This movie seems to be revered by a lot of Mamet fans. But I just don't see it. It's the worst Joe Mantegna performance I've seen. In fact, most of the performances are stiff and unbelievable. The shootout near the end is almost funny it's so bad. All of it. The monologues, the witty comebacks - they're just painful. The dialogue is so overwrought. Mantegna's sudden longing to understand and fight for his heritage comes with no explanation, no backstory, no hint of him having been treated as an outsider on the police force until he comes back apparently just days after being shot twice. THEN suddenly everyone is staring and acting weird. Why? This is a bad movie. I can't even believe this is a Mamet film.
Reviews
34 Reviews
Alan Arkin - always all you need to know
4 August 2023
Well, that was a wild and interesting ride. What a strange movie. But as you would - or should - expect, Alan Arkin makes everything okay. This mix of comedy, adventure, camp, and musical is supremely odd, but so funny. Richard O'Brien co-wrote a few of the songs and there are definite flashes back to Rocky Horror. Parts of it feel like his version of Dr. Strangelove. Christopher Lee is perfectly over-the-top as the mad villain, and his musical numbers are incredibly fun - thanks in part to the dance troupe that accompanied him. And Alan Arkin applies his gift for taking a simple line and making it something special. A cult classic is what it is and should be.
Barry
(2018–2023)
Great show with a big qualifier
4 June 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Incredible show. It was riveting and very difficult to turn off. There wasn't a weak link in the cast, and this is probably the quintessential dark comedy - the darkest of dark comedy. But the perfect ending was right in their grasp and they took it away. It was like the old saying - they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. I know they were avoiding the expected ending, but in a show filled with completely absurd scenarios that worked, the last one didn't. Even once you have accepted the improbable premise, it still has to make sense, but the ending didn't (although it did do an incredible yet subtle job of revealing a fascinating aspect of Sally's character). I get why they did it - I just didn't like it. Without the final scene it's a 10. With it, it's still one of the best shows I've seen.
The Godfather Part III
(1990)
What a sad finale
24 April 2023
This is a terrible movie. Seriously, it's terrible. Any praise for this movie has to be based on the reputation of its predecessors. This is a forced, overwrought, overacted mess. Within the context of the story, I and II were very believable, whereas this seems like an imitation made in an effort to capitalize on the original(s). It has none of the depth or atmosphere, the dialogue is cliched beyond belief, and the performances - while in part the result of having nothing to work with - are almost universally far below the standards established by the individual actors. It is also one of the few movies I've seen where the directing is noticeable to a layperson - and not in a good way. I'm not kidding. It's terrible and an insult to two of the best movies ever made.
The Lawless Years
(1959–1961)
Should be famous
2 March 2023
This is an exceptional TV noir/police drama. For anyone who liked James Gregory as Inspector Frank Luger on Barney Miller, this is the dramatic role he was satirizing. Gregory is great as the tough, sardonic detective who worked his cases logically. He was never presented as the smartest guy in the room or the one who always saw what everyone else missed (think Steve McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O, either version). The show squeezed a lot into about 23 minutes. There is no fluff in the stories, and the outcomes were always well supported. Lots of early appearances from actors who later made it big as well. A very under-appreciated show.
Velma
(2023– )
Beyond Words
20 January 2023
An origin story for Velma sounded kind of promising. Then I saw it. This is an unmitigated disaster. I hate to sound like I'm overly invested here, but why do this to an iconic children's cartoon? The show is gross, vulgar, crass, stupid ... enter similar description here. And of course, devoid of humor. The jokes are forced, obvious, and lowest-common-denominator in nature. In fact, they are insulting. There is no nuance or irony. No winks or nudges. Just sledgehammer stupidity. It truly felt like something some overgrown kids would do in an effort to create something that would insult as many people as possible. Please, just don't.
A Visit to Santa
(1963)
Our weirdest seasonal tradition
23 December 2022
This short is just terrible - and I wouldn't miss it for the world at Christmas. I came across it on one of those low-level free streaming Roku channels along with all manner of other old and odd Christmas movies and programs. Its depiction of Santa's home as a modern early-60's pad with a sunken living room gets it off to a great start and sets just the right tone. What follows is so overwhelmingly boring that you can't look away waiting for something to happen. But as Santa shows Dick and Ann the inner workings of the North Pole, you wonder how they kept the kids' attention during filming. But presumably a lot of people worked hard on this project, so good for them. I wouldn't miss the silly innocence of this film during the Christmas season.
Great episode with attitude!
22 July 2022
One bad plot point away from greatness
4 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Every performance in this movie is fantastic, and the story is interesting and very plausible in the context - with one disastrous exception. Other reviewers have complained about the fact that some of the dialogue was mumbled and hard to hear, but it fit the circumstances. Most of it was from Timothy Carey, and what could be more "Timothy Carey" than mumbling your ad-libbed dialogue so that no one can understand it? Morgan Woodward was the epitome of mob-cool but in a much more realistic sense than movies ordinarily depict, and Meade Roberts as Mr. Sophistication was so good and so odd. The movie is gritty and has great atmosphere. But the one problem is a huge problem and just ruins the second half. How is anyone supposed to believe that Cosmo (Ben Gazzara, who is otherwise exceptional) can be shot in the side, go fall onto Mama's bed in pain, and then spend the next few hours of the night traipsing all over town without a hint of discomfort - laughing, drinking, flirting? I was hoping for it all to be a fever dream, a metaphor, something, but it never happened. I can live with the lack of resolution, but not something so utterly illogical. It truly makes what was otherwise a great movie very disappointing.
House of the Damned
(1963)
Good atmosphere, boring movie
25 June 2022
This movie is pretty bad. Started promisingly but then tanked quickly. It has good atmosphere and a couple of mildly creepy moments, but overall it is very dull and has maybe the most anti-climatic resolution I've ever seen. Not at all worth the time.
Ransom!
(1956)
Glenn Ford is great, story is interesting, movie is just okay.
11 June 2022
I almost gave up on it a few times in the first half. The silly-sweet start is over the top, and the scenes surrounding the introduction of the crime are not good. Unrealistic, overwrought, and cliched. And Leslie Neilson's character is annoying beyond words and a huge distraction. Everything the character does is completely unbelievable, as is a lot of what most other characters do. A strong point in addition to Ford is the performance of Juano Hernandez as the family butler. He is terrific, and he really elevates what is usually a very stereotypical role. Ultimately Ford and Hernandez are the reason to watch. While the movie doesn't do much in the way of establishing Ford's background, his evolution is still convincing. Super anti-climatic ending. Okay, but not one I'd watch again.
Battle Beneath the Earth
(1967)
Logic optional
30 May 2022
This movie is actually fairly entertaining, but mostly because spotting the continuity errors and absence of logic is so much fun. The concept is interesting, but the script is stunningly dumb. I think it is worth one viewing by fans of C-grade sci-fi, but unless you can turn the film into a drinking game - and you could - that is enough.
Cry of the Hunted
(1953)
Okay story, bad script
15 May 2022
Liked the idea - a manhunt in the Louisiana bayou. But the witty banter isn't witty, and the script is chock full of illogical decisions and sudden, inexplicable changes in the behavior of some characters. Good scenery and atmosphere made it worth the time investment, but just this once.
Loan Shark
(1952)
Decent movie interrupted by unnecessary love story.
11 April 2022
Decent B noir/crime film. Raft is a little wooden but was predictably good as the tough guy - and a little less convincing as the sensitive love interest. Paul Stewart is terrific as the lead henchman, and a cool performance by John Hoyt as well. Overall a pretty tight and entertaining movie.
Ship of Fools
(1965)
Good, but doesn't compare to the book.
11 April 2022
This movie is such a paradox - too short to properly capture the "soul" of the amazing Katherine Porter novel on which is based , but too long for for an attempt to do it in one film. Vivian Leigh was tremendous, as were Simone Signoret, Michael Dunn, and Oskar Werner, the George Segal-Elizabeth Ashley scenes were a little painful and not very believable, and Lee Marvin was way over the top. Would have made a great limited TV series but the book just can't be done justice by a standard movie treatment. A good movie to be sure, but doesn't compare well to its source material.
Them!
(1954)
Excellent classic sci-fi!
20 March 2022
While the odds of a movie about giant ants being top-notch might seem low, Them! Pulls it off. The cast is good and the performances are believable. Most importantly, the story stays within plausible bounds. The key to these movies is that no matter how outlandish the premise, the story must remain plausible within the context of the story. This one does that as well as any I've seen. Everything that happens makes sense once you accept the premise. A really good movie.
12 to the Moon
(1960)
They should have stayed on the moon
20 March 2022
This is the worst movie I've ever seen - and I've seen The Road to Wellville. It is just so dumb. Many B sci-fi movies of the era are endearing despite (maybe because of) low budgets and crazy stories. This isn't one of them. Crazy stories are fine but they have to make themselves plausible within the context of the story. This movie doesn't. Just awful.
Would rate higher if it ended differently
11 February 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Hume Cronyn is great here. One of the show's best episodes, but could have been much better if they had worked with Filer's backstory. But no, had to have McGarret's standard smartest-guy-in-the-room ending. Love the show, hate the character.
The Mob
(1951)
Good story, cast, and dialogue.
22 January 2022
This is a really good noir with great atmosphere and several nice twists. Broderick Crawford starts as a character you hate to see him play - browbeaten by his boss and reluctant to stand up for himself. That doesn't last long, though. The cast is fantastic with lots of familiar faces, and the dialogue is sharp and both well-paced and well-placed. This one deserves to be more prominent.
The Front Page
(1931)
Dark and cynical; not a "comedy" in the usual sense
16 January 2022
I frequently see this film labeled as a "screwball comedy," but the "comedy" is much better described as gritty, dark, and cynical humor. And while it certainly is mild by modern standards, the humor is often downright raunchy for the time. The movie is also heavy on uncomfortable racial and ethnic references. However, it seems very realistic and reflective of its time and context. It's juxtaposition of humor and tragedy is kind of jarring at times and is a little reminiscent of movies like "Good Morning, Vietnam" in that respect. The romance angle really is just a plot device to give Hildy a conflict. I don't think any real lesson comes from it. Anyway, all that amateur analysis aside, I thought it was an excellent and entertaining movie. The dialogue is sharp, and the characters are quirky and memorable.
The Safecracker
(1958)
3 movies in 1 - all average
15 January 2022
This was fairly entertaining, but odd. It is like three distinct movies - a crime film followed by a light comedy and closed out with a war picture. There are several plot points that were not well developed and that leave you filling in some gaps yourself - and not in the "I'm glad they didn't just spoon feed it to me" way, but in the "wait - what the heck just happened there?" way. The story was interesting enough but it all stayed pretty superficial. Wasn't a waste of time but won't watch it again.
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