Amusing, crisp story about a mad professor who converts a Delorean into a time machine. To do that, he swiped some plutonium from terrorists, and in the confusion surrounding a confrontation, Marty Macfly, his good friend, is thrust back into the 1950's, where is milquetoast future dad still hasn't raised the gumption to approach his future mom. So it follows the paradigm of changing the past to recreate a future that already existed. The lamest part of this conceit is that Marty "fades" from pictures as his success in bringing the actual future about seems less and less likely. But probably the most amusing scene of all is when he arrives and is knocked unconscious, his future mom puts him to bed and assumes his name is "Calvin"-- "I've never seen anyone with monogrammed underwear before" (or something equivalent). It's that guilty, frustrated look in Lea Thompson's face... [2292]
Too much of the dialogue seems packaged to press information into the viewer's head rather than express character and a lot of thump-thump jingoistic triumphalism mars an otherwise interesting look at the early space program, the astronaut recruits, and their wives. And, OMG, Chuck Yeager is just so cool! Yeah, the Wolfe doesn't tire of reminding you. The special effects seem dated today (I re-watched parts of it recently) but the acting is pretty good. Just what is the difference between these, "courageous" young pilots, with the "right stuff", and the kids today doing stupid things on motorcycles and skis? I don't know. [2200]
Sam Shepherd, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey
Too much of the dialogue seems packaged to press information into the viewer's head rather than express character and a lot of thump-thump jingoistic triumphalism mars an otherwise interesting look at the early space program, the astronaut recruits, and their wives. And, OMG, Chuck Yeager is just so cool! Yeah, the Wolfe doesn't tire of reminding you. The special effects seem dated today (I re-watched parts of it recently) but the acting is pretty good. Just what is the difference between these, "courageous" young pilots, with the "right stuff", and the kids today doing stupid things on motorcycles and skis? I don't know. [2199]
Sam Shepherd, Scott Glenn, Ed Harris
Unmemorable Viet Nam war epic by Stone. Needs to be seen again, I think-- highly rated by others. [877]
CHARLIE SHEEN, TOM BERENGER, SEAN PENN
The Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, allegedly ground-breaking in structures. To a teenager in the 1960's, it looked like just another big, over-blown, Broadway musical, but, by musical standards, it represents some brave departures from the standard, in it's use of interior sets, and the alleged "naturalism" of the flow from one scene to the next. That must be respected... but it's still a Broadway musical. Some memorable tunes. [865]
Docudrama about a man wrongly hanged for murders committed by John Christie in London in the 1940's. Excellent cast, poignant and powerful. [856]
JUDY GEESON, RICHARD ATTENBOROUGH, JOHN HURT
Not sure of director... Wonderful film about homely butcher whose family and friends keep pressuring him to get married. Finally meets a nice girl, and male friends pressure him to break it off. Well-acted, beautifully written, superbly rendered. A classic. [732]
Sometimes gripping true story about Charles Whitman, who shot 37 people from a tower in Texas in 1960's, killing 13? Straightforward, almost documentary style. Whitman, apparently, suffered from a brain tumour which may or may not have been the cause of his breakdown. Ironic note: gun store owner who sold him the ammunition stated afterwards that it didn't occur to him that Whitman was about to kill a lot of people. [718]
Compelling documentary of assassinated homosexual supervisor of San Francisco, Harvey Milk, as well as Major George Moscone; well-acted and scripted. The assassin, supervisor Dan White, was an All-American type, who went beserk one day. [585]
Austere but richly woven tale of a dying woman's last months, focussing on servant girl's relationship to her and her sisters. [567]
Powerful, gripping, horrifying tale of woman who loses reputation and civil liberties when she spends a single night with a suspected terrorist (Kristofferson). Thomas is effective, if a tad too dewey-eyed at times. Kristofferson is appropriately mysterious. A film every politician should be made to see. [504]
Somewhat satisfying drama about love between American reporter and Eurasian doctor (Jennifer Jones). Maybe. [502]
One of the funniest, most off-beat movies ever made. Rides on the savoir faire of Bartel and Woronov, sophisticates who simply decide to murder people for a living. [473]
Would have been more charming had it not bought into the Hollywood star schtick. [439]
About the backroom shenanigans at a beauty contest in a California town, the double-crossing, the ruthlessness, and three of young voyeurs determined to get Polaroid pictures of the contestants in the buff. But really a brilliant incisive satire of American lifestyles and culture and values, centered on the shallow character of Brenda, the supervisor of the pageant, and her obsessively upbeat, optimistic view of a crass exercise in trivialization of teen girls' aspirations. Perhaps one of the smartest satires you will ever see as the sequences wander from Big Bob's all-American Jaycee wisdom and participation in a weird club where men where white robes and kiss dead chickens, to the mean choreographer, Tommy (played by real-life choreographer, Michael Kidd) who turns out to have more humanity than most of the pageant organizers and managers. Most of the girls in the pageant were amateurs and as they talk to judges and present themselves and perform their presentations (one girl shows how to pack for a trip; another uses a butter churn for a prop), they are simultaneously ridiculous and completely believable. The audience shots reveal that Ritchie is not looking for broad caricature: they are sometimes flattering, sometimes not so much, and sometimes thoughtful. This is a rich, textured movie, that reveals far more than you might have expected. [399]
Adequate realization of Golding book, thoroughly dated by stultifying British standards of the time. [314]
Absolutely stunning, shocking, outrageous story about World War II Italian soldier who will do anything-- absolutely anything-- to escape death. Incredible scene with incredibly obese woman commandant. [308]
Somewhat aimless study of businessman in throes of a crisis, personal and business. I had always thought this was made in the 60's, and should have been a Billy Wilder film. In fact, like most 80's and 90's films, secondary roles are extremely weak. [304]
Good suspense film about ventriloquist who begins to lose distinction between reality and fantasy and starts to accept directions from his dummy. Hopkins plays first in a string of eerie psychopaths. [293]
Engrossing film on the actress, Francess Farmer, who was regarded as mentally ill for asserting independence in early years of Hollywood. Lange is very good, very sexy-- as always. [292]
Appealling unpretentious story of dancer trying to make it past auditions for exclusive ballet school. Forgivably contrived. Jennifer Beals did not do the dancing. [291]
Interesting if somewhat claustrophobic film about intellectual discussion between two old male friends. Not worth seeing twice. Daring. [199]
WALLACE SHAWN
Somewhat pointless, bleak film about bleak relationships in small town, average type U.S. [198]
Based on the novel by Sylvia Plath. Uneven and lifeless. [114]
One of the most subversive films ever made, features Chaplin as French bluebeard, supporting a crippled wife and son. Very touching scenes with down and out woman, though she is improbably beautiful. His speech to the judge and jury, claiming modesty because, unlike governments and generals, he has only murdered a few, is provocative and compelling. [105]
Brilliant, powerful film. William Hurt is astounding, as gay prisoner paired up with Marxist revolutionary. Reverberating drama. Astonishingly daring and ground-breaking, particularly in portrait of homosexual, for whom politics matters only in reference to personal relationship, but finds courage, at the end, to make a sacraficial gesture. Who is the stunning woman in the car who shoots him? [95]
AIRPLANE is tacky and sloppy-- a bit like a friendly dog that drools a lot--but hey, it is a friendly dog. Some the of the gags fly (like the maintenance crew checking the oil on a 747) and some don't, but the producers obviously believe in giving it everything you've got. Leslie Nielson first demonstrated a canny sort of doltishness here that played nicely in the later "Naked Gun" series. [93]
LESLIE NEILSON, ROBERT STACK
All Contents Copyright © Bill Van Dyk 1985 All Rights Reserved
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