A washed-up boxer (Jamie Smith) sees a woman (Irene Kane) being abused and tries to stop her attacker. He gets to know her and falls in love. Her attacker is her employer/boyfriend (Frank Silvera) and tries to have the boxer killed. Instead, his goons kill the boxer's manager. Now the boxer is wanted for his boss' murder... and his girl has disappeared.
MY THOUGHTS
Stanley Kubrick's second film definitely shows the promise of his immense talents. Not only does he direct, but he wrote the screenplay, shot the film, edited it, and co-produced it. It's a B-movie both by budget and run-time... but far exceeds your average production.
Stanley Kubrick had already done a short film on boxing called Day Of The Fight, so he was well versed in the subject for a launching point for the film:
The boxing scenes in Killer's Kiss show this, but they are only a small part of the overall film.
The low budget limits the acting quality and the film's short run-time limit the character development. These keep the film from developing truly great and interesting characters. The awesome camerawork and location shooting makes up for these shortcomings a bit. The camerawork evokes the best of film noir and Kubrick was able to light these actual locations to great stylish effect. The climactic chase scene is the highlight of the film.
The film is not in the same league with Kubrick's later work, but is still an interesting piece of film history.
1956 - Toho
Directed by Ishiro Honda
(American dubbed version)
SYNOPSIS
Nuclear tests near Japan unleash several giant caterpillars that terrorize a small mining town. A giant egg in discovered in one of the mines cracks, releasing a massive pterodactyl named Rodan who eats the catepillars like a snack and soon he and his mate threaten the entire country!
MY THOUGHTS
An entertaining Godzilla retread.
Like many of the Godzilla (or most disaster films) series, we're made to watch uninteresting humans that we never really care about and how they react to the crisis at hand.... all while we wish for more monster action.
Rodan also follows the formulaic plot of the 'man in monster suit' genre known as Kaiju --- 'monster emerges, threatens people, people strike back, monster strikes back harder, someone comes up with a successful plot to stop monster.' It's done no better or worse than any other. But starting the film off with another villain, the caterpillars, was a bit of a departure from the norm. Still, it just delayed Rodan's entry into the film.
Rodan is serious in tone, like the first two Godzilla films that proceeded it. This film lacks the original Gojira's anti-war and anti-nuclear message and chooses to not make any political statement at all. By the time Rodan and Godzilla would meet, in 1964's Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster, the characters would be played for humor. The later films are 'more fun' but these early films are still cool. This was the first Kaiju film by Toho in color.
The miniature models that get trampled and destroyed by Rodan are some of the best I've ever seen. Recreating a small town, instead of Tokyo, seems to look 100 times more authentic. The miniatures are still superior to those in the 1990's and early 2000's Godzilla films.
The voice dubbing was better than the average Godzilla film as well and used actual Asian-American actors like Keye Luke and a young George Takei. This is great considering there's some Godzilla films where I've heard Japanese characters speak with thick New York accents!
Rodan could have used more Rodan, but otherwise is still an entertaining film for fans of Kaiju.
Former New York drug dealer Priest (Ron O'Neal) is now living the high life in Italy. His only cares are his girl (Sheila Frazier) his drug habit and his weekly poker game. Priest learns of an oppressive government in a small African nation and is convinced to help the helpless citizens. While helping smuggle in arms for the people, he is captured by the government.
MY THOUGHTS
As a fan of the blaxploitation genre, I found the original Super Fly (despite its AMAZING soundtrack) to be a very lackluster film. Super Fly T.N.T. is worse.
The Priest character is an anti-hero... yet anti-heroes possess some admirable traits. Priest does not. He's a pusher and junky working for the mob with a bad attitude. In the sequel, he does NOTHING with his time before being called into service.
TNT is remarkably similar to the second Shaft sequel Shaft In Africa, released the same year. Both feature their titular character being thrust into action in Africa. While Shaft In Africa is a passable action film, Super Fly T.N.T. is horrible.
The film was directed by star, Ron O'Neal and shot in Italy and Africa, yet you would never know it. When you have the opportunity to film on-location you can show off your surroundings, it adds so much to the film's realism. O'Neal doesn't do this at all. It could have been shot on a studio back lot for the same effect he goes for here. At many points, the film is so dark, you cannot see what is going on. This is especially evident when Priest is captured and is planning his escape in his cell. O'Neal is a very sub-par director and would only helm one other film.
Alex Haley wrote the screenplay. The author of Roots is more than a competent writer, so its a wonder how this script was such a muddled mess. The beginning of the film contains some finely written scenes like Priest and his girl going to dinner with Robert Guillaume and his date. The dialogue seems like real life and the film briefly comes alive. Once the scene is over, Guillaume's character and his date disappear from the rest of the film. This and the establishing poker match add little to the plot. The pivotal character of Dr. Sonko (Roscoe Lee Browne) is introduced early on, but we don't find out what he's all about until Priest does... 30 minutes into the film.
That first half hour is completely lacking any action or drama... or even a point. Apart from the dinner scene, it drags on at a snail's pace.
The middle of the film also lacks little action or drama until Priest is captured and tortured.
The film ends abruptly. Priest escapes capture and makes it back to Italy. We never find out if Priest's sacrifices helped at all. Did the weapons made it to the people? If they did, did the weapons help at all to overthrow the government?
Plus, Priest entered the African nation without a passport, yet was able to fly back on an airline. He might have received help from Sonko... but who knows.
I wonder if the filmmakers ran out of money and didn't film a chunk of the screenplay, resulting in this crap fest.
Super Fly T.N.T. is probably best remembered by being name-dropped in Pulp Fiction. Samuel L. Jackson's Jules proclaims "Every time my fingers touch brain I'm Super Fly T.N.T., I'm the Guns Of The Navarone." Why would he insult himself like that?
A rocket arrives to rescue the survivors of the doomed first mission to Mars. No one believes the sole survivor, Carruthers (Marshall Thompson,) that his 9 crew mates were killed by a monster. He is to be shipped back to Earth to stand trial for their murder. One crew member after another disappears and they are forced to believe the monster is real and aboard their ship!
MY THOUGHTS
A very entertaining and (at times) tense thriller
'It' plays disturbingly similar to Ridley Scott's Alien, just without the overwhelming claustrophobic atmosphere (or positive female roles.) The film does have some genuine tension which is rare for a 50's monster film.
The film is also reminiscent of the 1951 version of The Thing, just set in space. The human characters are all scientists battling an alien creature. The actors portraying them are uniformly wooden in both movies. The bland acting didn't hurt The Thing and it doesn't hurt It. Also coincidentally, the monsters were both played by cowboys. James Arness played The Thing and here Ray "Crash" Corrigan is It.
The monster suit could pass for a less cool-looking relative of the Creature From The Black Lagoon. Thankfully, the director wisely kept the creature in the shadows for most of the film. 'It' is certainly more menacing and creepy that way.
The script was able to keep create an intelligent film that is not hindered by its low budget. The action essentially takes place on only two sets. (Each level of the ship is merely the same set redressed.)
Despite the smart screenplay, there are a few glaring science errors that probably went over the heads of a 1950's audience that really stick out today.
It's noted the monster breathes oxygen... so what was it doing on oxygen-free Mars?
You're in a fragile space ship, so why are you firing guns and setting off grenades? The ship must have a good ventilation system to soak up all the explosive and cigarette smoke to keep the crew from dying of smoke inhalation. These are only the tip of the iceberg...
So if you just kick up your feet and turn off your brain you will certainly enjoy this classic monster flick.
An alcoholic drifter and former country singer (Robert Duvall) is unable to pay his bill at a small motel in Texas, he volunteers to work it off. Soon he falls in love with the motel's owner Rosa Lee (Tess Harper) and marries her. He begins to pull his troubled life together and maybe plot a comeback as he is able to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Ellen Barkin) while bonding with Rosa Lee's young son (Allan Hubbard.)
MY THOUGHTS
Many of the best indie dramas since the 90's have been low-budget 'small films' that were well-written and showcases for great actors portraying interesting, if troubled, characters. Those countless films clearly used Tender Mercies as a template. 2009's Crazy Heart is a great example and it borrows more than a little from this film and is probably one of the better examples of the influence of this film.
Robert Duvall has always been one of the best actors out there and this is one of his best roles. Often a supporting performer elsewhere, he shines in the lead as Mac Sledge. Sledge is a difficult role especially with balancing the darker elements with the lighter, dry comedic aspects of the character. Mac Sledge and his world seems very real. It's a very subtle and subdued performance that fits the character like a glove (or guitar.) The subtle way he is able to make that transformation from a dark soul to a warm and centered one because of a the love of a woman is the highlight of the film. He definitely deserved the Oscar for Best Actor that he won here.
The supporting performances augment the fine performance by Robert Duvall, as do the direction and screenplay,. They help make Mac Sledge one of the main highlights of his long successful career.
You do not need to be a fan of country music to find the film to be great. The film speaks at a far deeper level. You will be able to reflect on your own problems as Mac tries to conquer his.
When aging CIA agent Miles Kendig (Walter Matthau) is put out to pasture, he quits. In order to get back at his boss (Ned Beatty,) he vows to write his memoirs which will reveal critical secrets of all the major world powers. Kendig sends his book out one chapter at a time to all the involved parties and tries to stay one step ahead of them... who will stop at nothing to keep him from publishing the book.
MY THOUGHTS
A very entertaining and fun cat and mouse spy tale.
The script of Hopscotch moves with the intelligence and suspense of the best of James Bond films, though it is a very different animal.
It's that different animal because of Walter Matthau. The film offers him a great opportunity to display his unique skills to their fullest. Matthau was equally adept with comedy and drama. His wholly original mix of charisma, charm and gruffness is used to perfect effect here. He handles the mix of high comedy and high drama far better than, and with far more sophistication and subtlety, than Roger Moore's James Bond.
Hopscotch also benefits from Matthau's genuine chemistry with Glenda Jackson, playing an old flame. The two make for a quirky but realistic couple.
The film is also filled with many other great actors in supporting roles which flesh out the world and Kendig's character like Herbert Lom as Kendig's Russian counterpart and a young Sam Waterston as Kendig's protege who's forced to go after him, yet admiring and rooting for him the whole way.
Matthau is great with comedy and drama and Hopscotch is perfectly able to balance them. The comedy never lets you forget that Kendig is in serious and life-threatening trouble... or destroys the realism the film is able to maintain. Yet at the same time, the drama never gets too heavy handed and is often broken up at just the right time by a one-liner or crazy situation. It never gets too silly or overly dramatic to be believable and that is a very difficult balance to maintain.
A perfect film for lovers of Walter Matthau or fans of spy films looking to laugh.
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