80s-movies

Missing (1982)

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:59:00 +0000

Missing (1982)
Director: Costa-Gravas
Cast: Sissy Spacek, Jack Lemmon, John Shea, Melanie Mayron, David Clennon, Joe Regalbuto
Memorable Line(s): "If you weren't personally involved in this unfortunate incident, you'd be sitting at home - complacent and more or less oblivious to all of this. This mission is here to protect American interests."

*Underrated and Overlooked*
Missing is a largely forgotten movie, but it really shouldn't be because it is a powerful movie which tells a story that was went quietly ignored by the world as the events of the plot unfolded in reality. It's not a feel good movie, but one that is moving and should be a must see for thinking movie goers.

The Plot of Missing
Charlie Horman (Shea) and his wife, Beth (Spacek) are young and idealistic searching for some truth in Chile during a turbulent time in the countries history. While they think they were making a difference, they are really dilettantes playing in dangerous water way above their heads. Charlie fancies himself a writer and stumbles upon information that he shouldn't know and comes up missing.

The story really gets going when Charlie's father (Lemmon) comes on the scene to find his son and carrying his own blinding sense of idealism. He immediately sees his daughter-in-law as a left-wing reactionary who's meddling caused his sons disappearance. But the more he looks, the more he learns that their our forces at work behind the scenes that must be investigated if he is to find what happened to his son.

We not only get to see the story of the search for a son, but also the unveiling of a country being dismantled and a people disenfranchised from their own rights by a powerful military coup while both father and wife search without much hope.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Missing
Both story telling and performances compliment each other perfectly in this movie. Costa-Gravas balances a tenuous beam between giving us a political perspective on oppression and how the U.S. aids and abets these acts in their interest along providing us an emotionally compelling story of the conflict between generations and how they can learn to respect each other against the backdrop of an epic tragedy.

All the performances are spot on including all the supporting characters. Spacek shines in her role, but the real stand-out is Lemmon. He shows the right combination of pride and ignorance when he first appears, but also portrays an man evolving as his eyes are opened. He also is spot on showing us a man's anguish at the disappearance of his only child.

This is a first rate script. We get to know the characters intimately and know their frustrations and struggles. Costa-Gravas' script also uncovers the unwinding of a political mystery without becoming too pedantic or didactic.

The other added element that enhances the story telling is Vangelis' haunting score.

Summary Judgment on Missing
Missing tells a layered story with many angles. One layer is intricately political and is completely compelling on it's own, but the director knows that true hook is the emotional bonds are between father and son and husband and wife. Costa-Gravas walks the tight-wire of telling us both the individual tale of this family along with unveiling a truth that we all should have paid a lot more attention to, but ignored.

Continental Divide

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Continental Divide (1981)

Director: Michael Apted
Cast: John Belushi, Blair Brown, Allen Garfield, Val Avery
Memorable Line: "I want to stay here only marginally more than I want to die trying to escape."

This is a variation on theme of the fish out of water story. This time it's the big city reporter way out of his element in the great outdoors

The Plot of Continental Divide

Ernie Souchak (Belushi) is the typical hard-nosed big city reporter who specializes in getting all the dirt on corrupt city fathers. When he steps on the wrong toes, he finds his life in danger and, at the urging of his boss, he takes a sabbatical trip into the Rockies to interview a reclusive researcher (Brown) who specializes in eagle research.

They are obviously badly mis-matched and initially don't get along at all as she wants nothing to do with him and he wants nothing to do with the nature scene. The sparks fly as their philosophies and styles clash, but Souchak starts finding this independent and attractive woman of nature quite alluring. She, of course, rebukes him -- initially, but something about him starts to win her over.

Souchak, being the hopeless news hound that he is, has to find a story and does he decides to write about the researcher and her work with the endanger eagles. After two bad bouts with nature, Souchak ends up staying past his planned departure date, but it's not nature that fells the mighty Souchak, but love.

Upon his return to the city, he sleep walks through his job, but when something happens to one of his source, he's back on the trail of corruption and distances himself from his lady love. That is, until she turns up on his turf and then their world collide all over again, leaving the two in limbo, caught in two different worlds.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Continental Divide

This movie has a throw-back quality to it and you have to buy into the fact that this is pure Hollywood. Penned by Lawrence Kasden, the script has its cliches, but it stays consist to it's nature and finds a core that audiences can accept if they don't want reality. They keep most of the schmaltz to a minimum.

Belushi is a bit stiff at times as the leading man, but he has an endearing style that wins you over. I'm a sucker Blair Brown at this stage in her career, but besides that obvious bias, she is convincing in her role.

The music score is over the top at times and doesn't help keep the movie grounded. Some of the moments reek of sentimentality and the balance is tenuous, but there's an irresistible appeal to the movie that engages the viewer.

Summary Judgment on Continental Divide

Not too subtle, the movie has an overall appeal that masks the thin story and schmaltzy scenes, but the ending pushes the limits somewhat. It's shame that Belushi did allow himself to live long enough to cultivate this leading man gig he really only got to audition for in this film.

Near Dark

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:44:00 +0000

Near Dark (1987)
Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Cast: Lance Henrikson, Adrian Pasdar, Bill Paxton, Jenny Wright, Jennette Goldstein, Tim Thomerson
Memorable Line(s): "Listen to the night, it's deafening."

A rural boys meets the wrong girl and is suddenly caught up in the wrong crowd - a crowd of vampires. This film became a cult classic and shows some style, albeit, a coarse and brutal one.

The Plot of Near Dark
Caleb (Pasdar) sees himself as rowdy and dangerous, but then he meets Mae (Wright) and she takes him down the path to the dark side. She introduces Caleb to her vampire clan which consists of their leader, Jesse (Henrickson), his girl, Diamondback (Goldstein), a wild one (Paxton), and a vampire child. These are violent and dangerous creatures that operate more like redneck vampires, playing cards and busting up out-of-the way honky-tonks.

After he is turned from human to vampire, Caleb is lost and disoriented, but then the truth becomes all too evident and he must choose their dark path or the one they took from him. The stakes are upped when they take him on a particularly violent escapade and demanding that he get in his first kill. He denies his thirst, but his fate seems inevitable.

His family is doing everything they can to find him, but it seems as if he will be lost unless he can find a way back to his humanity.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Near Dark
This is a heavily stylized movie in places. The pace is deliberate and takes its time, sometimes dragging, but the overall momentum carries the movie forward. Parts of the film do seem somewhat contrived and drawn out and the final showdown is downright clunky in places.

Pasdar has to carry the movie initially and his performance is a bit stiff, but Henrikson, Wright, and Paxton bring the movie up a notch. Wright plays her part with an innocence mixed with the necessary blood lust.

You can tell the movie has a limited budget and it shows in places, but director Bigelow does a great job of getting the most out of her limited resources. There are scenes that just cry out for a few more set-ups. The editing, while probably innovative in it's day, seems a bit turgid in places. Plus, the score works for the most part, but will seem somewhat dated to some.

Summary Judgment on Near Dark
Near Dark isn't for everyone's taste. It is violent and unrelenting for the most part, but there's some heart beneath it. Today, with a bigger budget and some more subtle direction, you could have a real break-out movie, but the movie, as is, still has some appeal.

The Sure Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:02:00 +0000

The Sure Thing (1985)
Director: Rob Reiner
Cast: John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Anthony Edwards, Tim Robbins
Memorable Line(s): "Then she leaned over and whispered in his ear, 'Do you love me?' Thoughts raced through his mind. Did she really want him? What had he done to deserve this bounty? Does God exist? Who invented liquid soap and why? 'Do you love me?' Staring into her eyes he knew that she really needed to hear it but for the first time in his life, he knew these were no longer just words and if he said it, it would be a lie."

An epic journey across the country with the Holy Grail of treasures at the end -- the perfect girl. She has what every college age guys dreams of -- a nubile body and a willingness to meet his needs. The only problem is the other girl that comes along for the ride.

The Plot of The Sure Thing
Walter (Gib) Gibson (Cusack) is on college break and traveling across the country to find the "sure thing." His starting place is the east coast and his destination is the west coast and a beautiful girl ready and waiting. His traveling companion (Zuniga) is a brainy and up tight co-ed who is on her way to see her boyfriend and is contemplating the next evolutionary step in their relationship.

The wheels come off their journey on several occasions as they find themselves without money, wet, and stranded in a car with a couple who insist on singing show tunes. (And expect participation from their passengers.)

Any number of travails befall our two travelers, and, of course, at first they can't find anything they have in common. But as the journey progresses, they learn more and more about each other and learn the theory of opposites attracting. The only issue is that Gib has the "sure thing" waiting on him and both aren't certain what will happen when that moment of truth comes.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of The Sure Thing
Cusack plays the college guy well and was at a point in his career where he was perfecting the every-day guy who has a brain and some charisma. Because he was still in the building process, it all seems new in this role where later in his career, it got a bit stale. His co-star Zuniga is winning in her own way, too. She plays up-tight and conventional quite well. Tom Robbins has a nice cameo as a show tune loving guy who gives our couple a ride.

This Rob Reiner's second feature film after "This is Spinal Tap" and he shows he knows how to handle a conventional narrative quite well. The pacing is perfect for the road picture genre and the script along with the performances seem to bring a freshness that it is undeniable. There are some truly good laughs and some romantic moments that hit home.

Summary Judgment on The Sure Thing
This is a film that takes on the road picture and does it well. Cusack and Zuniga have a great deal of chemistry and the writing is sharp. If you're looking for something light, you should give The Sure Thing a try.

An Officer and a Gentleman

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:35:00 +0000

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Director: Taylor Hackford
Cast: Richard Gere, Debra Winger, Lour Gossett Jr., David Keith, David Caruso
Memorable Line: " I got no place else to go."

An Officer and a Gentleman is, in many ways, a through-back film, but ads both a modern sensibility and some modern steaminess.

The Plot of An Office and a Gentleman
Zack Mayo (Gere) is the typical lone wolf, the guy who's had a rough life and knows no one will watch out for him, so he's not counting on or connecting with anyone. He has only one goal -- become an naval pilot. And nothing or no one is going to stand in his way. Well, except for maybe the tough-as-nails, training sergeant (Gossett) who sees Zack's lack of connection with the other trainees as a character defect that Zack must overcome to become a successful pilot and person.

The only two people Zack even tries to connect with are his lone friend and fellow aviator trainee, Sid (Keith), and a local girl, Paula (Winger), who Zack sees as a only a good-time girl while he is in town.

Both events and people begin to work on Zack. Training Sergeant Foley not only places tremendous physical pressure on Zack through the demanding training, but also emotional leverage to get Zack to open his eyes to the benefits and necessities of connecting and depending on others. Paula also works on Zack to show him that those around him can be trusted and dependable, but Zack had difficulty finding a way to trust even though both Sergeant Foley and Paula know that Zack will never be truly happy until he can find a way.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of An Office and a Gentleman
The performances in An Officer and a Gentleman are really stellar. Both Gere and Winger bring their A-Game. Gere's performance sizzles in his aloofness. Winger shows the depth of desperation of being trapped in a dead end life while also showing she can't compromise her core values to escape, betting it all on truth and honesty. Gossett Jr. has the part of a life time with Sergeant Foley. Yes, he puts on the drill instructor role and commends it, but he also brings depth and wisdom to the character. David Keith (an actor who has an ascending career in the '80s) plays the "aw-shucks" friend who is really living someone else's life and does it quite believably. Also, you will catch David Caruso in one of his first big screen roles as one of the other trainees.

Taylor Hackford knew what he had to do with this movie and that was taking the old fashioned romance and layering it with modern story telling and approach. The depth of the characters and their psychological make-up is broader than movies in the romance genre in the past. The treatment is updated, too, as the intimate scenes are elevated in steaminess to an almost incendiary level. The direction is crisp and Hackford knows how far to take a scene and make it work.

The one thing I really liked about the story is that these people seemed real. The life they live, the places they inhabit, and the whole culture of the movie seems reals. These are mostly lower class folks trying to make it by and maybe getting a break to find a way up at least one wrung of the ladder.

Now, with all that being said, this is a Hollywood movie and there is a predictability about it. Still, it's the journey the character's take that it most important and what draws us in.

Summary Judgment on An Office and a Gentleman
An Officer and a Gentleman is romance cut out of modern clothes and one that is worth watching in spite of the contrived conventions of the genre. Plus there are some tremendous performances.

Young Sherlock Holmes

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:46:00 +0000

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)

Director: Barry Levinson

Cast: Nicholas Rowe, Alan Cox, Sophie Ward, Freddie Jones Memorable Line: "The game is afoot."

I remember seeing this movie for the first time many years ago and while I didn't think it was great art, I felt that it would have made a bigger impact. Alas, it did not.

The Plot of Young Sherlock Holmes

Faithful companion and fellow adventurer, Watson (Cox) arrives at a new exclusive boarding school in London and quickly encounters a young man with exceptional perception and a keen intellect and they become fast friends. This new friend is, of course, the young Sherlock Holmes (Rowe).

The plot unfolds as Holmes displays his skills at solving little mysteries, but quickly expands as Holmes and Watson are looking into the murders of several older and upper crust gentleman. Authorities rebuff Holmes insistence that these crimes have a sinister pattern and Holmes and Watson must solve the crimes themselves. Accompanied by Holmes girlfriend, Elizabeth (Ward), they find that not all is right behind the scenes in London.

The Performances, Writing, and Director of Young Sherlock Holmes

Director Levinson might not have been the best pick to direct this movie as most of his prior and later work was more involved with character and this movie is heavily plot burdened. Plus his skills at handling action scenes seems to need some work.

Still, there's a decent, but somewhat preposterous plot that keeps the movie moving along that isn't entirely unenjoyable and is, in fact, quiet engaging. Rowe seems to capture the intellect and haunted drive beneath the character of Holmes. Cox gives a solid performance as the side kick, Watson, and Sophie Ward is enchanting as Holmes love interest.

Summary Judgment on Young Sherlock Holmes

If you're looking for a nice Saturday afternoon, popcorn movie, this Young Sherlock Holmes could easily fit your bill. It's not too intense of the younger set and is somewhat of a throw back movie and one that I wouldn't have minded seeing more of.

E.T.

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 17:26:00 +0000

E.T. (1982)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Cast: Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Peter Coyote
Memorable Line: "E.T., phone home"

Steven Spielberg was the darling of the box office at this point of his career and he knew all the ways to manipulate the heart strings of the audiences. E.T. is a good example of that less than subtle skill.

The Plot of E.T.

Elliot (Thomas), a normal young boy in a single parent family discovers an alien and befriends it. Not know what to do, he hides the alien from his family as long as he can, but slowly must introduce it to, first, his sister, then his older brother and finally his mother. Elliot develops a strong empathetic connection with E.T. in the process.

Of course, this can't go on as a shadowy government agency suddenly arrives on the scene and Elliot is sure his new friend will be dissected in unholy experiments. While the government folks work on E.T., the little alien gets sick and because of his connection to Elliot, the boy get sick also. To help his new alien friend out, Elliot plots with his friends to rescue E.T. But will Elliot's plan to get E.T. work or will the government agents take E.T. down?

The Performances, Writing, and Director of E.T.
By now, Spielberg had all his tricks established and he knew just what strings to pull to make the audience dance. For the most part, he's quiet effective, but there are several times in this movie that he stretches the limits of his manipulation. I can remember hearing a grown man behind my crying when E.T. was in peril.

Still Spielberg does a good job of making the family seem real. Thomas stands out as Elliot and holds his own with any adult. Drew Barrymore is a scene-stealer in her own right, though. Dee Wallace does a solid job of playing the harried single parent.

John William's score is a major player in the movie and makes the manipulation a little more evident at times.

Summary Judgment on E.T.
E.T. is a simple crowd pleasing movie. It has a lot of appeal for the mass audience and if you going into the movie with that in mind, you should have no problems and I can now watch it again with my own kids and not feel too manipulated.

The Top Five Horror Films of the 1980s

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:22:00 +0000

A new take on the vampire movie with modern sensibilities, low-budget demons, a sexy, funny version of the werewolf flick, an urban ghost story and alien invaders -- these all lead the charge for best horror films of the 80's.

Number 5 Fright Night (1985)
Modern and Gothic style meet in the same movie. The vampire movie is a staple for silver screen screams and director Tom Holland makes this one fun and scary. Roddy McDowall leads the cast with relish and has a tongue-in-cheek role of a TV vampire hunter who must face down the real thing when young, highly impressionable teenager finds out that a vampire has moved in next door. Filled with special effects, melodrama and laughs, Fright Night's take on the vampire movie is a little light at times, but still provides an enjoyable viewing experience

Number 4 - The Evil Dead (1981)
A huge low-budget hit, The Evil Dead is as raw and as energetic as a film can be. Helmed by Spider-Man director, Sam Raimi, this movie makes the most of every meager dollar in its budget. Five college friends spend a harrowing few days at a cabin in the woods when they discover a book that opens a door to hell letting loose an horrific demon. Some of the acting is pretty uneven, but Bruce Campbell got his start here and stands out. The movie never lets up and that's what makes it so engaging. Raimi just keeps bring the action and you forget the budget and get sucked into the story.

Number 3 - An American Werewolf in London (1981)
Two college guys looking for fun and adventure in England end up in a small back-water tavern. It's late and the locals only words are admonishments to "stay off the moors." Ignoring their words the two guys find themselves on the moors and suddenly out of nowhere something attacks them and kills one and savages the other. Sounds heavy and it is, but there are moments of dark inspired comedy that does a perfect job of balancing out the horror. In fact, they are just jaw dropping funny and horrific. Memorable for it's classic werewolf transformation scenes, An American Werewolf also delivers an engaging story worth your time. That is, if you're up to it.

Number 2 - Poltergeist (1982)
A family moves into their dream home in the suburbs only to discover that all is not well with their new abode. In fact, things that go bump in the night are very present. Directed in name by Tobe Hooper, but showing all the signs of being directed by producer/writer, Spielberg, Poltergeist breaks new ground in the fact the ghost is actually plaguing suburbia as opposed to the abandoned mansion at the top of the wooded hill. What gives this movie depth is the character relationships -- this is a family being attacked and these are parents who face their worse nightmare as the ghosts take one of their children. For those that love scares, there are plenty of those too.

Number 1 - The Thing (1982)
Yes, aliens have been done before and this movie has been done before, but never so effectively. Director John Carpenter goes back to the source material, a short story called "Who Goes There," and brings out the paranoia factor. In The Thing, you don't know if the guy next to you is human or something else -- something much worse. A group of guys at an outpost in the Antarctic discover that the outpost just a few miles away from them has been wiped out. Before they know it, something enters their midst and one-by-one, they all start to get taken over, but while the "new you" doesn't look any different, it is very different and deadly. While Carpenter plumbs the depths of paranoia, he also takes us on a gore fest of special effects. After a while, the effects go a little over the top, but the essential elements of the movie prevail and provide a truly horrific and enjoyable story.

Honorable Mention
The Fly
Return of the Living Dead
Re-Animator
Near Dark

Absence of Malice

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 22:45:00 +0000

Absence of Malice (1981)
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Paul Newman, Sally Field, Bob Balaban, Melinda Dillon, Josef Sommer, Wilford Brimley

It's hard for a movie to be subtle and obvious at the same time, but that's how Absence of Malice comes across. Parts of it are handled with subtlety and deftness while other parts are blunt and in your face.

The Plot of Absence of Malice
Michael Colin Gallagher (Newman) is a small business operator just trying to get by. The problem is that he just happens to be the son of a dead Mafia boss. The other problem is that some people can't let the past be the past. Megan (Field) is a plucky reporter who get manipulated by a ruthless prosecutor (Balaban) into start an investigation into Gallagher, after making allegations that Gallagher is somehow involved in a potential murder.

Gallegher confronts Megan and the sparks fly. Things only get worse as Gallagher's life starts to unravel. But there is something about Gallagher that convinces Megan that he might not be guilty as charged and she digs deeper to find discover him innocent. There's a brief turnaround and a romance ensues as Gallagher's troubles start to remedy themselves. That is until a very close friend (Dillon) of Gallagher comes to his aid but a deep personal cost.

Gallagher decides that it's time to take control of the situation and turns the tables on those in a position of power and plays them masterfully. All the while, Megan is forced to face the ugly dilemmas of being a reporter.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Absence of Malice
Newman gives us a cool and controlled character, keeping his scenes sparse rather than histrionic. Fields probably overplays cute as the spunky reporter, but her portrayal is not a total loss. The supporting cast of Balaban, Dillon, and Sommer all bring their considerable talents to the role and are every bit convincing. Wilford Brimely comes in at the last act and shows a lot of charisma as a crusty lawyer sent into clean up a royal mess.

Pollack lets the story move at it's own pace and at times this works, but in other places, the movie seems to meander without finding any dynamism. Despite this, the movie is still enjoyable as the story is compelling and the actors so good.

My only other bone to pick with the movie is that Dave Gruisin score seems dated and some of the cues overwrought. This is just an example of a director wanting to capture the essence of the times of when the movie was made.

Summary Judgment on Absence of Malice
Newman makes the movie, pure and simple. His controlled performance is compelling. The story does a good job of dissecting how easy it is for the media to manipulated. While not a barn burner, Absence of Malice is worth your attention.

War Games

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:49:00 +0000

War Games (1983)
Director: John Badham
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Ally Sheedy, Dabney Coleman, Barry Corbin, John Wood
Memorable Line: "Want to play a game?

War Games is basically a popcorn movie and, yes, it's not really meant to be taken too seriously, but as an easy going, teen-targeted thriller it's still enjoyable.

The Plot of War Games
David (Broderick) is way ahead of the times in the race to computer nerdom. He knows how to hack and geek his way into the most complex systems in his quest to find the next computer game. And even how to change his slacking grades. But the real trouble starts when he hacks his way into a system that he thinks is the next coolest game system, but unbeknown-st to him, he's really gained access to a new computer system that controls the national defense system and starts a game that could end in Armageddon.

David figures it out to late to figure out what he's started and find himself in the custody with the custodian of the computer system (Coleman) who wants David punished for his intrusion. Being a cunny guy, David escapes and enlists the aid of his friend (Sheedy) to track down the designer of the computer system (Wood).

The designer of the system has a sinister plan and it's up to David and his friend to convince him that the human race is worth saving. All this leads to a showdown as nuclear missles stand ready to be launched to end the world.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of War Games
As I stated above, this is a popcorn movie and it's handled that way. There are huge gaps of logic and plot holes galore, but that doesn't really matter because we're not to take the movie seriously. Badham knows how to create tension when he needs to and when to ligthen up.

Broderick carries the movie with his infectious charm and precociousness. Broderick and Sheedy make a nice pair, but sometimes come across too cutsey. Still they manage to engage the audience in their plight. Coleman takes in his smarmy bad-guy role with typical style and deftness. Corbin is great as the puffed up and folksy general in charge of the either commending the end of the world as we know it and stopping it.

Summary Judgment on War Games
Again, War Games was created to be a light and airy thriller despite it's potentially serious subject matter. If you want a movie where you don't have to think hard, but is still enjoyable, War Games fits the bill.

Prince of the City

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:13:00 +0000

Prince of the City (1981)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Treat Williams, Jerry Orbach, Richard Foronjy, Bob Balaban, James Tolkan
Memorable Line: "I sleep with my wife, but I live with my partners."

*Underrated and Overlooked*
Prince of the City is Sidney Lumet's apology to the NYPD for his slap-in-face movie, "Serpico." It's also a wonderful move that has been mostly forgotten. Some say it's Lumet's best movie and you'd get no argument from me.

The Plot of of Prince of the City
Danny Ciello is a part of a team of cop, a Special Investigative Unit, that along with doing their job, takes a little extra on the side. They bust the drug dealer, take his money (for themselves) and put the guy in jail. But this dichotomy of being a good cop while taking with both hands is eating him alive. But once he opens the door to his own personal redemption he had no idea the Pandora's box he opening. Hissolemn vow not to hurt his partners or friends, turns out to be a promise that he cannot keep and one that will be inevitably turned against him.

At first, he feels good about making his about face because he's putting "bad guys" in jail, but in all the lies and deceit, it's unavoidable that the circle of his sins will widen and suck in his partners. Danny learns that although the fraternity of cops is corrupt, they deeply care and protect their own. The deal with the devil he's struck is one that is soul killing and life destroying.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Prince of the City
Treat Williams gives the performance of his career as the tortured Danny Ciello. He is at one time manic and at another time in depths of hell and Williams captures it all. Lumet fills all the supporting roles with the most believable performers you will ever see in a movie. You will believe that these are cops and not actors. Orbach stands out as the one cop willing to stand up. Balaban is particularily memorable in his role as smarmy prosecutor who doesn't give a damn about the cops lives he destroys.

As started above, this is Lumet at the top of his game. The story loosely fits around the actions of Ciello and proceed organically from his actions and creates a natural flow of reactions. One choice leads to an inevitable next event and that's one of the strengths of this movie. It seems all so real.

Summary Judgment on Prince of the City
Yes, it's grueling to watch Treat Williams' character slowly deteriorate from the result of his decision to come clean. Yes, the film is gritty, unrelenting and in your face, but it's a masterpiece that's been forgotten by too many. Reward yourself and give this movie a chance.

Firestarter

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:35:00 +0000

Firestarter (1984) Director: Mark Lester Cast: David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen, George C. Scott, Heather Locklear, Art Carney
Memorable Line: "I'll burn you up! I'll fry you!"

Somewhere between when the story left the pen of Stephen King and made its way to the screen, Firestarter became a huge mess of a movie. Marred by bad dialog, a clunky script, weak direction and lackluster production elements, this movie is, sorry to say, pretty bad.

The Plot of Firestarter
The film starts off with Andy (Keith) and his young daughter, Charlie (Barrymore) , while they are the run from a dark arm of the CIA called "The Shop." Andy has a mysterious power to telepathically "push" his thoughts and will upon others. Charlie has an even fearsome power, the power of pyrokinesis -- the ability to create fire with the power of her thoughts.

Through a series of flashbacks, we see that Andy and his soon wife-to-be had taken part in an pharmacological experient conducted by "the Shop" under the supervision of a sinister controller (Sheen). This experiment imbued Andy and their child with these extraordinary power, but they had no idea that "the Shop" would want them body and soul to gain control of these powers.

The two fugitives take refuge with a kindly farmer (Carney) only to be rooted out by operatives from the shop. Charlie is forced to unleash the full extent of her powers to allow them to escape.

They think they've found safe place, but the Shop's controller brings in a Shaman-like Indian tracker called John Rainbird (Scott) who brings the two in. Sheen decides it's time to separate father from daughter and Rainbird has his own plans. But the father and daughter have their own plans to excape. The combination of the two plans bring about an explosive conclusion.

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Firestarter
From reading above, you can probably tell that I didn't think much of this movie and that is true. But King's concept and story are ripe with potential that the writers and director completely drain away. Keith does what he can with some awful dialog, Sheen is competent, but not stellar as the CIA heavy, and Barrymore tries her darndest, but the dialog is rancid at times and the direction is by the numbers. Lester brings no life to the movie with his lackluster direction.

George C. Scott does embrace the part of the psychotic mystic, but is mostly over the top. Art Carney isn't bad as the friendly farmer, but he doesn't have a lot to work with.

Summary Judgment on Firestarter
Please know that isn't a case of Stephen King fan being disappointed with a director's take on a book. This is a bad movie. The script takes most of the blame and Lester does nothing to make it better.

My recommendation is to give this movie 15 or 20 minutes on cable and decide for yourself if you want to invest anymore of your time.

Tootsie

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:56:00 +0000

Tootsie (1982)
Director: Sydney Pollack
Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Terri Garr, Bill Murray, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning
Memorable Line: "I think we're getting into a weird area here."

Tootsie hit the big screen and was a huge sensation (winning a Golden Globe) and I'm a huge fan of Sydney Pollack, but this isn't one of favorite Pollack films. I know I'm in the minority, but there a moments that this money seems like it's pandering. Maybe I missed something.

The Plot of Tootsie
Michael Dorsey (Hoffman) is an out of work actor who has little chance of getting work because he's a bit difficult to be worked with when he comes upon a kooky idea to try out for a female part on a soap opera -- as a woman. And he gets it. That's where the fun begins. Dorsey being a difficult male actors works back to his propensity for being a pain in the neck and his character on the soap suddenly becomes a sensation. As a female, he takes the name Dorothy and Dorothy becomes a confident and role model for another one of the actresses on the show, Julie (Lange). Michael, the man beneath the woman, starts to feel an attraction to Julie. Of course, this is only a small tip of the ice berg for him. Along with juggling this female impersonation, he has to keep his secret safe from his girlfriend (Garr). He gets assistance from his roommate, Jeff (Murray), but the whole thing is a high wire act that gets too much to bear as Dorothy gets a marriage proposal from Julie's father, another man serenading him and his desire to be closer to Julie starts to overwhelm him. Plus, there's the fact that he's not a woman.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Tootsie
The story of Tootsie is pure farce, but it works. The writers know how to provide comedic tension and keep piling on the complications. The performances excellent. Hoffman plays the Michael/Dorothy character well. Lange carries off the confused woman with grace and style. All the supporting roles are very well played with Murray getting some of the best lines.

My bone to pick with Tootsie is the direction (mostly the editing) and with some of the writing. I'm a huge Pollack fan, but there are times in this movie where he is either trying to make a throw-back movie or he's just pandering. There are too many pat montage sequences that seem clumsy. The writers, when writing the comedic complications are great, but at times, it seems preachy and thematic.

Summary Judgment of Tootsie
There's a lot to like about Tootsie. Hoffman brings his considerable talent to the film. The gags are good. The supporting cast is wonderful. But it just seems that Pollack makes some choices with the story and editing that seems to want to appeal to the lowest common denominator of the audience. No, this movie isn't a total sell-out. It's intelligent writing and an idea that has appeal, but the treatment didn't work for me. Sorry, Sydney.

The Fly (1986)

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0000

The Fly (1986)
Director: David Cronenberg
Cast: Jeff Goldblum, Genna Davis, John Getz
Memorable line(s): "Be afraid. Be very afraid."

Director Cronenberg decides to re-make the sc-fi- horror classic The Fly (starring Vincent Price) and Cronenberg clearly puts his own stamp on this version. Albeit, a more engaging and gross stamp.

The Plot of The Fly
Seth Brundle (Goldblum) is a scientist attempting the unattainable -- teleportation. Completely convinced, when no one else is, that he can make teleportation a reality, the only interest he garners is from a lone reporter (Davis). As she delves deeper into the story, she becomes romantically involved with Brundle.

Working alone, Brundle has a huge breakthrough and decides it's time for the ultimate test -- teleporting himself. The only problem is that the teleportation process must be pure and his ultimate test is spoiled when a fly enters one of his telepods, causing a genetic fusing of man and insect to disastrous results. Initially, Brundle emerges from the experiment with amazing powers that develop more each day until they start to devolve -- or evolve as Brundle becomes less man and more fly.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of the The Fly
Goldblum's casting seems to be an effort of working against type, but it's this choice and his quirky style that gives the character of Brundle a believability and energy that is both engaging and wins us to the movie. In many ways, Davis is given a thankless role as the supportive and earnest reporter/girlfriend.

The script is a total re-working of the initial film and works quite well, seemingly only using the only using the original movie as inspiration. Brundle has facets and the script displays a deftness with dialog that fits Goldblum's performance accordingly.

Cronenberg has his roots in low budget horror, but his films have always been more thoughtful than the typical monster/slasher movies and The Fly is no exception. Intelligent and sometimes funny, Cronenberg makes The Fly stand out from what could have been a man becomes monster film.

Summary Judgment on The Fly
Some will say that The Fly devolved into a gross out flick about two-thirds into the movie and the special effects are quite graphic and shocking, but there's more to the film than just that. Goldblum makes the Brundle character quite convincing and Cronenberg delivers both the intelligent and visceral and graphic details to make The Fly an enjoyable movie for those who like some depth to their horror films and those that want some gore.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:31:00 +0000

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Director: John Hughes
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Alan Ruck, Mia Sara, Jeffrey Jones, Jennifer Gray
Memorable Line(s): "Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?" Really, was there a more likable film in the 1980's than Ferris Bueller's Day Off? Mostly innocent, warm-hearted with a little bit of snarkiness, this film is the no-contest winner of the easiest film to watch and watch too many times.

The Plot of Ferris Bueller's Day Off Ferris (Broderick) is the title character and he's a ultimate high school inside - friends with everyone and the envy of many. The film chronicles his ruse to take the day off school. His accomplice is the reluctant Cameron (Ruck) and the all too willing Sloane (Sara). Their day off is a real lark as they attend a Cubs game, visiting the arts museum and taking over a float in a parade. No film is without conflict and there are those that wish to bring Ferris down. One of those is Ferris' own sister (Gray) and the other is the bumbling, but Ferris-obsessed principal (Jones). But no matter hard they try, Ferris just has too many tricks up his sleeve to loose the day.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Ferris Bueller's Day Off Broderick is absolutely winning as Ferris. Charming and disarming, Broderick fully inhabits Ferris' winning ways and you can't help but like him. Ruck plays the sad-sack Eyore-type character quite well. We feel Cameron's woe. Sara's role isn't given a lot to work with and she does her best to stand in the shadow of Broderick's Ferris. Gray is wonderfully jealous of Ferris' effortless existence. Jones is given an over-the-top character and he pulls it off quite well. Ferris Bueller's Day Off is John Hughes at the top of his game when it comes to making light hearted comedies. He lets the heavy moments in, but only briefly and just enough to give the lighter moments have their full effectiveness. The dialog works so well and there are many quotable lines.

Summary Judgment of Ferris Bueller's Day Off John Hughes was one of the kings of the 80's in the delivering movies to the youth market and Ferris Bueller's Day Off is one of his crowning achievements. It's a true joy and there are few films that don't stoop to pandering and low brow humor that are has warm and funny as Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Legend

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:21:00 +0000

Legend (1985)
Director: Ridley Scott
Cast: Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, Tim Curry
Memorable Line: "What is light without dark?"

To be charitable, Legend isn't really a misfire, but more of case of missing the bulls eye by about seven rings. In spite of this, there are still many things about Legend to enjoy.

The Plot of Legend
Legend places us in a fairy tale land with Jack (Cruise) and Lili (Sara) as two of creatures that live in the land of Light, while in the land of the Dark resides the Lord of Darkness (Curry) wanting to blot out the land of light. Jack and Lili, being innocent, frolic and cavort, generally have a good time being in love and everything goes well until Jack takes Lili to see the last two unicorns. These unicorns hold the key for the survival of the land of Light. Lili against all better judgment interferes with the unicorns, making an opening for the Lord of Darkness to destroy the unicorns which will bring eternal darkness to the land of light.

Now, it's up to Jack to save not only his lady-love, but all of mankind. Aided by elves and other hobbit-like creatures Jack has to face off the Lord of Darkness to make it happen.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Legend
There's something that just doesn't seem quite finished about Legend. One of the major clues to this is the fact that Scott changed the musical score completely before the U.S. release of the movie, switching from Jerry Goldsmith's orchestral score to Tangerine Dream's synth score. But that isn't the only symptom of something not quite right. The story has a disjointedness to it that is jarring at times.

Cruise seems wasted in a role that seems ill-fitted to him. Sara is somewhat forgettable, but Tim Curry, even beneath the fantastic make-up, is quite menacing and imperious.

What saves the movie from the brink of mediocrity is Scott's strength, the visual style of the movie. It's simply a resplendent in it's beauty, both in design and cinematography and that's what makes the movie worth watching.

Summary Judgment on Legend
Despite the problems with Legend, it is a movie worth watching simply for the visuals. The story, while fractured and unpolished, is still compelling to some extent. Whole not a whole hearted endorsement, I can say that Legend is a movie worth your time.

Three O'Clock High

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:10:00 +0000

Three O'Clock High (1987)
Director: Phil Joanou
Cast: Casey Siemaszko, Anne Ryan, Richard Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall
Memorable Line: "You made me mad Jerry and now I'm gunna have to do something to work it off."

* Underrated and Overlooked *
This seems like one of the universal situations for many teenage boys in high school -- the "arranged" fight with the school bully. It happens in every high school. Three O'Clock High has this fertile ground to plow and for the most part makes it work.

The Plot of Three O'Clock High
Jerry Mitchell (Siemaszko) is just your average high school guy, not popular, not nerd, just keeping a low profile in the middle of the pack when, as a write on the school paper, he has to interview the class uber-hood, Buddy Revel (Tyson). Somehow, as with dealing with most psychopaths, Revel takes offense at Jerry and the fight is on -- Three O'Clock in the parking lot. The word spreads like wild-fire and suddenly low-profile Jerry is the talk of the town. But he wants nothing to do with it. Revel is a monster in just about every sense of the word and Jerry is now desperate to do anything to save what little dignity he has and to avoid the fight. Too bad, the fates do everything they can to get Jerry and Buddy together in the parking lot at Three O'Clock High.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of Three O'Clock High
The cast is completely believable, although some of the adults have some cardboard on their edges. Siemaszko is both captivating and pathetic as the wimpy Jerry. We, at first, cringe for him, but ultimately end up rooting for him. Tyson is fantastic as the menacing Buddy Revel. When he speaks, you believe that he's broken a kids neck and beat up a coach.

Joanou's direction is crisp and kinetic, keeping the plot moving and not allowing the viewer to get caught in what could have been slow moments. The energy derived from the script and the direction powers us to the inevitable showdown in that parking lot. Some are not happy with the ending, but this is the stuff that Hollywood movies are made of and has little do with reality.

Summary Judgment on Three O'Clock High
Underrated and mostly forgotten, Three O'Clock High fell off the map before it even made a blip, but I think it is a movie worth your consideration. If you're cruising the cable listings and have nothing to do, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you give Three O'Clock High a chance.

Christine

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:15:00 +0000

Christine (1983)
Director: John Carpenter Cast: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, Harry Dean Stanton
Memorable line: "There's nothing like being behind the wheel of your own car!"

A boy and his first love. In the case of Christine, the first love is a car and there's something quite unholy about this story of devotion.

The Plot of Christine
Arnie (Gordon) and Dennis (Stockwell) are best friends. Arnie is the nerd and Dennis is the star athlete. Things are status quo until Christine enters. Christine is a 1958 Plymouth who, from the first look at her, looks like her best years are behind her and is well past recovery, but there's something sinister beneath her hood that draws the nerdy Arnie to the car, but it isn't something he recognizes.

Against all better judgment, Arnie buys Christine and takes her to a local garage which is under the auspicious of the incorrigible Mr. Darnell (Prosky) and Arnie begins his love affair with Christine and he starts to rehab her. A dual transformation occur during the rehab project -- Christine returns to splendor and Arnie emerges from his nerdy shell to become more confident, assertive and even a little dangerous - which attracts the new girl to school, the sexy, yet innocent, Leigh (Paul).

The all-new Arnie seems like an improvement at first, but the evolution doesn't cease and Arnie turns from being playfully dangerous to outright dangerous. Christine becomes lethal, too. Leigh is a threat to Christine as Arnie's devotion turns her way and when Leigh almost dies in the car, she refuses to go with Arnie anymore and Arnie is forced to choose -- the car or the girl. The bond is too strong and Arnie sticks with Christine.
All along this evolution, Arnie tangles with local hoods who in retribution from being expelled from school "because of Arnie," decide to trash Christine and do a pretty thorough job. But Christine decides to enact revenge in the most lethal way.

Both Dennis and Leigh decide it's time to break-up the unholy couple before it's too late. But will they be in time.?

The Performances, Writing, and Direction of Christine
Christine is based on the Stephen King bestseller by the same name and this is one of Carpenter's more polished movies. The action scenes are well directed and the character relationships seem genuine and provide a real depth to the movie that could have been missing. Gordon performs well in the ugly duckling emerging role and quite convincing as both the nerd and the man with menace in his eyes. Stockwell and Paul are handed difficult roles as the sympathetic friend and girlfriend, but they pull them off. Stockwell is more convincing than Paul who keeps her acting simple. Prosky eats screen real estate when he's on screen is a well written supporting role.

Carpenter keeps it all moving like a well oiled car all the way up to the end with only some slight hitches in the climax. He does a good job of making the characters real instead of just cardboard cut-outs for the plot. Carpenter intersperses '50's music throughout the movie for great affect.

Also, the special effects with Christine "healing" herself are fantastic.

Summary Judgment on Christine
While Christine will never be considered cinema-art, it does have a solid story beneath it and Carpenter balances out keeping the character's identifiable and likable with the action/horror. With his touches, Christine could have become completely forgettable, but there's a well made film here.

The Empire Strikes Back

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:01:00 +0000

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Director: Irvin Kershner
Cast: Mark Hammill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Memorable Line: "Luke, I'm your father."

Although it is a bridging movie in the Star Wars saga, The Empire Strikes Back is considered by many to the best of the entire series and I must say that I agree.

The Plot of The Empire Strikes Back
The movies starts as we find Luke (Hammill), Han (Ford) and Princess Leia (Fisher) secluded with rebel forces on a frozen planet. After some initial intrigue when Luke encounters a Yeti-like creature, the rebels find themselves ran off the planet by empire forces. Han (andChewie ) and Princess Leia head off with the fleet of rebels, but Luke, directed by the ghostly influence of Obi Wan, detours off to a jungle planet to be mentored in the ways of the force by the mysterious Yoda.

Han pulls out every thing in his bag of tricks to escape the empire's forces and they do finally make their way to a remote sky complex that just happens to be led by Han's old friend,Lando Calrissian (Williams). Meanwhile has started his Jedi studies with Yoda. The tables get turned on Han and empire forces along with Darth Vader close in on Han and Princess Leia. Luke sensing their peril heads off to rescue them and face off with Darth Vader only to have a terrible truth revealed to him.

The Performances, Writing and Direction of The Empire Strikes Back
It seems as if Lucas let go of the reigns of the Star Wars series in this movie. Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasden have crafted the most mature script of all the Star Wars movies and the Kershner's direction supports this maturer and darker take on the series. The actor's performances seem invigorated by Kershner's handling because all of the cast members do their best work in this episode, specifically Ford. My only criticism is that the character of LukeSkywalker seems to come off as petulant at times.

Summary Judgment on The Empire Strikes Back
There's a depth of story and character in this movie that seems lacking across all the other installments. There is time taken to allow the character's and their relationships to breath and mature. Some might find this bridge episode in the series unfulfilling, but I've always found The Empire Strikes Back to be the best of the series.

Robocop

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Fri, 23 May 2008 14:32:00 +0000

Robocop (1987)
Director: Paul Verhoeven
Cast: Peter Weller, Nancy Allen, Kurtwood Smith, Ronny Cox
Memorable Line(s) : "Excuse me, I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening."

Big and bold with a subversive comic undertone, Robocop has enough going for it to make an enjoyable viewing experience for most viewers.

The Plot of Robocop
Alex Murphy (Weller) is a good cop in the not too distant dystopian future where public law enforcement has given way to private run security forces . Teamed up with a feisty female partner (Allen), Murphy hits the streets trying to keep the streets of Detroit safe from rampant crime.

To cut the cost of crime fighting the corporate executives in charge of the new private security forces try to introduce new robotic droids to replace the current human cops, but see it backfire in the worst way. But they do have a back-up plan.

Murphy, while on patrol with his partner, find themselves in pursuit of a notorious crime gang leader, Boddicker (Smith). Boddicker gets the drop on the two cops and Murphy ends up being fatally wounded. Murphy is reported dead at the scene, but he is really diverted by the corporation to a new experimental program called Robocop -- part man, part machine.

This new cyborg cop is an extremely effective in crime fighting machine, but Murphy's personality is submerged within this new Robocop and starts to insert itself. So, along with fighting crime, the Robocop wants to find out how he went from being a living, breathing human to a machine.

The Performances and Direction of Robocop
I don't like knocking actor's performances, but there doesn't seem to be a big difference between Weller as a human and Weller as a robot. Maybe it was intentional, but the depth of his range in this movie isn't too varied. Nancy Allen has a unflattering role as the partner, but pulls it off for the most part. Kurtwood Smith eats of the screen as a very ruthless and memorable villain. It's strange to consider that he went on to a long and successful run on That 70's Show as the crusty Red.

Verhovoeven brings a detached and cool style to Robocop, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't have a sense of humor. Underlying the film are several subversive and subliminal jokes that elevate the film beyond just a simple action movie because Vehoeven is trying to make a comment on society. Verhoeven acquits himself well in the actions scenes.

Summary Judgment on Robocop
Robocop has a unique approach to the Sci-Fi action film and it works. Weller is a bit robotic in his role, but in spite of some nasty scenes courtesy of Kurtwood Smith, the film is still enjoyable romp.

The Thing (1982)

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:31:00 +0000

The Thing (1982)
Director: John Carpenter
Cast: Kurt Russell, Wilford Brimley, Donald Moffat, Keith David, Richard Dysart, Richard Masur
Memorable Quotes: "I dunno what the hell's in there, but it's weird and pissed off, whatever it is."

The Thing deals out suspense and gore in equal amounts and for some, the gore may be over the top, but the suspense makes this move worth your time.

The Plot of The Thing
Although The Thing is really a remake, this version goes back to the source material which is a short story by Joseph Campbell called "Who Goes There" with all the paranoia and suspense that comes with it. Plus a lot of gore thrown in by director Carpenter.

The story starts when an isolated arctic outpost gets a distress call and they head out to investigate. Led by the helicopter pilot, McCready (Russell), they discover something terrible has happened at a peer outpost. Most of the inhabitants are dead. They also discover a massive hole in the ice, city blocks wide, that seems to be the excavated site of a alien ship' crash landing. While are humans are dead, there is one dog that is still alive and they decide to bring it back. And that's when the story really gets moving because something other worldly is brought back with the dog and the crew of the outpost find themselves fighting for their lives. And even more frightening is that that they may be fighting for the survival of humanity.

The Performances and Direction of The Thing
The film, while polished, has a low budget feel without looking cheap, but that doesn't hurt the the movie at all. Carpenter plays up the paranoia and suspense at the beginning of the movie to full effect. Russell leads the cast as McCready, but all the members of the cast bring a believability to their roles. All of these actors are experience veterans and the acting never seems like run of the mill low-budget horror film acting. Wilford Brimley and Donald Moffat stand out as the scientist and leader of the outpost.

Carpenter's directions works well for the movie, but I have always wondered if the film would have been more effective had he decided to dial back on the over-the-top gore and made a choice to stress the suspense and tension of the intrinsic dilemma that faced the characters in the film.

You can also tell that Carpenter had some influence on Ennio Morricone's score by it's simplicity and effectiveness in places.

Summary Judgment of The Thing
The Thing is not for everyone because it's gore sometimes gets out of hand, but don't get me wrong, it's not totally gratuitous. It's a directorial choice. Still, in spite of that choice, The Thing is truly a chilling cinema event.

Stand by Me

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:24:00 +0000

Stand By Me (1986) Director: Ron Reiner Cast: Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Jerry O'Connell, Cory Feldman, Keifer Sutherland
Memorable Quotes: "I was 12 going on 13, the first time I saw a dead human being."

Stand By Me is the ultimate coming of age movie for kids moving from childhood to the teenage years.

The Plot of Stand By Me
Based on a Stephen King novella, Stand By Me follows a four boys on a search for their morbid version of the Holy Grail -- the search for a dead body rumored to be just off the railroad tracks just outside of town. Our main character, Gordie (Wheaton) is an author in the making, is the pivot point for the movie. He is accompanied by a motley group of friends (Phoenix, O'Connell, and Feldman) as the make their trek. And as in all heroic journeys, the main characters must face obstacles, both external and emotional. The external obstacles consist of cross many miles and gang of older teen hoods led by a psychopath named Ace (Sutherland). The internal enemies are doubt, grief and the transition of going from being just kids to young men.

The Performances and Direction of Stand By Me
In less able hands than Director Reiner, Stand By Me could have been a very maudlin movie, but he keeps the movie from fall into the pit of pathos as we follow the boys on the journey. The leads all handle their roles well. Wheaton acquits himself well, but Phoenix stands out in his role. Those that have followed O'Connell's career in movies (Scream 2) and TV (Crossing Jordan) won't recognize him in this role. Sutherland hits all the right notes as the menacing Ace.

Summary Judgment on Stand By Me
There are moments where the acting and story teeters toward pathos, but the screenwriters, director and actors don't allow those moments to fall over the edge. Stand By Me is a movie for a universal moment in a kids life and it resonates well in capturing that time in our lives.

Ladyhawke

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:14:00 +0000

Ladyhawke (1985)
Director: Richard Donner
Cast: Matthew Broderick, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, Leo McKern
Memorable Line: "Are you flesh, or are you spirit?"

Ladyhawke is a strange movie. It seems as if the writer, Edward Khmara, couldn't make up his mind what the movie was to be -- an adventure, a tongue-in-cheek swashbuckler, a romance?

The movie starts as we see Phillipe Gaston -- aka "The Mouse" (Broderick) -- making a near impossible escape from a dungeon prison and making his way to the country side. For some reason, a Bishop decides he must send his crack guards to hunt a petty thief and the track down Phillipe but just as they are about to capture him a mystery-man named Navarre (Hauer) and his hawk intercedes and decides to take on a team of these well trained guards to rescue "the Mouse." Navarre and "the Mouse" make an unique pair. Navarre is a real man of mystery with an unnatural bond with his hawk. Also, it seems as if at night, Navarre disappears and Phillipe finds himself with a new lady companion who goes by the name of Isabeau (Pfieffer). To add the intrigue, this new pairing is followed by a dark wolf. Where has Navarre gone and who is this woman? Why is their fate intertwined? That is the mystery of Ladyhawke.

Broderick is more than the comic relief, he is our eyes an eyes into the pair - Navarre and Isabeau. Broderick seems a bit awkward in his role at times. Hauer does have a commanding and intense presence as Navarre. Pfeiffer is lovely as the mystery lady, but not entirely convincing.

Tone is the biggest problem with Ladyhawke. It just can figure out what it is. There are some intense moments and nice, but lazily directed action sequences. There a some good comic gags too, but the film seems to meander towards an implausible conclusion. I think Donner would have been better to picked a tone and committed to it and Ladyhawke would have been a more well realized movie.

The Evil Dead

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 19:13:00 +0000

The Evil Dead (1981)
Director: Sam Raimi
Cast: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DaManincor, Theresa Tilly
Memorable Line: "We can't bury Shelly - S-She's a friend of ours."

To think that the director who brought you the Spider-man franchise got it his start with The Evil Dead. And it's not a bad beginning, but people watching The Evil Dead could never tell that the director of that film would ever go on to direct the amazingly good and lucrative Spider-man franchise.

Five college friends take a vacation to a secluded cabin in the deep woods and come face-to-face with a demon. That pretty much sums up the plot in a sentence, but there is more to The Evil Dead than that. They five discover a demonic book -- the Book of the Dead -- along with a professor's audio tapes detailing his unsettling experience with the book. Of course, the young people in the movie don't just decide to leave once the first few signs of evil appear, but like any Scooby-Do group of intrepid adventurers, they decide to dig deeper -- much to their disappointment and ultimate demise.

The Evil Dead was made on a shoestring budget and that's if you went out and borrowed the shoestring. The lack of a budget shows as times, but that's not to say that isn't any good because there are many inventive and chilling moments in the movie. For what they lack in money, the make up for it with energy and pace. There's a great deal of manic energy in The Evil Dead and it's the energy that propels the movie along.

Bruce Campbell headlines the no-name cast as Ash and this is the part that launched his career. The rest of the cast delivers some fairly uneven performances. But that isn't why most people come to see low budget horror movies is it? It's for the blood and gore and The Evil Dead has plenty of that.

Director Raimi is quite inventive with the camera angles and movement. At times, you'll not only get a little queasy from the graphic content, but a little motion sick from the camera movement. Raimi keeps the movie going by hook or by crook and the whole production seems to totter at times towards the brink of disaster. Still, The Evil Dead deservedly spawned 2 sequels and made a whole pile of money in video rentals and, if you're a horror fan, will provide you with a night of unforgettable entertainment.

Beverly Hills Cop

noreply@blogger.com (Random) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Beverly Hills Cop (1986)
Director: Martin Brest
Cast: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold, John Ashton, Ronny Cox, Bronson Pinchot
Memorable Line(s): "This is the cleanest and nicest police car I've ever been in my life. This thing is nicer than my apartment."

In Beverly Hills Cop Eddie Murphy puts all his talent and charisma to work to make a by-the-numbers plot better, but just a little better.

Axel Foley (Murphy), a street-wise, inner city cop from Detroit, insinuates himself into Beverly Hills to solve the murder of one of his best friends. His street methods clash drastically with the staid native Beverly Hills cops and they try to send him packing, but he is able to teach them a few things about how to solve crime and wins them over. Axel ends up buddying up with two Beverly Hills detectives (Reinhold and Ashton) and they start down a trial to solve Axel's friend's murder.

It's been done before, but Murphy's charisma, at least at this point in his career, was able to make the film work and made it a big summer hit. There's not a lot new here. Murphy plays up his "blackness" amidst the sea of white folks, he show his street toughness with the criminals and makes buddy-buddy with his new friends teaching what street policing is all about.

Still, this was at the height of Murphy's super-stardom and it works for the most part. The direction is just above pedestrian and the actors all acquit themselves in likable roles. The movie did spawn a neat little musical hit called "Axel F" which played on the air waves about 6 months too long.

There are worst ways to spend a couple hours than watching Beverly Hills Cop, but you could find a better way to spend your time. Like picking a better movie.