The Cinemark Theatre chain is running a Classic Film Series this summer. One of the films in the series is the Alfred Hitchcock classic North By Northwest(from 1959)
The film stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason (as a bad guy). With a little Hollywood magic (and Grant’s ever-youthful appearance), Grant’s mother is played by Jessie Royce Landis, who is actually only 7 years older than Grant.
You’ll have to be quick to catch Hitchcock’s cameo in this one … it occurs during the opening credits at a bus stop. You might also notice Edward Platt, who went on to TV fame as The Chief in “Get Smart“. This was Hitchcock’s only movie for MGM. The famous scenes taking place on Mt. Rushmore are actually filmed on a replica of the national monument.
Highly recommend catching this one on the big screen if you can … both the crop duster chase scene and Mt Rushmore sequence are worth the price of admission.
Greetings again from the darkness. Based on the novel by Jo Nesbo, this one quickly sets up the main character Roger Brown as someone we neither trust nor necessarily even like. He is a smooth talking recruiter who also steals valuable artwork to (barely) support his luxurious lifestyle, which includes a near-super model girlfriend and modern mansion. That we remain interested in Roger for 2 hours speaks to the strength and creativity of the story.
The film is based in Norway and director Morten Tyldum seems to have a very wicked sense of humor as he really puts Roger (Aksel Hennie) through some things not even found in the worst fraternity or military hazing. While it can be classified as a very taut thriller, it is also a demented ride that would make the Coen Brothers proud. As a matter of fact, it would surprise me if this one doesn’t get a U.S. remake very soon. The story and characters lend themselves very well to a star vehicle.
However, I don’t wish to sell this version short. It is well done and entertaining in a devilish way. When Roger meets Clas Greve (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau), the real fun begins. Many will recognize Coaster-Waldau from “Game of Thrones” and he proves to be a terrific adversary for Roger. Neither are what they seem, and both seem quite pleasant to everyone else. Roger’s girlfriend Diana is played by the beautiful Synnove Macody Lund, and even she brings a nice element of doubt to the story. There is also a nice supporting turn from Julie Olgaard as Lotte.
The tone and twists remind me a bit of the Coen Brothers classic Blood Simple, but this one is even a bit more outrageous as things spin out of control for the characters. Much of the film is a spent in chase mode and that leads to some drama, thrills and chuckles. That’s a pretty nice compliment for any movie.
Greetings again from the darkness. What a treat to see this one on the big screen, some 56 years after its release. This is famed director Stanley Kubrick‘s first real feature-length film and is a quasi-film noir near the end of that genre’s run. You undoubtedly know Kubrick’s more famous work on 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining, among others. His amazing eye with the camera is on full display here, but this provides quite a different look from his later works.
Sterling Hayden stars as Johnny, the leader of a gang who plans to rob a racetrack of 2 million dollars. At its core, this is a traditional heist film, but it is presented in anything but a traditional manner. The non-linear timeline and constant flashbacks and flash-forwards influenced many future filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan. For the era, this was incredibly unique and a bit experimental. In fact, the studio forced Kubrick to add the narrator post-production to make it easier for the viewer to follow. The narrator is Art Gilmore, a prolific voice actor, who was heard in numerous movies, TV shows and previews.
Support work is provided by many familiar character actors that we all recognize. Elisha Cook is best known for his work in The Maltese Falconand Vince Edwards gained fame as TV’s “Ben Casey”. There are two actresses of note here. Marie Windsor plays the scheming, double-crossing wife/girlfriend whom Hayden’s character claims has a dollar sign right where her heart should be. Ms. Windsor also appeared in Swamp Women, director Roger Corman‘s directorial debut. Coleen Gray plays Hayden’s loyal girlfriend. Ms. Gray had a long, prolific career as an actress, but never achieved the stardom that many predicted.
As viewers, we are included in most of the strategy involved in the heist and recognize many of the details as they occur. One of the more fascinating scenes is a bar fight featuring Kola Kwariani. This is a very unusually staged fight and is actually quite humorous today, with a touch of The Three Stooges. This was Mr. Kwariani’s only film appearance and it’s quite memorable for a professional wrestler! Another sequence that really stands out features Timothy Carey as a sharpshooter. His speech pattern is a bit bizarre, but we never doubt his commitment to the cause. Carey’s character has a very daring exchange with a race track security guard that is even uncomfortable so many years later.
Kubrick was groomed as a still photographer and his expert eye is obvious in each of his films. His approach to filming the horse racing scenes is spectacular, and stands in contrast to his love of stressed faces in close-ups. Supposedly Rodney Dangerfield appears as an extra during the bar fight, but I missed him. Probably need the DVD for that! This one is certainly worth checking out for a glimpse into early Kubrick and the screen magnetism of Sterling Hayden … who 16 years later (as Sgt McClusky) would break the jaw of Michael Corleone with a single punch, and later be the victim of one of Hollywood’s all-time mob hit scenes in Louis restaurant.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are interested in what early Kubrick looks like compared to his later hits OR you want to see Sterling Hayden in prime form
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: the gangster and heist films of the 40’s and 50’s aren’t to your taste
Greetings again from the darkness. This one showed up near the finish line of the classic Film Noir era, and has some features that make it stand out: unusual female characters, a quasi-parody feel, and a twisty ending unlike others from the genre. Based loosely on the Mickey Spillane pulp novel, the screenplay comes from A.I. Bezzerides, who is best known as the creator of the TV series “The Big Valley”. The biggest impact comes from director Robert Aldrich.
Aldrich (pictured below) is a bit under-appreciated in Hollywood history having also directed Whatever Happened to Baby Jane; Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte; The Dirty Dozen; and The Longest Yard (the good one). Here he turns up the intensity on the Private Investigator story by having Mike Hammer (a terrific Ralph Meeker) be quite a bit more forceful and aggressive than Marlowe, Spade and the other famous movie PI’s.
The film starts quite abruptly with one of the more fascinating beginnings in all of cinema. A panicky woman is running barefoot down a highway at night, wearing nothing but a bathrobe. That woman is Cloris Leachman (her screen debut) and she nearly causes Hammer to wreck his pristine Jaguar. Their relationship doesn’t end well, but it leads to a very unique torture scene that is almost entirely out the viewer’s sight line. Still, we quickly realize Hammer is in some deep trouble and he’s not the kind to let it be.
Two other very interesting female characters are part of the story: Gaby Rodgers plays Lily Carver as a conniving trickster, and Maxine Cooper (pictured below with Meeker) is outstanding as Velda, Hammer’s trusty assistant and maybe more. Ms. Rodgers and Ms. Cooper have other common ground. They soon disappeared from Hollywood films as both married powerful men in the business. Rodgers married the famous songwriter Jerry Lieber, who wrote many Elvis Presley hits. and Cooper married an Oscar nominated writer, Sy Gomberg.
The cast features many prominent and recognizable actors of the time including Albert Dekker, Paul Stewart, Wesley Addy, Nick Dennis, Jack Elam, and Jack Lambert. There is also a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid connection. Strother Martin has a brief scene as does Percy Helton (as the Medical Examiner). In the Butch Cassidy movie, Martin is the colorful Bolivian payroll supervisor who hires the boys, and Helton is “Sweetface” who gives away their hiding place. Another note on Helton: he had one of the longest acting careers in history 1915-1978 (which was 7 years after his death).
If you love films from the 40’s and 50’s, then this is a must see. It certainly has a place in Film Noir lore (say that three times quickly), and also has numerous other points of interest. Keep in mind that it was filmed at the height of the Atomic Bomb era … when scare tactics were the norm.
Greetings again from the darkness. The action-thriller-spy genre can be quite fun when handled properly. The “Bourne” franchise and Salt come immediately to mind. What we have here is a ho-hum game of cat and mouse between CIA Agents elevated somewhat because they are played by Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds. It’s ho-hum because of the simplistic and predictable script from writer David Guggenheim.
To offset this formulaic script, director Daniel Espinosa leans heavily on near non-stop, frenzied action sequences. Luckily he has DP Oliver Wood (first two Bourne movies) to bring intensity and variety to the action. Denzel plays the veteran rogue agent who turns himself in to a U.S. Consulate after a decade off the grid. We learn he is a U.S. traitor of the worst degree. Reynolds plays a rookie agent on asignment to a going-nowhere “safe house” in South Africa. To say the action is lacking on his assignment is a bit of an understatement. That is, until Denzel is transferred to his site.
We learn a few things in this movie. First, “Safe house” is evidently CIA verbiage for “all hell breaks loose” in the form of massive gunfire and violent deception. Second, if you are an agent in charge of escorting one of the world’s most dangerous men, you would prefer your bosses not send the two of you into a crowded soccer stadium to pick up a GPS device. Things are likely to go wrong. Third, it’s not wise to walk in on Denzel when he is in a bathroom stall. Fourth, if you are Ryan Reynolds, your on screen girlfriends can be as beautiful as your real life girlfriends, and no one raises an eyebrow.
The film does remind us that it’s always cool to see Sam Shepard and Ruben Blades. Where have you been hiding Mr. Blades (pictured)? The rest of the strong cast includes Brendon Gleeson and Vera Farmiga as dueling Langley operatives, Liam Cunningham as a (surprise!) bad guy, Robert Patrick and Joel Kinnaman (from “The Killing“) as agents, and Nora Arnezeder as Reynolds’ hottie.
Being a fan of this genre, it is quite disappointing to see such an obvious and basic story … even though it has the right look and feel, and a nice match-up of stars. The overload of car crashes, gunfire, and hand to hand combat doesn’t offset the fact that everyone knows early on how this is going to end, and we suffer through quick teases of intrigue regarding the two leads. So even though Denzel makes an enjoyable good guy turned bad, and Reynolds shows he is way above the idiotic Green Lantern, this one just doesn’t offer much more than your average video game.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you have a hole that can only be filled with excessive noise, gun fire, car wrecks, blood and frenetic fight scenes.
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are looking for something new in the spy thriller genre
Greetings again from the darkness. This is certainly not the typical lame, formulaic action movie that we have come to expect most every January. Director Joe Carnahan teamed with Ian MacKenzie Jeffers to write a strong script based on Jeffers’ original short story. With a touch of spirituality mixed with an excruciatingly intense story of survival, this film is more of an emotional experience than one might expect based on the trailer. It’s not just Man vs Nature. It’s also Man vs. Himself.
The film opens as Ottway (Liam Neeson) is composing a letter (and narrating) to his beloved wife (Anne Openshaw). At first we aren’t sure of their story, only that this was a painful loss for him and he is washing away his sins with an apparent final letter. We later learn more through flashbacks as she is the “happy place” into which he retreats in moments of stress … and there is certainly no shortage of those! We also learn that Ottway is a hired sharpshooter to protect the roughnecks on assignment in the Alaska oilfields. We see him in action as he quickly and precisely nails a charging wolf.
After the first spiritual interruption at a key moment for Ottway, we next see him and a group of the workers boarding a plane to escape the storm. The plane crashes, killing most onboard and stranding the small group of survivors in a barren, frozen wasteland of Alaskan wilderness. If only that were their biggest problem. As if no food or water, and sub-freezing temperatures during a blizzard weren’t quite challenging enough, they are being systematically hunted by a pack of ferocious wolves. Ottway’s experience and personality lead him to the position of group leader as they look for a way out.
There have been many fine survival movies including The Edge (Alec Baldwin, Anthony Hopkins), Deliverance, and The Thing. We even get a wise-crack about the movie Alive, where the plane crash survivors stooped to cannibalism. While I am a fan of all of those movies, none are as full of tension and intensity as this one is, from beginning to end. What really sets this one apart from many is not the action scenes, but the character development. We actually see the character of these men evolve as their plight worsens. Watch for the similarities between man and beast as Diaz (Frank Grillo) challenges Ottway. Also observe Ottway’s transformation as he goes all out to fight for life.
The other supporting cast members include Dallas Roberts and Dermot Mulroney, but the strength of this movie stems from the script and the casting of Liam Neeson. Supposedly Bradley Cooper was originally cast, and later replaced by Mr. Neeson. It’s probably safe to say that my comments would not be as favorable if that change had not occurred. Kudos to director Carnahan who gave us another very intense film called Narc. Since then, he has only delivered shallow works like The A-Team and Smokin’ Aces. Here he pays so much attention to detail … like a wolf paw print in the snow as it slowly fills with blood. Don’t be scared away thinking this is just another macho action film. It is much more and, at times, even a very quiet and deep piece of filmmaking … that will leave you exhausted!
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are up for an intense story of survival that shows how hard some will fight to keep on living.
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are a member of one of the protesting groups who believe the film portrays wolves in an unfair manner. If that’s you, I recommend Never Cry Wolf instead (very good movie that shows wolves in a more positive light)
Greetings again from the darkness. Caught an early screening of this one and my quick description is that it’s a mash-up of The Bourne Identity, Salt, and the original “Mod Squad” (it has a kind of retro feel). In other words, it’s a fun ride featuring stunning fight scenes filmed with an artistry that only director Steven Soderbergh can achieve.
Newcomer Gina Carano stars as Mallory Kane, an independent contractor … the type who handles dirty work for governments and the powerful people who must keep their hands somewhat clean. She gets double-crossed on a Barcelona job and becomes the target herself while in Dublin. So this lethal weapon goes on a globe-trotting mission of revenge and messes up people and hotel rooms in the process. If you think a woman can’t carry action scenes, then you don’t realize Ms. Carano is an MMA fighter. She is the real deal. Her physical skills are on full display and leave little doubt as to her deadly talent.
Since this is a Soderbergh film, you know the cast is well-stocked. We get Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas and Ewan McGregor all at their smarmy best. Additionally we see Michael Fassbender, Channing Tatum and Bill Paxton (as Mallory’s father). Trust me when I say not all of these character fare so well in their showdowns with Mallory. Though the script from Lem Dobbs is pretty basic, Soderbergh’s way of telling the story is compelling enough to keep us interested between Carano’s fights.
The color palette alternates between the brown/gold Soderbergh used for Traffic, and the blue/gray from his “Ocean’s” franchise. The jazzy score from David Holmes is a wonderful compliment to the wide variety of scenes and locations, and the tongue-in-cheek humor is expert enough to keep you smiling through the all too serious business chats. A perfect example of the wry humor is that the movie begins and ends with the same one syllable word (begins with an “S”).
Soderbergh is one of the few directors who refuses to get pigeon-holed into making a certain type of movie. Never short on style or visual flair, he touches many genres and here proves he can twist the action-thriller in a new, fun to watch direction. If you kick back and go for the ride, Haywire will show you a great time.
a note of trivia:Gina Carano is the daughter of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Glenn Carano
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are a fan of Salt and the “Bourne” movies OR you want to see a woman totally capable of kicking ass
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you are going to take it too seriously and expect a dose of heavy-handed Soderbergh filmmaking (he seems to actually have fun with this one)
Greetings again from the darkness. Thanks to The Dallas Film Society and movie critic Chris Vognar, we were lucky enough to watch this on the big screen from a 35mm print! If you enjoy the pulp thrillers from the 1950’s, this is one you must track down. For a little 80 minute B-movie, it packs a wallup for interesting discussion points.
Directed by Samuel Fuller (The Big Red One,1980), we get a real taste of his “man’s man” approach. Not only was Fuller a well-known war correspondent, he also served in WWII, including Omaha Beach on D-Day. This movie provided him with a stellar cast: Richard Widmark as Skip, Jean Peters as Candy, Thelma Ritter as Moe, and Richard Kiley as Joey. It is a story of the times and begins when a small-time pickpocket Skip, works his magic fingers on Candy’s purse while they are facing each other on the subway.
The real fun begins as we watch the police, the feds and the communists all trying to hunt down Skip. The reason? He unknowingly stole top secret US information that was being passed to the commies. This film noir has some really tough elements. Heck, Skip even punches Candy right in the jaw! The lighting, score and fight scenes are all no-nonsense and direct. It’s really fun to watch the eye movements of the key players. It’s obvious none of the characters are comfortable in the situation, no matter how smooth they try to be.
The great Thelma Ritter runs off with each of her scenes. She plays Moe, the local stool pigeon who plays everyone for a buck. Ms. Ritter was nominated for an Oscar for her role (one of four in a row for her), but it was another in her long line of 6 nominations and no wins. This may be her best work. Another of my all time favorite character actors makes a brief appearance as one of the commies: Willis Bouchey. And don’t miss Milburn Stone as a detective. Mr. Stone would go on to star as Doc on “Gunsmoke” for twenty years.
The film features some terrific lines. One of my favorites is “Everybody likes everybody when they’re kissing.” Another is “I would rather have a live pickpocket than a dead traitor.” Fun stuff. Should also mention that Jean Peters (pictured in a scene from this movie) went on to become the wife of Howard Hughes and her acting days abruptly ended. After their divorce, she made a couple of TV appearances, but was unable to recapture the magic of these early years. Should also note that this film was re-made (weakly) in 1969 as The Cape Town Affair.
*note – I couldn’t find the original trailer or a clip that didn’t give away the ending.
Greetings again from the darkness. This one delivers everything we have come to expect from a Jason Statham movie … plenty of action, fight scenes, gun play, and a man wronged by the system and on a mission for vengeance. It is a remake of the 1972 film starring Charles Bronson and Jan Michael Vincent, and written by Lewis John Carlino.
As in the original, a master hit-man (Statham) takes an apprentice under his wing. Here, it’s played by Ben Foster, who was so good in 3:10 to Yuma. Foster brings energy and intensity to his role, and a playfulness that Statham’s character doesn’t always appreciate. The two have pretty good chemistry, but face it, the only real reason to watch this movie is for action scenes and violence.
Donald Sutherland has a fairly brief role as Statham’s mentor and the film definitely misses him once he’s gone. The bad guy is played by Tony Goldwyn, who just doesn’t have the screen presence to play a big time baddie. Goldwyn is an excellent TV director and seems much better suited behind the camera. He has been typecast as the bad guy ever since Ghost and his presence often evokes groans from the audience.
The director is Simon West. His best film is from 1997 … Con Air. No surprises in this one, which is fine. With Statham movies … we want what we expect. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.
Greetings again from the darkness. Not that I am hoping for marital strife, but I like it when Steven Spielberg wants to get out of the house, especially when he joins forces with Peter Jackson (serving here as Producer). This year he has delivered awards contender War Horse and this crowd pleasing motion-capture animation film (also) for the whole family. If you are unfamiliar with Tintin, it is a long-running, extremely popular European comic series by Herge’, who passed away in 1983. This is Planes, Trains and Automobiles … plus Ships, Rowboats, Motorcycles, Zip lines and just about every other form of transportation that comes to mind.
Tintin (voiced by Jamie Bell) is an investigative newspaper reporter who looks 14, but clearly isn’t. He lives on his own, travels the world and is treated as an adult by those with whom he crosses paths. There is an early scene where Tintin is sitting for a local artist and the resulting portrait is an exact replica of his simple look in the comic series. Tintin has a trusty sidekick … his genius little dog, Snowy. Together they go on adventures that Indiana Jones can only dream about! This particular story focuses on the hunt for the lost Haddock family treasure. Tintin literally stumbles into the drunken sea Captain Haddock (Andy Serkis) who is more concerned with his next swig of whiskey than the the fact that he has been kidnapped by the bad guy Rackham/Sakharine (Daniel Craig). This bad guy has unlocked the mystery location of all the clues to the lost treasure and needs Captain Haddock for the final step. Unfortunately for him, Tintin and Snowy get in the way and try their darndest to stop him.
The action sequences are amongst the most exciting and thrill-packed that you will ever see. They look like “Jonny Quest” on steroids. The story is quite convoluted and complicated, and small kids will be totally lost on exactly WHY the characters do what they do. But it won’t much matter, because the visuals of each scene are captivating. There are even a couple of Interpol agents on the trail … Thompson and Thomson (voiced by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, respectively). Expect many site gags tossed in to offset the breakneck pace of the globe-trotting adventures.
Spielberg has always done nice work when he can go after a kid’s imagination – even big kids like me. The look of this movie is pretty amazing, especially when compared to 2004’s The Polar Express. If you doubt how far technology has come, look at these two side by side. Many of the characters here are as close to lifelike as we have seen – check out the skin and facial contours of Captain Haddock and Sackharine. Wow. Herge’ creation is given script work here by Steven Moffatt, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish. The great John Williams provides the score. This is one you can bring the kids to and all will enjoy.
SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you are fan of animated family fun with loads of action OR you just want to see how far motion-capture technology has come
SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: to you, Indiana Jones is the be all and end all of action heroes in the movies OR you refuse to get props to anything with French origins
The Cinemark Theatre chain is running a Classic Film Series this summer. One of the films in the series is the Alfred Hitchcock classic North By Northwest (from 1959)
Posted by David Ferguson 
Movie Reviews from the Dark 