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A Shot in the Dark (1964)
My sweet Darling.....Darling....
Quite simply the best of all the Clouseaus. Best because of Herbert "Twitchy' Lom on a slow ride to Clouseau inspired insanity and the ever hiding Kato trained to keep Clouseaus Karate skills up.
Second mention to the gorgeous Elke Sommer and a great script.
Great films create great memories and this one is filled up.....
The bimp.
The hand crushing Glibe.
Dreyfuss in the Psychiatrist office.
The madly spinning Russian dancer.
A script with lines like "In a rit of fealous jage!".
All in all, great fun for all. If you must see one Inspector Clouseau film make it this one and you will come back for more.
Alas, Peter Sellers left us too soon. But he left us with an amazing and most versatile legacy from one of the most unique comedic actors of our time.
Castle Keep (1969)
The movie sinks while a VW stays afloat
Other than the Volkswagen, there is nothing redeemable about this WW2 Art film that attacks Christians more than War. Whether its the laughable Evangelist farce or doing in a Church just for fun, its yet one more Jewish director agonizing against people of faith that died to free Jews from a near Holocaust. Nice job Sydney. You are one more example of why the Chosen people are nothing but. And, irredeemable in their own right.
I never much cared for Lancaster. Maybe the most overrated and one dimensional (aka boring) actors on the planet.
I give the unsinkable VW and maybe the most beautiful brown eyes in film at 7 and the poorly done war satire movie a 2. Don't bother.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
What have I done?
BOTRK is easily one of the top war films of all time. Right up there with All Quiet on the Western Front with exposing the insanity of War in all its inglory.
I wont repeat what others have said about David Lean's masterful direction, the acting and cinematography - all deserving of the films many rightful awards. I want to talk about the opening and final scenes.
The film opens and closes with vultures flying over the corpses of war. A most fitting anti war statement if there ever was one. In the end, you or the enemy are meat on the battlefield. Yes, sometimes war is necessary, but why it is necessary is as old as human history and man's insatiable pride and ego telling him he deserves more than what he has.
War is hell, and it can make you lose your mind if you are in it long enough until it becomes nothing less than a personal statement of how a man faces death. Is it British stoicism or American bravado? Or, Japanese face?
The finale is simply one of the grandest moments in movie history. The editing is superb. The back and forth between the mortar rounds and Guinness. The train approaching. Holden crossing the Rubicon knowing he himself, the self centered outcast, doing what he has to to save the mission. And then the mash-down of the plunger.
At the end of this great WW2 film, the British Colonel Nicholson (brilliantly played by Alec Guinness) was so blissfully ignorant of what was happening in the world around him that he failed to realize who his friends were and, unwittingly, became their enemy until it was almost too late. Staring blankly into space, the powerful utterance of his last four words from the depth of his soul, under his breath so low that he could not be heard by anyone but himself, speaks to the insanity of mans inhumanity to man - "What have I done?"
Who wins? Who loses?
Well, the "Good Guys" won this time.
Until the next go-round.
Madness.
Mayberry Man (2021)
Barney and Floyd Forever
OK. Here is the correct review of this film, omitting the extremes on both sides (hopefully), and from a typical Mayberry lover.
Yes, the storyline is cheesy while the script and much of the acting is pretty lame. That's nearly expected when the producers likely wanted to make a cheap film using non-actors. So let's give that criticism a break. What should we expect? After all, who among us wouldn't want to be in a movie about Mayberry? As for the pros, the Brett and Ashley "prof acting" characters still made for a decent and likable downhome couple. That said about the acting, I still enjoyed the film.
I will give Mayberry Man a thumbs up of 7 for the following two reasons: Barney and Floyd. These guys were perfect. How people could not see that, I don't know. Just like the show itself, when Barney and Floyd were on camera, regardless of who else was on screen with them, they stole the spotlight. Now, I am a pretty tough critic, but as the movie progresses, I found these two amiable "tribute actors' got so good they made a not so good script and imperfect film worth watching. When these two were in the squad car alone, improvising as they went, they WERE Barney and Floyd for me. And, when that happens and you can suspend belief a bit, these two amazing recreations made this trip to Mayberry all worthwhile.
Hang with It all to the end and see what I mean.
Se7en (1995)
The Pitts
I was hoping for a lot more based on reviews. First the Good.
Morgan Freeman was, as usual, excellent. Without him, I would have turned it all off.
Spacey was also good, not great like in The Usual Suspects. But as early acting effort is way better than Pitt who seemed forced and over his head. Alas, this happens in early careers.
Photography. It is filmed and shot with the low backlighting of Gotham made popular in the Batman movies. Some may like that, tho I get tired of the darkness. Then again, its a very dark movie, so it works But that's about it. Now the bad.
Script. Awful. Pitts character seemed written by a 10th grader and that's pretty much how he came off. I could handle only so many F-bombs that blew up not because they were a somewhat appropriate response to something crazy going on but because the character - supposedly smart enough to be a Detective - had the brains and emotions of a 10th grader.
And the "wise man's" moralizing about abortion that the wife should either (1) not tell husband if she aborts child or (2) spoil (not love) the child if she gives birth? Brilliantly stupid (see script comment above).
Gore and Gruesomeness. If the show is more about G&G than a plausible and interesting story, you are already in trouble unless its a spoof. This gorefest is nothing like Silence of the Lambs that had you on the edge of your seat, not the toilet seat. There is zero connection with any of the leads, esp the brainless couple, other than Freeman who saves the movie from itself.
Predictibility. Its Hollywood popular to make fun of Christianity and "sin". If that's your bag, fine. The Killers purpose is kind of a Travis Bickle revenge but he does it claiming a religious calling with pleasure? Yes, awful things have been done in the name of God in all 3 major Religions, but Hollywood only thinks there is only one. When the final delivery happens in a perfectly sized box, well, you knew what was coming. Wrath. And you also knew that Wrath would win when emotions are governed by a 10th grader.
Punchline. Way overrated. Unless you like Tobe Hooper or Herschell Lewis movies.
Rating. First half of movie before Spacey appears: 5. Last half: 7.
The Great Escape (1963)
The Greatest
Although this amazing WW2 film is based on fact, and does play with the facts a bit, it still ranks as possibly the greatest and certainly most entertaining WW2 movie ever produced. I will try to explain why.
Firstly, the cast is not only top notch but possibly the best film for the majority of those in the film - an amazing thing its own right. I believe you can make the case for not only McQueen but James Garner, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasance, Richard Attenborough and James Coburn who all went on to great careers as a result of their work here. McQueen and Bronson were amazing in The Magnificent 7 (1960) but I think their stardom was secured here. What a perfect ensemble.
Secondly, the story of these brave men gives all of us a model for our own lives. The message is simple - when you have a duty to others, you do it even if it means sacrificing your own life. This is quite a hurdle for most of us, but not for the many brilliant and courageous men at Stalag 3. They were the best of the best and we knew they were right off the bat. The film does not waste time on declaring what the overriding purpose is of these men's lives, now confined. It is to escape. And they are at it barely into the first few minutes if the film. From there, it is a journey that we happily and vicariously take with them just as if we are there with shovels. The journey also has the fabulous suspense of now knowing who makes it in the end, and I will leave that to find out for the few people that have still not watched The Great Escape.
Finally, the score by Elmer Bernstein is simply the best film score of all time. I know that is going out on the limb of hyperbole, but I will accept the challenge. I would argue that the music is not only the most memorable in its own right but the thematic variations of the score fits so perfectly within the variety of scenes and emotions of the men, individually and as group. I was 8 years old when this film was first shown on network TV. It's hard to keep 8 yr old boys attentive for a movie as long as this one clocked out, but I was hooked from beginning to end. The next day in school, the kids were humming that tune and had found a new hero to emulate next to James Bond in Steve McQueen.
Interesting trivia - McQueen not only did most of the finale's motorcycle stunts (except the big leap, for insurance purposes not allowed) but also switched roles and played the very Germans that were after him - on their bikes. Cool.
As a sidebar, I may be the first one to get this connection as I have not seen anyone catch it, but here goes. McQueen's swashbuckling motorcycle riding character Hilts was called "The Cooler King" by his comrades because he never quit doing the things he did to get in the "Cooler". Maybe that was why he was henceforth called the "King of Cool? I don't think that's a coincidence.
Nefarious (2023)
The Dark Gospel Loses
Great first go for the great Steve Deace. Not so great for Director Cory Solomon. However, the best thing about this film for the ages is that it distills the battle between Good and Evil into an allegorical tale for today's America.
Here are some of the problems, one minor and one more imposing. The 3 Murders predicted by Edward near the beginning of the Screwtape Letters like conversation between the Doctor and Nefarious are predictable but the way they unraveled was somewhat unexpected, a key to a good movie. Unfortunately, the Edward character (similar phonetically to John Wayne Gacy) was not the scary evil as he could have been (tho the acting was top rate). Had the Director chosen a more subtle and harder to discern change in personality between Nefarious and Edward it would have had the standing hair on the back of the neck effect, which I never really had. When one or the other personality surfaced, there was no question as to who was doing the talking. If the Director has Edward as more of an Anthony Hopkins Hannibal Lecter character, it would have raised the fear factor ten fold. Instead, the Director chose the Exorcist style of communicating (less all the vomit) which doesn't really work well in a CS Lewis type intellectual conversation. That was the biggest problem with the movie.
But the message of The (Real) Gospel over The Dark Gospel that perfectly summarizes our fall from grace as a Nation overcomes those issues.
It is a story for our times. Nefarious teaches the Good Doctor exactly why he and so many like him are the root cause of the destruction of America. He encourages that destruction. And, worse, Nefarious exposes the distinct possibility that our turning our backs on God may have caused God to turn his back on us. Will he?
Well, the end message is that even an Atheist can be saved and since it is the Atheists running our world, like Rupert Murdoch and the rest of the MSM robber barons of our people, even they may see the light - but do they have to be in a death grip to change them? I would hope not and that we don't have to put the Atheists in a "foxhole" facing death to wake them up to the existence of a personal God that cries when so many do the things we do - like killing our babies and ourselves in the process.
Whether Mr. Deace is right on the finale for America is an open question.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)
Gilliam is as Amazing as an Efficacious Modicum of Snuff
This movie is simply one of the best fantasies since Wizard of Oz. Gilliam brilliantly combines adventure, fantasy, romance and comedy in one sublime effort. It's near perfect.
The only issue I have is in the casting of Robin Williams, who someone either likes or not. So, that is a risk for any movie and his take on the Moon King for me was excellent but for kids, not so much, and that is why I rated a 9 instead of 10. That said, the rest of the film is amazing from beginning to end. Hats off to Eric Idles Berthold who adds just the right touch of humor and almost as if he was one of us, viewing the antics of John Neville's Baron Munchausen with near disgust but then turns it all back with that "whatever" look of "its just a movie".
Sally Salt. I loved the little girl, played by Sarah Polley, who acts nothing like her age with wisdom beyond her years and well above every person in her adventurous life. I would have preferred a little boy character, but she makes it her own.
Gilliam's imagination skills were well honed in his Python years and he used it well. Brazil was excellent, although not as accessible as the Baron. Time Bandits is along the same line as the Baron, but not as well done nor has the same level of across the board acting talent. Who but Gilliam could come up with the Baron being shot out of a cannon going one way and then coming back the other?
Did I mention the beautiful Uma Thurman coming out of the clam shell? Her appearance as Venus has to be the most glorious entrance in film history. The audience waits and waits and then she finally appears in perfect timing, not too fast or slow. It is simply a stunning spectacle which yields to my favorite character, Vulcan. Oliver Reed's Vulcan is my favorite character in the Baron's adventures. He made it his own. Reed is one of the most amazing British actors of all time and has done a wide range of roles so should never be disregarded as just a character actor. His facial expressions are perfect as he goes from Pride for his wife - "The Goddess" - to supreme jealousy as the Baron and Venus are miraculously waltzing into the heavens. Brilliant.
The Shadow of Death effect was compellingly evil in all it's aspects. The life force in a ball of light needed no explanation, we knew what was happening and the effect was haunting. That Sally alone was the only character willing to take on evil and put it away was a bit hard to believe for any child, let alone a little girl, but as we learn throughout the film Sally is not just a little girl. She is tough as nails and supremely self confident as shown in the opening scene when she crosses our Son and puts in Daughter. She is very happy being a girl and gives here Father the treatment for not recognizing that fact.
All in all, it's a movie filled with Gilliam spectacles that never get old so you can watch this over and over again and never get bored. We need the Baron just as we need Don Quixote. The world is not, or ever will be, done with him.
Idiocracy (2006)
We'll See
Well, this is the first review I have ever done of a movie I have not seen - yet. I am a strong believer in the premise of Americans becoming progressively (no pun intended) more stupid which each 4 years of diplomas. So, that makes this an automatic 7 in my book, then can go up or down slightly from there. In my review of reviews I have come to the conclusion that the people downgrading this movie (many 1s) are likely embarrassed about it all because they are in some fashion connected Americas horrific education industrial complex as either teachers or administrators, responsible for the factually deplorable education system causing the largest exodus in American history..
I will update this review after I see it.
Backcountry (2014)
The Bear ate half the script
The first half of the movie was somewhat interesting. Cinematography was good, acting passable (Roop/Peregrym) to good (Balfour) and the feeling in the woods pretty realistic. You know what was coming, and the tension did build but a tad too slow for my tastes as a slow burning fire only works well when there is a really interesting story as background, and this one failed to meet that goal. It went downhill in a hurry after the "visitor" left and even faster after the attack, which wrecked the film for me for a number of reasons. The major issue is that this film became yet another "girl" hero white boy scared stiff movie. When the script turns to this well worn angle, you lose me completely. Example - the girl is the man with the "disgusting" comment about his injury, making him the squeamish one. And the calling out of the guy as a loser for being lost in the woods. Sorry, just too much of this routine 21st century feminism for this viewer. Finally, a bit too much teenage Horror with graphic and overdone bear eating man scene, among other minor injuries to make your skin crawl.
Hence, the first half gets a 5 (some suspense, great scenery, acting) and the last half a 3 (routine horror film gruesomeness and feminism) for a 4 total.
Postscript. I just read that the real story was intentionally changed to show the female as male role model. How bad and low can you go to try an change the world to asexual Leftism? Downgrade accordingly from 4 to 1 and really a zero. Finally, that Jeff Roop decided to cut off his bal*s for this role is despicable to the male species and I truly hope he never gets another movie gig except in drag.
Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (2016)
Basically, a nice guy
A number of reviews here talk about how annoying the Normal Oppenheimer character is, and downgrade accordingly. But they miss the point and they miss the character at the heart of it all. Yes, Norman is cloying to the hilt. Yes, he is embarassing. Yes, he seems to only want you for your money. But in the end, I see a Norman not altogether different from the few good "salesman" out there who are in sales not so much because of their insatiable love of money but because they genuinely like people and want to be liked back.
Norman wants to be important and have a purpose and meaning to his existence, athough we know little if anything about his life personally, other than he seems quite alone in a few superficial or even made up relationships, He needs to constantly be validated as a human being and for that, he wants to be liked. How many of us are in our own ways much like Norman?
Well, that's my take on why Normal is likable in the end. As for the film itself, you can't beat Gere's acting, and Buscami who is good in everything he does. The script is taut and well done, as is the acting. I was a little put off by the playful juxtaposition editing, but it didn't degrade the whole effect at all.
Sadly, Norman left us but not without the ultimate affirmation of doing good - and being admired by us.
The only real downside of the film for me is in the words of Hedley Lamarr: Too Jewish.
Let Him Go (2020)
COMCAST Fail
Of course, awards galore from obscure places like Hawaii and Canada to pat a fellow Left wing organization (Comcast) on its proverbial back to show solidarity. But the awards likely are as real as Obama's Nobel.
Cinematography and realism for the time are it's strong points. Few of you will even know of the Red Owl grocery store chain, unless from the upper midwest. I worked there as a kid in College and the chain was owned later in its life by Gamble Skogmo of Minneapolis. The period cars and storefronts were great, you felt like you were there a long time ago. But I digress.....
In the end, the movie suffered due to a bad story and bad script. I love the beauty Diane Lane, and like Costner, but these two good actors tried too hard to make the scenes as interesting as the Montana scenery, but it just didn't work enough to save the day. It gets all muddled up at the end with the shootout we knew would happen and yet some things just didn't make sense. Margaret picks up a shotgun and just happens to have a shell or two on her when she was loaded with a pistol? How did the daughter in law manage to hookup with a nutjob from the nutjob family anyway? More on her later.
Most of all, in these kind of Straw Dog type movies where good guys are fighting creeps you want the good guys - esp. Costner - to beat em up good. But he fails, maybe because he is too old or just not tough enough or both. And, we wanted him to be tough enough ala Eastwood to take on the sicko in-bred Weboy family from Deliverance. But alas, he doesn't make it and there is so much back and forth with Margaret (overacting a bit) over the loss that she blames herself for - and yes, it was all her fault for putting her, and her husbands, life on the line for the grandkid. But you know, I didn't care much for the kid and especially the mother who was completely unlikable, a lot like the movie.
Last Flight Out (2004)
We always have a Last Chance
This movie moved me. Not because I am Christian (tho cannot lie that I am biased, but do try to be an objective reviewer on IMDB) but because this film reminded of the courage of people that do good things in bad places without concern for their personal safety.
Missionaries have been going into places in the middle of nowhere, subject to parasitical disease and paramilitaries, to help people otherwise long forgotten. This film is a testament to them, so right out of the box they get 7 points. I added a point for the cinematography, script and direction. Not to mention the beautiful Bobbie Phillips.
Standout for me was Dan, played by Richard Tyson. He played the role perfectly and was immensely likable as the tough guy who turns humbly to God when miracles happen.
In all honesty, Last Flight Out (great title, btw) is not worthy of a 10 as I have seen here, but even less worthy of the obviously low ratings than averaged this fine film out to barely over 5. Whenever there is a Christian themed movie, the trolls seem to appear out of nowhere and since the low scorers here did not bother to give a reason for said score via a review, you have to wonder if the only thing these people saw was Billy Graham as producer, not the actual movie.
Den 12. mann (2017)
Should be called The Bloody Foot
I am sorry. This was one of the worst movies I have seen, even though it may have been a true story of WW2 courage. The movie was impossibly slow and without a story. So many incongruities. Like the guy on the run decides to ski RIGHT THROUGH through the base camp of the Gestapo whose commandant's mission is to find him or die trying? No other ways to get to Sweden? Beyond that, the dubbed audio track was awful. And, my God, that frozen Foot! The Bloody Foot stole nearly every scene, whether the audience wanted it to or not. I forced myself to watch only until the gangrene set in and forced a self-amputation. Certainly, this was an awful thing for anyone to go through but I suspect there was more to the 12th man's story of escape than that damn foot.
I give the movie two stars for cinematography (how can you lose when photographing Norwegian fjords?). The stock clips of a big avalanche was good, but I can buy that for my movie too.
I think a lot of the good reviews here are reviewing the real story, not the movie. But this is a film adaptation, a bad one at that, and it deserves a rating on how the story was told. And this one was bloody awful. Don't see unless you like to be in a slow moving bloody nightmare without any story, or script.
Lucky (2017)
Bad Luck
I like David Lynch, give this movie good acting credos and even good cinematography of the lonely, lonely West. Seeing James Darren was a treat and he still looks great at, what, a hundred and 1? David Lynch was also an interesting "cameo" and he has the interesting countenance of his wildly strange movies.
Now, the bad. Lets start with what the movie is - an otherwise good look at an interesting man who does not get sick discovering life is meaningless at the end, bringing us through an existential romp through one man's Atheism. I would not have a problem with the Atheism part but I do have a problem with two critical things. One, his coming clean in his hangout bar with his newly formed world view (inconsistently from a story relayed to him by a WW2 Marine vet) and not a single person begs to differ and might believe there is more to life and maybe even a God that granted him amazing physical immunity? Sorry, nowhere on earth would you find 7 people in a bar and all 7 don't believe there is a God or meaning to life. But here is the larger than life fallacy. Lucky realizes his worldview, making him quite unlucky, when he ponders a young Buddhist girl smiling at the face of death. Doesn't Lucky realize that the girl believes in an afterlife - in their worldview MANY afterlives - not the fade to Black ending he believes is his fate and everybody elses? If Lucky had a brain he would understand that the death of the little girl with a smile should have proved just the opposite of a Godless end.
So, because of these insurmountable storylines, I subtracted 5 stars from the 8 it could have been.
Money Plane (2020)
Plane Bad
OK. I admit it. I didn't actually SEE this movie other than some clips on Lowder with Crowder where they made amazing fun of the script. Any film berated for bad lines like this (although not quite as creatively bad like in Plan 9 from Outer Space) can ONLY be streamed by Amazon which is another reason why the movie isn't worth the time I spent on these 5 sentences.
Grand Hotel (1932)
Truly Grand
You need to this not only to see many great actors from the Golden Era of Hollywood but also to witness the greatest "drunk" scene in the history of film. Lionel Barrymore will put a mirror to you for that one time you remember coming home a little too far gone. Perfection from one of the best actors of all time.
Arthur (1981)
It doesn't suck
Hilarious, best drunk of all time, charming and poignant. Too soon we lost the great Dudley Moore who was the perfect devil may care rich boy in the first and best Arthur. It never sucks when Fun is the best thing to have.
That Cold Day in the Park (1969)
Film for a Cold and Rainy Day
A totally bizarre film played to perfection by the woefully underrated Sandy Dennis. She plays herself when she plays others and that is incredibly hard to do while meeting the pre ordained requirements of a role. Or maybe the parts she selects are visions of herself so that acting is barely needed. Always likeable is Dennis. She is unique in her ability to make you sympathize with her even when her character is a murdering mysoginist sociopath.
The insanity at the end, abruptly so, was odd to be sure. But with all that came previously nothing could be unexpected in an Altman world. She hates the hired hand prostitute, like most females near her age, because sex comes so easy to her and she administered her rath accordingly. She despises that others can do what she desire but cannot. But by killing her demon she frees herself to now demand sex from her captive.
The Boy part was not well fleshed out, pun intended. We dont know his mute game or why he is not what he seems. The incestual relationship pushed by his alluring sister only adds to the mystery as to why he was alone in the cold rain. The sister love relationship never climaxes, so to speak, but just the hint of peversion adds another strange element to the typically strange Altman film.
Kudos big time for Ms Dennis and on that note alone I give. ***1/2 stars.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
Excellent All Round
This movie is way underrated. The acting across the board, esp. James Mason and the drop dead gorgeous Arlene Dahl (who is still with us thank goodness) is top notch. The special effects were incredible. You had no idea what was around the corner in the underworld and really kept you on your seat. The dressed up Iguana sequences were amazingly real, esp when they cannibalized each other. You literally could not see the fake add-ons to make them appear as dinosaurs (done in other films but nothing like this). The sets were out of this world, literally. It is one of the few movies I was able to watch again the next day and not get bored. Screenplay had lots of interesting dialogue, some corny (granted for the day) but well done. The back story with Gertrude the Duck came off well, not campy, but just fun and interesting. Casting was near perfect and even has Alan Napier "cameo" for Alfred (Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth) the Butler for Batman in the TV series. Great fun, great look, great colors (restored high definition is a must see) and a world of imagination that is way better than expected for the time.
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)
Depressing like the Rain that never quits
I love dogs as much as anyone and have sadly watched too many die before my eyes. That the first scene shows a beautiful Golden dying on the floor in a pool of its own excrement should be the floor of sadness but alas, the writers of this story want to force you down an even further dark road of melancholy. There is enough sadness out there these days. Dog films I like but they always runs the risk of an unhappy ending. I tried but I could not race down this road in the rain past the early and premature demise of the protagonists wife knowing I still had to watch a dog die in a reprisal of that first scene (presumably, did not finish movie). 4 stars just for combining racing and dogs but the way they were combined is a travesty.
Prospect (2018)
Nighty Nite
Sorry folks. Not worth whatever stuff they were mining for. And neither was my time. It lost me half way through and although I tried to stay awake, it floored me with boredom. The little twinklies put me right to sleep. Don't waste your time. Sometimes low budget just means - low everything. .
The Lighthouse (2019)
Reality becomes nightmare - but not sure why.
This film has several important boxes checked for a possibly great psychodrama but fails in the end with a lack of cohesion in storyline and an ending that did not correspond in any sense to what it needed to - a simple semblance of a stark (not dark yet) reality that occurred at the beginning of the film where two men sit and talk from different backgrounds and have to learn to live with each other for a few weeks, alone and without many distractions. Why did both go insane and not just one? Why did either go insane when this wouldn't happen to 99% of the population in the same circumstances? If there was provocation for insanity it seemed a false premise that only loneliness and booze would do the trick. It missed something here that was crucial and unexplained for the descent into a crazy nightmare to make sense. In summary:
Acting:7
Cinematography: 8
Music: 9
Sets and Atmosphere: 7
Story: 1
The closest thing I can recall seeing, which was infinitely better at creating the Nightmare that exists in every human mind, was David Lynch's Eraserhead. This film was also shot in Black and Whiter and I give Eggers kudos for making that all important choice. If you watched the movie on DVD with a good Home Stereo (or in theater) you likely noticed very low frequencies as was used in Lynchs Eraserhead. This was done to good effect because there is nothing more unsettling than low frequencies that seem to shake the walls not because of volume but because of 28 Hz.
But where the great Eraserhead and Lighthouse are similar (like the Mermaid and the strangely captivating Woman next door in Eraserhead) their respective differences are what makes The Lighthouse fail on the level of creating and impossible dream seem remotely possible. Eraserhead was impossible from the start and you knew that. With Lighthouse I expected more of a logical fall into Hell.
The Lighthouse begins with a relatively normal encounter between men that are isolated together and must learn to live with one another until their term together is ended. There were a lot of interesting relational segments and banters back and forth in Moby Dick language but the Homosexual drama seemed out of place and you don't know if this was a real emotion before total insanity or simply an insane response (for these two men who were clearly not HS) to loneliness that could be real, or maybe not. It seemed superfluous. Insanity leads to homosexuality in obviously non HS men? Unliikely in reality and if in a dreamstate (was it someone's dream or not?) was not believable. .
And that's the problem with the film for me. For most of the movie it goes back and forth from sanity to insanity until it seems to fall right off the insanity cliff but does so in a totally wretched way with no connection to what led up to the allegorical sequences that came out of nowhere and at times that were random and simply did not make sequential sense. In other words, the film went from reality to unreality with nothing to connect the two cinematically or by story line. Of course, films that are purely psychodramas don't always have.to be linear with a logical progression along the way but this one blew into insanity as if the two men were given hallucinogenic drugs inside of delirium tremens. That for me was the biggest failure of the film.
Yes, there were some redeeming qualities. However, for me, this was a film that only Charles "No Sense Makes Sense" Manson would or should like.
It also fails my "would I see again test". Never.
Hei tai yang 731 (1988)
The real Tragedy about Unit 731
I won't go into all the stuff previously noted about this amazingly grotesque film about the worst of human nature (this is not unique to the Asian race, sadly). What few people know is that after the war the Camp Commander did a deal with General MacArthur that kept him from the Gallows, which of all the human beings that were executed by Governments he was most deserving.
MacArthur pushed for his protection in order to obtain the incredibly horrific details of his LIVE human experiments that could not be duplicated in America. Of course, to determine the effects of any form of biological warfare, or just the limits of human physiology, you really do have to do human testing but you cannot get the results you need without doing the inhumane testing that the Japanese did on the Chinese with no remorse. Even during the war, the human experiment testing done at Unit 731 could never have been done in Japan because of laws on the books against Medical Barbarism. So, when Manchuria was invaded and thousands of live test guinea pigs were available for the choosing, all that was needed is someone to run the circus and that someone was General Shiro Ishii.
General Ishii escaped Justice because America gave up their values on human justice, and that is the real tragedy.
The Comedy of Terrors (1963)
Superb fun for one and all!
This should be rated higher. How can you beat a fabulous script flawlessly performed by the likes of Price, Lorre and Karloff. Not to mention the great Basil Rathbone who played his role to the hilt when he would die over and over and over with the classic line "What place is this?!".
And what's not to like? Even Rhubarb the Cat as Cleopatra is great, almost stealing a few scenes and who just barely escapes at the very end.
Richard Matheson is a master storyteller with a great sense of humor. He wrote some of the best Twilight Zone episodes, so you can see why he was such a good choice for this Horror farce script. Lines like the "Son of a Bit me" during a Price tussle with Mr. Black are classic. Lorre and Price were an amazing team that worked great together. The height contrast between Lorre and the 6'3 Price plays well when they are at each other's throats.
This is a great movie all around and along with the great Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein vie for the best Horror comedy ever. How can you not love a movie with an actress named Beverly Hills (hmmm, wonder why?).
And the surprise ending can't be beat.