Now Very Bad…

Author: mfordfeeney

  • Erik the Viking (1989)

    Erik the Viking (1989)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Erik the Viking (1989)

    Terry Jones writes, directs & acts in one of the great non-Python comedies with Python sensibilities. Ensemble cast great; timeless classic.

    Erik The Viking

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of Erik the Viking:

    It is the lot in life of former Monty Python members to have their works constantly compared to Python. This is not always a curse.

    Erik The Viking

    Terry Jones has produced some of the finest comedic work of his generation. (As well as some great non-fiction stuff; check out his BBC documentaries about the Crusades and medieval times.) Erik was his first non-Python directing job and his second non-Python screenplay (he also wrote the Jim Henson directed Labyrinth).

    Erik The Viking

    Erik the Viking follows along the same lines Jones explored in Holy Grail & Life of Brian, and it certainly is right in his wheelhouse, focusing on ancient myths and legends seen with his Welsh humor.

    Erik The Viking

    The titular hero, played by Tim Robbins (who was right in the midst of a fantastic string of comedies), is weary of the violence and cruelty of the Age of Ragnarök. He is filled with guilt over his accidental killing of a woman who had made him question the Viking rape, murder & pillage ways, and begins a quest to cross the Rainbow Bridge into Asgard and petition the gods to chase Fenrir the Wolf from the sky and release the sun. (I really didn’t need to explain the plot that fully, but I just love writing this stuff down. Fenrir! Asgard! Ragnarök!)

    Erik The Viking

    Accompanied by heroes like Thorfinn Skullsplitter, Ivar the Boneless, and Leif the Lucky, his quest is threatened by Loki and Halfdan the Black. (See what I mean? I just love this stuff!)

    Erik The Viking

    Some of the other character names:

    • Thorhild the Sarcastic
    • Ulf the Unmemorable
    • Thorkatla the Indiscreet
    • Unn-the-Thrown-At

    Erik The Viking

    If you’re getting the sense that this is all not taken very seriously, you’re spot on. Nor should it be. That’s not to say that there aren’t great cinematic scenes or that the story isn’t well-conceived with wonderful human moments, just that Jones knows his job well.

    Erik The Viking

    Tim Robbins has a standout performance as Erik. Sure, he’d soon go on to be a successful leading man in serious films, but remember that his early work was almost exclusively comedy and he is a fantastic comedic actor. Occasionally he remembers that and takes a comedic role and we are always better for it. Nicolas Cage & Tom Hulce were also approached about playing Erik, and either would have probably been great, but Robbins really makes it his role.

    Erik The Viking

    The acting of the ensemble cast is top shelf. John Cleese stepped in for Jack Lemmon (still can’t quite see that) and brings his usual John Cleese goodness. Mickey Rooney has a small role and Eartha Kitt (!) dazzles as Freya (“The Lady”). The rest of the cast is largely English character actors who are proof that stardom is often the least important component in good casting.

    Erik The Viking

    I got to know this movie through countless viewings on VHS. The film has an interesting release history; in theaters it was 107 minutes but Jones cut it down to 89 minutes for video because he thought it was too slow. Then he had his son edit it again for DVD and they tightened it to 75 minutes. Possibly the only time a director has willingly cut 30 minutes of his own footage.

    Erik The Viking

    Erik the Viking is second only to A Fish Called Wanda as the greatest post-Python comedies made by former Pythons. It should sit on your shelf right next to Life of Brian & Holy Grail.

    Erik The Viking

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    No, of course not; it’s about vikings…

    The Representation Test Score: D (3 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

    Main Cast Tim Robbins Erik, John Cleese Halfdan the Black, Mickey Rooney Erik’s Grandfather, Eartha Kitt Freya
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Fri 22 Sep 1989 UTC
    Director Terry Jones
    Genres Comedy, Adventure, Fantasy
    Plot Erik the Viking and his men travel across the sea to find Valhalla to ask the gods to end the Age of Ragnarok.
    Poster Erik the Viking
    Runtime 107
    Tagline Be there… or beheaded!
    Writers Terry Jones (written by)
    Year 1989
  • Rear Window (1954)

    Rear Window (1954)

    #140RVW

    Hitch’s 2nd best film is a master class in slowly building dramatic tension by letting the audience discover clues as the protagonist does.

    Rear Window

    What’s more:

    I got the unexpected opportunity to see Rear Window on the big screen this week. While I’ve seen it a number of times, I had never seen it like this. No matter how great our at home systems get, there is nothing like seeing movies projected against a huge screen. Even if I one day get to build my ideal home theater, I can’t imagine that it will ever match the immersive experience that comes with entering a dark theater, turning off the outside world and being surrounded by the experience that the filmmaker intended.

    Aside: Although I could do without the damn commercials. It’s a simple equation: tv is free (theoretically at least) so I have to sit through commercials – that’s my charge; I pay for movies so I don’t have to watch commercials. They’ve changed the implicit contract, something that makes me threaten to stop going to the theater every time.

    Rear Window

    Every movie gets better when it goes up on that screen on the wall, even if some movies aren’t going to be any good no matter what. When you’re seeing a classic film, something you originally saw on a tv screen, the experience is often transformative. Sometimes you notice new details that simply were lost with downsizing. Often there is a quality improvement as screenings frequently involve a restoration. But largely the grandeur and scope are simply the elements that are restored, just by virtue of commanding your scattered attention in an increasingly distracting world.

    Rear Window

    Rear Window really benefitted tremendously from a theatrical presentation. Many writers more insightful than myself have explored Hitchcock’s themes with this picture: putting the protagonist in the place of the audience and vice versa, the relationship between Jeff & Lisa being reflected in the other relationships visible through the window, etc. I won’t subject you to my own dog-eared analysis, other than the cynical observation that Hitchcock was too pragmatic of a filmmaker to waste time with all this literary nonsense – I think he just liked making crime pictures.

    Rear Window

    What is true is that watching the film theatrically really accentuated this idea of the film screen being the window pane. In all of the movie I can recall only a couple of instances of actors looking directly at the camera, and at those times it is clear that the camera is from Jeff’s POV. Watch the behavior of any of the visitors to Jeff’s apartment; they all approach the edge of the room, standing back from the enormous windows as if walking up to a wall-sized mural and trying to focus on an unreachable detail while still seeing the whole painting. The lighting is key; while never looking at you, you really feel the characters are stepping forward to better see through the screen that doubles as the window pane.

    Rear Window

    While the production is brilliantly confined like Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) to his apartment, and is staged as if it were a play, Rear Window truly is a film experience. Hitchcock tantalizes you with this panorama of interesting characters, but controls your view to the spectacle, as if someone else were in charge of moving your telescope for you. Jeff falls asleep, loses attention, fails to notice details – it’s a very human account of the story. He’s not an omniscient observer and so you cannot be.

    Rear Window

    The casting is truly inspired.

    • Jimmy Stewart in his 2nd of 4 Hitchcock movies provides his usual down-to-earth everyman who is so genial and Jimmy Stewarted that you don’t think he’s a creep for peeping at his neighbors all day. Which he is.
    • Grace Kelly. Ah, Grace Kelly. Her second and best Hitchcock film role gives her a little more edge than in Dial M for Murder. But mainly she shows inner strength as Stewart’s Girl Friday and wears Edith Head’s designed clothes as no one else before or since.
    • Thelma Ritter adds some comic relief, filling out the main cast.
    • Raymond Burr adds a bit of menace, even if he was cast mainly because he could easily be made up to look like producer David O. Selznick, whom Hitchcock disliked.

    Rear Window

    Based on the short story “It Had To Be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich, John Michael Hayes (pride of Worcester, MA) penned the screenplay, the first of four straight he did for Hitch.

    The Franz Waxman score is wonderful as always, even if there really isn’t much of it. Hitch wanted all the sounds of the movie to be diegetic – the sounds of what you saw happening.

    Rear Window

    I believe Rear Window is second only to Vertigo in Hitch’s collected works. The story is grounded in reality, the tension is excellent, the dialogue wonderful and it has Grace Kelly.

    Rear Window

    Alright, that’s enough Grace Kelly pictures for you. One more? Ok. Here you are. And now you’re done…

    Rear Window

    And one more thing…

    By the way, want to see something amazing? Filmmaker Jeff Desom mapped all of the shots outside the apartment window and composited them all into a panoramic time-lapse video. Shows the whole sequence of events all on one large plane. The original is about 20 minutes and is meant to be projected, but you can see a sample reel showing how it was done and the final product in a few minutes. Genius…http://www.jeffdesom.com/hitch/ (also at http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/ccManager/clips/spatialized-timelapse-of-hitchcocks-rear-window)

    Jeff Desom
    http://jeffdesom.com/hitch/
    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Pass

    The Representation Test Score: C (6 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

    Main Cast James Stewart L.B. ‘Jeff’ Jefferies, Grace Kelly Lisa Carol Fremont, Wendell Corey Det. Lt. Thomas J. Doyle, Thelma Ritter Stella
    Rating Approved
    Release Date Sat 29 Jan 1955 UTC
    Director Alfred Hitchcock
    Genres Mystery, Thriller
    Plot A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbours from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.
    Poster Rear Window
    Runtime 112
    Tagline The Essential Hitchcock
    Writers John Michael Hayes (screenplay), Cornell Woolrich (based on the short story by)
    Year 1954
  • The Great Train Robbery / The First Great Train Robbery (1978)

    The Great Train Robbery / The First Great Train Robbery (1978)

    140 Character Movie Review – #140RVW

    Crichton adapts his novel into a screenplay, then directs this classic adventure story based on 1855 theft of gold for Crimean War soldiers.

    The Great Train Robbery

    Spoiler-free Movie Review of The Great Train Robbery:

    With the recent Crimean crisis, perhaps it is time to revisit The Great Train Robbery, Michael Crichton’s 1978 heist picture based on the 1855 theft of gold destined for English & French soldiers serving in the Crimean War.

    A fantastic and exciting adventure, right from the start; Sean Connery’s voice-over exposition gives way to the energetic score by Jerry Goldsmith behind the title sequence and a fatal fistfight on board a moving train. You are instantly thrust into the time period and the tone of the film, and yet barely 4 minutes have passed. Michael Crichton wrote the screenplay and directed based on his own excellent novel.

    The Great Train Robbery

    The heist picture is a genre all by itself. I’m not sure exactly why so many people gravitate to these stories. I suppose like myself they are quite guiltless of any such crimes and would never seriously consider undertaking a confidence scam or robbery, yet are fascinated by those who turn their talents to these activities. There’s something wicked and thrilling about vicariously watching these illicit acts that we would not have the audacity to attempt.

    So I must have read Crichton’s novel a dozen times. It’s a quick read, but like all of his works is meticulously researched. Maybe no modern writer was better at finding a searing narrative among a simple series of facts. I’m particularly fond of an audiobook version, which despite being needlessly abridged is narrated expertly by Michael Cumpsty.

    With the author writing the screenplay and directing the movie the word adaptation barely applies – there’s no discernible difference between versions. One nice addition to the film is the role of Miss Miriam by Lesley-Anne Down; a minor associate in real life and in the novel, the expanded character works wonderfully as a device to tie together all of the steps of the job.

    The Great Train Robbery

    Connery & Sutherland are perfect in their turns as Edward Pierce and Robert Agar, respectively. They are simply charming and believable in their roles. One of the things that really sells the story is that Pierce has an undercurrent of danger about him. Connery plays him with an edge that makes it clear that while charm is his first weapon it is far from his only one.

    Fair warning (and it’s not really a spoiler); about 15 minutes in there is a scene of a dog in a pit to attack rats. Some might find this upsetting. It’s brief, though.

    The Great Train Robbery

    One of the benefits of basing your movie on a real heist is that the plausibility of the crime doesn’t come into question. The plan is not needlessly complicated as in so many movies of this type. It is clever but practical, and the execution is filled with the sort of problems that crop up in a chaotic world.

    In every respect, The Great Train Robbery is a classic adventure and a fantastic crime yarn.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: D (3 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

    [schema type=”movie” name=”The Great Train Robbery” description=”In Victorian England, a master criminal makes elaborate plans to steal a shipment of gold from a moving train.” director=”Michael Crichton” actor_1=”Sean Connery” actor_2=”Donald Sutherland” actor_3=”Lesley-Anne Down”]

    Main Cast Sean Connery Pierce, Donald Sutherland Agar, Lesley-Anne Down Miriam, Alan Webb Trent
    Rating PG
    Release Date Fri 02 Feb 1979 UTC
    Director Michael Crichton
    Genres Adventure, Crime, Drama, Thriller
    Plot In Victorian England, a master criminal makes elaborate plans to steal a shipment of gold from a moving train.
    Poster The Great Train Robbery
    Runtime 110
    Tagline Never have so few taken so much from so many.
    Writers Michael Crichton (screenplay), Michael Crichton (novel)
    Year 1978
  • Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

    Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)

    #140RVW

    It’s a gross-out stoner comedy – mileage may vary based on how much you like this sort of thing. I thought it was really funny. But gross…

    Harold & Kumar

    What’s more:

    Nothing you haven’t seen before, Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle is still really damn funny and mostly works because:

    • John Cho & Kal Penn are really fun, likable young  actors who you want to root for.
    • It’s a road comedy, a genre that lives and dies by how funny the wacky adventures are. These are pretty good.
    • Neil Patrick Harris plays an insane version of himself. This really kicked off the whole career revival for him.
    Harold & Kumar
    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail, although you could possibly argue that the two co-eds who engage in a game similar to Battleship qualify. I can’t get there.

    The Representation Test Score: F (0 pts)

    I think this may actually get 0 points, although I think you could argue for a D, as the question about racial stereotypes is a bit limiting.  (“Does the film include one or more men of color, in speaking roles, who are NOT reduced to racial stereotypes?) Harold and Kumar certainly are exposed to many racial stereotypes, but I’m not sure I’d say that they are limited or reduced by them.

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    The Representation Test

    Main Cast John Cho Harold Lee, Kal Penn Kumar Patel, Ethan Embry Billy Carver, Robert Tinkler J.D.
    Rating Unrated
    Release Date Fri 30 Jul 2004 UTC
    Director Danny Leiner
    Genres Adventure, Comedy
    Plot An Asian-American office worker and his Indian-American stoner friend embark on a quest to satisfy their desire for White Castle burgers.
    Poster Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
    Runtime 88
    Tagline Fast Food. High Times.
    Writers Jon Hurwitz (written by) &, Hayden Schlossberg (written by)
    Year 2004
  • Total Recall (2012)

    Total Recall (2012)

    #140RVW

    So much better than the 1990 version – don’t let anyone tell you differently. Good not great. And yes, the three-breasted woman is here…

    Total Recall

    What’s more:

    Remakes of movies based on novels usually follow a somewhat predictable path: despite tremendous success of the first adaptation, new team stresses their intention to go back to the original material, whereupon they import over 30% new stuff from the text (usually 10% of it any good) and then make an uninspired remake that everyone falls all over themselves condemning as unnecessary and not as good as the first film. Critics live to bash these things.

    Total Recall

    So it’s somewhat surprising that Total Recall (2012) eschews this formula and goes for a straight remake of the 1990 film, not the Philip K. Dick short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” on which both movies are based. I actually applaud the unexpected choice. Firstly, there really isn’t much more to this short story that was neglected the first time around. Secondly, the biggest problem with the 1990 film was, well, the entire production. The script was fine. So it really was ripe for a remake, post Minority Report.

    Total Recall

    I reference Minority Report as it is clearly the blueprint for most sci-fi of the past ten years, including Total Recall. And that’s not a problem.

    Total Recall

    Really just about every single thing in this movie is better than its 1990 counterpart. Colin Farrell is entirely believable both as a working grunt and as a spy. Kate Beckinsale is just as out of Quaid’s league as Sharon Stone was, but the difference is that she handles the role so much better, and, as an added bonus, absorbs the Michael Ironside role, making for a leaner tale. Jessica Biel is her usual under-utilized self. (Got to find a real role for her at some point.)

    Total Recall

    Len Wiseman has been at best an adequate director up to this point. Total Recall doesn’t build much onto that foundation, but it’s a clean, well-made affair and the action sequences are particularly fine. Lot of moving pieces; he keeps it all spinning and that’s not easy.

    Total Recall

    Keeping the whole film on the decimated Earth was a good decision, and the political struggle created here has a nice resonance in the Occupy days. One of the interesting adds to the movie is “The Fall”, a method by which workers of “The Colony” (Australia) can travel quickly through the Earth’s core and arrive at The United Federation of Britain on the other side. It is a great effect, a neat story device and absolutely rubbish science. But that’s sci-fi filmmaking, and not a deal-breaker. Most of the movie is good fun and if it will never be a classic like Ahnold’s film was, it is still a far superior film.

    Poster:

    Trailer:

    Bechdel Test:

    Fail

    The Representation Test Score: D (2 pts)

    (http://therepresentationproject.org/grading-hollywood-the-representation-test/)

    Representation Test

    Main Cast Colin Farrell Douglas Quaid/Carl Hauser, Bokeem Woodbine Harry, Bryan Cranston Cohaagen, Kate Beckinsale Lori Quaid
    Rating PG-13
    Release Date Fri 03 Aug 2012 UTC
    Director Len Wiseman
    Genres Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
    Plot A factory worker, Douglas Quaid, begins to suspect that he is a spy after visiting Rekall – a company that provides its clients with implanted fake memories of a life they would like to have led – goes wrong and he finds himself on the run.
    Poster Total Recall
    Runtime 118
    Tagline What is real?
    Writers Kurt Wimmer (screenplay) and, Mark Bomback (screenplay) …
    Year 2012