A Face in the Crowd (1957)

Director:  Elia Kazan
Cast:  Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, Anthony Franciosa, Lee Remick

Excuse me, why hasn't Andy Griffith received an Academy Award for this film yet?  Oh yeah, because at some point in history, Hollywood let the lunatics out of the asylum and now they're running the show--what used to be a very entertaining show, but now is a very dull and boring one full of miserably made comic book interpretations.  

This film is the poster film for how anyone can be corrupted by money and power.  Apparently no one listened to this film's message, or else we wouldn't have the Hollywood we have today.

THE PLOT:  "Lonesome" Larry Rhodes (Andy Griffith) is serving time in an Arkansas jail for drunk and disorderly when he is picked up by local radio host Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal).  She notices that he has amazing singing talent and he quickly becomes a star in Memphis.  Soon after, he becomes the spokesperson for Vita-Jex, a Viagra-like pill that gives you amazing energy.  Rhodes becomes a star and marries a drum majorette (Lee Remick).

Rhodes learns that a senator needs help winning votes for his campaign.  He engineers a scheme that will make people vote for him, and subsequently turns Marcia and the entire public against him when he reveals his narcissism on camera after one of his shows.  No one shows up for his party, and he takes on a Renfield-type persona (why am I always comparing people to this?), shouting at the top of his lungs and making his bum friend from Arkansas hit his clapping machine that Rhodes himself invented.  At the end, Mel Miller (Walter Matthau) delivers a classic speech about how Rhodes will go down in history.  The film ends with Rhodes screaming "Marcia!" at the top of his lungs.

THE REVIEW:  Before there was Britney Spears' hit "Lucky," about corruption (and it actually happened), there was this film.  My mom watched it with me once, and she said it was an incredibly powerful film for Andy to take on, and I agree.  Everyone who has dreams of being rich and famous should watch this movie to see what could potentially become of them.  5 out of 5.  Well done, Mr. Griffith.

The St. Valentine's Day Massacre (1967)

Director:  Roger Corman
Cast:  Jason Robards, George Segal, Ralph Meeker, Jack Nicholson (uncredited)

I'm reviewing this film not just because of Jack Nicholson's cameo appearance, but because this is, in my opinion, the greatest gangster film of all time.  In my opinion, the last great gangster film before The Untouchables, which was the absolute last.

THE PLOT:  It's basically the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.  Everyone in the film is based on the actual people that helped--and hindered--Al Capone in his slaughter of Bugs Moran's Irish North Side gang.  I used to be really into this stuff, so of course I know all about this stuff, but I'll tell you anyway.

On February 14, 1929, hit men from Al Capone's (Jason Robards) South Side gang in Chicago are hired buy Vincenzo Gibaldi (alias "Machine Gun" Jack McGurn, played by Clint Richie) to kill George "Bugs" Moran (Ralph Meeker).  The plan was that the hit men would enter the SMC Cartage warehouse on North Clark Street with two of the shooters disguised as policemen, and the others wearing suits and ties and overcoats.  Once they had cornered the seven men against the wall, the "cops" opened fire, killing the seven in a pool of blood.

THE REVIEW:  This movie is SOO COOL!!!  The narration by Paul Frees adds to the realistic value that this film has.  It really is brilliant, and everyone does a superb job of acting, although Jason Robards kind of reminds me of Dracula when he confronts Giuseppi (Joe) Aiello (Alexander D'Arcy), what with all the hissing noises.  Even Jack Nicholson's cameo is superb.  I didn't know he could pull off such a good raspy voice!  Well, he IS from New York, after all...but he's Irish...oh, well.

I give this film 5 out of 5.  It's such a real gangster film, and while it seems way ahead of its time, it brings back the spirit of the gangster films of the 1930s extremely well.

All parts are on YouTube.  I will post them here.  Enjoy! :)

         

^Jack's cameo is in this part starting at 2:55.

Nosferatu: eine Symphonie des Grauens (A Symphony of Horror/Terror, 1922)

Director:  F.W. Murnau
Cast:  Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder, Alexander Granach, Ruth Landshoff, Wolfgang Heinz

Finally, I'm doing a review of Nosferatu!  About time, since I've been talking about it for God knows how many reviews.

Nosferatu is widely considered the most realistic, famous and, in my opinion, intense, vampire film ever made. The plot is basically the same as Dracula, so I'm just going to go ahead and move into the review.

The reason why the names are changed is because Murnau could not obtain the rights to the original Dracula novel by Bram Stoker.  Thus, Dracula becomes Orlok (Max Schreck), Jonathan Harker becomes Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim), Mina Harker becomes Ellen Hutter (Greta Schröder), Renfield becomes Knock (Alexander Granach), and Lucy becomes Annie (Ruth Landshoff).  However, the film is now public domain in the States, so the dialogue screens have been changed to the original Dracula names.

I think this film deserves 5 out of 5 stars.  Brilliant directing, and it does its job as a horror film.

I have recently discovered the original German version, and I must say, it is much more chilling and haunting than the Americanized version.  Some of the dialogue scenes are different, and the music is completely different.  It is also tinted and the dialogue text is different.  I will post both the German version and the American version here.  Both are not for the faint of heart, I must say; this movie made me utter my first scream.

German version

 


 

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Director:  E. Elias Merhige
Cast:  John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Udo Kier, Cary Elwes, Catherine McCormack, Eddie Izzard

You're probably wondering why I'm going against everything I've sworn off and doing a review of a modern movie.  The only reason I'm doing it is because it's based on a classic horror film.

THE PLOT:  The film is pretty much a fictionalized account of the making of Nosferatu (A review is finally coming right after this one).  The year is 1921 and Frederich Wilhelm "F.W." Murnau (John Malkovich) has all of his actors lined up for his vampire film based on Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula.  There's only one problem:  he's missing the vampire.  But apparently he's not worried because the scenes with the vampire don't come in till about 30 minutes into the film.        

One night at an old Slovak castle, the crew is filming the scene where Thomas Hutter (more on why the names were changed in the Nosferatu review), played by Gustav von Wangenheim (Eddie Izzard) meets Count Orlok for the first time, and while I'm not sure that this is planned on Murnau's part, but Count Orlok (Willem Dafoe) walks out of the shadows.  Murnau then announces that Max Schreck will be playing the part of Count Orlok.

The crew believe, foolishly, that Schreck's odd activities are just his way of staying in character.  Oh, he was staying in character, all right; the crew learns that he is an actual vampire and that Murnau has made a deal with him that he will get the lead actress, Greta Schroeder (Catherine McCormack) in exchange for starring in his film.

Every good director has to have a wimp on his crew, so Murnau's cameraman takes one for the team and passes out due to his shock upon seeing Schreck for the first time.  He is replaced by Fritz Arno Wagner (Cary Elwes, whom you might recognize from the extremely strange 1992 version of Dracula).

So at the end, Greta dies because Schreck has bitten her.  The End.

THE REVIEW:  While fictionalized, the film still does give some accuracies, such as the name changes.  I find it interesting that Knock was not included, but that may be because that unlike Dwight Frye's Renfield in the '31 Dracula, Knock was not written for comic relief, but for all to see how much influence Orlok can have on the unsuspecting.

I've always been a fan of John Malkovich ever since I saw Of Mice and Men.  He's kind of like Dwight Frye in that he can do accents remarkably well (watch The Shadow to see how terrific Dwight is at accents).

Willem Dafoe did not look like Willem Dafoe, just like Max Schreck did not look like Max Schreck once the makeup was put on.  He was almost as scary as Max Schreck himself.

The weirdest thing about this film is that Greta has some sort of orgasm.  And of course, I saw this movie on IFC, and they just HAD to show her breasts.  Not quite sure what it was, thinking it was just the vampire's influence.  Ah well.  Sadly, however, that has to dock this movie's score because that was just plain weird to watch.  4 out of 5 stars.

Trailer:

 

Silent Sunday Edition - The General (1927)

Directors:  Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Cast:  Buster Keaton, Marion Mack

Welcome to another Silent Sunday at The Psycho Ward!  This week, I'll be reviewing Buster Keaton's 1927 comedy The General.

As far as classic comedy goes, not only am I a huge Laurel & Hardy fan, I'm also a fairly big Buster Keaton fan.  He was one of the best silent comedians.

I love how silent comedians would have a certain character they would play.  Charlie Chaplin would always play the tramp, Harold Lloyd would always play the nerdy, unlucky guy with glasses, and Buster Keaton would pretty much play the same guy, except without glasses.

THE PLOT (I'm just going to start copying plots from Wikipedia because it's easier):
In 1861, Western & Atlantic Railroad train engineer Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is in Marietta, Georgia to see one of the two loves of his life, his fiancee Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) (the other being his locomotive, the "General"), when the American Civil War breaks out. He hurries to be first in line to sign up with the Confederate Army, but is rejected (without explanation) because he is too valuable to the Confederacy in his present job. On leaving, he comes across Annabelle's father and brother, who beckon to him to join them in line, but he sadly walks away, giving them the impression that he does not want to enlist. Annabelle coldly informs Johnnie that she will not speak to him again until he is in uniform.
A year passes, and Annabelle receives word that her father has been wounded. She travels north on the General to see him, but still wants nothing to do with Johnnie. When the train makes a stop, the passengers detrain for a quick meal. As planned, Union spies led by Captain Anderson (Glen Cavender) use the opportunity to steal the train. Annabelle becomes an inadvertent prisoner. Johnnie gives chase, first on foot, then by handcar and boneshaker bicycle, before reaching a station in Chattanooga. He alerts the army detachment there, which boards another train to give chase, with Johnnie manning the locomotive, the "Texas". However, the flatcars are not hooked up to the engine, and the troops are left behind. By the time Johnnie realizes he is alone, it is too late to turn back.
The Union agents try a variety of methods to shake their dogged pursuer (convinced he is accompanied by Confederate soldiers), including disconnecting their trailing car and dropping railroad ties on the tracks. As the unusual duel continues northward, the Confederate Army of Tennessee is ordered to retreat and the Northern army advances in its wake. Johnnie finally notices he is surrounded by Union soldiers and the hijackers see that Johnnie is by himself. Johnnie stops his locomotive and runs into the forest to hide.
At nightfall, Johnnie stumbles upon the Northern army encampment. Hungry, he climbs through a window to steal some food, but has to hide underneath the table when enemy officers enter. He overhears them discussing their plan to launch a surprise attack; Johnnie learns that securing the Rock River Bridge is essential for their supply trains. He then sees Annabelle brought in; she is taken to a room under guard while they decide what to do with her. After the meeting ends, Johnnie manages to knock out one of the guards and free Annabelle. They escape into the woods.
The next day, Johnnie and Annabelle creep out of the woods and find themselves near a railway station, where Union soldiers, guns, trains and equipment are being organized for the attack. Seeing the General in the midst of it all, Johnnie devises a plan to warn the South. After sneaking Annabelle, hidden inside a sack, onto a boxcar behind the General, Johnnie steals his engine back. Two other trains, including the Texas, set out after the pair, while the Northern attack is immediately set in motion. In a reversal of the first chase, Johnnie has to fend off his pursuers. Finally, he starts a fire behind the General in the center of the Rock River Bridge.
Reaching friendly lines, Johnnie informs the local army commander of the impending attack. Confederate forces rush to defend the bridge. Meanwhile, Annabelle is reunited with her convalescing father. The Texas is driven onto the burning bridge, but it collapses, in what would later come to be recognised as the most expensive stunt of the silent era. Union soldiers try to ford the river, but Confederate artillery and infantrymen open fire on them, eventually driving them back in disarray.
As a reward for his bravery, Johnnie is enlisted in the army as a lieutenant. In the final scene, Johnnie tries to kiss his girlfriend, but is obliged to return the salutes of passing soldiers. Johnnie finally uses one hand to embrace his girlfriend while using his other to blindly salute the men as they walk by.

THE REVIEW:  While no one tops L&H or the Three Stooges in the comedy department, Buster Keaton is a fun guy to watch.  He does do a lot of funny things, like incorrectly hitching together the locomotives.  All in all, I give this film a 3 out of 5.  Quite a bit of funny moments.

The Music Box (1932)

Director:  James Parrott
Cast:  Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Billy Gilbert, Charlie Hall

Yay!  My first Laurel & Hardy review!  I decided to review this film now since it is on TCM later tonight and I've already seen it a thousand times anyways.

As most of you know, I'm a huge Laurel & Hardy fan.  I am also a member of the Saps At Sea, the San Diego chapter of the Sons of the Desert, the international organization dedicated to preserving Laurel & Hardy's greatness.

This is how I first heard about Laurel & Hardy.  Or at least, I think it's how I heard about them.  I remember hearing The Music Box when I was a kid and somehow connected it with Laurel & Hardy.  Deja vu, perhaps?  Anyways...

THE PLOT:  In this fun short, Stan and Ollie are delivery men ("Tall Oaks From Little Acorns Grow") delivering a piano to Mrs. von Schwarzenhoffen, who has ordered it a surprise for her husband Theodore (Billy Gilbert).  Once they get to the place, they realize they have to climb up a bunch of steps.  Stan and Ollie, always up for a challenge, try moving the piano up the steps unsuccessfully many hilarious times.  They go down the steps only to be laughed at by an incredibly bitchy woman who Stan justifiably and rightfully kicks in the ass.  She responds by socking him in the face and smashes Ollie in the head with a vase because he's started to laugh.  What a bitch.

Anyways, later on, a policeman tells the Boys to come down, and Stan goes down only to the landing and yells "What do you want?" which makes Ollie yell at him more.  Ollie finally comes down and faces the policeman's wrath (Stan's classic "Don't you think you're bounding over your steps?").  Afterwards, the Boys try again and are confronted by Theodore Schwarzenhoffen (A.D., L.D., F.L.D., F.F.F.F., among others) who politely waits for them to move, and when they don't, he becomes furious.

They reach the top of the stairs and Charlie Hall, ever the pessimist, informs them that they could've taken the road around ("Now why didn't we think of that before?")

Once they get into the house finally, the Boys do another one of their classic dance routines and deliver the piano (and also get chased out of the house by Billy Gilbert).

THE REVIEW:  The Music Box steps are still in Hollywood somewhere, and I intend to visit them someday.

This film is the reason why I love L&H so much.  The plot seems so simple, like an NES game, almost.  But Stan & Ollie were so genius that they turned it into a full-blown comedy.  This short is great fun and gets a 5 out of 5.

Full short

  

         

Chinatown (1974)

Director:  Roman Polanski
Cast:  Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Hillerman, Perry Lopez, Burt Young, John Huston

(Warning:  prepare for major Jackgasms throughout this review).

Yes, I'm reviewing a Roman Polanski film.  Kiss my ass, the guy's good.

I've been wanting to see this movie for so long and I finally got to see it last night when my mom rented it from Blockbuster.  Jack looks so different from the way he did in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest!  And he's hotter too.  *sigh* Jack, you are so sexy...*drool*

.......................................................................................................................................................

Um, hi, guys!  Sorry about that. 

Ahem...now on to the film. 

The film centers around private eye J.J. "Jake" Gittes (Jack Nicholson).  He is hired by a woman who claims that her husband, Hollis Mulwray, has been cheating on her.  Gittes begins to follow Mulwray but does not encounter him with any mistresses.  Then one day, Gittes catches Mulwray with his young female friend and snaps some pics.

The story takes an interesting twist here.  Gittes is confronted by the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway), who sues him.  Gittes realizes that he has been set up by a woman pretending to be Mrs. Mulwray, and to earn his reputation back, he must investigate who hired him and why.  Gittes tells Evelyn that he did not know that he was involved in her personal life and she agrees to drop the charges.

Gittes goes to the Oak Pass reservoir to look for Hollis but instead encounters police Lt. Lou Escobar (Perry Lopez), a former friend, who is recovering a body--Hollis Mulwray's. 

After more investigation, Gittes ends up at the Department of Water and Power (after getting his nose busted by some goons) and learns that Noah Cross (John Huston) is Evelyn's father, and that he and Hollis were business partners. 

Gittes visits Noah Cross, who hires him to find Katherine, Hollis Mulwray's mistress.  Gittes visits an orange grove in the San Fernando Valley and gets beat up by some landowners (how do you like THAT, Cesar Chavez?) that claim that the water department is demolishing their water tanks and poisoning their wells. 

Reading the obituary on the way back with Evelyn, who comes to rescue him, Gittes realizes that one of the senior citizens at the Mar Vista Inn died two weeks ago but somehow bought property a week ago.  He also realizes that the purpose of this whole thing is to irrigate the rural valley, not to lessen the burden on taxpayers.
So Gittes and Evelyn end up doing it in what would probably be the lamest sex scene ever had it not been for Jack Nicholson.  Evelyn gets a phone call and tells Gittes to stay at her place and wait and to trust her, and does our intrepid hero do that?  Of course not.

Gittes trails Evelyn and sees her comforting Katherine.  Returning home, bushwacked, Gittes gets a call from Escobar from Ida Sessions' house.  Gittes reluctantly goes over there and finds that Sessions has been brutally murdered. 

Returning to Evelyn's mansion, Gittes finds a man's eyeglasses in the pond and confronts Evelyn about them.  She then confesses that Katherine is her sister and her daughter, admitting to incest with Noah when she was 15.  Gittes arranges for the two to escape to Mexico with his friend Curly (Burt Young, not Jerry Howard.  I know, it was a big disappointment to me too).

In Chinatown, Gittes is arrested for extortion because Escobar thinks that he and Evelyn killed Hollis.  Evelyn escapes with Katherine and the police open fire and Evelyn dies.  The End.  Forget it, Jake.  It's Chinatown.

THE REVIEW:  As you can probably tell, this is a very complicated and intricate plot.  I found it extremely hard to follow.  And something that's funny is that the film has almost nothing to do with Chinatown, except for a few side mentions and the final scenes.  Jack Nicholson is really good, especially when he's forced to slap Evelyn around a bit.  I loved it because we almost never get to see Jack get physical (I mean, let's be honest - as much I love him, he's not exactly James Bond material), but here he gets to beat people up!  It's so cool!

All in all, I give this film 3.5 stars.  Jack gave it the big boost it needed, and it was a fun little film noir adventure.  The only minus is a hard-to-follow (but still very well done!) plot line.

Trailer