The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) -- P. Jackson

After the second instalment of The Hobbit, I thought a return to the Lord of the Rings was in order. And the first thing to say is that the decade just past seems to have brought enough advances in CGI technology that this older film contains moments that seem phony in comparison (though not on the order of Hitchcock's back projection). However, this does not detract from its wondrous spectacle. The fight against the Balrog and the various attacks of the ringwraithes are still pretty great. However, the film seemed to drag a bit, with a few too many cute hobbit moments for my liking. Funny, since a whole book (detailing the necessary destruction of evil Sauron's one ring by a fellowship of nine, including a dwarf, elf, wizard, men, and hobbits) was contracted for the movie (whereas The Hobbit is a single book stretched across three movies). Nevertheless, when thinking about whether Tolkein was done justice by Peter Jackson, one can only conclude that it could have been far worse and these films are an exciting adjunct to memory - his long view of history seems intact -- but read the books first! (2008 review).

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers (2002) -- P. Jackson

Once started, I felt compelled to finish the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but with each film around 3 hours long, I'll admit it was a bit of a hard slog. I don't remember the books being non-stop battle, but perhaps Peter Jackson found it more enjoyable to film these orcs vs. men scenes, full of computer generated (and algorithmically controlled) characters. This gets a bit boring. However, some of the fantastical characters dreamt up by Tolkien, such as the Ents (or tree-herders), are still wondrous. The arc of the story and some of the dialogue seems vaguely Shakespearean at times, but these moments are too few and far between. (2008 review).

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) -- P. Jackson

The final 3 hours (of nine in the theatrical release version of the trilogy - I passed on the super-long extended versions) wraps up the tale of Frodo Baggins and his quest to destroy the one ring of power (with a fellowship of 8 others) and thereby defeat Sauron the evil one. Again, it feels like a non-stop war movie with little time to catch one's breath, except when we cross-cut at regular intervals to parallel narrative threads (which is schematic but probably necessary and arising from the Tolkien novels themselves). The preponderance of characters introduced in the previous film do seem to become more solid here but Elijah Wood does nothing but grimace and the whole effect can be ponderous (although this may be due to my watching this a second time, albeit ten years later). The coda after coda of ceremonies and goodbyes are a bit much. To conclude, I warrant the books are better. (However, thus far I am enjoying the Hobbit trilogy more).  (2008 review)

Cockfighter (1974)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Cockfighter (1974) – M. Hellman

Given my aversion to animal cruelty (as a longstanding vegetarian – 29 years), it took me a while to get up the gumption to watch this.  But Nick Tangborn’s recommendation that it fell into the “downbeat Seventies” genre was enough to get me to proceed.  And truly Warren Oates is a wonder, creating an “existential” character without speaking a word (save for a few voiceovers). He’s taken a vow of silence after losing a chance at the Cockfighter of the Year medal due to his big mouth (and drinking).  Two years later, and after another serious “wipeout” defeat at the hands of Harry Dean Stanton (also great), Oates joins forces with Richard Shull to stage a comeback.  But, in a downbeat turn, his cockfighting puts him at odds with his true love (Patricia Pearcy).  That’s plot enough and the rest is all local colour and meaningful anecdote.  For example, Ed Begley Jr. turns up as a country boy who gets violent when his rooster loses, demonstrating his pre-St. Elsewhere versatility and Steve Railsback cameos as a cheat who gets banned from the contest.  Hellman’s direction, the location shooting, Michael Franks’ warbly guitar music, and Néstor Almendros’ decade-congruent cinematography complete the picture.  Yet, I won’t recommend that you watch this, due to the extensive cockfighting scenes (clearly the real thing), and to be completely honest, it doesn’t quite end up as downbeat as expected (although the life choices of these characters are surely revealing of some existential problems).    For a seriously downbeat turn from Oates, check out his next picture, Peckinpah’s Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia.        

Phantasm (1979)

☆ ☆ ☆ ½

Phantasm (1979) – D. Coscarelli

Not as gory (or as scary) as I expected.  Instead, this is a very seventies-feeling low budget horror film, seen from a 13-year-old boy’s perspective.  In fact, there is a hint at the end that much of this could be a dream/nightmare (brought on by trauma).  This could explain all the surrealistic or nonsensical elements to the story, which is as follows:  A boy whose parents have recently died now has to cope with the death of a friend of his big brother’s (supposedly suicide but we “know” that it is murder).  He sees a mysterious tall man carry off the coffin instead of burying it and thus becomes interested in the funeral home which is later revealed to contain a portal to another planet/dimension.  The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) seems to control some growling Jawa-like monsters and he’s pretty impressive/oppressive himself.  The big brother (Bill Thornbury) and his friend (Reggie Bannister) attempt to destroy the Tall Man who has also carried off some local girls.  Oh and there’s a grandmother who tells fortunes.  And sinister cars that chase our heroes.  And perhaps the tall man can morph himself into a sexy lady.  And there’s a flying silver ball that has razor blades that pop out and kill people.  Somehow it all holds together (despite the low budget, less than accomplished acting, and so on) but I’m not sure I need to see the 4 sequels, do I? I guess the fact that it does hold together despite its weirdness is what makes it a cult classic.

The Web (1947)

☆ ☆ ☆

The Web (1947) – M. Gordon

Edmond O’Brien is a lawyer at the bottom of the heap hustling for nickels and dimes for his clients who suddenly finds himself invited to be a bodyguard for rich industrialist Vincent Price.  But when he kills a man apparently out for revenge against Price, he starts to question whether he’s been set up (following some hunches by police detective William Bendix).  Ella Raines is Prices live-in secretary (and presumed lover) who somehow falls for O’Brien’s wisecracks.  We are never quite certain whose side she is on, if anyone’s.  However, both O’Brien and Price are too tricky for their own good.  I guess it must be O’Brien who is caught in Price’s web but this sticky thing entangles everyone in the cast.  Ultimately, it’s film noir... but without much desperation; O’Brien seems pretty easy-going about the whole affair.  Moreover, the cinematography is flat and unimpressive rather than the usual high contrast darkness and light.  Despite the star power then (and the not bad plot), this is just a run-of-the-mill genre flick, among many churned out in the forties and fifties.  But I love this genre.

  

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006)

☆ ☆ ½

OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) – M. Hazanavicius

Supposedly, this was a big hit in France at the time – and this is the team that went on to Oscar success with The Artist (2011) – but somehow this James Bond spoof didn’t touch my funny bone.  Yes, another James Bond spoof, although the hero, Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, alias OSS 117 (played by Jean Dujardin), has a bit more in common with Maxwell Smart than with 007, even if he is made up to look like the young Sean Connery.  He’s not the brightest bulb and he sports an unreconstructed 1950s set of attitudes (the film takes place in 1955 but the filmmakers and screenwriters have at least updated their views).  Specifically, he takes a seriously colonialist approach to Egypt (and its women) but no one quite takes him seriously (fortunately).  The film is slick, with good production values, and had me wondering whether the actual Bond franchise is not all that dissimilar (in plot, at least).  OSS 117 is sent to Cairo to stop a religious uprising and find a missing Soviet ship carrying weapons.  His sparring partner is Larmina El Akmar Betouche (Bérénice Bejo, who went on to star in Asghar Farhadi’s The Past, 2013).  There are some recurring gags, a bunch of heavies, and the jokes are about the hero’s sexuality and his failure to understand Islam.  No one embarrasses themselves but it just isn’t funny. Perhaps that is enough said.