Saturday, October 1, 2016
First Lines: Elaine Pagels - The Gnostic Gospels
"Jesus Christ rose from the grave." With this proclamation, the Christian church began.
Les levres rouges (1971)
A newlywed couple are passing through a vacation resort, and their paths cross with a mysterious, strikingly beautiful countess and her aide.
Slow-paced, but very stylish and captivating vampire drama; artsy European exploitation at its best.
Halliwell*: "Surrealist and gory horror, stylishly directed and often visually intriguing."
Maltin**1/2: "Sophisticated, witty, but cold tale...Elegant, but pretentious and slow. Highly regarded by many."
The Canyon (2009)
A honeymoon couple get lost in the wide expanse of the Grand Canyon.
Well-made and occasionally suspenseful drama, but as a whole rather senseless, especially considering the downbeat ending.
Friday, September 30, 2016
Thursday, September 29, 2016
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
First Lines: Alex Comfort - The Joy of Sex
All of us, barring any physical limitations, are able to dance and sing - after a fashion.
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The Iron Lady (2011)
An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.
Well-produced, but strangely neutral biopic that merely states that its protagonist was "controversial"; Meryl Streep's amazing performance is part of the problem as it beggars empathy for a person who would have never shown any herself.
Maltin**1/2: "Uneven biopic...We get a CliffsNotes review of her life and career, but nothing personal or professional is explored in a meaningful way except for Thatcher's stubbornness...It's not clear whether this [her later dementia] is meant to humanize or diminish her. Roach does a solid job playing Thatcher as a young woman, but it's Streep's towering and credible performance...that makes the movie worth seeing."
The Cooler (2003)
In an old school Las Vegas casino, its top gambling jinx breaks his curse when he falls in love, much to his boss' consternation.
Unusual and quite original story wins through intelligent direction and a perfect cast.
Maltin***: "Clever story is perfectly cast; Baldwin is terrific as the hard-edged casino boss who decries the transformation of Vegas into Disneyland. Everything clicks - until the final scene."
Monday, September 26, 2016
L'immortel (2010)
A retired mobster goes on a revenge spree after being left for dead with 22 bullets in his body by his former childhood friend.
Standard star vehicle, a lively thriller with a huge body count, but otherwise not quite memorable.
