A Cutty Sark giallo

Don't get me wrong, I like Mario Bava's giallo films, especially Blood and Black Lace, but the way in which other directors are ignored in the genre pre-Argento, you'd think Bava was the only game in town if you wanted to enjoy a lurid Italian mystery prior to 1970. Such is not the case however as some of my favorite gialli were made prior to the genre gaining world-wide popularity. Fulci's One on Top of the Other (Perversion Story), released in 1969, is a nice blend of Hitchcock-style, double identity mystery with a healthy dose of European eroticism courtesy of Marisa Mell. Massimo Dallamano's unique psychological giallo, A Black Veil for Lisa, was released in 1968 and stars John Mills as an obsessively jealous husband with a too hot and too young wife played by Luciana Paluzzi. But one of the earliest non-Bava giallo movies was Ernesto Gastaldi's Libido from 1965. A minor gem filmed in B & W that rarely gets the attention it deserves especially considering it's Giancarlo Giannini's first film and one of the few films Gastaldi participated in as both as writer and director.

The film begins with a young boy wandering into his parent's bedroom only to discover his father has just choked out a tied up, scantily clad lover. His father subsequently leaps off a convenient cliff next to the house and is never found. It doesn't take Freud, who is quoted in the opening, to deduce that the kid is going to have some issues with sex and death due to this experience. Years later, the now grown man, Christian, played by an incredibly young Giancarlo Giannini, returns to his estate for the first time since the murder to claim his inheritance. He is accompanied by his wife Helene (Dominique Boschero), who is sexy, but serious; his lawyer/guardian Paul (Luciano Pigozzi) and Paul's wife, Brigitte (Mara Maryl), who is sexy, and anything but serious. Brigitte is easily my favorite character as she's clearly a trophy wife and doesn't try to pretend she's anything but. In one of the lighter moments of the film, she brazenly whips off her blouse to show her 'Hello Kitty'-type bikini (subtle!)

Far from being just the ditzy comic relief, she also proves intricate to the plot in a believable way. The tension between her and the other wife also provides some humorously catty moments as Brigitte commits numerous faux pas throughout the story. Maryl, who is the real life wife of Gastaldi and wrote the story on which the screenplay is based, clearly snagged the best character for herself and excels in the role far beyond the stereotypical platinum blond.

Being strictly a four actor ensemble piece, Luciano Pigozzi actually had a significant role and his character was a little more subtle and unpredictable than what he usually plays. As Christian's long time friend, guardian and lawyer, the character of Paul is a bit of a dark horse whose motives should be clear, but he seems to be hiding something from the start. I found the pairing of Paul and Brigitte interesting in that Paul's character would typically be a p-whipped, milquetoast which Paul clearly is not. But that doesn't mean he isn't interested in his young wife...

Giannini's character Christian is more than a little uptight, despite his denials, about coming home to where the tragedy occurred. He just wants to claim the estate, sell it, and get on with his life. Of course, it does not turn out that simple for him as strange things begin to occur that apparently only his character is aware. As in Black Belly of the Tarantula, I thought Giannini was a little stiff and uncomfortable. However, his tightness actually works in Libido as his character is supposed to be freaked out but trying to hide it.

Dominique Boschero's Helene character appears to be an intelligent, devoted, worried and overly protective wife. She's almost the perfect flip-side and foil for Brigitte, but gets along with the guardian, Paul and respects how he's taken care of her husband over the years. Helene initially appears to be a stick-in-the-mud buzz-kill, but becomes somewhat more likable as the story progresses. Boschero would go on to do a number of gialli including Who Saw Her Die and All the Colors of the Dark, but I always thought this role was one of her best and most interesting.

The story itself is carefully scripted as to not give out too much information too soon. So much so in fact, the first time I watched the film, I didn't know if I was viewing a horror film, mystery, thriller or some combination. It really doesn't become clear until the last 15 minutes or so, and up to that point, I suspected everybody of everything. The ending turns out very solid, rewarding and worth the wait.

Two things I find strange though are that Gastaldi didn't go on to direct more features and why Libido doesn't get more love. The film is rock solid, and though it misses being a classic, it is a strong entry into the genre with excellent B & W cinematography, able direction, decent acting and Gastaldi's own superior screenplay. I can only think of two possible answers to why the film didn't and still doesn't get more attention (including a proper release on DVD). The first explanation is it suffers for having been made so early in the giallo cycle. Had it come out 5 or 6 years later, I think the audience would have been in place for it and could have appreciated it. It's not lurid or sleazy as subsequent gialli, but it it one of the better written and smarter ones. The second reason for the film not becoming successful? They drank the wrong brand of booze:

Score 7.5/10

Kiwi Smash Dogs

Recently, when I looked up the definition of "eclectic" in Mirriam-Webster, I found the following curious entry -

Definition of ECLECTIC

1

: selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles

2

: composed of elements drawn from various sources; also :

OK, the dictionary didn't really have a picture of Roger Donaldson under the word eclectic, but it should have. The films he makes run the gamut in plot, from non-fiction political thrillers like Marie and Thirteen Days, to crime dramas like The Getaway (1994) and The Bank Job, to a comedy like Cadillac Man, to a horror film like Species, to a disaster film like Dante's Peak, to a children's movie like Nutcase, to a historical epic like The Bounty, to a wanna-be bartender story like Cocktail. One thing Donaldson can never be accused of is repeating himself. And despite the variety, there is a consistency in quality to Donaldson's work due in no small part to the top-notch acting talent he always manages to secure - Cruise, Statham, Hopkins, Spacek, Rourke, Madsen, Gibson, Olivier to name drop just a few of the A-listers that have been in his films. He is obviously an actor's director. Another common denominator among Donaldson's movies is that they never bore. I certainly admire some more than others, but the pacing and characters of his films always keep me involved. Even the best directors drop an unwatchable clunker occasionally, but Donaldson has yet to make a film I wouldn't view again. In fact, if I could take only one director's canon to a desert island, it would be Donaldson's.

Which brings me to The Roger Donaldson Collection on DVD. The bad news is the collection contains only two of Donaldson's 16 releases. The good news is they are two of his best, including one of my all-time favorites. How good are they? Sleeping Dogs (1977) singlehandedly resuscitated the New Zealand film industry which hadn't seen a movie release since 1962. It was also the first kiwi film to ever secure a release in the States. And if Sleeping Dogs jump started the New Zealand movie industry, Smash Palace absolutely turbo-charged it, bringing worldwide critical praise and putting the country on the map in terms of quality cinema forever after.

Sleeping Dogs is a low-key political thriller about about an everyman, named Smith, whose marriage has just ended. At the start of the story, Smith unhappily leaves home but soon finds a secluded island and gets permission to stay there from a local Maori character who appears to be the owner. Smith proceeds to enjoy his idyllic lifestyle until one day when he is drawn unwillingly into the country's political maelstrom which has been engineered by a corrupt regime.

The film speaks quite well on how easy a democratic government can turn totalitarian by bargaining the public's freedom away with the promise of safety and stability. Although the Machiavellian maneuvers employed early by the conservative government are very familiar, they are nevertheless chilling and effective. All the time I was re-watching the film, I couldn't help but think of the American government's manipulations during the last decade and the trade of power for safety that was made with the public. Needless to say it's a prescient film, but doesn't beat one over the head a la 1984 or other politically dystopian classics. The lead character of Smith, who is played brilliantly by Sam Neill in only his third film, wants no part of the political strife in his country, on either side, and is beyond apathetic to the point of hostile. However, he ultimately is left with no choice but to choose sides even though neither is appealing.

Neill is the perfect choice of actor for the lead as he always seems to carry a somewhat innocent and naive quality to the characters he portrays. And despite playing a somewhat selfish, self-centered man, Neill is likable enough to hold interest and care about what becomes of him. Warren Oates effectively plays one of the villains of the piece, an American colonel who has come to New Zealand with his troops to help fight the anti-goverment insurgency. His understated, presumptive, yet seemingly friendly bad guy is all the more frightening. The scenery of New Zealand acts as another character and provides a nice paradise counter-point to all the political friction and violence taking place. Despite it's low budget, the film is quite ambitious and Donaldson really makes his points quite effectively. I was very surprised at how much this film holds up as it still has a raw, edgy and modern-day quality 35 years after its making.

Score 7.5/10

Smash Palace is a film that does not sound good on paper. According to the 'making of' doc on the DVD, even Donaldson's friends were trying to deter him from making the film after seeing the script. Then again, no one then knew that the secret kiwi weapon known as Bruno Lawrence would be starring in the film. As much as I like Donaldson, I love Lawrence and will watch him in any film no matter how bad. Yes, even Battletruck. 

Before his untimely passing in 1995, Lawrence had built up an impressive resume of films set almost exclusively in New Zealand or Australia, several of which are all-time favorites of mine, including The Quiet Earth, an intelligent, post-apocalyptic movie, and Goodbye Pork Pie, a fun and quirky kiwi comedy. However Lawrence's best performance, bar none, is as Al Shaw in Smash Palace.

Al is the owner of the titular auto junkyard and a part-time race car driver. He's involved in a slowly decaying marriage with Jacqui, a former school teacher who is portrayed by Anna Maria Monticelli. They have a young daughter named Georgie, played by Greer Robson. Jacqui longs to get out of the junkyard and begs Al to sell which he stubbornly refuses to do. Al's stubbornness will eventually prove his undoing as he steadfastly refuses to accept the reality of his dissolving marriage. As it becomes ever more apparent that Jacqui is determined to leave Al, Al becomes more desperate and irrational.
It's a story that has been told countless times, but what makes this version so strong is the performances and sheer believability of the characters. Al is kind of a jerk, but not so much that you don't feel sympathy for him. Jacqui is a little unreasonable, but that's easily understandable as she feels trapped in her junkyard life. There really isn't any character at fault initially, but neither spouse is paying attention to the other which causes the situation to escalate to the point that one makes an incredibly bad decision from which there is no returning unscathed.

Bruno Lawrence was said to be Jack Nicholson's favorite actor and it's easy to see why. Lawrence has a no-holds-barred acting approach, but a quiet intensity, that is absolutely captivating. His raspy voice and kiwi accent are utterly disarming. Even when he's playing someone less than likable, like Al Shaw, he still has a magnetic quality that keeps the viewer invested. But that's not to imply Lawrence carries the movie by himself. Anna Maria Monticelli is a solid foil as Jacqui and Greer Robson is excellent as the daughter, whom I never caught doing any stage-y kid type acting. Robson has more than a few critical scenes and she pulls them off beautifully whether alone or acting off the adults.
Besides getting fantastic performances from his actors, Donaldson executes more than a few well-placed directorial flourishes. At the beginning and end of the film, there are two very clever mis-directions (both involving automobiles) that take place which really bumped the film up a notch for me. Also there are some great aerial shots, one involving the junkyard early, one in a ravine, that are superb. The pace of the film is near perfect as I never felt it stall at any given point, even though the story unfolds rather slowly, the characters are never dull and keep it moving briskly.
So in summary, despite the rather conventional story, the setting is unusual, the performances are outstanding, the characters are riveting and the direction is excellent. I must have seen the film a dozen times since its release and it's never grown stale. Highest recommendation.

Score 8.5/10

Vampire fatigue?

Every time I hear someone crying "vampire fatigue" concerning the multitude of films that have been released in the past few years involving the creatures of the night, I laugh maniacally whilst moving Stake Land, Thirst and Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl ever further up my rental queue. However, even though I'm a super-fan of vampire movies, I understand the need to see, not only something of quality, but a film that is somehow unique to the genre and breaks the mold or reinvigorates it in some fashion. So instead of a movie that trots out the same old tired goth cliches of bats, castles and crucifixes, I picked three horror films to review that are set in quite unusual places with leads who are quite separate and distinct from the average vampire. The Vampire's Ghost, Blood & Donuts and Tremendo amanecer (Tremendous Sunset) all break traditional genre convention in one way or another and avoid dull predictability in the end. The three films are also wildly different from one another in plot, theme, style and tone. So when it comes to fighting vampire fatigue, just say 'Viva la difference, viva la vampire!'

Lesley Selander's 1945 black & white movie, The Vampire's Ghost, is a modest, low-budget flick from Republic that features the African jungle as the unusual location in which its story is told. In lesser hands, the film could have been a campy disaster, but with a good, character driven script co-written by Leigh Brackett, solid cinematography by Robert Pittack and Bud Thackery and a strong lead performance by John Abbott, the film comes off as almost Lewton-esque.
Abbott, a long time studio contract player with over sixty films to his credit before switching to television, is probably best known for his role as Ayleborne, the spokesman for the Organians in the original Star Trek episode Errand of Mercy. His large expressive eyes, morose hang-dog face and indeterminate accent made him perfect for exotic, foreign heavy roles. In The Vampire's Ghost, Abbott plays Webb Fallon, a local tavern owner in an African coastal town. His character of Fallon initially seems very cool and able to handle himself - much like Rick from Casablanca. At the outset, Fallon seems very much like a good guy. There's no hand-wringing or mustache twisting by his character to tip his hand, although he does put the hypno-whammy on a sore loser sailor by doing the 'big eyes' at him. When Fallon is introduced to newcomers, Roy (Charles Gordon) and Julie (Peggy Stewart) by the local clergyman, Father Gilchrist, he offers to help Roy who is looking into a series of murders that have taken place nearby. They become friends, but as strange things keep occurring, the local tribesman become suspicious of Fallon and he, in turn, starts to show interest of the non-platonic kind in Julie.
The first half of the film was quite interesting with seeming good-guy Fallon saving Roy's life, and Roy saving Fallon's. The latter half becomes more conventional and slows down a bit as Julie becomes the prize in a tug of war between the two men. Still, at 55 minutes, the film doesn't have much time to waste and gets to the point pretty briskly. The atmosphere was great despite being shot entirely on a sound stage. The native drums, which I usually find annoying in most jungle pictures, actually worked quite well here as they were kept low but constant and helped a lot in setting the mood. The acting was OK for the most part with Abbott really doing a fine job with his character in particular. Thankfully, unlike what's portrayed on the film poster, Abbott's character never sprouts fangs or does anything ridiculously vampy that would take the viewer out of the film. It's a good performance by an underrated actor, and along with the jungle setting, makes the film most enjoyable.

Score 7/10

If you ate a handful of 'shrooms and went to see a grown-up version of Twilight, I imagine you'd experience something like Holly Dale's 1995 horror/comedy Blood & Donuts. Gordon Currie stars as Boya, an awkward, shy vampire who has literally been in a bag somewhere in Toronto since 1969. When a golfer's errant tee shot awakens Boya, he stumbles out to a cab driven by an over-friendly, accent-impaired guy named Earl (Louis Ferreira) and they head for the cemetery where Boya has stashed all his possessions. Eventually, Boya comes across a local donut shop where he meets Molly the waitress, played by uber-browed Helene Clarkson and promptly falls for her. Of course complications arise as Boya's old flame shows up, cabbie Earl is pursued by thugs and their boss has to explain "The Bowling Shoe Rule" which delineates the difference between a mark and a smudge. The dialogue in the film is generally smile-inducing, especially David Cronenberg's crime boss, Stephen, who says at one point, "Am I employing retards? I have nothing against retards in general, I just can't afford to employ them." His deadpan delivery is perfect.

Fiona Reid as Boya's ex is also entertaining and a rather poignantly pathetic character as she has kept on aging during their 25 year separation and is more than a little resentful of the fact. 

The pace of the film is somewhat slow, but this does allow time to admire the surprisingly sharp and colorful camera work from Atom Egoyan's regular cinematographer, Paul Sarossy. Holly Dale adds to the stylishness with some slow understated moves and the occasional dutch angle. The music is vampire-themed, but eclectic with artists like Concrete Blonde, who perform Bloodletting, to The Platters who do Twilight Time. Also, the original music by Nash the Slash is quite good.

Horror and comedy is a doubly tricky combination, but I thought Dale succeeded very nicely in pulling it off while keeping a steady, even tone throughout the duration of the film. The movie skates right up to the surreal and silly, but rarely crosses over to ridiculous. It's definitely not for everyone, especially the impatient, but it's a quality, one-of-a-kind work out of Canada.

Additional note: There's a throwaway scene at the end of the credits that's worth waiting around for.

Score 7.5/10

The DVD cover to Gustavo Postiglione's Tremendo amanecer is more than a bit misleading as the film is very much a modern day story set in Buenos Aires. There aren't a lot of bats, bell towers or other gothic imagery to speak of in the movie. The one (possible) vampire is a club owner named Dante (Coki Debernardi). As the film opens, we see Dante soliciting a prostitute to cut her and drink her blood. Much like Romero's Martin, it is unclear if this character is nuts or an actual vampire. I really like when this kind of ambiguity is employed in a vampire flick as it adds a whole other dimension to the film and character. Right after Dante's dealing with the prostitute, we meet Ramirez (Gustavo Guirado), a corrupt detective who is strong arming the streetwalkers for a cut of their earnings. When vampire-style murders begin occurring, Ramirez is pressured to break the case. Far from responding positively, Ramirez resents the pressure and mocks his boss. Both Dante and Ramirez are quite interesting characters and hold the film together. Dante's character is far from the vampiric norm as he likes to perform music at his club at night and watch videos of people frolicking in the daylight while at home. He often dreams of an old black and white film that features himself and a beautiful young woman. We eventually learn that this is Dante's long lost love who has vowed to return to him someday. One day, while watching the home videos, Dante sees a woman who is identical to the one in his dreams. He becomes determined to win her love again.

One of the more clever aspects to the story is that the bartender at Dante's club is an old friend of Ramirez. At several points in the story, Dante will be coming or going from the club while the barman talks to Ramirez, and even introduces the two to each other. A darkly comic element is subsequently introduced into the story with the appearance of Homero (Gabriel Goity), a church sponsored vampire hunter who is assigned to help Ramirez who is non-plussed, bemused and a little annoyed by his new partner.

Writer/director Gustavo Postiglione weaves these elements together seamlessly with an ending that is somewhat circuitous and completely satisfying. The story is the strongest element of the film followed closely by the tortured character of Dante who early on, and to his credit, seeks psychiatric help for the "curse" he believes he's been placed under. Like Boya in Blood and Donuts, Dante doesn't really want to hurt anyone unless it's out of sense of self-preservation but is feeling an ever deepening depression. His days spent watching other people's home movies really adds to the pathos created. I loved the fact that the detective was a corrupt douche who really didn't care that much about catching the killer. It was so refreshing after seeing so many goody-good, Van Helsing types wear the white hat.

The big downside to the film, and it could be a deal-breaker to some, is the cheap shot on video look that the director tried to compensate for with even cheaper digital effects like blurring, adding color and moving the camera around needlessly. I rode the video storm out and was glad I did, but the film would have approached excellent territory without the gimmicks. Everything else was solid considering what was no doubt a tiny budget. The acting was decent and the music was surprisingly good and effective.

Score 7.5/10

If I had to recommend just one of these three films, I'd have to reluctantly go with Tremendo amanecer even though Blood and Donuts buries it in the visual esthetics department. The story is just so strong and the characters so unusual, I know I'll be revisiting Tremendo amanecer long before the other two films.

Out of Gas, Grass and Years

"Maybe we can cope with this by maintaining our sense of values"
- Ray Milland as Harry Baldwin in Panic in the Year Zero!

If there's one thing I've learned watching post-apocalyptic movies, it's that men are kind of dicks after a cataclysmic event. Not only that, but they always seem to reach for the nearest weapon faster than you can say 'gun-toting whacko'. OK, make that two things I've learned. My most recent education in male P/A buffoonery came courtesy of three films - The C.S. Drury just recently released, Empty, the 1962 Ray Milland film, Panic in the Year Zero! and the 1970 Cornel Wilde opus, No Blade of Grass. All three films feature male leads who feel the need to regress to Neanderthal-ism to survive the apocalypse while simultaneously casting things like honor, dignity and civilized behavior into the wind. Which could be the reason why these movies are so entertaining.

In Empty, Ashley C Williams (formerly a segment of The Human Centipede) plays Piper, a young, upper-class woman who goes on a camping trip with her somewhat less than upper-class boyfriend, Dell (Jon Carlo). While roughing it, Dell ruminates on how it wouldn't be so bad living in the wilderness which of course insures trouble of the ironic sort. Sure enough, upon returning to civilization, Dell and Piper discover that another gas crisis has struck, only this time, there's no reserves or rationing like in the 70's. It's all gone, America just doesn't have a drop of fuel left in its collective tank. From a conversation with her family in England, Piper discovers that our more eco-minded European friends are rumored to have a little gas left, but it's being strictly rationed and it looks like the US won't see any car-juice for a while. Not having enough gas to drive all the way home, Piper and Dell argue about what to do next, with Piper electing to move on to her father's vacant summer place, which is not too far off, but with Dell loathe to accept help from her dad and opting instead to take an over-priced room at a local bed and breakfast.

It appears early on that Dell suffers from a lack of a little something called 'self-esteem'. He doesn't want to stay at Piper's dad's, because he believes that her father doesn't think him good enough for Piper despite her assurances to the contrary. In fact, Dell is kind of a dick, and becomes an even bigger one as the crisis they find themselves in worsens. As the situation decays, Dell turns more and more into a caveman - a needy caveman who wants to be reassured about what a great guy he is. On the flip side, Piper seems to be handling things better despite being initially freaked out. Whereas Dell is in a continual state of pout and overreaction, Piper deals more pragmatically with their situation including getting advice from her dad which of course further pisses off the ever devolving Dell. The surprise ending seems quite logical given the events leading up to it, although I know some will cry foul or just hate it as a cheap storytelling trick.

Critically speaking, Empty is a good idea but with somewhat average execution. The shot on video look to the movie hurts it badly in places although Drury attempts to make up for this with some nice outdoor shots. The story was made a little implausible by the brief length of time it took for events to unfold, but that's a minor quibble. The acting is solid by Ashley Williams who reminds me a lot of Mia Kirshner, but Jon Carlo's character came off as seriously whiny and I was hoping he would magically change into Liev Schreiber at some point. I know he was supposed to be a douche, but there wasn't a lot of subtlety involved with his performance and it became grating at times. There was a nice, low-key score by Patrick Mottaz and Dylan Randall that added ambiance without ever getting melodramatic. The direction was simple and straight-forward with a lot of hand held and fixed shots which was fine for the small, mostly two-character story being told. The movie was more of a character study about Dell anyway than a comment on diminishing resources or the collapse of society or even the ensuing paranoia. As such it works and is interesting to a degree, but it seems kind of a modest goal to build a movie around.

score 6/10

I have a theory that if you never go camping, the apocalypse can't happen. In Panic in the Year Zero! the Baldwin family leaves their well-appointed, southern California, suburban home to go fishing, and no sooner make it into the hills, when WHAM! Los Angeles gets nuked. This movie and Empty aren't the only examples of this phenomena either. When Peter Graves and his kids from Where Have All the People Gone? come back from camping, they can use a Dust Buster to vacuum up what's left of humanity. But should you choose to ignore my theory and go camping anyway, be sure to take a backpack full of paranoia (and guns, lots of guns) for when the world inevitably ends.

Ray Milland, who also directed, stars in Panic in the Year Zero! as Harry Baldwin, an average middle class father with a wife (Jean Hagen), teenage son (Frankie Avalon) and teenage daughter (Mary Mitchel). One fine morning they decide to go camping (thus causing the apocalypse) around the hills of LA. Once in the hills they notice a flash of light in the rear-view that Harry initially believes is lightening. When he stops to check that the windows are closed on the trailer he's pulling, he sees the mushroom cloud over the LA basin. After starting back toward Los Angeles (!), Harry decides to turn around and head back to their original campsite. However, they have a need for extra supplies and some other things first, but only a limited amount of cash. Hmm, how will they solve that problem?

Ray Milland noooooo! Don't be a dick and rob the innocent hardware shop owner at gunpoint because you ran out of cash! Oh well, too late. And it's only the first in a string of felonies including arson, murder and other mayhem that Harry Baldwin will commit by the end of the movie. What's even more amazing is that he's the good guy in the film. But unlike Dell from Empty who is acting like a dick as compensation for his inadequacies, we understand Baldwin is doing all this bad stuff to help his family. It's a weird early 60's message which is to trust in authority (in this case paternal authority) as they are doing these unpleasant things for your benefit. Screw morality and civilization, papa needs to get shit done. The end of the film really drives the 'authority is good' home as well. But despite the pro-authoritarian subtext and some unintentionally campy dialogue, e.g. at one point when referring to the nuclear attack that's just taken place, the daughter whines, "This whole thing is a bore, such a drag!" - the movie is actually quite enjoyable and fast paced with plenty of action and suspense. Although Milland, as director, had very little to work with budget-wise, he made the most of it and the movie is also helped immeasurably by the jazzy Les Baxter score.  The music would seem very out of place considering the subject matter, but is an integral component in the movie and really gets the fingers popping. The B & W cinematography from work-horse Gilbert Warrenton is also quite good and I particularly liked the opening shot of the car radio. The acting was just average with Milland carrying the majority of the burden and chewing it up in full cranky mode (doesn't this guy ever smile?). Avalon did not do any damage in a role that was fortunately limited, and the other characters were serviceable but there were no real standouts.

On the downside, sometimes the low budget seams showed, such as in the use of stock footage and tight shots of supposed outdoor locations that were obviously shot in a studio. Also, the female characters don't get developed a great deal and were basically delicate baggage to be hauled around. I found it telling that Avalon's teen character kept referring to his mom and sister as "the women". Also, when Hagen's wife character raised objections to morally questionable behavior, she got growled at by grumpy Milland. I found this an interesting contrast to Empty, where the female character would go off and do something productive like gather firewood or fish when her man began acting possessive or douche-y. The female characters, in general, are the moral conscience of all three of these films and yet they all get ignored or stifled (note to self - listen to women during an apocalypse).
Of the three films I (re)watched, Panic in the Year Zero! is easily the most entertaining and the most well-crafted. For post-apocalyptic fans, it's an essential, for others, an entertaining, if paranoid, ride.

Score 7.5/10

I have very mixed feelings about No Blade of Grass. On the one hand, I can smell the pretentious, preachy, early 70's stank all over it. From the nauseatingly cloying, acoustic title song, to the echo-y, cringe-inducing, Cornel Wilde voiceover, to the numerous shots of billowing factory smokestacks and polluted rivers, this movie reeks of patchouli hippies singing Kumbaya in a forest meadow. On the other hand, the actual story of an upper class family fleeing London during the chaos brought on by a world-wide grain virus and the attendant apocalyptic rumors is pretty darn fun. Nigel Davenport plays the cool-as-the-other-side-of-the pillow, eye-patched father in this one and just like Milland...

...yep, he turns into a murdering dick as well. Much like in Panic in the Year Zero!, the mayhem starts when the lead characters are acquiring guns. Morals are again thoughtlessly abandoned as the family bulldozes through anyone who gets in their way to their woodland sanctuary. No Blade of Grass is a much more brutal, cold blooded film than the other two which is not necessarily a bad thing on the entertainment level. It is a bit more believable in terms of character interaction as well in that Davenport's John Custance makes a deal with the devil by enlisting the aid of a young tough named Pirrie (played wonderfully by Anthony May) who provides the muscle and firearms skills for the group. Pirrie understands the need for a savvy, quick thinking leader in Custance who in turn understands the need for Pirrie's fast instincts and ruthless violent streak. The relationship between the two is a far more interesting aspect to the film than all the pollution hugga-mugga and really creates some nice tension along the way. There is a voice of reason, again coming from a female, in this instance, Custance's wife Ann (played by Jean Wallace) who questions the morality of just killing everyone willy-nilly. Happily, she's ignored and it's back to the mayhem.

As a post-apocalyptic thrill ride, No Blade of Grass works well and delivers the action and suspense even better than Panic in the Year Zero! There's even a couple of big shoot-outs toward the end. On the thematic level, however, the film is incredibly heavy-handed. Cornel Wilde both directed and produced which likely meant he had no one to step in and tell him to stop the madness. The cut-in pollution and starving kid scenes are particularly appalling and distracting, as are the foreshadowing scenes which are shown in blinking red no less. All this stuff should have been left on the cutting room floor because it really detracts from an otherwise decently made action thriller. Where I thought Empty should have addressed the fuel shortage a bit more,  No Blade of Grass goes wildly round the bin thematically to the detriment of the story and its pacing especially in the early going. The music is late 60's psychedelic at its worst and most generic but somehow doesn't annoy as much as the cut-ins. However, even with these major flaws, the film still manages to hold one's attention. It's not quite as smoothly or as fast-paced as PitYZ! but it still moves along especially when the family starts to flee the city. If you can make it past the first 15 minutes of the film's preachiness, it's a trip worth taking.

Score 6.5/10

I found it interesting that the two earlier films made in '62 and '70 had a distinct 'us or them' and 'trust no one' mentality. Whereas in 2011's Empty the characters were extending a cautious hand, and at least to a degree, attempting to help each other. Not that it always worked out for everyone in the film, but I did find Empty to be the most believable of the three films even though it wasn't as entertaining or well made as the other two. Empty also benefited from being timely. The nuclear bomb threat of PitYZ! is not what it once was, and neither is the pollution shown in NBoG (although the movie was wildly ahead of its time in discussing global warming!). Both films have an anachronistic, slightly moldy taint to them as a result. Nevertheless, the three films together did make for a pretty entertaining and interesting cinematic end of the world hat trick.

Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me

Pop quiz! But don't worry, just two questions and they're both multiple choice...

1. Craig Brewer's best film -
  a) was remastered in 2010, but has yet to be released
  b) was screened at the Indie Memphis Film Festival
  c) contains some awesome music
  d) all of the above

2. Craig Brewer's best film is entitled:

  a)

   b)

  c)

  d) none of the above

If you answered 'd' to both questions, congratulations, you scored 100%. Bonus points were also awarded for actually knowing the name of Brewer's best film, which is 2000's The Poor & Hungry.

Extra special bonus points and a hug from me for anyone who knows if and when the remastered version of The Poor & Hungry will be released on DVD. I'm hoping it will be in October in conjunction with the release of Footloose which I'm dreading (and please, dear God, do not put TP&H as an extra on the Footloose Special Edition Blu-ray - it needs it's own release, ok?).

Don't get me wrong, I love Hustle and Flow as well as Black Snake Moan. Even if they're not perfect films, they are definitely unique in that Brewer really knows good music and how to weave it into a story properly. That said, the 2011 Footloose trailer looks like an ill-conceived, 80's pop and lock, hybrid abortion with abominable acting and a cringe-inducing story (the original was just as teeth-grindingly bad - it's nostalgia and Kenny Loggins which make the movie seem so much better than it is). If anyone could make a new incarnation of it work though, I think it could be Brewer. It may be the only smart, non-mercenary, hiring decision the producers of the new film made, but he's a good choice for a music-filled film. While I'm talking about it, why, oh why, did the writers update the already-anachronistic-in-the-80's story? Why not set the remake in the 50's, when it would be a much more believable and timely story?

On the other end of the movie-making spectrum from the new and unproved Footloose, however, is Brewer's sublime The Poor & Hungry. The film is a low-budget classic with great performances by unknown actors (that can emote circles around psuedo-celebrities like the act-rocious Julianne Hough), who portray gritty urban characters in a poignant story set in Memphis with the town's music supplying the atmosphere.

Synopsis - Three poor people in Memphis try to find a little happiness.

Eli Foote is a shy, reticent, pony-tailed and bearded, big, but slightly tubby guy, who works in a strip bar and "could go the rest of his life without seeing another bouncing titty."  In addition, Eli works in a Memphis chop shop as a part time car thief/auto dismantler. At the outset, Eli realizes he doesn't have the stomach to do the actual thieving, but reluctantly agrees to act as lookout while others snatch the cars. Eli's female pal, Harper, is a low level street hustler of questionable sexuality who is constantly coming up with ever more desperate ways to make money. One of the things that really work well in the film is the relationship between Eli and Harper with Eli being like a quiet, put-upon, but gentle bear, and Harper a rabid, chattering squirrel with Attention Deficit Disorder.

The third major character in the story, Amanda, is a young cello player who lives with her infirm father. While helping steal her car, Eli spies Amanda playing her instrument and subsequently finds a tape she's previously made in the stolen car's cassette deck. He receives an epiphany from listening to the music which is basically that life doesn't have to suck.
All three characters of Eli, Harper and Amanda are on the last rung of life's quiet desperation ladder and are looking for a way out of their unhappiness. For each, the other holds the key. Harper wants Eli to help her with a car scam, Eli wants to be with Amanda and Amanda wants to chase away her loneliness with Eli and Harper. They are all modest, pitiable characters that you don't as much root for as hope nothing bad happens to. As the story progresses, there appears a glimmer of hope for just a little bit of happiness for each of them. At the same time, the story feels like an impending tragedy is looming. Brewer does a great job of storytelling and I particularly liked the way he edited the film which really elevates it's shot on digital look and gives it a more cinematic feel. The pacing is surprisingly quick given Brewer takes his time in telling the story and developing the characters. I never felt the film's 118 minute runtime as I was thoroughly engrossed with even the tiniest details of the character's lives. At one point, I was transfixed as Eli built a model car late at night. In the remastered version, apparently Brewer has trimmed around ten minutes from the movie. That's fine, but probably unnecessary, as I've watched this film several times and have never grown restless.
The acting is very good, particularly the three leads played by Eric Tate, Lindsey Roberts and Lake Latimer. Brewer uses long, lingering takes, and I never caught the actors becoming aware or impatient. Tate, in particular, was great at holding on during the prolonged period at the end of some of the takes. Roberts is the obvious standout as the loopy, chatterbox Harper, but it was Tate I couldn't take my eyes off of. He has the authentic look of a lower working class guy that you might meet up with in a slightly grungy bar. The difference is, though he looks somewhat menacing, he actually spends most of the story in some kind of fear or anxiety.
I usually can't stand shot-on-digital or video taped movies as the directors just seem to point and shoot with no thought of camera movement (other than the shaky-cam shots), lighting or imaginative editing. It's clear Brewer took all these things into account and put a tremendous effort into the film. There were long periods where I would completely lose awareness of the cheap filming process employed as I was so engrossed with the characters, story and cool atmosphere that Brewer must have spent painstakingly hours to achieve.
To my knowledge the movie has yet to have a widespread release on any format. I taped it off of IFC about ten years ago so it may show up on that channel occasionally. It's well worth tracking down in any event. It will be an interesting comparison to make - Brewer's first film The Poor & Hungry vs his latest effort, The Rich and Entitled, oops, I mean, Footloose - This is Our Time.

Score 8.5/10

Aluminum Autumn

Years grow shorter, not longer,

the more you've been on your own.

Feelin's for movin' grow stronger,

so you wonder why you ever go home,

-Jimmy Buffett

Wonder Why We Ever Go Home

Two distinct, but geographically proximate, cultures have witnessed their way of life fade out and nearly die in the latter half of the twentieth century. The causes of the decay for both cultures were many and varied - greed, destitution, indifference, government interference,  but most especially, "the pickup truck debt...which is a sickness...worse than alcohol and dope." In the 1975 film Rancho Deluxe, and again in the 1989 film Pow Wow Highway, two sets of disparate people living in Montana romanticize, deride and ultimately pine for their fading cultures.

A euphemistic term for cowboy paradise, most of the characters in Rancho Deluxe attempt to achieve their modern-day version of the American West's dream by playing at their forbarers roles. Whether it's cattle barons John and Cora Brown, ranch hands Burt and Curt or proto-slacker, cattle rustlers Jack and Cecil, everyone is looking for their version of horseshoe heaven by diving headlong into a fading culture with predictable, but humorous results. The movie somehow reminded me of radio talk-show host Don Imus who sports a full duster, chaps, cowboy hat and boots while working in a modern day sound studio, and who never realizes just how silly he looks in his costume. Like Imus, most of the characters in Rancho Deluxe are not real cowboys or even indigenous to the west, and the movie derives much of its humor from this irony. Cattle ranchers John and Cora Brown, who appear to own the lion's share of property around Bozeman, Montana, are actually transplanted beauty parlor owners from Schenectady. Seemingly salty, hired hands Curt and Burt are also not real cow-pokes either, Curt being a former TV hot-comb model and Burt being in appliance repair. Rustlers Jack and Cecil, however, seem fully conscious of the ironies of their life and the collision of the modern era into old west culture. Even though they're aware that they're only playing at cowboys and indians, in their own way, they enmesh themselves in the culture and simultaneously fight boredom by rustling cattle, finding lost Appaloosa  barrel racers with their erst-while girlfriends, shooting up their girlfriends father's Lincoln Continental (and its horseshoe hood ornament) with a Sharp's buffalo rifle, and just outright refusing to grow up in general.

Patti D'Arbanville and Bob Dog

When Jack and Cecil shoot and chainsaw up a cow from John and Cora's B-Bar/Lazy-T spread, the Brown's see it as a chance to alleviate some of their own boredom that's been built up from living their western lifestyle. To this end, they hire "barely mobile" stock detective Henry Beige who brings his beautiful, seemingly innocent, niece along for the ride. Burt and Curt immediately fall for the niece much to the chagrin of Cora who is longing for some "gothic ranch house action."

The story is pretty straightforward with a few minor twists and the theme has been touched on before and since the movie was released. What sets the film apart is the sharp dialogue and characters written by Thomas McGuane, and the terrific cast of character actors. There's a ton of great dialogue that manages to be conversational, humorous and still pointed. Cecil's dad, played by Joe Spinell gives a classic speech about "pickup truck debt" which rings quite true for anyone living in the west. There's also a hilarious exchange between John Brown (the great and immediately recognizable Clifton James) and a clerk concerning where the "nearest negro in Montana" is located. Slim Pickens, who plays the rickety stock detective, is really on his game in the movie whether he's recounting his whacky dream where he's atop a pyramid with a "Phay-roh while below all the slaves is a-bowin' and a-scrapin'," or when sniping at Clifton James' character. These two legends are worth the price of admission alone, but when Jeff Bridges, Sam Waterston, Harry Dean Stanton, Richard Bright and Joe Spinell are added to the mix, the film becomes a must-see for lovers of great character actors.

I've unintentionally seen almost all of director Frank Perry's eclectic list of films which include movies as diverse as David and Lisa, The Swimmer and Mommie Dearest. Although his direction isn't usually imaginative or super stylish, the characters in the films are often engaging and he usually gets excellent performances from the typically top-shelf actors who are cast in his movies. Even Perry's lesser known works such as Ladybug, Ladybug, Last Summer and Man on a Swing are interesting character studies with solid performances. Being a character based film, Rancho Deluxe, seems a very good fit for Perry and he even manages to shoehorn in a few stylish shots as when Jeff Bridges and HDS exchange dialogue in the reflection of a Pong screen. 

The downside to Perry's direction is he failed to take full advantage of the Montana scenery. Without a doubt, there are a few nice outdoor shots, but between the less than stellar cinematography and the actor-centric camera angles there were a lot of missed opportunities to really show off the incredible landscape of the area. Also, either the print, or the film stock itself was extremely grainy which further diminished the look of the movie. The pace of the film is intentionally slow and meandering, much like real life in Montana or my home state of Wyoming. Boredom is almost a way of life in the modern west and the film, quite rightly, doesn't attempt to portray it otherwise.

 The soundtrack of the film was done by McGuane's brother-in-law, Jimmy Buffett, well before he became one of the most successful concert performers of all time. Three of the songs, including the title track, Wonder Why We Ever Go Home and Livingston Saturday Night are still among his best work which is saying something given Buffett's voluminous output. His easy-going, to poignant, to rollicking styles fit in with the tone of the film quite well even if the lyrics are very much on the nose. In an interesting side note, Buffett himself appears in the film with a bar band which features Warren Oates on harmonica.

Rancho Deluxe is the kind of movie that leaves me chuckling with delight after one viewing, but kind of sad after another as I contemplate the demise of even the modern-day western culture presented in the film. But I never tire of the colorful, but amiable characters, beautiful landscapes and laid back music, even though I know I'll kind of miss them afterwards.

Score 7.5/10

"Look at these people traipsing around on a basketball court. You'd think a few lousy beads and some feathers was a culture or something."
-Buddy Red Bow

While Rancho Deluxe is funny, quirky and laid-back, Pow Wow Highway is humorous, but earnest, and somewhat more serious about its cultural message. Maybe it's because the characters aren't playing at being western denizens, they actual are natives of the west and intricately tied to it. The two main characters Philbert and Buddy belong to the North American Cheyenne tribe and reside on a reservation in Lame Deer, Montana. Philbert is physically large, but appears a little mentally slow, or at the very least, absent-minded and quite naive. He's a dreamer who, for the most part, just wants to learn and tell stories about the tribe. His life-long friend Buddy Red Bow is hot-tempered, cynical and militantly active in tribal affairs. At the outset of the story, Buddy has crashed a tribal meeting with a Bureau of Indian Affairs representative who is trying to convince the tribe to sell natural resources located on the reservation. In order to get Buddy out of the picture, the government trumps up some charges against his sister who lives in Santa Fe with her two young daughters. Buddy enlists Philbert and his "war pony" - a barely running, decrepit Buick Wildcat that Phibert literally traded for with the stuff in his pockets. Together, they head south but not before getting sidetracked along the way by Philbert's spiritual quest.

The film is, in large part, a road picture with Philbert and Buddy re-discovering their roots. The humor in it is mostly derived from the relationship between the sweet, day-dreaming Philbert and the passionate, but too serious Buddy. Philbert is played with just the right amount of distractedness by Gary Farmer. His large size, but gentle demeanor make him instantly likable. Buddy is played by handsome latino soap star A Martinez who really sells the hot-headed character well but still manages to remain sympathetic.

The film delivers its message without getting too preachy although the white characters are just a little cartoonish and one dimensional. The ending is a bit far-fetched, but very satisfying nonetheless. The film was shot on location in Montana, South Dakota and New Mexico and director Jonathan Whacks takes advantage of the landscapes' beauty. One shot in particular of Philbert's Buick traveling down a highway in mid-blizzard is particularly haunting and cool. I was really happy the filmmakers actually shot in the three different states instead of using Canada as a stand-in as each place has a distinctive look of its own. The soundtrack of the film is made up of original western-style music from Barry Goldberg along with previously recorded music by The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Rachel Sweet and Robbie Robertson. I'm completely biased being a huge fan of Robertson's, but I wish he could have scored the entire film as the two songs of his that were used were easily the best and most relevant to the movie. The film is almost the same length as Rancho Deluxe, but is much faster paced, despite or because of the detours it takes which are always interesting and further develop the plot, characters or theme.

Score 7.5/10