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Yeh mate, it's the production and performances that carry it, and Sondheims songs do stick in your head! But it's story needed considerable tweaking!
It's a truly unique movie: it's a comic book adaptation, a bona fide gangster film, and action/adventure movie, it's also almost a musical.
Yep, and with his typically very strong visual sense, here in the form of a high-60s live-action cartoon. Though made first, think Barbarella, but set somewhat in a YOLT-like world for some idea of the craziness. Ond where nothing is too extreme. Adolfo Celli is the villain, at his most thugish, with completely different voice than used in TB. Terry-Thomas shows up at his most craven, pompous & silly-ass.
Bava came in so far under budget the producer offered him a sequel but he declined. Tudor Gates, who would write Hammer's Karnstein trilogy, did the very much tongue-in-cheek screenplay. There are scenes that clearly reference earlier Bond films but also some that anticipate later ones. Morricone supplied the score.
A pop-art joy to watch from beginning to end.
Director: Leo McCarey
Screenplay: Viña Delmar / based on the novel The Years Are So Long by Josephine Lawrence
Cast: Victor Moore (Barkley Cooper), Beulah Bondi (Lucy Cooper), Fay Bainter (Anita Cooper), Thomas Mitchel (George Cooper), Barbara Read (Rhoda Cooper)
Rhoda Cooper (Barbara Read): Why don't you face facts, Grandma?
Lucy Cooper (Beulah Bondi): Oh, Rhoda!
When you're 17 and the world's beautiful, facing facts is just as slick fun as dancing or going to parties, but when you're 70... well, you don't care about dancing, you don't think about parties anymore, and about the only fun you have left is pretending that there ain't any facts to face, so would you mind if I just went on pretending?
When Leo McCarey received his 1938 Best Director Oscar for The Awful Truth (1937), he reportedly said that he got it for the wrong film.
And such is also the view of history as this film was the inspiration for Yasujiro Ozu’s TOKYO STORY (1953).
The general plot for Make Way for Tomorrow is that an elderly couple (Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi) are forced to move in (separately) with their children due to their own home being foreclosed. While their children are reluctant at first, their aversion only increases over time and eventually the couple concludes that they must leave even if that means they must be apart. And although their children eventually come to understand their selfishness (“we’re probably the most good-for-nothing bunch of kids that were ever raised, but it didn't bother us much until we found out that Pop knew it too”) it is too late as the couple spends a final day reminiscing about their lives together before they say their goodbyes at the train station. The husband promises to find a job and make enough money to send for his wife, but she knows that that will probably not happen.
During an era where standard Hollywood movies usually had a “happy ending”, the Director rightly fought for the ending as filmed. To quote The Criterion Collection “it is one of the great unsung Hollywood masterpieces, an enormously moving Depression-era depiction of the frustrations of family, aging, and the generation gap ... Make Way for Tomorrow is among American cinema's purest tearjerkers, all the way to its unflinching ending, which McCarey refused to change despite studio pressure.”
Orson Welles was once quoted that Make Way for Tomorrow could “make a stone cry.” I fully agree. The performances of the tow leads (Moore and Bondi) are extraordinary, and the tears are well earned.
I will. This one has been on my watchlist forever. It's a famous comic in Italy and if I'm correct there's also a more recent adaption of it too, though I'd watch the older one first, I mean Bava + Morricone, that's a magoc combo.
As for myself:
VALKYRIE
All right, I suppose. The film is fairly interesting, it looks good, it has an impressive who-is-who cast and it's mildly well-paced. Nothing special either though, I must say. Good for one viewing.
ELEVATION
Apocalyptic survival movie with aliens and abandoned surroudings. Asking more questions than it provides answers. Sequelitis I suppose. Won't happen I guess since it doesn't get great reviews. Thought it was fine, without being anything more. Good for one viewing.
HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER
Now this is something else. It has been a while since I went for a western but I wasn't disappointed. Eastwood directed, and Eastwood starring, this one illustrates Clint has learned a lot from his days in Europe, in terms of visuals, but also musically and thematically it feels more Italian than American. A very satisfactory western. On a sidenote I thought Clint's character's treatment of women makes the early Bonds look like picknick, I personally found that particular aspect a bit hard to stomach, in an otherwise excellent film.
I'm hoping to upgrade my old dvd of 'High Plains Drifter' soon! An excellent and unusual Western ( by that I mean the concept of Clints character!) A darker version of Shane, it's superbly done!
As for 'Valkyrie', you wonder, why did thy bother, a case of, it sounded like a good idea at the time!
THE ANONYMOUS VENETIAN (1970)
a.k.a. Anonimo veneziano
"Say yes to divorce."
Perhaps, given modern (non-Italian) audiences tend to read this as a film where we are supposed to sympathise with an unlikeable protagonist, it's not unwise to provide some context here.
In the early 70's, when this was filmed, the Italians were invited to vote in favour or against marital divorce. Back then this was a huge thing in Italy.
My reading of the film in question is that it is making an argument in favour of divorce by portraying an estranged married couple that no-one in their right mind would advice to stay married. Regardless of the fact that some feelings still linger. Furthermore, the film also indicates that the wife cannot even be recognised as the mother of the child she has with her new partner, because she is married to someone else. In short, this toxic manipulator she's still married to makes it impossible for her to move on, by law. All this becomes even more evident in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in which the arguing couple passes a wall that has the words "si al divorzio" written on it. Almost literally this film says that it's pro-divorce, while it also illustrates via its leads that that's sometimes the only solution left.
Three aspects here are luckily recognised without the context above: Florinda Bolkan's phenomenal performance, Stelvio Cipriani's superb original score and the beauty of Venice, gorgeously shot by cinematographer Marcello Gatti.
On a sidenote, Tony Musante's character also states at a certain point his character has changed, so we are not sure he has always been the unlikeable person he is at this stage.
Personally I found this a fascinating watch, perfectly acted, scored and shot, while also delivering a big thematical punch as well (providing one is aware of the correct context, of course).
For those interested, the Italian people voted in favour of divorce with almost 60% of voters saying "si al divorzio".
Slave Girls 1967
Martine Beswick stars as queen of the bikini clad brunettes who enslave the bikini glad blondes.
1. The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Yeah, it's a predictable choice for the top spot, but I can't help but absolutely love The Grand Budapest Hotel and consider it my favorite of Anderson's films. Monsieur Gustave H. is perhaps the single greatest of Anderson's many colorful characters, played marvelously by Ralph Fiennes; he is charming, funny, and flawed, and always feels like a three-dimensional character even amid over the top shenanigans. Zero Moustafa, played perfectly by Tony Revolori and F. Murray Abraham, is also one of Anderson's most likeable protagonists, and the relationship between him and Gustave is just so well-done; the scene when Gustave goes on an ignorant, prejudiced rant about Zero's background and being respectfully corrected is a real standout moment in particular. As is the usual case with Anderson movies, the rest of the cast is stacked with wonderful actors giving wonderful performances, with a couple more standouts to me being Willem Dafoe and Saoirse Ronan. The twisty, captivating story packs suspense, romance, friendship, comedy, satire, action, and even arguably a little bit of horror. In only 100 total minutes, the film manages to do so many impressive things at once while still feeling focused the whole time. I've seen Anderson criticized for being a style over substance filmmaker, but I have to disagree in several instances, most of all here when it felt to me like his signature, quirky style was all over the movie, but always in an organic manner and never to where I felt like the narrative and emotion were compromised. I just had so much fun with the movie the whole way through. The Grand Budapest Hotel is often called Wes Anderson's magnum opus for a reason, and I am certainly in that crowd that believes that this film was when the director was at the height of his powers.
2. Rushmore (1998)
I was really taken by surprise with Rushmore in the best possible way. The love triangle at the heart of the story between Max, Rosemary, and Herman provides so much potent comedy and drama, particularly because actors Jason Schwartzman, Olivia Williams, and Bill Murray each turn in absolutely sensational performances as these tortured characters. Through these lead characters, supporting ones, and wacky story beats, the film magnificently walks a tightrope between the outlandish and the ordinary, consistently finding ways to be relatable but also entertaining in cartoonish fashion. It's so impressive to me that this was only Anderson's sophomore effort as a director, because it feels like a fully formed vision from a master filmmaker in every respect. It's got memorable characters, a constantly engaging plot, a wide variety of jokes both subtle and unsubtle, but also a real, impactful poignancy to the whole affair. Rushmore is simultaneously one of Anderson's funniest and most touching works for me, and I definitely envision myself revisiting it many more times.
3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
Fantastic Mr. Fox was Anderson's first stab at animation, specifically stop-motion animation, and I think it's one of his greatest triumphs. First of all, I have to give him credit for trying a whole new style of filmmaking here with the stop-motion animation, and then also for taking on Roald Dahl's classic story and expanding that beloved source material while putting his own stamp on it. For my money, Anderson pulls all of it off fantastically, pun intended. The deadpan humor, gorgeous visuals, and high energy level of the movie make it a pure delight from start to finish. Among the many superb voice performances, Meryl Streep as Mrs. Felicity Fox steals the show, providing the extremely valuable element of pathos as she is unwillingly put in harm's way because of her husband's ways. I happily recommend Fantastic Mr. Fox to everyone who hasn't seen it yet; it's got as much mass appeal as you're going to get from a Wes Anderson movie, including for younger audiences too while most of his other work is R-rated.
4. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
It took me a little while to digest it after I first watched it, but the more I've thought about it, the more I realized that I really enjoyed The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. It's not one of Anderson's highest-rated films, but from a pure entertainment and story point of view, I find it to be one of his most satisfying. Bill Murray is at his best as the titular lead character, who is kind of a jerk but still someone I found myself rooting for. There are plenty of explosive and memorable moments scattered throughout the nautical adventure that Steve and his crew go on, including a dangerous brush with pirates and a surprisingly emotional finale with the shark that they are hunting for having killed a former crew member. One aspect I really liked was the Portuguese covers of classic David Bowie songs by Seu Jorge. I will say that the film felt a little longer than it needed to, and sometimes the comedy doesn't quite stick the landing, but I still personally consider it to be one of Anderson's strongest movies. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is a colorful, engaging film that I look forward to checking out again in the future.
5. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Alongside The Grand Budapest Hotel, I would select The Royal Tenenbaums as the best example of a Wes Anderson film to show someone what he's all about. A stacked, all-star cast of characters, headed by an excellent Gene Hackman, find themselves thrust into wild scenarios that yield both humor and heartbreak, this time to the flavor of a large, estranged family reuniting when Hackman's character, the patriarch of the family, claims that he is dying soon. I'm particularly fond of the performances from Danny Glover and Gwyneth Paltrow in the movie, but the whole ensemble cast does a great job. You really feel like you get to know each character and their unique struggles throughout the course of the film, which is pretty impressive given just how many of them that there are. The exposition could sometimes be a bit overwhelming, and the way the movie wraps up feels a bit rushed to me, but overall my gripes are minor. The Royal Tenenbaums is deservedly one of the most beloved of Wes Anderson's works, standing as one of the best representations of his style while, indeed, maintaining much substance.
6. Bottle Rocket (1996)
Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson's debut film, was a really fun time for me. My expectations were sort of low, since I usually saw that the movie was considered to be one of his weakest ones, but I myself found it to be more enjoyable than several of his later ones, especially his most recent ones - more on those later. Owen and Luke Wilson have great chemistry as the lead characters who foolishly choose to become thieves, and not very good ones at that. Robert Musgrave as Bob Mapplethorpe was particularly amusing to me, and probably my favorite character in the movie. It took me a while to really get into the film, and some of it's a bit rough around the edges, but by the time I got to the end I really appreciated it and was happy with the experience. I especially like how simple the plot and progression are compared to Anderson's other movies, which I do not usually have much issue with, but it's a welcome contrast here that I wouldn't mind seeing again someday. Bottle Rocket is a very good first film from Anderson that deserves more love and higher rankings in my opinion.
7. The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun (2021)
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun is another Anderson film that surpassed my expectations, and for me personally the best movie he's directed since The Grand Budapest Hotel. While I wasn't crazy about the "Revisions to a Manifesto" segment of the film, which unfortunately does take up a fair chunk of time, I really liked most of the rest of it; "The Concrete Masterpiece" and "The Private Dining Room of the Police Commissioner" were both highly entertaining vignettes, and the overarching plot with the passing of the editor of the French Dispatch was solid, too. Some of my favorite cast performances from this one were Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright, Frances McDormand, and Léa Seydoux. I could see how this project might not work for everyone, but with most of "Revisions to a Manifesto" aside, I found it to be a successful, fun anthology style movie done in Wes Anderson's unmistakable style. Anthology style films are hit-and-miss for me, but I would definitely consider The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun to be one of the better ones I've seen.
8. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
I know that Moonrise Kingdom is often talked about as one of Anderson's best movies, but I'm afraid it didn't quite fully click for me. The island setting, cast of characters, and effective balancing act of comedy and drama are all spot-on, but the story didn't connect with me too much, and the movie somehow felt very long for only being about an hour and a half. Bruce Willis and Edward Norton really get to shine in particular in the film, and it does have some of the best cinematography of all of Anderson's movies. I still lean in a positive direction on Moonrise Kingdom, but it didn't quite entertain or resonate with me the way that several of his other works did.
9. Isle of Dogs (2018)
Isle of Dogs was perhaps the most frustrating experience for me out of all of Anderson's movies. Conceptually, I thought it was one of the most fascinating of Anderson's projects, and I also really liked that he returned to stop-motion animation with it. Unfortunately, the execution of the movie is not as great as the concept; there were too many unnecessary subplots, the pacing was awkward, and most of the conflict resolution did not feel earned or organic to me. The visuals, acting, and message were all good, but the amount of things happening in the narrative coupled with how much it bounced around was too much for me. I appreciate the effort put into it, but I really wish that several wrinkles were ironed out before the end product was released. Isle of Dogs has some good stuff, but it's uneven as a complete package.
10. The Darjeeling Limited (2007)
Anderson's fifth film, The Darjeeling Limited, was the first one of his that let me down. The big reason for this is that the lead characters, Francis, Peter, and Jack - three brothers played by Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman - were not as likeable or interesting to me as many of Anderson's other characters. Because of this, the comedy was also a bit hit-and-miss, though it still certainly had its moments. My favorite segment is when the brothers visit their mother Patricia, played excellently by Anjelica Huston, which features some genuinely good pathos and humor. The story is not as strong as Anderson's usual work, and the funeral flashback also felt particularly awkward in execution. I wouldn't call it an outright bad film, but The Darjeeling Limited is easily the weakest of Anderson's early work for my tastes.
11. Asteroid City (2023)
Unfortunately, Anderson's latest two films have been his least enjoyable ones for me, including the needlessly complicated Asteroid City. It goes for a meta approach that ends up feeling frustrating and unnecessary to me. Had the movie just been a movie about the contents of the play and left out the fact that it was a play, let alone also it being about the making of that play, I would have probably ranked it a couple spots higher. Going back and forth between the play itself and the "production" of it is annoying and jarring for me, and my immersion kept getting rudely interrupted. Maybe it's amusing for some people, but it really turned me off and soured the movie a lot for me. The cinematography and acting are very good, and I'm usually into it when it's just focused on the play itself, but the distractions are way too plentiful and obnoxious for me. I'm sure that to Wes Anderson that the meta parts were essential, but I wish so badly that Asteroid City could have been simplified instead; as is, it's easily one of my least favorite Anderson features.
12. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More (2024)
Because of the gimmicky style of how the tales in it are told, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More was regrettably dead on arrival for me. Had the meta, "low-budget" presentations through the movie been few in number and brief, I could have dealt with it easier, but it's literally the whole thing and just irritates the heck out of me. I can't even compliment the acting like usual since everyone is just doing the same thing here. It's a real shame, because the Roald Dahl stories themselves are interesting enough, but making a "film" of them this way just doesn't appeal to me whatsoever. Personally, I would have gone for a straightforward, stop-motion approach again like Fantastic Mr. Fox, but there are surely several other ways too that this could have been done more interestingly than what we got. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More was a repetitive, bland way to convey intriguing tales that deserved better, and is Wes Anderson's worst movie to date for me.
I havent seen all of Andersons films, but he certainly is a one off, nobody else doing what he does. 'The Grand Budapest Hotel', is probably his most accomplished and more accessible for the masses. He does tend to over indulge in some of his output and you can get rather fatigued at the visual overload and multiple characters! His latest is again getting mixed response, and like 'The French Dispatch' ( which I enjoyed!) I will wait until it pops up on Telly!
As a fan of the first two. I didn't like this one at all. Only a few laughs here and there.
Smith isn't giving his movies his best anymore. And he was never doing amazing in the first place.
Yeah. The main issue is the major retcon from Clerks 2 which is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.
I almost always overlook this in favour of T2 and T3, but I don't know why. The rare times I do watch this one, it always surprises me how good this film is. And it's probably the best of the three films, just ending out T2, though I do like T3 as well.
I still prefer T2, but I have long lasting memory of going to see it in the cinema, not knowing much about it except having seen a brief clip on a late night arts programme ( the scene where Arnie confronts the thugs for their clothes!) And being blown away by it! Thrilling action, sly humour and terrific effects, and that bombastic theme tune!
And I also have a soft spot for T3, it has some great scenes in it!
Continuing my 90's look at comic book heroes, after Dick Tracy. This is Russell ( Highlander) Mulcahys film of the mysterious crimefighter, "The Shadow knows!" Alec Baldwin plays him and his alter ego Lamont Cranston. John Lone (Year of the Dragon) plays the villain, and the lovely Penelope Ann Miller plays the daughter of the mad scientist ( Ian McKellan with a dodgy American accent!) who our villain kidnaps him to create an atomic bomb! The likes of Peter Boyle and Tim Curry fill out the impressive cast, in what's an enjoyable flick, though devoid of big set pieces until the climax where Mulcahy gets to indulge in his glass smashing fetish ( 'There can be only One. . Shadow!) in the nicely staged finale in a hall of mirrors! No Danny Elfman this time, but Jerry Goldsmith is a fine substitute!
I've seen this one just once, a long time ago, but I remember enjoying it. Mulcahy has a visual style I usually like.
I have still the same problem with the German subtitles I had with the first two of the anime trilogy, which made me lose a bit of subtlety in the dialogues, and frankly, the fight between Godzilla and Ghidorah is rather disappointing. But there are some good moments.
Mulcahy isn't as extravagant as he is in his debut 'Razorback' or 'Highlander' but he does deliver a couple of good moments! Always intrigued to know what his 'Rambo 3' would have been like!?
A classic IMO I have the The Shadow on Bluray, Penelope Ann Miller is hilarious when impervious to the Shadows powers 😂
And Penelope really suits the period. She looks fab! Always had a thing for her, she was very good in 'Carlitos Way' and'The Relic' to name two! !
This movie has one of the best endings ever made.
Based on Frank Millers graphic novel, he also was involved in writing/directing along with Robert Rodriguez ( who not only writes, directs, edits, and music, he also makes the tea!) Using a couple of stories from the novels, it's depicted in black and white with flashes of colour to striking effect, with a good cast, Bruce Willis, Michael Madsen, Clive Owen, Powers Boothe, Rosario Dawson and Rutger Hauer. The best though is Mickey Rourke playing Marv, a hulking thug, framed for murder and goes on the rampage to find the real killer! It's fun watching him tear through the city , whether sticking a guys head down the toilet or taking on a SWAT team armed with a hatchet! It's bookended cleverly with an appearance by Josh Hartnett as a hit man!
SIN CITY 2, A Dame to kill for (2014)
Quite a gap to the sequel, pretty much the same team. Another wide ranging cast , Joseph Gordon Levitt, Josh Brolin, Ray Liotta and Lady GaGa!!! Not as entertaining as the first, it does however have the wonderful Eva Green as the titular Dame of the title, spending a lot of her screen time naked ( she also was in a stunning promo poster!) the film suffers whenever she's not on screen! A final word, Brolin, who plays Clive Owens character from the first movie, disguises himself halfway through the movie in a look that makes him the spitting image of Mo from The Three Stooges!!
I really like both of these. The first one is the better one, though with Eva on board I'd say the second one isn't too far off.
Cool write up mate. I must admit i recently re-watched A Dame To Kill For and it was much better than i remembered.
Thanks mate. I haven't watched them since I purchased both dvds. They're entertaining enough! I know Miller did a similar thing with 'The Spirit' film, but I haven't seen that! May give it a go!
Unfortunately i have seen The Spirit. Bloody awful. Not one i'd recommend mate! :D
Thanks for the tip! 😁 I will avoid!