#new bev

[petty-crush]

“The Crow” (1994)

-a fascinating alternate universe is glimpsed here; when super hero films can be moody, visually adventurous, and have memorable villains

-of course this is all because Batman (1989) by Tim Burton was a fucking smash, but in the end this film is just wonderful and alive

-Alex Proyas has a deft hand as a director. His pacing is at times a little jumbled, but he really creates a dilapidated, lived in universe, and his blocking is superb

-Brandon Lee gives a performance where his whole body contorts to make a person aching to set things right then die

-I have a soft spot for actor Michael Wincott, and his presence as villain Top Dollar is a hoot every second he is on screen

-also, this clearly was a big influence on Cowboy Bebop. Its villain, Vicious, is essentially Wincott with the crow. Absolutely lovely

+and of course the church scene blow out, which is a mesmerizing set piece (again clearly indebted to Batman 89 but it makes it its own)

-the music in this film is well chosen and emotionally moving. This is capitol g Goth. The Cure, Stone Temple Pilots and an thundering cover of Joy Division’s Dead Souls by Nine Inch Nails

-there is a certain vibe to the first half of the 1990s in the United States, and this film captures it perfectly. Downer joyfulness

-the scenario and dialogue, credited to David J schlow & John Shirley, is tender while still moving forward with energy

+I like the random quiet moments of vulnerable whispers, such as “Mother is the name of God on a child’s lips”

-Ernie Hudson has a really laid back presence in this film, he supplies stubborn warmth that lets a lot of the film breathe. His airing of the character makes the film a richer experience

-I love the touch of the hero making the villain feel all the pain of his victim, the 36 houses in intensive care. It’s such a refreshing variation instead of just punching or dropping the bad guy down building

-something wonderful got caught here, it pulls out another world I look forward to revisiting

[petty-crush]

“The Wild Bunch”

-A buck of misfit toys that are grumpy old men have their Vietnam war in Mexico, and end it all in a bloody shoot out

-you know, fucking awesome

-gotta love how after actor William Holden says the immortal line “If they move...kill em!” Then comes the title card “directed by Sam Peckinpah. Now that is a screen credit

-what I love most about him as a director is how in the middle of utter chaos he gives these victims of circumstances their blaze of humanity and dignity; the warm embrace of comfort that life otherwise denied them

-I think it’s worth noting that Peckinpah was also an alcoholic, so there is fair amount of lusty rambling, and utter spikes of lucidity

-it’s just endearing as Holden and Ernest Borgnine argue and support each other

-This is such a lived in world, each of the visual elements so assured and soaked in attention

-actor Warren Oates has great fun shooting the wine barrels and lapping up their liquid ambrosia

-what a train sequence. The way it’s held together by sheer willpower is mesmerizing

-westerns really do capture the mood of the times better than any other storytelling form (tied with horror); it’s as if the vast open lands allow emotions to paint in the negative space

+ the sheer heartache of the world in the late 1960s chalk outlined here (largely in red)

-quite spiffy to see an US filmmaker take back the dance lead from the (so great) Italian motion pictures

-I also think there is something captured in the scene of the ants attacking the scorpion; how the energy of crowds can destroy things individuals never can

-truthfully there isn’t a great deal of specific characterization in any one individual in this film (Pike being the main exception)

-it’s when they come in unison, like walking out of the whorehouse to their eventual death, that the film stirs up a swell of deep affection

-the beginning of this film is almost overwhelming; after numerous start and stop stills, the bank robbery has so much information backed in with quick cuts, like trying to get in 20 minutes of shoot outs in 8 minutes

-life can come at you fast, indeed

-I don’t consider this Peckinpah’s best film (call me crazy, but “Ballad of Cable Hogue” is my pick) but as a vivid statement of purpose, of screaming behavior, it obliterates the target

[petty-crush]

“The Hidden Fortress”

-two buffoon thieves find themselves witnesses to an increasingly absurd (and delightful) war of clans

-Akira Kurosawa and his big brassy style of filmmaking just makes me happy; even films I like look stillwater next to him

-one of his greatest strengths is his unpredictable and elastic editing

-a quick scene of stoping guards from ratting out a princess turns into a ten minute duel between generals

+and bounces back like a key in a lock

-Toshiro Mifune absolutely projects the presence of a general who should be followed to the end of the earth

-this whole film has a lived in, squalled, medieval vibe

+I fucking love it

-again, there is some cinema magic in threes; the two thieves are obtusely amusing, and the silent strength general is disarming; but together they form a riveting troupe of eccentrics

-the part where the thieves witness the last warrior of a clan killed nakedly via horseback is shocking

-even more so then his other films, Kurosawa’s influences from the silent age of film ring loud

+a scene of a crowd on the steps is clear DW Griffith and any moment of horse riding is awesomely John Ford (but in Kurosawa’s own voice)

-the princess is completely badass; her moments of covert silence is an emotional canvas and her carefully chosen mask droppings are tender inducing

-I again note how Kurosawa is amazing for placing scenes with multiple people but not cutting angles; we see all the faces and how they react to dropping their guard

-the part where the princess chides the rival general for blaming Mifune for the suffering the rival’s boss put on him is devastating

+as is her complete willingness to die, having tasted earthy beauty

-greatly amused how characters can be added(the prostitute)and subtracted (the two gold carriers) without a single loss of momentum

-I love Mifune’s laugh

-the widescreen film stock cinematography (and fluid camera work) is so suited to Kurosawa it’s a little surprising it took 18 films(!) and 15 years for him to fit his hand in like a glove

-think about that for a second; a film maker got to make almost twenty films (some rather great) before hitting his full stride

+this is why nurturing artists(and letting them practice in public) is so important to our collective well being

-it contributes to our hearts, even if in a galaxy far far away

-this film definitely has a 7th act; it’s almost another mini movie in the last 15 minutes

-I never get use to (nor do I hope I ever) the undertow of humanism in Kurosawa’s work

+it is impossible to imagine his films without it

-Kurosawa really is the eccentric’s master magician

-I cannot imagine this film being a minute shorter. It is just packed

-Also surprisingly funny as fuck at times

-This is a film that thrills the heart and makes people want to do their best work, in art or solidarity

[petty-crush]

The Burning (1981)

-easily one of, if not the, best slasher films I’ve seen. Beautifully shot, great cast, superb score

-This is the one to recommend to people curious about the sub-genre

-the legend of a burned camp groundskeeper may in fact be true, as the campers discover a stranger with garden shears stalking them

-another timeline moment; when Harvey Weinstein’s name comes up (as producer and co-writer) he was vividly boo’ed by the audience

-this film almost has two openings (ala book of Genesis)- the kids playing a (backfired) prank on Cropsy, fire included, and then a absolutely hysterical scene of a black male nurse telling a new white doctor to “check this freaky burned guy out”

+I kinda wished they had just opened with the black nurse, but fire is a good opening visual

-there is a touch of melancholy as Cropsy (our burned villain) claims his first victim.

-there is a long detour of just the kids playing at the summer camp, and it’s so well done that this film could almost reasonably work as a straight (non horror) summer long film

-the score by Rick Wakeman (of the band Yes) is wonderful and gives it a very different atmosphere. Slightly vulnerable and medieval

-what a treat to see Jason Alexander (with hair!) and Fischer Stevens early in their career, with juvenile jubilance as young campers

-actor Brian Matthews does a excellent job as the head camp counselor, not the biggest stickler for the rules but absolutely protective of the kids under his wing

+has a weary sea captain / Kirk vibe to him

-the scene where the little camper barely avoids getting killed by Cropsy while retrieving a baseball is a perfect execution of the tense scenes this types of films thrive on

-boobs, boobs, boobs

-more then once, I recall “Aguirre the wrath of god” (the great Herzog film about the doomed search for the lost city of gold) which is not exactly the vibe most slashers go for

-in particular the part where after Cropsy destroys their canoes and they have to build a makeshift raft

-when the kills do come, they go hard, and the fingerprints of effects man Tom Savini are well noted

-it’s so interesting to have the lead be a man (usually a woman) in a slasher film and one who has a dark past full of harm

-the final sequence is gorgeous, lights straying in through the windows, the abandoned building epically creepy, and the tension palpable

-a superb example of a sub-genre all too often thrown together as a tax haven; here there is beauty and a feeling of true craftsmanship

[petty-crush]

“High Plains Drifter”

-Now this is the kind of downward spiral good times I can get behind.

-I’m thinking of that famous Billy Wilder quote “You are only as good as the best thing you have done.”

That in mind, Clint Eastwood as a director is fucking great.

-this is a rare bird of a film. A existential horror western. With a Old Testament petty revenge mentality

Sumptuous darks, eerie music, hordes of crestfallen humans.

-Clint Eastwood still knows that classic leading man secret; don’t talk too much, and stay low.

-I’m impressed with long takes of silence, allowing the effects like a whip cracking to register more deeply.

-I unfortunately had certain story beats spoiled before the film (years ago) so I will tread with ginger steps.

Still, the execution of the film was so delightful I had a grand time. Film is again about how it is done, not what is done. Style changes content

-The structure of this film is both flexible and compact

-I loved the shadows during the first flashback, and the reveal later.

-This film is a great example of certain scenes in action and horror (blowing up people with dynamite) walk a similar line and use overlapping cinema tools, it’s the reaction that is different.

Somehow, Eastwood gets both. Impressive.

-I am not at all surprised that this film came out in the 1970’s and that pillars of the 1930s-1950’s western films (John Wayne) were appalled by it. It does everything possible to turn the previous western tropes in their head while wholesale inventing new ones.

-Absolutely a great time at the movies, and, yes, I have a taste for tart limes.

[petty-crush]

"Black Christmas" (1974) -a extremely well done and stylish proto slasher film that is tight fisted in its use of atom sphere and suspense -this might be director bob clark's masterpiece -a pre "Superman: The Motion Picture" Margot Kidder is pretty hilarious; drolly rolling off one liners and moments with ease + I especially like the casual way she gives wine to a little kid -scenario is a sorority is stalked by a crazy prank caller and killer; other she gains and life moments cross paths -this film has a well honed sense of characterization. All the girls have lives and richness of inner thought way above the usual victims of knives (where in that works one trait defines them) -I like that the other main girl has a terse and adult problems relationship with her boyfriend -in a move that screams 70's, the girl is pregnant and refuses to have the baby, tells the boy friend --over his aggressive objections--that she will have a abortion, she won't give up her dreams for him, and that she doesn't love him(after he says he does). -holy shit, that is several levels of keeping it real that most self labeled serious films don't address. To see a (classy executed) genre film do so is wonderful. It keeps the audience convinced and invested -there are many small scenes of quite wonderful first person pov shots that are eerie -this film is an annual Christmas tradition at the new bev; this is my first time seeing it there and I am delighted -this film is certainly much more plotted than the average slasher; it lacks the primal creep of "Halloween" but is so fluid and well executed that it towers above several imitators of the latter -I love the character of the dad (of first victim); his reaction and furrowed brow at what kind of company his daughter keeps is priceless -there is a lot of sneaking around footage in this film; very visual and very engrossing -Margot kidder strikes again, this time telling a straight arrow serious cop that her sorority house is on FE or fellatio 204 -clark is really keep this taught and on the edge -(while viewing a character be distracted from a murder) has any adult ever enjoyed or even tolerated holiday carolers as much as this girl in the film ? -it's interesting to think of a time when you didn't know who was calling until you picked up the phone, and we're subjected to whatever the person said -these prank calls are generally disturbing -the deaths are very well done and morbidly implied -John Saxon provides a great deal of grinder reassurance and good natured humor -the ending is dark and I love it -this film celebrates Christmas as the both the happiest and saddest time of year in grand fashion. A present to enjoy every chance one gets

[petty-crush]

"Murphy's Romance"

-one of the gentle pleasures of film is simply to watch two people navigate a relationship of quiet, intimate affection. The big screen makes it cozy

-it helps when two wonderful actors (Sally Field and especially James Garner) are so damn watchable

-Garner's character (the title Murphy) gets a lot of wry sprinkled dialogue

-(upon leaving a slasher film) "I worked in a slaughter house when I was young. Don't need to spend five bucks to relive it"

-(upon being told he can't fight city hall) "well, you can wrestle 'em"

-(after asked if he's having sex with someone) "'banging'? That's an ugly term for that particular pleasure"

-I want to point out that dialogue means less than zero if you don't shoot to support the character/world, and director Martin Ritt does so in a sparse, almost Ozu like way

-it's almost hard to recall a elegantly simple (not simpleminded) film like this use to get a major release

-I also like how damn specific the language is to the character, and how organic Garner makes it look

-let me say, if someone offered me (in no particular order) beef stew, Mac and cheese, sausage, chili and the like for dinner, night after night, I would be in love too

-the montage for that (especially opening and closing the car door in one fell swoop) is terrific

-the score for this film just doesn't work. It needs something a little more rural

+ I love synths but this is not the right place for them

-the way a cowboy hat connotes so much took me by pleasant surprise

-the part where Murphy notes how his friends have overlooked his shortcomings and seen him through some dark days is beautifully affecting -

ultimately, Garner evokes a presence that hovers over the film with a warm blanket like snug. It may be daydreaming, of memories of a place that never actually existed, but it is so floating in ease of life and happiness that the slow burn trip is worth taking.

[petty-crush]

"Pretty Maids All in a Row" -this is a film I have waited a long time to see and it had me from beginning to ending; endlessly entertaining -total 70's piece; a teen/high school exploration picture with golden Hollywood leads intermixed. By a French director. Adapted screenplay by an ex cop turned sci fi writer -there are so many jaw dropping beautiful women in this film, and they shed their clothes at the drop of a hat +sexual revolution plus 70s film sticks equals Got damn! -it's very amazing that they got a legendary leading man like Rock Hudson to play a character who spends every 8 minutes sleeping with under aged girls. +By a major studio! Impossible to imagine now -it's so achingly well shot -the contrast between the kids trying to goof off and the adults trying to manipulate/bluff each other is a very interesting mix -anywho, so; a murder of girls in a high school happens, they gotta find the killer, meanwhile a kid is trying to control his boner while his mentor is trying to hide his (in all the girls) -this film has elements of both director Roger Vadim (his fascination and inventive photography of women) and writer Gene Rodenberry (setting as a social construct, authority susceptible to corruption) -I can see why both are involved in this film -Rodenberry's side seems more off the cuff; several recordings (captain's logs?) by hudson's character Tiger (a psychologist and pervert) noting how high school puts adult under intense control only comparable to prison, and how easily mentally manipulated they are -I have a feeling there was more but Vadim was like "get out of the way of the boobs" -with the exception of "Rear Window" and "Peeping Tom" this may be the best example of cinema's baked in voyeurism. -it does so in a extremely artistic and beautiful way, approaching each woman like the Venus de milo, but exploitative it is -Telly Savalas is the head detective, and actually manages to steal some screen time away from the ladies; - he is so throughly likable and it's really no wonder he got American to watch him play essentially the same character for several years on TV -he's got the same oral fixation; cigarettes, candy, toothpick-he must chew on something -note the extremely deadpan way he responds to (massive eyes) pretty maid who says their generation is open with their emotions and says "I love you" to him straight in the eyes + he accepts and shoots it down in the same action; that is some great (re)acting -the way the first murder is revealed is great; the shoeless female leg in the boys bathroom ; beautiful stuff -it's hard to say which is a bigger dickhead move on the part of Tiger; seducing high school girls or manipulating the recently single (and sad) substitute teacher to have sex with an awkward male student +no sentimentality in this universe -somehow Rock Hudson mustache charms his way into not bring a complete monster -his interrupting a student and reading King Lear, notably the part about why should he stick to one pretty maid, is sublime communication -Angie Dickinson is great, and plays her part of a frustrated teacher caught between two vices with a innocence molded by hurt -pretty sure the shot of the film is jump cutting from the majestic paintings of Hieronymus Bosch (as the teacher reads "Paradise Lost") to her majestic underbreast and the student looking at it -rarely has a film moved so deftly between high and low in a single cut -a pretty close second is Angie dropping the soap in the bathtub where the student is laying, she puts her hand under the water and says "I think I got it", and the student puts up his hand holding said soap -I bust up when Telly Savalas tells Rick Hudson "I told my kids about your idea of high school being a prison. They sent back a message; 'Right On, man! Right On'" -props to Vadim for expertly cheating when we see Hudson approach a woman, playfully seducing her with words as the camera does a full 360, only to reveal it's his wife (child following behind and now revealed) -that really is the whole film, how the tone can rubber band from sweet innocent to suggestive murder and back again like nothing -Telly Savalas can do so much with a look, even under those sun glasses -ultimately the mystery of the murder mystery is very light, but that's really the hook to enjoy this flexible artistic exploitation, that dazzles me as much as someone who lived the era -a film that truly must be seen. I cannot imagine going to the grave without enjoying this bewildering yarn, and the boobies don't hurt ether