A saloon dance hall girl (Maureen O'Hara) who is looked down upon by the townspeople is determined to make the dangerous trek through Apache territory to bury her son next to her husband (the town believed she was an unwed mother) in the deserted town where he's buried. She's accompanied, unwillingly, by the man (Brian Keith) who accidentally killed her son and two unsavory bank robbers (Steve Cochran, Chill Wills). Based on the novel by A.S. Fleischman (he also wrote the screenplay) and directed by Sam Peckinpah. The first feature film by the great Peckinpah, this bleak western still hasn't received its due. Peckinpah wasn't fond of it much because he had no control over the final product and while it's no where near his best work like THE WILD BUNCH or STRAW DOGS, it's a modest but strong, effective western. With only four major characters in the film, the emphasis is on character as they pass through the bleak Arizona landscape with distrust their only companion. It's a pretty stripped down western, even the guitar and accordion score by Marlin Skiles is sparse and the unsentimental Peckinpah minimizes the romantic elements, such as they are. The cinematographer William Clothier (MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE) makes excellent use of the Panavision wide screen. If you've seen this film only in pan and scan, you haven't seen it. With Strother Martin.
A marquis and vineyard owner (David Niven) is called back to his estate because of a drought which brings another dry season. His wife (Deborah Kerr) shortly follows but to her horror what she finds is a witches coven and a family history of paganism and human sacrifice. Based on the novel DAY OF THE ARROW by Philip Loraine and directed by J. Lee Thompson (GUNS OF NAVARONE), the film is rather sluggish for a horror flick. What it needs to work is a growing sense of terror but what we get is a constant barrage of Deborah Kerr's hysterics. It doesn't help that the normally lovely Kerr looks rather frumpy (her hideous Julie Harris costumes don't help either) and her tremulous voice begins to grate after awhile. Poor Niven isn't given much to do but look gloomy. The supporting cast is more effective. Flora Robson as Niven's suffering aunt, Donald Pleasence as a demonic priest and lovely Sharon Tate (who appears to be dubbed) as a sorceress. The cinematography by Erwin Hiller (I KNOW WHERE I'M GOING, CANTERBURY TALE) is particularly ungainly but there's an effective score by the jazz musician Gary McFarland (alas, poisoned at the young age of 38) though the score itself isn't jazz. With David Hemmings, Emlyn Williams and Edward Mulhare.
A Boston family (Meryl Streep, David Strathairn, Joseph Mazzello) on vacation in Idaho are whitewater rafting when they encounter two strangers (Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly) in need of help. What they don't know is that the strangers are bank robbers, who have also killed a bank guard, escaping down the river which is both treacherous and lethal. Meryl Streep, action heroine? Believe it! Directed by Curtis Hanson (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL), even though she did her own stunts, Streep doesn't overdo the heroics but rather cuts a more believable thinking action heroine rather than the kick ass variety. It's nothing particularly original but Hanson keeps the action tight and the river rafting sequences are genuinely exciting and exhausting. There's a thrilling Jerry Goldsmith score that accentuates the nervous tension. With Benjamin Bratt and a scene stealing dog called Maggie (played by Buffy). Montana stands in for Idaho.
A young, unmarried salesgirl (Debbie Reynolds) at an upscale department store finds an abandoned infant on a doorstep. Despite her protestations, everyone assumes she is the mother which causes a series of misunderstandings. Directed by Oscar winning director Norman Taurog (SKIPPY), this is a remake of the 1939 Ginger Rogers screwball comedy BACHELOR MOTHER but this time as a musical. It worked perfectly well before as a straight comedy and the sub par songs here are not only unnecessary but drag the movie down. The film is also saddled with that lumpen presence known as Eddie Fisher as its leading man. The only time I laughed was at a brief scene where Fisher's father's (Adolphe Menjou) butler (Melville Cooper) kept replacing his spoon. I'm not sure if I laughed because it was genuinely funny or out of desperation. Still, everybody (as if compensating for Fisher's inability) pushes hard. With Tommy Noonan, Una Merkel and Nita Talbot.
Set in a small military town in France in 1914, a dashing, young cavalry officer (Gerard Philipe) who is known for his seductive powers over women makes a wager that he can seduce any woman in town. He picks her out by chance and the woman turns out to be a newly arrived divorcee (Michele Morgan) from Paris, anxious to protect her reputation. What begins as a lark turns into something quite different that will cause heartbreak to both individuals. Directed by Rene Clair. When one thinks of Clair, it's most likely one of his delightful and witty farces like AN ITALIAN STRAW HAT or LE MILLION but he's venturing into Max Ophuls territory here. LES GRANDES MANOEUVRES has more in common with Ophuls' EARRINGS OF MADAME DE ... and LETTER FROM AN UNKNOWN WOMAN than Clair's farces. Its mixture of romantic farce and bittersweet romance is somewhat unsettling and often alienates its audience. Visually, it's one of the most gorgeous films I've seen thanks to Robert Lefebvre's cinematography, Leon Barsacq's and Maurice Barnathan's sumptuous art direction and Rosine Delamare's exquisite costumes. The film looks like it was shot in a pastel colored candy box! With Brigitte Bardot, Magali Noel and Jean Desailly.
In the 1930s South, a lonely young boy (Eric Lloyd) sent to live with relatives by his mother, bonds with his elderly cousin (Patty Duke) who has an annual Christmas ritual of making fruitcakes for friends and public figures (Franklin Roosevelt, Jean Harlow) they admire. The film focuses on their last Christmas together before he is sent to military school against his wishes. Based on Truman Capote's short story and directed by Glenn Jordan (ONLY WHEN I LAUGH), this is a lovely rendition of Capote's memories and his affectionate valentine to the elderly woman who loved him and was his friend. Particularly notable is the underrated Duke's wonderful performance which only calls attention to how Hollywood wasted her talents. A perfect movie for the seasonal Holiday viewing which eschews the usual sentimentality of such fare as IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE or MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. With Piper Laurie, Anita Gillette, Jeffrey DeMunn and Esther Scott.
Eight months into the death of their four year old son, a couple (Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart) still haven't come to terms with both his death and their grieving. Based on the Pulitzer and Tony winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire (who also did the screenplay adaptation) and directed by John Cameron Mitchell (HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH). The film is both simplicity itself in its execution yet complex and layered at its emotional core with some dynamic performances. Nicole Kidman gives a stunning performance as the mother who can't seem to move forward and once again proves she's one of the best actresses of her generation. She's evenly matched with Eckhart in one of his best performances and a jewel of a performance by Dianne Wiest as Kidman's mother. Mitchell is smart enough to let the material speak for itself and doesn't get in the way of either the story or his actors. The film could have been a major downer but for all its pain, it's a story of hope without exploiting sentiment. With Miles Teller (very good as the teen-aged boy responsible for their child's death), Sandra Oh and Tammy Blanchard.
When an asteroid is headed on a collusion course with Earth, a team of astronauts is sent on a mission to detonate explosions on the asteroid which would break it up before it has a chance to reach Earth. However, a piece of green slime from the asteroid attaches itself to one of the astronauts and when they return to the space station, the slime multiplies into living murderous creatures. Made in Japan and directed by Kinji Fukasaku (who co-directed the Japanese sequences in TORA TORA TORA) with American actors but Japanese personnel behind the camera, this is a marvelously cheesy creature feature with tacky special effects and miniatures that are almost adorable in their cheesiness. The "green slime" creatures look like avocados with tentacles and there's a hilarious title song (sample lyrics: "Is it something in your head, will you believe it when you're dead, green slime, green slime, green slime"). The square jawed hero is Robert Horton, luscious Luciana Paluzzi is the space station doctor and Richard Jaeckel is the incompetent commander of the space station.
.JPG)
