Out of the Past: The Week in Cinema

Cinema Cess Pool Selection:

N/A

The Banal, The Blah, The Banausic:

1. A Chorus Line (1985) Dir. Richard Attenborough – US

2. The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle (2009) Dir. David Russo – US

3. Macao (1952) Dir. Josef Von Sternberg - US

Rewatched Goodies:

1. Heartbreakers (2001) Dir. David Mirkin - US

Astounding Cinema, Cup-Runneth-Over Awards:

4. Witchfinder General (1968) Dir. Michael Reeves – UK

3. Cthulu (2007) Dir. Dan Gildark - US (Please click here for my column at MNDialog)

2. Dracula’s Daughter (1936) Dir. Lambert Hillyer – US

1. Splinter (2008) Dir. Toby Wilkins – US

Theatrical Releases:

5. Imagine That (2009) Dir. Karey Kirkpatrick – US 6/10

4. Every Little Step (2008) Dir. Adam Del Deo & James Stern – US 8/10

3. Outrage (2009) Dir. Kirby Dick – US 10/10

2. Whatever Works (2009) Dir. Woody Allen – US 10/10

1. Away We Go (2009) Dir. Sam Mendes – US 10/10

Well, I suppose it’s good news that I didn’t happen to watch anything in the past week that was deserving of the Cinema Cess Pool. However, all three selections in the banal grouping each had deserving aspects that could have placed them in my top tier, but sadly, they didn’t make the cut. I’ve already written about what I roughly felt watching A Chorus Line, please see the Every Little Step post.

The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle is one of those extremely disappointing films, for there are one or two moments that bring it close to greatness. However, in the end it sort of fizzles into forgettable territory. The film centers around Dory (Marshall Allman) a sort of dull, loser character who freaks out in his office cubicle and quits his job. In search of a job, he takes a job as an overnight janitor as part of a janitorial team working inside a market research film that has been developing cookies that heat themselves (quite an ingenious novelty, and strangely, I had just finished baking my own cookies when I sat down to watch this). There, Dory befriends O.C. (Vince Vieluf in full over-the-top dude mode) who has the hots for the woman at the head of the heated cookies experiment, played by a surprisingly plump Natasha Lyonne—I’m assuming she took care of that pesky warrant for her arrest. The cookies contain an enzyme (or something similar, whatever) that makes men that consume them develop small, blue fish in their intestines. Pooping out these small fish is much akin to giving birth, however, the small creatures die soon after birth. All around, an interesting concept that starts out entertaining, but quickly sours, playing like a cool concept that had nowhere to go but in an asinine nose dive. A friend of mine compared it Southland Tales (2006), and while he hated both Tales and this film, I loved Tales and grew exasperated with Little Dizzle. A film that tries on too many genres with out quite doing any one of them justice, it plays like someone trying to have several relationships at once---it just doesn’t work.

A great example of faults in the auteur theory is the 1952 "film-noir light" film Macao starring Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell. Josef Von Sternberg directed most of the film before Howard Hughes fired him, and replaced him with Nicholas Ray, who is not credited on the film. (Sternberg is best known for bringing us Marlene Dietrich, directing her in her first string of American films--six of them--my favorite being Blonde Venus 1932). Sternberg had quite an interest in the Orient, with other examples like Shanghai Express (1932) and The Shanghai Gesture (1941). However, Macao tries desperately to return to intrigue by way of exotic location ala Casablanca (1942), or perhaps even Sternberg's own Morocco (1930). Further complicating the film's tone was Gloria Grahame (see her in delicious roles Sudden Fear 1952 or The Big Heat 1953). In the middle of divorcing Nicholas Ray at the time he was assigned to take over the film, Grahame vehemently did not want to be in Macao and was bitter that Hughes refused to loan her out for A Place in the Sun (1951) -- a part that went to Shelley Winters--and reportedly Grahame claimed to have overacted to get back at Hughes. The problem is Grahame doesn't have a whole lot of screen time and she seems barely noticeable, her presence eclipsed by a beautiful toughie Jane Russell. Poor Jane's character doesn't really get a chance to shine, her role washed over by the film's contrived adventure plot, and her song numbers as a chanteuse in a night club in Macao run by a creepy Brad Dexter are flimsy and dull---except for when you realize she's getting up close and personal with the crowd sitting up front, a slew of toothless, leering Chinese men. The brave actress will always be best known for her role opposite Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953), but I always thought she looked a little drag-queeny in technicolor. As for Robert Mitchum, well, his usual presence as a bored and sweaty petty criminal either benefits the films he is placed in or not. In Macao Mitchum seems sleepy and unengaged. His romance with Russell is completely unfounded and unbelievable. As beautiful as the film is, it just doesn't stand up as anything worth remembering, which is a pity concerning all the talent involved. Unfortunately, it had a lot riding against it.

Vincent Price has countless numbers of old goodies on his resume, and usually he's quite comically villainous---so I was a bit surprised at the slimy, evil tone of Witchfinder General (1968), a British production about an unfounded witch hunter, travelling from village to village to burn or hang supposed witches. The film is at times difficult to watch, but has a satisfactory conclusion, strangely violent for a late 60's production.

On a lesbian vampire streak, I finally got around to watching the portrayal that started it all, Gloria Holden in Dracula's Daughter (1936). The film parallels lesbianism and vampirism as something that should be cured, but Holden's several "seduce and feed" scenes are quite unnervingly compelling and stand as gloriously gutsy lesbian cinematic iconography. The plot is a bit weak, and Countess Zaleska foolhardily brings about her own demise, something that could have been avoided completely if she hadn't been so angsty, but it's worth a look and includes some gorgeous cinematography.When asked if she'd like a sherry, the Countess replies, "Thank you, I never drink....wine." Love it. "She gives you that weird feeling" indeed!

And rounding out my top of the best list for last week was the overlooked 2008 creature feature, Splinter. A couple on a camping trip are taken hostage by an escaped convict and his girlfriend, only to all get trapped at an isolated gas station by a parasite that quickly infects and turns its hosts into grotesque killing creatures. Excellent special effects and intriguing dynamics make this film more compelling than anything scary Hollywood's put out in years. Though it is from the director of The Grudge 3 (2009) -- hey, everyone needs a paycheck-- director Toby Wilkins proves to be a force to look for in the horror genre. Let's just hope he doesn't make like Alexandre Aja and concentrate on remakes. If you liked John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), you'll lap up Splinter.