DVD Collectors Online

It's a Wonderful Life, a review by Antares

It's a Wonderful Life





Year: 1946
Film Studio: Republic Pictures, Liberty Films
Genre: Drama, Family, Classic
Length: 130 Min.

Director
Frank Capra (1897)

Writing
Frances Goodrich (1890)...Screenwriter
Albert Hackett (1900)...Screenwriter
Frank Capra (1897)...Screenwriter
Philip Van Doren Stern (1900)...Story By

Producer
Frank Capra (1897)

Cinematographer
Joseph F. Biroc (1903)
Joseph Walker (1892)

Music


Stars
James Stewart (1908) as George Bailey
Donna Reed (1921) as Mary Hatch
Lionel Barrymore (1878) as Mr. Potter
Thomas Mitchell (1892) as Uncle Billy
Henry Travers (1874) as Clarence
Beulah Bondi (1888) as Mrs. Bailey
Frank Faylen (1905) as Ernie
Ward Bond (1903) as Bert

Review
       At the time of its release, Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life was derided by critics as being out of touch with mainstream life in America, and an antiquated form of filmmaking. In the aftermath of World War II and the atrocities of which were just coming to light, this films message seemed out of date with the general movie public. Although most people in this country would hark back to the simpler times portrayed in this film, the overall response for this movie was lukewarm at best. The results would be a poor showing at the box office and the tag of affixed to this films legacy.

      Forty years later with the advent of cable television and the films entry into the public domain, it was once again derided for its overexposure to mainstream audiences. I myself had relegated it to a position of obscurity in my collection by purchasing it on DVD and for two years never viewing it. Then one night in a moment of inner turmoil, as I was thumbing through my collection to find the film that would help me escape, I selected this film. It was a most fortunate choice, for it would re-awaken me to the fact that this is one of the truly great films in the history of cinema.

      Four years of making patriotic propaganda films for the government had left Frank Capra with a desire to turn back the hands of time, and remind the country of the moral values which had forged our nation and for which some of our countrymen had made the ultimate sacrifice. It's now sad to think that this message is deemed as archaic by the cynical and media blitzed public of today.

       We may never be able to go back to the times and values portrayed in this film, but we can still dream and hope. For when a country fails to dream of better times and loses its desire to hope for a light at the end of the tunnel, it ceases to be. We all can learn from the message in this film.


Review Criterion
5 Stars - The pinnacle of film perfection and excellence.

(From It's a Wonderful Life (1946) on November 5th, 2010)

Cabin Fever, a review by Jon

Cabin Fever
2 out of 5

Bunch of teens are staying at a cabin, but come into contact with a hermit who seems to be rather poorly and beyond the help of Aspirin or Germolene.

I'd planned to finish this marathon like Pete with Halloween, but after the marvellous Dead Set finished, this came on. I really like Eli Roth's Hostel films and feel his reputation as a purveyor of torture porn is unwarranted. Sadly this film is pretty pathetic and so my marathon ends with a whimper, not a roar.

It has a bit of Evil Dead, via Texas Chainsaw Massacre (weird neighbours, violently unhelpful locals), but misses the point of both of those films by not having a point! It just languishes in a depressing plot about the kids getting sick and dying in variously gory ways, often with help from said locals. The overall theme is obvious from early on so all you can do is sit through the turgid nonsense. It isn't helped that that the kids are all lying cowards without a shred of decency amongst them, played by a sub-par cast. I think it could have worked if at least some of the locals were vaguely normal, but no way. Instead they are all bat-shit crazy. So there's nothing for the viewer to latch onto. Except maybe the gratuitous tits and slow-motion arse. I'm in no way offended, but can anyone tell me why those shots are there?

But the worst thing is that while it has no point and is just an unfocused mess, it's also completely inert with nothing memorable at all. I can certainly understand Roth's reputation now. If I'd seen Hostel after this debut... what am I saying? I'd never have even given them a chance. Anyway, this suggests he has literally no talent as a director.

It does have it's good points. The shop owner's explanation about a rifle is hilariously explained in a twist at the end and some other late characters redeem it some way. In fact, the film is better once the annoying kids are no longer the sole focus. In the final few minutes, the film comes together completely with a blackly comic ending. As such, the film could be cut at least in half and become an episode in a pulpy horror anthology like Creepshow. It doesn't have the story or more importantly, the talent, to warrant feature length.

This is torture porn. A pointless, nasty little story to showcase various ways people can die. So I must stress, if you have seen this and have avoided the Hostel films because of it, give them a chance. They are nasty and gratuitous, but Roth's black humour that comes so late here is more evident in his next film and its sequel and his direction is more dynamic; his characters better formed. The theme of the stories means they are survival movies like this, but with the vaguest chance of actual survival, so you won't feel quite so cheated!

(From October Marathon: Horror! on November 1st, 2008)

Firefly Marathon, a review by Tom

14. Objects in Space
Writer: Joss Whedon (Writer)
Director: Joss Whedon
Cast: Nathan Fillion (Mal), Gina Torres (Zoe), Alan Tudyk (Wash), Morena Baccarin (Inara), Adam Baldwin (Jayne), Jewel Staite (Kaylee), Sean Maher (Simon), Summer Glau (River), Ron Glass (Shepherd Book), Richard Brooks (Jubal Early)

A great final episode. Finally River really gets to shine. It's sad that the series did not continue.

Rating:

(From Firefly Marathon on March 9th, 2010)