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jtdurden
Reviews
The Panic in Needle Park (1971)
A street level exercise in decay and survival.
The Panic In Needle Park is a gritty, often uncomfortable 110 mins in the company of lowlifes, pimps, prostitutes and dope addicts. *Possible Spoilers* The film itself is quite uncompromising, no morals, no redemption, just a street living couple who cannot decide whether they love smack or one another more. No doubt if this film was made today we'd have the rehabilitation programme and the tearful reunion once the two protagonists were 'clean' and ready to rejoin society. However, this is not for this film. The Panic In Needle Park is decidedly bleak, and offers us a slice of reality that not many of us see from our normal suburban lives. Jerry Schatzberg directs this movie with a documentary feel, and this, coupled with outstanding performances by Pacino and Winn, gives a very natural, flowing experience. Where Schatzberg did so well and many directors fail is in giving the viewer well sketched characters that you will genuinely get to know and empathize with, as you watch them flush their lives down the toilet. Of course it helps if you have Pacino and Winn playing them, and they really breathe life into the tragic lives of Bobby and Helen. Definitely one worth watching, unless you are depressed or have an aversion to seeing lengthy shots of half dead people putting dirty needles in their veins. But then I doubt heroin addiction is as hip as a sharp suited John Travolta jacking up and listening to cool tunes in Pulp Fiction.
S.F.W. (1994)
S.F.W Indeed
While S.F.W could have been so much better than it actually is, Jefery Levy deserves praise for successfully highlighting the fickleness and parasitic nature of celebrity. The film has an uneven feel to it, often seeming like scenes are randomly cut and pasted together, but it does communicate its message effectively. I felt the film would have been better if the first half had dealt with the hostage situation and the second with Spab's elevation to generation spokesperson. The constant shifting from the here and now to a small segue of Spab acting up to the terrorist camera doesn't seem to work very well. Stephen Dorff is quite good as the slacker cum hero, however the rest of the cast are fairly marginalised and have little to do. It might have been better if we had seen more of Spab's best friend Joe and saw more of their relationship, then the tragic events would have had more impact. I believe this plot point fell a little by the wayside amid the beer drinking and cursing that was slightly overdone. S.F.W does make you wonder how our society has become so vacuous that we bestow fame and adoration on ordinary people, stars of fake, idiotic reality shows like Big Brother and Survivor. In this respect the film was indeed ahead of its time. S.F.W is not a great film, but it is not a bad one and is worth a look if you're bored of teen comedies.
The Getaway (1972)
Excellent
The Getaway is a great film. Generally the pace is fairly easy going, but when violence ensues it changes dramatically and Peckinpah lets us have it with very tense and bloody set pieces. It is also very amusing, some of the scenes with Rudy and Fran are ridiculously funny. Cracking performances by the enigmatic McQueen and MacGraw, both make a very believable pair of strong willed criminals. Both are broody people of few words, yet are intelligent and controlled, and ruthless. Also MacGraw is absolutely gorgeous in this. Don't watch wannabe Tarantino imitations, and don't listen to people who say rip offs like True Romance are better, The Getaway was there first and is superior in every way. A tense, gritty, understated classic. If you are fed up with the majority of dirge that Hollywood churns out these days, go and get a copy.
The Score (2001)
Not great, but not a bad film either
The Score has been rather unfairly slated by some reviews found here. Whilst it is certainly no 'Heat', it is a fairly enjoyable movie that is worth a look, if only to watch De Niro and Norton act on screen together. De Niro is very good here, if understated, the type of role he can play quite easily without stretching too much. Norton is once again on form, he is clearly going to have an outstanding career. I would disagree with those who say this is his finest performance though, the well worn script does not push any of the actors, and Edward is going to have a hard time beating his cracking turn as Jack Adams in the excellent 'Fight Club'. Yes this story has been done a million times, yes it is quite slow at the beginning, and yes, there could have been a bit more development on the main characters. But that said, The Score is entertaining and you could do far worse at the video store. Maybe some feel let down as The Score is not the classic these actors could have provided, but a worthwhile movie nonetheless, that does give some decent acting and tense set pieces.
Magnolia (1999)
A Big Disappointment
I don't really see the point in submitting a review if all you are going to do is rubbish the movie concerned, but in the case of this particular one I feel an exception has to be made. Why? Because I was strung along by this movie for 3 hours plus in the hope that something may be resolved or indeed something may actually happen. And it didn't. Don't get me wrong, I do not need a film to be linear or all neat and tidy for me to enjoy it, from this database I appear to be one of the few to enjoy "The Ninth Gate", a confusing mess with an similarly abrupt ending. Some people tend to get all snobby about movies, in a "Oh if you didn't like or understand this go and watch Gone in 60 seconds instead" kind of way. Just because a film is touted as a little more cerebral, is 3 hours long, and contains significant analysis of people and relationships it must be art. Is it?
There appear to be two camps created by Magnolia, both share the similarity in that they are vocal and strong in their standpoint. They also are equally convinced of their take on how the film should be perceived. It is a good thing if a film does evoke strong reactions, and Magnolia certainly generates extreme opinions from both sides of the coin. Personally, I honestly cannot see, even by reading many others interpretations and by seeing the film all in one go, how this film can be perceived as a classic in any way. This film is pretentious, boring, preachy, maudlin, and eventually vacuous. Some of the acting is indeed quite good but the characters are odious and superficial. The script appears to have been written by an arty Sixth Former who one day decided to write an angst ridden story that would show the whole world where we are going wrong. Surely a film has to have decent characters and a good script before it is going anywhere, this movie has neither, (apart from Tom Cruise's Frank Mackey, who is very amusing in the first hour).
Much has been made of the films interlude where the cast are all individually shown singing "Wise Up". I couldn't believe this scene was actually happening, some will find it moving, others will find it utterly laughable. This film annoyed me, I stuck with it as some parts showed promise and it continually makes you feel something is around the corner, but frustratingly it ends up unfulfilled. A poor attempt in my view, but don't take my word for it, if its number #124 on the IMDB chart someone must like it!
Vampire Circus (1972)
Top Class Hammer
I agree with all of the other comments about this film, Vampire Circus is one of Hammer House of Horror's finer films. A great tale of Vampires causing trouble in Eastern Europe, led by a colorful cast of Circus performers. The head vampire, Count Mitterhaus, is amusingly arrogant and has some great one liners, in a similar vein to Hammer's other famous nobleman Count Karnstein in the equally entertaining 'Twins Of Evil'. One thing I've always felt about this film is that the good guys are quite pompous and annoying. This is contrasted with the characteristic and amusing vampires, and I feel the movie wants you to back the bad guys (Anton, in particular, is so wet you find yourself praying the Count will deal him a bad card). As other reviewers have pointed out, Vampire Circus indeed should be among the more well known Hammer classics, but for some reason is not. Never mind, if you are reading this you have stumbled upon it somehow. If you like 70's Vampire movies with a touch of the camp and the ridiculous, you could do a lot worse than this. Moreover, if you like this film and 70's Hammer Horror in general, check out 'The Vampire Lovers', 'Lust For A Vampire', 'Twins Of Evil', 'Countess Dracula', 'From Beyond The Grave', and 'Psychomania', they are all great fun.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
A very good film.
The Talented Mr Ripley is an unusual film, an eerie tale of jealousy, violence, loneliness, and desperation. Tom Ripley is a man who has, in his own mind, no self worth, no identity, and no substance. His ideas of life and existence depend on how he is perceived by others, and when that is no longer good enough..... Matt Damon is superb as the shy, self effacing Tom Ripley, an outwardly timid, unassuming man who shows little sign of what lurks beneath his pleasant front. Jude Law is also great as the vain, fickle Dickie Greenleaf, the rich boy who befriends Tom, and Gwyneth Paltrow also shines through as the loveable Marge, Dickie's girlfriend. Fans of the Patricia Highsmith novels will not be disappointed, as Anthony Minghella has superbly crafted her excellent literary prose onto the screen. This must also be one of the most skillfully shot movies of recent times, the scenery is fantastic and seldom has Italy been portrayed as such a beautiful country. This movie is definitely worth watching. It is becoming increasingly rare for movies to evoke serious emotions within the viewer, and with The Talented Mr Ripley, there are many occasions where these such emotions are aroused. A very good film.
Phoenix (1998)
A poorly publicised gem
A poorly publicised gem, Phoenix is definitely worth a watch. If you, like me are also aggrieved that Goodfellas didn't open more doors for Ray Liotta, this is further evidence of his undoubted talent. Liotta is excellent as the desperate Harry, holding on to a thimbleful of morality in a sea of gambling and police corruption. Danny Cannon has done well here, proving that he can make a decent movie with the right actors. It also has a great King Kong theory! A worthwhile watch.
Snowbeast (1977)
Oh Dear
I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone alive that thinks this movie is anywhere near half decent. The acting is worse than daytime soaps, the plot laughable, and the Snowbeast itself? Well, it would be nice if we actually saw it, it appears to be simply a white hairy arm. Not even enough budget for a full suit. Oh dear.
Fiend Without a Face (1958)
Sci-Fi Paranoia!
You can't get more 50's sci-fi than this. I wonder if the marauding fiends, consisting of brains with spines as tails, were meant to symbolize Communism in a paranoid bout of 50's Macarthyism? The fact that you cannot see them may lend credence to this, but this doesn't help the poor town that is subjected to invasion from these slithery beings. A square jawed hero, a foolish elderly professor, and a kind helpless heroine make up the stereotypical cast, but there is a great turn by a man who meets the fiends in the woods, and comes back to the town as a babbling retard. Harmless fun, the thing I still remember from this film is the noise the fiends make, it sounds like the director sampled a bloke eating a tube of Pringles.
Psychomania (1973)
weak Script, apathetic acting, but strangely entertaining
This film is hindered by a weak script and quite apathetic acting, but somehow it's ridiculousness makes the film work. Unintentionally Psychomania is an amusing farce, the story of a group of bikers who discover the secret of eternal life, and intend to use this gift for nefarious purposes. The gang themselves are meant to be hardened troublemakers, but the scene where they descend on a town to cause mayhem, is hilarious. I would have thought the Girl Guides could cause more trouble. Saying that, the film has some wonderful one liners, and there is fun to be had in watching this oddball of a movie. Best of all is the sequence where the bikers all commit suicide in order to return as invincible, not for them a simple death the varied ways are way overelaborate and funny. Biker Horror is an odd genre, but the film is great fun and worth a look. Finally, the film does has a cracking soundtrack, a strange blend of gothic high pitched keyboards and hip wah wah guitar, that is always lurking and ably partnering the high jinks on the screen.
From Beyond the Grave (1974)
A great example of 70's Hammer, great fun, and unintentionally humorous
"From Beyond" is a great example of 70's horror, four short, supposedly spine tingling stories that hit and miss with varying degrees of success. The tales are all odd affairs, a scruffy man in a mirror that encourages homicide, a father and daughter team that remove unwanted parents, an invisible demon that attaches itself to people, and finally an old nobleman who lives inside a door. Yes, this is not this reviewer on LSD, the plots really are as such, and are enthusiastically acted by some big names that perhaps should have known better. "From Beyond" is great fun, a little dated and hardly scary, but the tales are so outlandish, and the script is so unintentionally humorous, that you hopefully will enjoy at least one of the stories. Best of all is the second tale. Donald Pleasance is excellent as the shifty peddler, his real life daughter Angela is wonderfully eerie in her role as his spaced out little girl, and a plumpish Diana Dors does a great turn as a battleaxe wife that still puts me off getting married to this day. The film also has some great quotable lines, maybe not in the Tarantino/Goodfellas league, but some lines ("Get on with your sweet"),are oddly amusing. In the main the acting and scenes are so over the top that its hard to believe this film may have been considered scary by some in the early 70's. But on the whole, 'From Beyond The Grave' is good fun and worth a watch if you like your horror served with a bit of dated hokum.