REPORT (1967)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 7

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I have tried to handle these often tough nuts to crack by just watching them and trying to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us conclude with..

Report

1. What happens?

A news narrative of the day of the Kennedy assassination is reported with images relating to the assassination, but not in the order or in the way we have normally viewed it.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?

It was pretty heavy. Yes, I'm giving this one the official heaviosity label.

3. What was your favorite part?

I liked that the scenes never quite seem to match what is being narrated, and challenges your perception of what you are seeing.

4. What was your least favorite part?

The part with the bullfighting was a bit off-putting at first.

5. Did you get it?

I believe I got this one.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?

No, you need to take this one straight.

7. What about the sex?

You may see some sex appeal from the ladies in the advertisements for refrigerators and such, but these are overwhelmed by the scenes of violence.

8. What about the violence?

There are plenty of violent images during the last few minutes of Report, though the scenes of violence from the actual assassination are missing.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."

This is the film where you may perceive an event you've looked at many times in a new way.

10. Would you watch it again?

Yes. And it would only take me 14 minutes!

                              

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VINYL (1965)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 6

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I have tried to handle these often tough nuts to crack by just watching them and trying to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with..

Vinyl

1. What happens?

Blonde male in leather lifts some weights to the indifference of those behind him. This blonde guy appears to hold contempt for newspapers and ties up a guy to a pole and tortures him. He says he does bad things because he "digs it." He dances to Martha and the Vandellas. He gets into an altercation with someone he refers to as "scum baby." At this point, he is suddenly on the wrong end of an interrogation. He is strapped to a chair as a doctor examines him and someones reads the cast credits even though the movie isn't over. He is subjected to images that change his way of thinking. He is forced to wear a mask. He is released from his bondage and listens to some Kinks and some Stones and dances.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?

I dug it enough to say it was a little heavy, but I've certainly had heavier.

3. What was your favorite part?

When I recognized the parts that were recognizable as being from Clockwork Orange, I kind of dug that.

4. What was your least favorite part?

I think this story could have been told in half the time. I didn't dig the moments of nothing happening.

5. Did you get it?

It's a bare bones adaptation of the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange before Kubrick made an actual movie out of it. I can dig it.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?

Too much of a high may cause the plot of Vinyl to slow down to an intolerable pace. I couldn't dig that. 

7. What about the sex?

I can't say I dug the bumping and grinding sex, though it was more figurative than anything.

8. What about the violence?

I don't dig violence, and tying someone up and putting a mask on them? I really can't dig that.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."

This is the film that Andy Warhol made loosely following the plot of Clockwork Orange, and you're probably not going to dig it. 

10. Would you watch it again?

Probably wouldn't dig watching Vinyl again. Could possibly dig watching Andy Warhol's Bad or Andy Warhol's Dracula again. Or maybe I should just try to dig staring at some pictures of soup cans.                                

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FLAMING CREATURES (1963)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 5

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I have tried to handle these often tough nuts to crack by just watching them and trying to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with..

Flaming Creatures

1. What happens?

Operatic music plays. Several transvestites try on lipstick. We have a shot of someone shaking their penis. A young lady mocks protest as she is having her breast touched to the tune of Asian music. Halfhearted screaming accompanies an orgy scene. Violin music plays and we see the aftermath of the orgy...I guess. Some laying around...not much happening, frankly. More modern music plays as a drag queen comes out of a box. Nothing much happens before a couple of the people begin dancing Astaire/Rogers style. Sounds like Mariachi music now. The people spin to the dance. Look, a man points to a woman's nipple! Gene Vincent's Be-Bop-A-Lula begins playing before we get a shot of a final jiggling breast.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?

It really wanted to be heavy, but I could pick this one up and toss it across the room with one hand. Sorry, not that heavy.

3. What was your favorite part?

Other than the fact that this was better than Blonde Cobra, I would think the diverse musical selections would be the best part.

4. What was your least favorite part?

I could have done without the penis shaking part...or the mock rape scene for that matter.

5. Did you get it?

I'm afraid I did not, though I can at least understand how someone else might, unlike Blonde Cobra!

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?

It could only help. Preferably something to make you very "giggly."

7. What about the sex?

When the characters aren't lying around, it's all about sex.

8. What about the violence?

You could look at the mock rape scene as violence. You could also look at it as farce. Or somewhere in-between.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."

This is the film that I'm giving too much credit to for just not being Blonde Cobra!

10. Would you watch it again?

I seriously doubt it. But I'd certainly re-watch it before watching Blonde Cobra again!

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BLONDE COBRA (1963)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 3

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I have tried to handle these often tough nuts to crack by just watching them and trying to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with...

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 3

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I have tried to handle these often tough nuts to crack by just watching them and trying to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with...

Blonde Cobra

1. What happens?

1001 movie reviewer Marc Siegel says: "Blonde Cobra is perhaps first and foremost a fascinating audio-visual treatment of the inimitable Jack Smith." 

I say: "I have no idea what happens or if anything happens."

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?

I'm making the call that it did not.

3. What was your favorite part?

After several minutes of a black screen the sudden rush of an actual image at least made me say, "Aha! An acutal image! That's good, right?"

4. What was your least favorite part?

The fact that I couldn't make out much of the dialogue during the film's thirty-three minutes. But I'm not totally convinced that is a bad thing.

5. Did you get it?

I like to think I'm very open minded about experimental films, but I can honestly say that I totally didn't get Blonde Cobra. 

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?

I don't know, but watching this made me want to take a Tums.

7. What about the sex?

No matter what team you play for, any sex to be found here is pretty darn creepy.

8. What about the violence?

Not in the film itself, but I was personally beginning to feel a bit violent by minute thirty-three.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."

This is the film that makes Scorpio Rising look like a masterpiece by comparison.

10. Would you watch it again?

In an attempt to get some meaning out of this I did watch it again (It didn't help).

I think it's safe to say that I won't watch it a third time. Thanks for nothing, Marc Siegel!

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DAISIES (1966, CZECHOSLOVAKIA)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 2

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I have tried to handle these often tough nuts to crack by just watching them and trying to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with..

Daisies

1. What happens?

These two young chicks named Daisy get into a lot of innocent mischief involving playing with food, manipulating older men, taking baths and cutting up clothes before they get into a Cartesian conversation about the meaning of life itself and whether or not the frivolity of their existence is truly significant or just an existential....never mind, I'm not really sure what happens.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?

There were times that it achieved a bit of heaviness, especially in a lot of the quick cuts and changes in color.

3. What was your favorite part?

The continuous editing kept me on my toes.

4. What was your least favorite part?

The continuous editing kept me off-balanced and confused

5. Did you get it?

Not until the end credit that said something to the effect that "this film is dedicated to those who only get upset over stomped-over lettuce." Thanks for the explanation, otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten it.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?

Hallucinogenics all the way. 

7. What about the sex?

The two Daises do parade around a lot in underwear, bikinis and in bathtubs. All in a coquettish sort of way.

8. What about the violence?

The movie begins with an atomic bomb and ends with the remnants of a burned out city.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."

This is the film that had depth, meaning and subtext and completely baffled me.

So if you are scoring at home, it's Daises 1 Me 0.

10. Would you watch it again?

I think 71 minutes with the Daisies is enough for one lifetime.

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DAVID HOLZMAN'S DIARY (1968)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH 

 (Post 10 of 10)

David Holzman made a documentary about his life in 1967. Just what is happening everyday in his life. He is obsessed by films and filmmaking as you can tell by the cameras, reels, projectors and movie posters around his apartment. He is also not afraid to tell us what he is feeling even though what he is often feeling involves how he will be feeling as the camera is rolling.

He wants to get insight from his girlfriend, Penny. Penny thinks David is obsessive with his camera and his wanting to film and record anything and everything. When David films her while she is sleeping in the nude, it appears that is the last straw. David loses Penny. He also films a friend who basically thinks David is wasting his time and just from the fact that he is filming someone, the very nature of that leads to the loss of any authenticity. David interviews a woman who may or may not be a drag-queen who likes to talk about very little but sex. David likes to take pictures of the streets and people of New York. He likes to take pictures of his neighbor and tries to determine what her life is about and tries hard to study the routine of her life for meaning. David also takes film of himself from different angles. Is shooting yourself from a different angle going to show you something different about yourself that you wouldn't have otherwise ascertained?

At the end, David goes to a funeral and returns to find all of his camera equipment has been stolen from him. He makes the final entry from his film from a recording booth as he no longer has any equipment. His final reservation:  I wish I could have learned something. I wish I could have figured something. Other ways it could have come out...like Bartleby the Scrivener.

Do we attempting any artistic endeavor or any other type of endeavor for that matter really try to learn something or figure something out? Like David over forty years ago, I too, have been pondering this question. I haven't come up with a satisfying answer yet.

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THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967,FRANCE)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH 

(Post 8 of 10)

I really didn't know much about The Young Girls of Rochefort, but its time on Netflix was running out and it was on the 1001 list, so I decided to give it a go. I quickly learned that it was from the director (Jacques Demy) of Umbrellas of Chernbourg, the movie where all the dialogue is sung. Rochefort also has much of the dialogue sung and plenty of characters dancing as well. I suppose you could call it a musical, but the feel is a bit different. I didn't like it as well as Umbrellas, but I admit it did win me over, especially when Gene Kelly comes on the scene and begins dancing and speaking French. The plot involves lost loves, unfulfilled dreams and a rather strange subplot about a serial murderer. Other than the serial murderer, it is a bright, vibrant experience. And it does have Catherine Deneuve. Happy, happy, joy, joy!

The next post will be about a less happy film topic.

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BLACK SUNDAY (1960, ITALY)

MOVIES I WATCHED BECAUSE I GOT A SUBSCRIPTION TO NETFLIX AND THEY WERE IN THE 1001 MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE BOOK MONTH

(Post 4 of 10)

Mario Bava's 1960 Italian Horror film Black Sunday (A. K. A. La maschera del demonico, A. K. A. The Mask of Satan, A. K. A. Revenge of the Vampire) is one of those early 60's black and white atmospheric European horror movies that probably would have scared me silly if I had seen it at a younger age. It's still quite disturbing and the story features a witch from the middle ages (played by 8 1/2's Barbara Steele!) seeking revenge centuries later on the descendants of the family who tried to kill her. It isn't particularly unfamiliar plot territory to a modern day viewer, but this is kind of a neat little horror film in it's on low-budget way. In fact, if I were writing a blurb for this movie, I'd probably say, "See Black Sunday, it's kinda neat!)

This also made me want to go back and see a couple of movies in this vein that I haven't seen in over thirty years, The Castle of the Living Dead. (Il castello dei morti vivi) and Passport for a Corpse (Lasciapassare per il morto) They may not date as well as Black Sunday, but who knows.

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GOLDFINGER (1964, GREAT BRITAIN), SKYFALL (2012, GREAT BRITAIN)

Doesn't it seem like British movies have a distinctive air of, for lack of another word Britishness? 

But exactly HOW British are they?

How British is it? Month (Post 10 of 10)

Goldfinger & Skyfall

Goldfinger

Of all the James Bond movies made during its fifty year history, the one that has made every edition of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book is Goldfinger. Hard to argue the choice. It is probably the most famous Bond film and may have the most famous Bond villain and theme song. It has great gadgets including the debut of the sexiest Bond woman since Ursula Andress, I'm talking about Bond's Aston Martin with all its accesories including the passenger ejector seat. (I wonder if Bond will use that ejector seat at some point in the movie...Hmmm.) Goldfinger also has Pussy Galore! and of course, the original Bond, Sean Connery.

What's interesting about watching Bond over the years is with each new Bond film, you want to see what's new, but it's more important to see what's old. By this I mean that we expect certain things to happen in a James Bond movie and we're disappointed when it doesn't. Like having a different actor play CIA guy Felix Leiter in every Bond movie. Maybe that's not the best example, but I'll try some others for Goldfinger below.

Bond is going to have a big action scene before the opening credits.  JB blows up a drug warehouse in Latin America in the first scene of the movie.

Those hard to resist opening credits and song. As the credits roll, we are going to hear the latest Bond theme song with silhouetted women and guns and knives and 007  in the background. The opening images are covered in gold in Goldfinger.The title song by John Barry and sung by Shirley Bassey may be the most famous James Bond theme of them all.

Bond is going to his boss M who gives out his assignment. "Your adversary is not to be taken lightly, 007."

M's office assistant Moneypenny is going to flirt with JB. Lois Maxwell played this role for 25 years in James Bond movies

He meets up with Q, who shows off his assorted gadgets that Bond will use later in the film. Q usually seems irritated with Bond for not taking his gadgets seriously enough.

Bond will tussle with a villain or two before disposing of him and making a pun. "Shocking!" Bond quips after a foe. is electrocuted

Bond will sleep with a woman early on that has some relation with the mastervillain and she will not survive for very long. Jill Masterson's golden death is a great example.

We meet the mastervillain who is always in love with the sound of his own voice instead of killing Bond when he has the chance.  As Auric Goldfinger would say, "No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die...But let me go into great detail about my plan first." 

We will often meet a sidekick of the villain who Bond will have to do battle with. The metal hat throwing Asian strongman Oddjob from Goldfinger. A later film example is Jaws of The Spy Who Loved Me.

Bond will engage in high speed chases on several different continents. Bond is chased by Goldfinger's men in Switzerland.

There is a big finale in which Bond will ultimately thwart the villain's nefarious plan. Goldfinger didn't really think he could get away with breaking into Fort Knox, did he?

Bond will go off into the sunset with a beautiful woman. Whether they be named Pussy Galore, Honey Rider or Octopussy

Oh, and hopefully Bond's Aston Martin  (BMT 216A) will come into play. And yes he does use the ejector seat on an unwanted passenger!



In the updated 1001 Movie Book, a new Bond movie is listed, The most recent release, Skyfall. I've slacked off on my Bond viewing in recent years (though I've seen all almost all of them over the years) but thought it would be as good a time as any to watch the latest Bond Adventure. I wasn't blown away with Casino Royale (the newer one, not the old Woody Allen one) and I haven't even seen Quantum of Solace, but let's see how Skyfall meets our Bond criteria.

Bond is going to have a big action scene before the opening credits.  Skyfall has a most exciting action scene involving Bond chasing a mercenary through the streets of Istanbul culminating with a battle on top of a train ending with Bond getting shot and falling into a hundred feet to his death...Now, you know he isn't really dead, don't you?

Those hard to resist opening credits and song. The title song sung by Adele is very nice and Bondonian. The opening credits are clever images of graphics, dragons, ladies, guns and knives with James Bond in the middle of it. We've frankly progressed a long way from  silhouetted models

Bond is going to his boss M who gives out his assignment. M has been Judi Dench for the last twenty years or so, but I still admit I think of M as being Bernard Lee. But I will say that by the end of my viewing of Skyfall, I now think of Judy Dench as being M.

M's office assistant Moneypenny is going to flirt with JB  Not exactly, but the charcter of Moneypenny does come into play.

He meets up with Q, who shows off his assorted gadgets that he will show off later in the film. This was an interesting twist in Skyfall. Q is no longer the seemingly always aged Desmond Llewleyn. He is now a computer geek, who looks like a 19-year-old version of Bill Gates who thinks that he could do more from his computer over espresso than Bond can do in the field in months.

Bond will tussle with a villain or two before disposing of him and making a pun.  You didn't really think the mercenary who tried to kill Bond at the beginning of the film would last too long, did you? The puns seem to be at a minimum here. I did really like the later scene when Bond has to dynamite his childhood home and matter of factly states that "I always hated this place." 

Bond will sleep with a woman early on that has some relation with the mastervillain and she will not survive for very long. Just don't get too attached to the character of Severin. That's all I'm saying. 

We meet the mastervillain who is always in love with the sound of his own voice instead of killing Bond when he has the chance. I liked Javier Bardem's villainous Silva, an-ex agent turned evil, who seems too...love to talk and talk about what he is going to do to Bond and to her majesty and England and everyone else.

We will often meet a sidekick of the villain who Bond will have to do battle with. Doesn't apply as much here. In later films (later films=post-Timothy Dalton era), it seems lots and lots of the supervillains henchman have to go down to satisfy the action quota.

Bond will engage in high speed chases on several different exotic locations. Istanbul, Shanghai etc.

There is a big finale in which Bond will ultimately thwart the villain's nefarious plan. (Blowing up Buckingham Palace, the House of Commons and I think Downton  Abby, I think was what Silva was planning to do. That's not quite right, but its something along those lines. And you know he will not ultimately succeed!

Bond will go off into the sunset with a beautiful woman. Not this time. M's maternal relationship with Bond is explored at the end of Skyfall, bringing the M character full circle.

Oh, and hopefully Bond's Aston Martin  (BMT 216A) will come into play.  When Bond breaks the Aston Martin out of mothballs here, it's like the return of an old friend for the audience. M even jokes about not wanting Bond to use the Aston ejector seat on her.

It all comes home at the end when Bond has to return to his childhood home of Skyfall. There are really some great scenes of poignancy here that are unusual for a James Bond movie.

James Bond has been on film for 50 years and Skyfall was a great trip for newer fans and a nostalgic journey for older fans. Bond is getting old and feeling it, but he gets to prove that he's still got it. And Daniel Craig is Bond now...at least for the time being.. 

Skyfall

How British Is It?: It's James Bond! How can you get more British than James Bond?

Ranking of Britishness from 1 to 10 is...007!

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THE WAR GAME (1965, GREAT BRITAIN), CULLODEN (1965, GREAT BRITAIN)

Doesn't it seem like British movies have a distinctive air of, for lack of another word Britishness? 

But exactly HOW British are they?

How British Is It? Month (Post 9 of 10)

The War Game & Culloden

The War Game

This Peter Watkins double feature begins with The War Game, a film about the aftereffects of thermonuclear war in Britain. It is an odd hybrid of a documentary and a fictional movie. The movie is not pretending to be real and continues to tell us that this is what could happen or these were the effects of the aftermath of Dresden or Hiroshima and it could happen here. Yet the style is done as a straight BBC report which includes interviews with those in this fictional community and The War Game gives us black and white images are disturbing enough that you may forget what you are seeing isn't really happening. 

Watkins also used a similar approach in Culloden about the ill-fated battle (or slaughter) of Scottish rebels against superior English forces. We are introduced to several involved in the battle as if we are there (in 1746). We learn the motivations of different players in this battle through introductions and extended interviews with some of the players. On the Scottish side, we see how arrogant military leadership directly leads to the death of hundreds. On the side of her majesty, we see how abusive the victorious can be. 

Culloden

But how British is it? British yes, but the harsh themes explored by Watkins in these films are sadly universal.

Ranking of Britishness from 1-10: The War Game is about a 6.
Culloden is half British, so I'll give it a 5. But I'll give it a 5 for its Scottishness as well. I guess you could call that  a 10!

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SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING (1960, GREAT BRITAIN)

Doesn't it seem like British movies have a distinctive air of, for lack of another word Britishness? 

But exactly HOW British are they?

How British is it? Month (Post 5 of 10)

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

Part of the "new wave" of British flims. (And quite a contrast to the film I just watched, I Know Where I'm Going!) Saturday Night and Sunday Morning features Albert Finney as Arthur, a member of the poor working class who has to deal with the very grown up problems of women, booze and earning a living.

Quick knock on traditional commercial films: Arthur and his girl leave the movie theater after seeing the glossy film Pillow Talk. "That was a bad film" is his girlfriends only comment.

Is this really the same guy? After having recently seen Albert Finney as the old caretaker of Skyfall in the movie of the same name, it's a bit of a shock to see him so damn young here.

I've seen this guy before: It took me awhile to place Norman Rossington, who played Arthur's friend Bert as later playing The Beatles road manager in A Hard Day's Night.

The 1001 list could use come more British movies from the 60's: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Morgan! A Suitable Case for Treatment and The Knack and How to Get It Come to Mind. Granted, I haven't seen these film in awhile and could change my mind if I watched them again.

How British Is It? Well, I tell ya's. As I light up a fag and thrown down a quid for a pint or three before I go and try to find me a duck to reddog, I figure I'd have to be balmy to not put this one high up on the Brit scale. I'm not crackers, after all.

Rating for Britishness from 1-10: I'd have to be daft to not give this at least a "new wave" 9.

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HEAVEN AND EARTH MAGIC (1962)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 5

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I decided that the best way for me to handle these often tough nuts to crack is just watch them and try to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with...

Heaven and Earth Magic

1. What happens?
A series of cut-out animation images come and go throughout the length of the film. Some of the images seem related. Some seem arbitrary.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?
I will yield the answer to this to question number 6.

3. What was your favorite part?
I thought the cut-out animation presented during the beginning was a clever way to open a film.

4. What was your least favorite part?
When I realized that the cut-animation that opened the film was actually going to go on for the entire film.

5. Did you get it?
Once again, I will yield to question number 6.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?
Let me put it this way. During my 66 minute viewing, I was often bored or distracted. However, with the right type of medicinal enhancement, this film might look like freakin' Citizen Kane to me! Oh, Heaven and Earth Magic! Why couldn't I have seen you in 1988?

7. What about the sex?
Not much definable in the way of sex.

8. What about the violence?
Not much definable in the way of violence.
No sex? No violence? Why, it's an avant-garde film for the entire family!

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."
"This is the film that you really shouldn't see straight."

10. Would you watch it again?
As soon as they perfect a Wayback Machine and I can get back to 1988.

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HOLD ME WHILE I'M NAKED (1966)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 4

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I decided that the best way for me to handle these often tough nuts to crack is just watch them and try to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with...

Hold Me While I'm Naked

1. What happens?
A filmmaker is making a movie and seems quite content with his finished product. However, some of his cast memembers are not so happy. One of his actresses thinks that he is filming her without clothes too much and quits. The filmmaker goes home and takes a shower before his mother makes him lunch.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?
There was some heaviness to it, though I didn't have much trouble lifting it.

3. What was your favorite part?
(Tie) Naked blonde in the shower
or
Filmmaker's mother cooks him lunch

4. What was your least favorite part?
Felt sorry that a bird died.

5. Did you get it?
I think so.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?
Possibly, though the jury is still out on that one.

7. What about the sex?
Shots of boobs in the shower (not in the shower of the filmmaker) and behind stained glass.

8. What about the violence?
Nothing other than the bird dying.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."
"This is the film where a visionary tries to make a profound artistic statement, yet the essence of his dreams remain ultimately unfulfilled"
or
"This is the film where there are several good boob shots in the shower!"
(Choice of description dependent on who I'm talking too)

10. Would you watch it again?
I watched it again already. And you may think it was just because of the boob shots in the shower, but I was really just trying to get more meaning out of it...I'm serious!

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WAVELENGTH (1967)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 3

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I decided that the best way for me to handle these often tough nuts to crack is just watch them and try to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with...

Wavelength

1. What happens?
We see a room. It appears to be a business of some kind which overlooks a fairly busy city street. There is a chair, a desk, a phone and a few pictures in the room. A couple of girls wander in and listen to "Strawberry Fields Forever." The room changes intermittently between light and shadow, between silence and a loud buzzing. There appears to be a man die at some point and a woman comes in a few minutes later and calls the authorities. We conclude by coming to a close-up picture of the ocean which the viewer appears to be taken into it.

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?
Few are heavier.

3. What was your favorite part?
The woman that called the police did break up the monotony of staring at the wall for the last ten minutes, though I also liked the "Strawberry Fields Forever" interlude.

4. What was your least favorite part?
I could only take so much of that buzzing sound.

5. Did you get it?
Sometimes yes, sometimes not so much.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?
Without question

7. What about the sex?
The woman that called the police, I imagine being sexy in a goth kind of way. Didn't really get a good look at her though.

8. What about the violence?
A guy appears to be killed. How and why is up to your imagination. I admit I kind of like that.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."
This is the film where nothing much happens for long periods of time, though if you were to argue that by nothing happening, many things happen really are happening, I would't try to argue with you.

10. Would you watch it again?
I might. Maybe after a fast so my head will be clear of my preconceived bourgeois ideas of what a proper narrative should be.

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SCORPIO RISING (1964)

Experimental/Avant Garde Cinema Week Day 2

There are several experimental or avant garde films on the 1001 movie list. In trying to figure out how to deal with them, I decided that the best way for me to handle these often tough nuts to crack is just watch them and try to answer ten basic questions about them on my personally devised standardized test. So let us continue with...

Scorpio Rising

1. What happens?
Well, there's this guy working on his motorbike. He seems to like James Dean, Marlon Bradon, skulls, tatoos, cigarettes and...leather...and chains. We see his friends, who also like leather quite a bit... Well, that was an interesting shot they just showed! Then the friends take the motorbikes to a party. Doesn't seem to be many women at the party, but all appear to be having a good time!... Oh, dear...why did they do that? And we see a motorcycle race, interspresed with a film about, uh...Jesus. I mean that literally. Interspersed with a film about Jesus!

Oh, my. Then there's a Nazi chess board..and uh, did I mention that there were 50's and 60's tunes like "Devil in Disguise," "My Boyfriend's Back," "Heatwave," and "Wipeout," playing throughout?

2. Was it heavy? Did it achieve total heaviosity?
It was heavy, though did not achieve total heaviosity.

3. What was your favorite part?
As I mentioned, the musical choices were very good.

4. What was your least favorite part?
I guess I would say all the shirtless leather boys, but I'm just so damn open minded I only had to use the skip ahead on this video three times!

5. Did you get it?
I think so. Wait, I'm not supposed to get it. I'm changing my response to no. Final answer.

6. Might the viewing experience have been enhanced from either prescription or non-prescription medication of some kind?
No, not this time.

7. What about the sex?
There was plenty of underlying sex here. It's just not sex for my team. But you know, everything can't be Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS!

8. What about the violence?
There are a few things happening which you might want to label as violence, but the victims don't seem to be very unhappy about it.

9. Describe this film in one sentence starting with "This is the film..."
"This is the film where these guys like leather and chains and they are into motorcycles and"...on second thought, I probably wouldn't describe this movie.

10. Would you watch it again?
Probably not. But it did make we want to listen to some more Fifties and Sixties tunes!

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THE WILD BUNCH (1969)

The Great American Western (Post 10 of 12)

 

The Wild Bunch

 

Sam Peckinpah's finest and most famous hour. The Wild Bunch is the story of a group of outlaws past their prime and looking for a big final score. A setup causes their heist to go awry and they spend most of the movie getting tracked by a group of largely incompetent bounty hunters.

They later get caught up in the Mexican revolution where they participate in one of the most memorable (and violent) final shootouts ever filmed.

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BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)

The Great American Western (Post 9 of 12)

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

 

 

"Who are those guys?"

"Think you used enough dynamite, there Butch?"

"Boy, I got vision, and the rest of the world wears bifocals."

"He'll feel a lot better after he's robbed a couple of banks."

Lines from William Goldman's script from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid


After I watched this film for the first time in years, I listened to the commentary track by the outspoken screenwriter, William Goldman. It was almost as entertaining as the movie. You can give credit for this movie's success to the stars, the directors or whoever, but it ultimately comes back to Golman's script (punctuated by his years of research on the subject) that truly carries the day here.

"You just keep thinkin', Butch. That's what you're good at."

"If he'd just pay me what he's spending to make me stop robbing him, I'd stop robbing him."

"You should have let yourself get killed a long time ago when you had the chance. See, you may be the biggest thing that ever hit this area, but you're still two-bit outlaws. I never met a soul more affable than you, Butch, or faster than the Kid, but you're still nothing but two-bit outlaws on the dodge. It's over, don't you get that? Your times is over and you're gonna die bloody, and all you can do is choose where."

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THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1967, ITALY)

The Great American Western (Though sometimes they make 'em in Italy) (Post 8 of 12)

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

When I was growing up, it seemed the term "spaghetti western" was used rather derisively. The three movies in the Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood dollars trilogy (Which is probably what most of us think of when we think of the term spaghetti western) were all hits in Europe when they were first released and later were hits in the United States. They weren't, however, an initial hit with critics. New York Times reviewer Renata Adler famously said about this film that...

Anyone who would voluntarily remain in the theater to see this movie in its entirety is not someone I should want to meet in any capacity ever!

But time has certainly been kind to the reputation of this film. Check out RottenTomatoes.com and you'll see how the critical opinion has gone from "love it or hate it" in the 60's to mostly "love it."

Well, I'm a certainly a Leone fan, but let me just see if I can pick out...

Ten memorable moments from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

10. Lee Van Cleef as Angel Eyes quietly sits down and has a meal with a family that he is about to gun down.

9. For some reason I love the scene where the soldier with no legs gives Angel Eyes information, Angel Eyes eyes gives him some coin and the "half soldier" happily goes into a bar and orders a whiskey.

8. Any time Clint Eastwood (as Blondie) shoots someone's hat off,

7. Eli Wallach (as Tuco) takes Blondie out into the desert to slowly kill him.

6. Tuco's verbal confrontation with his religious brother tells us all we really need to know about Tuco's background.

5. When Tuco and Blondie blow up the bridge dividing the battling armies it's pretty cool as well as an important plot device.

4. Tuco's in the gun store is funny, and despite his brashness you somehow root for him.

3. Blondie offering a dying soldier a smoke and a wrap is an unusually poignant moment.

2. So is the band in the prison camp playing while Angel Eyes has Tuco beaten up.

and the number one moment from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is the three way gun duel at then end...and the part right before...and the part after. I could almost do a top ten list of memorable moments from the final duel scene alone, but the whole final scene is a helluva finale to one great horse opera.

So that's the good. So what's the bad?

Well, it really does tend to stretch the imagination that these three characters seem to keep running into each other throughout the film, even if they are trying to get to the same place. But I'm willing to overlook it. Poetic license if you will.

And the ugly...
There are basically no women in this movie! The only woman I can think of with any lines here is Bill Carson's girlfriend, who mostly gets slapped around by Angel Eyes in her one scene. However, one of the end credits could read that Sergio Leone will compensate for his lack of women in this movie with the appearance of Claudia Cardinale in Once Upon a Time in the West!

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HOMBRE (1967)

The Great American Western (Post 7 of 12)

Hombre

 

Long before Little Big Man or Dances With Wolves, Hombre depcited a white man who was raised by Indians and took to their ways over the ways of the white man. It's interesting to note that Newman's stoic performance in Hombre is completely the opposite of his later personable Butch Cassidy character, but equally effective.

It's also interesting that the film's villain isn't really the gunman played by Richard Boone seeking to rob the stagecoach. The real bad guy is the intellectual financier played by Frederic March who swindled the Apaches with a pen, not a gun.

The supporting cast also includes Martin Balsam, who was also in Little Big Man. No reason was given why Kevin Costner didn't want to cast him in Dances With Wolves to complete the trilogy.

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PEEPING TOM (1960), GREAT BRITAIN, BLACK NARCISSUS (1946, GREAT BRITAIN)

(Rod and Chip Go To the Movies, Part 4: The Awakening)

The names have been changed to protect the innocent. The events depicted are real…sort of.

Sometime in the 80’s…

Rod and I came out of The Silver Screen Theater breathing a sigh of relief. After the fiasco a couple of weeks ago involving our unwitting viewing of the gay oriented films Satyricon and Sebastiane, our recent Silver Screen double feature viewing of Peeping Tom and Black Narcissus provided a welcome relief.

“Can you believe Peeping Tom was made over twenty years ago?” I asked Rod.

Rod rubbed his chin as he thought my question over. “It kind of puts Blood Beach and New Year’s Evil in their proper place on the movie quality food chain. Oh, and did you catch the nude scene? It was only for about a second. But I clearly saw breasts.”

“No way, that was a 1960 movie. You were just imagining things.” I said.

“I know what I saw,” Rod said, holding his position.

I told him that if he imagined he saw a brief nude scene, than a nude scene it was. I didn’t want to argue the point. When I asked him about the other film we saw, Black Narcissus, he looked much more puzzled.

“That was a tough nut to crack,” he said. “Beautiful looking film. I wasn’t sure of the point. I have to admit when that nun shed her habit and put on her lipstick it was pretty darn sexy.”

“We got to get you a girlfriend, pronto.” I snickered as I said it, but I actually found the scene a bit provocative as well.

“Back to your original question,” Rod said. “I wasn’t really sure of the point of Black Narcissus, but just by definition of it being shown at the Silver Screen, it had to have a point. Am I not right, Chip old man? That’s the comfort in seeing a movie here. You know they're not going to show something like Chu Chu and the Philly Flash or Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen. What they show will have significance to someone, somewhere in someway. Comprende?”

I nodded as I thought he had actually made a good point. As we left the theater, I grabbed the Silver Screen calendar.

“Before you continue with your metaphysical philosophy on film choice, why don’t we take a peek at the coming attractions,” I said.

I looked at the calendar for a moment before all feeling left my hand and dropped the calendar to the sidewalk.

Rod picked it up and looked at it. “What’s the matter with you, are you-Oh, my God!”

Rod and I sat down at the same time on the bench outside the box office.

“It’s over. Can you believe it? This is the last movie,” Rod said.

Neither one of us said anything else for the next minute until a man in a three-piece suit came up to us.

“Hey, I know you guys,” the man said. “I saw you at the Rhodes for Motel Hell and for Il Sebastiane here couple of weeks ago.”

Being still in a state of shock, it took a moment for us to recognize him as the man who was dressed as Frank-n-Furter at the Rhodes Halloween week and the man who was with another man he referred to as his husband during the showing of the infamous Sebastiane the week after. It’s funny how the embarrassment of seeing that film suddenly seemed so unimportant.

“Oh, hello. You look different.” I said to him, though my mind was still on the closing of the theater.

“Well, I wouldn’t get much business as an accountant if I dressed like a queen from nine to five, would I? Anyway, my real name actually is Frank. You probably don’t believe it, but it's true.”

He stuck his hand out for us to shake. After we shook his hand, he joined us on our bench.

“A shame this place is being shut down, isn’t it?” he said.

“What happened Frank? Why are they taking away our theater?” Rod asked.

“Georgia-Pacific bought it, I believe. The venerable old movie house just doesn’t do enough business anymore. People want to see second run movies, they just rent a videocassette these days.”

I looked at him like he was crazy. “Videocassettes? Like I have Eight-Hundred dollars to buy one of those players or sixty more to buy a movie. And I want to see it on the big screen anyway. What the hells the matter with people?”

“I know. I know.” Frank said as he tried to comfort me by patting my hand. “You’re preaching to the choir, honey.”

As if suddenly waking out of a trance, Rod grabbed me by my shirtsleeve. “At least we still have the Rhodes. They aren’t planning to shut that down I imagine.”

Frank handed Rod a copy of the Arts and Entertainment section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he had just pulled out of his breast pocket.

Rod looked down the pages and began to read: Atlanta’s Rhodes theater will be showing the 1938 Spencer Tracy-Clark Gable movie Test Pilot this weekend.

Rod looked up. “You see! They’re still in business.”

“Keep reading.” Frank said.

The Rhodes is showing this film because it was the first film it showed in 1938, so the management thought this would be a fitting final farewell before the Rhodes goes under the wrecking…

Rod pulled his head from the paper and looked skyward before looking back and finishing…before the Rhodes closes its doors for good and goes under the wrecking ball.

Rod handed the paper back to Frank who casually tossed it to the ground.

The three of us sat on the bench and starred across the parking lot at the venerable Oxford Bookstore, wondering if even that Atlanta institution might one day be vulnerable to the greed of land developers.

“So, what do we do now?” I asked.

Frank turned to us and put out his hand to emphasize his point. “And they’re moving Rocky Horror from Garden Hills to Northlake Plaza next week. Can you believe it? Me..in suburbia”

Rod showed a little interest “I’ve never seen it. You, Chip?”

I shook my head.

Frank let out a laugh that came close to registering as a squeal. “Oh, my. A couple of virgins, huh? Well come down to Northlake next Saturday, midnight.”

“We might as well,” Rod said. “Our social options seem to be suddenly limited.”

Frank stood up. “I got to run. I’ll look for you kids. Remember Rocky Horror. It’ll make you forget about this disappointment. Come dressed up if you dare. I’ll copy an extra script for you if you want to participate. Hey, you’d make a good Eddie,” Frank said looking my way as he left the two of us on our bench.

“What did he mean by that?” I asked Rod

“Oh, I’m not sure. I’m not sure of anything anymore. My whole worldview has been decimated into fragments.”

I took one last look at the calendar. “Peeping Tom and Black Narcissus have one more showing tomorrow. You want to come back?”

“We’ve already seen these two, but I guess we could come tomorrow and watch them again. One more chance to…no, that would be prolonging the agony. I’m done. It’s time to move on.” Rod sighed.

“I guess you’re right. Guess I’ll save up for a video cassette player.”

“Guess the first movie you’ll get will be Pillow Talk. You’ll be able to watch it anytime you want.”

“Shut up about Pillow Talk already!”

Rod laughed and I couldn’t help but smile a little too, though I was not smiling at his endless need to make fun of the movie Pillow Talk. I was instead thinking of all the great movie moments that I had experienced at the greatest theater in the world over the last few years.

We both turned our gaze to the Silver Screen marquee one last time before driving away.

IN OUR NEXT EPISODE OF ROD AND CHIP GO TO THE MOVIES...WE SEE ROD AND CHIP GOING TO THE MOVIES DURING THE 90'S, BUT WILL IT BE FOR THE LAST TIME?

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