 40's). Cooper's appeal is only enhanced, for me, by the distance of his on screen persona from his real-life one...he was quite the ladies' man in real life, not awkward with women as the characters he often portrayed on screen, and his smoldering sexuality shows from his piercing blue eyes. His lively offscreen affairs with stars such as Clara Bow (who famously declared "He's hung like a horse and he can go all night!"), Lupe Velez aka "The Mexican Spitfire", and of course Patricia Neal, are the stuff of old Hollywood legend.

Kevin Costner and Ralph Fiennes in their primes had nothing' on Coop. He was the man. Cooper, who started off wanting to be an artist, fell into acting instead, first as a stunt man in westerns, but quickly getting leading roles. He continued to do most of his own riding and stunts even into his later years, carving himself quite a name as a star of westerns, including the western classic "High Noon" (1952), but my favorite films of his were films such as "Mr. Deeds Goes To Town" (1936), "Meet John Doe" (1941), "Ball Of Fire" (1941), "Sargeant York" (1941), and of course "The Pride Of The Yankees". My husband understands my adoration of Gary Cooper; and/but we had this brief discussion before we watched my recently purchased DVD of the film (I'd seen it before, but didn't own a copy of it):

Husband: "I don't mind watching it with you as long as you don't make those noises you always make when you watch a Gary Cooper movie."

Me: "What noises?"

Husband: "Those noises like the ones Homer Simpson makes when he looks at a stick of butter...'Mmmmmmmm'...."

Me: "What? I didn't know I did that. Okay, I won't make any weird noises while we watch it."

So I was quiet (except for of course choking up in tears when Cooper delivers Gehrig's legendary "Today, I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth" farewell speech). Gehrig's retirement speech helped immortalize him as a hero and an all-American role model.

"The Pride of the Yankees" is the blueprint for the sports biopic, and is generally considered to be the best movie about baseball ever made. Teresa Wright stars as his wife Eleanor. Wright, who just passed away this March, was an excellent actress, and a beautiful woman. The last film I saw her in was in a small part in "Somewhere In Time", and she had aged wonderfully. She and Cooper had great chemistry on screen, holding her own ground as he towered over her petite 5'3" frame.

Walter Brennan, a frequent Cooper co-star and real-life friend, and Babe Ruth as himself are two other co-stars who contribute much to the film.

The film traces the rags-to-riches story of Gehrig, as his childhood dream comes true when he's signed to the New York Yankees, and his untimely retirement when he is stricken with the fatal, neurological disease ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) which was afterwards simply called "Lou Gehrig's Disease". Cooper, although a bit of an odd choice for the part (one reason being his height, he was about 6'4"), gives an endearing, heartfelt, dignified performance, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Gehrig was left-handed, Cooper right-handed, which was further complicated by the fact that Cooper himself wasn't a capable baseball player. For the filming, his uniform had "New York" printed backwards on it, he ran to third base when he hit a ball, and then the print was reversed.

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards in all, and receiving 1 (for Film Editing), "The Pride Of The Yankees" still stands as a must-see film for baseball fans and fans of classic cinema alike.

Some Like It Hot (1959)

One of the best comedies off all time.

[10/10 · 4 August 2005]

I recently picked up a special edition DVD of the classic "Some Like It Hot", and upon arriving home with it, tossed out my old battered fullscreen VHS version. I watched this film again last night, with the added bonus of seeing it for the first time in widescreen, and was immediately struck once again by how perfect a movie it is.

You've got a Billy Wilder film with female impersonators in it, in the forms of Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe with a screen name that reeks of porn and/or strippers - "Sugar Cane". What more could you ask for? This wondrous mix combined to make one of the greatest comedies in the history of film.

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon portray down-and-out musicians who accidentally witness a mob massacre and immediately flee from the mob as George Raft's character says, "I don't like no loose ends." In desperation, they disguise themselves as women - Curtis as "Josephine", and Lemmon as "Daphne", in order to join an all-girl band and leave town.

Once "Sugar Cane" (Monroe) sashays past the pair on the way to the train they're about to board, all bets are off. Staring after her as she walks away, Lemmon, as "Daphne" exclaims, "Would you look at that...That's just like jello on springs!" The rest of the plot summary I'll leave out. What I will remark on is how really filthy this movie is, for its time. And very gay! The innuendos and double-entendres are priceless. And Lemmon, who had one of the most expressive faces in film, gives an amazing performance. Tony Curtis looks scarily convincing as a woman (Lemmon just looks strange), and Marilyn is hypnotically beautiful and funny at the same time.

This was a woman whom the camera truly loved. Pregnant during the making of the film, she looks just slightly more voluptuous than usual for the time - in fact gorgeous - and in closeups, ethereal, vulnerable, and breathtaking in a way that almost brings tears to the eyes.

Joe E. Brown gives a hilarious performance as "Daphne's" suitor, and Tony Curtis gets to give his (passable, but still very funny) Cary Grant impression. Side note: I think it's pretty well known that there has been the legendary rumor for years that Curtis said that "Kissing Marilyn Monroe was like kissing Hitler" because of problems on the set with her erratic behavior. In recent years Curtis has claimed that he never made that statement. Whatever the truth, the pair do exhibit really wonderful chemistry in their love scene together, and the skin-colored/sequined dress Marilyn Monroe wears for that sequence is absolutely perfect. She couldn't sit down in it, so a special board/rest was set up for her.

This is a film that still stands the test of time; a true ten-star classic.

A Dirty Shame (2004)

R-rated version is a total rip-off. I don't know about the NC-17 one.

[1/10 · 22 June 2005]

I rented and watched the R-rated version of John Waters' "A Dirty Shame" today (the NC-17 version wasn't carried at the rental store), and ended up feeling let down and ripped-off. A lot of the language was censored/dubbed (!?! In a John Waters film!?!) to make an R-rated version that looked more like a G version; I think it could be shown on TV as is! The R version is called the "Neuter Version", and Waters authorized this watered-down film. Why? Starring Tracey Ullman, Johnny Knoxville, Selma Blair, Chris Isaak, and Mink Stole, and with this description on the rental box from Blockuster: "When a head injury awakens Sylvia Stickles' long-dormant sexual urges, the entire town gets caught up in the conflict between decency and depravity", and knowing it's a John Waters film, I figured it would be great! Wrong. It wasn't even funny, except for a few of Ullman's and Blair's moments, and the censoring and dubbing of even the blandest nudity and profanity was completely distracting and annoying. I felt as if I were watching a regular edited-for-TV movie! I hope the NC-17 rated version is better, but I guess the video store won't be carrying it. And since I've been hoodwinked by this ridiculous rental version, I don't plan to go to the trouble and expense to see the NC-17 version. And this disappointing film just makes me want to pull out our copy of 1994's "Serial Mom" and watch over and over the scene with Kathleen Turner letting loose with her hilarious phone call.

The only reason this film deserves even one star is because of Tracey Ullman's great no-holds-barred performance, particularly in the scene in which she does the Hokey Pokey in an old folks' home.

Jaws (1975)

"You'll never go in the water again!"

[10/10 · 16 June 2005]

This is the movie that really reminds me of high school; it came out the summer before I started my senior year, the summer I turned 18.

"Jaws" was the "Psycho" of my generation. I don't apply this term to "Halloween", another equally scary film of the '70's involving pointy things that can kill you, because "Jaws" and "Psycho" have too very important elements in common with each other, and "Halloween" somehow seems to fall into a different horror genre.

Both "Psycho" and "Jaws" are about ordinary people doing something ordinary and enjoyable, two activities one would normally never find dangerous: showering, and splashing about in the shallows of the ocean.

I don't remember, but I can't imagine that this movie made people very happy whose livelihood depended on beach tourism, as it was released in the early summer.

Seeing "Psycho" made many people afraid to take showers (including actress Janet Leigh, who starred in it and claimed she never took another shower afterwards), and "Jaws" made many people afraid to swim in the ocean. It scared the hell out of us teenagers and made for endless pranks at the beach that summer (hey, I was 17 when it came out in the theater, what can I say)? Two of my friends would take turns pretending to be an approaching shark in the water, using his hand as a fin, while hmming the classic "Jaws" soundtrack, or pretending to be the first victim in the film (minus the screaming, which upset the lifeguards), thrashing and flailing about in the waves as if being attacked and dragged underwater.

"Jaws" was also Steven Spielberg's first (and I think best) blockbuster. It could only help boost the careers of the 3 lead male actors in the film: Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss (this was the role that made Dreyfuss a star). It spawned one of the most classic and oft-quoted lines in film history: "We're gonna need a bigger boat." It was also technically a very innovative film, with a mechanical shark that by all accounts was a great deal of trouble.

I hadn't seen this film in several years, having seen it umpteen times when it first came out, and several times on VHS, as I owned an old VHS copy of it. But I recently got the 30th Anniversary Edition, and saw it again last night, in the dark, in widescreen, through the stereo (gone is the full-screen only old tape).

Suffice to say that when the head pops out of the boat...I still jump just as much as I did the first time I saw it in the theater.

The ultimate, and best, of the "Scary Summer Movie" genre.

The "Special Edition 30th Anniversary Edition" (widescreen, of course) of the film includes some great special features such as deleted scenes and outtakes, a never-before-available interview with Spielberg, archives, and a two-hour documentary of the making of the film. The deleted scenes and outtakes are a riot; I can certainly see why the shot of Robert Shaw's clog-sheathed foot stepping out of a big black car with the words "QUINT" in white and a white outline drawing of a shark on its door were cut! Shaft! We never knew ya!

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)

"You still alive, baby?"

[7/10 · 11 June 2005]

My husband and I just got back from seeing "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", which opened in theaters today. Normally I don't review current-run films, much less on the day they premiere, but I had planned beforehand to review this one. I knew I was going to enjoy it. Aside from and in spite of all the media speculation about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, I had a feeling it was going to be a fun film. I like Angelina Jolie and I especially like to watch her in action roles (yes I love and own the two Tomb Raider films). Seeing her run around with a big gun, kicking butt, is FUN. She's as great in this kind of role as Diana Rigg was as TV's Emma Peel! A perfect fit. And Brad Pitt is an underrated actor, he is really very good, and he is funny in this movie! He has great comedic timing.

The plot is simple. Two professional assassins find out that they've been hired to kill the other. The plot is only barely complicated by the facts that (1) they are married to each other, and (2) they did not know until this point of the story the other's true occupation.

The "eye candy" factor is high: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, often scantily dressed, heavily breathing lines such as "Who's your Daddy now?" It's also an action-packed movie, with good dialogue, great chemistry between Pitt and Jolie, and plenty of (not too bloody) violence. It's much more tongue-in-cheek than the trailers indicate. And Pitt and Jolie get some great one-liners.

All in all, a highly entertaining "popcorn" movie; great summer flick. As we walked to the car I said "It's sort of a mix of 'True Lies', 'Tomb Raider', 'The Avengers' (the old TV show, not that lousy movie), with a pinch of 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' thrown in. I really enjoyed it." And look for a "Fight Club" reference, in the form of a t-shirt.

Dead Ringer (1963)

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest twin of all?"

[7/10 · 5 June 2005]

Nobody in film has yet portrayed evil bitch, and sometimes crazy evil bitch, as well and as often as the late great Bette Davis, as evidenced by such films as "Of Human Bondage", "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane", and "The Nanny", just to name a few that come immediately to mind. Capable of spitting out lines such as "Ah'd luv tuh kiss yuh, but ah jus' washed mah hair" (from "Cabin In the Cotton", 1932), "Every time you kissed me, I had to wipe my mouth! Wipe my mouth!" (from "Of Human Bondage", 1934) to "But Blanche, yuh ahhh in that chair, yuh ahhhhhhh!" (from "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane", 1962), Bette Davis made a lucrative living with her hip-swinging sashaying stride and her mannerisms that still make her a favorite of drag queens everywhere.

In "Dead Ringer", Bette was once again cast in the dual role of good sister/bad sister (Edith Phillips/Margaret DeLorca) similar to her dual roles in "A Stolen Life" (1946, with Glenn Ford). Paul Henreid, her co-star in "Now Voyager" - remember him in the classic scene that involved his lighting two cigarettes and handing Davis's character one of them - directs. "Dead Ringer"'s premise is simple: good sister impulsively tries to step into shoes of deceased bad sister in an ill-conceived move to improve her own quality of life, without thinking of the inherent consequences. In this case, as in the case of "A Stolen Life", Davis inherits the dead bad sister's myriad mix of self-imposed problems, but with worse consequences.

And as veteran filmgoers have realized for many years, the family dog always knows who's who.

Karl Malden, as Davis' earnest boyfriend (and cop) Sgt. Jim Hobbson is basically re-enacting his earnest boyfriend characterization from "A Streetcar Named Desire", and Peter Lawford, who was a real-life playboy and drunk, (in addition to allegedly acting as a bit of a pimp for the Kennedys, circa the Marilyn Monroe/John F. Kennedy/Robert Kennedy liasons era), plays Tony Collins...the drunken playboy boyfriend of the dead bad sister, Margaret DeLorca.

"Dead Ringer" was made in an era of more rudimentary special effects, so Davis's two characters interacting almost face-to-face in some scenes was quite innovative for the time, well-done (better than the obvious stand-in used for some scenes) and still holds up well.

Fun times ensue for all. Classic Bette melodrama.

Elmer Gantry (1960)

"You're all sinners! You'll all burn in hell!"

[8/10 · 5 June 2005]

"Elmer Gantry" is an amazing film that does not seem dated at all, having lost none of its bite or appeal with the passing of time. Taken from the classic Sinclair Lewis novel of the same name, director Richard Brooks garnered an Oscar for Best Screenplay for his adaptation, and Burt Lancaster won his sole Best Actor Oscar for his performance as Elmer Gantry. Gantry is an over-the-top opportunistic traveling salesman who teams up with evangelist Sister Sharon Falconer (Jean Simmons) to promote religion in 1920's America. Gantry turns out to be the perfect publicity compliment to Sister Sharon, who, unlike him, is a true believer. Where she is quiet and gentle with her manner of preaching, he is all fire and brimstone, literally throwing himself about the audience and inflaming them into repentance.

Burt Lancaster commands the screen: all flashing teeth, athletic energy, charisma, and wild hair, using his own physical prowess to great advantage. The angelic and lovely Jean Simmons, who had legions of adoring male fans when she was in her ethereal prime, portrays Sister Sharon (loosely based on a well-known real-life revivalist of the early 1920's, Aimee Semple McPherson, about whom I'd heard from my grandmother) in a manner reminiscent of her character in "Spartacus" - she was the perfect choice for this role, as was Lancaster for his.

Shirley Jones was awarded the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her lively portrayal of prostitute Lulu Bains, whose past history with Gantry comes back to haunt him, with some of the best lines in the film - gleefully laughing as she dances about a room full of her fellow prostitutes, she recounts that "He rammed the fear of God into me so fast I never heard my old man's footsteps!" Watching Burt Lancaster in his prime use his athletic ability (he was a circus acrobat before he became an actor) and physical grace helps make his performance truly electrifying. And he also manages to believably evolve Elmer Gantry from loud-mouthed salesman to a sympathetic and honest human being over the course of the film.

The top-notch supporting cast includes Arthur Kennedy, Patti Page, Dean Jagger, and John McIntire.

Office Space (1999)

"Could you do that? That'd be greaaaaaaat."

[9/10 · 4 June 2005]

One of the funniest movies ever made, easily watchable several times a year, and always on my list of "films to take along on the yearly beach trip in case it rains". Anyone who's ever had to work in an office environment (I have, many times) will find something to love, as will anyone who's ever waitressed in a restaurant such as "T.G.I. Friday's" (ditto), that makes the employees wear idiotic uniforms involving wearing decorations such as buttons (called "flair" in this film).

Mike Judge (creator of Beavis and Butthead, and he also has a cameo as the annoying supervisor at the restaurant) hits every right note in the film that really displayed Gary Cole's ("Fatal Vision") comedic ability, and proved Jennifer Aniston, as Joanna, Peter's love interest, to be capable of much more than just being a TV "Friend". Her performance in "Office Space" resulted in her getting another ground-breaking part for her, in "The Good Girl". Ron Livingston (Peter Gibbons) is dead-on as the deadpanned, put-upon office worker who finally breaks free. Diedrich Bader (of The Drew Carey Show) in a small but notable part as Peter's construction-worker friend and neighbor is wonderfully funny, and almost unrecognizable under the long hair and drawl. Stephen Root ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?") is the Swingline-stapler loving underfoot underdog.

All the smaller parts are fleshed out well and are hilarious in their own right, and each aspect of the film, while exaggerating the possible goings-on in the office world, exposes the inherent idiocies. This is one of those films that has spun out classic quotable lines from the first day it premiered.

Did you get the memo?

Somewhere in Time (1980)

"Is it you?"

[8/10 · 31 May 2005]

The ultimate modern-day four-hankie chick-flick, "Somewhere In Time", starring Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, Christopher Plummer, and Teresa Wright (in a bit part) is an unabashedly sentimental, romantic, beautiful film that never fails to bring me to tears.

Reeve portrays Richard Collier, a young Chicago playwright, who, on the opening night of his first play, is approached by an elderly woman who pleads with him to "Come back to me" as she presses an antique watch into his hands. Intrigued, he starts to do some research and discovers that the woman was, in her youth, a beautiful and popular stage actress named Elise McKenna. He travels to a resort where she had performed, and becomes obsessed with a photographic portrait he sees on display there. (Next comes the really fantasy part) He decides he has to learn how he can travel back in time so that he may meet her, and by self-hypnosis, combined with other methods/props, they meet and fall in love. But trouble rears its ugly head in the form of Elise's overbearing and overprotective manager (Plummer).

Christopher Reeve is at his handsome prime here, and his performance is wonderfully Gary Cooperish-tall-awkward-naive-in love. Jane Seymour is at her most patrician, slyly feline best (her other best performance, IMO, has been in the TV remake of "East of Eden", which is actually a very fine film in its own right). Their performances, along with Christopher Plummer's, the beautiful soundtrack by John Barry, which is almost better than the film itself, and the costumes combine to make a great tearjerker along the lines of the old classics.

Being Julia (2004)

Bening steals the film

[7/10 · 31 May 2005]

"Passion. Obsession. Revenge. Prepare for the performance of a lifetime." Based on the Somerset Maugham novel "Theatre", set in late 1930's London, "Being Julia" is an over-the-top tale of passion and revenge with an ending that left me in a state of disbelief and delight. As diva and stage actress Julia Lambert, Bening gives her all in a performance that reminds me of Bette Davis' tour de force turn in "All About Eve". The best part and the main reason to see "Being Julia" is Annette Bening, and she is why the film works. But unlike Margo Channing in "All About Eve", Julia Lambert is not a particularly sympathetic character, but Bening has the audience rooting for her as the tension builds with the ever-increasing complexities of the characters' personal lives.

I like Annette Bening anyway; from my favorite performances of hers in films such as "The Grifters", "Mars Attacks" and "American Beauty", she's proved that she's a wonderful, versatile actress, and a striking woman who looks as if she's had nothing done to her face...she looks her age, and is gorgeous; she gets even more beautiful with age. It's so nice to see actresses over the age of 30 whose facial features can actually still move! With a great supporting cast including Jeremy Irons, Michael Gambon, Juliet Stevenson, Bruce Greenwood, and relative newcomer Shaun Evans, "Being Julia" is a highly entertaining, satisfying, and riveting film that will keep you watching every second on the merits of great dialogue and performances, in a day and age when flash and special effects seem to be the more popular fare.