jeffcoat Reviews

Olivia Newton-John and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: Live at the Sydney Opera House (2007 TV Special)

Magnificently mature Olivia Newton-John

[10/10 · 5 September 2014]

If you want young anorexic D-cup dancers in micro-miniskirts, fabulous light shows, slick choreography, and glamorous costuming, buy another DVD.

All you get on this DVD is a gracefully aging Olivia Newton-John singing, surrounded by great talent. She sits, she stands, and occasionally she sways to the music. And she sings.

Her voice is at least as strong and beautiful as it ever was. And ever was it! She performs her big hits, usually, but not always, in the same styles as the originals. She sings a few songs made popular by others. She sings a few new songs.

There are frequent digressions showing ON-J playing tourist with her friends, but these are short and help pace the show without being unduly distracting. Two hours well spent.

Sextette (1977)

Timothy Dalton's greatest acting achievement

[2/10 · 8 December 2012]

Timothy Dalton's greatest acting achievement. In his mid-thirties, Dalton kept a straight face as he promised his undying love to Mae West, in her mid-eighties. West looked great for an octogenarian, but not THAT good. West played the legendary Mae West with all the usual Mae Westisms, a litany of lusty sexual innuendos. A cornucopia of crazy cameos cracking corny jokes that might have been cute if West had only been 30 or 40 years younger. The central theme is that West is everyone's heart-throb, from teens to crotchety old Walter Pidgeon (who was still her junior!). Hard to buy. Some merit, some (emphasis SOME) humor, and bits of some of the song and dance routines deserve being parts of better movies, but no awards for this one.

The Awful Truth (1937)

Nothing awful about the Awful Truth

[8/10 · 30 April 2004]

Awful Truth is anything but awful

In 1937 Cary Grant was already a Hollywood Giant. a dynamic actor and a genuine Star. But in the `Awful Truth,' Irene Dunn took him to school. Yes, Mr. Grant was as charismatic as usual, delivering his lines marvelously, perfect in comedic timing, and demonstrating great physical humor. Throughout most of the movie, Grant and Dunne sparred on relatively equal terms, each earning a fair share of the proliferus laughter generated by their antics. However, at the last hearty chuckle, it was clear that Dunne had been toying with Grant throughout. No, this is not a spoiler and has nothing to do with the storyline, but rather an evaluation of their performances. Despite the magnificence of his, her's was better.

Irene Dunne was simply phenomenal, deserving her nomination for `Best Actress.' She was funny, charming, exuberant, conniving, manipulative, and intriguing. The movie was slow to find it's footing and much time was wasted as Grant and Dunn, in the slower portions, are not on camera together and thus unable to `duel.' But as the plot unfolds the momentum builds to a final crescendo and the mutual magic of these fine comedic artists delivers cascade upon cascade of laughter.

The director Leo McCarey, earning his Best Director Oscar, toyed with both the relatively new `Hayes Code' and the censors, implying with sensitivity and subtlety, a physical aspect of love and infatuation that was unnecessarily suppressed in movies for decades. The witty `doublespeak' dialog at the end was fascinating as each of these protagonists explained the situation in self-contradictory fashions and yet their meanings were unmistakable. Yes, there is a predictable plot but the witty words and scrappy schemes are pleasant surprises.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981)

Postman is right, the second time around

[8/10 · 23 January 2004]

Twice is nice. Hollywood had to try twice to get this story right. Lana Turner was beautiful in the 1946 version, but Jessica Lange was something to kill for opposite Jack Nicholson.

Such raw sensuality would easily persuade a man to lose his very soul. Nicholson's part is certainly unscrupulous to begin with, but in Jessica Lange he finds a confederate with even less scruples. The legal loose ends that dangled in the earlier version are avoided this time with a more plausible chain of events... and the story ends when the story ought to end, instead of being dragged on.

Wonderful character and situation development, intriguing and engaging, even when you know the story. Nice twists of the story from the Lana Turner and Italian ("Ossessione" 1943) versions.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Uneven production, unfulfilled potential

[6/10 · 23 January 2004]

So much potential. This could have been a great movie. Scene after scene the viewer is swept along with the momentum, only to find that the final scenes are empty, void of any motivation to watch, except in knowing that the end is near. Weakness in the `legal' aspects would have been insignificant, if only the story had been properly concluded. Lana Turner and John Garfield were masterful. The turns of emotion between contempt and fear and love and hate were brilliantly portrayed. The characterizations were real, Turner beautiful and desirable, Garfield believable as a drifter, as a handy-man, and as Turner's love interest. Yes, the DA was too brilliant and the motorcycle cop too stupid - both minor characters - most of the supporting cast was superb.

The emotional tension is kept at a fever pitch until the final scenes, and then a total and complete let down. This movie should have ended at the final calamity. There was nothing more to be said, unfortunately, more was.

Tombstone (1993)

One of the best westerns of the last 3 decades

[9/10 · 22 January 2004]

As with any movie involving the legend of the OK Corral, this is not history. Script writers were limited only by their prolific imaginations.

Kurt Russell plays a believable Wyatt Earp, Sam Elliot a phenomenal Virgil Earp, Powers Boothe a perfect Curly Bill, and Val Kilmer a bazaar Doc Holliday. Kilmer's entertaining interpretation of the role is unlike any done before.

This movie has a radical change in character at the mid-point. The first half consists of introductions and character development. There is plenty of action to carry the story forward, plenty of the tension of anticipating the next act of violence. The focus is on the Earps and their friends and love interests, the Clantons and their allies, and the dynamics of Tombstone. The second half is unbridled action, with no effort to tell a story. There is little story left to tell, but the action sustains the adrenalin flow, keeping the viewer absorbed while waiting for the final details to unfold.

Though the violence is more graphic then the westerns of the John Wayne era, gore doesn't become a co-star. One of the best westerns of the last three decades.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

A showcase for Lancaster and Douglas

[9/10 · 21 January 2004]

Basically, a vehicle to showcase the talents of Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, but an appropriate one. Though there are many characters, this is hardly an ensemble cast, with Burt and Kirk prominent in virtually every foot of film. Rhonda Fleming provides a bit of window dressing in a wonderful but brief role as Wyatt's love interest.

More of a classic western than `My Darling Clementine', an earlier movie about Wyatt and Doc at the OK Corral, but this version is more episodic in nature, though equally fictional. Don't look for nuance in the characters. The bad guys are bad, the good guys good but not flawless.

Gunfights, gambling, galloping horses, bar room ladies... If you love westerns, you'll love this one.

My Darling Clementine (1946)

A first rate movie!

[9/10 · 19 January 2004]

Historical only in that the Earps and Clantons indeed had a gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone. Everything else is pure fantasy... fantastic fantasy. Henry Fonda plays a laid-back Wyatt Earp who doesn't mind allowing others their space, but stands firm when they cross the line.

Well scripted, well acted, a western that should appeal even to those who normally wouldn't watch a western. The good guys are well developed, multi-dimensional and likable. The bad guys, especially usually lovable Walter Brennan, are obviously evil. Enough action, enough intrigue, enough romance.

The Guns of Navarone (1961)

Engrossing war movie

[9/10 · 17 January 2004]

Action filled war movie, great story, great cast. Concerns a commando team small enough to allow growth of character for most of the members, but large enough to have a few killed off, adding to the intrigue. Plenty of unexpected turns to maintain the interest, even though the viewer assumes from the beginning that the "objective" will be attained. Unexpected romance ads spice to the dish. The "effects", great for 1961, are still sufficient to carry the story.

Great performances by Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn. James Darren of music and surfer movie fame does an especially good job in an action role.

Obsession (1943)

Traumatic but absorbing ride

[6/10 · 17 January 2004]

Unhappy people in unhappy circumstances. Gino is a drifter. Not because he has no talent. He is a lost soul looking for an undefined future and is determined to not be tied to anything until he finds his personal nirvana. Giovanna wants the security of being settled, but is unhappy with the man who made it possible. She too, is a lost soul in search of an undefined future. With only passion as a common denominator, they cast their lots with each other and start in motion a chain of events that brings none of the joys anticipated.

Don't expect this movie to be a study of life in WWII Italy. Though made during the war, it is never an issue. Indeed, with the prevalence of young men throughout the movie, it is more likely an image of pre-war Italy. And although some reviewers speak of subtle references to homosexuality, such is unnecessary in describing the Spaniard. Identical scenes in American Westerns are understood to be simply friendship and the necessities of circumstance, i.e., one bed and two people in need of sleep.

Every nuance of the movie hinges upon the passion of Gino and Giovanna, complicated by his desire to be going somewhere, anywhere, and her desire to remain settled. It's a traumatic but absorbing ride, even with the distraction of reading sub-titles.

Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Well worth the effort.

[6/10 · 16 January 2004]

Remembering that the film was both a product and a tool of the Soviet political machine, the hatred of the Tsarists is evident throughout. It takes discontented masses and charismatic leaders to spawn a revolution. The seeds of discontent are graphically illustrated in this classic production. The charismatic leadership is not an issue in this movie, which is not surprising since they were no less evil then the Tsarists.

The story is compellingly portrayed through the rapid transition of action sequences that should please even the short attention spans common in the MTV set. No Hollywood Pretty People in this movie, each is distinctive and right for the role. The grime on the faces, maggots in the food... the polished brass on deck, the bloodshed on the famous steps of Odessa... the story is a visual delight, though it was hard not to smile at the obvious propaganda promoting a classless society.

Love Letters (II) (1983)

Listed as a Thriller for lack of appropriate genre

[3/10 · 13 January 2004]

Jamie Lee Curtis looked great stretched across the bed. Her Lover looked appreciative, but the sight of the microphone at the top of the screen destroyed the illusion and any positive impression of the scene. Such lack of care left the entire production lifeless. IMDB lists this movie as a thriller, perhaps because it contains no adventure, action, romance, etc. Waiting for the "thriller" payoff was futile. Without a buildup to the central relationship of the movie, one is left wondering why it occurred. Although the primary difficulty in the relationship is anticipated at length, the encounter that resulted was lacking in tension and passed much too quickly.

If you are not a Jamie Lee Curtis fan you may not want to watch this.

Lady of Burlesque (1943)

Surprising, light-hearted comedy

[7/10 · 13 January 2004]

Nothing deep here, but that's good. A light-hearted comedy in the guise of a mystery. Don't expect to be mystified, the "mystery" only serves as a vehicle for the comedy and a rather believable romance. Barbara Stanwyck, though 36 years old, looks much younger. Her part was rather vivacious, risque, and revealing for a 1943 movie. The lady could act!

The image on the DVD is generally very good, but there are several places where a few "frames" are missing, causing disquieting "jumps", but still, a good investment of time, if only to enjoy watching Miss Stanwyck smile and wiggle.