Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Short Cuts
- Commentary: I saw this movie a long time ago, shortly after I became my mother's companion, during the period when she and I pursued our separate lives (mine included work, at that time) and lived together for her emotional comfort and to my enjoyment (my mother and I have been friends since I was a young adult). I didn't see it when it was first released, but a few years later at an art house theater. My memory of it is fuzzy, but my memory of my reaction to it has been very clear ever since that viewing. I think of it as a kind of Dazed and Confused for the "more mature" set. Since I began to investigate my mother's collection of movies on DVD, I've sporadically tried to hunt it down, not knowing if it had even been burnt to disc. Suddenly, today, as it turns out, I watched this video by Daisuke Beppu and, low an behold, there was my movie! Not only that, but he talked about not only the most recent release, but the old one with a booklet of Raymond Chandler's short stories, the edition for which I've been searching all these years!
Criterion no longer carries their original release of this film (with the booklet). The last place I considered looking was Amazon, but when I ran a search through my favored search engine, that's where it turned up! It's winging it's way to me, as I write, and should arrive a week from tomorrow. Its page indicates that the movie, itself, is "new", which I didn't expect at all, so I'm very excited!
I have to admit, it's more expensive than the movies I usually buy, but not for a Criterion movie (which I only buy during sales at reduced prices from other places besides Criterion) but, frankly, I consider its price a bargain, considering everything. It is still cheaper than your average, off-sale price of a Criterion movie sold at the Criterion website.
It's done in what has become known as Robert Altman's style (like Nashville, which I own and love and watch semi-regularly). As is true of a typical Robert Altman work, it features loads of actors, famous, not-so-famous and infamous, and sets each of them in situations which play to their acting strengths. There is an overall "theme", but not like Nashville.
It's been a long, long time since I've seen it, so watching it will be akin to my memory surprising me over and over. I'll be back, later, to catalog my reaction to seeing it again.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Andie MacDowell Ann Finnigan Bruce Davison Howard Finnigan Julianne Moore Marian Wyman Matthew Modine Dr. Ralph Wyman Anne Archer Claire Kane Fred Ward Stuart Kane Jennifer Jason Leigh Lois Kaiser Chris Penn Jerry Kaiser Lili Taylor Honey Piggot Bush Robert Downey Jr. Bill Bush Madeleine Stowe Sherri Shepard Tim Robbins Gene Shepard Lily Tomlin Doreen Piggot Tom Waits Earl Piggot Frances McDormand Betty Weathers Peter Gallagher Stormy Weathers Annie Ross Tess Trainer Lori Singer Zoe Trainer Jack Lemmon Paul Finnigan Lyle Lovett Andy Bitkower Buck Henry Gordon Johnson Huey Lewis Vern Miller Charles Rocket Wally Littleton Michael Beach Jim Stone
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1993
Directed by Robert Altman.
Labels: §5, Criterion4, dramedy3, jennifer-jason-leigh, julianne-moore, matthew-modine, robert-altman, robert-downey-jr, tim-robbins
Thursday, June 02, 2022
Pacific Heights
- Commentary: Part of Warner Brothers 4 Film Favorites collection. This is the other one-of-two in this collection that I had seen and enjoyed, in the theater, in fact, in Seattle, with a friend. Michael Keaton's portrayal of the apartment scam psycho is delicious. The story was, and is, fun, novel and creepy. I wouldn't have bought it if I hadn't gotten it so cheaply and serendipitously, but I'm glad I own it. The four movies in the collection are this one, Diabolique, The Crush and Copycat.
Update 6/2/2022: This post was originally published on 8/14/16 but disappeared from public view. I am now reinstating it.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Melanie Griffith Patricia Palmer Matthew Modine Drake Goodman Michael Keaton Carter Hayes/James Danforth Mako Toshio Watanabe Nobu McCarthy Mira Watanabe Laurie Metcalf Stephanie MacDonald Luca Bercovici Greg Tippi Hedren Florence Peters
Here's a link to the Wikipedia write-up of the film.
Release Date: 1990
Directed by John Schlesinger.
Labels: drama6, folk-horror, laurie-metcalf, matthew-modine, mystery1, neo-noirB, popcorn-and-soda2, thriller2
Monday, January 28, 2019
Full Metal Jacket
- Commentary: As I mention in my write-up for Platoon, this movie, here, is my favorite Vietnam movie. I finally purchased it a while ago. I've watched it a few times since. It is always a thrill. I am ever aware that the movie was, in its time, still is, in fact, controversial. It is not an actor's movie, that is true. Neither was the Vietnam War an actor's war (in the sense that, for instance, WWII became an actor's war). It was a brutal, bloody mess of a capitalist imperial "adventure". It deserved to be lost, as did all the connected wars in Southeast Asia that the U.S. perpetuated. This movie makes that fact abundantly clear.
Although the war, itself, was carnage on a grand scale, the movie is not. As a director's movie, it is a prime example of the interpreting art of film directing. As such, it gets the misdirection/misadventure of the actual war and the global (let alone U.S.) reaction to it right. I will never tire of wanting to watch this movie. It's probably a generational thing. So be it.
Update 9/29/19: I've added this film to a category that I feel I need to defend: the "gang-movie" category. Although the group of men portrayed in this movie are a military unit, they are, clearly, also a gang, as well as part of a larger gang, the overwhelming military gang of professional warriors. It's impossible for me to consider them different than a street gang. Watch the movie. You'll see what I mean.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matthew Modine Pvt./Sgt. J. T. Davis Vincent D'Onofrio Pvt. Leonard/Gomer Pyle Lee Ermey Gunnery Sgt. Hartman Adam Baldwin Animal Mother Arliss Howard Pvt./Sgt. Evans Kevyn Major Howard Rafterman Dorian Harewood Eightball Tim Colceri Doorgunner Ngoc Le VC Sniper Ed O'Ross Lt. Walter J. Schinoski John Terry Lt. Lockhart Bruce Boa POG Colonel
Just in case, here's the Wikipedia write-up for this movie.
Release Date: 1987
Directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Labels: action1, coming-of-age1, gang-movie, haunting1, historical2, horror1, matthew-modine, military, period2, spectacle1, stanley-kubrick, vincent-d'onofrio, violence2, war1
Friday, March 09, 2007
The Bible Collection
- Who's watched: M & G
- Mentions: None
- Commentary: This set of Old Testament Stories, covering:
Abraham [Directed by Joseph Sargent; Release Date: 1993; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Richard Harris Abraham Barbara Hershey Sarai/Sarah Vittorio Gassman Terah Maximilian Schell Pharaoh Carolina Rosi Hagar Kevin McNally Nahor Gottfried John Eliezer Andrea Prodan Lot
→ richard-harris
David [Directed by Robert Markowitz; Release Date: 1997; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Nathaniel Parker David Jonathan Pryce Saul Leonard Nimoy Samuel Sheryl Lee Bathsheba Ben Daniels Jonathan Maurice Roëves Joab Franco Nero Nathan Gideon Turner Young David
→ jonathan-pryce
Jacob [Directed by Peter Hall; Release Date: 1994; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Matthew Modine Jacob Lara Flynn Boyle Rachel Sean Bean Esau Joss Ackland Isaac Juliet Aubrey Leah Irene Papas Rebeccah Giancarlo Giannini Laban Christoph Waltz Morash
→ matthew-modine
Joseph [Directed by Roger Young; Release Date: 1995; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Kingsley Potiphar Lesley Ann Warren Potiphar's Wife Paul Mercurio Joseph Stefano Dionisi Pharoah Michael Attwell Judah Pete Lee Wilson Gad Kelly Miller Tamar Warren Clarke Ednan
Moses [Directed by Roger Young; Release Date: 1995; Wikipedia link]
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Ben Kingsley Moses Frank Langella Merneptah Christopher Lee Pharaoh David Suchet Aaron Geraldine McEwan Miriam Enrico Lo Verso Joshua Maurice Roëves Zerack Sônia Braga Zipporah Philip Stone Jethro Anthony Higgins Korah Anton Lesser Eliav Vincent Riotta Midian
Samson & Delilah [Directed by Nicolas Roeg; Release Date: 1996; Wikipedia link]
P.S. The revenge2 movie in this collection is Samson & Delilah, one of the ultimate revenge stories in the Abrahamic bible, in part because it features more than one revenge story. It is as though "God" created Samson to be an instrument of revenge.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Eric Thal Samson Jonathan Rhys Meyers Young Samson Elizabeth Hurley Delilah Dennis Hopper Gen. Tariq Diana Rigg Mara Paul Freeman Manoah Michael Gambon King Hanun Ben Becker Prince Sidqa Alessandro Gassman Amrok Debora Caprioglio Rani Sebastian Knapp Yoram Jale Arıkan Naomi
This is the collection that most captures my interest. Mom considers it a continuation of The Bible Series. My favorites are the stories of Joseph, Abraham and Moses, as it is a delight for me to watch Ben Kingsley and Richard Harris in anything. One of the aspects of both this and The Bible Series that I appreciate is the obvious attempt to authentically capture the time periods. I notice, especially, the tight use of space and the fact that they are somewhat less full of eye candy as, say, the productions of The Ten Commandments and One Night with the King.
Labels: barbara-hershey, ben-kingsley, bible-movies1, jonathan-pryce, leonard-nimoy, matthew-modine, moses, religion1, revenge2, richard-harris
