Change Your Image
pwoodring
Reviews
Dune (2021)
Interesting contrast to Lynch's
I am a fan of David Lynch in general. I did enjoy his Dune from 1984 very much. I first saw it in Austria, in a German-language version with English subtitles. I was floored by it. I still adore that movie. But I recognized at the time I first saw it, that Lynch had concentrated mostly on the odd and eccentric details. Many of his details were invented, such as the heartplugs, and the deaf-blind servants. Architecturally, Lynch really let himself go, and some results were quite spectacular, such as the throne-room scene on Kaitain, and his ocean-swept Caladan. His sandworms were astonishing as well -- I'm not sure that Villeneuve's creatures have much on them. But Lynch gets mired in the detail, the odd things that intrigue him, the corruptions and kinks that seem to call to him, and the sweep of the movie is left to fend for itself. Villeneuve's version takes the opposite approach, and feels more like an epic narrative with fascinating detail along the way. I feel like they are complimentary takes on the story, and can be profitably watched next to each other. And who knows if Part II will be a brilliant conclusion or not. I'm excited to see it!
The Twilight Zone: The Howling Man (1960)
Tons of atmosphere
Our first glance of Ellington suggests that he's mentally disturbed. The head monk, occasionally wild-eyed in his religious passion also seems pretty loony. The poor howling guy is... what...? Nuts? Desperate? Who the hell knows? Everyone in this classic episode seems unbalanced. So, with the potential for interest created by everyone being an unreliable narrator, TZ cuts loose with a really atmospheric, Expressionistic, and totally enjoyable episode. I loved that the castle ruins, "generously donated," has roof leaks and buckets to catch the water. The place looks freezing cold, drafty, neglected... the sort of place only an ascetic monk could love. The acting is a bit histrionic, starting from the opening, with Wynant's sweaty brow, and oddly voiced quasi-accent. Carradine is an actor in the old, grand tradition, and puts it to good use on the small screen. Is he insane, or merely intense? There are touches that make no sense, like when the acolytes emerge from their alcoves or wherever at Ellington's entrance. Where the hell did they come from, and why do we never see them again? Finally, the philosophy is pretty damn shaky. This one town has experienced peace? The world is better off for 5 years since the devil has been restrained? Sure, there's been tons of crap going on, but that's not the devil, that's people. The devil deals in bigger currency? So mass cholera, bankruptcy, poverty-driven emigration isn't big enough for The Father of Lies? The philosophy in this episode is as creaky as it gets. And at the end, the most ridiculous part of all, when Ellington basically allows Old Scratch to escape. But I still give it 8 stars for the filming, atmosphere, esthetics, and mood. It is one of my favorite TZs, always makes me hunt for details, and seems like a pretty good lesson in how to script a tight half-hour of drama.
The House of Fear (1945)
The Best and the Worst
House of Fear has been one of my favorite Rathbone/Bruce movies of the series for many years. Some of the best humor is present here: "Cut down in the flower of his manhood!" And some of the very best atmosphere spreads over the entire movie. There are many eccentric and interesting characters: the dour housekeeper, the beatific dupe, the dashing doctor; as well as the dependable bumblers Watson and Lestrade. The gothic lighting and nods to expressionism raise it from the ordinary. At the same time, the plot is especially inane, and Homes seems singularly obtuse. A mixed bag indeed, but good fun.
Grantchester: Episode #4.1 (2019)
Wow I'm stoked!!... I'm.. uhh... jeez... well ... pretty bummed
As Dad would say, the script was as stiff as a varnished eel. Nothing rang true. But I knew the thing was doomed when the very first scene was a fence-jumping chase scene, sadly reminiscent of Hot Fuzz. All the details are ghastly. The accents, the absurdity, the hideous dessication of our favorite characters. Lord, what crap.
The Outer Limits: Cry of Silence (1964)
Killer Weed -- Highly Recommended.
That is, the weed would help cheer on this goofiness! Meet Dr. Thorne. Brilliant beyond measure. He determines, with almost nothing to go on, that a probably extra-galactic intelligence has come to earth to set up shop and is attempting to communicate through tumbleweeds, frogs, and rocks. He is an amazing man. But he can't figure out where a road is when he's directly across from it. He drives too fast on a narrow dirt road and smashes into a rock. He thinks he's going to start farming in the middle of Vasquez Rocks. And he married a hysterical shrew with a voice that could split the atom. Nonetheless, his brilliance sparkles. When he is about to engage his incisive intelligence, he turns slightly away from the camera and looks up -- your can HEAR his mental mechanism churning away like an Enigma machine.
Sure, the threats are genuine, out there in the desert. The tumbleweeds are horribly intimidating and frightening, as tumbleweeds so often are. And who wouldn't be scared into catatonia by an army of bullfrogs, croaking, croaking?
Mrs. Thorne will make you want to slit your throat. She is knowing and attractive, and starts out seeming pleasantly sarcastic and even a bit witty. But then she says the most amazing thing, something like "In a cathedral, you dare not even whisper -- it would be a desecration. Here, I feel as though if you shouted, the sun would die." Nathanael West, watch your back, man!! After that astonishing statement she just screams, cries and trembles her way to the impotent conclusion, about which the less said the better.
If I sound too critical, I'm just pointing out the worst groaners. There's lots to love in this.
Not of This Earth (1957)
Moments of Genius!
"Moments of Genius" may be an overly enthusiastic summary for this 1957 B flick. I admit to a love for and fascination with this movie that few other Corman movies have ever elicited. My early memories of seeing this as a kid on the Saturday horror showcase remain vivid to this day, 45 years later, and certain of it aspects have not worn out their welcome at all.
Among its strengths are Paul Birch (playing "Paul Johnson") speaking with a carefully worked out accent, which uses a cadence and intonation that is quite unique and very effective. His dialog is written in an oddly stilted English that makes him sound highly educated but obviously foreign to the planet. (When his chauffeur honks the car horn, Johnson barks at him "Jeremy! I have ordered you not to sound the warning horn or make any high decibel noises while near me!") Birch matches this with a kind of physicality that is stiff but not at all ungainly. The bat/umbrella/cuttlefish thing is one of my favorite B movie props! The two final scenes are particularly effective as "Johnson" is fleeing the police, attempting to get them to look at his eyes. And the very last moment of the movie has stayed with me these many years as a singularly creepy conclusion.
It is well known that Paul Birch and Corman had a sour relationship that devolved into fisticuffs and led to Birch leaving the movie before it was finished. Birch complained that the large contact lenses or scleral shells that created his white eyes were very painful and that he could only stand to have them in for a couple of minutes at a time. No wonder his fuse was a bit short!
There are many ridiculous plot holes. Much of the acting is simply awful. But compared to its partner film "Attack of the Crab Monster" Not Of This Earth is relatively refined and watchable.
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Too many for too little
The opening credits made my jaw drop. What a cast!! Established greats alongside rising stars -- an amazing roster of talent. However, Burton simply started killing them off early in the flick in various unpleasant ways, mostly by incineration. Poor Michael J. Fox didn't even get in one good line before he was offed. I think my biggest objection to this movie is it's very poor organization and timing. There are two main devastation scenes, one of which occurs too early and takes away too much of the cast, and the other, longer scene, which is technically quite impressive but is devoid of either passion or humor. Satire or spoof, the plot is missing fundamental cinematic values such as pacing, tension and payoff (not the technical terms, I'm sure!). Jim Brown's unexplained and really rather unnecessary return at the end also seemed to be a major miscalculation. And I have to add that the aliens' exploding heads simply became dull after a dozen or so. In my opinion, Burton's low point.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Fine movie with flaws
A few short comments. I found TWBB to be compelling and fascinating. Many of the objections I've read here don't make a lot of sense to me. The pacing, for example, is slow to be sure, but seems calculated to take us back to an era when, in fact, everything happened much more slowly than we are used to today. I thought the pacing was used beautifully to project a time scale and to promote slowly building tension. The musical score has garnered a huge amount of negative reaction, but I enjoyed it with a few exceptions. The "THX" sound effect was overused a bit, but the other original contributions to the score were very effective, and on my rented DVD not overly loud. The "borrowed" music from Brahms, Pärt and others seemed to be very unusual choices, but in retrospect, amazingly apt. I had no problems whatsoever with Dano's acting -- having a kind of milquetoast who slowly reveals himself to be something else entirely was a major aspect of the film's progress. I guess I would have to say that TWBB is not so much a plot-driven story as a character study of two seemingly opposite but equally troubled individuals who come together, inevitably, for a final showdown. A great Western tradition given a very quirky twist. In a fine character study, you don't have to know any of the "whys" of a person's present actions. You observe, interpolate and draw your own conclusions. I would agree that there are some elements which defy logic, but they are fairly minor. Brother Henry was a necessity. He allowed us to have the only real glimpses into Daniel's deeper thoughts, and showed graphically how Daniel reacts to perceived betrayal. With such a private character as Daniel, how else could have even this small amount of personal information been revealed -- through a diary?! Many of the other objections such as the lack of significant female characters and the lack of follow-through on the title seem insignificant in light of the many assets of this fine, but perhaps not great movie.
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Fun Fact for "The Bishop's Wife"
First off, I have to say that "The Bishop's Wife" has a permanent and valued place in my library of favorite holiday viewing. I wanted to add that I recently had the opportunity of visiting with Bob Mitchell, the director of the Mitchell Boychoir that figures so prominently in the movie. Bob is now (2007) 96 years old, and is as sharp and capable as a man half his age. He recently came to my town to perform as the organist for a showing of the silent classic "The Phantom of the Opera." Bob began his work as a silent movie organist back in the '20s, while just a teenager. His boychoir, called either the Mitchell Boychoir or the Mitchell Singing Boys, provided music for more than 100 movies over a long span. Today, he is still active as a church organist and silent movie organist. Bob is one of the most interesting and endearing people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.