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johngineer
Reviews
Night Court: Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson (1987)
Pretty bad.
ALL of the actors playing the immigrants are terrible. Their accents are way off to begin with, and then they don't even stay in character when they're talking.
The former President immigrant guy isn't too bad, though you can't tell if he's West Indian or African or what. The Greek guy, though, is the absolute worst offender -- his 'dancing' is pathetic.
Normally, I enjoy Night Court, and I appreciate that it's extremely corny, schmaltzy, and broadly drawn. But this episode is just bad -- skip it if you can. The only reason to watch it is for the scenes between Mack and Quon Le. The side-plot of Dan trying to seduce the wealthy Latin American woman is funny too, though her brother is a terrible actor.
The Rockford Files: The Empty Frame (1978)
Pretty good episode with humor and intrigue
This episode is more of the standard good Rockford fare. In addition to the regular characters of Angel (as loathsome as ever), Lt. Chapman (still a hard-ass but he softens up a bit in this episode), and old reliable Dennis, the obviously gay party host and his boy toy, along with the pseudo-revolutionary art thieves make for a good episode.
The party host in particular is drawn very well. While it's pretty obvious he's gay, his characterization is not stereotypical. He calls his Mercedes coupe "Mr. Benz". While it's funny when he says it, it's even funnier when Rockford has to say in conversation with him. All in all, this episode has all the humor, winning Garner charm, and plot twists you'd expect from a good Rockford episode.
The only thing missing is Rocky.
Key Largo (1948)
Great film, idiotic soundtrack
There's not much I could say about this film that hasn't already been said. Another great Bogart-Huston pairing, and fine acting all around. Huston was a fine director, one of the greats, but his only failing was his soundtracks. They never suited the tone or the integrity of his films. The music cues in his films are utter garbage. The 'Indian' scene in this film is typical. Great acting and direction, but the music falls back on clichés of 'Indian' modes and rhythms which, incidentally, sound NOTHING like true Native American musical forms.
Max Steiner, who accomplished the impossible with 'Gone With The Wind' in creating a score even more memorable than the film, should have known better. But he can't bear the weight of the blame. The blame falls mostly on Huston himself. While it's clear that he accords some respect to the indigenous people he presents on film -- to his credit, far more than most filmmakers of his time -- it's also clear he views them as something of at best a curiosity, and at worst a kind of cute sideshow attraction. In this film, as in 'The African Queen', he gives no context for their existence or behavior. They are strangers to our Western European tradition, and as such are accorded the same deference we might give to the first deaf or blind person we've ever met. The soundtrack in particular reflects this. Fortunately, it's mostly in the background, and we can ignore it and focus on the performances. All of which are first rate and engaging. Robinson, as usual, is a pitch-perfect son-of-a-bitch, Bogart plays the iconic reluctant hero, and Lionel Barrymore is flat out one of the finest film actors of all time, and once again he proves it without even trying.
This film is so worth watching that it would be plain stupid of you to miss it. But try to ignore the soundtrack, it only gets in the way.
You Can't Take It with You (1938)
Barrymore is brilliant!
Sometimes a brilliant performance just jumps off the screen at you, and in this film Lionel Barrymore does just that. His portrayal of the quirky but secretly pragmatic Martin Vanderhof steals the show. It is fascinating to watch the man work. His timing is impeccable and his delivery is so natural and sublime that it still resonates completely here in the 21st century.
Frank Capra's greatest talent as a director, beyond the ability to handle a zany narrative with absolute aplomb, was that he would create a warm, welcoming atmosphere on the set. That is most evident here, where it is clear that all the performers completely enjoy each other's company. The great Jimmy Stewart, himself the acme of understated performance, noticeably defers to Barrymore time and again. It's clear he is simply reveling in the elder man's ability to make you laugh from the heart.
Though the phrase has become a cliché, in this case it's most apropos: They Don't Make Them Like This Anymore.
When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006)
This film drives home two important points...
#1 - The residents of New Orleans were and are still being repeatedly f***ed at every level of government in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
#2 - Spike Lee is one of the most, if not THE most original American filmmaker of the last 25 years. His command of visual language is stunning.
By drawing from a large sampling of people from across the city and at numerous levels of government, Spike keeps his picture balanced. This evenhandedness actually serves to focus the message even more, as disparate people reinforce each others arguments, and forge a cohesive tale of what happened, how it happened, what went wrong, and who is to blame.
Quite possibly the best documentary (period.) in 20 years.
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Waste-o'-Time
This movie sucks. It's incredibly boring and you can actually feel your IQ points dropping while you watch it.
The only people who like this movie are people with incredibly low standards, people with no standards at all, people who live in a cave, and possibly Richard Burton (who himself has low standards which is why he married Elizabeth Taylor).
Kelly's Heroes was as unbelievable as this movie was, but at least it had a sense of humour, better characters, and a better cast. This movie takes itself WAY to seriously for it's own good, and that's why it really fails.
More late-60's indulgent Technicolor crap. 3/10