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Reviews
Which Way to the Front? (1970)
Last original "Jerry Lewis" film is overlooked gem
Written by brilliant Monkees' TV writers Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso,WHICH WAY TO THE FRONT was the last of the "Jerry Lewis" movies until "Hardly Working" almost a decade later. Jerry's comedy is evidently an acquired taste, and admittedly he can occasionally be his own worst enemy when he helms as producer/director--but even in the dreariest of his films, there are always moments of brilliance.
WHICH WAY manages to be amusing,entertaining and yes,quite funny. It is somewhat unlike any of the typical Lewis films.The pace is very upbeat and ther are lots of excellent supporting players--a kind of JERRY DOES HOGANS HEROES.The whole thing looks kind of like an unsold TV pilot and you will either love it or hate it---but hopefully YOU VILL LAUGH
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired (2008)
Crime means time-and time doesn't neutralize guilt,folks
Roman Polanski is what I would consider a genius filmmaker. He is the consummate "filmmaker's director", and has made many excellent films--some of the most important films ever created-- for over 40 years.I think he is a highly engaging, intelligent and gifted human being. And I would treasure the opportunity to sit with him over a glass of wine and hear ,what I'm sure would be an amazing, riveting life story.
Having said that,the recent motions to dismiss his guilt regarding the 1977 child-rape case HE PLEAD GUILTY TO to me are belittling of our criminal justice system.
It boils down to his GUILT, not wheather or not the judge is an a**hole--right? Haven't many convicted members of the MANSON family ,guilty of slaughtering his pregnant wife and unborn son, attempted similar motions, pleas and tactics to reduce or overthrow THEIR sentences. Do THEY also deserve to "walk" just because it's "been a long time and things change"?
This is a compelling film and very, very absorbing and it is recommended viewing,regardless of your personal opinion regarding Polanski's guilt--but to what end? I do not agree with it's perspective,purpose and viewpoint so in that sense, it is an inherently flawed project.
We wish you could return to the USA, Mr.Polanski--But you have done something that you must pay for, just as Tex Watson and Susan Atkins have to pay for the crimes they inflicted in your rented home on Cielo Drive on that tragic summer evening in 1969.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
40 years without an oil change, but "chitty" still runs like a kitty
Ahh....the days of family musicals where no one dropped their pants, cursed their heads off or was chopped in half, carved to pieces,mutilated or sexually molested.
I saw this at a drive-in on Route 46 in New Jesrey in 1969, and have considered it a childhood favorite ever since. I also owned the soundtrack album and remember my cousin had a stuffed Dick Van Dyke "Mr.Potts" pull-string talking plush toy as well.
This film can be alternately described as JAMES BOND MEETS MARY POPPINS, as it takes it's strengths from both of those Hollywood franchises, creating something unique and in many ways better (certainly than Disney live-action fodder of the era, a' la THE GNOMEMOBILE, another Mary Poppins wannabee).
Dick van Dyke should have gotten an award for his performance in this film--hands down. He is at the peak of his considerable talents here. The musical number ME OL' BAMBOO is one of the most spectacularly choreographed and executed routines I've ever seen in any musical. Most people outside the immediate CHITTY CHITTY fan base , have never even heard of it!
If there are any shortcomings, (outside of the surprisingly poor blue-screen special effects) it might be the casting of Sally Ann Howes, for me.I was just never razy about the Truly Scruptious persona she delivers. But she is certainly a credible actress and does have moments where she shines.
The Grandfather (Lionel Jefferies) is a hoot! and all his scenes are amusing and fun,particularly the musical number POSH, probably the second or third best scene from the score. The songs are MOSTLY good, but I wouldn't consider them TRULY scrumptious.
This film IS excellent entertainment for children and still holds up well decades later for "kids" like myself who have since (assumingly) "grown up". Unless you're a cynical smart-ass who would rather look at something like SAW II or FACES OF DEATH III,perhaps even you can find something to enjoy here.
By the way,you MUST see this film in WIDESCREEN, or else you are getting just the CHITTY CHITTY and missing all the BANG BANG!
Bandolero! (1968)
Super entertaining 60's western-Stewart and Geer especially good
I saw this film in the theater in 1971 on a co-bill with ESCAPE FROM THE PLANET OF THE APES (Central-Passaic,NJ) Loved it then and think it still holds up. Raquel Welch's performance never thrilled me in this film and her entire role was either looped by another actress, or she went in and looped all her own dialoge in post-production (I suspect the latter).
Dean Martin trades in his tux for a leather holster, and although he's not playing the most convincing outlaw in the world, I always loved the way he portrayed his role here as the "bad egg" brother of Jimmy Stewart who longs to meet a fine woman and turn his life around.The trouble here is that he falls for a prostitute peasant girl (Raquel Welch) Some guys have all the luck!
James Stewart is superb as usual, as is the great character actor Will Geer (they played opposite one another in another western classic, WINCHESTER '73) I love the scene between them in the cave where Stewart says "apologize, Mr.Chaney or I'll blow your head off" (words to that effect) Jerry Goldsmith also provides his usual excellent score. A great 20th Century-Fox widescreen film made in the days just before the Zanucks left the studio and the film industry started taking a gradual but steady morality nose-dive.
Santa Claus (1959)
What if FELLINI made a low-budget Christmas kiddie movie in Spanish!
I saw this film numerous times in the late 60's/early 70's whenever it reared it's head like a reindeer with rabies every November-December as a Saturday matinée kiddie show.It was always stiff competition for THE CHRSTMAS THAT ALMOST WASN'T (oops-can I SAY "Christmas"?), perhaps the greatest,most iconic Christmas-season film of all time.But that's another review.
At the time,I marveled that the on-screen tint of SANTA CLAUS was almost "pink and white", so much had the color of the sprocket-torn prints changed color.
The film is kinda creepy! I thought so then--and still do, actually. I was highly entertained then, as I still am! It's amusing in a "retarted-elf" sort of way. By the way,the image quality looks much better on the DVD I have now than it did in the theater, circa 1969-74.
If you are expecting maybe "the lost RANKIN-BASS Christmas special-forget it! If you want FELLINI DOES Christmas--read on...
By nature, the dubbing on these foreign films (the original version here was in Spanish)always makes them seem "surreal". This adds to the films inherent oddness. It is also pretty scary in that a "mishevious demon" (as described in the original US trailer) spends the entire film trying to turn decent kids "evil". One particularly nightmarish scene has a young "latch-key" boy wishing he had parents for Christmas-suddenly the "port-a-family" emerges out of giant "Christmas presents-of-the-mind" until he realizes he's just daydreaming! See this,Christmas lovers--and if you're a stoner, save your stash--this film will make you think you're hallucinating...without drugs!
The Maltese Bippy (1969)
I bet my sweet bippy-and LOST!
I liked a previous comment posted here that voiced the probable concerns of the studio "heads" of the era: What kind of films should we make for these kids who like to go to the movies stoned? The problem with BIPPY is...the stoners evidently were the ones MAKING the film (that NO ONE went to see). This dog was hardly ever shown on TV (at least not in NY area) FINALLY caught it on a cable movie channel decades and decades later.My only viewing of the film for years was the print feature that ran in FAMOUS MONSTERS magazine.
After years of build-up...boy what a let-down. There are only two reasons for a normal guy to sit through this; Julie Newmar (post-catwoman already) and Carol Lynley (pre-Poseidon Adventure).
I never understood the appeal of Rowan & Martin to begin with--even on Laugh-In. They were acceptable as low-end comedians at a bowling ally, but didn't deserve the run they were able to have IMHO
But they were OK...this movie makes like a vampire, though-and SUCKS
Planet of the Apes (2001)
Not an ape,A DOG! The stench should have put an end to awful remakes forever
The saddest observation(s) on this lame-dog, utterly unnecessary remake are that it managed to squander the contributions of three alumni from the classic original: RICHARD ZANUCK-responsible for green-lighting the 1968 version when he headed 20th Century Fox in 1967,was also at the helm of this travesty of cinema-- it also wastes CHARLTON HESTON, the great mega-star who so effectively inhabited the character of GEORGE TAYLOR (here in ape-make up panting through a clichéd, embarrassingly written cameo/death scene), and once again poor LINDA HARRISON (Nova in the first two APES entries) is reduced to a token 3 second cameo shot,essentially lampooning her original character.
This film's announcement created a huge buzz in Hollywood, and among the fan-base of the original classic APES franchise. Instead what audiences received
was a pathetic, unengaging,poorly executed load of overblown B.S Tim Burton seemed to very removed from his usual hands-on approach that made his best work so imaginative. The make-up is pretty well done, but unappealing and the actors sure had their work cut out for them, trying to reinvent the genius of former characterizations made by Kim Hunter, Roddy McDowall and Maurice Evans.--but all was for naught with such a lame-ass script, lead character and senseless "action".I will say that H Bonham Carter did do a respectful job at her character, and gave a noble performance. But she was conducting it aboard a sinking ship.
Weeks after this 2001 version opened (to 120 MILLION dollars worth of box-office!) the tragedy of 9/11 occurred, and it was quickly forgotten-where it has remained at the very bottom of Tim Burton's resume.And judging from most every other comment on this board, the bottom of the barrell-period!
It never should have been made-plain and simple