Uncle Mel is waiting at the Aero...with Tiffany.
A double feature in Santa Monica - and the first appearance of The Hat came the next day. The movies were great, as was Mel's talk at the beginning of the evening. He still told stories like the most hilarious uncle you never had, about seeing Ethel Merman live (and even in the nosebleed section, she was too loud) and his "Please love Melvin Brooooks" enthusiasm was infectious. He told great stories about Blazing Saddles, a movie I never appreciated as much as I did this night. Following with History of the World Part One
Scaramouche (1952) - Engrossing swashbuckler with Stewart Granger at his best working his way up in the world with sword and dashing good looks. Janet Leigh and a lusty Eleanor Parker (never better) are the women, Mel Ferrer the nasty bad guy who becomes the opponent in one of the best cinematic duels ever staged. MGM's typical lavish production serves this one well. Grade: A
Young at Heart (1954) - SPOILER ALERT: I always remember Frank driving in the snow and turning those wipers off and that was still the takeaway after falling into this one on a Sunday afternoon with T. I play the final scene, his return at the piano, as a ghost arriving in his final haunt. Sinatra's never been better, he and Doris Day have surprising spark, but her pre-60s work is usually a nice surprise. Grade: B+
The Premature Burial (1962) - Ray Milland is way too old for this Corman Poe - as a medical student obsessed with the title occurrence - but he's still very good, giving the brisk, efficient horror here the right amount of gravitas. Grade: B+
The Hunting Party (2007) - Not bad fact-based political journalist thriller has a willing cast led by Richard Gere and Terrence Howard, but not enough to distinguish it from similar flicks. Grade: B-
Gordon's War (1973) - Paul Winfield goes from Sounder to the hard streets of Harlem as a returning Vietnam vet who puts his military training to good use by cleaning the drug dealers and criminals off the streets. Violent, tough action directed by Ossie Davis, Winfield is solid as usual. Takes some shocking turns towards the conclusion, since it's the '70s, you can bet they're on the bleak side too. Grade: B
Fast Company (1938) - Disappointing comedy-mystery is the first in a short-lived MGM series about married bookseller sleuths, kind of a watered down Nick and Nora. But the adventures of Joel and Garda Sloane never quite took off, going through three films and three different casts without ever striking paydirt. Too bad, Melvyn Douglas and Florence Rice give a try here but the script never reaches N&N levels (even at their weakest). Grade: C
Flesh + Blood (1985) - Gory, uneven medieval epic, with Rutger Hauer and Jennifer Jason Leigh leading the cast, and Paul Verhoeven behind the camera. Full of jaunty savage spirit, with gleeful carnage and a charismatic Rutger, but the hero is a wimp and the action ultimately outlasts the budget. Grade: C+
The King of Kong (2007) - Hilarious and engrossing documentary is almost too good to be true and maybe in some ways it is - but hey, once you pick that camera up and start filming, you change reality, right? Beside, the movie delivers and it delivered the director right into Hollywood. Grade: B+
There Will Be Blood (2007) - I abandoned my boooooy! And I drank your milkshake too. Daniel Day-Lewis and writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson combine for a powerful drama about an oilman out to conquer it all. Dark and epic, brooding and funny, PT's finally living up to his influences and going beyond them. Grade: A
The Assassination of Jesse James (2007) - Ambitious retelling of the James saga focuses on the death of the famous outlaw at the hand of close confidant Robert Ford (an outstanding Casey Affleck, squirming expertly as a man uncomfortable as himself most of all). Solemn and slow in spots, Brad Pitt hovers around the margins as the title figure, a man drifting into legend even before his end. Don Borders found this script on a flight a while ago, the movie made from it is pretty damn good. Grade: A-
Equinox (1970) - The can-do spirit lives in this DIY horror tale, started as part of a school project and ultimately rewarded with a Criterion release. Frank Bonner is the only name in the cast, as four oldish looking students tangle with a demon-loving professor in the hills of California. Some neat special effects are the highlight - perhaps a great double feature with The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra? Grade: C+
Seems Like Old Times (1980) – “Not in my neighborhood.” Still funny after all these years, with a lumpy set-up and conclusion but a smooth-running farce in the center. Perfectly cast trio never teamed again, too bad for them all.
Into the Wild (2007) – Rich douchebag gets lost in the frozen woods, starves to death while looking at pretty, pretty pictures. Gotta imagine the book was more gripping because the finale wasn’t so well-known, but the lead character (Emile Hirsch) is still such a vague thing it’s hard to care one way or another. With the economy tanking all around, not much value is the story of one blessed kid who makes a principled stand by not taking a gift from his parents of a new car upon graduation. Grade: C
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Hello. And Bye.
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