One of the building blocks of the cinematic private eye genre, writer/director John Huston's adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" novel is one of the few movies where knowing how it ends actually improves rewatchability. Humphrey Bogart, in yet another of a string of signature roles, is all cool and unflappable as Sam Spade, the San Francisco private eye whom cops reluctantly respect/trust and undesirables need to hire to get results. With loyal-to-a-fault secretary/'angel' Effie (Lee Patrick) backing him up, Sam is thrown for a loop when a simple job results in the death of his partner (Jerome Cowan). A cabal of like-minded hustlers (Mary Astor's O'Shaughnessy, Peter Lorre's Cairo and Sydney Greenstreet's 'Fat Man') enter/leave Spade's office/apartment, offering to bribe or hire him to help them find a priceless statuette neither can get on their own.
Despite not carrying a weapon and getting pushed around by cops/crooks alike, there's never a moment when Sam Spade doesn't seem to either be in control or putting together the truth based on what he's told. On this rewatch Sam constantly disrespecting/putting down henchman Wilmer (Elisha Cook Jr.) stood out, especially the b!tch faces the latter makes when the former gets his way ('The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter' 😁). To paraphrase its own ending, "The Maltese Falcon" is the stuff that cinematic dreams are made of. 🥰 5 ERASED 'SPADE & ARCHER' DOOR/WINDOW SIGNS (out of five).
An homage to a then-bygone era of movie private eyes that happens to be and look as good or better than most of the better ones (before or since it was made in '74), "Chinatown" demands a lot from viewers with a gripping, complex narrative (penned by Robert Towne and helmed by Roman Polanski) where the smallest details add up to great reveals and earned pay-offs. Jack Nicholson commands the screen as J.J. Gittes, head partner of a Los Angeles private investigative agency hired by the wife of the city's chief water geologist (Darrell Zwerling's Hollis Mulwray) to track him down and discover alleged infidelity. Gittes (who likes to do his own detective work rather than rely on his partners) earns more than he bargained for when his incriminating photos/findings are published in the newspapers. Turns out an impostor and not the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway at the peak of her glamour) hired J.J. to tail Hollis. Now it's personal for Gittes, whose reputation is on the line, as he embarks on a quest to find out who really hired him... and what his/her ulterior motives are.
Even though I've seen it before, "Chinatown's" plot is so dense and the dialogue so full of gold ('Isn't that something? Middle of a drought and the water commissioner drowns. Only in L.A.') every rewatch feels like a new discovery of small details (Gittes' missing shoe) and previously unnoticed great supporting performances (Burt Young as Curly, Rance Howard as a pissed off farmer, Noble Willingham as a councilman, etc.). The 4K transfer does justice to the gorgeous production design (Richard Sylbert), cinematography (a colab between John A. Alonzo and an uncredited Stanley Cortez) and period-accurate wardrobe (Anthea Sylbert). The chemistry between Nicholson and everyone he interacts with (particularly Dunaway, John Hillerman and John Huston, whose Noah Cross turns out to be one seriously f***ed-up bastard! 🥵🤬) is palpable, and he remains the classiest, handsomest mofo on screen even after his nose is split. Forget it, Kunider. It's "Chinatown" in 4K. 😉😃5 SALT WATER-SOAKED BIFOCAL GLASSES (out of five).
The sequel to "Chinatown" nobody asked for, but a good-enough period drama to be see at least once (especially if the ending of its predecessor left you wondering what became of you-know-who). Jack Nicholson returns as star and director, reuniting with some of his previous "Chinatown" crew (Robert Towne writing, Perry Lopez and James Hong reprising their roles, Robert Evans producing, etc.) and bringing equally-talented new ones (Vilmos Zsigmond as cinematographer, Van Dyke Parks replacing Jerry Goldsmith, etc.). Set a little over a decade after the prequel, J.J. Gittes is still rubbing his nose where it doesn't belong, especially after his firm is hired by fellow 'Jake,' Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), to role-play how to catch his wife Kitty (Meg Tilly) in the act. Things get complicated fast, dragging J.J. into another complex case involving oil, murder, sex and backstabbings galore. Another great supporting cast (Eli Wallach, Madeleine Stowe, Rubén Blades, Frederic Forrest, Richard Farnsworth, etc.) and Nicholson still at the top of his game (a little paunchy and less sexy, but no less compelling a movie star) powers "The Two Jakes" past a testy running time and some really boring parts. 'It's fine,' overall. 3.25 OLD SHOTGUN-SHATTERED ORANGE GROVE SIGNS (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 10! 055 & 056.- ROLAND AND RATTFINK: HAWKS AND DOVES (12/18/1968, DVD) & HURTS AND FLOWERS (2/11/1969, DVD). Available to stream on YOUTUBE.
The most experimental entry in the DePatie-Freleng catalogue of "Pink Panther" theatrical shorts, "Roland and Rattfink" were (respectively) a blonde, blue-eyed pacifist and a violent, green-skinned troublemaker that'd clash in a different setting/era every episode. Roland would take abuse early on from Rattfink, until the former can't take it anymore and fights back hard against the latter during the final moments of the cartoon. Sometimes they exchanged dialogue, more often they were silent with title/dialogue cards telling the story (lending these shorts the feel of silent cinema one-reelers). Artwork for the opening of every short was distinct and unique, unlike the recycling of credit backgrounds in most other "PP" shorts.
"Hawks and Doves" sets the stylistic precedent by having each character represent a country (Hawkland versus Doveland), with Rattfink constantly trying to bomb Roland's side of the map. Rattfink treats his mother like s*** in this short, and gets his comeuppance at the end. "Hurts and Flowers" takes place in a hippie-type environment, with Roland always handing Rattfink flowers that the latter promptly destroys (by propeller, pistol, fire, etc.). Not my favorite of the 'Friends' in the "Pink Panther and Friends" universe, but an interesting animated curio for old cartoon fans to revisit. Both episodes get 3 PEACE DOVES UNDER FIRE (out of five).
Lemro, a badass alien from the planet Styx who dresses like a Michael Jackson fanboy and hides his Spock ears under a fedora, has moved to Earth to work as a private investigator. He falls for a woman he defends from thugs on the street and unwittingly gets mixed up with a drug lord's scheme to get humans addicted to an alien drug.
I don't know anything about Vik Rubenfeld (credited here as simply Viktor), except that writing, directing, producing, editing and casting this movie and co-creating the Kyle Chandler show Early Edition are his only credits, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if he turned out to be 12 years old when he made this. The script is half lines a child would consider "cool", half clichés from other private eye movies. The cast looks to be mostly in their 30's, but everyone's acting is like kids making a movie in their back yard (one actor does what I think is supposed to be a Peter Lorre impression, and it's amazing), and I dare anyone to watch the romance subplot without covering their eyes even once. Everything about this movie feels like what a kid thinks a private eye movie is. Highly entertaining.
Oh, and did I mention in one scene the villain prays to an icon of Hitler for some reason?
Altman does Chandler neo noir with Gould as Marlowe. Goulds take on Marlowe is shaggy, hungover, chain smoking*, and sarcastic. The film begins with him helping a friend get out of the country and then a series of cases and events that are tied together in a sorta murder mystery. The flick is well made and interesting but also meandering and dour with many setpieces that feel sort of just there with no real propulsion of a plot or unraveling of the mystery. It does somehow manage to stick the landing nicely in the final moments of the film. Weird tonally but i did enjoy it.
Notes:
*If there is ever a Guiness Book World Record for the most cigarettes shown being lit in a movie, this flick will win by a landslide. Seriously, "Cigarettes" should have received 2nd billing in the end credits.
Theres a surprise "cameo" by a then relatively unknown Arnold Schwarzenegger who plays a heavy for a local gangster.
It’s not Junesploitation without a little Pyun. And he was pulling out all the stops with hundreds of extras in crazy costumes, a mutant monster worthy of Invaders From Mars, a totally tubular ‘80s synth score, and charismatic leads in Dudikoff and Christine’s John Stockwell as Phillip Chandler and Marlow Hammer. It feels like it was shot on Beta-Max but it’s not boring and that counts for a lot in June.
The soundtrack of Radioactive Dreams is a lot of fun. The title track and "Guilty Pleasures" are great. This and the Pyun film Vicious Lips introduced me to Sue Saad and The Next.
What if hardboiled 1940s L.A. noir, but with magic and monsters? In a world where sorcery is the new norm, Fred Ward is the only private dick in town who doesn't cut corners by using any kind of magic. When he gets hired to retrieve a stolen book, which just so happens to be the freaking Necronomicon, he doesn't realize what kind of cosmic horror conspiracy he just stepped into.
The movie looks fabulous (Martin Campbell is a really skilled director), and oozes cool genre tropes at every step, both on the noir side (nightclub singer femme fatale Julianne Moore, ex-cop gangster club owner Clancy Brown, everyone smoking and drinking all the time), and on the fantasy side (zombie slaves, killer gargoyles, witch landlady, the main guy's name is Lovecraft). It kind of feels like a slightly darker b-side to Roger Rabbit. I love a good genre mash-up when done right, and thought the way this movie balanced all its pulpy elements was quite impressive. One of my favorite watches of the month so far.
You might want to check the sequel, 1994's "Witch Hunt," wth the catch it has a new lead actor playing Lovecraft (Dennis Hopper) and the writing/tone/directing feel different than '91. Not better, not worse, just... different. 🤔🤨
Hot Fuzz isn’t just a blockbuster. It’s a masterclass in genre homage. It’s the kind of movie that feels like it was curated by a record store clerk who spent his entire teenage years alternating between Michael Bay blowouts and classic British murder mysteries. It’s loud, it’s bloody, it’s hilarious, and it’s absolute perfection.
Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the ultimate super-cop. He’s so good, so efficient, and so damn professional that he’s making the rest of the Metropolitan Police look like a bunch of muppets. The solution? Ship him off to the sleepy, idyllic village of Sandford, Gloucestershire. The thinking is that if he’s bored to tears by paperwork and lost swans, he’ll just quit.
But Sandford isn’t just tea and crumpets. It’s a place where people keep dying in accidental ways—decapitations, gas explosions and conveniently falling masonry. Angel, paired with the bumbling, action-movie-obsessed Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), realizes something sinister is rotting beneath the village’s Village of the Year veneer.
Spoiler warning: It turns out the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance (NWA) is more of a murderous secret society than a concerned group of citizens, all obsessed with protecting their pristine town stats at any cost. It leads to one of the most glorious, over-the-top third acts in cinema history. Forget high-brow detective work; by the time the shotgun-wielding, sea-mine-toting finale kicks in, the movie transforms into the very thing it was paying tribute to.
Edgar Wright filled this thing with people we love. Keep your eyes peeled for Peter Jackson as a Father Christmas-clad slasher, Cate Blanchett as Angel’s ex, and Bill Nighy as the Chief Inspector. Just as much as the cameos are the references. Hot Fuzz is a massive love letter to Bad Boys II and Point Break, while the NWA constantly saying they’re doing things for the greater good makes them seem straight out of The Wicker Man.
But it’s a real action movie, too! Simon Pegg and Nick Frost didn’t just phone it in. They trained with real firearms instructors and studied police procedures to ensure the action sequences looked legit, even when they were shooting while jumping through the air.
In a world of bloated, humorless action movies, Hot Fuzz stands tall. It understands that you can mock a genre’s tropes while simultaneously honoring them. It also has one of the grossest things I’ve seen, as Timothy Dalton falls face-first toward a miniature church steeple.
With references to A Fistful of Dollars, The French Connection, McQ, Death Wish, The Omen and Lost Highway, as well as a starring role for the video collections of director Edgar Wright, his brother Oscar and his friend Joe Cornish, this movie is a total joy of cinema for me. I’ve watched it more times than I can count and always come back for more.
B&S, if you haven't watched it already, please click on the 'Miranda Reacts' YouTube first-time watch of "Hot Fuzz": https://youtu.be/JFkxO0t-7Xc?si=79XSZID8zbwMUM5m. It's so rare to see someone fall in love with a movie as hard as she does with Edgar Wright's masterpiece. 😄👍
MEET BOSTON BLACKIE (1941) Blackie is a former world-class jewel thief who has reformed and become a private eye. Except there’s one relentless cop who insists Blackie’s still a bad guy. In his debut outing, Blackie is accused of murder and goes on the run to clear his name. The case involves a mysterious (and beautiful!) woman, a circus sideshow, and a mechanical man (!). Part of the gimmick is that Blackie knows all the criminals’ tricks, which he uses to his advantage. Chester Morris plays Blackie with an easygoing charm, and there’s that classic snappy, fast-paced 1940s dialogue throughout. Will I binge all 14 movies in this series now? Probably not, but this first one was delightful.
30 days of fan films, day 10: DOCTOR WHO VELOCITY (2017-2025) The Who fan filmmakers aren’t content with just a short or a feature, they tend to make entire seasons of episodes that go on for years. Velocity was created by Krystal Moore, who co-writes each episode and stars as the Doctor. The title is apt, because this thing is crazy fast-paced, squeezing entire storylines into each 15-minute episode. But this is fun, too! They even got Sophie Aldred (Ace!) to cameo. I only got through the first few episodes this morning, but apparently the series later crosses over with other fan films for their own little shared universe. And I see there’s a Christmas episode and even a Tron crossover episode as well. Wild!
Gene Hackman as grizzled private detective Harry Moseby. I really enjoyed the movie, but, as always, it would have been better if James Woods had not been in the film. For some reason, I think this would make a really great double feature with Get Shorty. But, what is up with that ending? Other than "It was the '70s. All movies ended that way."
Philip Marlowe is a big part of the reason I am who I am. My first brush with noir (well, second after The Great Muppet Caper) was Powers Boothe starring in Philip Marlowe, Private Eye on HBO when I was in grade school. I was too young to fully comprehend it, but for whatever reason (Boothe!) I was completely enamored with it. It led to me reading Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep in junior high, and I’ve been a crime fiction junkie ever since. I’m always interested in Marlowe adaptations (The Long Goodbye with Elliott Gould is my favorite), and I’m glad I finally caught up with this one.
I enjoyed the movie, but I gotta say: I don’t love Dick Powell’s take on Marlowe. Allegedly Chandler himself said Powell was the best screen Marlowe, but y’know, Stephen King hated Kubrick’s The Shining so there’s no accounting for the taste of the creators. Powell is serviceable but (in my opinion) he just doesn’t have the juice and he can’t seem to chew on the hard-boiled dialogue the way the best of them do. Claire Trevor fares better as the requisite femme fatale, and Mike Mazurki pretty much steals the show as heavy (literally) Moose Malloy. As an adaptation of Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely it’s solid (and for my money better than the Robert Mitchum version), but give me Bogart, Boothe, or Gould any day of the week.
Richard Dreyfuss is former hippie now private eye Moses Wine. He is tasked with investigating possible anarchist ties to a political campaign and gets involved in a conspiracy. That part of the story is not as interesting as just hanging out w/ Dreyfuss while his personal life intertwines with his work. Dealing w/ his ex wife and her new-wave boyfriend and reconnecting with a past love, while also having to take his kids along while he's working unable to find someone to watch them. Dreyfuss is just so endlessly watchable. If the final shot doesn't make you smile I can't help you. Highly enjoyable '70s gem.
I read several people claim that this was one of the most successful Lovecraft adaptations, perhaps not the best, but maybe the most faithful in spirit (despite, from what I understood, some noticeable changes from the source material). I'll take their word for it, having never read Lovecraft! I thought The Resurrected was most captivating in its first third, then suffered a bit from a pacing problem when the mystery starts unraveling. Chris Sarandon, in his dual role, is certainly entertaining, but this is far from his best work. The whole thing has a distinct TV miniseries feel and look to it, but is quite charming and benefits from a bunch of really great monstruous (and gooey) practical effects.
This was going to be my 4th P.E. movie today, but ran out of time. Ralph Meeker's Mike Hammer is a mostly restrained brute, but when he turns the animal within loose... watch out. 😲🥴
Eurosleaze offspring of EYES WITHOUT A FACE and AWFUL DR ORLOFF. Helmut Berger and Brigitte Lahaie troll the Paris discos in search of a face to replace the acid-eroded visage of Berger’s daughter (and the pair’s implied sexual partner). Caroline Munro gets snatched, Telly Savalas hires gum-chewing gumshoe Christopher Mitchum to find her. There’s a N@zi plastic surgeon, a sleazy Igor named Gordon, Howard Vernon and Lena Romay cameos, horrid 80s soft rock balladry, and a bevy of bloody and bloody cheap practical gore effects amongst the soap-operatic production values. And man, Marcel Philippot absolutely steals his scenes as the gayest fashion photographer ever! Entertaining throughout, if we ever DARE to have another Franco day, I’d recommend, as this is one of Jess’s most mainstream and palatable efforts. Pairs well with the director’s 1981’s BLOODY MOON for a delirious double dose of Euro slasher trash!
052.- THE MALTESE FALCON (1941, 4K UHD)
ReplyDeleteOne of the building blocks of the cinematic private eye genre, writer/director John Huston's adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's "The Maltese Falcon" novel is one of the few movies where knowing how it ends actually improves rewatchability. Humphrey Bogart, in yet another of a string of signature roles, is all cool and unflappable as Sam Spade, the San Francisco private eye whom cops reluctantly respect/trust and undesirables need to hire to get results. With loyal-to-a-fault secretary/'angel' Effie (Lee Patrick) backing him up, Sam is thrown for a loop when a simple job results in the death of his partner (Jerome Cowan). A cabal of like-minded hustlers (Mary Astor's O'Shaughnessy, Peter Lorre's Cairo and Sydney Greenstreet's 'Fat Man') enter/leave Spade's office/apartment, offering to bribe or hire him to help them find a priceless statuette neither can get on their own.
Despite not carrying a weapon and getting pushed around by cops/crooks alike, there's never a moment when Sam Spade doesn't seem to either be in control or putting together the truth based on what he's told. On this rewatch Sam constantly disrespecting/putting down henchman Wilmer (Elisha Cook Jr.) stood out, especially the b!tch faces the latter makes when the former gets his way ('The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter' 😁). To paraphrase its own ending, "The Maltese Falcon" is the stuff that cinematic dreams are made of. 🥰 5 ERASED 'SPADE & ARCHER' DOOR/WINDOW SIGNS (out of five).
053.- CHINATOWN (1974, 4K UHD)
ReplyDeleteAn homage to a then-bygone era of movie private eyes that happens to be and look as good or better than most of the better ones (before or since it was made in '74), "Chinatown" demands a lot from viewers with a gripping, complex narrative (penned by Robert Towne and helmed by Roman Polanski) where the smallest details add up to great reveals and earned pay-offs. Jack Nicholson commands the screen as J.J. Gittes, head partner of a Los Angeles private investigative agency hired by the wife of the city's chief water geologist (Darrell Zwerling's Hollis Mulwray) to track him down and discover alleged infidelity. Gittes (who likes to do his own detective work rather than rely on his partners) earns more than he bargained for when his incriminating photos/findings are published in the newspapers. Turns out an impostor and not the real Mrs. Mulwray (Faye Dunaway at the peak of her glamour) hired J.J. to tail Hollis. Now it's personal for Gittes, whose reputation is on the line, as he embarks on a quest to find out who really hired him... and what his/her ulterior motives are.
Even though I've seen it before, "Chinatown's" plot is so dense and the dialogue so full of gold ('Isn't that something? Middle of a drought and the water commissioner drowns. Only in L.A.') every rewatch feels like a new discovery of small details (Gittes' missing shoe) and previously unnoticed great supporting performances (Burt Young as Curly, Rance Howard as a pissed off farmer, Noble Willingham as a councilman, etc.). The 4K transfer does justice to the gorgeous production design (Richard Sylbert), cinematography (a colab between John A. Alonzo and an uncredited Stanley Cortez) and period-accurate wardrobe (Anthea Sylbert). The chemistry between Nicholson and everyone he interacts with (particularly Dunaway, John Hillerman and John Huston, whose Noah Cross turns out to be one seriously f***ed-up bastard! 🥵🤬) is palpable, and he remains the classiest, handsomest mofo on screen even after his nose is split. Forget it, Kunider. It's "Chinatown" in 4K. 😉😃5 SALT WATER-SOAKED BIFOCAL GLASSES (out of five).
054.- THE TWO JAKES (1990, KINO LORBER BLU-RAY)
ReplyDeleteThe sequel to "Chinatown" nobody asked for, but a good-enough period drama to be see at least once (especially if the ending of its predecessor left you wondering what became of you-know-who). Jack Nicholson returns as star and director, reuniting with some of his previous "Chinatown" crew (Robert Towne writing, Perry Lopez and James Hong reprising their roles, Robert Evans producing, etc.) and bringing equally-talented new ones (Vilmos Zsigmond as cinematographer, Van Dyke Parks replacing Jerry Goldsmith, etc.). Set a little over a decade after the prequel, J.J. Gittes is still rubbing his nose where it doesn't belong, especially after his firm is hired by fellow 'Jake,' Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), to role-play how to catch his wife Kitty (Meg Tilly) in the act. Things get complicated fast, dragging J.J. into another complex case involving oil, murder, sex and backstabbings galore. Another great supporting cast (Eli Wallach, Madeleine Stowe, Rubén Blades, Frederic Forrest, Richard Farnsworth, etc.) and Nicholson still at the top of his game (a little paunchy and less sexy, but no less compelling a movie star) powers "The Two Jakes" past a testy running time and some really boring parts. 'It's fine,' overall. 3.25 OLD SHOTGUN-SHATTERED ORANGE GROVE SIGNS (out of five).
BONUS: 30 DAYS OF PINK PANTHER & FRIENDS, DAY 10!
ReplyDelete055 & 056.- ROLAND AND RATTFINK: HAWKS AND DOVES (12/18/1968, DVD) & HURTS AND FLOWERS (2/11/1969, DVD). Available to stream on YOUTUBE.
The most experimental entry in the DePatie-Freleng catalogue of "Pink Panther" theatrical shorts, "Roland and Rattfink" were (respectively) a blonde, blue-eyed pacifist and a violent, green-skinned troublemaker that'd clash in a different setting/era every episode. Roland would take abuse early on from Rattfink, until the former can't take it anymore and fights back hard against the latter during the final moments of the cartoon. Sometimes they exchanged dialogue, more often they were silent with title/dialogue cards telling the story (lending these shorts the feel of silent cinema one-reelers). Artwork for the opening of every short was distinct and unique, unlike the recycling of credit backgrounds in most other "PP" shorts.
"Hawks and Doves" sets the stylistic precedent by having each character represent a country (Hawkland versus Doveland), with Rattfink constantly trying to bomb Roland's side of the map. Rattfink treats his mother like s*** in this short, and gets his comeuppance at the end. "Hurts and Flowers" takes place in a hippie-type environment, with Roland always handing Rattfink flowers that the latter promptly destroys (by propeller, pistol, fire, etc.). Not my favorite of the 'Friends' in the "Pink Panther and Friends" universe, but an interesting animated curio for old cartoon fans to revisit. Both episodes get 3 PEACE DOVES UNDER FIRE (out of five).
Alien Private Eye (1989, dir. Vik Rubenfeld)
ReplyDeleteLemro, a badass alien from the planet Styx who dresses like a Michael Jackson fanboy and hides his Spock ears under a fedora, has moved to Earth to work as a private investigator. He falls for a woman he defends from thugs on the street and unwittingly gets mixed up with a drug lord's scheme to get humans addicted to an alien drug.
I don't know anything about Vik Rubenfeld (credited here as simply Viktor), except that writing, directing, producing, editing and casting this movie and co-creating the Kyle Chandler show Early Edition are his only credits, but I wouldn't be entirely surprised if he turned out to be 12 years old when he made this. The script is half lines a child would consider "cool", half clichés from other private eye movies. The cast looks to be mostly in their 30's, but everyone's acting is like kids making a movie in their back yard (one actor does what I think is supposed to be a Peter Lorre impression, and it's amazing), and I dare anyone to watch the romance subplot without covering their eyes even once. Everything about this movie feels like what a kid thinks a private eye movie is. Highly entertaining.
Oh, and did I mention in one scene the villain prays to an icon of Hitler for some reason?
Ah Peter Lorre, of course!! I don't know why in my head I originally had Ren from Ren and Stimpy (itself also a Lorre style voice).
DeleteAlso watch for the hat and the hair. Actually, a lot of his outfits. I recommend this to anyone looking for some dumb fun today.
The Long Goodbye (1973)
ReplyDeleteAltman does Chandler neo noir with Gould as Marlowe. Goulds take on Marlowe is shaggy, hungover, chain smoking*, and sarcastic. The film begins with him helping a friend get out of the country and then a series of cases and events that are tied together in a sorta murder mystery. The flick is well made and interesting but also meandering and dour with many setpieces that feel sort of just there with no real propulsion of a plot or unraveling of the mystery. It does somehow manage to stick the landing nicely in the final moments of the film. Weird tonally but i did enjoy it.
Notes:
*If there is ever a Guiness Book World Record for the most cigarettes shown being lit in a movie, this flick will win by a landslide. Seriously, "Cigarettes" should have received 2nd billing in the end credits.
Theres a surprise "cameo" by a then relatively unknown Arnold Schwarzenegger who plays a heavy for a local gangster.
Maybe Christopher 'Human Cigarrette' George should have played Marlowe instead of Elliott Gould. 😉😤
DeleteRADIOACTIVE DREAMS (1984)
ReplyDeletedir. Albert Pyun
It’s not Junesploitation without a little Pyun. And he was pulling out all the stops with hundreds of extras in crazy costumes, a mutant monster worthy of Invaders From Mars, a totally tubular ‘80s synth score, and charismatic leads in Dudikoff and Christine’s John Stockwell as Phillip Chandler and Marlow Hammer. It feels like it was shot on Beta-Max but it’s not boring and that counts for a lot in June.
The soundtrack of Radioactive Dreams is a lot of fun. The title track and "Guilty Pleasures" are great. This and the Pyun film Vicious Lips introduced me to Sue Saad and The Next.
DeleteCast a Deadly Spell (1991)
ReplyDeleteWhat if hardboiled 1940s L.A. noir, but with magic and monsters? In a world where sorcery is the new norm, Fred Ward is the only private dick in town who doesn't cut corners by using any kind of magic. When he gets hired to retrieve a stolen book, which just so happens to be the freaking Necronomicon, he doesn't realize what kind of cosmic horror conspiracy he just stepped into.
The movie looks fabulous (Martin Campbell is a really skilled director), and oozes cool genre tropes at every step, both on the noir side (nightclub singer femme fatale Julianne Moore, ex-cop gangster club owner Clancy Brown, everyone smoking and drinking all the time), and on the fantasy side (zombie slaves, killer gargoyles, witch landlady, the main guy's name is Lovecraft). It kind of feels like a slightly darker b-side to Roger Rabbit. I love a good genre mash-up when done right, and thought the way this movie balanced all its pulpy elements was quite impressive. One of my favorite watches of the month so far.
You might want to check the sequel, 1994's "Witch Hunt," wth the catch it has a new lead actor playing Lovecraft (Dennis Hopper) and the writing/tone/directing feel different than '91. Not better, not worse, just... different. 🤔🤨
DeleteI certainly plan to check it out at some point.
DeleteHot Fuzz (2007)
ReplyDeleteHot Fuzz isn’t just a blockbuster. It’s a masterclass in genre homage. It’s the kind of movie that feels like it was curated by a record store clerk who spent his entire teenage years alternating between Michael Bay blowouts and classic British murder mysteries. It’s loud, it’s bloody, it’s hilarious, and it’s absolute perfection.
Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the ultimate super-cop. He’s so good, so efficient, and so damn professional that he’s making the rest of the Metropolitan Police look like a bunch of muppets. The solution? Ship him off to the sleepy, idyllic village of Sandford, Gloucestershire. The thinking is that if he’s bored to tears by paperwork and lost swans, he’ll just quit.
But Sandford isn’t just tea and crumpets. It’s a place where people keep dying in accidental ways—decapitations, gas explosions and conveniently falling masonry. Angel, paired with the bumbling, action-movie-obsessed Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), realizes something sinister is rotting beneath the village’s Village of the Year veneer.
Spoiler warning: It turns out the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance (NWA) is more of a murderous secret society than a concerned group of citizens, all obsessed with protecting their pristine town stats at any cost. It leads to one of the most glorious, over-the-top third acts in cinema history. Forget high-brow detective work; by the time the shotgun-wielding, sea-mine-toting finale kicks in, the movie transforms into the very thing it was paying tribute to.
Edgar Wright filled this thing with people we love. Keep your eyes peeled for Peter Jackson as a Father Christmas-clad slasher, Cate Blanchett as Angel’s ex, and Bill Nighy as the Chief Inspector. Just as much as the cameos are the references. Hot Fuzz is a massive love letter to Bad Boys II and Point Break, while the NWA constantly saying they’re doing things for the greater good makes them seem straight out of The Wicker Man.
But it’s a real action movie, too! Simon Pegg and Nick Frost didn’t just phone it in. They trained with real firearms instructors and studied police procedures to ensure the action sequences looked legit, even when they were shooting while jumping through the air.
In a world of bloated, humorless action movies, Hot Fuzz stands tall. It understands that you can mock a genre’s tropes while simultaneously honoring them. It also has one of the grossest things I’ve seen, as Timothy Dalton falls face-first toward a miniature church steeple.
With references to A Fistful of Dollars, The French Connection, McQ, Death Wish, The Omen and Lost Highway, as well as a starring role for the video collections of director Edgar Wright, his brother Oscar and his friend Joe Cornish, this movie is a total joy of cinema for me. I’ve watched it more times than I can count and always come back for more.
All I ever really want for Father’s Day is a Sanford Fun Runners do it while running t-shirt and I never get one. Someday…
DeleteB&S, if you haven't watched it already, please click on the 'Miranda Reacts' YouTube first-time watch of "Hot Fuzz": https://youtu.be/JFkxO0t-7Xc?si=79XSZID8zbwMUM5m. It's so rare to see someone fall in love with a movie as hard as she does with Edgar Wright's masterpiece. 😄👍
DeleteMEET BOSTON BLACKIE (1941)
ReplyDeleteBlackie is a former world-class jewel thief who has reformed and become a private eye. Except there’s one relentless cop who insists Blackie’s still a bad guy. In his debut outing, Blackie is accused of murder and goes on the run to clear his name. The case involves a mysterious (and beautiful!) woman, a circus sideshow, and a mechanical man (!). Part of the gimmick is that Blackie knows all the criminals’ tricks, which he uses to his advantage. Chester Morris plays Blackie with an easygoing charm, and there’s that classic snappy, fast-paced 1940s dialogue throughout. Will I binge all 14 movies in this series now? Probably not, but this first one was delightful.
30 days of fan films, day 10: DOCTOR WHO VELOCITY (2017-2025)
The Who fan filmmakers aren’t content with just a short or a feature, they tend to make entire seasons of episodes that go on for years. Velocity was created by Krystal Moore, who co-writes each episode and stars as the Doctor. The title is apt, because this thing is crazy fast-paced, squeezing entire storylines into each 15-minute episode. But this is fun, too! They even got Sophie Aldred (Ace!) to cameo. I only got through the first few episodes this morning, but apparently the series later crosses over with other fan films for their own little shared universe. And I see there’s a Christmas episode and even a Tron crossover episode as well. Wild!
Night Moves (1975)
ReplyDeleteGene Hackman as grizzled private detective Harry Moseby. I really enjoyed the movie, but, as always, it would have been better if James Woods had not been in the film. For some reason, I think this would make a really great double feature with Get Shorty. But, what is up with that ending? Other than "It was the '70s. All movies ended that way."
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ReplyDeleteMurder, My Sweet
ReplyDeletePhilip Marlowe is a big part of the reason I am who I am. My first brush with noir (well, second after The Great Muppet Caper) was Powers Boothe starring in Philip Marlowe, Private Eye on HBO when I was in grade school. I was too young to fully comprehend it, but for whatever reason (Boothe!) I was completely enamored with it. It led to me reading Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep in junior high, and I’ve been a crime fiction junkie ever since. I’m always interested in Marlowe adaptations (The Long Goodbye with Elliott Gould is my favorite), and I’m glad I finally caught up with this one.
I enjoyed the movie, but I gotta say: I don’t love Dick Powell’s take on Marlowe. Allegedly Chandler himself said Powell was the best screen Marlowe, but y’know, Stephen King hated Kubrick’s The Shining so there’s no accounting for the taste of the creators. Powell is serviceable but (in my opinion) he just doesn’t have the juice and he can’t seem to chew on the hard-boiled dialogue the way the best of them do. Claire Trevor fares better as the requisite femme fatale, and Mike Mazurki pretty much steals the show as heavy (literally) Moose Malloy. As an adaptation of Chandler’s Farewell, My Lovely it’s solid (and for my money better than the Robert Mitchum version), but give me Bogart, Boothe, or Gould any day of the week.
The Big Fix (1978, dir. Jeremy Kagan)
ReplyDeleteRichard Dreyfuss is former hippie now private eye Moses Wine. He is tasked with investigating possible anarchist ties to a political campaign and gets involved in a conspiracy. That part of the story is not as interesting as just hanging out w/ Dreyfuss while his personal life intertwines with his work. Dealing w/ his ex wife and her new-wave boyfriend and reconnecting with a past love, while also having to take his kids along while he's working unable to find someone to watch them. Dreyfuss is just so endlessly watchable. If the final shot doesn't make you smile I can't help you. Highly enjoyable '70s gem.
The Resurrected (Dan O'Bannon, 1991)
ReplyDeleteI read several people claim that this was one of the most successful Lovecraft adaptations, perhaps not the best, but maybe the most faithful in spirit (despite, from what I understood, some noticeable changes from the source material). I'll take their word for it, having never read Lovecraft! I thought The Resurrected was most captivating in its first third, then suffered a bit from a pacing problem when the mystery starts unraveling. Chris Sarandon, in his dual role, is certainly entertaining, but this is far from his best work. The whole thing has a distinct TV miniseries feel and look to it, but is quite charming and benefits from a bunch of really great monstruous (and gooey) practical effects.
Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
ReplyDeleteTypical convoluted noir plot until it goes completely off the rails insane. Did not see any part of that coming.
This was going to be my 4th P.E. movie today, but ran out of time. Ralph Meeker's Mike Hammer is a mostly restrained brute, but when he turns the animal within loose... watch out. 😲🥴
DeleteFACELESS (1987, Jesus Franco, FRA)
ReplyDeleteEurosleaze offspring of EYES WITHOUT A FACE and AWFUL DR ORLOFF. Helmut Berger and Brigitte Lahaie troll the Paris discos in search of a face to replace the acid-eroded visage of Berger’s daughter (and the pair’s implied sexual partner). Caroline Munro gets snatched, Telly Savalas hires gum-chewing gumshoe Christopher Mitchum to find her. There’s a N@zi plastic surgeon, a sleazy Igor named Gordon, Howard Vernon and Lena Romay cameos, horrid 80s soft rock balladry, and a bevy of bloody and bloody cheap practical gore effects amongst the soap-operatic production values. And man, Marcel Philippot absolutely steals his scenes as the gayest fashion photographer ever! Entertaining throughout, if we ever DARE to have another Franco day, I’d recommend, as this is one of Jess’s most mainstream and palatable efforts. Pairs well with the director’s 1981’s BLOODY MOON for a delirious double dose of Euro slasher trash!