Cess Pool Cinema:
1. Passionada (2002) Dir. Dan Ireland - US
The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:
1. Mad Dog and Glory (1993) Dir. John McNaughton - US
Guilty Pleasure Cinema:
1. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) Dir. Larry Blamire - US
2. This Is It (2009) Dir. Kenny Ortega - US
1. Passionada (2002) Dir. Dan Ireland - US
The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:
1. Mad Dog and Glory (1993) Dir. John McNaughton - US
Guilty Pleasure Cinema:
1. The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) Dir. Larry Blamire - US
2. This Is It (2009) Dir. Kenny Ortega - US
3. The Night Walker (1964) Dir. William Castle - US
Astounding Cinema:
5. Things We Lost In the Fire (2007) Dir. Susanne Bier – US
4. Advise and Consent (1962) Dir. Otto Preminger - US
3. Blind Date (2007) Dir. Stanley Tucci – US
2. Obsession (1976) Dir. Brian De Palma – US
1. It’s My Party (1996) Dir. Randal Kleiser - US
Theatrical Releases:
2. The Wolfman (2010) Dir. Joe Johnston – US 5/10
1. 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard – France 10/10
Rewatched Goodies:
1. Leave Her To Heaven (1945) Dir. John M. Stahl – US 10/10
2. An American Werewolf In London (1981) Dir. John Landis – US 10/10
Rewatched Atrocities:
1. Boxing Helena (1993) Dir. Jennifer Chambers Lynch – US 2/10
Astounding Cinema:
5. Things We Lost In the Fire (2007) Dir. Susanne Bier – US
4. Advise and Consent (1962) Dir. Otto Preminger - US
3. Blind Date (2007) Dir. Stanley Tucci – US
2. Obsession (1976) Dir. Brian De Palma – US
1. It’s My Party (1996) Dir. Randal Kleiser - US
Theatrical Releases:
2. The Wolfman (2010) Dir. Joe Johnston – US 5/10
1. 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard – France 10/10
Rewatched Goodies:
1. Leave Her To Heaven (1945) Dir. John M. Stahl – US 10/10
2. An American Werewolf In London (1981) Dir. John Landis – US 10/10
Rewatched Atrocities:
1. Boxing Helena (1993) Dir. Jennifer Chambers Lynch – US 2/10
Passionada (2002): It’s been a while since I’ve actually sat through a torpid romantic dramedy, and this has to be one of the least appealing I’ve ever seen. Starring Jason Isaacs as the romantic lead, not only is he an unappealing chronic gambler, but he looks as soft, cuddly and romantic as a velociraptor. The film’s focus is a Portuguese woman, Sofia Miles (who is actually Swiss), widowed years ago by her fisherman husband who died at sea, and whose daughter is now trying to hook her mother up. The daughter is played by the atrociously annoying Emmy Rossum, who is neither proficient at acting or even remotely Portuguese. What led me to the film was my strange desire to watch scene chewer Theresa Russell, who is actually overshadowed considerably by the perturbing Rossum, stale Isaacs, and blank Miles. Director Dan Ireland also directed the debacle called The Velocity of Gary (1999), starring Thomas Jane, Vincent D’onofrio, and Salma Hayek, which also stretched my patience. It hurts me that this director somehow got to direct a vehicle starring Joan Plowright, Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont (2005), which I was actually excited to see. At one time.
Mad Dog and Glory (1993): Well, when your best directorial effort happens to be Wild Things (1998), it comes as no surprise that everything else would most likely be a considerable disappointment. Scorsese produced this strangely celebrated clunker directed by John McNaughton which stars Robert De Niro as a passive cop, David Caruso as his tough guy partner, Bill Murray as a mobster/wannabe comedian, and Uma Thurman as mob property/De Niro love interest. Not only boring, but also just flat, flaccid and nonsensical, the film fails to be a black comedy and a drama. Apparently the big fight scene was re-cut after test audiences disapproved of the outcome, but in hindsight would have made the film a touch better, but not much. Basically, De Niro’s mild manner cop happens to save the life of droll mobster Murray. After an awkward male bonding drunken scene, Murray decides to befriend De Niro and sends a woman to De Niro’s to “hang out” for the week. Thurman is the “hooker with a heart of gold” archetype and of course, they fall in love—but Murray wants her back. Blah, blah, blah. For some reason, Kathy Baker has a small role as De Niro’s neighbor that’s involved in an abusive relationship with a cop.
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001): While Lost Skeleton has minor moments of comedic greatness, I recommend watching it in two sittings. An homage to those low budget 50’s sci-fi flicks, the film is “purposefully” a hammy endeavor, full of plot holes and nostalgia. Fans of MST3K might be intrigued, but then you’ll wonder why you’re not just watching something that’s unintentionally bad and not intentionally made to be awful.
This Is It (2009): The most successful documentary of 2009---but only because it’s the last thing you’ll see the legendary Michael Jackson in. As far as docs go, it’s pretty sparse, and is basically the cobbled together footage of Jackson’s last concert tour he had nearly finished completion on. Had Jackson lived, it may have been one of the most memorable concert events in the history of music. Unfortunately, fans are left with this light, but loving final tribute to one of the greatest performers of all time.
The Night Walker (1964): Gimmick director William Castle is pretty hit or miss. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for him in honor of the Joan Crawford B vehicle, Strait Jacket (also 1964) but some of his fare is rather disappointing (like The Tingler, 1959 and especially Let’s Kill Uncle, 1966). The last motion picture that would star the fabulously awesome Barbara Stanwyck (she would work in TV exclusively after this film) is kind of middle of the road, extremely campy, and poorly written. In fact, I would only really recommend it for fans of Stanwyck, who gets to be melodramatic and hysterical, having some splendid moments screaming at the top of her lungs. The plot basically centers around the fact that Stanwyck has an active fantasy life in her dreams, married to a monstrous looking blind man. When he dies in a tragic fire, she has nightmares that she thinks are truly happening. While no time is wasted in proving that there’s a plot to make her go crazy (she inherited lots of money) the rather stiff Robert Taylor gets to play romantic lead---which is doubly ironic because Stanwyck used to be married to Taylor----and she was purportedly a lesbian (I’ve heard rumors about Edith Head being a lover of hers, but then, I wasn’t really there to substantiate it).
Things We Lost In the Fire (2007): While Danish director Susanne Bier’s English speaking directorial debut was regarded somewhat as a disappointment, it’s really quite a good film---it’s just that it pales in comparison stylistically and thematically to her previous work. Halle Berry stars as a woman whose husband (David Duchovny---an intriguing pairing) has been shot in a freak accident (he was one of those types that got in the middle of some violent couple’s random dispute, one of those situations that causes a murder or a film noir). Attempting to deal with the loss of her husband, Berry reaches out to Duchovny’s best friend from college, a recovering heroin addict played by Benecio Del Toro, who elevates this film beyond anything mediocre. Basically the film is about their friendship that develops as they help each other grieve for a man that made life better for both of them. Alison Lohman and John Carroll Lynch also pop up in notable supporting roles. However, anyone who has seen Bier’s superior Brothers (2004) – which was just remade last year for American audiences, would probably see Things We Lost in the Fire as disappointingly similar.
Advise & Consent (1962): Otto Preminger’s 1962 political thriller is most often remembered as one of a pair of films that was first to directly address issues of homosexuality after the Hays Code officially dropped the ban of homosexuality that year (the other film was The Children’s Hour, 1961). Preminger assembled a dream cast for his adaptation of the sensational Allen Drury novel: Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton (in his last film role, who was also gay), Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres, Burgess Meredith, and Gene Tierney (her first role in 7 years after battling a bout of depression). Politically incorrect by today’s standards, the film is an excellent conspiracy film, concerning the President’s (Tone) nominee for the Secretary of State (Fonda), who lies about Communist ties from his youth, causing a sub committee investigation headed by Don Murray, who, it is revealed, has an incendiary secret from his own past that will destroy him. Laughton is particularly despicable as the Senator that, ironically, causes all the commotion.
Blind Date (2007): Originally one of the works of assassinated filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, (actor Steve Buscemi adapted Van Gogh’s Interview also in ’07) Blind Date is a powerful little film depicting the complicated end of one couple’s relationship after the catastrophic death of their daughter. Directed by actor Stanley Tucci, the film stars Tucci and the always excellent Patricia Clarkson as a husband and wife who continually place ads in the personals to role play blind date scenarios (in a bar owned by Tucci) as they are seemingly unable to communicate as themselves. And perhaps regain a touch of that moment when they realized they loved each other when they met years before. Before you know it, you’ll realize the film is more heavy and heartbreaking fare than you’d known you were in for---but it’s an excellent film to seek out, especially for some wonderful performances from Tucci and Clarkson.
Obsession (1976): God I miss the director that Brian De Palma used to be. He was the kind of hysterical, over the top stylist that any cinephile should love, with vintage work with Sisters (1974), Carrie (1976), and Dressed To Kill (1980). His 1976 film Obsession is meant as an homage to Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1946), which apparently many claim is more of a rip off than an homage. Whatever, it’s still an atmospheric, bizarrely perverse motion picture, with melodramatic scoring from Bernard Herrmann (who scored many of Hitch’s films) and excellent pacing. Cliff Robertson, Genevieve Bujold and John Lithgow star in this film about a New Orleans businessman whose wife and child are kidnapped for ransom in 1959. When the police shakedown goes bust, we fast forward 15 years, and everything, of course, is not what it seems to be. De Palma’s 1984 flick, Body Double is also accused of being a Vertigo rip off, but I believe Obsession stands fine on its own as a film that “shares” many of the same themes. I Loved Obsession.
It’s My Party (1996): And so it is that this week’s top flick is this 1996 drama I neglected to watch for so many years. This came out when I was a young teenager and I remember uncomfortably watching the previews with my parents---uncomfortable because I was just beginning to discover that I was gay. Add to that, I remember the marketing for this film to be extremely pointed at towards its core audience, and with plenty of gay melodrama and touchy AIDS issues that seemed completely alien and distasteful to my Midwestern parents from a small town. Now, nearly a decade out of the closet myself, I’m glad I watched it at this point in my life, finding it to be a high quality film that everyone should see, a tender portrayal of one man’s farewell party due to his AIDS complications. It stands up as a “gay” classic, similar in theme, scope and importance to the equally excellent and timely Longtime Companion (1990). Amazingly, the director of this film is Randal Kleiser, responsible for the mega hit Grease, 1978. This film is the story of his ex-partner Harry Stein’s farewell party from 1992, with Eric Roberts in a wonderful performance as the party host. A majority of the actors also attended the real farewell party, which may explain some of the genuine emotion seen in this touching film. Notable names include Olivia Newton-John, Lee Grant, Sally Kellerman, Bruce Davison, Gregory Harrison, Marlee Matlin, Roddy McDowell, Bronson Pinchot, Margaret Cho, and George Segall. At a point in time where I’ve been lucky enough to be with someone I love and make it legal (in certain states, of course) this film is important both in terms of how far we’ve come and how far we’ve regressed, in some ways. As my own husband has pointed out, It’s My Party is one of those ‘90s LGBT themed films that commonly showed gay people coming together and sticking together---in fact, there’s a passage in the film that talks about how gay people are lucky in that they get to ‘pick’ their families (assuming their biological ones abandon or fail to understand them), whereas, over the course of the past decade, it feels like the LGBT community has become more isolated and polarized, perhaps due to a gradually rigid acceptance by a heternormative culture. Whatever social impact used to credit or discredit, It’s My Party is basically the story of one man taking an opportunity to say goodbye to those he has loved before he leaves behind this life forever. It’s My Party is uncomfortable, touching, realistic, and made with love.
Mad Dog and Glory (1993): Well, when your best directorial effort happens to be Wild Things (1998), it comes as no surprise that everything else would most likely be a considerable disappointment. Scorsese produced this strangely celebrated clunker directed by John McNaughton which stars Robert De Niro as a passive cop, David Caruso as his tough guy partner, Bill Murray as a mobster/wannabe comedian, and Uma Thurman as mob property/De Niro love interest. Not only boring, but also just flat, flaccid and nonsensical, the film fails to be a black comedy and a drama. Apparently the big fight scene was re-cut after test audiences disapproved of the outcome, but in hindsight would have made the film a touch better, but not much. Basically, De Niro’s mild manner cop happens to save the life of droll mobster Murray. After an awkward male bonding drunken scene, Murray decides to befriend De Niro and sends a woman to De Niro’s to “hang out” for the week. Thurman is the “hooker with a heart of gold” archetype and of course, they fall in love—but Murray wants her back. Blah, blah, blah. For some reason, Kathy Baker has a small role as De Niro’s neighbor that’s involved in an abusive relationship with a cop.
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001): While Lost Skeleton has minor moments of comedic greatness, I recommend watching it in two sittings. An homage to those low budget 50’s sci-fi flicks, the film is “purposefully” a hammy endeavor, full of plot holes and nostalgia. Fans of MST3K might be intrigued, but then you’ll wonder why you’re not just watching something that’s unintentionally bad and not intentionally made to be awful.
This Is It (2009): The most successful documentary of 2009---but only because it’s the last thing you’ll see the legendary Michael Jackson in. As far as docs go, it’s pretty sparse, and is basically the cobbled together footage of Jackson’s last concert tour he had nearly finished completion on. Had Jackson lived, it may have been one of the most memorable concert events in the history of music. Unfortunately, fans are left with this light, but loving final tribute to one of the greatest performers of all time.
The Night Walker (1964): Gimmick director William Castle is pretty hit or miss. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for him in honor of the Joan Crawford B vehicle, Strait Jacket (also 1964) but some of his fare is rather disappointing (like The Tingler, 1959 and especially Let’s Kill Uncle, 1966). The last motion picture that would star the fabulously awesome Barbara Stanwyck (she would work in TV exclusively after this film) is kind of middle of the road, extremely campy, and poorly written. In fact, I would only really recommend it for fans of Stanwyck, who gets to be melodramatic and hysterical, having some splendid moments screaming at the top of her lungs. The plot basically centers around the fact that Stanwyck has an active fantasy life in her dreams, married to a monstrous looking blind man. When he dies in a tragic fire, she has nightmares that she thinks are truly happening. While no time is wasted in proving that there’s a plot to make her go crazy (she inherited lots of money) the rather stiff Robert Taylor gets to play romantic lead---which is doubly ironic because Stanwyck used to be married to Taylor----and she was purportedly a lesbian (I’ve heard rumors about Edith Head being a lover of hers, but then, I wasn’t really there to substantiate it).
Things We Lost In the Fire (2007): While Danish director Susanne Bier’s English speaking directorial debut was regarded somewhat as a disappointment, it’s really quite a good film---it’s just that it pales in comparison stylistically and thematically to her previous work. Halle Berry stars as a woman whose husband (David Duchovny---an intriguing pairing) has been shot in a freak accident (he was one of those types that got in the middle of some violent couple’s random dispute, one of those situations that causes a murder or a film noir). Attempting to deal with the loss of her husband, Berry reaches out to Duchovny’s best friend from college, a recovering heroin addict played by Benecio Del Toro, who elevates this film beyond anything mediocre. Basically the film is about their friendship that develops as they help each other grieve for a man that made life better for both of them. Alison Lohman and John Carroll Lynch also pop up in notable supporting roles. However, anyone who has seen Bier’s superior Brothers (2004) – which was just remade last year for American audiences, would probably see Things We Lost in the Fire as disappointingly similar.
Advise & Consent (1962): Otto Preminger’s 1962 political thriller is most often remembered as one of a pair of films that was first to directly address issues of homosexuality after the Hays Code officially dropped the ban of homosexuality that year (the other film was The Children’s Hour, 1961). Preminger assembled a dream cast for his adaptation of the sensational Allen Drury novel: Henry Fonda, Charles Laughton (in his last film role, who was also gay), Don Murray, Walter Pidgeon, Peter Lawford, Franchot Tone, Lew Ayres, Burgess Meredith, and Gene Tierney (her first role in 7 years after battling a bout of depression). Politically incorrect by today’s standards, the film is an excellent conspiracy film, concerning the President’s (Tone) nominee for the Secretary of State (Fonda), who lies about Communist ties from his youth, causing a sub committee investigation headed by Don Murray, who, it is revealed, has an incendiary secret from his own past that will destroy him. Laughton is particularly despicable as the Senator that, ironically, causes all the commotion.
Blind Date (2007): Originally one of the works of assassinated filmmaker Theo Van Gogh, (actor Steve Buscemi adapted Van Gogh’s Interview also in ’07) Blind Date is a powerful little film depicting the complicated end of one couple’s relationship after the catastrophic death of their daughter. Directed by actor Stanley Tucci, the film stars Tucci and the always excellent Patricia Clarkson as a husband and wife who continually place ads in the personals to role play blind date scenarios (in a bar owned by Tucci) as they are seemingly unable to communicate as themselves. And perhaps regain a touch of that moment when they realized they loved each other when they met years before. Before you know it, you’ll realize the film is more heavy and heartbreaking fare than you’d known you were in for---but it’s an excellent film to seek out, especially for some wonderful performances from Tucci and Clarkson.
Obsession (1976): God I miss the director that Brian De Palma used to be. He was the kind of hysterical, over the top stylist that any cinephile should love, with vintage work with Sisters (1974), Carrie (1976), and Dressed To Kill (1980). His 1976 film Obsession is meant as an homage to Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1946), which apparently many claim is more of a rip off than an homage. Whatever, it’s still an atmospheric, bizarrely perverse motion picture, with melodramatic scoring from Bernard Herrmann (who scored many of Hitch’s films) and excellent pacing. Cliff Robertson, Genevieve Bujold and John Lithgow star in this film about a New Orleans businessman whose wife and child are kidnapped for ransom in 1959. When the police shakedown goes bust, we fast forward 15 years, and everything, of course, is not what it seems to be. De Palma’s 1984 flick, Body Double is also accused of being a Vertigo rip off, but I believe Obsession stands fine on its own as a film that “shares” many of the same themes. I Loved Obsession.
It’s My Party (1996): And so it is that this week’s top flick is this 1996 drama I neglected to watch for so many years. This came out when I was a young teenager and I remember uncomfortably watching the previews with my parents---uncomfortable because I was just beginning to discover that I was gay. Add to that, I remember the marketing for this film to be extremely pointed at towards its core audience, and with plenty of gay melodrama and touchy AIDS issues that seemed completely alien and distasteful to my Midwestern parents from a small town. Now, nearly a decade out of the closet myself, I’m glad I watched it at this point in my life, finding it to be a high quality film that everyone should see, a tender portrayal of one man’s farewell party due to his AIDS complications. It stands up as a “gay” classic, similar in theme, scope and importance to the equally excellent and timely Longtime Companion (1990). Amazingly, the director of this film is Randal Kleiser, responsible for the mega hit Grease, 1978. This film is the story of his ex-partner Harry Stein’s farewell party from 1992, with Eric Roberts in a wonderful performance as the party host. A majority of the actors also attended the real farewell party, which may explain some of the genuine emotion seen in this touching film. Notable names include Olivia Newton-John, Lee Grant, Sally Kellerman, Bruce Davison, Gregory Harrison, Marlee Matlin, Roddy McDowell, Bronson Pinchot, Margaret Cho, and George Segall. At a point in time where I’ve been lucky enough to be with someone I love and make it legal (in certain states, of course) this film is important both in terms of how far we’ve come and how far we’ve regressed, in some ways. As my own husband has pointed out, It’s My Party is one of those ‘90s LGBT themed films that commonly showed gay people coming together and sticking together---in fact, there’s a passage in the film that talks about how gay people are lucky in that they get to ‘pick’ their families (assuming their biological ones abandon or fail to understand them), whereas, over the course of the past decade, it feels like the LGBT community has become more isolated and polarized, perhaps due to a gradually rigid acceptance by a heternormative culture. Whatever social impact used to credit or discredit, It’s My Party is basically the story of one man taking an opportunity to say goodbye to those he has loved before he leaves behind this life forever. It’s My Party is uncomfortable, touching, realistic, and made with love.
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