ROBERT ALTMAN
Robert Altman died at 81, about six months after they finally gave him an Oscar (honorary, at that) after five fruitless Best Director nominations.
Like most great artists, Altman always went his own way, taking risks and being willing to fail. But when he scored he left deep marks on cinematic history.
M*A*S*H (1970) is uproariously funny, and is much darker than the TV sitcom it fathered. Elliott Gould, Sally Kellerman, Donald Sutherland, Tom Skerritt and Robert Duvall lead a fine cast composing a medical unit in Korea. The episodic screenplay by Ring Lardner, Jr., won the Oscar. In this landmark film, Altman pushed way beyond the edge of the envelope and changed comedy forever.
Altman’s brilliant snapshot of America in Nashville (1975) is unlike anything before or since. It’s a crazy quilt of seemingly unrelated incidents, with a great ensemble cast (Keith Carradine, Henry Gibson, Karen Black, Geraldine Chaplin, Lily Tomlin), which somehow coalesce into a picture of how we were and how we are. A combination political rally and country music show is the backdrop.
Actors pushed and shoved for the chance to be in an Altman film, regardless of their usual asking prices. Another fine cast (Carol Burnett, Paul Dooley, Mia Farrow, Lillian Gish) carries A Wedding (1978) well past the usual Hollywood treatment of the rite of marriage. Altman comes at weddings and families from new and untried angles and winds up with a film unlike any other on this familiar subject.
Hollywood itself is the subject, or target, of The Player (1992). Hollywood ethics, an oxymoron if there ever was one, are poked and pushed unmercifully in this very hard-edged comedy. Tim Robbins is the ultimate, and literal, back-stabber whose sole aim is his own advancement. There are dozens of cameos of well-known stars, which adds to the enjoyment.
Brewster McCloud (1970) is about a boy who lives in a bomb shelter under the Astrodome, and whose goal in life is to fly under the dome. There are a series of unsolved murders in the Houston area, and the evidence points toward the wannabe flyer. As the cops close in, the boy finally realizes his dream to fly. Bud Cort plays the boy, and is ably backed by Sally Kellerman and Shelly Duvall.
The Gingerbread Man (1997) with Kenneth Branagh, is a fairly standard good-lawyer-in-a-jam movie, and Cookie’s Fortune (1999) is a very accessible black comedy about the importance of propriety in a Southern family.
Some other Altman films worth a look include McCabe And Mrs. Miller (1971) with Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in the most unconventional of Westerns, Gosford Park (2001), Altman’s original take on a British manor whodunit, and Prairie Home Companion (2006) a fine tribute to the long-running NPR Garrison Keilor show.
All of the films in this column are available on DVD. None are suitable for children under 12.
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Sunday, June 10, 2018
ALCATRAZ
Today it is only a tourist attraction. But Alcatraz is still probably the most famous prison in the world. It is located on an island some one and a half cold, swirling miles from San Francisco. There was only one “successful” escape in its history. The escapees were never seen again and are presumed drowned. Hollywood used Alcatraz’s appeal to crank out lots of movies about it, including some really good ones.
Escape From Alcatraz (1979) features Clint Eastwood as the ring leader of the only escape ever made from the legendary San Francisco prison. The taciturn Eastwood is perfect for this role, and the planning and execution of the incredibly difficult escape make quite a good story.
The intriguing Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) features Burt Lancaster in a signature role as a lifer who puts his time to good use by learning enough about birds from reading and observation to become a world-renown expert in the field. Director John Frankenheimer’s ability to hold our interest in a film with basically one set and one character is remarkable.
In Point Blank (1967) Alcatraz is the setting for Lee Marvin being left for dead by his faithless wife and her mobster boyfriend. The movie is really about his revenge and is a real thriller.
Kevin Bacon is a 19-year-old kid who stole five dollars to feed his sister and winds up among the killers, rapists and bombers on Alcatraz in the riveting Murder In The First (1995). He is charged with murdering another inmate, and his ordeal puts the entire U.S. prison system on trial. Christian Slater is excellent as his lawyer. Assorted bad guys include Gary Oldman, Brad Dourif and R. Lee Ermey.
The Rock (1996) has a strong cast including Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris. The screenplay is a bit of a stretch, though. A crazy general seizes Alcatraz and threatens to blow up San Francisco. Cage is a biologist, Connery a career criminal, and these two lead a foray onto the island to save the day. Will they? Hey, this is Hollywood!
If you’re really interested in the fabled island prison, there is also Alcatraz Prison Escape (2015) featuring a supposed (and really shaky) deathbed story of what really happened to the cons that swam away. The B-list includes Alcatraz Island (1937). Oh, and there’s even a fairly cheesy 2012 TV series named Alcatraz. All of the films in the article are available on DVD, though the last two are pretty hard to find. Everything herein is for 12 and up.
Today it is only a tourist attraction. But Alcatraz is still probably the most famous prison in the world. It is located on an island some one and a half cold, swirling miles from San Francisco. There was only one “successful” escape in its history. The escapees were never seen again and are presumed drowned. Hollywood used Alcatraz’s appeal to crank out lots of movies about it, including some really good ones.
Escape From Alcatraz (1979) features Clint Eastwood as the ring leader of the only escape ever made from the legendary San Francisco prison. The taciturn Eastwood is perfect for this role, and the planning and execution of the incredibly difficult escape make quite a good story.
The intriguing Birdman of Alcatraz (1962) features Burt Lancaster in a signature role as a lifer who puts his time to good use by learning enough about birds from reading and observation to become a world-renown expert in the field. Director John Frankenheimer’s ability to hold our interest in a film with basically one set and one character is remarkable.
In Point Blank (1967) Alcatraz is the setting for Lee Marvin being left for dead by his faithless wife and her mobster boyfriend. The movie is really about his revenge and is a real thriller.
Kevin Bacon is a 19-year-old kid who stole five dollars to feed his sister and winds up among the killers, rapists and bombers on Alcatraz in the riveting Murder In The First (1995). He is charged with murdering another inmate, and his ordeal puts the entire U.S. prison system on trial. Christian Slater is excellent as his lawyer. Assorted bad guys include Gary Oldman, Brad Dourif and R. Lee Ermey.
The Rock (1996) has a strong cast including Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris. The screenplay is a bit of a stretch, though. A crazy general seizes Alcatraz and threatens to blow up San Francisco. Cage is a biologist, Connery a career criminal, and these two lead a foray onto the island to save the day. Will they? Hey, this is Hollywood!
If you’re really interested in the fabled island prison, there is also Alcatraz Prison Escape (2015) featuring a supposed (and really shaky) deathbed story of what really happened to the cons that swam away. The B-list includes Alcatraz Island (1937). Oh, and there’s even a fairly cheesy 2012 TV series named Alcatraz. All of the films in the article are available on DVD, though the last two are pretty hard to find. Everything herein is for 12 and up.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
DIFFERENT ANIMALS
There are hundreds of movies about dogs and horses and even cats. Let’s take a look at some of the best movies about not-so-familiar animals.
I’ll start with last year’s Jane, a fascinating documentary about Jane Goodall. A secretary with no education in zoology (and hence no preconceptions) is selected to photograph and study the wild chimpanzees of Gombe,Tanzania. She exceeds everyone’s expectations, including her own, as she gains more and more of the trust of the animals until she is accepted by them and virtually lives among them. This film, shot mostly in the 80's, was believed lost and was only rediscovered and made available in 2014.
A somewhat similar film, though not a documentary, is Gorillas In The Mist (1988). It features Sigourney Weaver as zoologist Dianne Fossey, whose study of mountain gorillas in the Congo and Rwanda probably saved the species from extinction. Bryan Brown plays her photographer and lover. Her discoveries about the gorillas dispelled many erroneous assumptions that had been made. But she really rubbed poachers and several government officials the wrong way, and was murdered under mysterious circumstances by persons unknown.
There are dozens of bear movies, and most of them are frankly pretty bad. Depending on your tolerance for craziness, Grizzly Man (2005) is a wonder. It is the story of Timothy Treadwell, who studied and lived with grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness. He and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by grizzlies, which to me seemed inevitable. The film he shot before his death was discovered later and made into this interesting documentary. No blood and gore in the film.
The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill (2003) is the incredibly true story of a flock of cherry-headed parrots who presumably escaped (or were released) as pets, and live and thrive in the trees on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. Mark Bittner is an unemployed musician who lives in a cabin atop the hill. He feeds and interacts with the parrots. While they look virtually identical to us, he can tell them apart. He has named them all and can tell each’s characteristics in this fascinating film.
Another utterly entrancing bird documentary, March Of The Penguins (2005), details the life of Anarctica’s Emperor Penguins. Every year those of breeding age leave the ocean and walk (waddle?) many miles to their ancestral breeding grounds. After chicks are born, the parents take turns caring for the baby and going for food. How the French cinematrogaphers got these scenes, and survived, is interesting in itself.
Big Miracle (2012) is a fictionalized version of the freeing of grey whales trapped under the ice near Point Barrow, Alaska. Drew Barrymore and John Kracinski are oceanographers who hatch a seemingly loony plan to get the trapped whales back to open water before the ice permanently freezes over. They gradually win over the natives who wind up helping the effort. Did it work? Well, if they had failed this wouldn’t be much of a movie, now would it?
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. The last three are fine for all ages. The first three are for grown-ups.
There are hundreds of movies about dogs and horses and even cats. Let’s take a look at some of the best movies about not-so-familiar animals.
I’ll start with last year’s Jane, a fascinating documentary about Jane Goodall. A secretary with no education in zoology (and hence no preconceptions) is selected to photograph and study the wild chimpanzees of Gombe,Tanzania. She exceeds everyone’s expectations, including her own, as she gains more and more of the trust of the animals until she is accepted by them and virtually lives among them. This film, shot mostly in the 80's, was believed lost and was only rediscovered and made available in 2014.
A somewhat similar film, though not a documentary, is Gorillas In The Mist (1988). It features Sigourney Weaver as zoologist Dianne Fossey, whose study of mountain gorillas in the Congo and Rwanda probably saved the species from extinction. Bryan Brown plays her photographer and lover. Her discoveries about the gorillas dispelled many erroneous assumptions that had been made. But she really rubbed poachers and several government officials the wrong way, and was murdered under mysterious circumstances by persons unknown.
There are dozens of bear movies, and most of them are frankly pretty bad. Depending on your tolerance for craziness, Grizzly Man (2005) is a wonder. It is the story of Timothy Treadwell, who studied and lived with grizzly bears in the Alaskan wilderness. He and his girlfriend were killed and eaten by grizzlies, which to me seemed inevitable. The film he shot before his death was discovered later and made into this interesting documentary. No blood and gore in the film.
The Wild Parrots Of Telegraph Hill (2003) is the incredibly true story of a flock of cherry-headed parrots who presumably escaped (or were released) as pets, and live and thrive in the trees on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco. Mark Bittner is an unemployed musician who lives in a cabin atop the hill. He feeds and interacts with the parrots. While they look virtually identical to us, he can tell them apart. He has named them all and can tell each’s characteristics in this fascinating film.
Another utterly entrancing bird documentary, March Of The Penguins (2005), details the life of Anarctica’s Emperor Penguins. Every year those of breeding age leave the ocean and walk (waddle?) many miles to their ancestral breeding grounds. After chicks are born, the parents take turns caring for the baby and going for food. How the French cinematrogaphers got these scenes, and survived, is interesting in itself.
Big Miracle (2012) is a fictionalized version of the freeing of grey whales trapped under the ice near Point Barrow, Alaska. Drew Barrymore and John Kracinski are oceanographers who hatch a seemingly loony plan to get the trapped whales back to open water before the ice permanently freezes over. They gradually win over the natives who wind up helping the effort. Did it work? Well, if they had failed this wouldn’t be much of a movie, now would it?
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. The last three are fine for all ages. The first three are for grown-ups.
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