Thursday, January 29, 2009

Bullitt (1968)

I've been a little under the weather the last few days, which usually means relaxing on the sofa and mindless watching movies. (OK, I'm not sure how this is different from when I'm feeling fine!) I recently picked up "Bullitt" on Blu-ray and thought I'd see how a 1960's film comes through in high definition. I've seen a few Steve McQueen movies ("The Magnificent Seven" and "The Great Escape"), but this might be the iconic role of his career. The story is somewhat simple, an ambitious and somewhat questionable California District Attorney has a key witness who he hopes will bring down a powerful Mafia figure. He asks to have Steve McQueen and his detective unit watch over the witness for the weekend. Several police and the witness end up shot and it is up to McQueen to figure who did it, and what's truly happening.

Many times going back to view a movie like this it becomes difficult to grasp the importance of the film upon it's initial release. This was quite cutting edge at the time. Yates, the director and McQueen, both wanted it to have a realistic feel to it. Most of the movie was shot on location throughout San Francisco, and the city really becomes it's own character in the film. Scenes in the hospital also used real doctors and nurses in key roles. McQueen's role as the rebellious and insubordinate police officer/hero (with cool car), would influence "Dirty Harry", "The French Connection", "Starsky and Hutch" and "Miami Vice" to name just a few. But with all of that said, it's also difficult to try and erase the past forty years of other directors stealing all of these elements, improving upon them and releasing "better" films. As one blogger wrote, "When originally released it set the bar for many a subsequent cop thriller, but viewed from a distance of forty years, it seems dated, confusingly plotted and poorly paced. And, it has to be said, rather dull!" I must admit, I agree with that statement, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't see it. It has some important, and very watchable elements to it.

First and foremost are the actors, and leading the pack is Steve McQueen. I'm not saying that McQueen is a great actor by any means, in fact even he would say he's not an actor but a re-actor. Some of his lines he would give to the other actors because he didn't want to talk to much, only react to what was being said. This would work quite well for him throughout his career, and bring an aura of "coolness" to his persona. Being "cool" is one of those hard aspects to really explain, but when you see it, you know, and Steve McQueen is pretty damn cool. In once scene, McQueen is in a hospital eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and drinking a glass of milk, and I don't know what it was about it, but he even made that look cool. His character of Lieutenant Frank Bullitt doesn't give off the cool sophistication of Sean Connery's James Bond, but there are similarities. Both have the beautiful girl and the hot car, but Bullitt is much more of the streets, as he works in the trenches of a tough city. He wouldn't be found in a tuxedo unless he had to, and than he would feel extremely uncomfortable. Even his short encounters with the political upperclass seems to be one of disgust. Bullitt would rather be in his black, mock sweater, shoulder holster and trench coat and sitting at a small jazz club with a drink and his girl.

Speaking of his girl, Jacqueline Bisset radiates on the screen. As with most of the female characters in movies like this, there isn't too much for her to do. She does have a job as an architect, which McQueen can't quite completely understand, so she is portrayed as being more schooled than he. But she is there basically as someone to come home to and to question if this job of crime fighting is not destroying who he is. Other notable actors are Robert Vaughn (famous as the Man from U.N.C.L.E.) playing the somewhat corrupt District Attorney. Ironically, Vaughn hated the script when he read it and said it didn't make much sense. He ended up taking the role just because he needed the money. Luckily, he didn't phone in the role, and the scenes with him and McQueen really seem to have great tension. Robert Duvall appears in an early role as a cabbie, and Norman Fell (famous as Mr. Roper on Three's Company) plays a very serious Captian Baker.

Besides from the actors, the main reason to catch this flick is "the chase". The car chase through the streets of San Francisco has become legendary, and it deserves its recognition. When I think of classic movie car chases, 3 come to mind immediately and the rest are far behind; "The French Connection", "The Road Warrior" and "Bullitt". Very few current films come close, mainly because the use of CGI and over the top stunts, defying the laws of physics, although exciting, make them completely unbelievable. (A nice exception goes out to the "Deathproof" section of "Grindhouse".) This is one of the first movies to film a chase scene through the actual streets of a city and pushed the speeds between 70 and 120 mph. What makes it even more amazing is the fact they are doing it in San Francisco, a city that can be difficult to drive through at 30 mph because of it's steep hills. Yates, the director, also put the camera in the car with McQueen for part of the chase which made the audience feel like they were in the chase as well. This technique gets lost on the smaller T.V. screens and the fact that every cop film and television show does this now. Even though it's been copied hundreds of times, it still holds up exceptionly well, and rightly earns its landmark status.

The last comment I'd like to add is the historical feel of the picture. Movies can go through a interesting time span. When they are first released they can be current, modern, hip, and cutting edge. After a short period of time (a few years to maybe 10), they can seem dated, like someone who's still wearing a certain fashion even though it's no longer in style. After a decade or two passes it can become a time capsule of a specific era. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed getting lost in this High Def version of this film. I truly felt like I was hanging out in the late 60's/early 70's. It didn't force it on you with the hippie culture, but just gently placed you into a city to get a glimpse of what it was like. The soundtrack, filled with "one of the best jazz flute compositions ever on celluloid" adds to the beatnik like atmosphere.

This disc also contains 2 very good documentaries. The first, "The Essence of Cool" is a 90 minute look at the life of Steve McQueen. It covers quite a lot including a film by film analysis of his career, his hobbies, his women and the cancer that took him, using vintage interviews of McQueen throughout his life, as well as current clips of the people who knew him. The second documentary is titled "The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing", which has nothing to do with "Bullitt" itself. It is a 1 hour and 40 minute look at the history of film editing from the silents to recent films such as "The Matrix" and "Gladiator". For those interested in the process of filmmaking it's quite interesting. Ironically, I was a little bothered by the editing of this particular film. It just had a confusing sense of jumping back and forth through time.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

The Invisible Man (1933)

I seem to go through phases when it comes to horror films. Back in High School, I remember inviting friends over and trying to find the scariest and goriest flick we could. Although that was fun at the time, the recent "torture porn" slasher films just doesn't interest me much. Over the last few years I've been making my way through the Hammer collection and the original Universal Monster film series. My travels have taken me from Dracula's castle in Transylvania, through Frankenstein's laboratory, the gypsy camps of the Wolfman, to Egypt's Mummy, the Black Lagoon of the Creature, and finally to the Invisible Man.

The story is taken from the 1897 H.G. Wells novel of the same name, and has a similar theme as Frankenstein; a cautionary tale of science going terribly wrong. The film opens with a mysterious man trying to make it through a raging snowstorm by foot. He happens upon an inn and as he asks for a room we see that his head is covered in bandages and dark glasses (we assume to stay warm.) The townsfolk become suspicious since the man never leaves his room and orders to be left alone. He sets up a laboratory and begins strange experiments. The landlord's semi-hysterical wife accidentally finds him partially unbandaged and we discover he is invisible.

The man is the scientist, Dr. Jack Griffin and he is working to find a cure which will bring him back to the visual world. The experiments revolve around the new (fictious) drug called "monocane" which supposedly has bleaching properities. Experiments had been done in Germany, on dogs turning them dead white and driving them mad, a side effect the doctor knows nothing about. This fictious drug would become a Hollywood favorite and appear in other films and on T.V. crime shows such as Perry Mason and Matlock. It would also spawn some hybrids including "duocaine" found in the later Invisible Man films and "iocaine" used in "The Princess Bride". The Invisible Man eventually returns to the laboratory of his mentor, Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers, best known as the angel Clarence from "It's a Wonderful Life"), and reveals his secret to his fiancee Flora Cranley and his one-time partner Dr. Kemp. Insanity quickly sets in on Dr. Griffin, people are killed and the police become involved. The remaining third of the movie becomes an elaborate chase as the authorities try to capture a person they can't see.

The film was directed by James Whale, the same director who had brought Frankenstein to the screen two years earlier. It was to star Boris Karloff, the actor who created the iconic Frankenstein Monster under Whale, but ended up withdrawing after the producer Carl Laemmle Jr. tried to cut his salary too many times. It was Whale who than requested Claude Rains, making his first American screen appearance. This would catapult Rains career and help him become a major character actor starring in such classics as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Casablanca (1942), and Hitchcock's Notorious (1946). Ironically, Claude Rains face would only appear in the movie for a few seconds at the end of the film, remaining under bandages or just as a voice when he was "invisible".

The costumes worn by the "invisible man" although simple, would become as iconic as the rest of the Universal monsters. Especially the image of Dr. Griffin in his bandaged face, dark glasses with nose, and bathrobe. But it's the groundbreaking special effects that would help in its success. When Griffen was "invisible" it was simply the use of wires to knock things down, but when he was partially clothed, that was acheived through a matte process. Rains would be completed covered in a black velvet suit against a black velvet background. A shot of the location was than added on top to create the illusion. It still holds up pretty well.

The New York Times would name it as one of the top 10 films of 1933. The original author, H. G. Wells, said of the film, at a dinner in its honor, that "while he liked the picture he had one grave fault to find with it. It had taken his brilliant scientist and changed him into a lunatic, a liberty he could not condone." James Whale replied that the film was addressed to the "rationally minded motion picture audience," because "in the minds of rational people only a lunatic would want to make himself invisible anyway." I must admit, I'd have to side with the author on this and would beg to differ on Whales' comment. I think most people would enjoy being invisible for a day or two. In fact, out of all of the Universal Horror films of the 30's, this is the one that might connect the most with the viewing audience. The monster isn't some strange creature that seems to come from a dream, but ourselves, searching for something to help us out, only to have it lead to a dead end. But out of all of the original Universal Horror films, this one seemed to effect me the least. The story seemed to be just a little too simple. I know it has been done as a stage play and and most of the time that is how it felt to me. It has moments or scenes that shined, but just not enough of them. I guess it's not a surprise that the story has been remade in multiple variations. Unlike many "classics" that seem to be untouchable as far as their iconic stature, this film could easily be updated.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

25 Comedies from the Past 25 Years

In my last post about Harold Lloyd and "The Freshman", I commented that "they just don't make comedies like they used to." The modern day verbal comedy just doesn't transcend all boundries the way physical comedy from the silent era does. This doesn't mean there haven't been funny movies made recently. After I published that post, I went home and found the latest Entertainment Weekly magazine waiting for me. Now I don't look at this publication at being top of the line journalism in any way. It's more of a poor man's Pop Culture light. But it did have an article on 25 Comedies from the Past 25 Years to help you get through the hard economic times. Usually when EW does a list like this it is lacking in some ways, but if anything it was a good conversation piece. It made me look back and analyze the best comedies of the past few decades.
One problem with examining Comedies is that the genre has so many sub-genres; slapstick, deadpan, verbal, screwball, black or dark comedies, parodies, spoofs and satire. There's even the latest label of a dramedy, part drama part comedy. So how do you compare Woody Allen to Adam Sandler to Eddie Murphy to Bill Murry to etc. Besides for the obvious criteria of does it make me laugh, does it continue to make me laugh on repeated viewings. Another interesting similarity between these films is that words or whole lines from the movie start being used on a normal basis in my life, AND people around instantly understand what I mean and where this came from.

So here is EW's list with my own comments. If I haven't seen the movie myself it will be difficult for me to discuss so I'll offer up a few recommendations of my own at the end.
  1. Ghostbusters (1984) Agreed

  2. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) Agreed

  3. Beverly Hills Cop (1984) I enjoyed this when it came out, but can't remember much about it besides the music. I might have to revisit this one.

  4. This is Spinal Tap! (1984) A modern Classic, especially since some people didn't realize it was a joke.

  5. Office Space (1999) Agreed

  6. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) I haven't seen this one. I've only seen a few episodes on TV and it was funny, but...

  7. There’s Something About Mary (1998) A modern Classic

  8. The Big Lebowski (1998) This was more of a recent find for me, but completely agreed. It has it's own cult following.

  9. A Fish Called Wanda (1988) I've never seen this whole movie. I just can't seem to get into it. I know some who love it and others who think it's very overrated.

  10. Dazed and Confused (1993) This is one of those movies that I don't quite view as a comedy although it is quite funny. It is a wonderful job at depicting the 1970's the same way "American Graffiti" showed the 1950's. I really like this movie so I'll keep it on the list.

  11. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005) I enjoyed this, but I don't know if I would put this on the list. I remember a few sequences (removal of chest hair), but not much else.

  12. When Harry Met Sally… (1989) A modern Classic

  13. Waiting for Guffman (1997) One of the few Christopher Guest movies I haven't seen. I'm sure it's great, but can't comment on it.

  14. Wedding Crashers (2005) I really enjoyed this when it came out, but each repeat viewing I've enjoyed it less, and the ending drags. It could have been a contender. I'll keep it on for now.

  15. Trading Places (1983) Agreed

  16. Superbad (2007) Judd Apatow's films have appeared on this list a few times and I guess I'm not quite sure about him just yet. I enjoyed this film, but really don't need to see it again, which just doesn't make it a classic.

  17. Tropic Thunder (2008) Haven't seen it

  18. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) I know some of my students who loved this, but I never saw it. Hard to say how well this will hold up.

  19. Clueless (1995) Agreed. The best teen comedy of the 90's

  20. Best in Show (2000) Agreed

  21. Clerks (1994) I saw this about 10 years after its release and I must admit I didn't understand the appeal. Can think of a few other Kevin Smith films I'd put above this, like "Dogma".

  22. Old School (2003) A rehash of "Animal House". I enjoyed it but it doesn't belong here. Maybe the Top 50.

  23. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) Agreed

  24. The Naked Gun (1998) Agreed

  25. Withnail and I (1987) I know nothing about this one at all. There are quite a few modern classics that deserve this spot!

Well, looking back on EW's list, it looks like I have at least 10 available slots to fill, so here's my list of extra recommendations for you, comedies from the past 25 years:

  1. A Christmas Story (1983) A modern classic, none of these other movies have had a T.V. station that played it repeatedly for 24 hours!
  2. Groundhog Day (1993) Besides for being funny, it brings up some interesting life questions

  3. The Princess Bride (1987) Just all around family fun. One of my personal all time favorites and most quoted
  4. Bull Durham (1988) Hits all of the right notes as a comedy, romance and sports film

  5. Back to the Future (1985) Is just an enjoyable and fun film even after so many viewings

  6. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) I remember laughing so hard when I saw this in the theater and it still cracks me up. Quoted throughout many a family function.

  7. Big (1988) A story that has been copied many times, but this one does it the best.

  8. Fargo (1996) A wonderful, dark comedy

  9. Zoolander (2001) As stupid as they come, but it makes me laugh every time

  10. Rushmore (1998) I must admit I haven't seen this, but so many of my friends adore this film I figured I'd put it up for your consideration

A few other considerations for you that wouldn't appear on the top of my list of comedies follows: Moonstruck (1987), Raising Arizona (1987), Beetlejuice (1988), Wayne's World (1992), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), Wag the Dog (1997), Shakespeare in Love (1998), The Wedding Singer (1998), Galaxy Quest (1999).

It's interesting to note that many of the films I added were more "family" in nature. There's not many movies from EW's list that I would feel comfortable watching with my parents and little kids. Where most of the films I added you could. Maybe that says more about me. Feel free to add any more comedies I may have missed.

Thursday, January 8, 2009

The Freshman (1925)

I felt as if I needed something a little more uplifting after my "Sweet Movie" review, so I decided to go with a comedy. About a year ago I had picked up a wonderful collection of Harold Lloyd films that I'm still working my way through. Lloyd ranks alongside Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton as one of the most popular and influential film comedians of the early film era. Although not as widely known, this is partially due to his own infrequent re-release of his movies, this does not mean his comedies are not on par with the other two more household names. Lloyd made nearly 200 comedy films, both silent and sound, between 1914 and 1947. Although Lloyd's films were not as commercially successful as Chaplin's on average, he was far more prolific, releasing twelve feature films in the 1920s while Chaplin released just three, and they made more money overall ($15.7 million to Chaplin's $10.5 million).

Each of these comedians had their own signature character that they are known for; Chaplin was the sentimental hobo, Keaton was "The Great Stone Face", and Lloyd had the "Glasses Character", the everyman; a resourceful, success-seeking go-getter who was perfectly in tune with 1920s era America. Even though their characters each had their specific and unique personalities, all three actors would find themselves partaking in amazing physical feats, made even more spectacular knowing stuntmen or body doubles were never used. The most iconic image of Lloyd's career comes from "Safety Last!" in which through a series of events his character finds himself scaling a building wall and eventually hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street. Although forced perspective was used in the filming, he was still high enough in the air to cause major injury or death. This feat becomes even more amazing when you learn that Lloyd only had three fingers on his right hand. The result of a serious injury in 1919 during the filming of "Haunted Spooks" when an accident with a prop bomb led to the loss of his thumb and index finger. This injury would be disguised on film, sometimes not that well, with the use of a special prosthetic glove.

"The Freshman" from 1925, is considered one of Harold Lloyd's most successful and enduring feature films. Lloyd plays a character named Harold Lamb, a very naive young man who has dreams of going off to college and becoming popular. He saves up his money and learns to imitate his favorite movie idol, "The College Hero", which includes a strange little jig he does before greeting anyone for the first time. This will be a recurring gag throughout the film. He boards a train to head off to Tate University and meets a girl named Peggy (played by Jobyna Ralston) who's described on the title cards as "what your mother was like when she was young". It's such an innocent and sweet little encounter. He is seated next to her at a table and begins to eavesdrop as she works on a crossword. Soon they are working on the puzzle together, a clue comes up which reads, "nickname you call your love." They begin to bounce possible answers back and forth, sweetheart, precious, dearest, while the little old ladies marvel at them and their love for each other. As fate (or the screenwriter) would have it, Peggy ends up being the daughter of Harold's new landlady, and becomes his love interest throughout the rest of the picture.

At college, he is quickly designated the "fool" and the entire college participates in an ongoing joke to make him think he's popular, when in fact he's the laughing stock of the whole campus. A series of set pieces follows. The first finds Harold caught on stage trying to rescue a kitten caught in the rafters, during what is supposed to be the opening remarks by the college dean. The stage becomes ramsacked and the kitten ends up under Harold's sweater. Next, Harold tries out for the college football team and it turns into disaster. Unable to kick a ball (It actually goes backwards, which was probably harder to do) or tackle a runner, he is used instead as a "live" tackling dummy. For hours on end, he is hit and crushed to the point he can bearly stand. At the end of the day's practice, he looks at the coach and, forcing a smile, says: "We had a great workout, didn't we coach?" The coach seems to recognize either something noble or just pity in the boy and gives him a spot on the team—but only as the water boy. And finally at the "Fall Frolic" dance, in which Harold continues to loses different parts of his suit due to a mishap with the tailor, and they both work on repairing the clothes faster than they are falling off. By the end of the dance, it is finally revealed to Harold just what everyone thinks of him. Deciding he'll show them all that he's not just a joke, Harold is determined to get into the next big football game.

Comes the day of the Big Game, and Harold rides the bench, as usual, cheering on his "team mates" against their archrival Union State. The Union State guys are big and mean. They tackle hard, and soon, one by one, the Tate players are carried off the field, too injured to continue. Ironically, Harold gets more excited with each injuree, since this is getting him closer to going in the game. With one minute to go and three points behind, the Tate coach has no choice but to send in his last replacement: Harold, the water boy. Most of what happens next would be hard to explained and better experienced, but Harold makes the most of it, haphazardly scoring the winning touchdown, which at last earns him the respect and popularity he was after. But he doesn't even want it any more. He's happiest with the fact that Peggy has just announced her love for him.

Many times you'll hear the expression, that just don't make them like that any more, but I feel it's very appropriate when you talk about film comedy. This is not to say that there aren't funny movies made today, but most of the comedy found in modern films are verbal in their nature. The problem with this is that verbal material can quickly become dated or have cultural borders to them. What's funny in this part of the country might not make sense to someone in another part of the country or on the other side of the world. These early silent comedies center around physical humor, and I don't just mean slapstick. There are physical feats going on that are just funny, no matter where you live or what time period you are from. Yes, the story is taking place in the 1920's, but it doesn't matter, the heart, soul and humor of the film is timeless. Besides from the humor, Lloyd, Chaplin and Keaton seem to always develop sweet and loving romance elements into their films. This is far from the sexual innuendos found in modern comedies. If anything, these are the forefathers to the screwball comedies of the 1930's and romantic comedies that continue, although not as well, to this day. Most people shy away from black and white pictures, and even worse silent ones, but I guarantee that if you get a group of people together, even throw in a few kids, and watch this film you will all be wonderfully entertained!

A few final bits of information to note: In 1990, The Freshman was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant", being one of the first 50 films to receive such an honor. I should also add that this is one of the cleanest films from the 1920's that I've seen. What I mean by clean is the lack of scratches, dust, and overall deterioration of the film and image. Lloyd was an avid photographer, dabbling in many forms including early 3-D images, many of which are included in this set as extras. Because of this hobby, he knew that these earlier films were slowly disintegerating and he started to restore his own films as early as the 1950's. Giving us a beautiful, clean image from almost 100 years ago.