Weirdo’s Movie ABC's! Part two

Bridge on the River Kwai (D. Lean, 1957): David Leans epic, drama, action/adventure and black comedy about P.O.Ws forced to build a bridge on the (guess where) the river kwai! Alec Guinness, the cinematography, Leans direction, the music score (Which includes the famous Colonel Bogey March) and the picture itself won Oscars, but William Holden, Sessue Hayakawa and Jack Hawkins deserve accolade as well.

Chinatown (R. Polanski, 1974): A salute to the great film noirs of the 1940s, and a great movie in of itself. Jack Nicholson plays a hired detective caught up in a weird web of murder, backstabbing, secrets and lies, with the driving force being the theft of water, a femme fatale (Fay Dunaway) and her greedy, ambitious father (John Huston, one of this country’s greatest directors). One of those movies you like the more you watch it.

Deliverance (J. Boorman, 1972): Three buddies go on a rafting adventure, only to discover that they aren’t quite welcome in the south. Tense, thrilling and disturbing, with great cinematography and performances from Jon Voight and Burt Reynolds in this adaptation of James Dickeys novel (Whom makes a cameo as the local town’s sheriff). You’ll never hear Dueling Banjos the same way again.

East of Eden (E. Kazan, 1955): An adaptation of John Steinbecks epic novel, which was considered to be nearly unfilmable. But it turns into a more than solid adaptation, with James Dean, in his film debut, in the title role as Cal, the rebellious son whom competes for his fathers love, with disastrous consequences. Kazan likely intended the picture to also be a Cain and Able like story as well as a parable of his own estranged relationship with his father. Out of the three movies Dean made, I best like this one, even over Rebel without a Cause. Dean did not pick up an Oscar for it, but Jo Van Fleet did for her performance as Cal’s estranged mother.

Freaks (T. Browning, 1932): Legend has it that after Tod Browning’s success with Dracula, producer Irving Thalberg requested for Browning to write a movie that was even more frightening. After reading the script, Thalberg sighed, saying I wanted horrible, and I got it! Indeed, Freaks is not the most seemingly enjoyable or pleasant of movies, with its story about circus sideshow freaks (All of whom were actually real) being harassed and looking for revenge on a German ballerina. However, something about this movie- beyond the morbid curiosity aspect of it- still makes it engaging, even after 70 years. Put simply, there have been few like it in the history of cinema.

Good, The Bad and the Ugly, The (S. Leone, 1966): Three men (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef and Eli Wallach) hunt for $200,000 worth in confederate gold during the Civil War. The last of Sergio Leone’s Spaghetti western trilogy (The later Once Upon a Time in the West is considered its own movie), and probably the best, with stand-out performances and cinematography and, of course, Ennio Morricone’s music.

High Sierra (R. Walsh, 1941): In the start of the 1940s, Humphrey Bogart- though a regular in gangster pictures alongside the likes of James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson- had yet to strike it out on his own as an actor. That changed when he was cast in this movie. Playing Mad Dog Roy, a recently paroled criminal routed in for another heist job, Bogart showed more depth, sensitivity and humanity to his personality then anybody had seen before, particularly when cast alongside Ida Lupino. High Sierra has some sentimentality to it, for sure, but it still remains fine entertainment and is significant as the launch point of not just Bogart, but of John Huston as well, whom wrote the script and later in 1941 directed and wrote his version of Dashell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, casting (surprise, surprise) Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. Just like his character at the movie’s climax, Bogart went to the top after High Sierra, and he never looked back.

In Cold Blood (R. Brooks, 1967): I never felt ill after watching a movie…until I watched In Cold Blood. The story is of two, ex-convict drifters (Robert Blake and Scott Wilson) who commit the senseless murders of a rural family, after finding that they didn’t have much money on them. Paul Stewart plays a reporter whom covers the case, from the day after the crimes are committed right up to when the two men are caught and convicted. The men’s crimes are obviously heinous, but how do people whom were once ordinary commit such crimes, and what is it all for in the end? Blake’s verbal re-enactment of the crime and the final scenes are among the most harrowing and chilling scenes ever filmed (Even more frightening, this is based on an actual case that was later made into a book by Truman Capote, upon which the movie is based). A great movie that everybody should see at least once, but be prepared for an unpleasant trip.

Jerk, The (C. Reiner, 1979): Well-to-do idiot Naven Johnson (Steve Martin) was a white man whom grew up as a poor black child. After leaving home to find his special purpose, he takes odd jobs at a gas station (Where his life is threatened by a mad man, brilliantly played by M. Emmett Walsh) and at a carnival, where he finds love, before he becomes rich from inventing a new pair of glasses. Martins debut movie after his years on Saturday Night Live is still quite possibly his best.

King Kong (E. Schoedsack, 1933): One of my absolute, all-time favorites! The story has been told over and over and in many forms, but the original still packs the biggest wallop. The special effects remain stunning after seven decades of cinema evolution, the music score is still a classic (Besides being one of the first complete scores in the sound era), Fay Wray still sets the standard for the damsel in distress and Kong’s last stand on the Empire State Building is the stuff of cinematic legends. One of the all time great adventure movies, and now out in a stunning new DVD! (Note: Watch this over the pretty looking but bloated and lifeless 2005 remake).

Longest Day, The (K. Annakin, A. Marton and B. Wicki, 1962): One of the all-time great World War II epics. The planning and execution of the June 6, 1944 landings at Normandy (D-Day) in shown with great cinematic detail on the Allied, German and Resistance fighting fronts, and still makes for one of the all-time greatest war movies (And I prefer it over Saving Private Ryan, which showed the landings in far more graphic and violent detail, but is NOT about D-Day overall). Adapted by Cornelius Ryan from his own best selling novel and featuring 48 international stars in mere cameos, including John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger, Richard Burton, Sean Connery (The same year he first played James Bond), Gert Frobe, Curt Jurgens (Both of whom would later play James Bond villains), Roddy McDowall, Robert Ryan, George Segal and others.

M (F. Lang, 1931): Fritz Langs classic of psychological terror. The story of a child murderer, Hans Beckert, (Peter Lorre) would be, in any other movie, a purely evil, one-dimensional portrait. Beckert, however, is humanized and three-dimensional, so as to allow the audience to not necessarily relate, but at least pity the character. Nor is the film’s supporting cast any more innocent: They may be even more evil then Beckert. Neither does Lang reveal the crimes committed by the killer but, rather, has them done off screen, thus making the impact all the greater. Lang is also renowned for his usage of dark, sinister shadows and lighting in his choice of cinematography (M is often considered a predecessor of Film Noir). The film is considered a foreshadow of the rise of Nazism, and it remains powerful and relevant to this day (Watch this and compare to the news coverage of Dennis BTK Rader).

Night of the Hunter (C. Laughton, 1955): In one of his greatest, and certainly creepiest performances, Robert Mitchum plays an ex-con masquerading as a preacher, whom marries a widow (Shelley Winters) to get at a fortune hidden by her children. Laughton was highly influenced by German Expressionism, as is evident in the cinematography and in Mitchum’s stylized performance. The style will be hit or miss for most people, but the movie certainly leaves a mark that few other movies do, with its themes relating to good and evil, as evident in Mitchum’s stand against the children’s symbolic guardian angel: A shotgun touting, crazy old lady (Lillian Gish).

Ox-Bow Incident, The (W. Wellman, 1943): Two strangers riding into an 1880s frontier town (Henry Fonda and Harry Morgan) are caught up in a posses search for the murderers of a local ranch hand. They find a trio of men (Led by Dana Andrews and also including Anthony Quinn) with cattle from the man, but were they really the ones responsible? The Ox-Bow Incident, running at a jam-packed 75 minutes, was one of the first anti-westerns made, and still stands as a sometimes preachy but biting indictment of the single-minded, destructive mentality of mob rule.

Paths of Glory (S. Kubrick, 1957): Although well established as the director of innovative, engaging film noirs (The Killing), Stanley Kubrick first vaulted into the worlds stage with this anti-war classic co-produced by Kirk Douglas. Douglas portrays a French colonel whom must defend three members of his regiment being tried for cowardice after a suicide mission ordered by their commanders failed. Kubrick and Douglas blast the ambition and power struggles that occur among senior officers in the military, and how almost all of the fighting (And certainly the dying) is done by soldiers considered to be mere pawns. As with many of the great movies, its relevance persists- rather uncomfortably- to this day.

Q (Major Boothroyd): The man whom would provide James Bond with his gadgets for nearly forty years, and would very rarely get them back intact. Portrayed by Desmond Llewellyn from 1963’s From Russia with Love (The 2nd Bond movie) until the actor’s passing shortly after making 1999’s The World is Not Enough (The only Bond movie he was not in during the time was 1973’s Live and Let Die). One of the greatest Bond characters ever!

Run Silent, Run Deep (R. Wise, 1958): The sole pairing of screen legends Burt Lancaster and Clark Gable. Gable is a sub commander out to get revenge on the destroyer he believes sunk his past submarine, while Lancaster is his executive officer who has to deal with him. Great at sea cinematography and still solid battle sequences in the movie that preceded all the other great sub movies (Including Das Boot, The Hunt For Red October, Crimson Tide, etc.)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (L. Nimoy, 1986): Often considered one of, if not the best, Star Trek movies. In this adventure, with a mysterious probe threatening Earth, Captain Kirk and crew have to travel in time to 1980s San Francisco to rescue a pair of extinct humpback whales to communicate with the probe. Hilarity abounds as they confront life in the 1980s (Money, keyboards, Nuclear Wessels, 20th century medicine, exact change, boom boxes). The cast was starting to show their age a bit (How did James Doonan age so terribly?). Nonetheless, they provide for enough interest and entertainment. Leonard Nimoy, in particular, steals the show in a movie he also directed, as Captain Spock provides for some of the movies funniest moments while he learns more about human emotions. A very unique and enjoyable addition to the Star Trek series.

Taxi Driver (M. Scorsese, 1976): Robert DeNiro, in a break out performance, portrays a New York cabbie whom, after failing to win a woman’s love (Cybill Shepard), goes on a vigilante rampage to clean up New York and to save a teenage prostitute (Jodie Foster) from a pimp (Harvey Keital). A creepy and violent movie (In the climatic shoot out, the blood was actually toned pink to lessen the violence), but also one of the most intriguing and powerful character studies ever filmed. I would go as far to say that its the best cinematic study of a psychotic since Fritz Lang’s M. Of course, it includes the scene where DeNiro talks to himself in the mirror.

Umm…Under the Tuscan Sun (2002, I think). Haven’t seen it, but it has Diane Lane in it, whom is so sexy and gorgeous, especially for an actress in her forties. Not to mean that I’m shallow or anything (In fact, I’ll take a REAL woman any day over any younger but plastic, cookie cutter platinum blonde).

Vanishing Point (R. Sarafian, 1971): Thrills, spills…and a handful of pills (The video box). Barry Newman stars as Kowalski, a daredevil racer whom claims that he can make it from Denver to San Francisco in just fifteen hours. Obviously, his high speeding, under the influence driving catches the attention of law men whom pursue him relentlessly. The movie features a quirky supporting cast which includes a snake catching prospector (Dean Jagger), a blind D.J that helps out Kowalski (Cleavon Little) and a nude woman on a bike. It also includes a great soundtrack and, obviously, some of the most dynamic car chases in cinema history (Although some feel that the end is a bit anti-climatic).

When We Were Kings (L. Gast, 1996): Documentary on 1974s Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman. Very good stuff with behind the scenes looks into the lives of both contenders, although, as one IMDB reviewer points up, the movie is almost exclusively Ali dominated. No matter, though, for Ali is a terrific entertainer (“I’m dancin! I’m dancin!”). Academy award winner for Best Documentary.

X-rated version of The Wizard of Oz (1939): Come on, there’s gotta be one out there somewhere! I mean, replace Dorothy’s ruby shoes with a ruby thong that grants her super powers, have the tin man be the man in a tin speedo and…well, you use your imagination. Ah, this movie's messed up enough as it is (Remember, Pink Floyd’s The Wall synchronizes perfectly with it).

Young Frankenstein (M. Brooks, 1974): Dr. Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is determined to separate himself from the evil, unfortunate legacy of his family, but a relatives passing launches destiny in another course. A brilliant, dead on spoof of horror films of the 1930s (The actual lab equipment used in the 1931 Frankenstein was found in storage and brought out for this movie), with great work by Wilder, Peter Boyle as the monster, Madeline Kahn as Frankenstein’s fiancee and an uncredited Gene Hackman as a blind forest dweller.

Z (1969): I’m tired of figuring out things to write. Anyway, I haven’t seen this movie yet, but you can go to this link to find out everything you’ve ever wanted to learn: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065234

Hmm, not nearly as good as part one, and I’m still missing some favorites. Maybe a part three is in order. Who really cares?