Change Your Image
TheMistyCopse_64
Reviews
The Ice Storm (1997)
So close, yet so far
It's hard to explain why the concept of an ice storm always seemed to me the perfect backdrop for a period film set in the early-'70s -- because, obviously, every year of every decade has a winter. Yet I did. Long before Ang Lee ever made a period film set in the early-'70s literally called THE ICE STORM, written by Rick Moody (appropriately)... But it's the same reason that, outside of the 1940s, the best time to capture "Christmas" is the early-'70s... And I'm old enough to recall that there seemed to be a lot of ice storms in the early-'70s, and they were memorable, somehow definitive of that era, in a way that goes beyond my subjective youth of that moment. (That said, the author is only a little older than I am).
It's difficult to describe an organic mood. It's like trying to describe a musical note or a color -- without necessarily having the language available to make comparisons.
I've said previously that the snow angels/ice skating scenes from LOVE STORY, and the first season theme design and orchestration from THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, and the entire movie of HAROLD & MAUDE, captures that mood perfectly, with the montage-y, mesmerizingly heartbroken flavor of the time. (Although there are many cinematic examples).
I had my issues with THE ICE STORM -- at least it came out in the '90s (where they could do period detail) instead of the '80s (when they largely couldn't) and I went to see it in the theatre the week it opened. Physically, Lee made a great effort, and he was obviously attempting to capture the right elements, but I still found it a wee bit too self-conscious in its execution; too many things about the dialogue and the performances made my sphincters twitch slightly. The emerging "look what we've done to our children" motif of the movie was a noble one, but felt a little forced.
Still, I appreciated the attempt. Yet I've rarely re-watched it.
Dracula (1979)
One of the 3 best versions of DRACULA -- if not THE best...
I've always found the dismissal of 1979's version of DRACULA puzzling -- but I think what's makes it so effective is what also makes it harder to categorize than the others.
To my mind. The three most compelling versions are the 1931 Bela Lugosi film (because he defined our image of the celluloid Count), the 1959 Christopher Lee film (the sheer bombastic flavor) and, yes, 1979 Langella version (due to atmospheric direction, excellent casting, score. Etc...)
Boy, is it underrated. Some have called it "Masterpiece Theatre Dracula" but in this case, it's strength.
When Coppola's 1992 version was released, it was eye-popping and Gary Oldman gave an admirable tip of the hat to Lugosi in his performance, but the movie hasn't aged well -- it's edited choppily, for one thing.
But people forget Langella's version did well enough in theaters in 1979, and did even better on home video in the '80s, and did so for a reason... With all the endless film interpretations, this one remains the most mesmerizingly artful.. Yes, there are changes in the original story (they switched Lucy and Mina, for one thing) but how many of these films are 100% faithful?
And thankfully, you can now get the original print with full color and music restored (as only the director's later cut, drained of color and the musical cues altered, was accessible for years).
Police Woman: The Killer Cowboys (1977)
Pepper's best love story episode
I like this Season 3 installment a lot. There is an obligatory crime plot (three redneck gas station robbers lifted a bit to obviously from Season 2's "Blaze of Glory") but the love story between Pepper and Frank Converse works well in large part because it's underplayed. And the melancholy '70s vibe makes it feel the most "Angie"...
Also, the theme song by Morty Stevens is given lyrics (by Hermine Hilton) for the first and only time, interpolated into a bluesy love ballad -- and the song got an Emmy nomination!
Minimalism is what makes the episode work here. That's what keeps it from becoming too soapy. And the hushed closing freeze frame haunts a bit -- despite the "fudge" metaphor.