It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947)

I can safely say that this is the first film I ever watched at the advice of a homeless person (who reviewed several holiday movies in a charity newspaper). Sure enough, several major characters have no legal address. They spend most of the movie squatting for months...in a mansion whose owner, extreme tycoon Michael O'Connor, usually stays away all winter. That's about as feel-good as a story about homeless people gets. Indeed, I felt much better than I did after the previous romantic comedy.

Nothing Sacred (1937)

Ah, romantic comedies, possibly the biggest entertainment gambles I take. Those from the '30s may be my biggest of all, equally likely to live up to their reputation as classics or fall flat from severe dating. Still a better track record than popular modern comedies for me.

I probably should have noted in advance that director William Wellman is much better known for serious fare. You might well have assumed from the title that this movie would be serious too, and the premises do have a bit of darkness to them: A woman (Carole Lombard) diagnosed with radium poisoning gets a reporter's (Fredric March) seemingly sympathetic attention, followed by the general public's. In truth, according to the cynical reporter as the apparent main point, various people are just capitalizing on the sob story and won't remember her long. The comic part? She just discovered it was a drunken misdiagnosis but wants to use her celebrity status to leave her podunk town for NYC for a while. Not so easy to enjoy when she has to figure out how to escape the expectation of imminent death without angering millions and dragging the beloved reporter down with her.

Into the Woods (2014)

Yup, a second mashup of kiddie folklore featuring Chris Pine in the same day. My family has a strange habit or inadvertent tradition of seeing unhappy musical movies on Christmas: Sweeney Todd, Les Miserables, even Inside Llewyn Davis in a pinch. I wanted us to see something else but was narrowly outvoted, partly on the basis of schedule. At least this one has a partly happy and victorious ending.

I'd seen the play as a teen and reacted as many viewers do: The first act is cute fun, but the second is uncomfortably dark to subvert the idea of "happily ever after." The junior version understandably drops the second act, thereby missing Stephen Sondheim's point. If you already know the story, you may well wonder why Disney would dare touch it. I figure the company has been trying to subvert its own history at least since Enchanted in 2007, no doubt inspired by the likes of Shrek. The results are usually pretty popular, but that doesn't stop Disney from reverting to standard fare, as evidenced by a trailer for a live-action Cinderella. In the case of ItW, things have been toned down slightly in questionable good-guy ethics and body count, but it still feels about as dark as Disney ventures.

Rise of the Guardians (2012)

By now some of you may be thinking, "What's with all the 2012 animations on this blog?" I couldn't tell you. I moved this one up in my queue because it was the only one I knew to have anything related to Christmas in it. It's actually set on and around Easter, but with all the attention given to Jack Frost and Santa Claus (herein called "North" for some reason), that hardly matters.

Yes, I hate the title. Even if it didn't come between Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole and Guardians of the Galaxy, you could hardly guess what sort of guardians were involved. Besides, there have been quite enough movies with "Rise" in the title in the last, oh, decade, and it's not especially appropriate herein. But I moved past the title and enjoyed the movie, for the most part.

Belle (2013)

A rare case in which my dad selected a movie I never heard of before. It's also a rare case in which I had to wonder about the title. The protagonist, Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsay, always goes by "Dido" or "Miss Lindsey." I suppose Dido would evoke either the mythical queen or the singer, but it wasn't the only alternative. Belle evokes either Beauty and the Beast or a southern debutante...then again, perhaps not for native British audiences.

Nor had I heard about the true story on which it's based. IMDb presently lists only one, quite trivial error, tho other sources say it plays a tad fast and loose in parts.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

This has to be the first movie I've seen because of the title appearing in a Warner Bros. cartoon, albeit on a copy of the book. Despite its high praise, it took a long time to become an option on Netflix, which made me wonder if it hadn't aged well. Now the only major negative I can think of is director Elia Kazan's history of getting people blacklisted during the Red Scare, which might hinder distribution of all but his most popular works.

At first, with young protagonist Francie and her brother swiping and pawning goods, I mistook the setting for the Great Depression, but it turns out to have been an even harder period for some: the early 1900s. The main family includes at least one person who remembers Ireland, and the father (James Gleason in an award-winning role) likes to play up his heritage with jolly songs like "Molly Malone"...and getting "sick" too often for comfort, as his wife likes to put it to the children. Such a setup for a two-hour drama got me thinking I'd best do something else while half-watching and mostly listening. Mercifully, as the title hints, the story doesn't settle into despair. Not for long, anyway.

The Naked City (1948)

Conventionally, this is classified as film noir, as befits pre-Rififi director Jules Dassin, but I think it pushes the bounds of that label. Most of the action takes place by day, for example, and the protagonists are hardly corrupt or morose. I'd call it just an old-time murder mystery -- a police procedural, even.

The most distinctive feature of the, ah, feature comes in the narration. Despite not identifying as a character within the story, the narrator conveys a fair amount of personality, more or less lightly mocking the concerned citizens of New York every step of the way. (Maybe Lemony Snicket should branch out accordingly.) It threatens to annoy rather than amuse viewers after a while, but hopefully, by that time, you'll be too engrossed to dwell on that.

The Visitor (2007)

I must have heard of this movie before its suggestion via Netflix, because it got Richard Jenkins nominated for Best Actor, but I don't know him from anything else. Sometimes I think the Academy has lower standards for older actors' performances (he was 59-60 then). The only other halfway familiar name involved is Thomas McCarthy, who also directed The Station Agent and Win Win -- basically a go-to for quaint dramas.

Jenkins plays Walter, a rather withdrawn, curmudgeonly professor who grudgingly returns to his NYC apartment for business purposes. Imagine his surprise to find a young couple taking up residence there, Tarek from Syria and Zainab from Senegal. They had been tricked into thinking the rightful owner approved their stay for months. Walter gets them to move out but then realizes that they have no promising backup plan. In a setup vaguely reminiscent of The Goodbye Girl, he somewhat awkwardly shares the apartment with them. While Zainab never seems to welcome Walter's presence, Tarek finds a way to bond with him: djembe drumming, Tarek's main source of income. After a short lesson, Walter tries being a street musician himself, despite not fitting the usual demographics.

Sounds like a possible formula for a comedy, but the film rarely tries to be remotely funny. Especially when things change dramatically (literally) about halfway in.

After the Wedding (2006)

Netflix ventured almost a full five stars in suggesting this to me, probably because that's what I gave The Hunt. Both are recent dramas, take place (mostly) in Denmark, and star Mads Mikkelsen. But that's about where the similarity ends.

The action in AtW begins in India, where protagonist Jacob has been an orphanage manager. He doesn't miss Denmark, because it has a lot of rich people, whom he resents despite having to persuade some to give to his cause. One rich man, Jørgen (Rolf Lassgård, who resembles Gérard Depardieu with a stronger bass), offers a big donation on rather bossy conditions that bring Jacob not only back to Denmark but to the wedding of Jørgen's daughter, Anna.

Silverado (1985)

As you may have guessed from the title, it's a western; and as you may have guessed from the year of release, it's not very serious as westerns go. The casting provides a further clue to the latter: It includes Kevin Kline and, in a smaller role, John Cleese. Oh, it's not A Fish Called Wanda with twang; the humorous aspects are secondary to the adventure and occasionally solemn drama. (Netflix calls it "fast-paced," but it allows some tense pauses a la Sergio Leone.) Still funnier than the overrated Cat Ballou in my book.

The Theory of Everything (2014)

Yes, I see modern releases in theaters sometimes. In this case, a very good yet sparsely attended theater. Perhaps not many people care to see a movie about a theoretical physicist. Or a man who can move less and less as the story continues (which of course feels much faster on screen). Or both. It did remind me at times of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the most depressing movie I ever...loved. But TToE is much less depressing, and not just because the protagonist is still alive.

Ernest & Celestine (2012)

No, it's not part of the Jim Varney collection; just look at the year. I'm talking about an Academy Best Animated Feature nominee that, being foreign, went up against movies from the following year. That's almost all I knew when I chose to check it out.

It hadn't been long since my last French animation from the 2010s with talking animals, but that's about where the similarity ends. Unlike The Rabbi's Cat, E&C is indeed family friendly, having a basis in children's books. Probably the only reason for the PG rating is a handful of lines about ways to die. A sufficiently young viewer might cry over them, but I figure that if I could watch An American Tail many times around age 5, it's not that big a risk.

So how does E&C fare for older viewers? Let me begin my answer with "I WANT A CELESTINE DOLL! SHE'S ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!" But since not everyone would decide on a movie for that reason alone, I'd better put more details below.

Rachel, Rachel (1968)

Paul Newman's first time as a director netted him and wife/star Joanne Woodward several awards and nominations. It's one of those generally credible dramas that focuses on a small number of ordinary people in ordinary situations, which almost merit a subgenre classification. I only wish this movie offered fun, too.

The Rabbi's Cat (2011)

Now here's a rarity in my adulthood: My mom made the suggestion based on an associate's semi-informed recommendation for her. It was streaming, so I and my parents went for it, knowing little more than that it was "surreal." I think the term "magic realism" applies better.

This subtitled French animation takes place in the late '20s, beginning in the Casbah of Algiers. It's unrated, but I can tell you it wasn't made for kids, as first hinted by the visual evidence that the nameless titular Abyssinian isn't neutered (and he makes use of that detail later). Things seem to move quickly, at least in terms of dialog and narration. The narrator being the cat, in an oddly deep voice like Jiji from Kiki's Delivery Service or Salem from "Sabrina the Teenage Witch." Still pretty cute, of course.

Reign of Terror, or The Black Book (1949)

Dad helped me choose this from among the Norman Lloyd collection showing at the AFI Silver Theater (a rather random choice, as he gets little screen time). I'm not sure why Dad favored it. It wasn't the star power; I've barely heard of anyone in the credits. Its reception has been pretty good but not outstanding. Offhand, I'd say it's the unenviable setting: France under Maximilien de Robespierre.

Tell It to the Marines (1926)

I had the good fortune of buying this DVD for $1 from Potomac Video (R.I.P.) instead of paying $3 to watch via Amazon or Google Play. Netflix still doesn't offer enough silents, altho I learned of this one from a documentary accompanying a silent I did get via Netflix. You see, it stands out for showing Lon Chaney's ability to play characters without freakiness or even makeup -- in this case, a sergeant with a hard edge but also a heart. Maybe that's why he liked it best of all his films.

Häxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages (1922)

Yup, another foreign film right after the last, this one involving an allegedly more genuine brand of magic. Last Halloweeny pic I'll watch for some time, I warrant; Netflix just had a long wait on it.

It's only the second silent so-called "documentary" I've seen, after the reportedly dishonest Nanook of the North. (You can watch the William S. Burroughs-dubbed version from 1968 on the same disc if you hate reading intertitles or want to save time, but I prefer the powerful classical score to the quirky jazz. I don't think the later one uses helpful tinting either.) In truth, while this Swedish-Danish collaboration does start out looking like a presentation along the lines of An Inconvenient Truth, complete with rare first-person narration by the researcher, it soon goes on to reenactment with license a la "America's Most Wanted" and feels more like historical fiction. Which makes it no less enjoyable.

The King of Masks (1995)

Netflix taught me of this film's existence and had been pushing it on me for a long time. I'm not sure why it estimated my rating at upwards of four stars, as I haven't watched and loved that many films like it, but it is a fine, solid drama with a mostly happy ending.

Given China, I couldn't tell for sure whether it's set in the '90s (edit: it's the '30s). The titular protagonist, Wang, is an elderly street performer of Bian Lian, the art of switching one's masks so rapidly that it looks like magic in the hands of a pro. Despite his low status, he does make the friendly acquaintance of a popular cross-dressing opera singer, who reminds him that he'd better pass his secret along before he can longer perform. Tradition holds that he teach a son or grandson. Not having any living relatives, Wang buys an abused eight-year-old orphan (yeah, it's that kind of culture) and shows grandfatherly love, until he learns something that would've dissuaded his purchase. Unfortunately, it's hard to talk about my thoughts on this movie without a few spoilers, so read on at your own risk.

Johnny Guitar (1954)

I've almost never purchased films, but I did when the last local video store was closing, only to watch them once and sell them to the Record Exchange or, if they were supposedly too scratched, leave them at the office for others to claim. JG had been the only tape in my home for a while. I decided to give it a whirl partly to take a break from my Halloweeny viewings and partly to reduce the space of my possessions in preparation for a move. Might I say, I never knew how much better movies looked on DVD until I went back to VHS.

For much of the movie, Sterling Hayden's title character seems almost incidental to the plot, a quiet bystander mildly entertained by the tension between others. Tough tomboy saloon keeper Vienna (Joan Crawford) summons him to town just before a mob comes and demands the whereabouts of her semi-boyfriend, the Dancin' Kid, and his buddies, who may have a criminal record but probably had no part in the latest felonies of which they're accused. The mob's primary motivator, Emma (an extraordinarily acid Mercedes McCambridge), insists that Vienna should hang with the rest, but Vienna notes two likely ulterior motives: (1) warped feelings of "love" for the Kid, such that Emma wants to kill him yet also is jealous of Vienna; and (2) land greed, intolerant of anyone else having a saloon at the outskirts of town where a railroad station is planned. Of course, this being a western, it won't do for Johnny to remain aloof to the end....

The Devil's Advocate (1997)

Still watching vaguely Halloweeny movies, am I? That comes of neglecting to rearrange my queue in time. It's also a movie I initially marked "Not interested," probably because I wanted to make time for something else, not because I expected to dislike it. Was it worth adding? I think so, but you'll notice that's hardly a strong answer.

Two years before Keanu played a super pseudo-messiah in The Matrix and three years after his turn as a heroic cop in Speed, he starred as law-abiding yet rather corrupt lawyer Kevin Lomax in DA (heh, appropriate abbreviation). Of course, the real draw for viewers must be Al Pacino as suspiciously named CEO John Milton, who takes a special interest in Lomax and his nigh inexplicably perfect track record. I hardly call it a spoiler that Milton creates steam by sticking his finger in holy water; the posters alone give a big hint to his identity, even if it takes Lomax most of the 2 hours and 24 minutes to catch on.

Triple Feature: ParaNorman, Frankenweenie, and Hotel Transylvania

Boy, the next movie I saw after Vampyr also had vampires but otherwise couldn't be more different if it tried. I considered reviewing HT on its own, but I had recently seen the other two participants in its Hollywood "duel" and felt like talking about them too. You may ask, "Why bother with comparisons instead of just reviewing a film on its own merits?" Well, not everyone has the resources to make watching all three feasible, so why not help weigh the options?

To qualify for a duel, movies need to come out around the same time with similar themes -- in this case, comical PG family animations focusing on the undead circa Halloween 2012. At present, PN and FW are exactly tied on both the Internet Movie Database and Rotten Tomatoes. HT does marginally better on IMDb but much worse on RT, as you might expect from the one that didn't get nominated for Best Animated Feature. I'd rather not discuss box office figures. I'll start with synopses.

Vampyr (1932)

Many early talkies aimed to take full advantage of sound, but some would have lost next to nothing as silents. Apart from some eerie, mysterious noises, Vampyr, the first talkie from The Passion of Joan of Arc director Carl Dreyer, falls in the latter camp. The music is nearly constant, several narrative intertitles appear, and it has about one minute of dialog in total. In fairness, dubbing was more difficult in those days: The same people had to speak or at least convincingly mouth German, French, and English for different releases. (I settled on German with subtitles.)

Dreyer didn't care for Nosferatu and resented Dracula for stealing his thunder in 1931, but I assure you that Vampyr is no retread. In fact, of the dozen films I've seen that include vampires in some capacity, it is probably the most singular and certainly the most artsy (eat your heart out, Warhol). It is also the most confusing, to the point that, for the first time in my life, I watched the whole thing again with commentary. Hey, it's only about 74 minutes.

The Changeling (1980)

Having nothing to do with Clint Eastwood's Changeling (2008), this horror-mystery takes a while to explain its title. What you need to know up front is that a late-middle-aged George C. Scott plays John Russell, a man who copes with personal trauma by moving, specifically to a mansion that hasn't (officially) been occupied in decades. He gradually, yet sooner than I expected, discovers and believes the reason.

If you guessed a haunting, give yourself a smiley face. But unlike in some such stories I could name, the protagonist is not in much danger of dying, getting trapped, or going insane. He could quietly walk away and never look back if he wanted. Instead, he gathers that the usually invisible ghost here wants help and, like many in fiction, doesn't know an efficient, noncreepy way to communicate.

I questioned the decision to cast Scott. He's a bit like Michael Douglas: a very good actor, but not when it comes to projecting fear. Mainly he just seems annoyed. But that didn't prevent the movie from creeping me out to my satisfaction.

The Wicker Man (1973)

It seems fitting to start with this film, since I was talking about it when a listener recommended that I launch this blog. (That could have been a subtle way to get me to stop running at the mouth, but I prefer to think otherwise.)

If the title puts a bad taste in your mouth due to the 2006 Nicolas Cage remake, let me assure you that the original is much more popular, despite the condemnation by a producer at the time who might have had something to do with the poor theater distribution and the suspiciously lost negatives. I have not seen the remake to compare, but at least this time there are no bees. Partly, I suppose, because they did the shooting well into fall in Scotland, a fact that might be most discernible when more than half the outdoor "nudes" are in body stockings.

Greetings

If you know me from anywhere, you probably know that I'm the kind of guy who makes profits more difficult for Netflix. I watch films more frequently than anyone else I know (tho they likely have me beat in the TV show department); my total is in the thousands by now. It hardly matters which genre, decade, or nation of origin, as long as it has enough fans for me to suspect I'll like it too, or at least to feel obligated to educate myself. Generally, I arrange to watch very different movies in a row, but I narrow the field when approaching certain holidays or other special occasions. For instance, all October becomes Halloween to me.

Entries in this blog will focus primarily on whatever I saw most recently. I'll consider taking requests for reviews of films I saw earlier, some of which I may have written up elsewhere, but most likely I'll just mention them in passing with regard to other viewings. I may even expand to comments on other entertainment media, but I have a feeling I've cast my net wide enough already.

Hopefully someone out there will value my opinions. If not, at least I'll have the peace of mind that comes from putting my thoughts into written words.