Wednesday Double Feature

by on May 6, 2015 at 8:42 am
Posted In: Test

This week I decided to go with biopics of famous directors. (or in this case one famous and one notorious)

225px-Gods-and-monstersThe first, Gods and Monsters, tells us the story of the last days of the life of horror director James Whale played by Ian McKellen. In the process it also tells about being openly homosexual in 1950s Hollywood.

The film opens with Whale living in relative seclusion recovering from a stroke. Out of boredom he strikes up a relationship with his gardener played by Brendan Fraser. Most of the film follows this as Whale slowly drifts more and more into his memories.

McKellen is at the top of his game here. My favorite part is about in the middle of the film where The Bride of Frankenstein is showing on television. We jump back and fourth between a bar where the Gardener is watching it and Whale’s living room where Whale (who is not particularly happy about having his horror films being the work he’s best remembered for) is picking it apart telling his housekeeper all the little techniques he used. Finally at the end we switch over to a flashback of the filming of the Bride of Frankenstein. I especially liked the bit where Doctor Frankenstein, Pretorius and the Bride are acting completely out of character before the movie’s climax is shot.

220px-Ed_Wood_film_posterThe next on my list was Tim Burton’s story of one of the worst directors in history, Ed Wood. Johnny Depp plays cult filmmaker Ed Wood as a manic optimistic borderline con artist oblivious to his complete lack of talent.

This is a fun movie filmed in the style of a forties horror film (I’d say in the style of Ed Wood but it’s better than that) Along with Depp’s performance Martin Landau channels Bela Lugosi perfectly as a bitter drug addicted has been. Together they form a symbiotic relationship as Bela, at least in the context of the movie serves as a kind of muse to Woods who tries to create great vehicles for his hero.

In the mean time despite creating one failure after another Wood’s enthusiasm is nearly hypnotic (probably the only explanation for why he keeps getting people to support his creative monstrosities.) nd in the process brings together a growing ensemble cast to help him in his ventures. This all leads to lots of unintentional fun and is well worth one’s time.

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Alice in Wonderland

by on May 4, 2015 at 8:33 am
Posted In: Test

Well once again we reach our annual Alice in Wonderland Day, the day that Alice went down the Rabbit Hole. (The way we know this because in the chapter Pigs and Pepper Alice mentions she doesn’t think the March Hare will be that mad since it is May and in the next chapter the Mad Hatter asks her what the day of the month is and she says may.)

Anyway to celebrate enjoy Disney’s take on the Mad Tea Party.

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Wednesday Double Feature (one day late)

by on May 1, 2015 at 9:05 am
Posted In: Rhapsodies

Once again I fell back on doing another selection of Oscar nominees. For this week I went with films from 1961.

220px-GunsofNavaroneThe first on my list the Guns of Navarone was one I knew the name of for years but didn’t really know anything else about it. (in fact for until this week I thought it was a western). It tells the story of a commando raid against two giant guns on the Greek island of Navarone the only thing presenting an Allied attack on the island of Keros.

This was a very well done film. For it’s time I found it wonderfully cynical making it very much about how war forces people to make terrible choices. No one is particularly good and despite this being a World War !! film, most of the Germans are just soldiers in truth there is pretty much only one Nazi in the group.

The moral ambiguity makes this film fascinating with the arguments between leads Gregory Peck and David Niven have over doing what is right vs what is necessary absolutely fascinating.

225px-Hustler_1961_original_release_movie_posterMy other film is the all time classic, The Hustler, which tells the story of small time pool shark Fast Eddie Felson, played by Paul Newman, as he struggles to prove himself the greatest pool player in the country.

While this film has just about everything what draws me the most is the acting. Paul Newman who’s best known as an American everyman with boy next door good looks does a brilliant job of twisting this into an arrogant portrait of greed and a desperate need to prove to everyone that you are the best *which when you are hustling pool is not a good idea..

George C Scott excels as the manipulative bastard who plays him.

However I have to say my favorite part of this film is Jackie Gleason as Minnesota Fats. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Gleason in a serious role before (or perhaps a more accurate way to say it is “non comic” as many of Gleason’s comic roles are very serious) but this is a magnificent minimalist performance with Gleason dominates every shot he is in with precise movement.

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Wednesday Double Feature

by on April 22, 2015 at 8:45 am
Posted In: Rhapsodies

In honor of the fifth season of Game of Thrones starting last week I decided to look back and look at some of the bad fantasy movies that inspired all of the fantasy authors to do better. Part of me almost feels guilty describing sword and sorcery movies like this after all I loved them when they first came out but then I was in my early teens and quickly grew to see them for the by the numbers D&D rip-offs they were.

220px-Hawk-SlayerThe first on my list, Hawk the Slayer, had been described to me by many of my fellow fantasy fans as a guilty pleasure and to a certain extent this is correct, with a special emphasis on the guilt. To be extremely blunt I’ve seen porn flicks with better production values.

It’s the story of a prince seeking revenge against his extremely evil brother played completely over the top by Jack Palance. To do this he brings together a band of companions to accompany him that are right out of a D&D company: (Elven ranger, Dwarven Rogue, Giant fighter, you get the idea) most of the story involves them protecting an abbey who’s mother superior has been captured for ransom by the brother. This boilerplate script pretty much depends on everyone being idiots (the nuns believe that Palance will uphold his side of the bargain despite all evidence to the contrary) But in the end I think it saves itself in the end by not taking itself too seriously and having fun doing it.

220px-KrullThe second Film on my list, Krull, was one of those films I was utterly drooling over when I first saw the ads (I think it was because of the Cyclops and the glave, A really nasty looking throwing star on the poster) but I never actually got around to seeing.

While Krull certainly has much better production values then Hawk the Slayer it was still rather disappointing to watch with the expectations of my teenage self. It opens up pretending to be a science fiction film (or at least a planetary romance) with “the Black Fortress” the villain’s fortress starting out as a space ship cruising towards Krull a planet “on the other side of the galaxy with two suns.” But once we get past the opening it’s just standard fare with the king of Krull (admittedly a mostly empty title as the villain whipped out his court) goes on a quest to rescue his bride who was captured at their wedding when the villain performed the afore mentioned massacre. After that it’s pretty much checking off the list of the Hero’s Journey with the king gathering his band of brothers (including early performances from Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltraine.) As they struggle to locate the Black Fortress which teleports to a new location every sunset (yes really) so they can siege it after that it’s pretty much a quick fight between Good and Evil (considering the build up it seemed almost disappointing how easy it was to dispatch the beast with just the one throwing star.)

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