Friday, July 09, 2010
Bonanza: The Guilty (1962) (TV)
A friend of Ben's is threatened by a man who has just been released from prison. Ben's friend was the one who put him there.
Daisy Kenyon (1947)
Daisy Kenyon is a graphic artist and is having an affair with a married lawyer. Concurrently to that, she is courted by a former boat designer who is a widower and has just returned from the war.
Insipid melodrama, well made but compromised by a plot line about which it is hard to develop a sustained interest. A curious fact which I am apparently alone in acknowledging is that the obvious casting choice for the bad wife and the good mistress would seem to have been the reverse of the chosen one. But then again, Crawford was systematically cast in positive roles early in her career, until one day it apparently dawned on people that she had one of the most unpleasant faces in Hollywood, and she from then on was predominantly cast in villain roles. Another interesting thing is that this is a melodrama in which a character actually says the word "melodrama", which for me is a sign of conflicted personality or self-consciousness. A usual complaint is that the ending was constrained by the moral codes of the time; the real problem, however, is that one does not really care whether it ends one way or the other.
Rating: 44
Insipid melodrama, well made but compromised by a plot line about which it is hard to develop a sustained interest. A curious fact which I am apparently alone in acknowledging is that the obvious casting choice for the bad wife and the good mistress would seem to have been the reverse of the chosen one. But then again, Crawford was systematically cast in positive roles early in her career, until one day it apparently dawned on people that she had one of the most unpleasant faces in Hollywood, and she from then on was predominantly cast in villain roles. Another interesting thing is that this is a melodrama in which a character actually says the word "melodrama", which for me is a sign of conflicted personality or self-consciousness. A usual complaint is that the ending was constrained by the moral codes of the time; the real problem, however, is that one does not really care whether it ends one way or the other.
Rating: 44
Bonanza: The Wooing of Abigail Jones (1962) (TV)
One of the Ponderosa's employees wants to marry a local spinster, but is turned down. The Cartwright boys give him a hand, with comical results.
Not one of the best, and this season is surely turning out to be very weak. Good for a few laughs, still.
Not one of the best, and this season is surely turning out to be very weak. Good for a few laughs, still.
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Down to the Sea in Ships (1949)
A whaling ship's captain wants to make one last trip before retirement, during which his grandson will be trained for future captainhood himself. Another man, who has recently been licensed as a captain will go along as first mate.
Entertaining sea adventure, about the process of becoming an adult. Also prominent is the theme of "breaking the law". Early in the film, a schoolmaster breaks the law in favor of the old captain; later in the film, the old captain won't break the law in favor of his grandson, and then of the first mate. The implicit question the film never poses is: is there a double standard here?
Rating: 58
Entertaining sea adventure, about the process of becoming an adult. Also prominent is the theme of "breaking the law". Early in the film, a schoolmaster breaks the law in favor of the old captain; later in the film, the old captain won't break the law in favor of his grandson, and then of the first mate. The implicit question the film never poses is: is there a double standard here?
Rating: 58
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Xia dao Gao Fei (1992)
English title: Full Contact.
A man and his brothers, pressured by debt, team up with a nasty gang in an arms heist. He is betrayed.
Violent and over-the-top thriller, a variation of Westlake (as Stark)'s "The Hunter" (filmed as Point Blank and Payback). Here it is told from the beginning, though, and in strict chronological order. Completely unintellectual, in a comic-book-ish way, and competently directed for maximum effectiveness.
Rating: 51
A man and his brothers, pressured by debt, team up with a nasty gang in an arms heist. He is betrayed.
Violent and over-the-top thriller, a variation of Westlake (as Stark)'s "The Hunter" (filmed as Point Blank and Payback). Here it is told from the beginning, though, and in strict chronological order. Completely unintellectual, in a comic-book-ish way, and competently directed for maximum effectiveness.
Rating: 51
Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
A fantasy fiction about the shooting of Nosferatu, em 1921, according to which its title character was played by a real vampire.
A silly film, with an uninspired and repetitive script.
Rating: 30
A silly film, with an uninspired and repetitive script.
Rating: 30
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Tony Rome (1967)
A drunken underage girl sleeping in a sleazy hotel room is the starting point of a complicated chain of events involving a missing jewel, murder, and family members with something to hide. A private detective tries to get to the bottom of it in the sunny state of Florida.
One-liners that keep coming, a tightly woven plot, nice locations. The film resists a unified analysis, it seems to mean nothing. One scene, however, sticks to mind: Rome's physical assault at a homosexual drug dealer. It is a heavily moralizing scene, which prompts an immediate reaction from the spectator. The fact that the dealer is a homosexual is perhaps without signification (but it is intriguing that the next year some key participants in this film would make The Detective, in which a homosexual appears as an innocent victim -- bad conscience?), and it will be disregarded for the sake of simplicity. Let us remember that the aggression scene is preceded by that of a junkie stripper, already feeling the anxiety of abstinence, entering the home of the dealer; she hands him all her money, and asks for "all it can buy". After the aggression Rome drops some of the product in a vase, and later he will snitch on the dealer to his cop friend. The dealer is thus portrayed as an absolute villain. Some will no doubt applaud the whole position of the film, and will think nothing of it. Those in turn who will instinctively raise a doubt will try to make a connectin with the rest of the movie. In fact, this connection is easy to make, because the consumption of a different kind of drug is present at various points in the movie, and in fact it is present in its very starting point. I am of course talking about alcohol. The effects of alcohol are felt by the young woman who is found sleeping at the hotel after having run away from home. Alcohol abuse is here an important element of the plot and points to a family dysfunction. But there is no questioning of the legal status of the commerce of liquor, and the seller is never seen. When all the character's family problems are solved, it is implicit that alcohol will no longer be a problem. The excessive behavior of that character is contrasted with the protagonist's "civilized" habit of drinking, which matches that of his young divorcee friend. Alcohol is presented as a healthy habit, may be drunk at all hours, and at one scene is preferred over coffee. It provides the film with light humor, and an atmosphere of charm and sexiness (gin for him, vodka for her). A very positive, "cool" view. Addiction is never mentioned, neither for the "civilized" drinkers nor for the "reckless" one. This contrasts with the addiction to gambling, which is a prominent feature of the protagonist, and plays an important role on his unstable love life. I think by now the subjacent pro-liquor ideology of the film has become evident. Of course, the liquor industry does not see its competitors with friendly eyes, which explains the virulent attack on the drug dealer, and the mild reproach at the gambling habit. This film has a meaning after all.
Rating: 60
One-liners that keep coming, a tightly woven plot, nice locations. The film resists a unified analysis, it seems to mean nothing. One scene, however, sticks to mind: Rome's physical assault at a homosexual drug dealer. It is a heavily moralizing scene, which prompts an immediate reaction from the spectator. The fact that the dealer is a homosexual is perhaps without signification (but it is intriguing that the next year some key participants in this film would make The Detective, in which a homosexual appears as an innocent victim -- bad conscience?), and it will be disregarded for the sake of simplicity. Let us remember that the aggression scene is preceded by that of a junkie stripper, already feeling the anxiety of abstinence, entering the home of the dealer; she hands him all her money, and asks for "all it can buy". After the aggression Rome drops some of the product in a vase, and later he will snitch on the dealer to his cop friend. The dealer is thus portrayed as an absolute villain. Some will no doubt applaud the whole position of the film, and will think nothing of it. Those in turn who will instinctively raise a doubt will try to make a connectin with the rest of the movie. In fact, this connection is easy to make, because the consumption of a different kind of drug is present at various points in the movie, and in fact it is present in its very starting point. I am of course talking about alcohol. The effects of alcohol are felt by the young woman who is found sleeping at the hotel after having run away from home. Alcohol abuse is here an important element of the plot and points to a family dysfunction. But there is no questioning of the legal status of the commerce of liquor, and the seller is never seen. When all the character's family problems are solved, it is implicit that alcohol will no longer be a problem. The excessive behavior of that character is contrasted with the protagonist's "civilized" habit of drinking, which matches that of his young divorcee friend. Alcohol is presented as a healthy habit, may be drunk at all hours, and at one scene is preferred over coffee. It provides the film with light humor, and an atmosphere of charm and sexiness (gin for him, vodka for her). A very positive, "cool" view. Addiction is never mentioned, neither for the "civilized" drinkers nor for the "reckless" one. This contrasts with the addiction to gambling, which is a prominent feature of the protagonist, and plays an important role on his unstable love life. I think by now the subjacent pro-liquor ideology of the film has become evident. Of course, the liquor industry does not see its competitors with friendly eyes, which explains the virulent attack on the drug dealer, and the mild reproach at the gambling habit. This film has a meaning after all.
Rating: 60
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Bonanza: The Jacknife (1962) (TV)
Adam, while looking for cattle rustlers, comes across a wounded man and helps him. He stays with his family for a few days and gets suspicious.
While some episodes have been undisputably brilliant, the bulk of this show must be taken with great reservations due to the disturbing ideology that pervades it. The episodes are structured in such a way as to make the Cartwrights a breed apart relatively to the rest of the world; everyone else is either made to look evil or made to look good only inasmuch as they conform to a standard which is set by the Cartwrights.
While some episodes have been undisputably brilliant, the bulk of this show must be taken with great reservations due to the disturbing ideology that pervades it. The episodes are structured in such a way as to make the Cartwrights a breed apart relatively to the rest of the world; everyone else is either made to look evil or made to look good only inasmuch as they conform to a standard which is set by the Cartwrights.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Bonanza: Gift of Water (1962) (TV)
The Cartwrights help a rancher find water in a period of drought.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Bonanza: The Ride (1962) (TV)
So-so episode where Adam witnesses a murder and recognizes the murderer, although he was wearing a hood. He then tries to prove it was him.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Chronicle of a Disappearance (1996)
In the first act, we see a series of vignettes depicting the everyday life of Palestinians living in Israel. This is followed by a very threadbare storyline of a misplaced walkie-talkie which is used to confound the Israeli police. More vignettes, some involving the police, some involving Palestinians, follow.
There is a likeable quality about this guy, a rigor of form combined with a spontaneity of discourse, which unfortunately are not enough to dispell the dullness which pervades his films (the two of them I have seen, that is).
Rating: 44
There is a likeable quality about this guy, a rigor of form combined with a spontaneity of discourse, which unfortunately are not enough to dispell the dullness which pervades his films (the two of them I have seen, that is).
Rating: 44
Friday, June 25, 2010
Big (1988)
A 13 year old kid wishes he were bigger, and then his body is transformed overnight into that of an adult.
The central attraction of this is, I suppose, the spectacle of an adult actor playing a child. To make this a "regular" fiction film, they have to fill it with additional aspects, such as the concept of a completely innocent man who is thought to be a big threat and a genius (more or less the same concept of Being There). The ideology of the film goes along the lines of kids = playing = industrial toys. As one sees, everything revolves around consuming, always. The key moment of the film is when 'Baskin' asks (about a toy which consists of a building which turns into a robot): "Why is this any fun?" This is key because it is where the film internalizes its spectator's reaction to most of it.
Rating: 41
The central attraction of this is, I suppose, the spectacle of an adult actor playing a child. To make this a "regular" fiction film, they have to fill it with additional aspects, such as the concept of a completely innocent man who is thought to be a big threat and a genius (more or less the same concept of Being There). The ideology of the film goes along the lines of kids = playing = industrial toys. As one sees, everything revolves around consuming, always. The key moment of the film is when 'Baskin' asks (about a toy which consists of a building which turns into a robot): "Why is this any fun?" This is key because it is where the film internalizes its spectator's reaction to most of it.
Rating: 41
Bonanza: The Storm (1962) (TV)
Torturing episode about a sick young woman who visits the Ponderosa with her father. She and Joe fall in love with each other.
Bonanza: The Auld Sod (1962) (TV)
Weak episode in which a woman comes from Ireland to visit her son. She thinks that he is the owner of the Ponderosa but in reality he is the town drunk.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Bonanza: The Tall Stranger (1962) (TV)
Weak episode in which Hoss wants to marry a woman who dumps him for another man who turns out to be a crook.
Flood (2007) (TV)
About a tidal wave that floods London.
Weak yet delivers a few of the basic thrills this kind of spectacle usually does.
Rating: 33
Weak yet delivers a few of the basic thrills this kind of spectacle usually does.
Rating: 33
Bonanza: The Lady from Baltimore (1962) (TV)
Weak episode in which a woman wants to set up a marriage between her daughter and Little Joe.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
The Women (1939)
A woman finds out that her husband is having an affair with a shopgirl and files for divorce. Her gossiping female friends are going through problems of their own.
In Borges' The Garden of Forking Paths, we read the following exchange:
_"In a riddle whose answer is chess, what is the only prohibited word?"
I thought a moment and replied, "The word chess."_
Now, not every work of fiction qualifies as an enigma, and for a simple reason: many are simply too straightforward in their intentions. But I think the reasoning of that character from Borges still applies in those cases. Take The Women, for example. By design, there is no male character in it. And yet, men are in the center of every deed and utterance displayed in it. This original concept is the film's strength, above its datedness (which is somewhat debatable, since it has been recently remade, I do not know how faithfully), and its classist (the villain is the proletarian) and sexist (the "good" wife's victory in the end means her taking her husband back) morals.
Rating: 57
In Borges' The Garden of Forking Paths, we read the following exchange:
_"In a riddle whose answer is chess, what is the only prohibited word?"
I thought a moment and replied, "The word chess."_
Now, not every work of fiction qualifies as an enigma, and for a simple reason: many are simply too straightforward in their intentions. But I think the reasoning of that character from Borges still applies in those cases. Take The Women, for example. By design, there is no male character in it. And yet, men are in the center of every deed and utterance displayed in it. This original concept is the film's strength, above its datedness (which is somewhat debatable, since it has been recently remade, I do not know how faithfully), and its classist (the villain is the proletarian) and sexist (the "good" wife's victory in the end means her taking her husband back) morals.
Rating: 57
Friday, June 18, 2010
Bonanza: The Frenchman (1961) (TV)
A French poet and his sister stay as guests at the Ponderosa. Bad episode.
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