Superman: The Movie

The story of Kal-El, exiled by his father (Marlon Brando) and sent to Earth as an infant in the face of his planet's mass destruction. Adopted and raised in rural Iowa, he grows up to be mild manner reporter Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) by day, who is continually thwarted by flighty Daily Planet colleague Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), and Superman by night, a near invincible being who fights for truth, justice, and the American way and is currently combating megalomaniacal criminal mastermind Lex Luther (Gene Hackman) who plans to hatch a nuclear attack to affect a major real estate scheme. Richard Donner's Superman is the kind of movie that Hollywood isn't even capable of attempting anymore, just great, well rounded entertainment. Reeve and Kidder bring great presence and chemistry to the picture and the entire cast pulls off great comic performances from a tongue-in-cheek script which was surprisingly co-authored by Godfather scribe Mario Puzo. Hackman delivers one of the great villainous turns (some of his interactions with Ned Beatty are priceless) and the cheesy f/x (which were heralded at the time) actually enhance the likability of the picture.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Killer of Sheep

The amblings of an impoverished, disaffected slaughterhouse worker, his affectionate wife, and high-spirited children, and the mostly harmless dealings that come his way in his Watts neighborhood. Charles Burnett's heralded and long unseen independent realist film is formless but knowingly and competently staged with a few funny and memorable vignettes.

** 1/2 out of ****

Blue Collar

Fed up with their do-nothing, self-satisfied union, a trio of autoworkers (Richard Pryor, Harvey Keitel, Yaphet Kotto) decide to rob the safe in their federation's local offices making off with petty cash and a mysterious ledger purporting backroom misdoings. Now, not only do they find themselves as targets, they also see forces pitting themselves against each other. Paul Schrader's Blue Collar strives for authenticity and realism which is achieved through the help of gritty Detroit location shooting, with even some slipshod, hazy elements of the story adding to the overall effect. Pryor is surprisingly exceptional in the lead, Kotto's performance is offbeat and amusing, and Keitel, though inconsistent, really delivers in the finale.

*** 1/2 out of ****

Interiors

Delusional that her husband (E.G. Marshall) of many years is returning after a trial separation, an elderly well-bred woman (Geraldine Page) begins to unravel, her three similarly troubled daughters (Diane Keaton, Kristin Griffith, Mary Beth Hurt) attempt to provide support while also trying to process the shocking news. Woody Allen's Bergmanesque exercise, a solemn take on family dynamics and the misery of the human experience, and first foray into pure drama is given weight by gloomy Gordon Willis photography and exhibits the roots of what would become some of the auteur's 1980s masterworks.

*** out of ****

Italianamerican and American Boy: 2 Nonfiction Films from Martin Scorsese

When Martin Scorsese has forayed into documentary filmmaking, it is usually to capture either music (The Last Waltz, No Direction Home, The Blues) or film (A Personal Journey..., A Letter to Elia) topics. Early in his career however he aimed his camera at very personal subjects, interviewing first his parents and then a close friend in two separate hour long profiles. In Italianamerican, following his breakthrough success of Mean Streets, Scorsese interviews his parents Charles and Catherine who, with warm detail, tell of their experiences as second generation immigrants by way of story spinning and pictures, stopping occasionally to offer family recipes and berate their son. Made several years later, during a particular low point for the director, American Boy features Steve Prince, a man of many hats (one of which was a memorable bit as an actor in Taxi Driver), who tells wild stories of his often drug addled life on the road, some of which have found their way into films by modern directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Richard Linklater. Whether it's a big budget studio picture or two friends exchanging stories in an apartment, it has always boiled down to simple storytelling and with these two films we simply have one great storyteller introducing a few others.

Dawn of the Dead

After clearing out an abandoned apartment building filled with survivors of a zombie apocalypse resisting martial law, two SWAT team members join up with a Philadelphia news crew as they evacuate their station by helicopter. They take refuge in a shopping mall in Western Pennsylvania which serves their basic needs but also presents threats not only in terms of hordes of undead walkers but also in a renegade gang that has also invaded the shopping center. George Romero's Dawn of the Dead, more of a followup or a retread than a sequel to his  Night of the Living Dead, is less cerebral, and more akin to the graphic zombie movies that have inundated multiplexes since. It is, however, crafted just as masterfully with Romero making the most out of his locations, gruesome special effects, and an engaging, unknown cast. It is a little on the long side and hurt somewhat by its comedic sidebars, but with the number of lifeless and uninspired zombie shlock possessing our television and movie screens, Dawn of the Dead is a welcomed and frightful retreat.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 and 1978)

Ken McCarthy, star of the original film, cameoing here in the remake

Foreign invaders manifested in plant form begin to duplicate the human body as soon as the host enters a sleep state, eradicating the original frame and forming a race of emotionless drones. In Don Siegel's original 1956 version, which was concocted as an allegory in response to anti-communist fervor, Kevin McCarthy stars as a small town physician who begins to piece together these mysterious ongoings. When the film was remade by Philip Kaufman in 1978, Donald Sutherland took over the lead playing a San Francisco health inspector in a similar predicament. Both films are intense and wonderfully executed and also function well on their own terms. Siegel's original is a silly, sci-fi 50s B movie played straight and containing great photography, some genuine scares, and a memorable final scene. Kaufman's is a skillful update benefitting from his filmmaking acumen, some new twists on the material  and an outstanding performance from Sutherland.

Autumn Sonata

A celebrated concert pianist (Ingrid Bergman) who has long neglected her family returns to the home of her daughter (Liv Ullman) and, to her surprise and shock, finds her other mentally challenged daughter (Lena Nyman) whom she had long ago institutionalized. An awkward reacquaintance and dinner is followed by a late-night conversation between mother and daughter where years of unspoken hatreds and regrets come bubbling to the surface. Autumn Sonata joined two of Sweden's most celebrated international talents Ingmar and Ingrid Bergman, in what would be a late career triumph for both of them. Ingrid, who is cold and tremendous in her role, would earn an Academy Award nomination and not make another feature film, and Ingmar, whose film is as dark and challenging as any of the many great works he crafted, would receive further critical accolades and also an Oscar nod for screenwriting. The cinematography by his longtime collaborator Sven Nykvist is sumptuous and Liv Ullman is match for Ms. Bergman in a heartbreaking performance.

The Last Waltz

(4/12/13) I watched this tremendous film again and don't have much more to add other than, as far as concert films go, you can't do any better than this. 

(2/3/11) The Band, though largely unfamiliar today, authored many great songs that still do hold familiarity including "The Weight", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and "Ophelia". They functioned as Bob Dylan's band when he was transitioning from acoustic to electric and aside from that they toured largely during the era until when. according to frontman Robbie Robertson, him and his bandmates were no longer cut out to be road dogs, fearing that continued touring would get the best of them. So on Thanksgiving 1976, they decided to throw a farewell concert and invited some of their friends to join them on stage. These mates, encompassing a wide spectrum of music, included Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters Ringo Starr, Ron Wood, and Dylan himself, among others. To top it off, they had recently acclaimed and musically inclined director Martin Scorsese film the concert. The result is a joyous collaboration of music and film, with wonderful songs and performances coupled with fine camerawork and entertaining interviews, conducted by Scorsese himself. The Last Waltz is a spectacular sendoff on all levels and one of the great concert films of all time.

California Suite

Following the successes of the stage and screen version of Plaza Suite, Neil Simon followed it up with another 1-2 punch in the "Grand Hotel" format, this time set in an L.A. lodge. Here we follow a divorced couple (Jane Fonda, Alan Alda) deciding the future of their daughter, a Hollywood power couple (Michael Caine, Maggie Smith) preparing for the Academy Awards, a pair of reluctant business partners (Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor) on a disastrous vacation with their families, and a philanderer (Walter Matthau) caught in the act, trying to explain the circumstances to his wife (Elaine May). Like much of Simon's work, this Herbert Ross helmed feature is often grating but is redeemed by engaging intelligent acting by Fonda, Alda, Caine, and Smith (who won an Oscar for her portrayal of an actress dreading the prospect of her imminent acquisition of one). On the other hand, I had no idea what was going on during Cosby and Prior's ill-advised, out of place slapstick sequences, and Matthau's segment goes nowhere until May turns up.

Heaven Can Wait

The environmentally conscious, dimwitted quarterback for the L.A. Rams is involved in a traffic accident just days before the Super Bowl when his guardian angel jumps the gun, and transports his soul from his body. Having been swindled of his longevity, the QB is now given another chance at life as a recently murdered, but not yet collected, tycoon. "Heaven Can Wait" is an almost by the numbers remake of "Here Comes Mr. Jordan" and like its hero Joe Pendleton, it is a not too bright but very likable motion picture. Cowriting (with Elaine May), Codirecting (with Buck Henry - who plays his guardian angel), producing, and starring, Warren Beatty does a pretty stellar job of putting all the pieces together and crafting an enjoyable feature. Many of the colorful supporting roles are filled nicely: James Mason is excellent in the Mr. Jordan role, the executive in charge of the angels. Jack Warden is also great as Beatty's football coach and I also enjoyed Charles Grodin as his murderous yet feeble secretary. The women seemed miscast here. The lovely Julie Christie is off as the love interest and Dyan Cannon (who received an Oscar nod) seems to be hitting the wrong notes as Beatty's treacherous wife. There's virtually zero moments of inspiration or originality in "Heaven Can Wait". Instead, Beatty reworks a time tested movie into another enjoyable one.
*** out of ****

Death on the Nile

A socialite is murdered aboard a Nile cruise ship where seemingly every member of the passenger roster is a known enemy with personal motives, including her jilted sister. Fortunately, one of the traveler's is world renowned Belgian detective Hercule Poirot who now must sort through the colorful characters and use his masterful powers of deduction to determine the culprit. Following the success of Sidney Lumet's "Murder on the Orient Express", "Death on the Nile", another Agatha Christie murder mystery, was adapted for the screen. Although it contains virtually the same plot, it still provides the same high level of entertainment. This was the first film where Peter Ustinov played the famed detective whom he would revisit several times over, and his portrayal is delightfully awkward. In a truly all-star cast, we are given fun performances from Mia Farrow, George Kennedy, David Niven, Jack Warden, and especially Bettie Davis and Maggie Smith who play a spinster and her indignant servant, respectively. "Death on the Nile" features a silly and incredible story, but is thoroughly entertaining throughout.

Halloween

Fifteen years after slaying his sister, Michael Myers escapes from a psychiatric institution and returns to his childhood home, where he stalks a local teenager and is being hunter by his psychiatrist who knows the true nature of his inner malice. John Carpenter's "Halloween" is a landmark in the slasher genre, an accolade that may be dubious considering the dreck that has followed which has included sequels, remakes, knockoffs, and even the "stalwart" entries including "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street". Regardless, Carpenter displays a full mastery of the genre, using music, camerawork, and earned thrills to craft an eerie, terrifying thriller. Jamie Lee Curtis, in her first role, is extremely effective as Myers' target and it is refreshing to see an intelligent character in a film of this nature, which also extends to Donald Pleasence's Dr. Loomis's whose explanatory scenes I find to be the best in the picture. "Halloween" is a grand exercise in terror, but also somewhat of a nostalgic one when we reflect on what so many of the lazy, subsequent slasher films could have been.
note: I thought it was neat how Curtis' charges watch "The Thing from Another World" before the attacks, a film Carpenter would remake a few years later.

An Unmarried Woman

Erica has it all, a happy marriage to a sensitive husband, an intelligent daughter, a Manhattan flat, and a good job at a contemporary art gallery. Things are going so swimmingly in fact that she engages in her own rendition of Swan Lake in her skivvies while alone in her bedroom. Then after meeting her husband for lunch, he informs her on the sidewalk that he has fallen in love with another woman. Thoroughly dejected, Erica enters the single world and on the advice of her therapist, begins to date and gradually finds strength in her own independence. Paul Mazursky's "An Unmarried Woman", one of the pivotal woman's lib films of the 1970s, is a crowning achievement for the work of Jill Clayburgh, who is truly remarkable in the title role. Running the gamut in terms of emotions, Clayburgh perfectly projects joy, frustration, anger, bewilderment, and a slew of others as she begins her transition into single life. The performances of the men are excellent as well: Michael Murphy as her weak but loving husband, Cliff Gorman as the chauvinistic swinger whom she has a fling with, and Alan Bates as the ideal artist whom she falls in love with. Mazursky's film must have been refreshing for audiences in 1978, but it is due to Clayburgh's incredible and engaging command of the screen that makes this film work.

Foul Play

A shy librarian becomes involved in a wildly bizarre assassination plot and romantically involved with the unpolished detective assigned to the case. "Foul Play" is a slight and funny film featuring a really nice performance from the extremely beautiful and immensely likable Goldie Hawn, as well as an amusing turn from Chevy Chase. The movie is comprised of many Hitchcockian references including the blonde leading lady, some windy San Francisco locations, a McGuffin, the Bernard Herrmannish score, a finale at an opera house, some dizzying camera work, and two detectives surnamed Scott and Ferguson, but the movie is an homage rather than a ripoff and has a lot of fun in the process. In addition to the likable leads I liked the work of Burgess Meredith as a black belt septuagenarian, Brian Dennehy as Chase's disbelieving partner, and especially Dudley Moore playing a swinger who keeps crossing paths with Hawn. Many of the action sequences in the latter part of the film are drawn out and take some of the fun out of the film, but all and all this was an amiable farce made all the entertaining by its affable players.

Gates of Heaven

Errol Morris has made a career out of documenting eccentrics, and it all began with this little film in 1978. Here Morris interviews people who are involved with pet cemeteries in Napa, California. We meet such people like Floyd McClure who was so stricken when his collie died, that he decided to devote his life to creating a respectable place to bury their beloved pets. We also meet the local manager of the rendering plant or "the glue factory" as McClure refers to it with great contempt, although the manager is a realist and presents a reasonable argument for his business while also offering a slight criticism of Americans regarding their pet priorities. Others show up including people who have their pets buried there, who describe their shock when McClure lost the land due to poor foresight and decided to move all of the interred pets to another plot! We also meet the proprietors of another similar burial ground, as well as their sons who didn't plan on a life doing what their doing. Gates of Heaven was hailed by many as a bonafide masterpiece by some, while I like to view it as a great start for a master filmmaker who was just beginning to hone his craft. It doesn't quite have the immediacy of his latter films, which are aided by his Interrotron and their Philip Glass scores. I also didn't understand why so much of this short film was devoted to the two sons, one constantly babbling on about business models while surrounding himself with pointless trophies. Still, this is an intriguing film by a director who immediately had an eye for the odd.
*** out of ****

Days of Heaven

Terrence Malick's career as a director spans almost 40 years during which he has made a mere five films (which includes the upcoming Tree of Life). Yet, due to the sheer and unmatched visual beauty of his films, he has cemented his name as one of the great directors and his 1978 film Days of Heaven is the epitome of his work. The story involves Chicago steelworker Bill (Richard Gere) who has just inadvertently killed his supervisor and flees south with his kid sister and his girlfriend, who he passes of as his sister. Upon reaching the Texas panhandle, they find arduous work in the wheat fields of a rich farmer who takes a liking to Bill's girlfriend. When he proposes marriage, and after Bill learns of his terminal illness, he encourages the union which leads to a love triangle destined to end in tragedy. Days of Heaven is almost biblical in scope, with panoramic shots, and scenes filled with locusts and conflagrations. It contains some of the most beautiful visuals ever committed to film, which act as its own character and mute the still engaging story. The hypnotic tone is further given weight by the young girl's eerie narration and great composer Ennio Morricone's score. The camera work is that of Spanish cinematographer Nestor Almendros  (as well as the great Haskell Wexler who had to replace him due to scheduling conflicts) who won an Oscar for his work and goes through great lengths in his autobiography A Man with his Camera to demonstrate what went into this sumptuous film. Malick, who has a background in philosophy, together with Almendros crafted an arresting film whose visual beauty speaks louder than its story, and still leaves us too enthralled to mind.

Fingers

Fingers is a 1978 indie from director James Toback about a young man who goes about New York City picking up women and collecting debts for his loan shark father all the while aspiring to be concert pianist at Carnegie Hall. The film is populated with some nice and some not so nice locations in the city, and there is a wonderful background soundtracks that eminates from the protagonists piano or from the stereo which he carries with him around the city (this method of using pop songs was popular and relatively new at the time). Keitel also shines in the lead, but the languid pacing detracts from the overall effect of the film.
***