DVD Collectors Online
DVD Reviews => The "Marathon" reviews => Topic started by: Danae Cassandra on July 31, 2014, 09:50:25 PM
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So, in response to Pete's marathon I think I'm going to do my own alphabet marathon. Mostly on my off days (hence the name) so I'm not going to set a time frame to be finished by.
# 9 Songs (1.5/5)
A The Aristocats (3.5/5)
B The Black Pirate (3.5/5)
C Chico & Rita (4/5)
D Don't Look Now (4/5)
E Evil Under the Sun (3.5/5)
F Foxfire (1987) (4.5/5)
G The Gold Rush (4.5/5)
H Harold and Maude (4.5/5)
I Identity (4/5)
J La jetée (4.5/5)
K Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (3.75/5)
L The Last Wave (4/5)
M Millennium (3/5)
N
O Ordeal in the Arctic (3.5/5)
P Picnic at Hanging Rock (4/5)
Q The Quiet Man (4/5)
R The Rabbi's Cat (3.5/5)
S A Study in Terror (3/5)
T
U Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (3.75/5)
V
W A Woman is a Woman (3.5/5)
X
Y
Z
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/84/842498000182f.jpg)
9 Songs
Year of Release: 2008
Directed By: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Kieran O'Brien, Margo Stilley
Genre: Romance
Overview:
9 SONGS is a powerful insight into the lives of two young people who share a summer of love amidst today's vibrant London rock 'n' roll scene.
My Thoughts:
Your enjoyment of this film will be predicated on one of two things: First, do you like modern indie rock? If so, other reviews say this has a great soundtrack. This style of music isn't to my taste, and the only way I recognize the names is from my co-workers (except Michael Nyman), but the music and concert scenes are best thing in the film.
Second, do you want to watch two ordinary people have really explicit sex? As in, a lot of sex. If so, watch this film. Because that's the other half that isn't concerts. Sure, there are a few short scenes strewn through where the two main characters aren't having sex or seeing a show, but they're short and infrequent.
Otherwise, this is a really dull film. The characters have no charisma and there is no development to them. I didn't care about them, or about their relationship (what we saw of it - they ate, they went to the beach, they did some drugs, and, oh yeah, they had a lot of sex). There seemed to be no real point to the film, no plot other than hey, these two people hooked up for a time and now they're not together and dude is looking back on it and being cold and lonely.
Honestly, one of the most boring films I've ever seen. Right up there with 12:08 East of Bucharest.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 1.5/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/78/786936723229f.jpg)
The Aristocats
Year of Release: 1970
Directed By: Wolfgang Reitherman
Starring: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers
Genre: Adventure, Romance, Animation
Overview:
Disney's irresistible classic The Aristocats is all jazzed up in a spectacular Special Edition, complete with a new digital transfer.
In the heart of Paris, a kind and eccentric millionairess wills her entire estate to Duchess, her high-society cat, and her three little kittens. Laughs and adventure ensue as the greedy, bumbling butler pulls off the ultimate catnap caper. Now it's up to the rough-and-tumble alley cat, Thomas O'Malley, and his band of swingin' jazz cats to save the day.
My Thoughts:
I was in the mood for something light and fun, and this always fits that bill. This is one of my personal favorite Disney films, even though I'm well aware that it's considered a 'lesser' film in their catalog. Yet, I'm never sure why. I like all the characters, even spoiled little Marie who is always the one in danger. The villain is truly bumbling but has believable motivation. The two dogs are hilarious. Sure, the tale is a pretty simple one, but the romance is genuine, the voice acting is good, and the art and animation, if not top-notch Disney, is still pretty good. Of the 60's and 70's era Disney animated features, this one is my favorite (with Dalmatians a close second).
Bechdel Test: Pass
Overall: 3.5/5
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I really like this one too. Maybe part of it is Marie has my name. lol And I've always liked cats.
I think part of it is also because I remember Grandma taking me to see it. I think it was one of the last one she took me to before we moved away. I still remember having trouble seeing, so I sat on teh seat flipped up... this boy behind me yelled at me - he was older than I was and Grandma told him off. Said I was just a little kid and he should be ashamed for yelling at me..told him to move if he couldn't see because we were there first.
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/73/738329072124f.jpg)
The Black Pirate
Year of Release: 1926
Directed By: Albert Parker
Starring: Douglas Fairbanks, Bille Dove, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse
Genre: Adventure, Action
Overview:
Riding the crest of popularity after his hit films The Thief of Bagdad, Robin Hood, and The Three Musketeers, the silent cinema's greatest adventure hero crowned his accomplishments with the spectacular Technicolor epic THE BLACK PIRATE.
The sole survivor of a ship pillaged by buccaneers, Michel (Fairbanks) poses as the mysterious Black Pirate and infiltrates a nest of bandits. He mounts an elaborate ploy to earn their trust, reclaim the ship and rescue a kidnapped princess (Billie Dove). Like a Robert Louis Stevenson adventure come to life, THE BLACK PIRATE ripples with customary intrigue and a rapid succession of brilliantly inventive stunts.
Mastered from a 35mm negative, this special Kino edition carefully recreates the authentic palette of two-strip Technicolor (comprised of varying blends of green and orange), so that modern viewers can savor the photography The New York Times praised as, "mindful of the paintings of the old masters."
My Thoughts:
This is a fun swashbuckling adventure. It has great action and stunts (mostly courtesy of Fairbanks), a dashing hero, a treacherous villain, and a fair maiden in distress. It's everything you want in a pirate movie - sword fights, treasure, robbery, murder, kidnapping, romance, a scene with our hero forced to walk the plank.
Don't try to judge this against modern films. You simply aren't going to have the kind of film you see now. In its day, this was a lavish production with expensive, and experimental, two-color Technicolor film. One of the earliest full-length color films! It's a dynamic, entertaining yarn I'd recommend to anyone who likes a good pirate film or a good silent film. Lots and lots of fun.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 3.5/5
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I enjoyed this one as well. :)
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/09/097360870442f.jpg)
Don't Look Now
Year of Release: 1973
Directed By: Nicholas Roeg
Starring: Julie Christie, Donald Sutherland, Hilary Mason, Clelia Matania
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Overview:
Working with elements of the traditional horror genre – second sight, ESP, warnings from the dead, a mad killer – and cinematography of disquieting beauty with a dreamlike sense of dislocation, director Nicolas Roeg weaves a fabric of anxiety that questions all reality. The evocative use of the back streets of Venice is a sinister participant in the action based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. This intensely erotic and macabre film boasts outstanding performances by Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland.
My Thoughts:
This is a film of atmosphere. There is a palpable tension throughout, a certainty that something lurks just beyond the visible. It's a film that starts of slow, and builds up to the final climax. It's also a film that will keep you wondering what exactly is happening, especially when everything is seems foreboding, every character potentially sinister, every dark corner hiding something.
Christie and Sutherland are fine in their roles, but this is very much Nicholas Roeg's film. He is a director with a distinctive style, and it's very much in evidence here in the lightning, the cinematography, the editing choices and intercuts. This is the third film of Roeg's I've watched and he's easily moved into a list of my favorite directors.
Recommended if you like slow-building creeping thrillers. Highly recommended if you have liked any of Roeg's previous films.
Bechdel Test: Pass
Overall: 4/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/76/767685278796f.jpg)
Chico & Rita
Year of Release: 2010
Directed By: Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando
Starring: Mario Guerra, Limara Meneses, Emar Oña Xor
Genre: Romance, Animation
Overview:
From Oscar®-winning director Fernando Trueba and legendary artist Javier Mariscal comes an epic love, capturing the music and culture of 1948 Cuba. Chico is a piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and desire unite them and bring them from Havana to New York, Paris, Hollywood and Las Vegas. With an original soundtrack by legendary Cuban pianist and five-time Grammy® winner Bebo Valdés, CHICO & RITA captures a defining moment in the evolution of history and jazz, and features the music of (and animated cameos by) Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Cole Porter, Dizzy Gillespie, Woody Herman, Tito Puente, Chano Pozo, and others.
My Thoughts:
This is a wonderful, touching, and often frustrating love story. Our two leads meet, fall in love, fall apart, and drift in and out of each other's lives as they are never able to forget the other or stop loving them.
It has good animation, in a different kind of style and design than one is used to seeing (at least here in the states), and though one can tell it used a computer, it doesn't look it, appearing closer to traditional cel animation (they also used live actors, but it doesn't appear rotoscoped either). The standout feature, however, is the stupendous jazz soundtrack. If you like jazz, especially Cuban jazz, that is reason enough to see this great film.
Don't be fooled that the blu-ray release is on the GKIDS label, or by the choice of the animated medium. This is not a children's film, but rather an adult love story. Highly recommended.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 4/5
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Evil Under the Sun
Year of Release: 1982
Directed By: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Peter Ustinov, Colin Blakely, Jane Birkin, Nicholas Clay, Maggie Smith
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Overview:
When a shrewish stage star is found strangled at a posh island resort, detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) is called in to investigate. But as the brilliant Belgian learns, it isn't a matter of who would want the diva dead, but who wouldn't? As he follows the twists and turns of clues and motives, Poirot soon dicovers that even among the rich and famous, murder never takes a holiday.
Maggie Smith, Roddy McDowall, Diana Rigg, James Mason, Jane Birkin, Colin Blakely, and Sylvia Miles co-star is this Christie favorite filmed on location in stunning Majorca, Spain, directed by Guy Hamilton (The Mirror Crack'd, Goldfinger), adapted by Anthony Shaffer (Sleuth) and filled with classic songs by Cole Porter.
My Thoughts:
This was a fun little murder mystery. They spent a good amount of time setting things up, letting us get to know all the characters and their motives for the murder. I thought it set all of them up quite well as suspects. I had no sympathy for the murdered woman, her character was so obnoxious as to have me hoping for her to get murdered already. Everyone else was much more pleasant company. I really enjoyed Peter Ustinov's portrayal of Poirot. It's a pretty film, showing off it's beautiful Spanish location quite well. Recommended.
Bechdel Test: Pass
Overall: 3.5/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/70/707729129455f.jpg)
Foxfire
Year of Release: 1987
Directed By: Jud Taylor
Starring: Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, John Denver
Genre: Drama
Overview:
Annie Nations has spent her whole life in the Blue Ridge mountains, most of it with her husband, Hector. He's gone five years now, buried back in the orchard, but he's never far away... slipping into her thoughts, watching her do the chores...still thinking he knows best even now when her country singer son (John Denver) is pressuring her to sell the farm. But in the autumn of her life, Annie Nations will decide for herself whether to hold on to what she's always known or follow her heart to the other side of the mountain. Jessica Tandy radiates dignity in her Emmy Award winning performance as the proud mountain woman caught between the traditions of the past and the pressures of modern life. And Hume Cronyn is superb as her cherished mate who haunts her memories as clearly as the sweet mountain melodies that flow through the season of their lives.
My Thoughts:
This is a beautiful, bittersweet film. It's a film about life, about family, marriage, tradition, and the different kinds of love that pull on a person. It's a film the splendor of Appalachia, the strength of the people that made it their home, and the heartbreaking sadness of the passing of a way of life. It's a film about the importance of family, both the family you have lost, and the family remaining.
Jessica Tandy won an Emmy for her portrayal here, and Hume Cronyn is excellent as her husband. Their work really carries the film, so believable and realistic are their characters. Tandy is the emotional heart of the film, and she wears it with grace and dignity. Denver and the supporting cast are no slouches, but they don't hold a candle to Tandy and Cronyn.
It's a wonderful film, highly recommended.
Bechdel Test: Pass
Overall: 4.5/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/71/715515095518f.jpg)
The Gold Rush
Year of Release: 1925
Directed By: Charles Chaplin
Starring: Charles Chaplin, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Georgia Hale
Genre: Comedy
Overview:
Charlie Chaplin's comedic masterwork—which charts a prospector's search for fortune in the Klondike and his discovery of romance (with the beautiful Georgia Hale)—forever cemented the iconic status of Chaplin and his Little Tramp character. Shot partly on location in the Sierra Nevadas and featuring such timeless gags as the dance of the dinner rolls and the meal of boiled shoe leather, The Gold Rush is an indelible work of heartwarming hilarity. This special edition features both Chaplin's definitive 1942 version, for which the director added new music and narration, and a new restoration of the original 1925 silent film.
My Thoughts:
What a wonderful, enjoyable, well-made film. Chaplin is a master of graceful physical comedy, seemingly effortless with his mastery of comedic timing and excellent classic scenes. One cannot help but laugh at the Thanksgiving Dinner scene, or the dance of the dinner roles, but equally one cannot help but have a great sympathy for Chaplin's Prospector after his guests do not show for the dinner he worked so hard for. Chaplin creates a character of fun comedy, yes, but also of heart. The supporting cast is quite good too, especially Mack Swain's fellow prospector who gets some comic moments in as well. Highly recommended, even if you aren't a big fan of silent films. One of the most genuinely funny films I've seen.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 4.5/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/71/715515094511f.jpg)
Harold and Maude
Year of Release: 1971
Directed By: Hal Ashby
Starring: Ruth Gordon, Bud Cort, Vivian Pickles
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Overview:
With the idiosyncratic American fable Harold and Maude, counterculture director Hal Ashby fashioned what would become one of cinema's most beloved comedies. Working from a script by Colin Higgins, Ashby tells the story of the emotional and romantic bond between a death-obsessed young man from a wealthy family (Bud Cort) and a devil-may-care bohemian sixty years his senior (Ruth Gordon). Equal parts gallows humor and beguiling sincerity, Harold and Maude dissolves the line between darkness and light—along with those that separate people by class, gender, and age—and features indelible performances and a remarkable soundtrack by Cat Stevens.
My Thoughts:
This is the story of a lonely young man from an oppressive home, who falls in love with a fun-loving eccentric who lives life to the fullest. It's of lesser importance that they are a May/December couple, though it's always there. Love knows no age difference. As much as it is about their friendship and romance, the film is really about embracing life. Grasp happiness when it is offered, laugh, love, live, be yourself and enjoy your life - it's all too short to live under the thumb of others, whether it be your mother or society. Harold, who plays at death, really is simply existing in a dead life until he meets Maude, who brings life into his world. Wonderful film, even if it doesn't end exactly the way you might want it to. Highly recommended.
Bechdel Test: Pass
Overall: 4.5/5
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One of the truly great films of the 70's. I can still remember going to see this the day it came out as I loved Ruth Gordon and only knew Bud Cort from M*A*S*H*. But this film combined with the music of Cat Stevens .. it was like the music was written for this film or the film was written around the music. If you want to be you .. be you and if you want to be me be me ..
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Agreed! A great film. Ruth Gordon is superb. Now that I've been reminded of it, it goes into my must-rewatch list.
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It's in my Top Ten of all time. Here's my review (http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,5772.0.html) from many years ago.
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Agreed! A great film. Ruth Gordon is superb. Now that I've been reminded of it, it goes into my must-rewatch list.
I hate that about this group :) .. on the list it goes
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Agreed! A great film. Ruth Gordon is superb. Now that I've been reminded of it, it goes into my must-rewatch list.
I hate that about this group :) .. on the list it goes
You must like me then, I don't have a list ... I have a pile :P
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Good to know so many people appreciate that great film. ;D
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Agreed! A great film. Ruth Gordon is superb. Now that I've been reminded of it, it goes into my must-rewatch list.
I hate that about this group :) .. on the list it goes
You must like me then, I don't have a list ... I have a pile :P
:)
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Now that October is over, time to get back to this!
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/04/043396184558f.jpg)
Identity
Year of Release: 2003
Directed By: James Mangold
Starring: John Cusack, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, John Hawkes
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Overview:
What if there really were no coincidences in life and our destinies were already predetermined?
Ten strangers with secrets are brought together in a savage rainstorm: A limo driver (John Cusack), an '80s TV star (Rebecca DeMornay), a cop (Ray Liotta) who is transporting a killer (Jake Busey), a call girl (Amanda Peet), a pair of newlyweds (Clea DuVall and William Lee Scott) and a family in crisis (John C. McGinley, Leila Kenzle, Bret Loehr), all take shelter at a desolate motel run by a nervous night manager (John Hawkes). Relief in finding shelter is quickly replaced with fear as the ten travelers begin to die, one by one. They soon realize that, if they are to survive, they'll have to uncover the secret that has brought them all together.
My Thoughts:
I found this to be a really entertaining, suspenseful film. Looking at things from the end, I can see how clues were set up, but watching the film I didn't have it fully figured out until the reveal. Yes, early on the film does let you know that there is more to this than the obvious (escape from the motel only bringing one character back to the motel) and it gives it this Twilight Zone-esque feel at that point, but I was still wondering exactly what was going on and exactly who was the culprit. Yes, I did have suspicions towards the correct answer, but I also thought the film did a good job misdirecting the viewer. The performances are all good, though Cusack was the standout for me. All in all, very good film, solid recommendation for just about anyone.
Bechdel Test:
Overall: 4/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/71/715515023924f.jpg)
La jetée
Year of Release: 1963
Directed By: Chris Marker
Starring: Jean Negroni, Hélène Chatelain, Davos Hanich, Jacques Ledoux
Genre: Science-Fiction
Overview:
One of the most influential, radical science-fiction films ever made and a mind-bending freeform travelogue, La Jetée and Sans Soleil couldn't seem more different—yet they're the twin pillars of one of the most daring and uncompromising careers in cinema's history. Chris Marker, filmmaker, poet, novelist, photographer, editor, and now videographer and digital multimedia artist, has been challenging moviegoers, philosophers, and himself for years with his complex queries about time, memory, and the rapid advancement of life on this planet, and these two films—a tale of time travel told in still images and a journey to Africa and Japan—remain his best-loved and most widely seen.
My Thoughts:
This is a beautiful, poetic short film, a true work of art. It's unlike any film I've seen before, constructed as it is entirely from still photographs that blend together to tell the story of a time traveler sent into the past because of his strong connection to a childhood memory. It's a great piece of science-fiction - enough of the world is given to allow the viewer to fill in the rest. It's also a film that will make you think: what is memory, what is time, what is our place in those things, and if some thing, or some time, is lost, can it ever be found? It's a profound little film that will stay with you; recommended for any lover of serious art film.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 4.5/5
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(http://www.invelos.com/mpimages/04/043396359543f.jpg)
A Study In Terror
Year of Release: 1965
Directed By: James Hill
Starring: John Neville, Donald Houston, John Fraser, Anthony Quayle, Barbara Windsor
Genre: Suspense/Thriller, Crime
Overview:
Three of 19th Century England's most famous characters come together for the first time in this sumptuous, exciting mystery, as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson set out to bring down history's most notorious serial killer: Jack The Ripper! When a suspicious package arrives at the master sleuth's Baker Street home, he and his old friend must join the hunt before more murders are committed... even though the trail may lead to places they'd rather not go. John Neville is one of the most authentic Holmes portrayers ever, and he's ably supported by Donald Houston as Watson, as well as such British acting royalty as Anthony Quayle, Robert Morley, Frank Finlay, Barbara Windsor, Cecil Parker and, in one of her earliest screen roles, Academy Award® winner Dame Judi Dench (1998, Best Supporting Actress, Shakespeare in Love). If you like your Holmes straight up and unadulterated, then adding this thrilling, sexy, witty, colorful adventure to your collection is... oh, come now, do we really need to say it?
My Thoughts:
This is an entertaining Sherlock Holmes pastiche, even if I find it to be only slightly above average for a Holmes film in general. It has a decent plot, and there's enough put in that you can figure out the killer while suspecting different people before everything is revealed. The cast is solid, with quite a few recognizable names. I liked Neville's Holmes, he does a reasonably good job with the character, though I've seen better. His Holmes is a lot better than Houston's Watson, who bears more resemblance to Nigel Bruce's characterization than Conan Doyle's. At least Holmes treats Watson better here than in the Rathbone/Bruce pictures, and he isn't quite as much the bumbler here. The rest of the film is quite reasonably well done. It reminds me strongly of a Hammer film, with the sexy girls & cleavage, the rich colors, and the thick fog. Recommended for fans of Holmes - it's much more a Holmes picture than a Ripper picture, so those with interest in that side of it should know what to expect.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 3/5
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In an effort to get some of these finished, I'm counting films for more than one marathon. Yes, I'm cheating. :-[ :-[
So, for L I'm counting The Last Wave whose review is posted over in the around-the-world marathon (http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,7648.msg171547.html#msg171547).
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I'm counting P for Picnic at Hanging Rock, the review for which is posted over in the Lifetime Marathon (http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,8458.msg171594.html#msg171594).
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I'm counting U for Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, the review for which is posted over in the around-the-world marathon (http://www.dvdcollectorsonline.com/index.php/topic,7648.msg171632.html#msg171632).
Yep, still cheating.
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The Rabbi's Cat (Le chat du rabbin)
Year of Release: 2012
Directed By: Antoine Delesvaux, Joann Sfar
Starring: François Morel, Maurice Bénichou, Hafsia Herzi, Jean-Pierre Kalfon, Daniel Cohen, François Damiens
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Overview:
Based on the bestselling graphic novel by Joann Sfar, award-winning filmmaker (Gainsbourg) and one of France's most celebrated comic artists, THE RABBI'S CAT tells the story of a sharp-tongued feline philosopher brimming with scathing humor.
Algeria in the 1930s is an intersection of Jewish, Arab and French culture. A cat belonging to a widowed rabbi and his beautiful daughter eats the family parrot and miraculously gains the ability to speak. Along with the power of speech comes unparalleled sardonic wit, and the cat spares no group or individual as it skewers faith, tradition and authority in a provocative exploration of God, death, lust and the search for truth. Rich with the colors, textures, flavors and music of Mediterranean Africa, the film embarks on a cross-continent comedic adventure through colonial Algiers and under vast Saharan skies in search of a lost Ethiopian city.
My Thoughts:
This is a charming, unique film, following a cat who gains the power to speak after eating a parrot. Yum yum. Rabbi Sfar, his master, seeks to keep the cat from the company of his daughter, whom the cat loves, so the cat resolves to learn to be a good Jew so that he will be allowed to stay in her company. Yet the cat cannot reconcile his own knowledge with strict Judaism, leading to conflict with the senior rabbi and very humorous conversations with Sfar.
The film skewers the blind obedience to religion and tradition, condemns fundamentalism, while still showing the tolerance and understanding of Sfar and his Muslim best friend to be unusual, and the search for a utopia of peace and acceptance futile in the face of human nature. Yet we are still shown that humans must not be filled with violence and hate and xenophobia, even when most are.
If the two halves of the film do not exactly seem to blend well, and the first is distinctly better, it's still quite a good film and well worth watching. The warning here comes that, despite its rather funny trailer, and the humor of the film, it delves into some pretty serious critique. Don't take the animated medium to mean this is a film for kids - they won't get the jokes and a lot of the message will go over their heads. Aim for a teens and up, and it's better if you know a bit about Judaism and Jewish culture and history to get the most out of the film. With that said, I found it to be a fun film but it needs the right audience.
Bechdel Test: Fail
Overall: 3.5/5