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Reviews
Wait Until Dark (1967)
turn off the lights and watch it tonight
This is one of the greatest thrillers and movies of all time, plus it shows the acting and directing ranges of all the people who participated in making it. Terrence young-who was better known fro directing two James Bond films-and the cast, who are better known for being in romantic comedies, show they can also perform a straight thriller.
The plot is simple: would-be heroin dealers harass a blind woman looking for a heroin filled doll in her apartment while the husband is away. Hepburn isn't a hot teenage bimbo, naive housewive, or other such annoying character we would all care less about being done away with (as is the theme in a lot of the annoying thrillers of today). She's a happily married woman-not fiercely independent nor overly reliable on her husband (unlike most horror lambs for slaughter)-who is trying to cope with her recent loss of sight, which more or less forces her to trust other people. The antagonists aren't the one-dimensional slashers of today and show they can be creeps and jerks without also having to be perves (another setback of contemporary youth-obsessed Hollywood) and one of them (Crenna) is sypathetic from time to time.
Young's direction and Manicini's score heighten the suspense emphasizing the cold, darkness, isolation, and claustorphobia Suzy (Audrey) feels in her predicament. And the writing is also superb as every thing we deem insignificant-there's no back door, the neighbor left for the weekend, Sam telling Suzy to figure out for herself how to use the refrigarator-comes back to haunt us.
This movie will stick with you, the climax most of all.
The Deer Hunter (1978)
best Vietnam film to date
It's not the greatest film of all time, maybe not even the 113th greatest film of all time, but it is the best movie made of the effects of the Vietnam War on average individuals to date. While most Vietnam movies dwell on the absurdness of war and continue to trot out the fact that most, if not all, Vietnam veterans are ticking time bombs ready to explode, director Cimino chose instead to concentrate on the development of three characters (De Niro, Walken, and Savage) before, during, and after the war.
Before: If I got the plot right, I think one of the characters from the Pennsylvania town the movie is set in got drafted. His friends felt bad from him and so a few them decided to enlist, but only two qualified for the army (except the character played by Cazale--in his final role--who is too absorbed in himself to want to go to Vietnam.) In case something does happen in Vietnam, the characters partake in some of life pleasures before they go. The opening hour of the movie consists of Steve's (Savage) wedding and Cimino beautifully shows the traditions of a small Russian community, without making them seem strange to an average viewer (the only other movies with small town traditions seem to be those lame "the town is actually cult" films.) After the wedding all the friends go hunting deer for one last time before the three main characters go off to Vietnam. Everybody has a good time, and they all avoid hurting each others feelings and only playfully tease each other. Mike, Steve, and Nick all think Vietnam will be sort of an exotic "hunt."
During: Mike becomes a killing machine who is just focused on destroying the Viet Cong (or anyone Vietmenese who happens to be in the area.) He doesn't even stop to talk to Steve and Nick in a chance encounter, and when the three end up as POWs he gets upset at Steve reluctance to play Russian Roulete when they are paired against each other. He does have good intentions though and manages to comfort his two friends and orchestrate a breakout from the abysaml prison camp. (Note: there are no documented records of Russian Roulete actually taking place in Vietnam). During the escape everyone gets seperated, Steve becomes paralyzed and Nick (Walken in his Oscar winning role) makes his way through the diplomatic and physical horrors of Vietnam before stumbling into organized Russian Roullette.
After: Mike is the only one who returns home, and everyone treats him as a John Wayne-ish war hero. However, Mike is ashamed that he shot innocent civilians and let military matters interfere with his friendships. He tries to take advantage of Nick's abscence by courting his girlfriend (Streep) but just ends up feeling guilty. He goes hunting with his homelocked buddies but can't bring himself to shoot deer anymore. He wants people to stop congratualting him for his patriotism. Eventually Mike tries to get Steve and Nick back in hopes that he can carry on before like nothing ever happened, but each one doesn't want to leave his own post-war world.
The "God Bless America" ending is kind of disappointing, but the movie is well worth the 3 1/2 spend.
The Manhattan Project (1986)
at least the ending was suspenseful
Another entry in the extraordinarily-intelligent yet naive teenager nearly starts a nuclear war/disaster flicks of the early through mid-1980s.
It's hard to believe that two people would be guarding a nuclear facility and would be outsmarted by someone they are twice or thrice as old as. It's even more unbelievable that the twenty-something playing teenager would be able to steal highly unstable plutonium and not disease himself or others while it was in his possession. Unbelievabler still is the notion that a bunch of introverts at the science fair would save him and the bomb from the government, "in the name of science" (the plot may have been more interesting if they stole the bomb and used to promote their own agenda.)
However, those who choose to watch this movie will be well rewarded with great acting(seldom seen in many of the actors later works) and suspense in the last half-hour or so when the unplanned consequences come to a head.
The Godfather (1972)
the best
This is without a doubt the best film ever made (at least that I have seen) not only because all of the graphic violence in it is used sparingly yet compels because it is edited to be kept realistic, but also because not a single scene is dumb or pointless.
The Graduate (1967)
One of the best and funniest
Granted there weren't any big ambitions for this film when it came out so you'll often see the scars of a low budget, various scences rushed due to time constraints, and the plot will often seem illogical and hurried. Nonetheless, this is one of the best and funniest movies I've seen.
Unlike should-be flop "Virginia Woolfe" every character puts effort into his or her role and literally becomes their assigned character (so much so it's easy to forget Hoffman is 30 an Bancroft is only 35.) What makes this feature of the cast more compelling is that it is made up almost entirely of second-choices. What the cast gives in acting, Nichols doubles in directing, catching the emotions of every seen from Ben's timidness and confusion on the first night of his affiar to the chaos that ensues when Elaine's wedding is hilariously interupted in a completely anti-Christian way.
It is best to watch this movie while your young as Ben will seem to alienate himself from you farther. It's often not on TV, so check it out from the video store some weekend.
The Naked Prey (1965)
They don't make them like they used to
You will not see a movie like this anytime soon. First of all the African-American community and Africans themselves, along with their allies and others, would protest a "racist movie about ten black guys trying to kill one white guy." Even if political correctness were cast aside I'm sure corporate interests would soon take over and in the end we'd have a watered-down overdramatic film about some guy in his early twenties who remains remarkably good-looking and healthy and has harmony with wildlife second only to Adam in the Garden of Eden as he trots through a computerized Africa while being pursued by uninteresting and unambitious peoples wielding shotguns, most likely led by some poacher, ivory dealer, or other inherently evil person who is also Caucasian-all progressing at a snail's pace thanks to voice-overs and the main character talking to himself while doing things that let his pursuers catch up with him that we would consider unbelievably stupid.
Lamentations about the current state of movies aside, "The Naked Prey" is a great, fast-paced film that is certainly not for children. Although racism is evident, it is generally underplayed in this story about a nameless safari member (Wilde) who gets the more "pleasent" fate of being hunted by ten warriors after the expedition falls into the hands of savages and everyone else meets more gruesome (and surprisingly graphic) ends. Will he escape or will the relentless warriors who are constantly an arrow-shot away catch up??
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (1998)
Who needs sitcoms?
This show (both versions) and "The Daily Show" are, in my opinion, the smartest and funniest things on television now, and with reality series run amuck and more dumbed-down sitcoms scheduled for the future, likely to be the only good things on corporate television for years to come.
Both the American and British shows scratch the idea of using those annoying laugh-tracks (often sounding like they were recorded at a roller derby) to dictate what is funny and rely on the audience to use their imaginations rather than waste money on numerous sets. What really keeps the shows together though is the great acting by all the performers. When a lot of people see improvisation they think "All that guy did was make a fool of himself for half an hour, I could do that," not realizing that improv comedy requires keeping things consistent and supporting other actors while being spontaneous and trusting other people unknown outside of work, all done because of enjoyment. In stark contrast, people who work on sitcoms generally seem to be egotistical and want a million dollars and counting per episode, all for reading something that someone else wrote that would be deemed funny by artificial laughter later.
Like the British show, the American version of "Whose Line" slowly got its act together. Forgiving his butchering of earlier episodes and lackluster improv skills, Drew Carey is a fairly decent host and most of the cross promotions of his other show stopped (Clive Anderson was better, though, because he stayed behind the desk the whole time and all of his other shows only have vague references). The only problems with the show now are censorship (not a dominant feature of European television) causing a vast reduction in more off-color jokes with ABC either unwilling or unable to move the show to a later time, and the rotation of actors being not as great, or evident, as it was in the British versions. These observations aside, "Whose Line" remains a very original and truly funny show. I am sure it will gain more fans as most of the rest of television appears ready to collapse and be on for years to come with its regulars, bright new faces, and (who knows?) perhaps some familiar faces recognizable to fans of the original show.
The Daily Show (1996)
One of the best and funniest shows on television
Granted some episodes are ruined by a barrage of unfunny quips and guest interviews that go nowhere fast, but this is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen.
Jon Stewart's quick wit with the guests and his ability to play straight-man with the other hilarious comedians-correspondents on the show such as Stephen Colbert, Steve Correl, and Vance DeGeneres, among others, deem him a worthy host. Unlike other late night hosts, Stewart doesn't even waste time trying to convince the audience bad jokes were funny and can make cracks about his lines gone awry.
What I really like about the show is that it esteems its satirical traits above its talk show format. From Stewart's explaining what a politician's quote really means and Mo Racca's screwball analysis charts to John I. Bloom's attacks on televangalism, Frank Decaro's erotic-overtoned critiques of movies, and the showcase of Public Excess, "The Daily Show" captures the sheer shallowness of today's politics and mass media.
If you have cable, forget your local news and watch it on Comedy Central tonight.
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
surprisingly good film
I am not big fan of farces nor do I like Marilyn Monroe that much because of her lack of variability, but I must say I enjoyed this film.
Billy Wilder's direction is superb, especially when you consider that most of the film takes place only in the married man's (I forget his name) apartment. Ewell does a wonderful job of straight-playing a man who lets his fantasies get the best of him. Monroe, as usual, plays a ditz but also plays her role straight, showing she puts more effort into her character here than in other movies. Even the supporting actors, who are for the most part scenery fillers, get passionate in their roles and can say something either witty or dumb without giving the impression they are trying to be funny.
Rent it if you enjoy farce, or catch it on cable some night.
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
One of stupidest films I ever saw.
This movie is one of the stupidest films I ever saw. I don't know why it gets praised by critics a lot. Maybe because there are signs of the good director that Mike Nicols would become. However, this is the only good thing about it.
The plot about sober people getting drunk and drunk people getting drunker (and not passing out) is poorly written and the actors don't put any effort into the film at all, resulting in a product of "ha ha we're funny because we're drunk" laughs and "we said a four-letter word because we're drunk" shocks that somehow won a bunch of awards it did not deserve.
A lot of four letter words were used for the first times ever in this film, and those same words describe it. Don't bother.