The Silencers

Oh Matt Helm. I usually don’t start my reviews in such a way, but what an awful movie series this turned out to be. I’ve watched all four of the Matt Helm films over the last week, and frankly this one’s the best. And it's not great. The Silencers is the first of four spy spoof films that star Dean Martin as the character, Matt Helm. He plays a part-time agent for ICE (Intelligence and Counter Espionage), where he receives the occasional assignment from.

The films have little in common with their book counterparts, though The Silencers is one of the better attempts during the 60s at a good spy film to spoof the success of James Bond. Our Man Flint is a movie in its own category, where the films themselves are spoofs of the genre, but James Coburn plays it almost completely straight. Dino does not take the same route in this film or the subsequent sequels.

This film is full of meta-jokes, constant mugging for the camera and audience, and cracks about how bad Frank Sinatra music is compared to Dean Martin music. Much of the soundtrack is sung by Dino himself.

There’s not much of a plot here, so I should be able to sum it up in a brief sentence. The bad guys from the Bureau of International Government and Order (BIG O) want to start WWIII.

The main bad guys are played by Victor Buono, Robert Webber, Arthur O'Connell, and Roger C. Carmel (Harry Mudd!). They all play up their roles, with Buono in fake Chinese makeup akin to the old Charlie Chan films. James Gregory (Ursus in Beneath the Planet of the Apes and Sen. Iselin in The Manchurian Candidate) plays MacDonald, head of ICE.

Helm’s partner in this spy film is played by Daliah Lavi. Other “Helm Women” are Cyd Charisse and Stella Stevens. Charisse, performs in the second half of the opening credits singing the song "The Silencer" during the opening credits.

If you know what you’re getting into, the film isn’t bad. If you’re completely oblivious and believe that this is anything other than a corny, cheesy spoof, where Dino breaks character multiple times and where the plot doesn’t make a lick of sense, this film isn’t for you. If you didn’t like this one, the rest definitely aren’t for you.

** 1/2 out of *****

Insanity, thy name is "Monster Madhouse"

Half the time, I don't honestly know what the heck is going on when I watch this.

Hosted by "Karlos Borloff," Monster Madness, is a creature feature show like no other on the air at the moment. They show old films on their program, which, surprisingly are live broadcasts on local public access Fairfax Public Access channel 10.

I usually end up catching this on their 2 am show Fridays (or any other time it's aired on the local public access channel), so honestly even if the show made one iota of sense, I wouldn't have a single clue what the hell was going on anyway. Don't watch this expecting to see just an old horror film.

Perhaps the show is just too "high brow" for me:

The site for the show is: http://www.monstermadhouse.com/

Good news in the Shire

A month ago I wrote a blog titled, "A Plea for the upcoming Hobbit film" in which I wrote about a hope for the powers-that-be to not make a "bridging film" for the upcoming Hobbit films.

Well, apparently my hopes weren't dashed after all.

“We’ve decided to have The Hobbit span the two movies, including the White Council and the comings and goings of Gandalf to Dol Guldur,” says Del Toro.

“We decided it would be a mistake to try to cram everything into one movie,” adds Jackson. “The essential brief was to do The Hobbit, and it allows us to make The Hobbit in a little more style, if you like, of the [LOTR] trilogy.”

Good news indeed.

The Godfather, Part II

Most sequels only hope to shed a fraction of the light on them as the film that came before it. Of just about any sequel, The Godfather Part II comes closest.

Al Pacino stars as Michael Corleone, head of the Corleone family; John Cazale, as Michael’s older brother; Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen, Michael’s concierge; Diane Keaton is Michael’s wife, Kay Corleone; Robert DeNiro is the young Vito Corleone; Talia Shire Michael’s sister, Lee Strasberg is longtime family friend, Hyman Roth; and Michael Gazzo plays Frankie Pentangeli, successor to Clemenza’s territory in New York City.

The second films picks up years after the first film, in Lake Tahoe at Michael’s son’s first communion.

The extremely very risky move was to intercut the story of young Vito Corleone in with the continuing events of his son, Michael.

It’s a point of contention even between film buffs as to which film is better. The original Godfather, or the sequel. I’m of two minds, and it really all depends on the mood I’m in. At times I feel it’s superior to the original, but at the same time, I’m able to watch the original many many many more times than I am able to watch this film. But that opens up an entirely different argument I have quite often about watchable films verses quality.

Al Pacino and Diane Keaton had good performances, and with Robert DeNiro cast as the young Vito, the film instantly replaces the lack of Marlon Brando’s presence.

More than the first film, this film definitely does not glorify violence or the Mafioso lifestyle. The story paints two different pictures. Vito’s rise to power in New York and Michael’s devolution into corruption. Where Vito succeeds, Michael fails. Michael completely loses it by the end of the film, doing something that I personally find to be completely reprehensible, and shows that he’s lost the personal/business distinction.

The villains of this film are different that the first film, both being long time friends of the family. In the end they’re less “evil” than their Godfather part I counterparts, though just as ruthless. Pentangeli is a tragic figure, though it’s a shame that they were unable to get Richard Castellano to reprise his role as Clemenza. Probably the biggest failing in the entire film. The lack of Clemenza marginally undercuts one of the central themes of the film – especially when you compare Hymen Roth’s role in the film. Aside from that, Michael Gazzo’s role as Pentangeli works perfectly, even if we don’t really “know” the character before this point.

The final scene really underscores the fall of Michael. A tragic end to a tragic film.

***** out of *****

Stargate SG-1: Continuum

Continuum is the second direct-to-dvd film produced after the cancellation of the series, Stargate SG-1.

The movie stars Ben Browder as Cameron Mitchell, Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter, Christopher Judge as Teal'c, Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson, Beau Bridges as Hank Landry and Claudia Black as Vala.

While the first DVD film, Ark of Truth, was a movie that resolved the open storylines that were left open at the end of the series, this film is a completely stand alone film, that requires “no” knowledge of the series plots that have come before it.

The film follows a tried and true (or overused) "alternate reality/time travel" story that is used numerous times throughout the series. Nothing really new here.

While technically the film does not require viewing of the series beforehand, I would say that the experience would be greatly enhanced if the viewer actually watched the series, as the impact of character actions might feel hollow if there is no knowledge of Mitchell, O’Neill, or Jackson is present. Also, the main villain of the film, Ba’al is a reoccurring character in the series (first appearing in the 5th season) would not be so menacing if the viewer had no previous “contact” with him.

*** out of *****

The Godfather

The Godfather. A cultural cornerstone of cinema. From the opening scene where the camera zooms out and the character Bonasera (Salvatore Corsitto) starts his “I believe in America” speech, I knew I was in for a treat. Simply put, the Godfather is an American icon to be cherished.

It is hard to beat the oft quoted phrase “best film ever been made," because it’s darn close. However, much to my dismay, there are many in my generation that don’t appear to enjoy it. They find it “boring.” Dull is an phrase I hear from quite a few people who don’t like the film. I don’t know what people expect anymore from movies. It is a very well-made film and a very well-acted film. It’s a film to appreciate its achievement in cinema.

The characters were believable and very engaging. Brando presents a believable, realistic picture of a human crime boss, a far cry from the portrayal of 1930s gangsters. Gangsters who would spout “Seeeee?” at the end of just about every sentence, and would say “Coppa” when they talked about police officers. See? The results in this film fly in the face of all the stereotypes that came decades earlier.

The cast fit their roles perfectly. Each character hits their mark perfectly. They feel like they’re an actual family. Marlon Brando stars as Don Vito Corleone, the head of the Corleone family; Al Pacino is Vito’s son, Michael Corleone; James Caan, Vito’s oldest, Santino 'Sonny' Corleone; John Cazale, is Vito’s middle child; Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen, Vito’s adopted Irish/German child; Diane Keaton is Michael’s love interest, Kay Adams; Richard Castellano as Peter Clemenza; Abe Vigoda as Sal Tessio; and Talia Shire is Vito’s daughter Connie Corleone Rizzi.

The story begins in post World War II New York City, 1946. Don Vito, head of the Corleone family, is granting the requests of invitees to his daughter, Connie’s wedding. This opening sequence brings us into the world that the Godfather takes place in. The story is about great families competing for prestige, power, and money.

One of the biggest complaints about the actual film, beyond the “it’s boring” complaint is that the film romanticizes crime and criminals. Yes, on the surface this appears true. The film makes it appear that crime ‘pays.’ When one looks deeper into the film, it starts to become clear that this is not quite the case. The Corleone family, while shown to be the “good guys” in the film, with both the FBI (taking pictures at the wedding at the start of the film) and other mobsters portrayed as the “bad guys,” it is not so clear that the Corleone family is also actually “bad.” They do inexcuasable things, things that they don’t appear to have any moral qualms about killing people, stealing, and distributing drugs (though Vito doesn’t want it distributed to children). That eventually begs the question, why should we care what happens to a bunch of criminals?

The movie ignores the petty, generic crimes that gangsters in early 30s films took part in. There are no heists, no central plot on gambling rackets, no everyday business. I think anyone who believes that the filmmakers are apologists for this deviant criminal behavior are being simple minded and intentionally obtuse about the themes in the film.

Nino Rota’s score is almost haunting in its heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Gordon Willis’ cinematography is brilliant. It’s perfect. The film’s lighting, coloring, and framing is perfect and brilliant.

One must thank Robert Evans at Paramount, and the very fact that the Godfather was a best selling book that we were so honored to end up with this film at all.

The film is, at the very least, a must-see – at the very least because it is so highly regarded, at best because it’s a cornerstone and cultural achievement that few other films have ever been able to achieve.

***** out of *****

Caprica comes out this Tuesday!

As a pretty big fan of Battlestar Galactica, I'm anticipating the release of Caprica.

Caprica is a series that takes place 40 years before Battlestar Galactica is set and follows the creation and origin of the machine nemesis of the human race, the Cylons. This should be interesting. Eric Stoltz, Esai Morales and Polly Walker star.

Talk like a 30's gangster

Easter Miracle or the Devil at work?

The Hannah Montana Movie earns roughly $34 million dollars based on estimates. Fast and Furious stays strong with a $28 million dollar second week, Monsters Vs. Aliens pulls in 22 million for a total of $141 so far, Observe and Report opens at $11 million, Dragonball Evolution opens at a measly $4 million.

Stargate SG-1: The Ark of Truth

Stargate SG-1’s 10 season was not meant to be its last. The network the series aired on, Sci-Fi decided to cancel the series. MGM, the company that produced the series did not take the news kindly. The series ended, without a real resolution to the current plotline. Without a network to air, the production company turned to the DVD market for an outlet.

The movie stars Ben Browder as Cameron Mitchell, Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter, Christopher Judge as Teal'c, Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson, Beau Bridges as Hank Landry and Claudia Black as Vala. Morena Baccarin, Tim Guinee, and Julian Sands also star.

From Wikipedia:

The movie covers SG-1's attempt to recover the "Ark of Truth", an Alteran device designed to brainwash whoever looks into it. Even though the Ori's promise of Ascension is a lie, the Ancients believed that people should be free to believe it if they wished.

For Stargate, the story itself is okay, though the movie’s only purpose is to wrap up the outstanding plot threads that were not wrapped up in the series. As a stand-alone film, it’s useless. Even with the 15 or so minute recap, there is no way that someone who is not up to speed with the happenings of the previous two seasons would be completely lost.

So thanks goes out for MGM's support of the franchise, since we would never have seen a resolution to the Ori arc if not for them. I stopped watching Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off of SG-1, in the middle of the third season, but I'm not surprised they're taking the same route of "we didn't finish the actual story arc so buy our glorified 2-part episode made into a DVD-film for $15.99"

*** out of *****

Planet of the Apes (2001)

After almost 8 years I finally sat down and re-watched the film.

This is after a binge of watching the original 5 films, the live action TV show, and the horrible cartoon over the last few weeks.

My initial reaction of, "this stinks" has subsided considerably over these past years. With that said, the film is still chock full of "cheesy" moments - the hip-hop teenage apes for example or the silly "ape behavior" moments which feel incredibly forced into the production, using "realism" in moments that end up just appearing embarrassing. The film has talking apes for goodness sakes!

Some of the extremely shoehorned lines from the original don't work out that well. Making Tim Roth of all actors such a one-dimensional bad guy who yells and screams and jumps around for nearly half the film was nearly criminal.


The film stars Mark Wahlberg as astronaut Leo Davidson; Tim Roth as General Thade; Helena Bonham Carter as the human friendly ape, Ari; Michael Clarke Duncan as Attar; Paul Giamatti as slave master Limbo; and Estella Warren as Daena. Others include David Warner, Kris Kristofferson, Erick Avari, and Charlton Heston. Blink and you'll miss the original Nova, Linda Harrison.

Davidson is an Air Force officer, who ends up crashing on an alien planet. Little does he realize that the planet he's crashed on is ruled by, wait for it, Apes. On a race for his life, he must find a way home before being killed.

When judging it against the original film, there's no comparison. The original wins hands down. However, when judging it against the rest of the franchise, the film holds up pretty well, and by my estimation, probably the 3rd best in the series - behind the original and Beneath the Planet of the Apes. It only slightly wins over the fourth film, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes.

** 1/2 out of *****

NBC digs itself deeper into a hole

Based on this short news blurb I read, NBC may be canceling My Name Is Earl.

But for all those Camden fans out there, don't fret. Fox may be picking up the series if this does happen.

This would not be the first time in recent history of this happening. Scrubs moved to ABC after NBC dropped it last season. Let's just hope that a resurrected Earl turns out better than Scrubs did after the move.

Horray!

While not a movie or television show, I'm pretty stoked for this:

The first Deus Ex is one of the best games I had ever played in my life. I can only imagine how much time I wasted in my high school years when this came out.

Red Dwarf is Back!