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Author: BRWC

  • Cinema Blasphemy! I like Psycho II better than Psycho!

    Cinema Blasphemy! I like Psycho II better than Psycho!

    There are many landmark films and filmmakers that have changed the course of cinema; The Seven Samurai (1954) by Akira Kurosawa, Les Diaboliques (1955) by Henri-Georges Clouzot, M (1931) by Fritz Lang and certainly, Psycho (1960) by Alfred Hitchcock are a few of each that come to mind.

    As a filmmaker and student of great (and also not-so-great) cinematic language I (naturally) gravitate to the masterworks and their creators like a fly to honey. Therefore, I (like most cinephiles) love Alfred Hitchcock. In an era of languid pacing and restrained narrative Hitchcock pushed the boundaries of cinema with fast editing, stylish camera work and the showing of greater levels of violence, sexuality and subtext. Hitch’s filmic expansion moved briskly onward and upward for thirty years until he truly pushed every button just right and created(what many consider his last true masterpiece) Psycho in 1960.

    Widely considered one of the major stepping stones, if not the birth of “the next generation of cinema,” Psycho started off the decade that would become the most controversial and influential of all upon film with a blood curdling bang. For modern viewers the film may seem tame and antiquated, but at the time it was a shocking revelation. The film gave us unmarried sex, the first toilet shown flushing on screen and the topped billed star (Janet Leigh) is killed (in the most famous murder scene in cinema history) less than halfway through the movie. And that is just on the surface (the film oozes with psychological and dramatic subtext, also the likes of which had not been seen at the time.)

    Psycho is truly and rightfully a masterpiece as most say it is. It’s one of those few perfectly acted, written, shot, edited and directed films that deserves every bit of respect it’s been given over the years…

    However, and I realize I’m in the minority, I enjoy it’s sequel, made 22 years later, during the height of the “slasher film” craze, better.

    Most sequels to classic films are terrible. There are a few exceptions of course, Godfather Part II, The Empire Strikes Back, Aliens. But for the most part, sequels, especially ones made many years after the original and even more so to HORROR films, are a mixed bag of “It’s alright” (Jaws 2) to bland mediocrity (Halloween 2) to wretched, soul numbing awfulness (The Rage: Carrie 2.) Psycho II is one of the most sad cases of all, woefully underrated and un-respected, it isn’t a mere sequel, it’s a companion piece. And in my humble opinion, equal to and if not slightly more enjoyable than it’s classic predecessor.

    As I mentioned above Psycho II was released in a time period when it wasn’t exactly respectable to be a horror film, much less a sequel. Psycho II came out in 1983, surrounded by Halloween 2, Jaws 3-D, Amityville 3-D, Friday the 13th 3-D, etc, etc. While I love all of those films (and countless other “bad 80’s horror films”) I’ve always known Psycho II was not one of them. It’s too bad critics during it’s release didn’t see things that way, or it might have a bit more of the classic status it so rightfully warrants.

    The plot (seemingly neglected by most horror filmmakers of the time, and certainly, almost any crafters of cinema today) of Psycho II is the most important and nearly the most wonderful aspect of the film, as it brings a warmth, humanity and depth to the titular “psycho.” It allows you side with a “homicidal maniac” and see the evil that lurks in the “normal” people all around us, and not feel guilty about it.

    Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) has been in a mental institution for 22 years, for the vicious crimes he committed in the original Psycho, and is now being released back into society, deemed cured and sane. There is a bit of a snag however, as Lila Loomis (Vivian Leigh), the sister of his most famous victim Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), wants Norman never again to see the light of day (or worse) and will stop at nothing to see him recommitted or killed… Including driving the man back to insanity herself.

    As a truly healed Norman tries to adjust to life back out in the world he starts getting notes, phone calls and messages from his long dead mother… and people around him start getting brutally murdered by “a large woman dressed in black.” Slowly Norman begins to think he’s back to his old tricks (even though certain people in the film who KNOW without a doubt otherwise tell him he’s not) and he starts going crazy again.

    Tension, mystery and painful psychological trauma after painful psychological trauma stack up (along with the bodies) as the film builds to a truly magnificent twist ending that you’ll never see coming and wont soon forget.

    I know my synopsis leaves a lot to the imagination but really, that’s how you should go into the film (or any thriller for that matter.)

    As I said above the plot/script by genre favorite Tom Holland is NEARLY the best thing about the film, but the masterful direction by Richard Franklin is the true stealer of the show. Franklin (who was quite obsessed with Hitchcock) pulls out all the stops to make Psycho II a gorgeous successor to the original. From a couple jaw dropping crane shots, eerie back projection effects, skillful editing and deliciously wicked “throwbacks” to the first film Franklin proves that he knows what he’s doing and that he can do it quite well.

    In addition to the script and direction, the production design is top notch and the camerawork from John Carpenter regular Dean Cundey casts the film in a timeless, shadowy world of instant visual tension and atmosphere. Another major standout is the score by Jerry Goldsmith. The music of the film alternates between somber/soulful and nerve wrangling/creepy with a fluid brilliance that only someone with Goldsmith’s flexibility could achieve.

    Lastly, but certainly not least, all of the acting in the film is exquisite and the casting superb. Vera Miles shines in her bitchy villainous role, yet doesn’t devolve into camp. Dennis Franz does well, doing very much what he was doing in several Brian DePalma films of the time, in a brief role as a seedy motel manager. And, Meg Tilly delivers what should have been a star making turn as Norman’s would be “love interest” and mystery woman. Tilly is witty, charming, soulful and when need be, brash and domineering, it’s a perfect performance.

    One would think after spending the 22 years since the original Psycho playing variants of his almost patented “creepy, twitchy, kind of off, psychopath,” Anthony Perkins would be stale in his return to Norman Bates, but this is not the case in any way. Perkins gives what I consider the finest performance of his career (and I’m a BIG fan) in the film. Perkins makes you care for Norman, side with him, hell he almost makes you want to give Bates a hug. Yet, Perkins still manages to un-nerve as well, the slightest glance or change in vocal pitch and he can always send shivers down the spine.

    So, if you hadn’t guessed by now, I want you to run out and track down a copy of Psycho II… before it’s too late…

    Also, check out the film’s lovely trailer, here:

     

  • The Top 5 Things Films Have Inspired Me To Do…

    The Top 5 Things Films Have Inspired Me To Do…

    …Other Than Make Them Myself.

    In a break from my usual routine of reviewing semi-obscure, bad or mostly un-heralded films I am going to relate to you several odd, idiotic or unusual things films have inspired me to do (mostly as a child or teenager.)

    As a bit of a preface however, I am going to say that, as a 24 year old filmmaker I am still to this day doing marginally un-intelligent things in order to reference my favorite films and or TV shows.

    Anyways! On to the spoils of my youth!

    WARNING: I cannot personally condone the recreation or attempting of these soon to be mentioned activities, actions or games in anyway what-so-ever despite how amazingly fun they were to be a part of.

    DO NOT TRY THESE THINGS AT HOME (or anywhere else)!

    #5: My Piranha 2: The Spawning Themed 12th Birthday Party-
    The title pretty much says it all, but I shall explain further. At age 12 I was quite odd (still am), some of my favorite films at the time were “Tommy” (1975), “Child’s Play 2” (1990), “Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers” (1987) and James Cameron’s Directorial Debut (and personal greatest water bound film) Piranha 2: The Spawning. The party consisted of making the house look like the “Fishing Festival” from the film, Me dressing up as Lance Henriksen’s character Police Chief Steve Kimbrough, dressing one unfortunate friend up as Tricia O’Neill’s character Anne Kimbrough, having the remaining guests don fake moustaches so as to appear like “swarthy Italian men”, playing Pinata with a makeshift paper mache “Grundel Fish” and watching the film itself on loop in my bedroom. The party was a big success, mainly because the movie has boobs (and flying killer fish) in it. And, as we all know there is nothing 12 year old boys find more thrilling than boobs (even queer ones such as I was.)

    #4: Dressing as John Saxon for Halloween 3 Years in a Row-
    That’s right, John Saxon, the man, the myth, the actor, NOT one of his characters. For Halloween ages 9, 10 and 11 I gave myself a thick, make-up tan, spray painted 5 O’Clock shadow, a tight greasy comb over, speckled fake chest hair and slipped into my grandfather’s clothing left over from the 1970’s going house to house with a leather briefcase saying “Trick or treat” in a gruff, constantly annoyed, yet still warm voice, confusing everyone I encountered highly.

    #3: Phantasm- The Game-
    As very young boys my cousin and I were exposed to the wonderfully inventive, low budget horror classic Phantasm (1979.) At the time the film became our end all of end all favorite thing in the whole wide world, thusly, we created a game to commemorate it. To play this game we used a silver sphere (made of INCREDIBLY hard plastic), broken off from a “fortune teller” toy and modified to have 3 “killer prongs” (also made of INCREDIBLY hard, JAGGED plastic.) One would then surprise the other player of the game by yelling “BBBBBOOOOOYYYYY!” at the top of his lungs, a la the Tall Man from the film and hurling the ball at the other’s forehead as hard as you could, “killer prong” end first. You won the game by successfully ducking the ball, or grabbing it in mid air. You rarely won the game.

    #2: Redneck Neighborhood Recreation of the “Cuban Pete” scene from “The Mask”-
    From age 9-13 I lived in the mountains of North Carolina. More specifically I lived in a trailer park… in the mountains of North Carolina. Needless to say this time period of my life (being a gay, somewhat intelligent, older movie loving, vocabulary having person) was not particularly nice, but it did have it’s moments and this was one of them. I was a big fan of Jim Carrey as most people were, during his golden age (from Ace Ventura through Liar, Liar) and one of my favorites from his canon was “The Mask” (1994.) In particular I loved the scene from the film where Carrey, in The Mask persona, leads a group of street urchins and police officers in a lavish musical number, set to the song “Cuban Pete.” As a sign of affection for this sequence (and because we were all incredibly bored) I trained all of the redneck children in my Trailer Park (for two weeks) to do an exact recreation. It was a glorious experience and unfortunately before the days when I owned a camera (if only I hadn’t bought all those Star Trek toys!)

    #1: Cliffhanger- The Game-
    Another story, and my favorite one at that, from my time in the Mountains is the tale of Cliffhanger- The Game, inspired by the 1993 Sylvester Stallone/Renny Harlin film. This game of ours was for 3 players and revolved around the infamous opening sequence of the film (where Sylvester Stallone’s character Gabe Walker fails to save Michael Rooker’s character Hal Tucker’s girlfriend Sarah from a thin line running between a huge, mountainous gorge.) To play this game, first you need a gorge (ours was about 200 feet across and thirty feet deep, if you fell in you would land on ancient, rusted garbage and bramble bushes), then you need some rope (able to hold a couple people) and three people stupid enough to play this game. Player one (“Hal” the neutral player) stands on the side of the gorge opposite Player two (“Gabe” the cliffhanger) with Player three (“Sarah” the victim.) Player one sends Player three out onto the middle of the rope, where Player three then feigns that he or she is going to plummet to their death. Player one then begs Player two to climb out and get Player three. Player two must then scoot out to Player three, grab them in one arm and get back to their starting position without dropping Player three. To add challenge to said activity Player one shakes the rope from his side yelling “Don’t you drop her GABE!” at the top of his lungs. In my 4 years in the mountains I probably played this game 50 times or more and I only won twice… sadly, I was the best player…

  • Films I Enjoy (But Most Do Not Or Have Never Heard Of)

    Films I Enjoy (But Most Do Not Or Have Never Heard Of)

    Chapter I-

    This is the first appearance of what I hope will be a series of articles about movies, or films as they are sometimes called, that pleasure me highly upon viewing, but don’t necessarily tickle other people’s fancies (if they have even heard of these celluloid expressions at all.)

    Heat (1986)
    From 1975-1982 Burt Reynolds was the undisputed king of the box office. This fact is hard to fathom now, but at one point in time Burt’s films were the epicenter of cool… then he did Stroker Ace… and Cannonball Run II. Those two movies, in addition to the long forgotten buddy cop/period piece/gangster flick City Heat co-starring Clint Eastwood(!) brought Burt’s meteoric film career crashing down to Earth. (That and a staggering debt to his toupee maker and an injury during a stunt sequence in the above mentioned City Heat that caused everyone to think he had AIDS.)

    By 1986 Burt had resolved SOME of his financial woes and had healed himself up enough to begin working again. Needless to say however the plum roles weren’t being offered, so he had to take what he could get. Between 1984 and his big comeback in 1997 with Boogie Nights Burt starred in over a dozen films and a TV show. Out of everything Burt made during that time period about the only films anyone remembers are The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1985) and Striptease (1995.) I will concede that a lot of Burt’s films from his “Non-Golden Age” are less than memorable, but some of them are quite good and Heat (1986) is one of the best.

    In Heat, Burt lives in Vegas, and plays Nick Escalante a boozed up, washed out, gambling addicted, street saavy, hard boiled hired “heavy.” His dream is to save up a big wad of “fuck-you money” and live out the rest of his years in Venice. Burt seemingly gets a shot at his dream when he is hired by a shy millionaire (played by Peter MacNichol) to be his bodyguard during his stay in Vegas. However a great big cog gets thrown into the works when one of Burt’s closest friends (a cocktail waitress played by Karen Young) is sadistically raped by a local thug (Neill Barry.) Burt reluctantly agrees to help his friend get some revenge, but he knows deep down that it will most likely end poorly for everyone involved, but especially him…

    Heat suffers a bit in the style department due to an obviously low budget, but is still a very solid dramatic action flick. The direction by R.M Richards is slick and gritty. The cast is chock full of character actors (including Diana Scarwid, Howard Hesseman and Deborah Rush in supporting roles) very much putting forth their best efforts, especially Peter MacNichol. The score is also surprisingly well done for a mid-80’s affair, lots of sultry saxophone and resonant strings, giving everything a bit of a film noir vibe. But, most importantly Burt is at the top of his post “golden-age” game. Burt gives a tough, world weary, yet witty performance that has a very “Elmore Leonard” quality to it.

    If you like Burt, if you like manly-man movies, if you like solid action flicks with a decent sense of dark humor check out Heat.

    Blind Fury (1989)
    Essentially this is an american take off of Zatoichi (various films from 1962-2003) starring the always wonderful (and woefully underrated/underused) Rutger Hauer as Nick Parker, a blind swordsman. Blind Fury also has an impressive cast of character actors that includes Terry O’Quinn, Meg Foster, Noble Willingham, Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb, Sho Kosugi and a young Nick Cassavettes turning in great performances all around.

    Hauer and O’Quinn play former friends who served in Vietnam together. One day during a particularly nasty assault Hauer was blinded and left abandoned by O’Quinn. Hauer was captured as a POW and over time he learned to overcome his handicap… and handle a sword with deadly precision. Years later O’Quinn is being forced to make designer drugs for a rich thug (Noble Willingham) who holds his ex wife and kid (Meg Foster and Brandon Call) over his head as incentive. Eventually though O’Quinn gets fed up with his arrangement and decides not to cooperate any longer. Thusly, Willingham sends a team of goons to kill O’Quinn’s wife and child. Fortunately Hauer has shown up in town to bury the hatchet with his former friend and is able to at least save the kid from a horrible fate. Hauer then fights his way through man after man trying with all his might to reunite father and son…

    Despite how semi-serious the plot summary may sound Blind Fury is very much a comedic action film. The movie has a wickedly funny sense of silly humor, particularly when it comes to dealing with Hauer’s blindness. Never the less, the body count is high, the action scenes are furious and the dramatic scenes are often poignant and touching. Blind Fury moves along at a brisk pace and is slickly shot by the always reliable Philip Noyce. Hauer is great as usual, seemingly having a hoot in his role and the rest of the cast, including child actor Brandon Call, work well together and deliver fine performances.

    So if a blind, wise cracking Rutger Hauer driving through rush hour traffic, slicing through hoards of goons and doing battle with Sho Kosugi near an electrified hot tub sound appealing to you, please do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy of Blind Fury.

    In the Mouth of Madness (1994)
    One of the very few terrifying, true horror films in the semi-classical sense to come out of the 90’s. (Referring of course not to thrillers like Silence of the Lambs or Seven, or hip neo-horror flicks like Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer.) In the Mouth of Madness is an epically underrated film and certainly the last all around great movie John Carpenter has made.

    The film tells the story of an insurance investigator (Sam Neill) looking into the disappearance of famed horror novelist Sutter Kane (Jurgen Prochnow.) Kane’s novels have been driving his fans crazy (literally, murderously, violently crazy) and the publishing company NEEDS to get Kane’s latest manuscript out to the increasingly disturbed masses. Neill begins putting the pieces of Kane’s whereabouts together and heads off to find him, winding up in the most hellish trouble anyone could possibly imagine…

    I don’t want to detail too much of the plot here as it really is something that just should be experienced while watching the film. So I will just say that In the Mouth of Madness is an unrelenting assault to the senses. The film plays with reality, surreality and unreality in a mesmerizing and horrific way. There is psychological terror, there is gore, there are nightmarish Lovecraftian monsters and just genuinely bone chillingly haunting moments that will stick in your mind long after the film has ended. And, as is always the case with Carpenter’s films the movie looks immaculate and is put together as only a master can. The acting in the film is also brilliant all around, especially from Neill who turns in a high caliber performance usually not associated with horror films, especially more modern ones.

    Student Bodies (1981)
    I love Student Bodies because it is a mostly hilarious parody of slasher films made during the peak of the slasher film’s popularity. Like most slashers not set on Halloween or Friday the 13th (although according to the opening sequence Student Bodies takes place on both Halloween and Friday the 13th, which happens to be Jamie Lee Curtis’s birthday) Student Bodies is starred in and directed by “nobodies.” The only well known person associated with the film is Richard Belzer and he isn’t even in the movie (he provides the voice of the lecherous, wheezing, constantly narrating killer, known as The Breather.) And as with most non-major-series slasher films of the time period the budget of the film is non-existent. None of these factors detract from the film however, they merely enhance it’s satirical similarities to the films it’s skewering.

    In a sentence, Student Bodies is about a homicidal maniac running about the grounds of Lamab High, killing off the members of the student body one by one.

    The film however takes this tried and true genre narrative and turns everything intentionally silly. From the opening sequence that effectively parodies both Halloween and When A Stranger Calls, to the hallucinatory “Final Girl” showdown in the halls of the school where the virginal heroine is chased not only by the killer but the zombies of all the victims, Student Bodies is a warped, hilarious little lost film. Throughout the course of the film you’ll get drooling phones, a meowing dog, death by paper clip, odd obsession with “horse head bookends”, a creepy janitor seemingly made out of rubber, death by eggplant and a multitude of hilarious blink or you’ll miss them non-sequitors; such as a line about how “taking a shower wont get rid of herpes.” Student Bodies also helpfully provides the audience with an on screen “body count” meter!

    If you like “classic” styled slasher films and didn’t think Scream did them too much justice check out Student Bodies and let the laugh count begin!

    The Black Hole (1979)
    A team of scientists is sent out into the far reaches of space on a pseudo-rescue mission to find out what happened to a long missing giant spacecraft, all of it’s crew and the genius who created it. What they find shocks and repulses them and sends everyone involved into a hellish descent into madness and the unknown, the likes of which they could never imagine…

    NO I’m not reviewing Paul W.S. Anderson’s underrated “The Shining in Space” Event Horizon (1997), I’m talking about Disney’s darkest hour 1979’s The Black Hole.

    Aside from a couple of kid friendly talking robots (voice by Roddy McDowell and Slim Pickens) The Black Hole is a surprisingly bleak and adult affair. The cast is made up of Robert Forster, Maximillian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimeux, Joseph Bottoms and Ernest Borgnine, and each of them turn in great performances; particularly Forster, Perkins and Schell. The Black Hole is directed with great visual flare by Disney veteran Gary Nelson.

    The true stars of The Black Hole however are the special effects (which although old fashioned even for the time, hold up exceedingly well today), the intricate and awe inspiring design of the massive spaceship “Cygnus” and the heartless killer robot Maximillian (who, in a much shocking move at the time of the film’s release, brutally murders Anthony Perkins on camera in full Technicolor glory.)

    The exterior shots of the gigantic Cygnus, all angular metal beams, crosshairs and backlit menace are impressive and remind one of the cold, impending doom of The Nostromo from Alien (also 1979.) The titular Black Hole itself is a swirling paint void of psychadelic color constantly spinning away in the background of the film, shadowing over everything like a dark sun. The interior of the ship too is grandiose and imposing, filled with endless metal corridors, dark cloaked wordless cyborg crew members and askew, sharp angles. When the Cygnus begins to make it’s move into the Black Hole we get an extended and striking (if implausible) sequence of glowing meteors cutting through the hull of the ship, destroying everything in sight. And of course, the finale, which I wont spoil, but lets just say, whether you end up loving or hating the film, the ending will stick with you the rest of your life.

    While a bit long winded at times I consider The Black Hole my favorite Disney film, mainly because it is so nightmarish and dark (and it was for the longest time the ultimate black sheep in Disney’s stable, even going so far as to briefly selling the rights off to Anchor Bay.) I understand however that The Black Hole is getting the “revamp” treatment from the director of “Tron Legacy.” I can almost guarantee The Black Hole Version 2 will have about 1/100th the darkness and originality of the original film. And those who derided the semi-cute robots of the original will end up with nothing but that this go around… And probably The Rock in place of Robert Forster… and score by Ashley Tisdale instead of John Barry… *shudder*

     

  • Crimes of Passion- A Review of Passion

    Crimes of Passion- A Review of Passion

    In 1984 the perpetually whacked out and perennially brilliant Ken Russell released what I like to think of as his magnum opus (at least outside of his more “serious” films), the depraved, candy colored, pitch black-comedy-melodrama Crimes of Passion.

    In a sentence (and a very accurate sentence at that) the film can be summed up as “Kathleen Turner plays hooker with a heart of gold China Blue and Anthony Perkins plays the crazed, popper snorting, bible thumping street “preacher” that wants to kill her… with a razor dildo.”

    Needless to say, just based on that brief summary, every man woman and child on Earth should watch this film immediately, but I will go on and try to convince you further.

    In less than the nutshell above Crimes of Passion, at its core, is an intelligent and visceral celebration of sexual freedom and a condemnation of plane Jane vanilla sex. The film’s narrative follows two “couples” as they interact or intersect and go about their lives. One, a normal (yet deeply unhappy) long married pair Bobby and Amy Grady (played by John Laughlin and Annie Potts respectively.) And, one not so normal (or really together at all) Fashion Desginer/Greatest Hooker on the Planet, Joanna Crane/China Blue and the Reverend Peter Shayne (played by Kathleen Turner and Anthony Perkins.)

    As Joanna Crane, Turner is a cold, icy bitch, who spurns men and sex, seemingly afraid of it. (She dresses like a man at work and displays a short-ish aesexual haircut.) As China Blue, Turner is a sassy, quick witted, “object of ultimate desire” for every man she runs across. (She sports a shoulder length platinum blonde “Cleopatra” do’ and a short, skin tight, blue satin dress when she makes her nightly rounds.) China Blue is the schoolgirl, the dominatrix, the sexy stewardess, etc. Whatever you need her to be, she is, she’s like some magical sex fairy. The downside to China Blue, however, is that she isn’t really fulfilling her desires at all, just those of everyone around her.

    Adding to her troubles is that China Blue has an “admirer” (stalker) in the form of the Reverend Peter Shayne. As Shayne Anthony Perkins delivers his MOST deliriously over the top performance in a career piqued with many classic deliriously over the top performances. Perkins is both hilarious and horrific to watch on screen. One minute he’s outside a seedy Porno shop blasting bible verses at the passerby’s, caked in sweat and seething with fervor. The next minute he’s inside a peep show leering at blazé strippers, snorting poppers and imagining viciously stabbing blow up sex dolls to death.

    It is during one of Shayne’s impromptu sermons that he spies China Blue walking the streets, immediately becoming obsessed with “saving her.” Unfortunately for China Blue however, “saving her” means fucking her to death with a gleaming razor dildo that Shayne keeps in his always on hand bag of deviant sex toys. Whatever is a girl to do?

    This is where our normal and deviant worlds begin to collide. After years of trying to please his prudish, conservative wife, Bobby Grady has come to his wits end. Laughlin and Potts provide the anchor of normalcy to the film. Laughlin is a funny, handsome, “perfect husband” working hard to keep his family in a decent way of life. His performance is warm and likable, but still with realistic moments of edge. As his wife, Annie Potts is a bit shrill, but still believable as a woman who is totally uncomfortable with all subjects sex.

    One night, while out on his job, Grady runs across China Blue and becomes infatuated with her as well. Eventually he ends up becoming one of her “clients.” And in their lengthy, lustful encounter they both experience perfect sexual exhilaration for the first time in either of their lives. As the film continues onward China Blue struggles to figure out how to balance the men in her life (her crazed stalker and her romantic stalker) and merge the uptight worlds of Joanna Crane with the loose freedom of her street walking persona.

    As usual Russell delivers his film in a gorgeous yet abstract visual way, with garish colors (lots of thick blues, purples and reds drench the screen) and surrealistic interludes. The film is exceptionally well paced, shot and cut. The dialog, particularly between Turner and Perkins (who both seem to be having the time of their lives onscreen) is equal parts catty, witty, memorable and infectious. The only downside I’ve ever had with the film is the soundtrack by Rick Wakeman. His odd, offbeat, synthesizer/rock score both adds and subtracts from the film. It fits the tone of the movie, but is just so odd unto itself that it becomes mildly off putting.

    Also, to be of note, the film does not shy away from any of it’s subject matter. There are copious amounts of female and male nudity, particularly from Turner. The sex scenes in the film are explicit and kinky (in one instance China Blue viciously rides a cop, whilest screwing him with his own night stick.) And the violence depicted onscreen is just as in your face and vivid as the erotic aspects. Crimes of Passion is not a culty-dark comedy/drama for those who embarrass easily.

    In the end Crimes of Passion is a film that could never be made today (this is one of the main reasons I love the film and most of Ken Russell’s canon.) Yes, more than ever people take part in kinky sexual activities and pornographic delights. But, they do it behind closed doors for the most part, or, at the very least with tightly closed, hypocritical lips. Add to that no filmmaker today could tackle divorce, sexual repression, sexual deviancy, morality and amorality in such a frank and realistic, but still skewed and humorous way. And of course A-List actors balk at whipping out one breast or half an ass cheek on screen today unless they are sure to get an Oscar Nomination for the role. Crimes of Passion is a film with big hairy balls (among other things) and the era of cinema we live in now is at best a “tweenager” that’s just gotten his first “big boy” hair.

    This is why I give Crimes of Passion 10 gleaming razor dildos out of 10!

     

  • The Boys From Brazil (1978)- A Review And Rant

    The Boys From Brazil (1978)- A Review And Rant

    Recently I watched an old favorite of mine, 1978’s The Boys From Brazil. The film is directed by the always remarkable Franklin J. Schaffner (Planet Of The Apes, Papillion, Patton.) It stars Gregory Peck as fugitive Nazi War Criminal Josef Mengele and Sir Laurence Olivier as Mengele’s “nemesis” Ezra Lieberman. If that right there isn’t enough to make you run out and buy a copy of the movie right this second, wait until I get to the plot.

    The Boys From Brazil (based on a novel of the same name by genre maestro Ira Levin) tells the simple story of a mad Nazi scientist who is leading a conspiracy to create an army of cloned Hitlers.

    Yes, yes, I know what you’re thinking, “That sounds like the best idea for an absurd comedy I’ve ever heard. You sure Mel Brooks didn’t direct?” Yes, I’m sure he was nowhere near the film (Steve Guttenberg IS in it though, so that’s kind of close.) Back to the point though, the film, in a way is an absurd comedy, albeit told in a mostly serious manner.

    The film is presented as a mystery thriller, revealing little strange bit by little strange bit, saving the big whopper until nearly the very end (considerably lessening the implausibility of the central plot device in the process.) The movie is exceedingly well paced, especially early on, using editing and minimal, yet stylish production design and camera work to propel the film along at a dazzling and twisty pace. I knew that the movie was about “Hitler clones” before I watched it the first time, but I still find the way they reveal the plot in a series of increasingly convoluted set pieces that eventually form a cohesive whole intriguing every time I watch the film. Alone, just due to all of this the film is one of the best “Paranoid Thrillers” to come out of the 70’s.

    However, the film doesn’t just play as a serious thriller, if they had done the story TOTALLY straight I don’t think it would hold together as well. Instead, through touches in the acting, some darkly humorous dialog, Jerry Goldsmith’s whimsical score and an underlying sense of “Yeah this would be horrible if it was true, but it’d still be damned silly” the film also manages to work as a pitch black comedy on some levels. The two points that most provide the film with it’s somewhat comedic tones however, are the performances by Gregory Peck and Laurence Olivier.

    Peck has never been much of a hambone; in most roles he turns in a respectable, grounded performance that classes up anything he is in several notches. As real life Nazi war criminal Josef Mengele however, Peck delivers a menacing, yet scenery chewing performance that borders on camp, but never quite dives over the edge. Peck tackles the role almost as a Roger Moore era Bond villain, almost. He leaves just enough dark subtext in the character to keep you remembering that Mengele is a truly sick, violent, monster of a man.

    Olivier on the opposite end of the spectrum, especially at this point in his career, was known for delivering especially campy performances. As Nazi Hunter Ezra Lieberman we get the best of both Olivier’s. When need be Olivier delivers poignant moments of quiet dignity and mannered intensity as only he can. Then, there are moments when he pulls a few jabs from his bag of mildly over the top campness. Still, like Peck, he knows when to pull the sillier punches and together both men never let the film steer too far off course.

    The rest of the acting in the film is good and solid all around particularly from Bond film regular Walter Gotell as a confused former SS member and James Mason as a seemingly giddy Nazi superior caught up in the conspiracy. The only weak point acting wise is the boy who plays the “Hitler Clones” is a bit off. He just comes across as a complete and utter asshole, but, that unto itself does add to the darkly humorous nature underscoring the film.

    Overall, if you’re a fan of paranoid conspiracy thrillers, totally odd ball plots and pitch black humor The Boys From Brazil would be a great film for you to track down immediately.

    8 out of 10 Experimental Hitler Clones

    Up at the top of the page, I also promised a rant as well as a review, I’ll try and keep it short. Apparently, due to Nazi’s being in vogue along with vampires and werewolves again now, The Boys From Brazil is being remade by the talentless, watered down, Michael Bay knock-off Brett Ratner.

    Like most modern remakes I’m sure it will be wretched, but there is an added layer to which attempting a remake of The Boys From Brazil seems completely and utterly stupid. When the original novel and film were released the REAL Dr. Josef Mengele was still alive and hiding out in South America, just as he is in both of the fictional works. The real Dr. Mengele did perform experiments during the war, which if thought about enough could lead one to think he might have possibly been looking for a way to clone or duplicate a person. At any rate Mengele died a year after the film was released. I imagine, now, twenty years later there are very few high ranking Nazi war criminals still alive and at large, much less any with the reputation and mystery of Mengele. Thus greatly lessening the intensity of the story. And, If the film is just going to be a period piece, set after the war or in the 60’s and 70’s when the real Mengele was running about South America, why remake the original already near classic film?

    I just don’t understand who the audience for this remake will be. Closet Nazi supporters who will take any big screen action they can get? Survivors of the holocaust who want to see a bunch of Nazi’s getting their ass handed to them? Fans of the novel or original film, which must number somewhere in the tens of tens?

    The short answer is, the remake is just a vanity piece for the filmmakers and production company. That has to be what all remakes are about now, certainly not doing anything brilliant or original with the material. The Boys From Brazil will get a few dozen car chases added to it, a handful of explosions perhaps. And, the cloning aspects, presented very scientifically and matter-of-factly in the original will be replaced with glowing rooms filled with stereotypical liquid filled mechanical incubation chambers. And any deeper messages and meanings, including the hopeful “nature versus nurture” ending will be erased in lieu of snappy one-liners and CGI effects. Hell, knowing current tastes, the movie might end up being an angsty melodrama that follows the tumultuous and heart wrenching childhoods of the poor, poor Hitler Clones. Yeah, that sounds about right. Perhaps Ratner will just kill two birds with one stone and bring in Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan to play Mengele and Lieberman, respectively. Just picture it:

    Coming This Summer from New Line Cinema

    From the Director of Mariah Carey’s Touch My Body video and that tepid remake of Red Dragon

    Rush Hour: The Boys From Brazil: Part 4: The Last Stand

    July 4th 2012 Get ready to send in the clones!