"Take Your Pills: Xanax" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘Take Your Pills: Xanax’, currently streaming on Netflix, is a revealing documentary about the staggering increase in the use of anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication in the U.S. The number of people who are diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression is now 1 out of 3 people, thus the reason for the increase in prescriptions. The fascinating thing about this documentary is that it interviews doctors, pharmacists and scientists - the majority of whom do see a purposeful use in the medicines - who tend to agree that as a country, we have now over-medicated ourselves with the drugs and have too much of a dependency on them. The show also interviews patients who showcase the positive and negative side of the drugs used to treat their issue(s). This is a very interesting and informative documentary.

"A Time to Love and A Time to Die" Review

 

by Daniel White

With a Chilean father and a Mexican mama, John Gavin (Juan Apablasa), a Universal-International contract player, was being groomed by the studio to be the next Rock Hudson (and they say grooming is a bad thing!). Douglas Sirk's A Time to Love and A Time to Die (1958) was supposed to have been the actor's ticket to mega stardom, but it didn't pan out that way. The movie was not the hit the studio anticipated and Gavin never became the next big heartthrob. Who knows why it didn't catch on with audiences, for A Time to Love and A Time to Die is a well-made film. The story of a German soldier on leave during WWll, perhaps people weren't ready yet for a sympathetic tale of German civilians during wartime.

Set in the spring of 1944, Gavin plays Ernst Graeber, a weary soldier on the Russian front. Grateful for his furlough after two years of non-stop fighting and disturbed by the brutality he's witnessed, Ernst returns to the (nameless) German city he hailed from. Unable to locate his parents, he discovers the homeland he left behind has not escaped the horrors of war. His only solace: a burgeoning romance with a young woman (the engaging Lilo Pulver).

Sirk has pulled out all the stops with a lush musical score (Miklos Rozsa) and sumptuous cinematography (Russell Metty). A pair of star-crossed lovers, some hiss-worthy Nazis, and the constant threat of death from aerial bombardment, what's not to like? He's even rustled up a decent cameo from the guy who wrote the book the movie is based on (Erich Maria Remarque). The movie-fish public just wasn't biting.

Could John Gavin HAVE been the reason? The fledgling actor is seriously lacking in charisma. A matinee idol without mojo, Gavin's career often consisted in supporting older, established leading ladies who possessed enough star power for the two of them. Resentful of the comparisons between him and Hudson, John Gavin was missing the one ingredient Rock had in abundance: magnetism.

With Hazel's Don DeFore, Keenan Wynn and Klaus Kinski as a Gestapo agent, A Time to Love and A Time to Die is currently available on YouTube.

"American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing" Mini-Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing’, currently streaming on Netflix, is a fascinating insight into the horrible events that took place that day in 2013 and how the police were able to track down the suspects. Watching the actual footage of the race and bombs going off is very disturbing, of course, but seeing how quickly the city pulled together and the police worked to identify and capture the suspects is intriguing. There are interviews with witnesses and victims of the bombings that give a chilling account of what took place. A well made documentary that reminds us of a tragic day in American history.

"Monkey Business" Review

 

by Daniel White

Howard Hawks' 1952 Monkey Business (not to be confused with the vastly superior Marx Brothers film of the same name) is an inane, embarrassing trifle. A tiresome fountain-of-youth comedy, it's a major waste of some mighty Hollywood talent.

Cary Grant plays Barnaby Fulton, an absentminded scientist working on a serum that will restore vitality and turn back the clock. Nobody does bumbling befuddlement better than Grant and he emerges largely unscathed. Not the case with his onscreen wife, Ginger Rogers...

A talented, likeable actress, Rogers can come off as hard and invulnerable. Attempting to cavort about like an excitable teenage girl, she is not only unfunny, but uncomfortable to watch. Is it the actress? Could a Carole Lombard or Lucille Ball have elevated the humdrum material? Make it humorous instead of humiliating? Perhaps it's Mr. Grant's fault. A comic mastermind with his ability to turn the silly into the sublime, she looks flaccid and uninspired in his presence (it doesn't help that there is zero chemistry between the stars). Peter Bogdanovich once lamented that Marilyn Monroe, who has an amusing support part as a dumb blonde secretary, should have played Rogers' role. Certainly her brief scenes with Grant are fresher and funnier than anything Miss Rogers manages to conjure up.

Scripted by (among others) Ben Hecht and I.A.L. Diamond, helmed by the accomplished Hawks, and co-starring the gifted Charles Coburn, Monkey Business should have sailed. Instead it circles the drain and sinks. Produced by Twentieth Century Fox, Money Business is currently available on YouTube.

"The Covenant" Mini-Review

 

by John Zenoni

What a great action film by Guy Ritchie. I didn't realize going in it was based on a true story. But what synergy between Jake Gyllenhaal, who portrays Master Sergeant John Kinley, and Dar Salim, who portrays Ahmed, an interpreter recruited by the U.S. military to help locate where explosives are being made and kept by the Taliban. This film has a strong story about the connection between the two and how their lives intersect with each other. I don’t want to give the plot away, as that would ruin the experience, but both actors do a great job individually and working with each other. Definitely recommend!

"Some Like It Hot" Review

 

by Daniel White

I revisited the deliciously zany, Some Like It Hot (1959). He called gay director Mitchell Leisen, a "stupid fairy," which is a very ugly slur. But I wanted to salute the sexy, sensational Marilyn Monroe. One cannot pay homage to the sizzling superstar without watching this classic comedy, her loftiest cinematic achievement. Co-written, directed and produced by Billy Wilder (he may be a schmuck, but he's a talented one), Some Like It Hot could very well be the funniest film to come out of the Golden Age of Hollywood. That's saying a lot, forTinseltown, in its glorious heyday, made some very funny flicks.

Monroe is the female lead, a ukulele strumming, jazz baby named Sugar. But she's not the only "lady" laugh-getter in this side splitter set in 1929. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon play Joe and Jerry, a pair of Chicago musicians in drag who supply their share of mirth and orchestrated mayhem. Nobody outshines Marilyn (you can't take your eyes off her when she's on screen), but they maintain a madcap pulse-racing pace alongside the platinum blonde icon.

Witnesses to a gangland killing, Jerry and Joe split Chi-town in skirts with an all-girl band heading to Florida. Masquerading as a couple of chicks, they encounter a weary-yet-winsome Sugar, who's running away herself - from bad romances with love-'em-and-leave-'em louses.

A comedy gem that never falters from its opening scene to its legendary last line, Some Like It Hot is possibly that rarest of specimens - a perfect movie.

Marilyn placed sixth on AFI's list of greatest actresses, but perhaps she doesn't belong there at all. She's a unique celluloid creation, separate from the others. Her appeal is as obvious as it is elusive, she's a gorgeous contradiction. Radiating an interior glow, she outshines all the other glamour gals, making it look effortless (though the reality is a much different, darker tale). She may not be the sexiest dame on screen and is definitely not its most accomplished actress. Not the most polished songstress or the most agile hoofer. Hell, she's not even in my top ten of favorite female film stars. But she is the most magical. The camera loved her - and so do I.

Provocatively dressed by another talented "fairy," Orry-Kelly (he won the film's only Oscar), in outfits the voluptuous Monroe is sexily spilling out of, Some Like It Hot is currently available on Tubi.

"Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania" Review

 

Hotel Transylvania 4: Transformania. The third time may be the charm but apparently the 4th didn't warrant a theatrical release. Even franchise headliner Adam Sandler skipped out on this one.

All right, let's get into this. If the title wasn't enough of a tipoff, the -- three WRITERS?? -- for a cartoon vampire movie?? Anyway, the writers used the stale device of characters switching places. Picture an animated monster version of Freaky Friday. 

After a comic but not actually funny misunderstanding, Drac's (Dracula) reluctance to gift the titular hotel to his daughter, Mavis -- because she's sure to share ownership with her husband, Johnny -- upon his impending retirement causes Johnny (Dracula's son-in-law) to volunteer to be transformed into a monster via Abraham van Helsing's experimental transformation ray. And after a bunch of BS with the ray, Drac, Frankenstein, Wayne, Griffin, Murray and Globby are all turned into humans -- though Frank's reaction to his metamorphosis into a diesel human is legitimately funny. While nearly everyone else hates their respective makeovers, Frank's new look goes to his head, turning him into a stuck-up egomaniac. Johnny, in turn, loves his monster form -- some sort of ridiculous-looking dragon? -- but an unfortunate side-effect of the procedure is that he's destined to eventually devolve into a mindless beast. He would've known about said side-effect if he hadn't insisted on undergoing the process immediately after watching a literal guinea pig go through the 1st stage of the transformation. 

Desperate to regain his vampirism -- AND Johnny's humanity -- before Mavis sees either of them, Drac leads the duo down to South America to retrieve a special crystal -- which powers the device -- located deep in the jungle. The original gem was damaged by -- shenanigans. Of course it was. Anyway, you might expect Drac and his son-in-law to bond during their international road-trip together. But no. For most of the expedition their relationship dynamic remains unchanged. Johnny's eager to get into his father-in-law's good graces and Drac barely tolerates Johnny.

But -- back in Transylvania, somebody blabs about Drac and Johnny's predicament, so Frank and the gang -- and their respective wives -- head down to the jungle as well. Of course, the two groups eventually meet up and after -- hijinks -- nearly all of them die getting their hands on the crystal. Right before Johnny tries to kill him -- he's little more than a mindless predator with latent hostility surfacing at this point -- Drac has an epiphany about Johnny's value as a person and lets him know that he sees him in a totally new light. 

Everyone's changed back, they return home and -- discover that the guinea pig monster -- Gigi -- has destroyed the hotel. 

But....after a 10(?) second bout of depression, Drac assures Mavis AND Johnny that it can be rebuilt -- any way they see fit and passes his prized possession on to the happy couple. THE END.

Hotel Transylvania 4 may not blow you -- or the kids -- away. But then again, if you like sunburn jokes or gags about naked invisible men, maybe it will. And it is better than the Addams Family animated movies. 

"Who Killed Garrett Phillips?" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘Who Killed Garrett Phillips?’ is an excellent documentary that looks into the murder of young Garrett Phillips and it leaves you frustrated, sad, angry and disappointed on so many levels in that his murder is never solved and the arrest and continual harassment of a suspect leaves a life completely changed, never to be the same.

On Oct. 24, 2011, 12-year-old Garrett Phillips was found murdered in his home in Potsdam, a small town in upstate New York. The primary suspect became the soccer coach at Clarkson University, Oral Nick Hillary, who just happened to be a Jamaican man in a mostly white community and was the ex-boyfriend of Garrett’s mother, Tandy.

The documentary chronicles the years following the murder, including the interrogation, arrest and trial for second-degree murder of Hillary. He would go on to opt to be tried by a judge and was eventually acquitted. But what Hillary went through was absolutely so appalling and infuriating that I wanted to scream at the television. So many wrongs took place - Hillary was initially asked to come down to the station just to identify some students but he was then questioned and put on the spot almost immediately and then not allowed to leave. He was then strip-searched and photographed nude, which was never done in that police station before. They did call in Tandy’s other ex-boyfriend, who just happened to be the sheriff, to be searched, but only with his arms and hands exposed by pulling up his shirt and his legs by pulling his pants up. This gentleman also was in the room with the investigators while Tandy was being questioned, even though he had a former relationship with her. Finally, in the course of the trial, it was revealed that public state prosecutor, Mary E. Rain, withheld evidence from the defense.

An intriguing documentary indeed, but very emotional for sure!

"The Birds" Review

 

by Daniel White

San Francisco socialite Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) shows up in Bodega Bay, with a pair of lovebirds in tow. An exotic creature herself, she elicits her fair share of ogling from the local residents. But is the bewitching Miss Daniels more than just a stylish woman with impeccable taste? Could she also be a sorceress, responsible for the bird attacks that began upon her arrival? Some of the townsfolk seem to think so... Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds (1963) is a chatty, end-of-the-world thriller. In between scenes of avian assaults, the main characters talk ad nauseum. From overbearing mamas to thwarted love affairs, they hash and rehash these troubling topics. Troubling for them perhaps, but tiresome for us, the viewer.

In pursuit of lantern-jawed lawyer Mitch Brenner (Rod Taylor), Melanie soon finds herself being pursued - by the same feathery fiends she brought with her. Now that's a fascinating angle to zero in on. Leave the rest of the mumbo jumbo Hitch and his screenwriter Evan Hunter cooked up where it belongs - on a psychiatrist's couch.

The flick is still disturbing, containing several unsettling moments. This, despite the dated quality of the special effects. It looks gorgeous too, but it doesn't hold up, not as well as some of Hitchcock's other movies. Well-acted, with exemplary production values, its main failing is its uninteresting, verbose screenplay. The Birds takes flight but it never truly soars.

With Suzanne Pleshette as a school teacher still nursing a torch for ex-lover Rod, and Jessica Tandy as his mother, the torch extinguisher, The Birds is currently available on Netflix.

"Flesh and the Devil" is Nutty

 

by Daniel White

Actor Gregory Peck realized during the filming of Roman Holiday that upon its release, co-star Audrey Hepburn would achieve stardom equal to his. Approaching director William Wyler, he graciously requested she receive appropriate billing. Why some astute MGM executive didn't understand the same phenomenon would happen to Greta Garbo with Flesh and the Devil (1927), and adjust the credits accordingly, is a mystery.

John Gilbert's name is above the title in this well-made silent melodrama. At the time MGM's biggest male star, he is Leo von Harden, an aristocratic German soldier. While on leave with best pal Ulrich von Eltz (Lars Hanson), he encounters the bewitching Felicitas (Gardo). Immediately wowed, he sets out to woo her. Unfortunately, the smoking hot seductress forgets to reveal one minor detail: she has a husband! A duel is fought, the cuckold is killed and Leo is shipped off to Africa until things cool down. While away, he naively asks his buddy Ulrich to pay a visit, now and again, on the grieving widow to see if she needs anything...

Not quite as deliriously bonkers as her previous flick, The Temptress, Flesh and the Devil is still fairly nutty. Garbo's film vamps are reckless, disloyal and selfish, while the men she pursues, earnest, pure, and moral. She is the relentless predator, they, her hapless victims. However, Garbo is such a compelling screen presence and her love scenes with Gilbert so intense, she manages to elicit our sympathy, despite playing an ill-conceived character whose motivation defies logic. The cinematic sex pot is up against another formidable obstacle in Flesh and the Devil. Leo and Ulrich's devotion to each other from childhood is a steadfast, everlasting bond. Garbo may get Gilbert going, but ultimately, his loyalty belongs to Lars .

Still, she triumphed. The film was a huge moneymaker for MGM, the pairing of Garbo and Gilbert proving to be a lucrative one for the studio. Two more silent films would follow, as well as an off-screen romance. She would transition seamlessly to sound, leaving the alcoholic, self-destructive Gilbert behind. Even Garbo's insistence on having him cast in her 1933 biopic, Queen Christina, couldn't save the doomed matinee idol. Destined to be forgotten, except by die-hard film buffs, the tragic Gilbert drank himself to death, passing away in 1936.

Directed by frequent Garbo collaborator Clarence Brown, with her favorite cinematographer, William H. Daniels, making the star even MORE photogenic, Flesh and the Devil is currently available on YouTube.

"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" Mini-Review

 

by John Zenoni

Having only played Dungeons and Dragons a couple of times - I'm still not completely convinced I like it yet, to be honest - I wasn't sure what to expect going into the film version of the game. Needless to say, I'm glad I didn't go in with high expectations, as it's definitely not the best film I've ever seen, lol! However, it was actually better than I thought it would be. There was some pretty good action, decent special effects, and comedic moments that made up for the ‘bad’ moments. Overall, the cast did a good job with what they had to work with - Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Rege-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant and others, including a cameo by a famous celebrity I was not expecting to see. All worked hard to make this enjoyable and I will say it was a pretty good popcorn flick!

"Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields" Review

 

by John Zenoni

‘Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields’ is a very interesting and enlightening documentary, considering that as a 15 year-old kid, I was totally obsessed with the actress - but not in an unhealthy way by any means. I just thought she was the most gorgeous thing around and didn't get all the controversy about her movies and/or commercials. I kept just about every magazine she was in, had posters of her in my room - well, you get the point.

Anyway, getting to hear her side of the story regarding her life with her stage mom/manager Teri, and being so famous at a young age due to certain films and ads she was in definitely gave me a different perspective of what she went through and had to deal with. It's not an easy to story to hear - or watch - as it makes you realize how much she was pushed into the spotlight at such a young age and put in situations that weren't pleasant. It's even more interesting getting to hear her own daughters talk about the things their famous mom performed in and whether or not they think it was/would be acceptable today. The most important thing is knowing that she seems to have come through it all ok and is in a good place with her family and career.

"The Temptress" is Illogical, Ridiculous and Far-Fetched

 

by Daniel White

Who knows if screen legend Greta Garbo would even make American Film Institute's list of greatest actresses if it were compiled today. She definitely would be forced to forfeit her exalted 5th position. Probably replaced by the industrious Meryl Streep, or far worse, the insipid Sandra Bullock. I personally love Garbo, despite the fact most of the movies she starred in are not particularly worthy of her talent. What's intriguing about the camera-shy Swede? She is always watchable, even in projects that, by today's standards, stink to high heaven. Her second American feature, The Temptress (1926), certainly has a particularly foul odor emanating from it. Illogical, ridiculous and far-fetched, I gleefully lapped up every balmy minute.

Directed by Fred Niblo (Ben-Hur), Greta plays the title character (natch), Elena. A Parisian hot-house flower, Elena is married to one man, kept by another and in love with a third! She's a mighty busy gal!

Cavorting about the capital's sinful houses of vice, our vamp meets her above-mentioned paramour (Antonio Moreno), spending a wild night of bliss with him. Proclaiming their undying devotion to each other, it's quite a kick in the pants for Boy Toy, when he discovers Elena's married. To one of his dearest friends (an engineer, Boy's been away in South America building things). Ouch. Disgusted, our distraught hero decamps for the Argentine. Not to be thwarted, Elena follows, with husband in tow. Men are shot, whipped and stabbed, all on account of our alluring mantrap. Even a dam is dynamited on her behalf, causing mishap and mayhem for all.

An exercise in overwrought silent cinema, The Temptress is a potboiler par excellence. My only regret? Contemporary movie goers will turn up their collective noses at this smelly, yet wildly entertaining romp. A silent, B&W flick about a sexy seductress, so tantalizing she destroys every man she meets? Sounds pretty corny, right? Yes. And so is Garbo.

With Lionel Barrymore as just one of our vixen's victims, and the unbelievably campy Roy D'Arcy as the arch villain, MGM's The Temptress is currently available on YouTube.

"Under Capricorn" Review

 

by Daniel White

Despite failing to wrap her sturdy Swedish tongue around a lilting Irish brogue, Ingrid Bergman still manages to captivate in Alfred Hitchcock's Under Capricorn (1949). The last film she would appear in before galavanting off to Rome to work with Italian director Roberto Rossellini, it's an atypical Hitchcock flick. More of a romantic melodrama than anything else, Under Capricorn failed to click with critics and moviegoers alike upon its initial release. Doomed by Bergman's infamous love affair with Rossellini and its glaring lack of suspense, Under Capricorn tanked, considered one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser endeavors. However, it's a beautiful-looking affair, with exquisite set designs and swooping camera maneuvers (no less than four technical workers are listed as "operators of camera movement").

Ingrid takes her sweet time showing up. Stumbling into the proceedings after almost thirty minutes, she's in an alcoholic stupor, a pale, disheveled mess. Set in 1831 Australia, she plays Lady Henrietta Fluskey, wife of Sydney businessman, Sam Fluskey (the brooding Joseph Cotten). Sent to the penal colony as a convict, Fluskey is now a successful landowner. But he and his booze-hound of a wife cannot escape their tragic past. Enter breezy bon vivant Charles Adare (Michael Wilding). Cousin to the new governor (Cecil Parker), the Irish-born Adare remembers Lady Fluskey as a spirited young girl. Desperate to save the drunken Hattie from the clutches of her nefarious housekeeper (Margaret Leighton), he soon falls in love with our lush of a leading lady.

Think Rebecca Down Under, with Leighton marvelous in the devious Mrs. Danvers role. While the story doesn't hold up as well as that classic Daphne du Maurier tale, it's still a pretty good yarn. Both Bergman and Cotten are appropriately melancholy as the haunted Fluskeys. Wilding as Charlie is unsubstantial but the rest of the support cast emote superbly.

Composer Richard Addinsell has provided a gorgeous, stirring score, that helps to distract from costume designer Roger Furse's often unflattering outfits for Ingrid. A movie bathed in sumptuous color, cinematographer Jack Cardiff is, as usual, sublime. Filmed primarily in England and produced by Hitchcock's own Transatlantic Pictures, Under Capricorn was distributed by Warner Bros.

Inexplicably narrated by that most American of actors, Edmond O'Brien (what, they couldn't get Cecil Kellaway?), Under Capricorn is currently available on YouTube.

"Journey to Italy" Review

 

by Daniel White

Reviewing Ingmar Bergman's Autumn Sonata, I referred to Ingrid Bergman as "brave." It took a certain amount of courage to leave Hollywood at the height of her success to work with Italian director Roberto Rossellini. I can't think of another star who would have pulled such a ballsy move.

As for the rest, the infamous affair, the son born out of wedlock, Bergman was a glorious fool not to choose an abortion or some silly subterfuge. She displayed remarkable honesty in the face of public scorn. I respect her, more than any other of Tinseltown's leading ladies from the Golden Age.

Rossellini directs her in Journey to Italy. Filmed in 1953, but not released for over a year, initially it was a critical and commercial failure. It has since been proclaimed a masterpiece, instrumental in the evolution of film. Championed by the French New Wave, Akira Kurosawa and Martin Scorsese, Journey to Italy has some major movie cred.

The story of a marriage in crisis, Ingrid is wed to stuffy George Sanders. Tooling around Naples in a shiny, pretentious Bentley, the English couple are in Italy, attempting to sell George's dead uncle Homer's villa. Sniping and sarcastic, the two drift farther apart. While George retreats to Capri, hoping to spark up a love affair, Ingrid immerses herself in the local culture.

There is a reconciliation of sorts, amidst a religious procession, but like the real life Roberto and Ingrid, I suspect George and Ingrid are destined for divorce court.

Ah, but Miss Bergman looks great, and isn't that what really matters? Looking chic and sexy in clothes designed by Fernanda Gattinoni, she retains her Hollywood glamour while mucking about Neapolitan lava pits and catacombs. That's what I call a movie star! Journey to Italy is currently available on YouTube in a beautiful, pristine print courtesy of The Criterion Collection.

"Autumn Sonata" Review

 

by Daniel White

After sitting through the embarrassment that is The Children's Hour, I was in desperate need of cleansing the bitter taste left in my cinematic palate. Ingmar Bergman's intelligent, thought-provoking Autumn Sonata (1978) not only washed away the inanity of that aforementioned piece of tripe, it reintroduced me to the power of filmmaking. Plus, doesn't everything sound much more profound in Swedish?

You know what else it made me revisit? The talented, brave, luminous Ingrid Bergman. Placing 4th on AFI'S list of the greatest film actresses of all time, Miss Bergman transcends that silly compilation. 4th, 40th, or 400th, who the fuck cares. Ingrid Bergman is fabulous. Did I mention brave? Playing Charlotte, a self-absorbed concert pianist who chose career over motherhood, Bergman tackles difficult issues on screen that she struggled with in her personal life. Alongside the extraordinary Liv Ullman, the legendary director has created a brilliant composition for two. With insightful, often painful dialogue, Bergman tells a searing tale that refuses to be tidied up with a neat resolution.

Charlotte is visiting her daughter, Eva (Ullman), after a seven-year separation. What starts out as a pleasant mother/daughter tete-a-tete, soon descends into a harangue of accusations and feeble attempts at self-defense. Lena Nyman, an actress I am unfamiliar with, disturbingly enacts second daughter, Helena. Suffering from a debilitating illness that affects her speech and movement, her disabilities are almost too agonizing to view. I found myself resenting Ingmar Bergman for subjecting me to this excruciating performance.

Yes, I often want movie-watching to be lightweight and unchallenging. Thank you Bergman's, Ingmar and Ingrid, Liv Ullman, Lena Nyman, and everyone else involved in the making of this troubling film for refusing to acquiesce to my desire for comfort and banality. With Halvar Bjork as Eva's patient, loving husband, Autumn Sonata is currently available on YouTube.

"The Children's Hour" Review

 

by Daniel White

Talk about a tempest in a lesbian teapot! By the time Shirley Maclaine declares her true feelings for Audrey Hepburn at the end of The Children's Hour (1961), I was completely fed up. Directed by William Wyler, it's one grim, unrelenting dirge.

Based on Lillian Hellman's (in)famous 1934 play, Audrey and Shirley are a pair of unmarried teachers running a private school for young girls. Except for struggling financially, our two spinster gals are happy. Strident (read butch) Shirley's pug nose may get bent out of shape from time to time over demure Audrey's (read femme) upcoming nuptials to handsome Dr. Joe (a truly inept James Garner), but that's just because she's worried about the future of the school... Or is it?

Trouble comes to their Edenic isle of estrogen in the form of a nasty brat named Mary Tilford (played all too convincingly by a less than photogenic Karen Balkin). Miffed over her perceived mistreatment by our two bachelorettes, Mary spreads a vicious rumor that shrill Shirley has "unnatural" desires concerning soft Audrey. Before you can say Sappho was a right on gal, the school's been shuttered, lives have been ruined and Miriam Hopkins, as Shirley's silly Aunt Lily, has been sent a-packin'. Which is really regrettable; Miriam's the only thing worth watching in this dreary drudge fest.

Both Hepburn and Maclaine are adequate, certainly better than Garner's godawful turn. But you would need two dazzling actors of outsized talent to transcend this maudlin morass of mush, and neither one of them is THAT gifted. With the fabled Fay Bainter getting saddled with a sorry flick for a swan song, The Children's Hour is currently streaming on Tubi.

"The Nun's Story" Review

 

by Daniel White

A friend of mine who is an ardent Audrey Hepburn fan recently admonished me for not reviewing any of her movies. Unlike him, I do not share his keen admiration for the gamine mega star. However, seeing how she placed 3rd on AFI's list of the greatest film actresses of all time, my hand was forced (Have these knuckleheads ever heard of Myrna Loy? Jean Arthur? Rosalind Russell?).

Hepburn is a unique screen personality, truly one-of-a-kind. And while I don't think she's a great actress, there's no denying she's makes for an iconic screen presence. An effective answer to the big boobs, butts and bouffant gals who were so popular in Hollywood in the early 50's, Audrey's waifish charm was the antidote. In The Nun's Story (1959), little cleavage is on display.

Directed by Fred Zinnemann, Audrey plays Sister Luke, a Belgian nun struggling to conform to a life of obedience as a member of a religious order. The film is beautifully rendered, with an intelligent, unbiased screenplay by Robert Anderson. A fair portrayal of the difficulties and rewards of religious life, Hepburn is very, very good. I can't think of an actress who could have handled it better. Though running two and one half hours, it rarely lags, and manages to remain engaging. Hepburn has been surrounded by an extraordinary cast of (mostly) female acting heavyweights. Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft and Mildred Dunnock superbly support our leading lady. Hepburn is convincing as she brings to fruition the fledgling sister and her attempts to subdue her considerable spirit and follow the rules of the convent. Though willing, the novice nun fails time and again.

Based on a true story, the real Sister Luke was Marie Louise Habets. She would eventually leave the order, forming an intimate relationship with the woman who wrote the novel the film is based on, Kathryn Hulme. While the movie only hints at her sexual orientation (she develops a close attachment with a fellow novice), at least it doesn't do her a grave disservice by fabricating a romantic liaison with Peter Finch. Finch plays Dr. Fortunati, a surgeon in the Belgian Congo where Sister Luke has been sent to work as a nurse. An atheist, Fortunati mocks Sister Luke's religious scrupulosity and suggests she is too worldly to remain a nun.

The Nun's Story benefits from its high-caliber production values. A project that demonstrates all that was right about the studio system, it's gorgeous in sight and sound. Meticulously crafted, deftly acted and consummately directed, it's a finely made flick that remains worthy of one's attention.

Distributed by Warner Bros., the movie contains an intriguing film debut by Colleen Dewhurst. Playing a psychotic mental patient who believes herself to be the archangel Gabriel, big-boned Colleen manhandles svelte Audrey in a wrestling match that is one of filmdom's more exciting cat fights of all time! (My money's on Gabe). The Nun's Story is currently available on YouTube.

"The Nanny" Review

 

by Daniel White

A dame who generates a myriad of emotions in people, Bette Davis was a larger-than-life figure from the Golden Age of Hollywood (and beyond). Important, imposing and influential, Battling Bette was something of a crusader, at times fighting for the artistic integrity of the film actor. Though La Davis often inhabited strident, commanding women in her acting career, on occasion, she tackled less boisterous characters. Whether stepping back, allowing Mary Astor to effectively chew the scenery in The Great Lie, or playing second fiddle to Monty Wooly in The Man Who Came to Dinner, Bette would sometimes expose her quieter, complacent side.

Playing second banana did not translate into being second-rate. She was very often compelling in these "support" parts. Proving, a subdued Davis is not less interesting, just less loud. Produced by Seven Arts and Hammer Films, The Nanny (1965), in which Davis plays the title character, is one of those roles. She's an orderly, unobtrusive domestic, placidly performing her chores. Following on the heels of "Baby Jane" and "Charlotte", The Nanny is a subtler psychological thriller. For most of the movie, Nanny (no other name, just Nanny) is a model of circumspection.

Working in the London home of a woman Nanny cared for as a child (Wendy Craig) and her husband (James Villiers), the film opens with the hysterical mother's adolescent son returning from a two-year stay in a sanitarium. Blamed for the drowning death of his younger sister, Joey (William Dix) is a surly little brat, who harbors an extreme dislike for Nanny. It seems he knows something about Nanny that belies her helpful, retiring nature.

Directed by Seth Holt, The Nanny takes its time to develop a head of steam. Careful not to reveal too much too soon, the movie unfolds guardedly. And so does Davis. Playing a woman of supreme self-containment, it isn't until the last half hour or so that she becomes undone. It's an interesting portrayal that Miss Davis delivers, despite little help from a screenplay spotty on motivation. Concluding with an all too pat excuse for Nanny's erratic behavior, the film still provides enough satisfactory chills to warrant watching. Along with a restrained, composed Bette Davis (until she's not), it's a welcome counterpart to the overwrought Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?, and the Southern Gothic, Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte. Both Jill Bennett co-star as an auntie with a sick ticker, and Pamela Franklin, inexplicably wearing a bad wig.

With Harry Waxman's stark B&W cinematography letter perfect, The Nanny is currently available on YouTube.

"The Little Foxes" Review

 

by Daniel White

For the peace of mind of all concerned, it's a good thing Bette Davis was deceased for a decade when AFI made public its list of the 25 greatest film actresses in 1999. Coming in second behind Katharine Hepburn would seem like a notable achievement from anyone else. But for La Davis, second place was the other guy's dominion, definitely not where she belonged. The truth is, Davis was always running slightly behind Hepburn. Two stubborn, flinty New Englanders, they arrived in Hollywood within two years of each other.

Kate was summoned in 1932, after being heralded an "overnight sensation" on Broadway; she managed to star in her debut movie, A Bill of Divorcement. Bette was relatively unknown when she arrived in 1930. Struggling for four years, she finally earned the recognition she deserved in 1934's Of Human Bondage. Kate nabbed her Oscar first, and while Bette quickly scored a couple of her own, Hepburn would go on to win an unprecedented three more. Katharine Hepburn alternated successfully between film and the stage most of her career. Poor Bette's theatrical ventures were sporadic and often doomed to failure. Finally, while Davis's movie outings descended into schlock and "Granny's Gone Mad" roles, Hepburn managed to attach herself to some fairly respectable projects.

Replacing a resentful Tallulah Bankhead, who created the role on Broadway, Bette Davis gives one of her greatest performances in 1941's The Little Foxes. As the ambitious, ruthless Regina Giddens, Davis is marvelous and SHOULD have one her third Oscar (Joan Fontaine snagged it for her decidedly routine romp in Suspicion). A glossy Samuel Goldwyn production, Davis strained the nerves of director William Wyler by insisting on playing her Regina hard and calculating, void of any sympathy. While some felt her decision to interpret the Southern schemer in this way misguided, I believe she was correct. It is a captivating portrayal.

Aided by a talented cast of support players (many from the original Broadway production), Bette goes from ambitious matron to cold-blooded murderess. Her Regina is hard because she has to be. Married to a man she believes is nothing but a frail milksop (Herbert Marshall), she is on her own. If she makes one wrong move, she's finished. Fortunately, for the cunning Regina, that rarely happens.

Lillian Hellman adapted her own play, and with the help of some talented fine-tuners, did a terrific job. The cinematography (Gregg Toland), as well as all other technical aspects, are first-rate. Goldwyn spared no expense, and though the flick lost money, the admirable results are worth it. Every one of its gifted actors is memorable, but special shout outs to Dan Duryea as the slimy Leo, Patricia Collinge as the fragile Birdie, and Teresa Wright as Regina's feisty daughter, Alexandra. However, in the end this is Bette's spectacle and she is spectacular. The Little Foxes is currently available on YouTube.

"John Wick: Chapter 4" Review

 

by John Zenoni

As the film started, I was thinking, ‘Wait, now what happened at the end of the last one? What, or who, is the High Table? Why is he fighting so much and who is he fighting?’ Needless to say, I was able to pull it all together, somewhat, and bring those questions in line as I watched more and more of the film. That is, things did start coming back to me. But even so - and I know I'm probably going to be just one of a handful of people who feels this way and will get slammed - I just didn't get into this one as much as the other films. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of action and stunts going on that has always been appealing about this film franchise. Also, Reeves does a great job with this character but there was just so much overkill (pardon the pun) in terms of the sometimes ludicrous stunts, action sequences and storyline.

If you aren't familiar with the latest story, Wick is once again on the run from hired assassins and on a mission to completely bring down the High Table, as he wants to be free from the organization and any debt he owes to it. During this almost-three hour chase, he encounters a cast of many, including Lance Reddick, Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgard, Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne, Rina Sawayama, and others who all do a good job in their roles. It can't go without being said that it was sad seeing the great Lance Reddick in what was to be his final film role.

In the end, I'm still a John Wick fan and was psyched when the trailer for this latest entry in the franchise came out in theaters. But I'm afraid it has now run dry, in my opinion, which is the opposite of what many others are saying. Needless to say, it was a great run while it lasted.

"Long Day's Journey Into Night" Review

 

by Daniel White

"Then in the spring something happened to me... I fell in love with James Tyrone and was so happy - for a time."

One of life's more satisfying occurrences is the magic that happens when luminous actors meet up with brilliant prose. You can experience that magic by viewing Long Day's Journey Into Night, Eugene O'Neill's classic play. It's been captured on celluloid and brought to fruition, with the help of four extraordinary performers. Sidney Lumet, the director, made the wise decision to film in-sequence, to treat the text with the respect it deserves. Rehearsed for three weeks, then shot in New York City, he also honors his cast by permitting them to fully realize the characters they are playing.

An autobiographical tale, it takes place over a 24-hour period. James and Mary Tyrone are at their summer home, with their two adult sons, Jamie and Edmund. Mary has recently been released from a sanitarium, attempting once again to recover from morphine addiction. Hopeful but wary, the boys and their father are devastated when they realize Mary has returned to active use. As the day unravels and the night descends, truths will be revealed, past disappointments revisited, and long festering resentments exposed.

Katharine Hepburn is magnificent as Mary Tyrone. A role that every ambitious, talented, BRAVE actress of a certain age should tackle, if possible. Hepburn is phenomenal. I saw both Colleen Dewhurst and Ellen Burstyn successfully bring the tragic, bitter, despondent Mary to life, and I think Hepburn's portrayal is the most effective. Some who enjoy the history of film, still recall with regret, Anne Bancroft as Annie Sullivan, winning the Oscar over Bette Davis's Baby Jane. Hell, Katharine Hepburn, nominated the same year (1962), working with superior material, outmaneuvers them both. This is a powerhouse performance of legendary proportions.

The real surprise is Dean Stockwell. Miss Hepburn, Ralph Richardson as father James, and Jason Robards as elder brother Jamie, are seasoned theatrical players, gifted emoters upon the stage (Robards was nominated for a Tony for his turn as Jamie in 1957). But Stockwell, with only limited experience on "the boards," not only keeps up with them, manages to steal, on occasion, a scene or two.

At close to three hours, Long Day's Journey Into Night is challenging. The material is somber, often brutal (though the talented actors manage to find the considerable humor sprinkled throughout). But if you are searching for genius, want to revel in greatness, and witness art in its highest form, treat yourself to Long Day's Journey Into Night. You will not be disappointed. With frequent Lumet collaborator Boris Kaufman delivering exquisite B&W cinematography, the 1962 Long Day's Journey Into Night is currently available on YouTube.