Kiss Me Deadly

Kiss Me Deadly
1955 - United Artists
Directed by Robert Aldrich



SYNOPSIS

Detective Mike Hammer (Ralph Meeker) picks up a troubled hitchhiker (Cloris Leachman.) The two are soon forced off the road by unseen thugs who knock him out and torture her. The unconscious Hammer and the woman are returned to their car and forced over a cliff. Hammer recovers and then makes it his business to find out what she was wrapped up in and who was responsible.



MY THOUGHTS

A classic primo example of film noir.

A morally questionable hero, an urban (LA) setting, a femme fatale, crime, murder, and intrigue are hallmarks of the cinematic style that are all on display here.
However, the stereotypically very low-key, heavilly shadowed lighting style is not and the film looks like a standard Hollywood film. But the film does fine without it.

Like many of the great film noirs (The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity) this was based on a book... Mickey Spillane's 6th one to feature Hammer.

At first glance, Ralph Meeker appears too white-bread wholesome to pull off the somewhat sleazy character of Mike Hammer, but does so excellently. He's brutal and yet cool at the same time.
Unusually colorful characters (like Nick the mechanic) and the eerie looking ones (Jack Elam) bring extra color to the black and white film as well as realism. Though some performances are a little over the top, they keep the film from becoming too dry.

This great classic noir definitely deserves a view.

I Love You, Man

I Love You, Man
2009 - Dreamworks
Directed By John Hamburg



SYNOPSIS
Realtor Peter Klavin (Paul Rudd) proposes to his girlfriend (Rashida Jones.) When he realizes he has no male friends to be a potential Best Man, Peter begins a massive search. While giving an open house he meets Sidney (Jason Segel.) The two hit it off and become fast friends... but will their friendship put Peter's wedding in jeopardy?



MY THOUGHTS

The 'Judd Apatow formula' can still be successful, even without Apatow.
As a producer or director Judd Apatow has established a definite niche in the comedy movie market (with films like the 40 Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up) and that leaves him ripe for imitators. I Love You, Man clearly fits the mold.
The humor isn't as outrageous as most films with Judd Apatow's name attached, but the humor is just as consistent and raunchy. Apatow staples such as an LA setting and adults with serious cases of arrested developmentplay major parts in the story.

Two of Apatow's long time regulars Paul Rudd (since Anchorman) and Jason Segel (since Freaks + Geeks) star and are great as usual and all of their Apatow creations. Their characters are very likable and endearing as are most of the supporting ones.
Lou Ferrigno plays himself and is hilarious but his appearance is too brief.

Chances are if you liked the 40 Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up or Superbad... and hate the standard romantic comedy, I Love You, Man is a must-see.

Point Break

Point Break
1991 - 20th Century Fox
Directed By Kathryn Bigelow



SYNOPSIS

Rookie FBI agent Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is tracking a group of serial bank robbers. His partner (Gary Busey) believes them to be surfers. So, Utah learns to surf, and soon learns the surfers he has fallen in with (led by Patrick Swayze) are the very same people he is looking for.



MY THOUGHTS

There's cheddar, Swiss, Feta, Gorgonzola and Point Break.
This cult classic action film is a highly entertaining trip if you turn your brain off and just ride the wave.

The film is well shot. The surfing and skydiving scenes are rarely captured on film looking half as good as they do here. The foot chase near the end of the film is a highlight due to the care in how well it was shot.

The script and direction do serve up a lot of action, which comes at a fast pace and there's never a dull moment. Even the love story between Keanu Reeves and Lori Petty doesn't feel tacked on.

The film is weakest when it comes to dialogue. Lines like "You crossed the line. People trusted you and they died. You gotta' go down." or "I know Johnny. I know you want me so bad it's like acid in your mouth. But, not this time." You want to shake your head. Much of the cheesiness comes from the dialogue.

The acting is a mixed bag.
Keanu Reeves is unsurprisingly wooden and doesn't bring much depth to his role. It's hard to believe this film came out the same year as My Own Private Idaho, one of his best performances.
Swayze is clearly more interesting and plays his role with a twinkle in his eye (maybe letting us know he knows how silly everything is) and you end up rooting for the bad guy over Reeves bland hero.
Gary Busey does an amazing job at actually coming across as a mostly sane person. He's just off enough to make his character interesting to watch though.
John McGinley plays Busey's and Reeves' boss. He is the stereotypical police sergeant pissed off at his subordinants that you've seen in countless film and TV shows multiplied by 100.... way, way over the top to the point of being completely unbelievable.
The poor dialogue may play a role in some of the poor performances.

Point Break however carries a great feeling of fun, energy, and bit of goofiness that propels it above you average hammy action film.
The film may be a big piece of cheese, but its a pretty tasty flavor... and goes great with some popcorn.

Lupin The III:The Castle Of Cagliostro

Lupin The III:The Castle Of Cagliostro
1979
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki



SYNOPSIS

Master thief Lupin and two friends try to rescue a princess who's being forced to marry an evil count. Along the way, they try to discover the connection between the kingdom and a bunch of counterfeit money they previously uncovered... and a big treasure.



MY THOUGHTS

A fun and exciting thrill ride featuring the directorial debut of Hayao Miyazaki.

The film does lack many of the characteristics of Miyazaki's later works. His later films are mainly for children like Kiki's Delivery Service or My Neighbor Totoro. This film features a bit stronger language than those.
Many themes such as man and his relationship to nature and environmental issues are not present here. This is likely due to the fact that the film is based on a series of comic books that was turned into a TV series that Miyazaki worked on... and is not an original work of his.

The animation is also not as outstandingly detailed and beautiful as Princess Monoke or Spirited Away, but it fits the story fine and is still light years ahead of American TV animation of the 1980's.

The story moves at a brisk pace and there's never a dull moment. There's also a lot of humor to keep the mood light.

The American version lacks the star-power that Disney was able to assemble for his more recent work, but the voice actors fit their roles nicely.

The film is different from Miyazaki's later work but it shares the very enjoyable sense of fun and wonder of his greatest animated films.

A Face In The Crowd

A Face In The Crowd
1957 - Warner Brothers
Directed By Elia Kazan



SYNOPSIS

A radio host named Marcia (Patricia Neal) seeks out real people for her show on a rural Arkansas radio station and decides to visit the local jail. There, she meets a man she dubs "Lonesome" Rhodes (Andy Griffith.) Soon he gets his own show on the station singing, telling stories and sharing his folksy wisdom. It's a smash and he moves on to do a TV show in Memphis. That goes over big and soon he's in New York and has the biggest show on television. He has the ears of powerful wealthy men and senators. His rising megalomania alienates all those around him.



MY THOUGHTS

There are three things you can always guarantee when watching an Elia Kazan film, amazing performances, great cinematography, and a great script.

Kazan somehow gets more out of his actors than any other director in every film of his I've seen. Each role is totally believable and seem totally real, without a fault.
What he does with Andy Griffith (in his film debut) is stunning. This isn't your TV Andy Griffith. He retains the same folksy charm you'd see in any episode of the Andy Griffith Show or Matlock... but when the power goes to Lonesome's head, Griffith becomes a totally different animal. He's practically frightening, which is never a word I would have ever associated with Andy Griffith.
Patricia Neal is equally outstanding in an understated performance. Walter Matthau also turns in an excellent supporting performance as a disenchanted TV writer for Rhodes.

The cinematography is superb and often evokes a film noir feel, especially after the story gets darker the further it goes along.

Budd Shulberg wrote the film. It was his second collaboration with Kazan (On The Waterfront was the first.) It's amazing how the story was structured around Marcia's feelings for Lonesome. When she meets and gets to know him and immediately takes to him, so does the audience. As the relationship is tested we become unsure of Lonesome, then when she turns on him, so do we.

My only fault with the story is that it seems to move almost too fast. We're never given a time reference. It seems like Rhodes is only on the radio for just a few days, then on the air in Memphis for a few days before New York. Much of it is done with montage, which makes it seem even faster. At that excessive speed, it feels like it's trying to be a satire or a farce. By the time it's over, you realize it's not trying to be either of those.

But that fault wasn't enough to derail this excellent study of how television could/did change politics and advertising... and this turned out to be one of Elia Kazan's best films.