In order to help his wife's (Dorothy Provine) best friend (Romy Schneider) receive an inheritance from her grandfather's will, an advertising executive (Jack Lemmon) pretends to be her husband. The will specifies that she must be married or lose the inheritance. Things get complicated when greedy relatives (Anne Seymour, Charles Lane) hire a private detective (Louis Nye) to keep an eye on the woman's activities and when the real husband (Mike Connors) shows up, things get really messy. Based on the novel by Jack Finney (INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) and directed by David Swift (THE PARENT TRAP). This comedic farce would have benefited from some editing shears as it runs past the two hour mark and the material has exhausted itself by then. It's formulaic but there's still a bit of charm to the proceedings. Lemmon hadn't yet resorted to the sometimes over the top hysteria which marred many of his later performances, he's still a wonderful light comic actor here. Fluff but engaging nonetheless. With Edward G. Robinson's as a conservative right wing client of Lemmon's, Edward Andrews, Joyce Jameson and Linda Watkins.
Set in 1860 Sicily, a nobleman (Burt Lancaster) watches as history changes the landscape of his country. The aristocracy is fading while a more democratic but not necessarily better society emerges. He realizes his family must adapt to survive in the new Sicily yet he wants no part of it. Based on the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa and directed by Luchino Visconti (ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS). A genuine epic in every sense of the word and visually, one of the most stunning films ever made. Words like sumptuous and opulent come to mind. Praise to cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno for his ravishing camera work. The lengthy ball sequence which ends the film (it runs about 45 minutes long) is the highlight of the film and you've likely never seen anything like it. The logistics of filming the sequence boggle the mind. Remarkably, when the film was originally released, the reviews were mixed to middling (in spite of it winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival). Fortunately, posterity has realized the film for the sweeping masterwork it is. Piero Tosi's impressive costuming received the film's only Oscar nomination. With Claudia Cardinale, Alain Delon, Terence Hill, Paolo Stoppa, Romolo Valli, Serge Reggiani and Leslie French.
A small time crook (Dennis Price), believed to be have been killed in WWII, kills a man during a jewel robbery. Unable to find a fence for the "hot" jewels since it involves murder and not just theft, he looks up his wife (Renee Asherson) who, believing him dead, has remarried to a wealthy publisher (Patrick Barr). He demands money from her to leave the country or he will tell her husband. Based on the play SECOND CHANCE by Ella Adkins and directed by Don Chaffey (JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS). This efficient economical little thriller is good fun with its share of twists and turns. Of course, if the wife did the logical thing from the start and tell her husband about the blackmail and then gone to the police, she could have avoided all the trouble that follows. But then, we wouldn't have much a movie, would we? If you're into thrillers and/or noir then this should be right up your alley. It's a minor film but manages to keep the tension quotient fairly high. With Duncan Lamont, Susan Shaw, Dandy Nichols, Mavis Villiers and Alfie Bass.
In 1926, the death of silent film star Rudolph Valentino (Rudolf Nureyev) causes a sensation not only in the headlines but with thousands of fans trying to crash his funeral. His life story is then told in flashbacks by the women in his life as he rises from a nightclub dancer to Hollywood star. Directed by Ken Russell (WOMEN IN LOVE), the film is a mess. Russell's flamboyant but often excessive style is problematic. Depending on the material, Russell's style can often be exhilarating (TOMMY) or an unpleasant shambles (THE MUSIC LOVERS). There's very little "truth" in this movie bio of Valentino but lots of Russell's extravagant style. It's a great looking film thanks to Philip Harrison's art direction, Shirley Russell's costumes and Peter Suschitzky's (EASTERN PROMISES) cinematography. As for Nureyev, while I can appreciate the eager to please charm he brings to the part, he's not an actor (at least judging by his work here). Russell's take on some of the real life characters (notably Alla Nazimova) is rather nasty and unsubstantiated. Russell hits a new low in a disgusting sequence in a Mexican jail that I won't even attempt to describe here. Reputedly, even Russell dislikes the film! With Leslie Caron as Alla Nazimova, Michelle Phillips as Natasha Rambova, Carol Kane, Seymour Cassel, Huntz Hall, Felicity Kendal, Anton Diffring, Peter Vaughan, Leland Palmer and Jennie Linden.
Spanning the years from 1871 and the Franco Prussian War to 1938 and the ominous clouds of WWII, the chronicle of one family as they deal with war and its effect on their lives. Directed by Julien Duvivier, this is sort of a French version of the 1933 film CAVALCADE although much superior. Its daunting task of covering over 60 years in a two hour running time doesn't give much opportunity for in depth characterization and what we get are highlights of this family's lives. Still, a couple of the actors manage to create sharply defined characters in the brief time allotted them like Louis Jouvet who suffers the loss of the woman (Renee Devillers) he loves to his brother (Lucien Nat) and goes off to Africa and Raimu as the high living Uncle who eventually loses everything. It's an ambitious film that might not manage to overcome the fragmented nature of its narrative but retains its power nonetheless. The film was started in 1939 but WWII interrupted its filming and it wasn't released until 1943. With Michele Morgan, Louis Jourdan, Suzy Prim, Harry Krimer and Jean Mercanton.
An evil sorcerer (Basil Rathbone) kidnaps a beautiful Princess (Anne Helm) to exact revenge on her father the King (Merritt Stone). He threatens to feed her to his dragon in seven days but a Knight (Liam Sullivan) and a young youth (Gary Lockwood) promise to rescue her. Directed by schlockmeister Bert I. Gordon (EMPIRE OF THE ANTS), this low budget sword and sorcery adventure is rather charming in its amateurism. As if sensing it wouldn't quite work as a straight fantasy film, Gordon infuses the film with humor. Most of it provided by Estelle Winwood as an inept sorceress with the Nick and Paul Bon Tempi as her Siamese twins assistants with Rathbone delightfully over the top as the wicked wizard. Both are in on the joke, I'm not sure Lockwood as the doltish hero was. Seven year olds and undiscerning adults should be modestly entertained. With Danielle De Metz and John Mauldin.
The fascinating true (but highly fictionalized) story of swindler James Reavis (Vincent Price), who, in 1880 concocted an elaborate scheme to inherit all the land in the territory of Arizona (not yet a state) and darn near did it. Written and directed by Samuel Fuller. The part of Reavis was reputedly Price's own personal favorite and one can see why. It's an atypical role for Price and a rare non-horror leading man role and he plays it for all it's worth. It's a low budget effort but with some first rate talent involved. In addition to Price and Fuller, the fine B&W cinematography is courtesy of the great James Wong Howe. The film lacks the hard edge that would come to distinguish Fuller's style in the ensuing years but he infuses the film with enough romanticism that you're almost pulling for the fraud to pull it off! Minor Fuller to be sure yet still a minor pleasure and a must for Price fans. With Ellen Drew, Beulah Bondi, Vladimir Sokoloff, Margia Dean and Reed Hadley.
Set in 18th century France, a young painter (Noemie Meriant) arrives at an isolated island in Brittany where she is expected to paint a portrait of a young girl (Adele Haenel) who is soon to be wed in an arranged marriage. But she must paint the picture surreptitiously as the girl refuses to sit for a portrait. Written and directed by Celine Sciamma, this is a painstakingly meticulous (a euphemism for slow moving) historical romance that I wish I liked better. It is a very good movie but when I first saw the trailer for the film sometime ago, my movie radar said, "No!" but the reviews were glowing and it was showing up on ten best lists so against my better judgment I went. I can tell it's a well made film but I just couldn't get involved in it. It's like movie medicine, see it because it's good for you. Okay, I've taken my medicine. I don't want to dissuade anyone from not seeing the film as I trust you'll appreciate its very fine qualities (like Claire Mathon's superb lensing) more than I did. PORTRAIT was on France's short list of films to be submitted to the Oscars international film category but they wisely went with the superior LES MISERABLES instead. With Luana Bajrami and Valeria Golino.
The famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot (Alfred Molina) is traveling on the Orient Express from Istanbul when a brutal murder occurs on the train. The victim (Peter Strauss), who had earlier attempted to procure Poirot's services but was turned down, was stabbed multiple times in his sleep. When the train becomes stranded because of a rockslide, the railway director (Fritz Wepper, CABARET) asks him to help solve the case. Based on the classic novel by Agatha Christie and directed by Carl Schenkel (THE MIGHTY QUINN). This misguided attempt to update Agatha Christie must have the poor lady spinning in her grave. Instead of using the "little gray cells" to solve the murder, Poirot does it via a laptop computer! Poirot is even given a sexy girlfriend (I'm not joking!). Several of the novel's characters have been eliminated: the butler, the missionary, the cook/companion. So what are we left with? A watered down, modernized Readers Digest version of the Christie book. Purists will be appalled. The only high spot is Leslie Caron who brings elegance and grace to the part of the Spanish grande dame (the equivalent of the Russian princess in the book). With Meredith Baxter, David Hunt, Amira Casar, Nicolas Chagrin, Adam James, Dylan Smith and Natasha Wightman.
A struggling writer (Richard Todd) is leaving his wife (Valerie Hobson) and running off with his mistress (Christine Norden). As their train speeds off to their destination however, he has second thoughts and pulls the emergency cord and gets off the train. But it doesn't end there for him, it turns into a nightmare when his mistress turns up murdered and he becomes the prime suspect. Directed by Daniel Birt, this faux Hitchcockian thriller (some refer to it as British noir) has a marvelous premise but that is squandered by a weak script and direction and an ending that's a total ripoff. A contrived ending that had been used before (and unfortunately many times since) when writers painted themselves into a corner and needed a quick out. It's a pity because the film had me intrigued until then. With Tom Walls, Vida Hope, Dora Bryan and Alexander Gauge as the mistress's husband, whose performance is so bad that it threatened to derail the movie even before that heinous ending.
A private detective (Humphrey Bogart) is hired by a wealthy old man (Charles Waldron) to deal with his younger daughter's (Martha Vickers) alleged gambling debts. But that's just the tip of the iceberg in a case that involves murders, blackmail, deceit and pornography. Based on the novel by Raymond Chandler (William Faulkner had a hand in the screenplay) and directed by Howard Hawks. One of the best of the 1940s film noirs, if this never quite reaches the greatness of a MALTESE FALCON or DOUBLE INDEMNITY, it's because its array of colorful characters and its convoluted plot have your head spinning and if you find it difficult to follow the baffling plot, don't feel bad. Reportedly the screenwriters didn't understand it either. But its bewildering plot doesn't get in the way of the incredible enjoyment that the movie provides. Snappy dialogue, witty performances and Hawks' assured direction carry the day. The actors, down to the smallest roles, are all wonderful. Max Steiner delivers one of his best scores. With Lauren Bacall (overdoing the femme fatale bit just a tad), Dorothy Malone, the wonderful Sonia Darrin, Peggy Knudsen, John Ridgely, Louis Jean Heydt and Elisha Cook Jr.
The wife (Natalie Wood) of a prominent Manhattan banker (Ian Bannen) has a problem. She's a kleptomaniac. But when she disguises herself as an old woman and robs her husband's bank of $60, 000, she discovers that she just might have gone too far this time. Especially when a police detective (Peter Falk) gets suspicious and keeps his eye on her. Based on the novel by E.V. Cunningham and directed by Arthur Hiller (THE OUT OF TOWNERS). This slight (and that might be an understatement) comedy caper suffers from unnecessary padding in the form of flashbacks which add very little to the film's storyline other than to fill out the 98 minute running time. Natalie Wood is adorable and looks smashing in her Edith Head wardrobe but although she tries hard, she barely manages to keep the movie afloat. Lila Kedrova and Lou Jacobi as a couple of con artists provide some needed comedic flair. I'm a huge Natalie Wood fan so I suppose I'm more tolerant of this kind of fluff. There's a breezy score by a pre-JAWS John Williams. With Dick Shawn, Norma Crane, Jerome Cowan, Arlene Golonka, Edith Evanson and Jonathan Winters, who despite his prominent billing is barely in the movie.
The King (Lowell Sherman) of a small middle European country must not only deal with an impending revolution by his subjects but also with his daughter (Mary Astor) refusing to accept a politically arranged marriage. Based on the 1928 play THE QUEEN'S HUSBAND by Robert E. Sherwood (THE PETRIFIED FOREST) and directed by Lowell Sherman. The word quaint comes to mind when viewing this stage bound pre-code political satire. Although it half heartedly shows us some brief "action" scenes (the storming of the palace), it's still not very cinematic. As in a play, the actors make their entrances and exits and play to the balcony. But it's not bad, really. As an actor, director Sherman gives a droll delivery to his lines and Nance O'Neill as the domineering Queen makes a good foil for him. There was also a French language version (with Francoise Rosay) shot simultaneously. A not unpleasant example of early sound film. With J. Carrol Naish, Anthony Bushell and Robert Warwick.
During WWI, a young Royal Navy officer (Michael Rennie) has a brief encounter with a young woman (Wendy Hiller) when they stay overnight at an inn when they miss their train. Jump to WWII, when his cruiser is sunk by the Nazis, a young Canadian signalman (Jeffrey Hunter) is taken as a POW by the Germans. These two stories are connected. Based on the novel BROWN ON RESOLUTION by C.S. Forester and directed by Roy Boulting (THERE'S A GIRL IN MY SOUP). A brisk and economical war movie that combines both romance and action albeit in two separate sections. I quite enjoyed it. The film is unusual in that it was filmed with two different endings and apparently both were shown in cinemas (though obviously not at the same time), one in which the signalman survives and one where he doesn't but the old lovers are reunited. I prefer the latter but to each his own. With Peter Van Eyck and Bernard Lee.
Set at the turn of the 20th century, an inventor (Woody Allen) and his wife (Mary Steenburgen) host a weekend for a well known philosopher (Jose Ferrer) and his bride to be (Mia Farrow) and a doctor (Tony Roberts) and his nurse (Julie Hagerty). Written and directed by Woody Allen. This bit of romantic whimsy is one of Allen's weaker vehicles. It's not as bad as say WHATEVER WORKS, at least it has some redeeming value. Notably the lovely camera work of Gordon Willis which turns the Pocantico Hills hamlet in Westchester County, New York into a magical forest. The film's trio of lovely comediennes (Farrow, Steenburgen, Hagerty all cut from the same ethereal cloth) is also a plus as they bring a lot to the movie but overall, there's not enough enchantment to over come the film's essential flimsiness. It's only spottily entertaining. When the movie ends, you're still hungry.
A mobster (Herbert Lom) concocts a plan to unite London's key racketeers so that instead of competing against each other, they all share in one major "protection" racket. An ex-convict (Sean Connery) is lured into working for the organization as a henchman for the mobsters. Directed by John Lemont, this is a nifty little noir-ish British crime movie. There's nothing remarkable about it in the least but it's done with a such a flamboyant confidence of style that it siphons your attention immediately. Although third billed, it's an on the cusp of stardom Connery's movie all the way. Brimming over with sex appeal and a strong masculine presence, he holds the screen like a champ and the following year, he would star in DR. NO and mega stardom would follow. If you're into gangster movies, this should appeal to you. With John Gregson, Alfred Marks, Yvonne Romain, Olive McFarland, Kenneth Griffith and Marianne Stone.
The Queen of the Moors (Elle Fanning) accepts a marriage proposal from Prince Philip of Ulstead (Harris Dickinson) which will unite their two kingdoms and (hopefully) end years of hostility between the two lands. But her Godmother (Angelina Jolie) is against the marriage and the Prince's duplicitous mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) has plans of her own. A sequel to the hit 2014 film and directed by Joachim Ronning. I was partial to the 2014 movie mainly because of Jolie but I also liked its fresh take on the classic fairy tale SLEEPING BEAUTY. It should have ended there but if there's a dollar to squeezed or a franchise to be milked, Disney will do it! This one lack's the fresh perspective of the 2014 film and it covers similar terrain so that it has a deja vu quality about it. It's not without entertainment value but the film seems so cluttered (there's something to be said for simplicity) that it's a disappointment nonetheless. Jolie and Fanning are fine but Pfeiffer seems adrift as the evil Queen. But Fanning looks so eerily like a young Pfeiffer that they could believably play mother and daughter. With Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
A confirmed bachelor (Walter Matthau) is set up by a matchmaking friend (Geraldine Page) with a 33 year old woman (Carol Burnett) who is still a virgin. They eventually marry but the marriage is not without its difficulties. Based on the book WITCH'S MILK by Peter De Vries and directed by Martin Ritt (HUD). The film was a piece of tedious twaddle in 1972 and time hasn't been any kinder to it. Who wants to see Carol Burnett, one of the great comediennes, suffering a la Irene Dunne (the film seems like the spawn of PENNY SERENADE). She's dour through out most of the movie and only gets to break out once when she and Geraldine Page fight each other tooth and claw in an amusing cat fight. Other than that, she's pretty much a pill. What a waste! Matthau does his usual grumpy bit and we never see what draws these two together. And when their child (Lee H. Montgomery) gets seriously ill, it just creaks! Inexplicably, Julius J. Epstein's retread screenplay got an Oscar nomination and somewhat less inexplicably, Geraldine Page got a supporting actress nomination. Even John Williams' underscore can't rise to the occasion. With Barry Nelson, Henry Jones, Kent Smith and Rene Auberjonois.
While on a family vacation in the Austrian Alps, when an avalanche threatens to destroy the outdoor restaurant they're lunching at, the father (Will Ferrell) flees in a panic leaving his wife (Julia Louis Dreyfus) and two sons (Julian Grey, Ammon Jacob Ford) at the mercy of the avalanche. This act of seeming cowardice will mark a turning point in their marriage. Based on the 2014 Scandinavian film (the credits say "inspired") FORCE MAJEURE and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (THE WAY WAY BACK). With the very rare exception (like THE BIRDCAGE), most English language remakes of foreign language films fail to capture what made the original film good in the first place. Attempts to improve upon it or Americanize it almost inevitably destroy the qualities which attracted us to the original material. DOWNHILL jacks up the humor in this reinvention (FORCE MAJEURE's humor was much more subtle) which actually detracts from the film. One can't help but wonder who the film was designed for. Audiences expecting a typical Will Ferrell comedy are going to be disappointed and bored and the audience who might actually see a film like this are going to avoid a Will Ferrell movie like the plague! Which is a pity because the film is just good enough to make you wish it were better instead of a movie miscalculation. If FORCE MAJEURE never existed, I might have been impressed but it does exist. With Miranda Otto, Zach Woods and Zoe Chao.
An aging, self centered stage actor named Saint Clair (Louis Jouvet) decides to retire but since he has no money, he is forced to go to an old age home for actors in the country. Among the residents of the home is an actor (Victor Francen) whose deceased wife had an affair with Saint Clair and died shortly afterward under mysterious circumstances. Co-written and directed by Julien Duvivier (PEPE LE MOKO). Although critically acclaimed in its day, LA FIN DU JOUR doesn't seem to be discussed very often when talking about great French cinema. It's a lovely film which creates an accurate milieu of aging actors but fortunately, although you can sense Duvivier's affection for the actors, he doesn't go all sentimental on us. Indeed, in spite of the humor in the film, the narrative follows a darker path than the movie's lighter beginnings would suggest. The inconsiderate aren't redeemed, the perennial understudy doesn't get his big chance and even in death, the cruel truth takes precedence over kindness. The film never goes where you think it's going, taking unexpected turns instead. It's an ensemble film and the performances are all quite good. With Michel Simon and Madeleine Ozeray.
An American architect (William Holden) arrives in Hong Kong with the intention to make a living as a painter. With limited funds, he stays at a rundown hotel which is frequented by prostitutes and their customers. It is there he becomes emotionally involved with one of the prostitutes called Suzie Wong (Nancy Kwan). Based on the award winning 1958 Broadway play by way of the novel by Richard Mason and directed by Richard Quine (BELL BOOK AND CANDLE). Unlike the original novel which was more serious, the film (and the play) is more of a dramedy with the emphasis on its romcom elements. Its portrayal of its "heart of gold" prostitutes is in line with other films like NEVER ON SUNDAY and IRMA LA DOUCE which sees prostitutes living happy go lucky lives while waiting for a "prince charming" to rescue them. The film also reinforces the stereotype of the exotic and submissive Asian woman. For example, after a sailor beats her up, a beaming Kwan runs to her friends and proudly tells them Holden beat her up because he was jealous. I don't mean to be too harsh on the film because it's quite entertaining although its 2 hours plus running time seems excessive for such a slight story. Although the 42 year old Holden is on the mature side for the struggling young artist of the book and play, he and the appealing Kwan (in her film debut) are fine. The film benefits from the Hong Kong and Macao locations handsomely shot by the great Geoffrey Unsworth (2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY). With Sylvia Syms, Michael Wilding, Laurence Naismith, Yvonne Shima and Jacqui Chan.
A young doctor (Robert Powell) arrives at an asylum to interview for the position of chief doctor. In order to determine his suitability for the post, he is asked to interview four patients. This framing device constitutes the frame work for an anthology of four stories: 1) a man (Richard Todd) and his mistress (Barbara Parkins) plot to murder his wife (Sylvia Syms). 2) A tailor (Barry Morse) is hired by a stranger (Peter Cushing) to make a suit out of a mysterious material. 3) Returning home after being released from the hospital due to a breakdown, a young girl (Charlotte Rampling) engages with her best friend (Britt Ekland), who is a bad influence on her. 4) A doctor (Herbert Lom) experiments with soul transference using automatons. Written by Robert Bloch (PSYCHO) and directed by Roy War Baker (QUARTERMASS AND THE PIT). This is one of the very best of those portmanteau horror films of the 1970s made by both Hammer and Amicus. Because anthology films have more than one story, they can often be uneven but in this case all four stories and its framing device are excellent and well acted. It's an accomplished piece of pulp horror and what more can one ask for? With Geoffrey Bayldon, Megs Jenkins and James Villiers.
When their children miss a school field trip because they are late, an architect and single mother (Michelle Pfeiffer) and a divorced newspaper columnist (George Clooney) who has his daughter every other weekend, take shifts babysitting during the day allowing the other to honor work commitments. Directed by Michael Hoffman (SOAPDISH), this is a by the numbers romantic comedy. When the two parents start bickering, we know in the world of romcoms that they'll fall in love before the movie is over. What makes the movie entirely watchable are Pfeiffer and Clooney. They're genuine movie stars and so much more beautiful, charismatic and likable than we mortals that we bask in their screen presence and root for them even when the corny script isn't worthy of them. It's a breezy piece of whimsy that one would work awfully hard to resist. Still, if you require more meaty entertainment or (gasp) are not a fan of the leads, you just might find this saccharine and intolerable. With Charles Durning, Ellen Greene, Amanda Peet, Joe Grifasi, Holland Taylor, Alex D. Linz, Rachel York and Mae Whitman.
Set in the Caribbean, a group of people band together in search of a 17th century sunken ship with a cargo of gold. They are a struggling couple (Jane Russell, Richard Egan) barely making a living, a mercenary (Gilbert Roland), the yacht's owner (Lori Nelson) and a priest (Robert Keith). Directed by John Sturges (BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK), this adventure film was sold on Jane Russell's physical attributes and its undersea cinematography (shot in SuperScope). And truth to tell, those are the best things about the film. Narratively speaking, it's a rather simplistic adventure yarn without much going for it except its likable cast and that gorgeous cinematography courtesy of Harry J. Wild (GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES) that includes location filming in Hawaii and Mexico. That undersea lensing was impressive for its day though it has since been rendered commonplace in the ensuing years with films like THUNDERBALL and THE DEEP. As a Jane Russell fan, I enjoyed it though others may find it on the dull side. With Joseph Calleia and Eugene Iglesias.
The story of a heel (Stephen Boyd) and how he rises from a front man for a stripper (Jill St. John) to a famous Hollywood movie star using and stepping on others in his climb to success. Based on the novel by Richard Sale and directed by Russell Rouse (NEW YORK CONFIDENTIAL). In the annals of bad movies, THE OSCAR is in a class all by itself. Featuring bad acting, bad direction, bad dialogue, bad script and all done in the most earnest manner which is what makes it deliciously irresistible. In the lead role, a severely miscast Boyd is not merely bad, he's jaw dropping bad. If you hadn't seen him in other movies, you'd never know the man can actually act. The part needed a young Steve McQueen type. Watching it, one can't help but think, "What the hell were they thinking?". Did someone not read the screenplay before giving this the greenlight? How did so many talented people get roped into this? Adjectives like lurid, sleazy and sordid come to mind. I don't much care for the term guilty pleasure but if any movie defines the term, it's THE OSCAR. Ironically, the one actor who emerges unscathed is comedian Milton Berle in a dramatic role. Everyone else sinks. The kind of movie that needs to be seen to be believed. The massive cast (including several actors playing themselves) includes Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Eleanor Parker, Joseph Cotten, Ernest Borgnine, Elke Sommer, Edie Adams, Broderick Crawford, Nancy Sinatra, Walter Brennan, Ed Begley, Peter Lawford, Edith Head, James Dunn and in his one and only film role, Tony Bennett.
A factory worker (Robert Cummings) is accused of sabotage when an aircraft works is set on fire and an employee is killed. To prove his innocence, he escapes and travels cross country to find the real saboteur (Norman Lloyd). Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this is one of his lesser films but lesser Hitchcock is nothing to sneeze at. The film comes across as a rough blueprint for Hitchcock's later (and much superior) NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959). It doesn't help that the two leads (Priscilla Lane is the female lead) are bland with no screen presence. But there are still those marvelous Hitchcock touches like the train with the circus "freaks" and the Statue Of Liberty finale. It also comes across as a WWII propaganda film with its speeches (courtesy of Dorothy Parker) about standing up to the enemy, etc. More entertaining than most propaganda films of the era but still, its agenda shows. With Otto Kruger, Vaughan Glaser, Alma Kruger, Ian Wolfe and Margaret Hayes.
Nancy Drew (Bonita Granville) and her attorney father (John Litel) go to a rural area of the state to help defend an old family friend (Aldrich Bowker) who is accused of murder. Directed by William Clemens, this movie isn't based on any of the Nancy Drew books by Mildred Benson (writing under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene) but uses the series' characters. Of the four Nancy Drew movies that Granville starred in, this entry is probably my favorite. None of the four films captured the innocence of the Nancy Drew books and only two of them were actually based on the books. This one is rather simple in execution but the mystery is engaging and Granville and Frankie Thomas (as her reluctant boyfriend Ted) are appealing youngsters. With Charlotte Wynters, Renie Riano, Willie Best and Edgar Edwards.
In a small Arizona town, a barrel of toxic waste falls off a truck and into a river. Spiders have ingested the toxin and they begin to grow in size and soon are terrorizing the townspeople. Directed by Ellory Elkayem, this amusing horror comedy is an affectionate tribute to those 1950s creature features like TARANTULA, THE DEADLY MANTIS, THEM etc. The actors are in on the joke and there's always a wink in the dialogue, at one point David Arquette screams "Get back, you eight legged freaks!". Elkayem manages to both parody the genre but still give us some genuine thrills and jumps. The film was anticipated to be a big hit with a sequel planned but the film underperformed so that never happened. If you're a fan of those 1950s giant insect movies, you should enjoy the film's riff but if those films are beneath you then you can safely skip this. With Scarlett Johansson, Kari Wuhrer, Doug E. Doug, Scott Terra and Eileen Ryan.
A librarian (Suzanne Pleshette) decides she's too inexperienced in the matters of love so she quits her job and heads to Rome where she hopes to get more life experience and does she ever find it. Based on the 1932 novel LOVERS MUST LEARN by Irving Fineman and directed by Delmer Daves (3:10 TO YUMA). As cinema, this is a great travelogue of Italy. Beautifully shot by Charles Lawton Jr. (THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI), we're treated to the delights of Rome, Tuscany, Umbria, Verona, Alto Adige and Lake Maggiore in all their splendor. In between the sight seeing, there's a rather pedestrian love story between Pleshette and Troy Donahue. The film pushes the boundaries of belief when both Pleshette and Angie Dickinson battle it out over Donahue. What two of the most charismatic and attractive actresses of the 1960s see in the bland Donahue is anybody's guess! Acting wise, it's Dickinson's wily and manipulative femme fatale that steals whatever's worth stealing here. At least, she's fun in a vamp-ish way. There's a nice score by Max Steiner. With Rossano Brazzi, Constance Ford, Hampton Fancher, Pamela Austin, Gertrude Flynn and Norma Varden.
The story of gay activist Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) from 1970 to his assassination by Dan White (Josh Brolin) in 1978. Inspired the 1984 documentary, THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HARVEY MILK as well as the book THE MAYOR OF CASTRO STREET by Randy Shilts and directed by Gus Van Sant (GOOD WILL HUNTING). As usual with biopics, it faces the difficulty of cramming some eight years into a two hour time slot which it does admirably but more importantly, Van Sant gets to the heart of the man and creates an authentic atmosphere of San Francisco in that era (yes, I was there!). What is painful is that 20 years after this film, the same battle continues to be fought as the current administration continues to attack and rollback LGBT rights that Milk fought and died for. In that respect, sadly, the film is still all too timely. Sean Penn is excellent as Milk but the supporting cast is also (mostly) flawless. With James Franco, Emile Hirsch, Victor Garber, Diego Luna, Alison Pill and Denis O'Hare.
A lonely woman (Sandra Milo) in a rural town in Northern Italy exchanges letters with a man (Francois Perier) unhappy with his life in Rome. He travels by train one weekend to meet her and see if they are compatible enough for marriage. Directed by Antonio Pietrangeli (I KNEW HER WELL), this is a sad little film. The film seems to be sending out mixed messages before finally arriving at its somewhat ambiguous conclusion although it's easy enough to see the two main protagonists' fate. When I say it's a sad movie, it's because Milo seems so desperate to have someone in her life and settle down that she can't see that she deserves better than this petty little prick, who can only make her miserable. Although the film itself seems to let Perier's jerk off the hook, I can't. Milo and Perier are very good though it's hard to take your eyes off Milo's awesome derriere whenever she's in motion. With Mario Adorf, Gastone Moschin and Angela Minervini.
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