The deeper I travel down the rabbithole that is Jess Franco's filmography, the more I find films connecting with others, fracturing off and reassembling in new films. With Succubus I find the origin of many themes and styles and a kind of synthesis of different sub-genres.
Quickly, Succubus is about a mysterious and seemingly evil performer in a Marquis de Sade-inspired stage show. She is in love with a man who suspects she kills people in her sleep, after seducing them in her waking hours. Or something like that. Midgets and Satan arrive. Its a real headtrip because its so loose and surreal, even for Franco. Yet its one of the more classical, professional and naturalistic films he made. As his first film made outside of Spain and its censors, I would say it was quite personal to him and reflects his opinion on women at the time. Succubus feels like the first poetic Franco movie, something beyond a commercial job. We watch him slip into his comfort zone and throw away the rulebook and its very exciting to discover.
Watching this, it dawned on me that Franco was offering female characters to actresses and audiences that no one had seen before. His women are usually protagonists, strong, intelligent, sexual, manipulative, violent, often evil and always in control of themselves or others. This always pulled a memorable and visibly liberating performance from his starlets. Its no surprise women agreed to play in his films multiple times. And its also fun that his audience seems equally male, female, gay, straight. His films are feminist and egalitarian in that way.
Succubus laid the blueprint for Venus in Furs, Other Side of the Mirror, Nightmares Come At Night, was remade as Incubus and I'm sure it inspired Lorna The Exorcist as the main character in this film is named Lorna. But this is closer in tone to the early Orloff movies. Its more playful with narrative, more excited about playing with composition and you can feel Franco and the crew's giddiness about capturing the exploration of sex. Apparently critics didn't like it but audiences did. Its probably exploiting the success Rosemary's Baby, which came out a few months later. While that film is way scarier and appealing, you have to credit Succubus for its then-daring sensuality and surrealism. It willfully artificial and the fact that its downer ending isn't shocking is the sly point of it all. Its a study of evil in this world from a more street level.
I would rank it as one of Jess Franco's best and certainly most important. You get the scope, pacing, production value, acting caliber, emotional substance, phenomenal lighting and unique directing of the greater Franco films with more restraint and classical touches. All of his films are sexy, violent and strange. Its just a question of where it fits on the spectrum. Succubus hit a sweet spot for me. Not quite softcore porn. Not quite experimental. Not quite a horror movie. Its one of those films that only he could make and make work.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Castle Freak 1995
Director Stuart Gordon got his start thanks to Full Moon founder Charles Band. Its often forgotten that Band produced Re-Animator and From Beyond before starting his straight-to-video empire. Stuart Gordon works for his old boss again on another solid horror cheapie and one of the real gems from Full Moon's library.
Gordon is famous as the guy who directs HP Lovecraft moves, but here he creates an original tale thats closer to Edgar Allan Poe. Its a very exotic and yet Gothic tale about atonement within a really, really messed up family. Gordon's background in theater assured that "Freak" has credible acting, very dramatic staging and a healthy momentum driving the action. Perhaps its Gordon being separated from his usual partner/producer Brian Yuzna that allows a more tasteful (just slightly) and more serious film. But the lack of Yuzna also robs the film of joy, hipness and a true sense of macabre. This movie IS very gruesome and eerie, but it lacks that carnivalesque quality of the previous Gordon films, as well as the existential horror that Yuzna's solo films continued.
This is a tribute to classic Universal and Hammer monster movies. Gordon brings a lot of wit and genre knowledge to the offering, but forgets to make it scary and/or very heavy. I can't put it all on him because I've long suspected Charles Band didn't want much substance when he started Full Moon and I wouldn't be surprised if he had his own editors eliminate footage that would've made Castle Freak more suspenseful and more dramatically paced. Still a great little horror film that feels much richer and classical than it is.
Gordon is famous as the guy who directs HP Lovecraft moves, but here he creates an original tale thats closer to Edgar Allan Poe. Its a very exotic and yet Gothic tale about atonement within a really, really messed up family. Gordon's background in theater assured that "Freak" has credible acting, very dramatic staging and a healthy momentum driving the action. Perhaps its Gordon being separated from his usual partner/producer Brian Yuzna that allows a more tasteful (just slightly) and more serious film. But the lack of Yuzna also robs the film of joy, hipness and a true sense of macabre. This movie IS very gruesome and eerie, but it lacks that carnivalesque quality of the previous Gordon films, as well as the existential horror that Yuzna's solo films continued.
This is a tribute to classic Universal and Hammer monster movies. Gordon brings a lot of wit and genre knowledge to the offering, but forgets to make it scary and/or very heavy. I can't put it all on him because I've long suspected Charles Band didn't want much substance when he started Full Moon and I wouldn't be surprised if he had his own editors eliminate footage that would've made Castle Freak more suspenseful and more dramatically paced. Still a great little horror film that feels much richer and classical than it is.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Nightmares Come At Night 1970
This isn't a popular movie but I think its one the most mature film Jess Franco ever worked on. This was the film that made me search deeper in his catalogue as it showed me there was more than just a wild stylist and undervalued technician. Nightmares Comes At Night reveals an artist with his finger on the pulse of disregarded humanity.
Its the story of a woman being abused psychically by another woman. There is no supernatural element and the lesbian relationship serves more purposes than being titillating or dramatic. While definitely having his visual stamp, Franco reigns himself in and uses a more classical and realistic approach to capturing these moments. He very clearly empathized with the core of the movie and showed as much respect for this film as he did any other. There is never a moment where camp or indulgence or cynicism creeps into the filmmaking.
The themes presented here demand a rock solid performance from everyone involved. Suicide, mental illness, manipulation, obsession, sexual agony. Things that rarely left Germany and Sweden at the time! I can't put it as high as those arthouse staples because this is film uses some carnie plot elements to keep it broad and commercial, but you must respect that Franco put so much intelligence into something that was probably sold as "psycho lesbians must die!".
The cast is also wonderful and elevate this. Colette Giacobine delivers as the hypnotic and cold antagonist/love interest of the piece. She has to be the most physically endowed Franco actress next to Alice Arno. Soledad Miranda has a minor part and shines every moment, practically begging to drive her own film. And Diana Lorys, who appeared in the original Dr Orloff, returns as the lead. She has an Elizabeth Taylor quality. Vulnerable, doughy, regal and a little melodramatic, she's perfect as the crazed and sympathetic star.
If you like your Franco with more class AND A LITTLE ASS, Nightmares is perfect.
Its the story of a woman being abused psychically by another woman. There is no supernatural element and the lesbian relationship serves more purposes than being titillating or dramatic. While definitely having his visual stamp, Franco reigns himself in and uses a more classical and realistic approach to capturing these moments. He very clearly empathized with the core of the movie and showed as much respect for this film as he did any other. There is never a moment where camp or indulgence or cynicism creeps into the filmmaking.
The themes presented here demand a rock solid performance from everyone involved. Suicide, mental illness, manipulation, obsession, sexual agony. Things that rarely left Germany and Sweden at the time! I can't put it as high as those arthouse staples because this is film uses some carnie plot elements to keep it broad and commercial, but you must respect that Franco put so much intelligence into something that was probably sold as "psycho lesbians must die!".
The cast is also wonderful and elevate this. Colette Giacobine delivers as the hypnotic and cold antagonist/love interest of the piece. She has to be the most physically endowed Franco actress next to Alice Arno. Soledad Miranda has a minor part and shines every moment, practically begging to drive her own film. And Diana Lorys, who appeared in the original Dr Orloff, returns as the lead. She has an Elizabeth Taylor quality. Vulnerable, doughy, regal and a little melodramatic, she's perfect as the crazed and sympathetic star.
If you like your Franco with more class AND A LITTLE ASS, Nightmares is perfect.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
The Hot Nights of Linda 1975
I'm falling deeper in love with Jesus Franco's 70s output. This movie is bound to become one of his most popular now that it has wide release in the West. It has everything his biggest fans adore: Gothic photography, straight and lesbian sex, beautiful actresses, a cheeky sense of humor, complex internal dramas of a psychosexual nature and continuity with other successful Jess Franco movies.
Avoid learning about the plot and just trust that its a strong one full of cruel and intense sadomasicistic sex but redeemed by a moral compass and empathy for victims of traumatic loss. The depressing characters, the cold and brutal violence, the shockingly vulgar love scenes and random LOL moments are pure magic. It could've been too much or amounted to a very dark and disturbing piece of trash, but it this is a very entertaining art film that never misses a beat.
What fueled this perfectionism in Jess is the love for lead actress Lina Romay, his future life partner. Every shot of her is so intimate and caressing and could only come from someone who knows every inch of her and all her best sides. She is quite magnetic and plays the camera like a fine instrument. Take account that she is very young here and a very green actress. Franco found his most uninhibited and seriously bizarre star in her and she matches his soul exactly.
I'll keep this short because the less said the better. Find a copy and enjoy!
Avoid learning about the plot and just trust that its a strong one full of cruel and intense sadomasicistic sex but redeemed by a moral compass and empathy for victims of traumatic loss. The depressing characters, the cold and brutal violence, the shockingly vulgar love scenes and random LOL moments are pure magic. It could've been too much or amounted to a very dark and disturbing piece of trash, but it this is a very entertaining art film that never misses a beat.
What fueled this perfectionism in Jess is the love for lead actress Lina Romay, his future life partner. Every shot of her is so intimate and caressing and could only come from someone who knows every inch of her and all her best sides. She is quite magnetic and plays the camera like a fine instrument. Take account that she is very young here and a very green actress. Franco found his most uninhibited and seriously bizarre star in her and she matches his soul exactly.
I'll keep this short because the less said the better. Find a copy and enjoy!
The Girl From Rio 1968
This is a sequel to The Million Eyes Of Sumuru by Lindsay Shonteff, one of the directors who best cashed-in of James Bond-mania at its peak. Rio stands on its own but you should check the original out.
So Franco was hired by Harry Allan Towers to shoot a sequel to his oo7 knock-off based on Sax Rohmer's Sumuru pulp villainess. Sax Rohmer wrote the original Fu Mancu stories and Franco had worked on a Fu Manchu film and would work on another (and would use the template later for Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell). Rio is not very popular with online critics, but I think its far from a bad movie, a very good display of Jess Franco in his prime and very important film in his legacy.
Ok., somethings don't work. It doesn't have much on surprises. Its low on dialogue and music, so of course Franco's casual fans will find it "boring". And it would be reworked with much more control and gusto as Blue Rita.
But so much does work. The premise has great novelty as a feminist terrorist group plot to control the world and make men their slaves. This is an exploitation of Pussy Galore's all girl assassin group in Goldfinger, which explains the presence of Shirley Eaton (who is fantastic here!). Jean-Paul Belmundo starred in a 1964 international hit called The Man From Rio and Girl From Rio does a good job casting a lookalike actor. For me personally, the cast is made complete with Maria Rohm, the future star of Venus In Furs. She has the face of a doll, the body of a goddess and she gets to do so much more in this film.
By why you should really check it out is Jess Franco's directing. He is working with a much bigger scope and budget here. Costumes, locales, a big cast of gorgeous women and decent male actors, guns and props. He is starting to find his psychedelic style here with the vibrant colors (he was fresh from shooting B&W) and he is mastering his signature zooms, pans and lingering takes. Now either you find Franco's style tedious or gripping, idiotic or ironic, childish or adsurdist, crude or economical, awkward or surreal. Some films veer into the negative classing, but Rio is closer to art than it is to trash. Thankfully its a happy mix of high and low art. P.S. This is the rare Franco movie that has a Hollywood happy ending!
From the poster and title, I thought Rio would be my cup of tea and I was not disappointed. It exceeded my expectations with all the bad-mouthing its gotten. It might alienate some because its delightfully dated and its weirdness is not so extreme as other movies. It good middle-of-the-road Franco. I would recommend it to anyone who just likes good James Bond tribute.
So Franco was hired by Harry Allan Towers to shoot a sequel to his oo7 knock-off based on Sax Rohmer's Sumuru pulp villainess. Sax Rohmer wrote the original Fu Mancu stories and Franco had worked on a Fu Manchu film and would work on another (and would use the template later for Dr. Wong's Virtual Hell). Rio is not very popular with online critics, but I think its far from a bad movie, a very good display of Jess Franco in his prime and very important film in his legacy.
Ok., somethings don't work. It doesn't have much on surprises. Its low on dialogue and music, so of course Franco's casual fans will find it "boring". And it would be reworked with much more control and gusto as Blue Rita.
But so much does work. The premise has great novelty as a feminist terrorist group plot to control the world and make men their slaves. This is an exploitation of Pussy Galore's all girl assassin group in Goldfinger, which explains the presence of Shirley Eaton (who is fantastic here!). Jean-Paul Belmundo starred in a 1964 international hit called The Man From Rio and Girl From Rio does a good job casting a lookalike actor. For me personally, the cast is made complete with Maria Rohm, the future star of Venus In Furs. She has the face of a doll, the body of a goddess and she gets to do so much more in this film.
By why you should really check it out is Jess Franco's directing. He is working with a much bigger scope and budget here. Costumes, locales, a big cast of gorgeous women and decent male actors, guns and props. He is starting to find his psychedelic style here with the vibrant colors (he was fresh from shooting B&W) and he is mastering his signature zooms, pans and lingering takes. Now either you find Franco's style tedious or gripping, idiotic or ironic, childish or adsurdist, crude or economical, awkward or surreal. Some films veer into the negative classing, but Rio is closer to art than it is to trash. Thankfully its a happy mix of high and low art. P.S. This is the rare Franco movie that has a Hollywood happy ending!
From the poster and title, I thought Rio would be my cup of tea and I was not disappointed. It exceeded my expectations with all the bad-mouthing its gotten. It might alienate some because its delightfully dated and its weirdness is not so extreme as other movies. It good middle-of-the-road Franco. I would recommend it to anyone who just likes good James Bond tribute.
Killer Barbys 1995
Well, this is my first review of 90s Franco. I was pleasantly surprised! Cheap, stupid, silly, very spooky and pretty damn entertaining.
This is one of Franco's "for hire" commercial crowd-pleasers. Not up to par with Faceless and Blood Moon, but retaining enough of the spirit. There's heavy gore and light sex (the reverse of Franco's preferences) and Jess works in his Orloff formula to create some familiarity and continuity.
The plot is setup like a slasher, Texas Chainsaw Massacre to be specific. Kids in a van run afoul of some crazy backwoods yokels in an old haunt. Was TCM a riff on Scooby Doo? We may never know. But Killer Barbys feels A LOT like Scooby Doo. Since its Franco in charge, the villains of course are a cold hearted man, his bed-ridden lover who needs flesh to survive and their demented and darkly comical henchman. They're not mad scientists this time. The bed-ridden bitch is a vampire, tying in to Franco's most famous period. Oh and she's played by Mariangela Giordano, the stunning Italian milf from the immortal "Burial Ground". She was around 57 here and looking absolutely incredible.
The Killer Barbys are a pop-punk band from Spain who I can only assume wanted to promote their name with a fun no-budget horror movie. They must be big Franco fans because someone pulled strings to get Franco work at this point in time. Euro-schlock movies were few and far between after the late 80s.
As usual, Franco makes chicken soup out of chicken shit as there is no money on the screen and the script is way more amateurish than the stuff hes usually associated with. But its a good watch. Maybe even a repeat viewer. The Barbys are likeable enough, the weirdness is there, the gore and special effects are cheesy and excessive, its typically well-shot and full of Gothic mood. And The Barbys' music ain't too bad.
A small feather in Franco's cap.
This is one of Franco's "for hire" commercial crowd-pleasers. Not up to par with Faceless and Blood Moon, but retaining enough of the spirit. There's heavy gore and light sex (the reverse of Franco's preferences) and Jess works in his Orloff formula to create some familiarity and continuity.
The plot is setup like a slasher, Texas Chainsaw Massacre to be specific. Kids in a van run afoul of some crazy backwoods yokels in an old haunt. Was TCM a riff on Scooby Doo? We may never know. But Killer Barbys feels A LOT like Scooby Doo. Since its Franco in charge, the villains of course are a cold hearted man, his bed-ridden lover who needs flesh to survive and their demented and darkly comical henchman. They're not mad scientists this time. The bed-ridden bitch is a vampire, tying in to Franco's most famous period. Oh and she's played by Mariangela Giordano, the stunning Italian milf from the immortal "Burial Ground". She was around 57 here and looking absolutely incredible.
The Killer Barbys are a pop-punk band from Spain who I can only assume wanted to promote their name with a fun no-budget horror movie. They must be big Franco fans because someone pulled strings to get Franco work at this point in time. Euro-schlock movies were few and far between after the late 80s.
As usual, Franco makes chicken soup out of chicken shit as there is no money on the screen and the script is way more amateurish than the stuff hes usually associated with. But its a good watch. Maybe even a repeat viewer. The Barbys are likeable enough, the weirdness is there, the gore and special effects are cheesy and excessive, its typically well-shot and full of Gothic mood. And The Barbys' music ain't too bad.
A small feather in Franco's cap.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Curse of Frankenstein/Erotic Rites of Frankenstein 1972
AKA Maledicion de Frankenstein
This is the weirdest Franco movie IMO. Also one of the funniest and more atmospheric. Obviously based on Creepy comics' Gothic visuals and ridiculous tone, Curse is like a fever dream a little boy would have after watching a classic Frankenstein movie. Its an acid logic retelling of Bride of Frankenstein which features some absurd and surreal moments that are too good not to share, including Dr. Frankenstein being killed and resurrected 3 times and an army of men in paper mache skull masks lurching through a foggy forest. I don't want to give away any more but this ride is fast yet moody, sweet yet violent, tasteless yet artful. One of the most definitive Jess Franco experiences.
This has to be in my Top 10 for him.
This is the weirdest Franco movie IMO. Also one of the funniest and more atmospheric. Obviously based on Creepy comics' Gothic visuals and ridiculous tone, Curse is like a fever dream a little boy would have after watching a classic Frankenstein movie. Its an acid logic retelling of Bride of Frankenstein which features some absurd and surreal moments that are too good not to share, including Dr. Frankenstein being killed and resurrected 3 times and an army of men in paper mache skull masks lurching through a foggy forest. I don't want to give away any more but this ride is fast yet moody, sweet yet violent, tasteless yet artful. One of the most definitive Jess Franco experiences.
This has to be in my Top 10 for him.
Friday, February 17, 2017
Daughter of Dracula 1972
These include: 3 Naked Women on Robinson Island, A Virgin Among the Living Dead, Dracula Contra Frankenstein, Daughter of Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Lovers of Devil's Island, A Captain of Fifteen Years, Intimate Diary of a Nymphomaniac, Dolls For Sale, How To Seduce a Virgin/ Pleasure For Three, The Other Side of the Mirror, The Perverse Countess, The Lustful Amazons, The Erotic Exploits of Maciste in Atlantis, Les Chatouilleuses, Sexy Erotic Job, Les Emmerdeuses, Celestine, Lorna the Exorcist
Daughter of Dracula was a great sleepy horror movie. Its closer to Virgin's atmospheric and emotional mystery than it is to Curse's balls-out, tongue-in-cheek experimentalism. This is for the lovers of early Bava-style giallos or the more realistic Gothic vampire tales that and Hammer was producing. Its very serious. I really want to compare it to Dark Shadows in look and feel and I expect it is a light remake of Franco's Count Dracula, which is regarded as being the most faithful adaptation of Bram Stoker's vision.
There's such a sweet balance of the procedural mystery/crime drama and the supernatural thriller. It has a violent body count, lesbian sex and some of the most foreboding and suspenseful shots Franco has done, but then it shocks you with a painful love story (with Jess delivering a great little acting job as a cuckold Van Helsing character).
Its not amazing because the plot is basically Vampire 101 aka Dracula. The vast majority of Franco's scripts were cliched and thin because the man was producing almost 10 a year! But it doesn't matter with films like this where the acting, visuals and production design are all wonderful. Daughter is evocative and painlessly sucks you for its short running time.
Special shoutout to the trio of actresses who hold this together dramatically: The sullen and statuesque Britt Nichols stars in her biggest role as the vampire lead and is paired in a lesbian angle with the solid Anne Libert. A gorgeous pair with underrated acting chops. The third woman is Cochita Nunez, a fine actress with a very sad mug who adds a lot of breath to the movie and I hope she pops up again in my Franco marathon.
A Virgin Among The Living Dead 1973
Hmmm. I'm on the fence here. This was a favorite of mine, but it
doesn't live up to my first impression. Initially I found Virgin to be a
heavyweight Gothic experience and overlooked its big flaws. Its not
like the flaws spoil the mood, but I can't say its one of Franco's very
best. Still I highly recommend this, even as a starter.
The plot follows a young woman who arrives at a castle for her father's inheritance. She meets her strange extended family and the eeriness builds until she is losing her mind. I think this is Franco's first time using this plot structure and while this script is more basic than its reworkings (Daughter of Dracula has the same setup, Other Side Of The Mirror has the same climax), this is the moodiest and more bizarre of the films. Shit, I think its the best shot of the three. It has its camp and its tediousness, but it is very effective, beautiful and sexy.
It has a low ranking among horror fans because its title evokes a Romero movie with tits and Franco fans don't give it enough praise because it its plot is so minor, but I think its a minor classic. The famous title was added in 1981 as were zombie scenes shot by the great Jean Rollin.
The cast is really special. You have Franco all-stars and some great bit players that I hope return. Christina von Blanc is the lead, exquisite from head to toe and very vulnerable in her acting. Britt Nichols and Anne Libert are phenomenal as the mysterious and evil supporting actresses (the pair appear in my next two reviews btw). And we get Jess Franco as a very creepy and yet hilarious Morpho-esque manservant and Howard Vernon at his best in a more loose and unassuming villainous role.
SPOILER ALERT: The ending will make or
break the film for you and while I think it wasn't quite sold perfectly,
its still awesomely appropriate when you sit with it. Its a kinda
replay of Venus in Furs' ending, but way more logical and built up. Does
it turn the entire film into a dream? Or was the film real and she met
vampires? The film leaves you with questions, no happy ending but still
some poetic closure and a free interpretation. LOVE IT!
Well, jeez. Writing my feelings and thoughts down, I guess this is one of my favorites from Jess Franco. The camp really only adds to the spookiness and the tediousness is fairly low for a Franco film with lesbians in it. Of his films that I've seen, this is the best contribution to the EuroHorror genre and its easily comparable to the genius '72 Spanish vampire film "Blood Spattered Bride" and Jean Rollins' Gothic masterpieces. Its just so full of atmosphere and weirdness and old-school existential terror. I hope the opinion on this film changes just like mine has. But I loved it to begin with. But I gave it a fair critiquing and it still passes the test.
The plot follows a young woman who arrives at a castle for her father's inheritance. She meets her strange extended family and the eeriness builds until she is losing her mind. I think this is Franco's first time using this plot structure and while this script is more basic than its reworkings (Daughter of Dracula has the same setup, Other Side Of The Mirror has the same climax), this is the moodiest and more bizarre of the films. Shit, I think its the best shot of the three. It has its camp and its tediousness, but it is very effective, beautiful and sexy.
It has a low ranking among horror fans because its title evokes a Romero movie with tits and Franco fans don't give it enough praise because it its plot is so minor, but I think its a minor classic. The famous title was added in 1981 as were zombie scenes shot by the great Jean Rollin.
The cast is really special. You have Franco all-stars and some great bit players that I hope return. Christina von Blanc is the lead, exquisite from head to toe and very vulnerable in her acting. Britt Nichols and Anne Libert are phenomenal as the mysterious and evil supporting actresses (the pair appear in my next two reviews btw). And we get Jess Franco as a very creepy and yet hilarious Morpho-esque manservant and Howard Vernon at his best in a more loose and unassuming villainous role.
Well, jeez. Writing my feelings and thoughts down, I guess this is one of my favorites from Jess Franco. The camp really only adds to the spookiness and the tediousness is fairly low for a Franco film with lesbians in it. Of his films that I've seen, this is the best contribution to the EuroHorror genre and its easily comparable to the genius '72 Spanish vampire film "Blood Spattered Bride" and Jean Rollins' Gothic masterpieces. Its just so full of atmosphere and weirdness and old-school existential terror. I hope the opinion on this film changes just like mine has. But I loved it to begin with. But I gave it a fair critiquing and it still passes the test.
BLUE RITA 1977
I don't like to give away the plot in reviews because films like Blue Rita are built on their wild stories and surprising twists. But I'll paint a picture of the experience: strippers, spies, stripper spies, sadism and psychedelia.
From the beginning I was hooked. The film opens with lurid colors and mod minimalist decor. Every time Franco worked with a French production, he delivered something bright and bold and very futuristic. Even by 2017 standards, Blue Rita is a cool and visually arresting film. Immediately Franco pulls us into his world of obsessions: sex, jazz, S&M, political intrigue and oddly poetic dialogue. I haven't seen that formula mesh so well as it does here.
Franco only had a few basic premises that he returned to: The Orloff saga, The Women in Bondage saga, The Lesbian Vampire saga and a lot of little miscellaneous departures that borrowed from those main stories. Blue Rita is one of the most unique Franco films, best described as a spy adventure spoof. Franco made quite a few cheeky oo7 style films in the 1960s like the inferior Fu Manchu sequels, The Girl From Rio and Red Lips Girls films. Stylistically and thematically, BR is close but amped up because of Franco's experience and the 70s' much softer censorship. Having worked on lots of great films at this point, Jess worked in a lot of plot devices and characterizations from other genres. While he added cruel psychological violence and very titillating softcore to the previous films' absurd and breakneck scifi sleuthing, he takes it to absurd levels here. As this genre was old-hat to him, he approached it with ease and an experimental approach that hits all the right buttons.
Blue Rita is very campy, even for Franco but I really got invested in the characters, especially "Sam" played by Dagmar Burger (named "Sun" in the German version). She's has to be the most likeable and comparatively real protagonist in 70s Franco's films. Its bizarre that a girl shows a romantic interest in a man here, instead of just lust. Dagmar is perfectly cast as she plays the dual nature of her character well. And the erotica in Franco's movies rarely lasts beyond its visual and sensual splendor, but Dagmar's little striptease as Pippi Longstocking was adorable! So funny and memorable.
The story was very well done, straightforward and totally fantastical but full of reversals and action. I've read a lot of comparisons to Jean Rollins' films and I totally got that vibe too. Urban, colorful, sexy and campy with a twist ending. But, again, I have to point out that Franco's early films had this formula.
This is a new favorite for me and I highly recommend it to fans of softcore adventure films, psychedelic B-movies and spy spoofs. Really would play next to Danger Diabolik!
From the beginning I was hooked. The film opens with lurid colors and mod minimalist decor. Every time Franco worked with a French production, he delivered something bright and bold and very futuristic. Even by 2017 standards, Blue Rita is a cool and visually arresting film. Immediately Franco pulls us into his world of obsessions: sex, jazz, S&M, political intrigue and oddly poetic dialogue. I haven't seen that formula mesh so well as it does here.
Franco only had a few basic premises that he returned to: The Orloff saga, The Women in Bondage saga, The Lesbian Vampire saga and a lot of little miscellaneous departures that borrowed from those main stories. Blue Rita is one of the most unique Franco films, best described as a spy adventure spoof. Franco made quite a few cheeky oo7 style films in the 1960s like the inferior Fu Manchu sequels, The Girl From Rio and Red Lips Girls films. Stylistically and thematically, BR is close but amped up because of Franco's experience and the 70s' much softer censorship. Having worked on lots of great films at this point, Jess worked in a lot of plot devices and characterizations from other genres. While he added cruel psychological violence and very titillating softcore to the previous films' absurd and breakneck scifi sleuthing, he takes it to absurd levels here. As this genre was old-hat to him, he approached it with ease and an experimental approach that hits all the right buttons.
Blue Rita is very campy, even for Franco but I really got invested in the characters, especially "Sam" played by Dagmar Burger (named "Sun" in the German version). She's has to be the most likeable and comparatively real protagonist in 70s Franco's films. Its bizarre that a girl shows a romantic interest in a man here, instead of just lust. Dagmar is perfectly cast as she plays the dual nature of her character well. And the erotica in Franco's movies rarely lasts beyond its visual and sensual splendor, but Dagmar's little striptease as Pippi Longstocking was adorable! So funny and memorable.
The story was very well done, straightforward and totally fantastical but full of reversals and action. I've read a lot of comparisons to Jean Rollins' films and I totally got that vibe too. Urban, colorful, sexy and campy with a twist ending. But, again, I have to point out that Franco's early films had this formula.
This is a new favorite for me and I highly recommend it to fans of softcore adventure films, psychedelic B-movies and spy spoofs. Really would play next to Danger Diabolik!
FOUR FRANCO REVIEWS!
I'm back on the Franco train, baby. I woke up with the Vampyros Lesbos soundtrack playing in my head and remembered how titanic a hero this little Spanish man is and felt inspired to tackle more of his movies. I was shaken by how tedious and painful I found a few of his later films (I couldn't finish X312 and Mondo Cannibale, but I promise to finish and review them), but I think it made me appreciate how interesting he was even at his worst and now I can return to my comfort zone with fresh eyes. So I tackled 4 titles from my favorite period - the 70s. 2 were new viewings and 2 were re-watches.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Remember Troma movies?
Remember when you discovered Troma? If you find their films at the right age, you become obsessed and inspired by this grungy little independent film studio. They specialized in making the cheapest films possible as entertainingly as possible. Headed by Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, Troma was the much sleazier, shlockier version of Cannon films. They were producers and often duo directors who started with Z-grade screwball comedies in the 1970s originally aimed for NY and NJ grindhouses.
But as sex, gore and action films started trending and the video store market exploded, Troma mutated into its own brand of schizophrenic and unpretentious commercial trash film. They wore their whorish sensibilities til they gained a punk rock cache that made their theater releases quite popular too. Eventually they were ghettoized as Hollywood bought the big theater and video store chains, but they survived by inspiring DIY filmmakers to provide them with content to distribute. Since the 2000s, Troma has been seemingly dying a slow death and very little quality has come out of the company. DIY filmmakers now sidestep admittedly shoddy distributors and backers like Troma and Full Moon Pictures for YouTube and KickStarter. Its not that Troma can't enter the 21st century. The opposite is true: They were so ahead of their times that they are waiting for the rest of the world to accommodate them. But they remain a beacon to current fans of cult movies and the fact that they haven't folded is a very important one.
Being so far out of the mainstream allowed Troma to cultivate its own ideas and not fall victim to ill trends. Unlike Hollywood, women, minorities and gays always had parts in their films, possibly because of the liberal casting on such micro budgets. Troma was still casually sexist, racist and homophobic, but it always came from the Jewish sensibility of everyone being taken down a peg an laughed at equally. White men are certainly the most criticized and vilified, not because of power but abuse of it. Troma was decades ahead of 2017's cultural politics minus the obnoxious political correctness dogma. I grew up seeing trans characters and foreigners and obese people and elderly people on my TV screen, so I never felt any need to see them as freaks nor treat them as delicate infants to be patronized and romanticized. I owe that to Troma totally.They occupy a big spot on the mantle of American indie filmmaking for their messages, their ability to survive risks and keep producing in some capacity. Along with Roger Corman and Cannon, Troma created an influential brand and churned out a lot of undervalued popcorn entertainment that is probably better viewed today than it was when released. Troma's stayed true to their slogan: "Movies of the future".
Here are the films that best represent the company and their aesthetic:
- The Toxic Avenger: The godfather of all gore-comedy-action hybrids. Incredibly influential and supremely watchable. Famous for lowbrow slapstick and cheesy 80s flair, its full of biting satire and clever no-budget filmmaking.
- Class of Nuke 'Em High: The spiritual sequel that ups all of the positive qualities of TA. The plot isn't as charming and its not as universally appealing, but it is still a fun time capsule and a tribute to arrested development.
- Troma's War: The excess and pretentiousness of the 80s catches up to Troma as they try to make a Swarzeneggar-style bonanza of special effects and weirdness. A special treat for fans of the previous films and a kind of peak for the company.
- Surf Nazis Must Die: Troma bought lots of films from struggling nobodies and this is probably the most worthy of note. Unintentionally hilarious and intentionally absurd, this is one of the biggest guilty pleasures for me. Aren't the titles of these movies amazing?
- Sgt Kabukiman NYPD: Troma tries to make a PG-13 cash-in on 1989's Batman. Its a real mixed bag but the charm and inventiveness is there, though waning.
- Bloodsucking Freaks: One of the earliest acquisitions, this is an uncharacteristically disturbing gore film in the vein of HG Lewis but taken to much seedier and exploitative realms. One of the first "extreme horror" films. For gorehounds only.
- Superstarlet AD: A great gem from later Troma. Its a B&W spoof of 50s scifi and "nudie cutie" films. Haunting and alluring Late night time-wasters like this are why Troma have a devoted cult audience.
- Redneck Zombies: Shot on VHS, this is one of the shabbiest films you will ever watch, but its has awesome special effects and fun gags supplied by a smalltown troupe of 80s friends turned DIY filmmakers. The director/star/writer would go on to contribute to a lot of Troma's best effects.
- The Last Horror Film: Another acquisition that defies expectation. The most personal film from cult movie legend Joe Spinell is a gorgeous and dreamy horror satire that re-teams Spinell with Caroline Munro, his co-star in the legendary "Maniac".
- Nightmare Weekend: A totally surreal slasher about puppets and mad scientists. So amateurish but still as entertaining as can be.
- Tromeo & Juliet: Written by the future director/writer of Guardians of the Galaxy, this was Troma's exploitation of Gen X indie movies. While Troma was losing money and their gimmicks were getting more crude, this has a more personal and clever edge than the usual Troma film.
- Terror Firmer: This is where Troma started becoming a bit too self-referential and the humor too crass, but its a celebration of the studio's uncompromising independence and ingenuity as the film is full of decent amateur performances, fx, gags and observations.
- Citizen Toxie: I have a soft spot for this one. Its a love letter to the Troma purists and might hook unfamiliars. Its pure anarchy, juvenalia, attitude and proverbial rabbits being pulled out of hats that you wouldn't expect from such a small movie. Its a respectable stab at Hollywood-level spectacle without any of the resources.
- The Taint: Made very recently, this is one of the funniest and most charming films Troma has put out in ages. Some fans side with the more aggressive and ambitious "Father's Day", but The Taint has a grassroots humor and appreciation for escapism that created and sustained the company.
Wiener-Dog 2016
* Written in August 2016
Its another dark satire from Todd Solondz whose work grows more poetic and reflective with each film. He's worked with episodic films before but this time they are tied together narratively by a small symbolic animal actor and thematically by the the progressing ages of the human actors. Its biographical and confessional.
One one level this is Solondz' most appealing work, at least visually and marketing-wise. But it could be his most savage and aggressive. But its also his most balanced and most clever. Very possibly his best.
He solidified this style of muted Technicolor nightmare storytelling with his last films (Life During Wartime and Dark Horse) which were very under-the-radar. "Wiener" is his most visible film since Welcome to the Dollhouse and he uses that as a tool to shock the Dollhouse fans and Dachshund fans who wander into this existential horror film.
There are no gimmicks or tricks. Images, dialogue, acting and directing make the movie and nothing hold back. Solondz has evolved into one of the greatest film directors ever delivering nothing but personal works that entertain and also leave one rocked to the core. With age he has stripped down his directing style to Pure Cinema with powerful moving images that are poems unto themselves and dialogue that is never superfluous. The average film-goer may object to his upsetting themes of despair, pedophilia and loss of innocence, but there's no debating that this man is an artist of the highest order.
Unlike most online reviewers, I was satisfied that Solondz hadn't finally given in to making a cute indie festival crowd-pleaser. And thankfully he had a crew of producers and actors who supported him in tricking the mass media into thinking this was something other than a bold statement. Tod Solondz is the only artist on the list of modern American filmmakers who is unpopular enough and full of enough conviction to call out the villains of this modern era: celebrity artists, SJWs, Millennial hipsters, corporate sponsors, bad parents and all the enemies of honesty in our society and the killers of great cinema.
The film is being sold as the first Solondz film since his debut to avoid explicit perversion or mention of pedophilia. Actually, Dark Horse was that film. Wiener Dog makes allusions to these taboo subjects subtly and the effect is even more upsetting and tragic. There's a very pornographic scene of a male child actor symbolically asking to be raped followed by an agonizing extended moment where Todd Solondz own personal Hell is literally unraveled on screen. This all-encompassing depression for his condition and the shameful guilt in his un-indulged fantasies symbolically explode on the screen (anyone who has seen "Happiness" will pick up on the powerful meaning of bloody feces in the Solondz oeuvre).
Wiener Dog is an act of a creature ripping off the created human husk and bearing the blackness and pure light of his soul on the screen for the cold judgment and dim-witted entertainment of us all. The final shot is one of the most powerful metaphors ever created through cinema. Total catharsis and self-reflection for the repressed and utterly dark mind with a heart of gold.
10/10
Brutal, honest, uncompromising filmmaking
This is the movie of 2016. Its a movie about where we are as a world in 2016. The way Love was the movie of 2015, Boyhood 2014 and 12 Years A Slave 2013.Its another dark satire from Todd Solondz whose work grows more poetic and reflective with each film. He's worked with episodic films before but this time they are tied together narratively by a small symbolic animal actor and thematically by the the progressing ages of the human actors. Its biographical and confessional.
One one level this is Solondz' most appealing work, at least visually and marketing-wise. But it could be his most savage and aggressive. But its also his most balanced and most clever. Very possibly his best.
He solidified this style of muted Technicolor nightmare storytelling with his last films (Life During Wartime and Dark Horse) which were very under-the-radar. "Wiener" is his most visible film since Welcome to the Dollhouse and he uses that as a tool to shock the Dollhouse fans and Dachshund fans who wander into this existential horror film.
There are no gimmicks or tricks. Images, dialogue, acting and directing make the movie and nothing hold back. Solondz has evolved into one of the greatest film directors ever delivering nothing but personal works that entertain and also leave one rocked to the core. With age he has stripped down his directing style to Pure Cinema with powerful moving images that are poems unto themselves and dialogue that is never superfluous. The average film-goer may object to his upsetting themes of despair, pedophilia and loss of innocence, but there's no debating that this man is an artist of the highest order.
Unlike most online reviewers, I was satisfied that Solondz hadn't finally given in to making a cute indie festival crowd-pleaser. And thankfully he had a crew of producers and actors who supported him in tricking the mass media into thinking this was something other than a bold statement. Tod Solondz is the only artist on the list of modern American filmmakers who is unpopular enough and full of enough conviction to call out the villains of this modern era: celebrity artists, SJWs, Millennial hipsters, corporate sponsors, bad parents and all the enemies of honesty in our society and the killers of great cinema.
The film is being sold as the first Solondz film since his debut to avoid explicit perversion or mention of pedophilia. Actually, Dark Horse was that film. Wiener Dog makes allusions to these taboo subjects subtly and the effect is even more upsetting and tragic. There's a very pornographic scene of a male child actor symbolically asking to be raped followed by an agonizing extended moment where Todd Solondz own personal Hell is literally unraveled on screen. This all-encompassing depression for his condition and the shameful guilt in his un-indulged fantasies symbolically explode on the screen (anyone who has seen "Happiness" will pick up on the powerful meaning of bloody feces in the Solondz oeuvre).
Wiener Dog is an act of a creature ripping off the created human husk and bearing the blackness and pure light of his soul on the screen for the cold judgment and dim-witted entertainment of us all. The final shot is one of the most powerful metaphors ever created through cinema. Total catharsis and self-reflection for the repressed and utterly dark mind with a heart of gold.
10/10
The Adventures Of Pete And Pete
The 1990s was a golden age for television. From Twin Peaks to The
X-Files to The Larry Sanders, it was a decade where television grew up
and broke barriers that film was afraid to touch. It was the
culmination not only of the 20th century but the Millennium and there
was an air of closure and looming revolution. We were in the dawn of a
technological age of information and the dusk of a more spiritual and
simpler understanding of our selves. The 90s brought a post-modernist
and metaphysical color to the way we see and represent ourselves in
media and entertainment. Not all TV programming was this awakened,
adventurous and accepting of the future, but the children's network
Nickelodeon was a surprising home of many next-level shows that
appealed to adults and kids alike.
The Adventures of Pete was Nickelodeon's crown jewel and is comparable to the best television shows in history.
What P&P offered was a unique worldview and satirical but highly emotional tone that contextualized the transition from childhood to adulthood by revolving around the straining bond between two twin-like brothers who were only separated by their levels of maturity. This central relationship reflected the unconscious drama that was effecting the world (and still is) and united viewers of all ages. The show captured a nostalgia and fear of aging that is universally felt and only grows stronger as we reach death.
These serious themes of existentialism, alienation, paranoia, delusions of grandeur and a quest for immortality played out in the lives of suburban youths who found epic spiritual dramas in the most mundane and absurd times and places. Yet viewers can relate to that massive pressure and frustration with being a child, powerless and yet full of potential. The brothers Pete were most often awakening to their place in the universe and making peace with being small and human rather than superheroes or godlike historical figures. The show was a great examination of the frail human ego and all of its pitfalls and triumphs. But it was so much more than a coming-of-age sitcom. It was an almost mythological analogy of the human spirit told from with a childlike innocence tempered by the brilliant temperament of its adult creators.
The show lasted 3 short seasons and ended rather anticlimactically before the quality could take a major dip. This only enhances the simplistic poetry of the series as we never get to see the characters age or learn anything of their adult fates. Their universe ends and bleeds into our own. We take these characters, their stories and their lessons with us, which should be the ultimate goal of storytelling but is even more pronounced and delicately rendered in children's storytelling. The overwhelming success of Pete & Pete is proved in the sentimental reverence the show has amassed from an entire generation that tuned in. Its highly unlikely another show will recapture or top this one and so it will live on forever as the new classic that it is.
The Adventures of Pete was Nickelodeon's crown jewel and is comparable to the best television shows in history.
What P&P offered was a unique worldview and satirical but highly emotional tone that contextualized the transition from childhood to adulthood by revolving around the straining bond between two twin-like brothers who were only separated by their levels of maturity. This central relationship reflected the unconscious drama that was effecting the world (and still is) and united viewers of all ages. The show captured a nostalgia and fear of aging that is universally felt and only grows stronger as we reach death.
These serious themes of existentialism, alienation, paranoia, delusions of grandeur and a quest for immortality played out in the lives of suburban youths who found epic spiritual dramas in the most mundane and absurd times and places. Yet viewers can relate to that massive pressure and frustration with being a child, powerless and yet full of potential. The brothers Pete were most often awakening to their place in the universe and making peace with being small and human rather than superheroes or godlike historical figures. The show was a great examination of the frail human ego and all of its pitfalls and triumphs. But it was so much more than a coming-of-age sitcom. It was an almost mythological analogy of the human spirit told from with a childlike innocence tempered by the brilliant temperament of its adult creators.
The show lasted 3 short seasons and ended rather anticlimactically before the quality could take a major dip. This only enhances the simplistic poetry of the series as we never get to see the characters age or learn anything of their adult fates. Their universe ends and bleeds into our own. We take these characters, their stories and their lessons with us, which should be the ultimate goal of storytelling but is even more pronounced and delicately rendered in children's storytelling. The overwhelming success of Pete & Pete is proved in the sentimental reverence the show has amassed from an entire generation that tuned in. Its highly unlikely another show will recapture or top this one and so it will live on forever as the new classic that it is.
Showgirls 1995
*Written for IMDB with the title "This Film Was Too Next-Level For 1995"
I have yet to watch "Elle", but I rate this as Paul Verhoeven's masterpiece.
First off, critics failed to realize that the bizarre and trashy quality was on purpose to reflect the character and her journey. The world of Vegas showgirls and strippers is surreal, beautiful on the surface and steeped in idiotic fantasy. Verhoeven makes this film a reflection of 90s American values that are MORE timely in 2016.
The infamous "lap dance in a pool scene" is the biggest gag and hint at what this film is about. From this absurd moment on, Nomi's world comes crumbling and her false self is unraveled. Ignorant viewers thought it was just a misguided sex scene that unintentionally takes the film over the top. Verhoeven knows what he's doing in every second of the movie.
Its undeniable that Showgirls is the best shot movie of the 1990s or very close to being, but it needs to be reappraised as a monumental art film that's sly and doesn't pander or take itself too seriously, unlike the films that win Oscars these days. If this film was made today and starred Amy Adams and was directed by PT Anderson, critics would respect it and think it was one of the most modern films ever. Now reflect that it starred a Saved By The Bell star, was directed by the Robocop guy and came out over 20 years ago. All of those things make it better, if you didn't know. 10 star film.
I have yet to watch "Elle", but I rate this as Paul Verhoeven's masterpiece.
First off, critics failed to realize that the bizarre and trashy quality was on purpose to reflect the character and her journey. The world of Vegas showgirls and strippers is surreal, beautiful on the surface and steeped in idiotic fantasy. Verhoeven makes this film a reflection of 90s American values that are MORE timely in 2016.
The infamous "lap dance in a pool scene" is the biggest gag and hint at what this film is about. From this absurd moment on, Nomi's world comes crumbling and her false self is unraveled. Ignorant viewers thought it was just a misguided sex scene that unintentionally takes the film over the top. Verhoeven knows what he's doing in every second of the movie.
Its undeniable that Showgirls is the best shot movie of the 1990s or very close to being, but it needs to be reappraised as a monumental art film that's sly and doesn't pander or take itself too seriously, unlike the films that win Oscars these days. If this film was made today and starred Amy Adams and was directed by PT Anderson, critics would respect it and think it was one of the most modern films ever. Now reflect that it starred a Saved By The Bell star, was directed by the Robocop guy and came out over 20 years ago. All of those things make it better, if you didn't know. 10 star film.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape 1989
I am not a huge devotee of American indie films from the 1990s and onward. The story themes, production and directoral styles are repetitive to me and its grown into an overpraised and over-referenced genre for American film enthusiasts. Maybe its childish, but I resent these movies because they are usually only good and still rob the attention away from truly great films made worldwide and even in Hollywood. American indies are synonymous with "Oscar bait".
But this is what the market has turned into. It was once something less pretentious and home to films that were too fringe or risky for Hollywood studios. In 2017, the high profile indie film hit will have an enormous budget and only separate itself by having a slightly older audience or less marquee actors. I guess thats been the case since John Cassavettes defined the movement in the 1960s. But indie films are made for the indie film audience now. That audience is clearly defined and vocal and willing to invest lots of dollars so many indie filmmakers deliver the expected tripe.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape was one of the films that is credited with establishing this middle class audience and proving the commercial viability of indie films to Hollywood players. I was wary that this would be another film about a tiny cast of sad white youths failing to disconnect and climaxing with a cathartic tragic moment of romance. And it is. "Sex" the genesis of that wide-reaching formula but, like many originators, it is better than its imitators. While director Steven Soderbergh is definitely lifting from Cassavettes, Bergman and Tarkovsky, he tempers it and irons out the edges to create something less heavy, more commercial and yet still as personal. He anchors it all with simple cinematic storytelling and broader and more universal archetypal characters. The power of SLAV is that it finds the high drama in such American whitebread lives (Southern WASPs to make it more shocking). A cynic would say he's just swiping the characterization from his influences but I would say he is revealing WITH IRONY the Bergman in these purposely boring American types. Its a calculated call to arms to other filmmakers to bring the arthouse to American indie films and a show of unity between America and the struggling classes elsewhere.
I wouldn't blame anyone for dismissing this film with or without seeing but I think it deserves a watch when given the proper context. Its objectively an important film and I think its clearly superior to most films out today because of its purity and complexity. This is one of those films that has influenced not only a bunch of other influential films but also TV series like Mad Men, The Young Pope, etc. So many film students were moved by this and it charged them to create some of the best work being made, so you have to give credit to Soderbergh. For its tiny place between commercial and arthouse cinema, I would say Sex, Lies, and Videotape is a minor masterpiece.
But this is what the market has turned into. It was once something less pretentious and home to films that were too fringe or risky for Hollywood studios. In 2017, the high profile indie film hit will have an enormous budget and only separate itself by having a slightly older audience or less marquee actors. I guess thats been the case since John Cassavettes defined the movement in the 1960s. But indie films are made for the indie film audience now. That audience is clearly defined and vocal and willing to invest lots of dollars so many indie filmmakers deliver the expected tripe.
Sex, Lies, and Videotape was one of the films that is credited with establishing this middle class audience and proving the commercial viability of indie films to Hollywood players. I was wary that this would be another film about a tiny cast of sad white youths failing to disconnect and climaxing with a cathartic tragic moment of romance. And it is. "Sex" the genesis of that wide-reaching formula but, like many originators, it is better than its imitators. While director Steven Soderbergh is definitely lifting from Cassavettes, Bergman and Tarkovsky, he tempers it and irons out the edges to create something less heavy, more commercial and yet still as personal. He anchors it all with simple cinematic storytelling and broader and more universal archetypal characters. The power of SLAV is that it finds the high drama in such American whitebread lives (Southern WASPs to make it more shocking). A cynic would say he's just swiping the characterization from his influences but I would say he is revealing WITH IRONY the Bergman in these purposely boring American types. Its a calculated call to arms to other filmmakers to bring the arthouse to American indie films and a show of unity between America and the struggling classes elsewhere.
I wouldn't blame anyone for dismissing this film with or without seeing but I think it deserves a watch when given the proper context. Its objectively an important film and I think its clearly superior to most films out today because of its purity and complexity. This is one of those films that has influenced not only a bunch of other influential films but also TV series like Mad Men, The Young Pope, etc. So many film students were moved by this and it charged them to create some of the best work being made, so you have to give credit to Soderbergh. For its tiny place between commercial and arthouse cinema, I would say Sex, Lies, and Videotape is a minor masterpiece.
Danger Diabolik 1968
Purchasing the dvd for Danger Diabolik as a high school freshman introduced me to a lot of different worlds: the psychedelic director Mario Bava, the flamboyant producer Dino De Laurentiis, a subgenre of 60s pop-art genre films and all of the weirdness in between.
This film has aged better than expected. Hadn't watched in 10 years and since then the movie world has adopted so many of Bava's techniques - by way of Nicolas Winding Refn (by way of Dario Argento) - and the world market is saturated with kinetic comic book action thrillers. Certainly films of this type are better written today and certainly given bigger budgets, but they aren't produced as lavishly or directed as creatively. And I don't even think any recent Marvel successes have castings the caliber of Marissa Mell or John Phillip Law. And a score by Ennio Morricone?! The components all fit tightly and raise the source material, which wasn't a bad place to begin with. And, in that rare instance where being dated actually benefits the work, the social politics of a swingin' '60s Italian culture gives the film so much flavor. It has a genuine criminal antihero, a straight up terrorist as the protagonist and it revels in the colors, sounds, fashions and sexual expressions of a newly liberated generation and country. This is a very unique film that is truly lightning in the bottle.
Its hard to expand on why this film is good without delving into the academics of Bava's directing or the funky wonder of what Dino assembled, so lets focus on the bizarre collaboration of these two pillars of world cinema, who would go on to influence most of what Hollywood does today. Isn't it poetic that their brief partnership spawned a film that is everything 2017 Hollywood tries to produce? This was a transitional period for both men as Bava was leaving Horror and Dino was trying desperately to break into the world of Hollywood Epics. Mario said that the pressures of big budget international filmmaking was too much for him while Dino forged ahead into more outrageous successes, with Barbarella being the first after Diabolik (using much of the same crew and aesthetic). I like to think they both learned a lot from each other and I know the tiny taste of this magical meshing influenced a lot of people within movies AND comics. The images of half-naked Marisa Mell rolling around in space age sets juxtaposed with cartoonish characters and stylized action violence directly inspired the James Bond series (Tim Lucas points out a scene that Diamonds Are Forever flat-out duplicated). I wouldn't be surprised if Jess Franco, Menahem Golan and maybe Renny Harlin were big fans of Diabolik.
So this a huge recommendation. Its dated but I think there's plenty for young audiences to enjoy and it stands as a mammoth achievement as a low budget film (by today's standards) and as a commercial foreign film. As much ingenuity as it took to make this movie equals the high ecstasy it gives when you watch it.
This film has aged better than expected. Hadn't watched in 10 years and since then the movie world has adopted so many of Bava's techniques - by way of Nicolas Winding Refn (by way of Dario Argento) - and the world market is saturated with kinetic comic book action thrillers. Certainly films of this type are better written today and certainly given bigger budgets, but they aren't produced as lavishly or directed as creatively. And I don't even think any recent Marvel successes have castings the caliber of Marissa Mell or John Phillip Law. And a score by Ennio Morricone?! The components all fit tightly and raise the source material, which wasn't a bad place to begin with. And, in that rare instance where being dated actually benefits the work, the social politics of a swingin' '60s Italian culture gives the film so much flavor. It has a genuine criminal antihero, a straight up terrorist as the protagonist and it revels in the colors, sounds, fashions and sexual expressions of a newly liberated generation and country. This is a very unique film that is truly lightning in the bottle.
Its hard to expand on why this film is good without delving into the academics of Bava's directing or the funky wonder of what Dino assembled, so lets focus on the bizarre collaboration of these two pillars of world cinema, who would go on to influence most of what Hollywood does today. Isn't it poetic that their brief partnership spawned a film that is everything 2017 Hollywood tries to produce? This was a transitional period for both men as Bava was leaving Horror and Dino was trying desperately to break into the world of Hollywood Epics. Mario said that the pressures of big budget international filmmaking was too much for him while Dino forged ahead into more outrageous successes, with Barbarella being the first after Diabolik (using much of the same crew and aesthetic). I like to think they both learned a lot from each other and I know the tiny taste of this magical meshing influenced a lot of people within movies AND comics. The images of half-naked Marisa Mell rolling around in space age sets juxtaposed with cartoonish characters and stylized action violence directly inspired the James Bond series (Tim Lucas points out a scene that Diamonds Are Forever flat-out duplicated). I wouldn't be surprised if Jess Franco, Menahem Golan and maybe Renny Harlin were big fans of Diabolik.
So this a huge recommendation. Its dated but I think there's plenty for young audiences to enjoy and it stands as a mammoth achievement as a low budget film (by today's standards) and as a commercial foreign film. As much ingenuity as it took to make this movie equals the high ecstasy it gives when you watch it.
Big Trouble In Little China 1986
Somehow I'm only watching this film at age 29 although John Carpenter helped raise me. Halloween was a big tastemaker in my formative years and The Thing was an obsession during puberty. They Live is a coming-of-age movie for me and I have a lukewarm romance with The Fog. Memoirs of an Invisible Man was a childhood favorite. But somehow Big Trouble never entered my radar. Never saw it on TV or for rental, so thank you, Netflix.
So it was less than I expected but perhaps I expected too much. Overall, I enjoyed it and respect it more than I did before watching it. Out of the gate, Carpenter is an old-school exploitation master with a great minimalist style, a wide range of directorial influences and a very mean, cold, moody sense of humor. I don't think any of his films are masterpieces, but they all took genre filmmaking to the next level. The things that don't work in BTILC are the same things that never work in Carpenter movies: sluggish energy, befuddled sense of narrative, cardboard characters and a kind of last-century moralism. I don't know if its because he was working on a big Hollywood exec type of crowd-pleaser or if he had a cocaine habit forming, but BT is his most schizophrenic and messy film. Its equal parts surprising, fashion-forward and childlike in its play as it is excessive, rushed, hollow, lacking in chemistry and borderline stupid. I think that schism works for most people, especially 80s kids who just focus on the dated style, looniness and special effects. Its comparable to 1986's Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in its lurid visuals, empty script and cocaine-fueled slapstick - another film by a 1970s horror icon trying to go Spielberg. That film was a Cannon movie and Big Trouble feels like the movie Cannon forgot to make.
It wears its influences on its sleeve: Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Back To The Future, Gremlins, John Wayne movies and James Bond. The film is in many ways a remake (or ripoff) of the 007 film "Live And Let Die". Our white swashbuckler gets caught up in an urban world of organized crime and old world magic, must rescue a damsel from a magician who wants to marry her and. It even steals LALD's double ending where a villain dies by inflation and then the credits roll as our hero drives off with a surviving magic villain laughing on the back of his vehicle. Its a perfect hodgepodge for Carpenter in theory but I suspect deadlines sabotaged the whole affair. The script is god awful. The jokes are flat and the narrative is horrid. Its all carried by Kurt Russell and some awesome production design and special fx.
Even the best Carpenter films are flimsy and devoted to style and mood more than anything. While Halloween and Thing have great themes and good casts, the themes are broad and work as backdrops to the visuals and the acting and characterization is always muted in favor of one liners and 2d archetypes. BTILC dials that up to zero and allows Carpenter to make the 50s comic book he always wanted to make, free from story and any poetic meaning. None of his films are bogged down by their predictable and elementary plots. But whenever I watch his movies, I just wonder what he could've done with a mature screenwriter or a more classy producer. Carpenter kept working in Hollywood for quite a long period and the movies are all serviceable and interesting, but still schlock and anti-intellectual. Big Trouble feels like the closest he ever got to a big budget blockbuster. Someone was obviously trying him out as the next Spielberg or Zemeckis and while he's arguably more idiosyncratic and equally as talented, he just wasn't on the same level in terms of professionalism and manipulating the system. Maybe he never wanted be. Its possible that he was happy being the king of B-movies.
In summary, Big Trouble is a mixed but mostly positive popcorn movie experience and an important moment for an important filmmaker. Even if you come out of it unimpressed or maybe offended, this is a movie that has influenced a lot of stuff. From the Mortal Kombat games to Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Its amazing how all of Carpenter's earlier films have defined different generations of genre fans.
So it was less than I expected but perhaps I expected too much. Overall, I enjoyed it and respect it more than I did before watching it. Out of the gate, Carpenter is an old-school exploitation master with a great minimalist style, a wide range of directorial influences and a very mean, cold, moody sense of humor. I don't think any of his films are masterpieces, but they all took genre filmmaking to the next level. The things that don't work in BTILC are the same things that never work in Carpenter movies: sluggish energy, befuddled sense of narrative, cardboard characters and a kind of last-century moralism. I don't know if its because he was working on a big Hollywood exec type of crowd-pleaser or if he had a cocaine habit forming, but BT is his most schizophrenic and messy film. Its equal parts surprising, fashion-forward and childlike in its play as it is excessive, rushed, hollow, lacking in chemistry and borderline stupid. I think that schism works for most people, especially 80s kids who just focus on the dated style, looniness and special effects. Its comparable to 1986's Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in its lurid visuals, empty script and cocaine-fueled slapstick - another film by a 1970s horror icon trying to go Spielberg. That film was a Cannon movie and Big Trouble feels like the movie Cannon forgot to make.
It wears its influences on its sleeve: Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Back To The Future, Gremlins, John Wayne movies and James Bond. The film is in many ways a remake (or ripoff) of the 007 film "Live And Let Die". Our white swashbuckler gets caught up in an urban world of organized crime and old world magic, must rescue a damsel from a magician who wants to marry her and. It even steals LALD's double ending where a villain dies by inflation and then the credits roll as our hero drives off with a surviving magic villain laughing on the back of his vehicle. Its a perfect hodgepodge for Carpenter in theory but I suspect deadlines sabotaged the whole affair. The script is god awful. The jokes are flat and the narrative is horrid. Its all carried by Kurt Russell and some awesome production design and special fx.
Even the best Carpenter films are flimsy and devoted to style and mood more than anything. While Halloween and Thing have great themes and good casts, the themes are broad and work as backdrops to the visuals and the acting and characterization is always muted in favor of one liners and 2d archetypes. BTILC dials that up to zero and allows Carpenter to make the 50s comic book he always wanted to make, free from story and any poetic meaning. None of his films are bogged down by their predictable and elementary plots. But whenever I watch his movies, I just wonder what he could've done with a mature screenwriter or a more classy producer. Carpenter kept working in Hollywood for quite a long period and the movies are all serviceable and interesting, but still schlock and anti-intellectual. Big Trouble feels like the closest he ever got to a big budget blockbuster. Someone was obviously trying him out as the next Spielberg or Zemeckis and while he's arguably more idiosyncratic and equally as talented, he just wasn't on the same level in terms of professionalism and manipulating the system. Maybe he never wanted be. Its possible that he was happy being the king of B-movies.
In summary, Big Trouble is a mixed but mostly positive popcorn movie experience and an important moment for an important filmmaker. Even if you come out of it unimpressed or maybe offended, this is a movie that has influenced a lot of stuff. From the Mortal Kombat games to Eddie Murphy's The Golden Child to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. Its amazing how all of Carpenter's earlier films have defined different generations of genre fans.
Took a break to refocus and collect more enthusiasm. This a very pessimistic and low energy moment in our collective history and a very dull bit for me personally. At least I've rediscovered my identity as a cinephile even if I'm not so sure I'm in love with film like I once was. The future of film is murky and my latest re-watches haven't been kind.
I'm still discovering good little films and very impressed with how much ground TV has made lately, but it hasn't approached film except in rare instances (which is how TV has always worked; more popular but overhyped).I might add some TV series reviews here.
My Jess Franco project marches on and, while I understand him more, I have lost the hope that his giant body of work is littered by bits of gold. More like he made a couple outstanding movies, a whole lotta mediocre ones and a ton of junk thats only slightly redeeming. Maybe I'm just burnt out or demoralized by subjecting myself to the most obscure and disliked films from his canon.
Ok, time to catch up and pump out some new reviews.
I'm still discovering good little films and very impressed with how much ground TV has made lately, but it hasn't approached film except in rare instances (which is how TV has always worked; more popular but overhyped).I might add some TV series reviews here.
My Jess Franco project marches on and, while I understand him more, I have lost the hope that his giant body of work is littered by bits of gold. More like he made a couple outstanding movies, a whole lotta mediocre ones and a ton of junk thats only slightly redeeming. Maybe I'm just burnt out or demoralized by subjecting myself to the most obscure and disliked films from his canon.
Ok, time to catch up and pump out some new reviews.
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