What Classics Did You See Last Week? (29 May to 4 June 2017)

To Have And Have Not / Howard Hawks (1944). You can hardly blame Warner Brothers for trying to cash in on their mega-hit “Casablanca” (1942) by repeating its success with some of the same stars and similar stories. They tried to capitalize with “Passage to Marseille,” but with little success. For THAHN, they turned Hemingway’s novel into another story with Humphrey Bogart as an American ex-pat who minds his own business in Vichy controlled French territory (Martinique Island in the Caribbean) – shades of Rick Blaine. But what became of the film was not a shadow of the previous film, but another enduring masterwork all on its own. Of course, this is the one where 19-year-old Lauren Bacall in her debut role met 45-year-old Humphrey Bogart leading to a marriage that lasted until Bogie’s death in 1957. Bogart plays Harry Morgan who owns a deep sea fishing business. He is helped by Eddie (Walter Brennan), a loyal friend but an unreliable alcoholic with little short-term memory. Bacall plays Marie (who Morgan immediately nicknames “Slim”) who is broke and stranded on the island but has never lost her saucy insolence. Morgan, not given even the briefly spoken backstory of Rick Blaine, finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into the cause of the Free French who are opposing the German occupation. Always quick with the disclaimer that he is only in it for what he is being paid, he keeps taking bigger and bigger risks, finally committing himself totally to the war effort. It is one of Bogie’s top 5 performances. But in addition to the suspense and romance stories, Hawks builds a world inside the restaurant slash hotel where most of the action is set. Marcel Dalio, who played Emil the croupier in “Casablanca,” now owns the Martinique café and is a leader in the Free French resistance. Dan Seymour, formally Abdul the bouncer at Rick’s and later Johnny Rocco’s bartender in “Key Largo,” is the police chief but no friend to the freedom fighters (and has a terrible French accent). Best of all is the eatery’s band led by singer, songwriter, and Big Band leader Hoagy Carmichael. One for the ages.

The Godfather / Francis Ford Coppola (1972). TCM's broadcast to theaters of "The Godfather" - for its 45th anniversary. The movie is so perfect, all of its pieces – casting, locations, acting, set design, editing, et.al. – fitting together so precisely, that it all seems so natural, is seems that the decisions made were all instinctively correct. But nothing could be further from the truth. The tumultuous - if not chaotic - production history of “The Godfather” is as legendary as the film itself. The final product is something of a miracle, a rare "instant classic" that actually turned out to be one.

Xi you: Xiang mo pian (Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons) / Stephen Chow (2013). Some more Chow-mein from this director (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle) who sticks with his signature mixture of comedy, thriller, coming-of-age, martial arts action, and more that a small dollop of horror. In this one, set in the past of an imaginary China, a young novice demon hunter Xuan (Zhang Wen) goes about with a nursery rhyme book hoping that these simple poems will turn demons to good. The only reason he doesn’t get his head ripped off right away is because he meets up with Miss Duan (Qi Shu, “Millennium Mambo”) who can destroy demons with her magic rings. Because of the young man’s meddling, the powerful Hog Demon is released and begins to track Xuan and Duen. They need the help of an even stronger force so they begin a search for the Monkey King, a demonic primate who the Buddha has confined to a cave for 500 years. Chow manages to balance all these elements so that there is no tonal dissonance and it all comes to an agreeable conclusion….but, the Big Climax, the last 20 to 25 minutes, meant to dazzle, just seems to go on and on and on. For me, this would be a case of less is more, but if CGI spectacle is your Thing, then enjoy.

The Love Witch / Anna Biller (2016). This intriguing but not entirely successful indie film – a satire of both ‘60s B-horror and modern male/female relationships – is shot in bright, if not gaudy, primary colors on costumes and interior rooms. Elaine (Samantha Robinson) is a modern witch who just wants a traditional love match where the man is manly and she can be submissive. Even though a friend warns her that she is giving in to the male dominated patriarchy, this is what she wants. Things go wrong, though, when she plies men with her potion; instead of taking charge, they become weepy, needy, clingy pests. And then they die. “The Love Witch” is carried along on its attitude rather than a series of jokes. Unfortunately, not all the satire works. The all-nude dancing of the coven in the woods, instead of looking silly like I think the film intended, just falls flat. Even about a dozen naked people can not make it interesting. Still, for something minor and a little off-beat, you could do worse. Robinson is particularly good and sells it by playing completely straight, no winking at the camera or exaggerating for comic effect. Exteriors were shot in and around the coastal twin cities of Eureka and Acarta in northern California.