What classics did you see last week? (29 Oct to 4 Nov 2017)

Adventures Of The Flying Cadets / Lewis D. Collins & Ray Taylor (1943). This 13-chapter cliffhanger serial is very much in the vein of the chapter plays featuring the Dead End Kids (Junior G-Men Of The Air, 1942). Two of the stars are Dead End/Little Tough Guys veterans. Four former street kids had been rescued by a man who saw them educated and put through pilot’s school. Danny (Johnny Downs, Our Gang, several “college” musicals of the ‘40s) is the leader. His pals are Jinx (Bobby Jordan, Dead End and East Side Kids), Scrapper (Ward Wood, “Mannix” TV series from the ‘60s), and Zombie (Billy Benedict, The Bowery Boys). Robert Armstrong (King Kong) also stars. They must stop the plots of Nazi spies (led by Eduardo Ciannelli) while trying to prove themselves innocent of the murder of their benefactor. The real killer is a Nazi collaborator known as the Black Hangman. Thrills and chills ensue with the boys being killed (or so it seems) at the end of each chapter. This is a superior example of the genre.

Lásky Jedné Plavovlásky (The Loves Of A Blonde) / Milos Forman (1965). One of the key films of the Czech New Wave, Forman uses many of the techniques of the French New Wave going on at about the same time. The Czech New Wave, generally speaking, presented the conditions of life under Communist rule either in realistic settings or surreal ones. “The Loves Of A Blonde” is organized in three major set-pieces. First is a mixer in the town meeting hall between a military troop and the single women who work in the shoe factory. A town leader had asked the military to send some soldiers because women outnumbered men four to one, but what he got was some reservists who were middle-aged and married. The result is funny and frustrating. Second, the film focuses on Andula (Hana Brejchová) who leaves her friends who want to walk in the woods with the soldiers to join Milda (Vladimír Pucholt), the band’s piano player, in his hotel room. Their conversations before and after sex leads Andula to believe that the young man really loves her. She takes his invitation to visit him in his home town seriously. The third set-piece is Andula’s encounter with his parents, especially his motormouth mother (Milada Jezková). This leads Andula to a realization about her life. I have enjoyed and appreciated all of the New Wave films including this one but I can't say I absolutely love them. It is more like respect than love. I find that the history of this movement, the subtle rebellion of it, to be of at least as much interest as the films themselves. Here's to the Czech people.

Raffaello: Il Principe delle Arti (Raphael: The Lord Of The Arts) / Luca Viotto (2017). This full-length documentary feature, shot in advanced 3-D technology, is one that I would have loved to see in that format. Alas, I had to settle for 2-D, but this film is amazing even so. This artistic genius was very busy during his short life of 37 years. He produced a truly amazing number of masterpieces. We get to see dozens of his works close up as well as an overview of his life with some scenes reenacted. Actor Flavio Parenti plays the artist in these sections. One of the surprises for me was the story of Raphael’s competitive rivalry with Michelangelo. I think my two favorites are, first, the Madonna Of The Goldfinch. This shows Mary sitting with the toddler John the Baptist who is holding out a goldfinch to the slightly younger Christ child. Jesus is reaching out a hand to pet the bird. I like the gentle feeling you get. Next, is the Sistine Madonna which injects some rare humor into Renaissance religious painting. Everybody loves the two cherubs (probably the most famous cherubs in the world ever) at the bottom of the work. They are clearly bored out of their minds. Lovely and touching. This film is a highly recommended experience whether you are an art expert or, like me, need to know much more than you do about art history.





…A watch straight through the 10 seasons of Doctor Who: New Series in anticipation of this year’s Christmas Special which will introduce us to the 13th Doctor. First half of Season 3…

Christmas Special “The Runaway Bride” December 25, 2006.The Doctor meets Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) on her interrupted wedding day. He asks her to join him in his travels but she declines. But don’t worry, Donna joins the TARDIS crew in season 4.

“Smith And Jones” March 31, 2007. When an entire hospital in London is mysteriously transported to the moon with the Doctor inside, he is aided by an enterprising physician in training, Martha Jones (Freema Agymann, Law and Order, U.K.). With the situation solved, The Doctor agrees to take Martha on “just one trip” in time.

“The Shakespeare Code” April 7, 2007. The Doctor and Martha attend a performance of Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Globe in 1599. The author announces the finish of his new play, Love’s Labour’s Won, which The Doctor knows was lost to history. An evil family of witch-like creatures from another dimension are using Will’s “words of power” to open a portal that will release more of their kind on Earth.

“Gridlock” April 14, 2007. The Doctor takes Martha to New New York on New Earth but finds it much changed from when he was there with Rose. The now polluted city is clogged with a traffic jam that has lasted for decades.

“Daleks In Manhattan” / “Evolution Of The Daleks” April 21 & 28, 2007. It is New York City in 1930. A case of people disappearing from the Hooverville in Central Park leads the Doctor to some sinister plotting going on the almost finished Empire State Building. Andrew Garfield (Never Let Me Go, The Social Network) has a pre-movie star role in this two-parter.

"The Lazarus Experiment" May 5, 2007. The Doctor returns Martha home to her family who are attending a posh reception and revealing of the latest from Professor Lazarus – an experiment that turns horrifyingly deadly. Mark Gattis (Mycroft in "Sherlock") guest stars as Lazarus.

Tomu Uchida classic from 1959 Naniwa no koi no monogatari , Chikamatsu’s Love in Osaka AKA Their Own World. 

Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653 –1725)  is regarded as one of the the greatest Japanese dramatists. His most famous plays deal with the tragedy faced by honour bound, passionate lovers.

This excellent highly inventive filmed story is based on a play, written in 1711,  "The Courier for Hell"  it tells a tale of actual events that took place in Osaka in 1710.

Chubei is a naïve young man, he is the adopted son of a respected Osakan courier. Reluctantly  he is lead astray one evening into the local red light district by Hachi, a business associate. After much protest Chubei spends the night and fatefully falls in love with a beautiful and kindly prostitute Umegawa. Their love and affection is mutually shared, but when a rich merchant wants to buy out Umegawa's contract and marry her, Chubei becomes desperate resorting to uncharacteristic measures to thwart the merchants plans ...

In an inspired creative touch director Uchida places Chikamatsu  as a character in the midst of the evolving drama, he is played brilliantly by veteran actor Chiezô Kataoka,  Chikamatsu has a continuous presence in the background, eavesdropping on conversations with pen in hand his ears and eyes are wide open, the inspiration for his new play begins when. he overhears Hachi and Chubei planning to go to the pleasure quarters...

Stylish cinematography  highlights the sumptuous period detail, interwoven throughout traditional theatrical elements which provide a rich cultural context, outstanding  performances are a feature, an engrossing drama of exceptional quality ...   Highly Recommended

 

Yatsuhaka-mura , Village of the Eight Tombs (1977)  Yoshitarô Nomura

Contemporary murder mystery with a touch of the supernatural, flashbacks reveal a violent samurai story from the past ... Superbly crafted atmospheric epic ... Excellent

                             
                                

Duel in the Sun - I saw it over 40 years ago and recalled it as an overblown mess, but somehow enjoyable. Finding it in the library I thought it might be fun to give a second look. It turned out to be heavy going. The one thing I do like is the ending. In another movie it would have been laughable but it seemed to suit this perfectly.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

Directed by Jason Hall, U.S., (2017), 108 minutes

One of the important messages of Thank You for Your Service, first-time director Jason Hall’s perceptive drama about the physical and psychological effects of war, is that returning veterans need to be able to talk about what happened in combat and how they have been personally affected by it. Too often, however, friends or loved ones do not know how to talk to them about their experience or encourage them to talk themselves. The vets must also deal with a culture of toxic masculinity that tells them that any outward expression of emotion is a sign of weakness, forcing them to turn inward, often to irreversible consequences. Based on the book by David Finkel, a writer who was with the men in Iraq during the time they were deployed, the film stars Miles Teller (“Only the Brave”) as Adam Schumann, a returning soldier who longs for the normalcy of family life.

Also returning with him are Samoan-born Tausolo "Solo" Aeiti (Beulah Koale, “Hawaii Five-0” TV series), and Will Waller (Joe Cole, “Secret in Their Eyes”). They receive a welcome home as they step off the plane and hand their weapons to a soldier checking them in. Though the three men may be unaware at this time, some will experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) a condition that may include insomnia, nightmares, or thoughts of violence or suicide. It is an illness, as reported by a 2014 study by the Rand Corporation, in which nine percent of vets suffer from shortly after returning from deployment and by thirty one percent a year after. The study also shows that as many as fifty percent of those with PTSD do not seek treatment.

Some are luckier than others, however. Adam has the benefit of an understanding wife Saskia (Haley Bennett, “Rules Don’t Apply”) and two small children including an infant son to go home to. Solo is married to Alea (Keisha Castle-Hughes, “Game of Thrones” TV series) who is expecting their first child and hopes to re-enlist, saying that the Army saved his life. Will, however, who received multiple injuries at the front, is not as fortunate. He is engaged to be married but returns home to an empty and deserted house with his fiancée refusing to answer his phone calls. Although Solo explodes at home on one occasion and becomes involved with drug dealers, plot contrivances are kept to a minimum. The real story goes on in the minds of the soldiers - how they feel about the trauma they are continually reliving, and how they are coping with pressure to feel and act as if nothing has happened.

Adam outwardly appears to be the strongest and most stable of the three men, though he keeps his anxiety well hidden. On several occasions, he looks out for Solo`s well being ahead of his, especially when he gives Solo his place in line at the VA, and when he advises Solo to “let it go,” after his buddy tells him about a soldier that he forgot in the jeep as a result of the memory loss he suffered after an IED attack. Schumann also helps Amanda (Amy Schumer, “Snatched”), the wife of deceased soldier James Doster (Brad Beyer, “A Stand Up Guy”) to learn exactly how her husband died. Adam, however, has his own demons.

He must confront his responsibility for Doster's death and for an incident in which he carried a wounded soldier from a rooftop down three flights of stairs with his blood flowing into Adam’s mouth, only to drop him half way down causing serious injury. Fortunately, it soon becomes apparent to both men that they need treatment. Though they turn to the Department of Veterans Affairs for help, the results are not fruitful. After waiting for hours to be seen, they are sent upstairs to get an ID card but when they finally find someone to talk to, they are told that it may be six to nine months before they can see a psychiatrist or even a medical doctor. To add to the distress, Adam’s commanding officer tells him that seeking help is bad for the Army’s morale.

While Thank You for Your Service does not always have the huge emotional impact it should, it helps us to at least partially understand the trauma that many of those who have survived the war have to face. Hall resists the temptation to score political points and offers no direct criticism of the military or the War in Iraq, though the point of the film is not obscure. British poet Wilfred Owen expressed it best in his poem “Dulce et Decorum est,” written to a friend, “If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs…my friend, you would not tell with such high zest to children ardent for some desperate glory, the old lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori." (It is sweet and right to die for your country). As demonstrated in the ironically titled Thank You for Your Service, it is a lie that can turn to heartbreak, then anger, and often tragedy.

GRADE: B+

Hi all,along with having an awesome Sat night out and watching UFC 217,I've recently seen:

Slasher duo:

Black Christmas 10




Becoming Elvis's favourite horror,the level of care (un- credited) co-writer/(with Roy Moore) director Bob Clark & cinematographer Reginald H. Morris put in,allow this to remain The King of the Slasher genre. Opening in the middle of a holiday party,the screenplay by Clark and Moore impressively alters the image of the pretty young gang with impressive layers of maturity,as Jess goes to the cops to unmask the identity of the caller,and the initial sweet romance image is changed to a frank,adult discussion on abortion (with the writers breaking a big taboo at the time by letting Jess have a free-choice.) Along with the tough personal dramas they each face,the writers unwrap winning Slasher cuts,via each call building anticipation to the next appearance of the stranger, an eerie passage of time between the incredibly macabre killings,that give the final an unpredictable,nail-biting chill.

Wisely keeping the identity of the killer vague, (three people dubbed the "voice") Clark and Reginald H. Morris build on the stylisation of the Giallo, via smoothly handled,extended first- person tracking shots that slither in the background of the house,and an ending (which Clark had to fight for) which covers the winters tale in a haunted,ghostly atmosphere,of the mystery being unfinished. Backed by the spine-tingling score of Carl Zitter (who got the sound by playing the strings of his piano with forks, combs, and knives!) Clark melts the snow away with a jet-black comedic strike,as the pile of bodies look out on the Christmas scenery.

Only working for the first week of production, (with clever editing making him appear more prominent) Keir Dullea hits icy notes of doubt as Jess's boyfriend Peter,and Margot Kidder pours merry cheer as Jess's close friend Babs. Advised by a psychic to take the role (!) the elegant Olivia Hussey gives an excellent performance as Jess,thanks to Hussey bringing across Jess's thoughtful, rational solutions to closing the book on this bloody Christmas carol.

Happy Death Day 8



Setting the timer,the screenplay by X-Men Comic-Book writer Scott Lobdell spends the opening 15 minutes cheekily ribbing the clichés of the Slasher genre,via Davis being the well-meaning pretty boy,Tree being the popular,mean "it girl", and Tree's entire clique being based around showing the nerds who really is too cool for school.Catching Tree in a time loop,Lobdell gives the shiny Slash shocks sharp, underlying psychological terror, as each time she is murdered,leads to Tree getting increasingly raw fears that she will never escape the loop. Along with slicing up over a dozen, weapons- grade "Final Girl" battles, Lobdell takes an excellent stab at Horror-Comedy, that shines in each attempt Tree makes to survive the day,from Tree walking round the campus care-free and naked,to the headache Tree gets of having to re-live a deadly morning routine.

Perfectly stepping in time with Lobdell, director Christopher Landon & cinematographer Toby Oliver turn the Slasher Knife with an irresistible Pop-Rock atmosphere,of whip-pans around the campus,and neon lights over the killings that creates a party mood. Backed by a jumpy score from Bear McCreary and a great mask designed by "Ghostface" creator Tony Gardner, Landon gets into the Slasher groove with ultra-stylised tracking shots following Tree and the psycho,and overlapping slo-mo eyeing the wear and tear Tree experiences in the loop. The only one aware of what is happening, Jessica Rothe gives an excellent performance as Tree,whose sarcastic dry-wit Rothe hits with a real relish,that transforms into a tough, thoughtful confidence,as Tree wishes her killer a happy death day.

Golden Age of "Adult" cinema duo:

Janie (1970) 5

Credited to Jack Bravman,the distinctive "Roughie" elements of the flick show co-stars Michael and Roberta (who was also the cinematographer) Findlay to be the most prominent voices in the production. Mixing live audio and voice-over from Roberta, the movie continues building on the Findlay's theme of an erotic nightmare,where the hazy narration of Janie's inner feeling and free-Jazz over the rustic sex scenes cast a dream-logic mood. Climbing up the up-front Mary Jane Carpenter's legs as Janie,the screenplay by James Foley allows the Findlay to push her blunt-force murder scenes,and a creepy, dead to the world final note,as Janie gets her bit of roughie.

Teenage Twins (1976) 7



Getting to the main event within the first 5 minutes (!), directing auteur Carter Stevens & cinematographer Bruce G. Sparks set their sights at making the flick as gloriously wrong as possible, from the sleaze of the sisters sharing erotic feelings against a hard Funk score,to giving new meaning to the term "Bible bashing." Taking a whole 3 days to film,the screenplay by Richard Jaccoma sets with ease scuzz situations for the family to get close together,and includes a late supernatural turn,which leads to a fittingly odd ending. Unable to deliver their lines with any conviction, Brooke and Taylor grab the screen as Hope and Pru,by their enthusiasm in being game for anything in this sister act.

Italian Crime of '76 duo:

Live Like a Cop,Die Like a Man 10

Barely pausing to catch breath after Ray Lovelock's insanely catchy song Maggie plays over the credits, director Ruggero Deodato & cinematographer Guglielmo Mancori run in to smash and grab spectacular Italian Crime action set-pieces. Illegally filmed on the streets of Rome,Deodato gives the chase sequences a visceral atmosphere,with rapid-fire whip-pans capturing the urgency of Fred and Tony to clear the scum off the street. Living up to the macho name of the film,Deodato gives Tony and Fred's "investigating" skills an aggressive punch,where punishment is given out in ultra- stylised hits that pan across the faces of each busted criminal covered in a red glaze.

Driving spikes into the "loyal cop" of the Italian Crime genre,the screenplay by Fernando Di Leo/ Alberto Marras and Vincenzo Salviani take their tale into wonderfully quirky side-tracks,showing the closeness of Fred and Tony in threesome sex with suspects,the twisting of necks and running over of anyone who gets in their way,and the blowing up of a ship. Exaggerating the toughest aspects of the genre, the writers give each encounter with the underworld an adventure mood,where the way Fred and Tony dish out swift justice becomes increasingly over the top.

Following orders from a rumbling Adolfo Celi as the captain, Ray Lovelock and Marc Porel both give fantastic performances as Fred and Tony. Tragically dying at just 34 from meningitis after a long battle with heroin, Marc Porel gives a burst of youthful energy as Fred,whose toughness with thugs Porel matches with moments of calm in his exchanges with his best friend. Along with showing a very good singing voice,Ray Lovelock grinds a real grit into the film as the harsh,no nonsense Tony,who proves with Fred that no criminal can live like a cop,and die like a man.

The Cop in Blue Jeans 8



Roaring into life with toe-tapping theme music for Giraldi by Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis, co-writer/(with Mario Amendola) director Bruno Corbucci & cinematographer Sebastiano Celeste kick off with a thrilling blend of Italian Crime and Action Comedy,with scatter-gun tracking shots giving Giraldi motorbike chases a frantic atmosphere,and a use of multiple different types of props for the street fights giving them an Action Comedy slickness. Filming parts of it at an airport and a big football match, Corbucci gets Giraldi's blue jeans dirty via extended crane shots sweeping across the streets and catching the decay of Italian Crime that Giraldi is fighting against.

Cheekily naming Giraldi's pet rat Serpico and having posters of the film on his bedroom wall (!),the screenplay by Corbucci and Amendola thread their Italian Crime jeans with a wonderfully quirky vibe, via making Giraldi a bohemian,whose time spent on the other side of the law gives him a quick-wit to outsmart the new league of gangsters. Starting Giraldi's investigation at a petty crime level,the writers smoothly peel away at every level of the underworld, leading to Giraldi opening the purse of the top gangster in the city. Jumping with joy in his hippy clothes, Tomas Milian gives a fantastic performance as Giraldi,thanks to Milian weaving the rogue charm of the Italian Crime outlaw with an eye-catching quirky manner for the cop in blue jeans.

Other flicks/shows:

Death has Blue Eyes ('76) A craptastic 7

Shot before,but coming out after Island of Death, writer/director Nico Mastorakis scrapes off the kerb a bucket load of Grindhouse sleaze,with sexy naked ladies (and naked men) Action chase sequences shot guerrilla style and loud 70's fashion all being wonderfully rolled into an un-hinged creation. For the editing,the uncredited editor goes for the unique approach of cutting it with a rusty hacksaw,which adds to the slimy atmosphere,as delightfully poor ESP Sci-Fi and frantic action scenes are cut with an axe. Keeping in line with his directing,the wacky screenplay by Mastorakis scoops up boo-hiss bad guys,naked assassins and a peculiar mother/daughter ESP bond,as the blue eyes of death light up.

What We Do In the Shadows (2014) 9

Put together from 125 hours edited down to 90 minutes (!) the outline co-writers/co-directors/co-stars Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi works incredibly well,thanks to the (largely improvised) gags being based around the building of the friendship between all of the vampires and the fall-out from their trip to the masquerade ball. Basing each vampire off specific vamps from famous films,Clement and Waititi bring out superb character comedy in the awkward differences each vamp shares,from the classical romantic Viago,to the modern day pretty boy Nick.

Bringing the life of the vamps to a light in a Found Footage format,the directors do occasionally break the rule of the genre with unnatural camera positions,but make up for it by the dashing tracking shots stabbing the flick with an urgency of each punch-line being caught in the moment. Keeping the budget low,Clement and Waititi cleverly use CGI effects sparingly in order to sink their fangs into the relationships,with smoothly handled CGI transformations matching the transformations taking place within the gang. Entering as outsiders, Stu Rutherford (who was originally hired to work on the CGI!) and Cori Gonzalez-Macuer give great dead- pan performances as Stu and Nick,whilst Waititi and Vladislav hilariously layer on the Gothic flamboyance as Vladislav and Viago,who get lost in the shadows.

Intouchables (2011) 9

Looking like they have been friends for years, François Cluzet and Omar Sy give utterly superb performances as Philippe and Driss. Appearing in almost every scene together, Sy and Cluzet make the fast bond the appears between them to feel completely natural,with the comedic playful side Sy brings out of the worn-down Driss, perfectly complimenting Cluzet bringing Philippe out of his self- imposed shell.

Placing Driss and Philippe on different sides of the wealth/class divide,the screenplay by co-writers/co-directors Olivier Nakache & Eric Toledano unearth the common ground that binds them, as the delicate brush strokes used in Driss getting Philippe to look for love with a new optimism,are used in Philippe guiding Driss to express himself in art. Closing with footage of the real Driss and Philippe,the co-directors and cinematographer Mathieu Vadepied draw their friendship with excellent close-ups that focus on the changes they bring out in each other,as Philippe and Driss become the intouchables.