A deservedly forgotten pre-Code flick based on an awful play, this movie is largely unwatchable owing to its heavy-handed pacifism vs. patriotism theme and a terrible performance by Phillips Holmes (who died in WWII). Nevertheless, it contains several points of interest. After opening with a bit of post-coital, premarital sex in WWI, the bulk of the story takes place in the future of 1940. Alas, TVs and vid-phones are pretty much the only “future tech” seen.
The bad guys are the “Eurasians,” who clip the U.S. ambassador, setting off a march to war. During a montage sequence, Nazi and Imperial Japanese flags are seen, though the countries themselves are never named. Foreseeing both the Nazi menace to the U.S. and a future second world war in 1933, the movie’s prescience is to its credit.
It all comes down to those sneaky Eurasian bastards launching a surprise aerial attack on NY which takes out the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Bldg. The latter is struck by bombs at the top and in the mid-section before crumbling eerily like the WTC towers on 9/11.
Apart from this sequence, there is only one other worthwhile shot in the film. It features not one, not two, but three Zeppelins in the air being attacked by warplanes. Sadly, there is no Jimmy Page solo to accompany it.
Save Yourselves! (Hulu) - It was ‘certified fresh’ on Rotten Tomatoes so the wife and I sat down to watch it last night. It was alright. Aliens land and two Gen Z city hipsters figure out how outdoors stuff works while trying to stay alive. Humorous in parts, but we never laughed out loud. A bit Tucker & Dale VS Evil with Portlandia sensibilities.
A Little Chaos (Netflix) - Single common woman plans a garden in Louis IV’s new Palace of Versailles and has to deal with court bullshit. Meh. I love the period and Alan Rickman is awesome so that’s what sold me. Unfortunately it was mostly a Romance novel plot that’s senseless, child-loss anguish that Kate Winslet doesn’t pull off and a brooding Rickman as Louis just isn’t enough to keep it going. Stanley Tucci as the foppish Philippe d’Orleans might have been worth the price of admission alone. Rickman directed, it was a shame I didn’t like it more.
Not sure why a Western would need to be judged on the basis of its relevance to today; nor do I think it fair to critique a film on the basis of the script we wish it had, instead of the one it did. But to each their own.
You’re wondering why it didn’t get much attention. I’m positing an explanation as to why. Like it or not, audiences today are liable to judge a film made today by today’s standards.
I recently watched American Animals. It’s a re-enactment account of an attempted robbery of some Audubon books from a college library where they were kept under minimal security. The movie was interesting in that it included interlaced interviews of the four convicted thieves involved with the robbery, the librarian they tied up and even accounts from their family members. It made for an engaging story.
Two more films I recently watched, both documentaries about the art world:
The Price of Everything - is a film about the absurdity of the art world as it relates to the price of art and how artists are rarely the ones who benefit most financially from their work.
Made You Look - is a film about forged paintings and the complicity of at least one art gallery employee who engaged in selling forged art work. Really fascinating and revealing.
I last saw “Saving Private Ryan” when it came out in theaters in 1998. Hard to believe it’s been over 20 years. Anyway, I remembered what a gut punch those battle scenes were, especially the Normandy landing. On the small screen, it’s still a gut punch. Holy shit, what a good movie that is. The only off note for me was the casting of Matt Damon as Ryan, but everyone else in the film gets an A-plus, right down to the bit-part players.
Sat through The To Do List as background noise last night. My God, what a despicable, vile and wholly unredeemable piece of garbage. Won’t even talk about it.
Watched The Witch from the begining (having seen about the last half before). Pretty good flick. Far better than Hereditary. The title pretty much says all you need to know. There is a Witch. Nice to look at, even if the story is somewhat weak and slow. A problem was that the accents were so thick, I only could decipher about half the dialog. Eh, I got the idea. It was okay.
Hope there is some good shit on this weekend. It’s gonna be a long and boring one. I guess I’ll watch all practice sessions, qually and the F1 race maybe twice.
I finally saw Nomadland. I had read and liked the book quite a bit, but I felt the movie was a bit of a letdown. Frances McDormand’s character, Fern, was a character—she wasn’t in the book and doesn’t exist IRL. To me, if you’re making a documentary or reality TV, it’s powerful to know that something really happened…inventing a whole main character undercuts that for me.
Came across Turks and Caicos on Netflix and decided to watch it, and I have to say that it was the most understated, low key political/spy drama I’ve ever seen. There’s a murder early on but it’s got virtually nothing to do with the main plot and the murderer is pretty obvious. There are no gun or fist fights, car or foot chases, poisonings, gadgets etc. The big climax is a meeting. The bad guys end up paying a fine. James Bond, this ain’t.
And yet it kind of works. Bill Nighy is a remarkably relaxed and laconic protagonist. Helena B-C’s love interest is disturbingly normal. Winona Ryder puts in a good turn as a young woman with a dark past (whom the protagonist does not sleep with at any point). Christopher Walken is…well, he’s Christopher Walken, same as every film he’s in. It all floats along in a relaxingly banal way.
I found out after watching it that it’s actually the middle of three BBC films (the Worricker Trilogy), but there’s enough revealed or suggested in it for it to stand on its own. In fact I went back and watched the first film (Page Eight) and realised that the backstory shown was a lot less interesting than the backstory implied in the second film (Nighy’s character mentions an incident with “the Prime Minister and a file”), and what happens in the third firm (Salting the Battlefield) is likewise less interesting than what you’re left to imagine happens after the end of the second. Honestly, if you’re going to watch it at all, only watch the second one and make up your own backstory/future story from what you’re given in the film; it’ll be better than the actual story David Hare wrote.
The Departed
Jack Nicholson chews the scenery with great gusto as an erratic, violent Boston crime boss; Leonardo DiCaprio is a troubled undercover cop trying to take him down, and Matt Damon is the crooked cop he’s got on the inside. A violent but engaging movie, with some very dark humor.
Graceland
A short comedy film about Grace, a little girl who is convinced - sneer, pompadour and all - that she’s the reincarnation of Elvis Presley. Her puzzled parents try to be supportive in the leadup to her school’s talent show. Meh; could have been better than it was.
Silvertop
A lighthearted short documentary about a very cool, ultramodern L.A. house designed by a Frank Lloyd Wright protege, as narrated by a French dog. Yes, that’s right, a French dog. Funny and well worth a look for those who love architecture, interior design and the urban landscape.
Lily Topples the World
Charming, sometimes mind-blowing documentary about Lily Hevesh, aka Hevesh5, a young ace domino artist who builds those massive, elaborate domino arrangements you’ve probably seen at museums, art galleries, store openings etc. Recommended.
No Ordinary Man
Documentary about Billy Tipton, the semi-famous jazz musician who was discovered, not long before he died after refusing medical treatment, to have been a woman. Fascinating topic but a disappointing movie, I thought, with too much screentime given to trans people interpreting Tipton’s story and not nearly enough to Tipton himself, his career and family.
After Hours: was weird film directed by Matin Scorsese in 1985 about a guy having the worst night ever and he can’t seem to get home. Well worth watching on a rainy friday night over pizza and too much wine.
World War Z. I was interested in this because I have heard a couple interviews with Max Brooks, who wrote the book and impressed the US military enough to be brought on as an emergency preparedness consultant. I was really only interested in it on a cerebral level. Not much of a zombie person.
Holy cow, what a great movie. Just a terrific, well - constructed pulse-pounding thriller.
Glad you’re reading the book. The book is WAY better and…absolutely nothing like the movie (except they both had zombies). It still baffles me how they came up with the movie that they did. You’ll see what I mean.
Mank Excellent drama about the writing of Citizen Kane, though it does fudge the facts. Gary Oldman is excellent and the direction was clever (many of the shots were framed in the style of Kane, with deep focus and visible ceilings). I also loved they had imitated the end-of-reel symbols on the film – not accurately, but I liked the conceit. (I’m attuned to them because out college film program only had one projector, so when they flashed there’s be a delay as they changed reels).
Agreed, the book is better than the movie, but the movie is still worth seeing. The movie had serious production problems and, had it not been for Brad Pitt’s commitment to it, might not have been made at all. Plans for a sequel have, alas, fallen through: World War Z (film) - Wikipedia
How were you able to see it? During the last few months, when it was released, I kept hearing it would be out on Netflix (streaming), and saw numerous articles to that effect, but maybe they were referring to Netflix UK or similar.
Tom Hanks’ previous movie, Greyhound, was released through Apple, right? I am not a subscriber so I missed it.
I guess I should consider going back to Netflix DVD rental, because then I could get both movies without question.
Nomadland. I just don’t get the appeal. A slow depressing film where the lead actress spins her wheels and the character doesn’t arc at all. The panorama shots are pretty though.
Come to Daddy - Elijah Wood picks some strange roles, Swiss Army Man was just too weird for us and we turned it off after an hour. This movie came close and my wife and I were on the fence halfway through. We stuck with it and were glad we did. Two thumbs up. (ETA, gah, Swiss Army Man is Daniel Radcliffe, always get them mixed up. )
Nobody - meh, a John Wick home invasion masturbatory fantasy that turns a more violent version of Home Alone at the end. Except none of the characters had the color of the John Wick cast and the plot of Home Alone was more believable. The writing was lame and no one was ever required to act and so they didn’t. Nothing new to see here.
