Six Degrees of Film

Gene Wilder in The Frisco Kid and other Films that Got Away

Gene Wilder was unique in his temperament and physical appearance. By that I mean he was uniquely suited for the role of his life in Young Frankenstein and equally up to the task for his classic performances in The Producers and Blazing Saddles.

Screening this month on Turner Classic are some Gene Wilder gems. Some of these are on my short list of Films that Got Away. One is the 1970’s film, Start the Revolution without me. Wilder began to perfect his controlled manic style of comedy in this piece with Donald Sutherland. It’s a spoof on the classic tale of The Corsican Brothers, with the two brothers played by Wilder & Sutherland- one set of royal birth and the other of peasant extraction, and the ensuing comedy in the dual roles is comic fodder for both Wilder and Sutherland.

The Frisco Kid was a one-off type of comedy where you might “get it” or perhaps not. But there were plenty of gems for the taking in this Western, where Wilder plays a Rabbi traveling West with his cowboy companion, played by Harrison Ford. A couple of moments are priceless: Wilder as the Jewish Rabbi is trying to eat breakfast with monks who have taken a vow of silence. This proves to be nearly impossible for the amiable Jewish persona that was Wilder. And when the pair find themselves in an Indian camp, Wilder is at his comic best when he is describing how the Jewish people celebrate in similar fashion to the Indians. “Watch that Lady! I think that lady is a Jewish Indian!“… Priceless

Speaking of cult classics, Turner Classic Movies is also showing the ever-popular Strange Brew this week. Oddly enough, this 1983 film was loosely (very loosely) based on the story of Hamlet-complete with ghosts and the Elsinore tableau thrown in for good measure. The two Second City alumni, Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis of Ghostbusters fame, are perfectly cast as two hapless Laurel & Hardy-esque screwballs who are trying to make the connections and discover the secrets of the mysterious brewery. A Canadian classic, this is not for everyone, but some of the funniest bits occur when the two are seemingly just playing it loose with the off-the-cuff remarks that have been a staple for years in our household.

Start the Revolution without me, Strange Brew, and The Frisco Kid are all playing this week on Turner Classic Movies. Check your listings for the times, as most are middle of the night showings.

On the subject of Casablanca

Six Degrees of Film

Editor’s Note: Casablanca is playing this Sunday, September 18th at TampaTheatre as part of the Summer Film Series. The film begins at 3:00 pm.

Casablanca is one of the best B movies ever made. The local paper here in Tampa had a dispute over whether it should be designated as a “Chick Flick” or simply a classic film. In my role as a film critic, I’m moving away from the term “Chick Flick” in describing movies. There are Fem flicks-defined as films for women, by women and about women…I would not put Casablanca in this genre.

Casablanca is much more than just a chick flick. It was a film written with quite a convoluted history of authorship, as you can tell in the following excerpt. No one really knew how it was going to turn out even when they were shooting it!

The following is an excerpt…

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Happy Birthday Tom Hardy!

Celebrating the birthday of one of Hollywood’s best actors working today….

Happy Birthday Mr. Hardy!

6 Degrees Fall Film Newsletter

168816805 FOR 6 DEGREES COVER PHOTO SHOT — 6 Degrees of Film

The familiar refrain when recalling the Summer Movie Season is to begin with either the phrase: What happened? or Why are Movies so Bad? The Hollywood moguls, tucked away in their nouveau chic towers for some reason seem out of touch with the rest of America. They aren’t getting the message that we, the people, don’t like what they’re selling.

Most of the movies are terrible. Basically, they’re just plain bad. So…it should be back to the drawing board. They should go back to basics and find out what has worked, by turning out meaningful stories and using a mix of reliable actors in some romantic comedies, some heavy hitters in big productions, with a smattering of smaller budget films that utilize great writers and up and coming actors and directors to give the people what they want.

But that is too simple. We are now treated to explosively expensive high-budget films that bomb (Ben-Hur), ever endless streams of knock-offs re-hashing basically the same super-hero/action plot over and over again, and the ever-present “Cinematic Universe” of Comic book characters. There are some independent and foreign films and even more gifted actors and directors out there still plugging away. But that’s not enough to stem the tide of flotsam that hits the theatres on a weekly basis. It’s even harder for someone who reviews films on a regular basis to be suddenly confronted with the reality-for the first time-that it’s not fun to go to the movies anymore…

They need to make it fun again. That’s the reality. Before they begin to reinvent the wheel, they need to talk to the most creative minds and come up with ways to make it fun to go see a movie again.

Some of the films coming this Fall look promising. That is always the case, as we roll into a new season. We start off with a boatload full of potential “contenders” and end up with…not so much. Star Trek fans will note that the new documentary entitled, “For the Love of Spock” opens this weekend. That could be a fun one…

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One of the most gifted actors working today, Tom Hardy, is due out with a strange film this September: “London Road”, in which he sings a bit in this mystery thriller based on a real-life serial murder. Ron Howard has done a documentary about the Beatles: “Eight Days a Week-The Touring Years”. The Bridget Jones series is back with Renee Zelwegger reprising the starring role and Colin Firth returning as Mr. Darcy.

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There’s a live-action version of “Beauty and the Beast” due out in September. Also, Denzel Washington stars in the remake of the classic western, “The Magnificent Seven”. Also out is the comedy, “Masterminds”, starring Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig, which had been held up by the film company’s financial difficulties.

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The controversial film, “The Birth of a Nation” is due in October. The film is controversial because the star, Nate Parker, has been plagued by past allegations of rape and has been battling the media and public perception for several months. Other films out in October include the trademark “mockumentary” Mascots from veteran comic Christopher Guest. And the continuation of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code series features Tom Hanks returning as Robert Langdon in “Inferno”, with Ron Howard directing (again).

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Another comic book entry, this time with superior acting chops, is provided by Benedict (Sherlock) Cumberbatch as “Doctor Strange”. This film is due out in November. Brad Pitt also returns in November with a romantic thriller called “Allied”, which also stars Marion Cotillard. And after a notably long absence from the screen, Warren Beatty fittingly plays the eccentric recluse Howard Hughes in “Rules Don’t Apply”.

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For Christmas of 2016, Michael Keaton stars in “The Founder”, the story of Ray Kroc, who started the McDonald’s restaurant chain. “Rogue One: A Star Wars” story is due to be released the week before Christmas, which will suck all the oxygen out of the room. And the Sci Fi film “Passengers”, starring Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence, is also due to drop at Christmas time.

Ladies and Gentleman, these are just a few of the upcoming choices in the Fall Film Season. Chances are there are some hits and misses along the way, but we haven’t been surprised by a “sleeper” hit in quite a while. Hopefully there are a few winners in this crop (I accidentally wrote “Crap”….Freudian slip?)

Capsule Review: Ben-Hur-Rated JPB for Just Plain Boring

This film is Rated JPB = Just Plain Boring. How could it be this boring, I wondered? The plot of Ben Hur was well-known, and the actors were for the most part, unknowns-it turns out for good reason. The one known actor, Morgan Freeman, did the walk-through of his life to pick up a paycheck. He put more emotion into the commercials I’ve seen him in than what was on display in this film.

The story line leads Judah Ben-Hur to a slave galley and then back to his hometown of Jerusalem, where he miraculously feels compelled to produce this special sword which was given to him by his nemesis, Messala, who is also his adopted brother. The problem with this is that Judah has been a slave for the past five years, with no sign of that sword tucked away. One cannot help but wonder if these small details escaped the notice of the writers and producers of this production?

The problem, I would put forth, is mostly with the shoddy writing. But it doesn’t stop there. Not only is the screenplay badly written, but the film is also sloppily edited and poorly acted to boot. Even the CGI (Computer Graphic Imaging) and Special Effects during the Climactic Chariot Race come across as looking stilted and phony.

In short, give this updated version of Ben-Hur a miss and rent the fifties classic with Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd. That one may be corny but it’s imminently more watchable than this boring thing.

The Wizard of Oz showing Sunday at 3:00 pm at Tampa Theatre

Here’s the Wizard of Oz post from last summer about one of my favorite films-The Wizard of Oz. If you’ve never seen it on the big screen, tomorrow at Tampa Theatre you’ll get your chance!

Six Degrees of Film

**The Wizard of Oz will be shown this weekend, Sunday June 4th, at Tampa Theatre. This is a reprint of an earlier post… Here’s the link to another Wizard ofOz post-this one is definitely on my top 10 list of Favorite Films of all time!

So much has been written about this very special film. And when someone recently asked me, a person that has screened hundreds if not thousands of movies through the years, what my favorite film is, The Wizard of Oz just popped out. It came out in a year, 1939, when so many spectacular films were released, that it could have simply disappeared if it had not been so dynamic and magical.

But the cast and crew were perfectly suited to the material. And the fantasy seemed to work for a world on the verge of a horribly cruel war. The…

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Capsule Review: Florence Foster Jenkins

This film, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant lands more with a bittersweet touch then with a mighty roar of laughter. And surprisingly, although Streep gives her usual top-notch performance, it’s more a vehicle that’s tailor-made for Hugh Grant than for anyone else. He plays a husband who strays, but is also devoted to his eccentric and wealthy wife. Grant’s specialty seems to be playing the cad who somehow endears himself to others.

Meryl Streep is a naturally unwavering and solid performer. Unpeeling the layers of the character behind Jenkins, and finding out her motivations are her strong suits. This role is more reminiscent of the Oscar-nominated one she played in Julie & Julia back in 2009. In this part, she peels back the layers and when the veil is lifted at some point, Streep finds the “hook” of the character. In this case, we find in this unusual character the backstory behind her insistence on carrying with her a briefcase at all times.

In Grant’s performance, we see the unwavering devotion and the mixed messages of love and infidelity that go hand in hand with his character. In the case of Jenkins, the triumph of the will and the strength of an indomitable human spirit are bound together. This seems almost the flip side of Sophie in Sophie’s Choice-where Sophie ultimately had no choice. This film is based on the true story of a privileged individual who rose above not just the unexpected handicap and burden of great wealth and all the damage it can wreak, but also the great personal tragedy and loss that can and often does mold character. In this story, it gives new meaning and focus to a life that adapts and finds a way, inspired by a love of music, to rise above the pain and suffering. Jenkins is portrayed as just such a motivated individual.

This is not a hilarious comedy, but a bittersweet one, with subtlety and humor interspersed with some strident notes and sweet glimpses into the human condition.

Cafe Society: The Allen Brand

This film features the typical Allen “brand”. There’s the same logo, the same type of music, and the same headings. The plot features the same type of schleppy Jewish male prototype (Jesse Eisenberg). There are the standard knock-off Allen jokes. In this one, they are delivered by an intellectual type and a Jewish mother. Allen narrates the movie but there’s a problem. The Plot is extremely thin. There’s a three-way romance going on with Kristen Stewart/Eisenberg/and a much older man played by Steve Carell. That’s it.

The questions about Allen still exist. I’ve written about the allegations before. But Woody Allen has been a creative force in Hollywood for decades and as I’ve stated, his work should stand alone and be judged as such.And if you look at this part of his body of work, as an artist, all you find is thin, weak gruel disguised as a movie. How he gets the green light for his projects and still has the ability to make this pabulum for his followers is a mystery. This is just not good enough. Had there been a wrinkle in the formula, a funny sidekick, or a side story that was interwoven into the main action, or a twist or variation in the ending, then this might pass as an interesting light comedy.

But none of those things happened in this film. You must take Allen’s work at face value. He plays it for what it is-a homage to New York, a dying way of life, an ode to the young Jewish comic persona he created, and a rather stereotyped and jaded look at Hollywood and the movie industry. That also applies to his view of women, (stereotyped and jaded). In the end, the body of work which includes not just classics like Annie Hall, but also Zelig, Broadway Danny Rose, Manhattan, Radio Days and Hannah and her Sisters means that Woody Allen is a creative genius with a spot in the panoply of Cinema Greats.

These vintage, Allen-esque portraits, frozen in time, depict New York and Allen’s view of it as the highly encapsulated world that he intends it to be. It’s all part of the creative process we’ve had the privilege to view as he displayed his foibles and bared his soul in the process. Sadly, we see the waning days of a genius who has given us so much and has seen better days. Allen should retire gracefully, and those who are in his position seldom do the right thing. This film should have been sketched on a storyboard and stored in the drawer. Unfortunately for the Allen loyalists, he may have a few more duds like this in his head, and like this one, they should never see the light of day.

Summertime and the return of the Bad B’s

Summertime is here and one of the funniest pastimes for me, as a movie critic, is just reading the synopses of some of the old Beach Movies that people flocked to see during the summer. (I think they flocked to them, or they wouldn’t have made at least seven of these Bad B Beach films!)

I recently compiled a short list of the best of the blurbs. Here are a few favorites:

It’s a Bikini World: When a female scientist turns down a playboy’s pass, he poses as his own brother to win her heart.
Muscle Beach Party: The beach gang goes head-to-head with the bodybuilders at a new gym that’s interfering with their strip on the sand.
Gidget: A young girl dreams of winning acceptance from a gang of surfers.
Gidget Goes Hawaiian: A surfer girl triggers romantic confusion during a Hawaiian vacation.
Beach Blanket Bingo: The surfing gang rescues a beautiful girl from a gang of evil bikers.
How to Stuff a Wild Bikini: When he’s stationed in Tahiti, a sailor hires a witch doctor to keep an eye on his girlfriend.

We all talk of the light and lovable period of time when these films were made. Sure, they were sexist and made light of violent biker gangs and surfers without jobs or ambition in life. Sure, the films exposed the dumbing-down of America and the vapid content was overkill, even topping the syrupy sentiment of the hits Doris Day starred in during this era.

There may have been some maturation of the character of Gidget as she progressed through the series of moronic pictures. But, the entire culture of Beach movies was enough to produce the counter-culture that came into existence in the late sixties.

The films stand alone as some of the worst series of films ever made. Only some bad-b Japanese movies are in the running to compete with the moronic vapidity on display in this film series. But…if you like Bad-B movies, and I admit to being quite a connoisseur of the art, then some of these films may actually make it to the finals.

Not quite on the order of Plan 9 from Outer Space, but some of the material in these films is noteworthy. And by that I mean, worthy of taking note of how poorly the film was made, edited, written, acted in and directed.

I have written about Bad-B’s before, and I’ve resurrected that post for those fans of Bad B. If there are some films that may have slipped under the radar, please write to me at mljtpa@6degreeswriter.com. I’d love to compile a list of reader Bad-B’s for a new top 10 List. Here’s one from Rotten Tomatoes:

10. Showgirls- 1995
9.Battlefield Earth-2000
8. Glen or Glenda-1953
7. Plan 9 from Outer Space-1959
6.Robot Monster- 1953
5. Howling II-1985
4. The Black Gestapo-1975
3. Frankenstein Island-1981
2. Road House- 1989
1. The Oscar-1966

Recommended Tarzan viewing: Go back to the Source!

The best of Tarzan? The answer of course would be the ones with Johnny Weismuller as Tarzan the Ape Man from 1932 and Tarzan’s New York Adventure from 1942. This was the best of Tarzan on screen. He was the epitome of the White Man as the Lord of the Jungle. There was always an interesting clash of elements in the Tarzan mythology. He was part White Supremacist and Nativist, mixed with equal parts of the Eco-friendly man and Protector of the Weak; then finally he was the ultimate Loner without a country and Rebel with a cause.

Tarzan’s role as the white man in the jungle made him innately superior, in accordance with the Darwinian model, which was always reinforced in his domination over the animals in the jungle. But there was a mystical reverence of nature found in Tarzan, and his softer side always shone through in his love for Jane. All of these elements combined to create, along with the fantastic action shots of Olympian Johnny Weismuller, this mythic but believable creature.

We could identify with that Tarzan. The innate animal charm of Weismuller combined with his physical prowess as he swung from vines and wrestled crocodiles gave us something to hang our hats on. His character had teeth. The Tarzan of the 21st Century is not as easy to read. He is not only inscrutable because of his character, but there is no clear shot at gleaning any new knowledge of Tarzan. This is a scattershot film, one of those saddled with the dreaded flashback syndrome. Any time we may grab hold of a good chunk of dialogue or action, there comes another dreary flashback to steer us away from any semblance of interest in this plot.

The plot? Tarzan returns to the jungle to save Jane. That’s about it. In the beginning we see that he is already ensconced in Greystoke Manor in England. It would have been interesting to see him in English Society, but we’re only given a brief glimpse from the opening sequence. We are mostly waiting for him to strip off his English Lord duds and begin to act like Tarzan. The weak and insipid but standard Tarzan yell near the end is about par for the course in this film. It’s so faint and half-hearted, it could be a metaphor for the entire project.

The recommendation for anyone who isn’t a die-hard Tarzan fan, but perhaps wants to know more, is to read the books by Edgar Rice Borroughs, then rent the most popular of the series: Tarzan the Ape Man (1932) & Tarzan’s New York Adventure; and if you are still interested, watch the re-make from 1984: Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan with Christopher Lambert.

This version, with Margot Robbie, a great actress under-utilized as Jane, and Alexander Skarsgard as the Ape Man is not worth the price of admission. Samuel L Jackson and Christoph Waltz are also great actors who are picking up a paycheck and not much else in this Sominex version.