Friday Night Round-Up
Another week gone by, another bunch of movies to talk about.
Rio Bravo- A, this film features John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Ward Bond along with Angie Dickinson. This is one of the best ensembles in movie history. The film is thoroughly entertaining.
Alexander Nevsky- B, for this one I have to pretend I was a viewer in the 1920s or 1930s when film was coming into its own. The epic qualities of this picture are very amazing for its time. And the fight sequences (while they do not stack up to anything done twenty years from now) are big and entertaining.
Three Musketeers or Four Musketeers - B, I will do Richard Lester the honor of considering this film as one as he intended instead of two separate movies. The Three Musketeers (first half) is comical and the swashbuckling sequences are something to brag about. But the second half, Four Musketeers, was boring. Perhaps because it's cut like a sequel, I found myself asking, "What is the point of a second saga?"
Don't Look Now- A, Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie give stellar performances in this. But the direction is very noticeable. The sound and editing create a tension throughout the film that make this as thrilling as it is.
Switchblade Sisters- B+, I liked this movie. It has a nice, simple story to it. The pacing may be the only place this lacks. Sometimes the dialogue dwells in an area too long and you want it to keep going. Great fun.
Candy Snatchers- A-, awesome film. The story to this one is simple and hard-hitting. The characters are developed even if they don't pack the punch of better developed characters. And Tiffany Bolling is hot. Nuff said.
Straw Dogs- A, this Sam Peckinpah film is just as good if not better than his masterpiece The Wild Bunch. Dustin Hoffman gives a great performance. The "hooligans" that are violating their home are zany and horrifying. Their is no end to the evil antics they are capable of seemingly which is what drives this film.
Asphalt Jungle- B, as far as film noir goes, this is a good movie. I found it to be dry. It just didn't stick with me despite the few high points that grabbed my attention.
Ed Wood- A, very funny portrait of a director who loved film and never succeeded in communicating his love through "good" movies. I had never realized he wanted to be Orson Welles. Or achieve is level of success. With all the characters, including a wonderful Martin Landau portrayal of Bela Lugosi, this offbeat movie is unforgettable.
The Game- B-, at some point, I wrote this movie off as crazy. I get the idea that Michael Douglas's character is playng a game. And everything is going wrong. But it was unfathomable to me that all these people were in on it. And the screenplay didn't even make it plausible that he would become involved in this game in the first place. Still, this remains entertaining for much of the film.
The Illusionist- A-, the colors in this film were what struck me. It's beautiful to look at. This period piece doesn't just have all the costumes, but it creates an aura of mysticism around Eisenheim the Illusionist. The tricks or illusions pulled are spectacular. It's the structure of this film that makes it work so well. The film shows an illusion, then a dramatic scene, another illusion, a dramatic scene, another illusion...And the viewer is never bored with a period they have little to no knowledge of.
Last House on the Left- B+, as far as Wes Craven films go, I have not seen his signature classics. But this film is a very good and simple story that builds its terror from the fact that ths murderous gang does not care how violent or violating they are to people. And the final sequence is a great show of force from the parents. This slacks off in the middle but the beginning is terrifying and the end is well orchestrated.
Rio Bravo- A, this film features John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, and Ward Bond along with Angie Dickinson. This is one of the best ensembles in movie history. The film is thoroughly entertaining.
Alexander Nevsky- B, for this one I have to pretend I was a viewer in the 1920s or 1930s when film was coming into its own. The epic qualities of this picture are very amazing for its time. And the fight sequences (while they do not stack up to anything done twenty years from now) are big and entertaining.
Three Musketeers or Four Musketeers - B, I will do Richard Lester the honor of considering this film as one as he intended instead of two separate movies. The Three Musketeers (first half) is comical and the swashbuckling sequences are something to brag about. But the second half, Four Musketeers, was boring. Perhaps because it's cut like a sequel, I found myself asking, "What is the point of a second saga?"
Don't Look Now- A, Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie give stellar performances in this. But the direction is very noticeable. The sound and editing create a tension throughout the film that make this as thrilling as it is.
Switchblade Sisters- B+, I liked this movie. It has a nice, simple story to it. The pacing may be the only place this lacks. Sometimes the dialogue dwells in an area too long and you want it to keep going. Great fun.
Candy Snatchers- A-, awesome film. The story to this one is simple and hard-hitting. The characters are developed even if they don't pack the punch of better developed characters. And Tiffany Bolling is hot. Nuff said.
Straw Dogs- A, this Sam Peckinpah film is just as good if not better than his masterpiece The Wild Bunch. Dustin Hoffman gives a great performance. The "hooligans" that are violating their home are zany and horrifying. Their is no end to the evil antics they are capable of seemingly which is what drives this film.
Asphalt Jungle- B, as far as film noir goes, this is a good movie. I found it to be dry. It just didn't stick with me despite the few high points that grabbed my attention.
Ed Wood- A, very funny portrait of a director who loved film and never succeeded in communicating his love through "good" movies. I had never realized he wanted to be Orson Welles. Or achieve is level of success. With all the characters, including a wonderful Martin Landau portrayal of Bela Lugosi, this offbeat movie is unforgettable.
The Game- B-, at some point, I wrote this movie off as crazy. I get the idea that Michael Douglas's character is playng a game. And everything is going wrong. But it was unfathomable to me that all these people were in on it. And the screenplay didn't even make it plausible that he would become involved in this game in the first place. Still, this remains entertaining for much of the film.
The Illusionist- A-, the colors in this film were what struck me. It's beautiful to look at. This period piece doesn't just have all the costumes, but it creates an aura of mysticism around Eisenheim the Illusionist. The tricks or illusions pulled are spectacular. It's the structure of this film that makes it work so well. The film shows an illusion, then a dramatic scene, another illusion, a dramatic scene, another illusion...And the viewer is never bored with a period they have little to no knowledge of.
Last House on the Left- B+, as far as Wes Craven films go, I have not seen his signature classics. But this film is a very good and simple story that builds its terror from the fact that ths murderous gang does not care how violent or violating they are to people. And the final sequence is a great show of force from the parents. This slacks off in the middle but the beginning is terrifying and the end is well orchestrated.
posted by Kevin at 7:55 AM
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