Candy (1968)

I first heard about this movie from a post from the blog Mike's Take On The Movies which featured a newspaper ad for this movie from December of 1968, almost 55 years ago. Check it out at the link below-

https://mikestakeonthemovies.com/2019/03/25/now-playing-december-28th-1968-at-a-theater-near-you/

The movie came out around the same time as The Odd Couple, Hellfighters, and The Lion in Winter. 

Also I Love You Alice B Toklas and Skiddoo, which were comic satires about the current drug and hippy cultures that I enjoyed and found humorous.

With its all star cast that includes James Coburn, John Huston (believe it or not), and Charles Aznavour, I thought this movie might be a fun watch like those other movies. 

But it's not. It's horrible. 

This movie is so bad. I doesn't hold up well. If I were anyone involved in it, I would be embarrassed. Ringo Starr is in it, which is cool, but he plays a Mexican gardener in brownface and a bad accent, which is not cool. Marlon Brando also appears in brownface playing an Indian love guru, similar to a character that Mike Myers created in the 2008 movie The Love Guru. It's supposed to be funny, but it's not. 

It seems like very Hollywood actor wanted to appear in a comedy that lampoons the modern culture of hippies but this movie, which makes sex the main focus, falls flat. Buck Henry wrote it, and I guess I was expecting for it to be better. But I don't know what he's trying to say in this movie - that all adult men are sex crazed, or is there something about authority figures (doctors, gurus, soldiers) that he finds ridiculous and wants to criticize? I didn't get it. 

Every adult male character in this movie is awestruck by Candy, who is a pretty blonde white girl who wears short skirts, has pretty eyes, and is rather naive. Is the character's naivete supposed to be the gag? Or the fact that she's so sexually attractive that every adult man who meets her wants to have sex with her? It gets really cringy and creepy at times. There are even some creepy incest jokes involving the dad (John Astin)  And it's really bizarre to see a military general (Walter Matthau) order her to undress for him in the cockpit of a plane, and him trying to screw her. It's also super-creepy to see a middle aged poet (Richard Burton) want to sleep with her too after he visits her school to give a poetry reading. I did like Burton's chauffeur played by Sugar Ray Robinson who winks at the camera and is in on the joke that Burton is a buffoon. That was inspired comedy. But Candy just doesn't work in a modern era. I don't think it was funny back in 1968, either. What were they thinking?  

Read another review from The Magnificent 60s

Raquel Welch movies

Turner Classic Movies had a marathon of Raquel Welch movies the other day, and I was excited for this because it was a great chance to watch some of her movies for the first time. Either due to availability (never being on VHS/DVD) or on TV, I had never seen any of these movies before, ever.  

Unfortunately, most of the ones I watched were pretty mediocre, and not very good. Or they were just average. I wasn't missing much.  It's too bad because I feel Raquel Welch deserved much better roles and parts in better movies. I could see/imagine her in movies like Gloria or Coming Home. 

The Three Musketeers (1973)

I didn't like this movie! It really didn't interest me at all so I didn't even watch the whole movie all the way through. I don't remember Raquel Welch being in the movie very much. Sort of a cameo type role, really.

Fuzz (1972)

I also really disliked this comedy. For one, I hate the title; it just doesn't seem to fit. Raquel's role in the film is very small; she only has a few scenes as a detective which is a shame because I think she would have been great in a larger part. Burt Reynolds and Tom Skerrit have larger parts as police/detectives.  I didn't realize that most of this whole movie would took place in the police station. (Later I found out that this movie was based on some book or series of books) 

After about 10 minutes the movie's goofiness gave me the vibe of a Police Academy movie or a Barney Miller tv comedy episode, which might have been inspired by this film. Don't think I'd watch this one again.

Flareup (1969)

I also disliked this one! Raquel's part is much larger; she plays a stripper who is targeted by an assassin. She travels from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and the only interesting things about the movie is the scenery and location shots. And the cool cars. That's about it. It does have a '60s vibe to it, too. Everything else is really dull; all of the other performances are really bland and I didn't care much for this one. Don't think Id watch this one again.

Hannie Caulder (1971)

This Western is a bad film overall; I think this movie's mistake is that it tries to be a comedy when it should just be a straight-up drama/thriller/revenge story. Then I think the movie would have worked a bit better. It starts off with a trio of bumbling outlaw brothers (Ernest Borgnine, Strother Martin, and Jack Elam) who kill a rancher and then proceed to gang-rape his widow/wife who is left behind. The rape scene is very disturbing and uncomfortable to watch so early on. It's choppily edited, but that could be the director's intent. It's also very creepy to watch Ernest Borgnine (Marty) as a dirty rapist; reminded me of his character in The Wild Bunch.

The gang leaves and then wisecracks their way out of the village. There are multiple scenes showing them in various other situations joking and wisecracking with each other, like a pair of Three Stooges, and I think that was a wrong choice since it gives the impression it's meant to be some kind of comedy; there's nothing funny about rapists. 

The best parts of the movie show Hannie (Raquel Welch) planning her revenge and learning to shoot. There are some bloody sequences in the movie, which seem to be inspired by Wild Bunch, especially with all the flowing blood that shoots up into the air when people get shot.  Raquel meets bounty hunter Robert Culp who trains her. Christopher Lee has a small role as a man who lets them stay at his house for awhile. Compared to 100 Rifes, this is the lesser of the two in my opinion. 

Kansas City Bomber (1972)

I was bored with this one and didn't like it. I liked some of the roller derby scenes but honestly, they went on for too long. The movie doesn't really explain what the point of the game is, and I guess the audience is expected to know the rules. Like with Football, or Baseball, or Hockey movies, the filmmakers don't stop and tell you how the game is played.  I did like the scenes with Raquel and her children and the scenes with her at home. It made me want to see more scenes like that or even an entire movie about her with kids.

The Last of Sheila (1973)

A very odd film. It's interesting that it's Stephen Sondheim's only screenplay he wrote. He was good friends with the other co-screenwriter, Anthony Perkins, and they came up with this interesting scavenger-hunt type movie. I thought it was just "OK". I remember enjoying the movie "Scavenger Hunt" way better; maybe since it was aimed at kids more. Both movies have Richard Benjamin. 
Incidentally, Bobby Rivers' blog had an interesting post on a collaboration between Sondheim and Perkins from the 60s - read it here. 

Laura's Miscellaneous Musings: Tonight's Movie: The Last of Sheila (1973) (laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com)

The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968)

This is a really stupid movie! But I liked watching it and got hooked once the heist got underway --- which takes over an hour to get to. The first hour is really build-up and interplay between the Italian thief and Robert Wagner, which is really dull. Sadly, Raquel Welch's part is so small. It would have been great to see her in the Wagner role instead. Watching this movie made me want to re-watch Oceans 8 (2018) with Sandra Bullock - I always enjoy seeing how she works with her team to pull off the heist that they do in that one. 

Bundle only picks up steam once Edward G. Robinson enters the picture and becomes the mastermind behind the ultimate heist which involves a train hijacking. However it takes an hour and a half to get to those exciting parts featuring the heist, and by then I'm almost not interested. But I did like the ending and it shows how they blow the heist and their expressions. I kind of wish The Italian Job (1969) ended in a similar way where we get some satisfaction out of seeing them blow the heist. 

Compared to Topkapi, my favorite heist movie of them all, this movie is far inferior.  

The Wild Party (1975)

Terrible movie! I cannot believe this is a Merchant/Ivory film. The opening credits were really amusing, jovial, and a clever throwback to silent cinema. 

But the next ten minutes were horrid. James Coco plays a washed-up silent comedian, jealous of "up-and-comers" Buster Keaton and Chaplin. If you know your history of film you may recognize similarities between the Coco character and Roscoe Arbuckle, a heavyset comedic silent actor whose career went down in a similar way.

However, modern audiences have no idea about any of this. This film is good example of when you really need context --- some type of opening "crawl" or written prologue on the screen to give you context. 

Instead of a fun movie experience, in the first ten minutes, Coco's character slaps Raquel Welch in the face and throws a hot cup of coffee on her legs. It's really horrendous and misogynist and Coco is so unlikable that I couldn't watch this movie with any real interest. The movie is so long and boring and leads up to the titular "wild party" which doesn't take place for about an hour and a half. This movie really sucks. It's a shame that Raquel Welch had to take this part. This is a totally forgettable movie. 

Should have probably been called "The Arbuckle Story" or something like that. 

100 Rifles (1969)

I liked this movie; I liked the action and that it focuses on the Yachi indigenous people of Mexico; even though it's fictious I feel it gives a bit of an idea of how the Yachi were displaced and how they might have fought the colonizers. It also is my first time learning about the Yachi, and I feel this movie could have been better at explaining them. Instead, it aims to focus on the three fugitive characters. I like how I don't know how the three would end up at the end - which one would die (if any?), which ones would romance, which ones would leave the group, etc. And the Mexican General played by Fernando Llamas was really nasty and one of the meanest screen villains. I didn't like some of the anti-indigenous sentiment, but I could see how a movie like this was an influence on Tarantino. This movie might be the only one of Raquel's that I would watch again. 

A good blog post on the movie here at Just Hit Play

Little Big Man (1970) and Midnight Cowboy (1969)

I've been wanting to see this movie forever, and finally did and really liked it! It reminded me of Dances with Wolves from 1990, primarily because it's about a white man raised by an indigenous tribe. Dustin Hoffman was an interesting choice to play this part. He was a big box office star from this time period, and he brings alot of that everyman essence to this part which I think is important for this role.

At the start of the film we meet Hoffman's character - a 120 year old man being interviewed by a reporter (William Hickey) interested in his long life and his supposed acquaintanceship with Civil War General Custer in the 1800s.

The old man lives in a nursing home; I have a relative who just moved into such a place, and they can be lonely places. I could understand why this old man would want to talk and tell his life story to someone who will listen. And he's had a long life, a really long life. He talks about being raised by a Cheyenne tribe, and later befriends historical figures Bill Hickock and General Custer. These sequences are episodic, but I really seeing him brush with historical figures. This was an idea that was used somewhat similarly later in the movie Forrest Gump, but I think works really good in this film.

I like how the old man narrates the movie throughout; this gave me the feeling that I was always being told the old man's story and not someone else's. He talks about the various "stages" of his life.... "My Indian Years", "My religious years", "My Outlaw Days", etc.  Faye Dunaway has a small supporting part where she plays a religious man's wife who becomes a prostitute later on.

I couldn't believe that it was Richard Mulligan playing a dramatic role as General Custer; I only knew him for his comedy roles on TV but he is really good in this.

There is also great standout performance by a Native American actor in the film - Chief Dan George. His part is significant as Hoffman's father figure and wise mentor who has some interesting (and racy) dialogue. I imagine that the audience of 1970 would like his line where he says, "Does she show enthusiasm when you mount her?" (referring to Hoffman's spouse).

It's unfortunate that the movie's marketing posters (as shown above) make this movie to look like a comedy, with Dustin Hoffman made to look like Don Knotts in The Shakiest Gun in the West. This is a really profound drama (with occasional comic relief), that was ahead of its time showing the perspectives of both indigenous and white peoples. Equally unfortunate is the lack of accolades that year - no Oscars...not even a Best Picture nomination. In 1970, the big winner was "Patton", which was a more traditional war film with a hero that audiences could probably relate to more. Little Big Man was unfortunately overshadowed by it, and I don't think audiences were quite ready to embrace such a film yet. Not until Dances with Wolves 20 years later.

I also re-watched Midnight Cowboy which I haven't seen in more than 20 years but remember liking it overall, especially the chemistry of the two leads (Voight and Hoffman). I forgot that there was a sequence where they go to a hippy artists' party in New York, and there are some real cameos by Andy Warhol protégés. After attending a Warhol art exhibit recently, I've been reading some of his biographies and a book of his journal entries; interestingly in one entry he wrote that he wanted to do a cameo in Midnight Cowboy but couldn't do it because he was in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound (in the summer of '68).

I loved seeing all the on-location scenes of New York; I kept my eye peeled for any interesting posters that would have been of the times. I saw one poster/billboard with Jonathan Winters on it. And another poster was a movie ad for "Doctor Doolittle" starring Rex Harrison, which was interesting. Flash forward 50 years and we have yet another remake of "Doolittle" in theaters starring Robert Downey Jr (I'm planning to skip since it doesn't look all that appealing to me).

Another scene in Midnight Cowboy that I had forgotten about happens at the end where Joe Buck beats the old man in his hotel room, almost killing him (his actual death isn't shown but it's implied he might have killed him). This makes me feel less sympathetic toward the character, and even reminded me of what Brad Pitt does at the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (my least-favorite sequence in that movie); now I'm wondering if Tarantino intended that scene to be an homage to Midnight Cowboy.

Read a blog post about this movie by Avvaganda.com here

Targets (1968) directed by Peter Bogdonovich

According to a recent article from TIME, Universal has canceled the American release of a new horror movie - called The Hunt - following two separate mass shootings that happened in America a week ago. "Now is not the right time", was part of the reasoning. From watching the The Hunt's trailer, it looks to be an ultra-violent film dealing with people who hunt people for sport. The trailer also seems to spoil who gets killed off; it looks like Amy Madigan's character does early (I like her, so to see her mercilessly terrorized and shot does not seem like fun to watch). The movie also features Hillary Swank and Emma Roberts; I don't know what their roles are, but I've read this film is supposed to satirical.

In 1994, I remember seeing Oliver Stone's satirical film Natural Born Killers, and I thought of that movie in the last week after the news of these shootings. I didn't like that film it at the time; it seemed to be presenting a society that idolizes serial killers, a concept I find really disturbing. I can't imagine anyone idolizing these latest killers in the news. I haven't watched that film in 25 years, but was thinking about rewatching it again sometime in the future. If I do I will post my thoughts about it. It was given 4 stars by Roger Ebert in his 1994 review.

Among the older films on my list to watch was Targets, which was released in the summer of 1968. It was Peter Bogdonovich's first feature film as director. The posters for Targets at the time showed an assassin/sniper, and like in the trailer for The Hunt, also warns the audience to expect violence and gives away some of the killings.  I can only imagine the advertisers at the time trying to promote this film. Targets was released just a few months after Martin Luther King Jr and Senator Robert Kennedy were shot, and one year before the horrendous murder of movie star Sharon Tate and others in her home.

Eating a sandwich before a killing spree.
What a Tarantino character might do?

I watched the movie over the weekend. It's OK. It's actually not entirely about the assassin to my surprise. He plays a major role, but the film doesn't explore his motivations and at the end we're left to our own interpretations. His dad and mom appear in a few scenes; the father is a hunter who has his own collection. The assassin's wife is depicted as hardworking, and they all watch TV together in the living room (they all live under the same roof). We don't get much background about the killer other than he's obsessed with guns (has a whole collection of them at home and in his trunk) and visits guns stores regularly, and that he's deranged. His age isn't specified, but we assume early 20s. There's no mention of him having any prior convictions, and no one acknowledges that he has a mental disturbance, or holds any political grievances. I'm amazed at how easy it was to buy his guns and ammunition at the various shops he goes to.

He basically kills people for sport, which is what he does in the film, and it's pretty disturbing to watch when he does it.

We are also are introduced to another main character, an aging horror-film star named "Orlock" played by Boris Karloff. It's not until the end when the two characters come together; the film builds up suspense until then. I liked Karloff's performance in this. Most of his sequences are comical in tone, hinting that this is a satire. Some of his dialogue, reactions, and expressions are funny, and he even plays drunk in one scene. My favorite part is when someone knocks on his door and he quips in his unmistakable voice, "Who's that knocking at my chamber door?" (a clear reference to 1967's Who's That Knocking At My Door). He also is shown watching some of his old movies various eras of his career  (which are real Karloff films; I liked these meta references).

While watching Targets, I wondered if Tarantino saw it, and wondered if it in some way inspired him while envisioning his latest movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

I found similarities in the two movies.

For example, in OUATIH, we also are introduced to an aging star who feels useless and washed-up (like Orlock). The Sharon Tate character in OUATIH also watches her latest film like Orlock does in this movie. The killer in Targets (played by Tim O'Brien -- he had a short career before dying early) drives around LA in his Ford Mustang convertible with the radio playing 60s music and DJs, similar to Pitt and DiCaprio in OUATIH.

By the end of Targets, it seemed a bit more clear me that this movie isn't solely about the assassin. In fact, I think it's more about the Orlock character - a horror film veteran who faces real-life horror on the verge of retirement.

An interesting article from Slate that talks about the making of the film, and how  Roger Corman and Samuel Fuller helped shape the film. Really interesting.

From 2006 Movie City News - a report on a screening of the movie with the director in attendance speaking about the film.

From Dissolve (2013) - Bogdonovich talks about the gun violence and the film's "unfortunate continued relevance"

Another review of this film from the blog Surrender to the Void

Another blog post from Lazarus' Lair

50 years later, Sharon Tate's sister keeps her memory alive

In this video clip, Debra Tate, sister of Sharon, speaks to CBS news (2 minutes, 30 sec)

She says, "The grief never goes away, but you learn to cope better".



What happened to Tate and the others that were murdered 50 years ago was a horrible tragedy. She was a real person, whose life and career was cut way too short.

Terence of A Shroud of Thoughts has a lovely tribute today on his blog here.

I also read an article on Nerdist - article link here - that mentions how Debra met with Tarantino and Margot Robbie who plays her in the new movie OUATIH. I was surprised to learn that Debra approved of the portrayal. Knowing this actually makes me want to reevaluate the movie; when I first saw it I really didn't think it was a fair portrayal. But apparently her sister approves of it.

Another article from The Nerdist - article link here - mentions that another film about Tate is in the works that is being produced by Debra Tate and starring Kate Bosworth. This movie also looks interesting.

Longer interview with Debra Tate here:

 

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) and the real Blanche Barrow

It's been 50 Years since the release of this film. Its starts -Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway - have been receiving some attention lately for their recent Oscar Awards appearances. Bonnie and Clyde has always been one of my favorite movies ever since I was in high school and first watched it on TV.  I always enjoy the visual style of this movie - the close-ups, editing and dialogue (influenced by the French new wave), the music, and the performances.

On my latest rewatch, I became very interested in learning more about the real Buck and Blanche Barrow. In the film, Buck is played by Gene Hackman and Blanche is played by Estelle Parsons.

I went to my local library to see if I could find anything about them, and I found a biography written by Blanche Barrow called "My Life With Bonnie and Clyde". It's a fascinating book with a detailed chronology, photos, and dozens of pages of references and notes.

The real Blanche, who died in 1988, also had a few interesting things to say about the famous 1967 movie and about the actress who played her, Ms Parsons.

Also interesting to learn from the book is that that Blanche Barrow's name was never used in any of the other previous movies about Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, such as You Only Live Once (1937), They Live By Night (1949), Gun Crazy (1949), or The Bonnie Parker Story (1958).

Some other takeaways from the book -

• Producer Warren Beatty wanted to use her name in the film and had to ask her for permission; she agreed to meet with him at her lawyer's office, and she read the script. After approving, she signed a contract allowing her name to be used in the film.
• One of Clyde's brothers visited the set one day, and jokingly said to Warren Beatty and Gene Hackman, "Howdy there, brothers!"
• Beatty came to Blanche's house a few times to visit and played the piano.
• She did not like the finished movie (claiming the script was rewritten), and said of her portrayal: "That movie made me look like a screaming horse's ass!"

Blanche never wanted media attention after the movie, yet she did ultimately make money from the movie's success.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1966)

Italian film about the life of Christ, it's a very faithful version, but, shot in grainy black and white, not as visually appealling as other big-budget films about the life of Christ: The Greatest Story Ever Told and The King of Kings.

Nonetheless the film is not bad, and it was nominated for Academy Awards for best Score, Costumes, and Art Direction.

Beautiful music score by Luis Enríquez Bacalov.

A very interesting temptation sequence with Christ and the devil.

Another review from the blog Film Fanatic:

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Hepburn and Tracy are liberal white parents whose attitudes and beliefs are tested when their daughter announces she's marrying a black physician (Sidney Poitier).

It's an important film of its time.

Tracey died within days of completing his part and Hepburn won her third Oscar for her performance.

This was Poitier's year: He also starred in 1967's Best Picture Winner "In the Heat of the Night".

Morgan! (1966) starring Vanessa Redgrave, David Warner

Madcap comedy about a guy named Morgan (David Warner) trying to win back his ex-wife (Redgrave).

Morgan has a unexplained "mental condition", as referred to in the film, and is obsessed with Marx and communism.

Redgrave is set to marry a "higher-class" gentleman, but Warner wants to break it up. He spends much of the movie jealously obsessing over Redgrave and her lover. There's some madcap comedic sequences of him speeding around town on a bike in a gorilla suit and crashing the wedding, which is funny.

What's so interesting about this 1966 British film is that the lead character here is a communist and communist ideas are spoken of highly by characters, and rather non-chalantly. In American films, pro-communist dialogue was still not heard of much during this time period, when anti-communist films such as "Pickup on South Street" and "The Manchurian Candidate" were being made.

The film was never released on VHS, but was released on DVD in 2005. The DVD has a few good special features including a few versions of the trailer.

Vanessa's role is more of a supporting one to Warner's Morgan, but her performance left an impression with many that year for her to be nominated for Best Actress Academy Award (losing to Elizabeth Taylor in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?").

Her sister Lynn Redgrave, also had a good year - her film "Georgy Girl" was a hit as well, and she too was nominated for Best Actress.

The official, UK title of this movie is Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment.

Read another review from The Magnificent 60s (blog)

Otto Preminger's Skidoo (1968) with Jackie Gleason, Groucho Marx

Michael Constantine and Jackie Gleason

This is a bizarre comedy that must be seen to be believed; it's so strange and trippy. And features some legendary performers you wouldn't expect to see in a movie with pot-smoking hippies and tripping on LSD.

Actors such as Mickey Rooney, George Raft, Frankie Avalon, Carol Channing, and Jackie Gleason. Gleason was memorable as Minnesota Fats in The Hustler and from his image from 1950s television, but in this movie he goes on a full-on acid trip, which is actually pretty funny. Groucho Marx is part of the trip too.

Not on DVD, not on video. I don't really even hear this film called a "cult classic", so it seems like a forgotten film.

It showed in Chicago in September 2007 at the Music Box theater (Part of a Otto Preminger series) and everyone in the theater seemed to enjoy it. A very unusual film from Preminger, who usually made more serious films.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)

The title of this disturbing film is taken directly from the 1935 novel; Jane Fonda's character Gloria, is a young, jobless, depression-era woman who at times just wants to be shot and put out of her misery.

Her character travels to Hollywood, leaving behind a miserable life and hoping to become an actress.

Struggling for work, she ends up entering a dance marathon with her new friend Robert, who is also struggling to find work in Hollywood.

I didn't know this, but during the depression, dance marathons were a craze, where people would dance hour-after-hour for a cash reward.

The marathon portrayed in the film is a fictional one, and goes on for several weeks. Every night there is an elimination race in which the couples speed-walk around a track, and the last-place couple is eliminated. The ruthless promoters generate sleazy publicity stunts as the contestants become increasingly exhausted physically and emotionally. People die in this movie that you don't want to see die.

Fonda's desperate character is one you want to root for, but she becomes increasingly disenchanted as she's trapped with the others in the claustrophobic dance hall.

This was Fonda's first breakthrough movie, and she was nominated for her first Oscar. Gig Young won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as the sadistic master of ceremonies, which in my opinion is one of the most heartless and cruel characters ever.

Depressing ending.

Directed by Sydney Pollack. Co-starring Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, and Red Buttons, who is great and was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Read Roderick's great post on this movie.

Bullitt (1968) and The Peanuts Movie (2015)

I really enjoyed Bullitt, with Steve McQueen playing the title role, who is cool and slick. 

I like the way the blogger at Just Hit Play describes the movie:

It is a smart, stylish cop drama/thriller that gets better with each viewing. For starters, it was filmed in San Francisco, setting the stage for Dirty Harry, McQ and a whole cop genre to move into the city. It is an ideal backdrop for the story; a polished, good-looking city that is nonetheless hiding secrets. The score from Lalo Schifrin is a good mix of quiet, soothing jazz and faster-paced, more traditional yet still exciting musical cues. The style in an almost documentary-like fashion reflects some of the French crime thrillers that I’ve really come to appreciate, giving ‘Bullitt’ a different edge more than just the same old, same old cops and robbers story.

• Full  blog post about Bullitt from Just Hit Play here 

What was really interesting is that in one scene, a hospital is shown, and a Peanuts calendar is on the wall. It was really interesting to see that Snoopy and the Peanuts comics were already a cultural landmark back in 1968.

Incidentally, I also did see  The Peanuts Movie (2015), a brand-new computer animated iteration, and I really liked it; it wasn't bad. It wasn't the best movie ever but it captured the feeling of the original television and film characters. It's really a different kind of animation than the South Park or Family Guy series.

Z (1969), State of Siege (1971), and The Confession (1970) by Costa-Gavras

This past summer I caught up with three excellent political thrillers directed by Costa-Gavras. All of them I highly recommend. They are among some of the best films I've seen this year or any year.

The first movie is Z from 1969. I remember watching this years ago when I was in high school but I was too young to understand what what going on. Now that I am older it makes so much more sense and it is very relevant today as it was then. It's called "Z" because Z represents the idealism and events surrounding the character portrayed by Yves Montand, a prominent peace activist beloved by all who oppose the radical martial law of the society. Those in the military and government want him and his followers silenced and/or killed. Early on in the film, Z is mortally wounded, but we - the audience -don't know how exactly, because the government spins the incident as "an accident". The mystery unfolds as the film progresses, but it's more than a mystery. It's an exploration into how various people and groups react and overreact in the aftermath of a crisis, and how so much is covered up by the government and the media. It's hard to describe the rest because there is so much going on with so many interesting characters, suspects, and twists. One of the most interesting characters to watch is the young lawyer assigned to investigate the case played by Jean-Louis Trintignant. Once you see this film you will not soon forget it. Also starring Irene Pappas. 2 Oscar wins: Best Foreign Language Film, Best Film Editing. Nominated for Best Picture and Director. Read Roger Ebert's 4-Star review: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/z-1969

Another blog post about this movie from Michael's Movie Palace here ->
50th anniversary tribute from Silver Screen Modes.

The next movie is State of Siege from 1971, which is just as good if not better than Z. Mr Montand is in the film again, this time playing an American ambassador in South America who has been kidnapped by a left-wing militant organization, something of a young person's movement against government corruption and abuse of power. The opening scenes - remarkably realistic - show a massive, militaristic manhunt unravel on the streets. Then, all of a sudden, the ambassador is found dead, the search is over, and things quiet down, and an elaborate state funeral takes place. This isn't a spoiler though, because the rest of the film brilliantly shows us the circumstances behind Montand's death. We are shown what happened after the zealots apprehended him and bring him to a remote, undisclosed location. He's questioned by left wing activists, who do not intend to kill him, even though fate would dictate otherwise. The most memorable character from the film is a veteran news reporter played by O.E. Hasse, who reminded me of Walter Cronkite; the reporter is present at all the major press conferences and always asking the toughest questions. Suspicious of the official statements, he does a bit of questioning and investigating on his own.

The third movie is perhaps the most intense of all, The Confession from 1970, which can be seen as a story of survival. Mr. Montand is in the film again, and this time, he's tortured and imprisoned for reasons neither we nor his character understand at first. As the film progresses, we learn that he used to be an active member of a Communist party, but now has settled into a more bourgeoisie lifestyle, much to the dismay of his more militant Communist kidnappers. While he's imprisoned, he is forced to confess to things that are not true for political reasons. He is stubborn, though, and will not confess. In the meantime, his wife (portrayed by the lovely Simon Signoret) wants nothing more than her husband freed. The Confession is not an easy film to watch as many scenes show a blindfolded Montand horribly mistreated and depraved of food and water. It's another well-made and thought-provoking film that puts you int he shoes of a prisoner and makes you think what you would do in his case. The ending will last long in your memory.

Mister Buddwing (1966) starring James Garner

The movie begins with James Garner's character waking up on a park bench in New York with a serious case of amnesia. He has no identification other than a strange phone number and a ring with initials.

I loved the movie's mystery that slowly unfolds over the course of the film; the Garner character slowly remembers his past which is revealed via flashback sequences. The movie was shot on location in New York and I loved seeing all the scenes on the street. 

The film has a good supporting cast:  Jean Simmons, Suzanne Pleshette, Angela Lasbury, Katherine Ross, Jack Gilford, Nichelle Nichols.

They all play interesting characters that Garner meets along the way who may or may not be truly related to his character.

One of my favorite scenes occurs when a man in a park may or may not have discovered that Garner's character is a escaped mental patient. A cop comes up to Garner and questions him intensely, only to be sidetracked by a bunch of young college kids who stage a faux protest. 

It is directed by Delbert Mann (Marty), and features a cameo by Joe Mantell who played Marty's best friend Angelo. 

Interesting bit of trivia: It was nominated for Best Costume (B/W) and Best Art Direction (BW) for the year of 1966. It lost to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?   

If you are a longtime reader of my blog, you will remember that I think Virginia Woolf's Oscar win for Costume is one of the most bizarre wins in the history of the Oscars.

Believe it or not, the Oscar nominations for Mister Buddwing are almost as bewildering. For example, James Garner wears the same suit and tie throughout the entire film, which takes place over the course of a couple days. I don't ever remember seeing the suit spotted in any way. As far as art direction, much of the film showed Garner on the streets of New York: in a park, on a bridge, on the streets, in a taxicab. Oscar-worthy technical achievement?  Sigh! No wonder 1966 was the last year Black-And-White Oscars were presented.

Nonetheless, the movie is enjoyable with bouts of humor, but it is not a comedy. Overall the tone is somewhat somber.  I recommend the movie if you are fan of James Garner or anyone in the cast, or want to see New York City in the mid-1960s.

Additional Reviews:  Filmsnoir.net | Original New York Times review

The Magnificent 60s

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

This post is my contribution to Stage To Screen Blogathon hosted by The Rosebud Cinema and Rachel's Theatre Reviews. Click here for a list of all the participating blogs in the blogathon.

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Like the two main characters in the story, I have a love-hate relationship with the movie (and play) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Yes, our relationship goes back about 25 years, about as long as the relationship between George (Richard Burton in the film)  and Martha (Liz Taylor in the film).

Over the course of 25 years I've seen the movie version several times and also have seen the play version twice, but to this day I'm still not certain I understand all that is going on with these characters.

Each time I see the film or play I gain a little more insight and see something I hadn't seen before, even though the experience is not always pleasant - both the play and film are DOWNERS!

ORIGINS OF THE PLAY AND MOVIE
The original play by Edward Albee opened in 1962, was highly acclaimed, and won several Tonys including Best Play.  The play was revived on Broadway in 2005 and 2010 and each production won Tonys.  The only movie version was made in 1966, directed by Mike Nichols. It too was also highly acclaimed: it was a box office smash and was nominated for an astonishing 13 Oscars, some of which are questionable (Best Sound? Best Score? Best Costumes?). But that's a topic for another blog post...

When I first became familiar with the movie and the stage play it was DEFINITELY NOT love at first sight, let me tell you.....

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE MOVIE
I first watched the movie on late-night TV (and recorded it on a VHS tape!). When it ended at 2:30 AM, I was so sleepy. I admired the look of the film and the acting of the entire cast, but I certainly could not relate to any of the characters. I didn't LOVE the movie, but I LIKED many of the scenes, including the first 20 minutes of banter with dysfunctional Martha and George before the arrival of the party guests Nick and Honey (George Segal and Sandy Dennis) especially when Martha imitates Bette Davis by exclaiming "What A Dump!"  But some scenes seemed slow and boring such as the scene with a drunk George and Nick on the swings talking about their pasts.  And the ending - how sad! How depressing!

MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE PLAY
I remember first seeing the stage play of Virginia Woolf in 1992 at the Village Players in Oak Park, IL. It started at 8 PM, and was a LONG play - the longest I've ever seen at 3 hours.  Thankfully, there were two intermissions.  I was amazed that the dialogue was the same as the movie pretty much word-for-word, although I think I was too young to grasp the depth of the dialogue.

Earlier this year, I saw the stage play again (a co-worker of mine played Martha). This time watching the play, I gained a little more insight into these characters. For example,  it occurred to me that the scene where a drunk George picks Nick's brain is the most crucial part of the play/film because - in my opinion - it shows how depraved George really is, and how he instigates all that happens in the rest of the play/film.

No matter when I watch it is still a LONG play. It's still depressing - the play and movie. And I'm still not sure I fully get it.   Who is more depraved, George or Martha? Do they love each other more than Nick and Honey? All they all hypocrites?  What happens at the end? Will Nick and Honey stay together? Will they adopt a child? Will George and Martha continue to drink?

So many unanswered questions. It's a story that can be talked about for hours, and interpreted a number of ways.  Perhaps this is why it is considered to be brilliant.

The Big Cube (1969)

The Big Cube aired last month on TCM. Though I didn't think it was very good, it was worth watching to see Lana Turner in one of her last movie roles, and for the camp factor, as it features the psychedelic shenanigans of young hipsters of the late 60s, including George Chakiris.

Chakiris plays a womanizing med student who makes LSD in his spare time and shares it with his hipster, artsy friends. One of his friends introduces him to a lovely blond (Karin Mossberg) whose mother is an actress (Turner) and stepfather (Dan O'Herlihey) is rich and "loaded". The girl mixes in with the LSD crowd, and rebels against her parents.

 At first, the girl is called a "square" and a "cube" (hence the title "The Big Cube", also referring to LSD cubes). But she soon mixes in and marries Chakiris, for better or worse.

In the first 30-45 minutes or so, the cool kids are the good guys and the parents are the villians. But after awhile, this slowly changes and it ends on a clear anti-LSD note. I won't bother with details but if you see the movie, you'll get it. Poor George Chakiris - there's a scene near the end where he's struggling and slithering on the floor after a bad trip. And even Lana Turner trips out, too. You have to see it to believe it.

Ship of Fools (1965)

The year is 1933. Hitler is now in power. A cruise ship is making its way to Germany.

The passengers include numerous German citizens as well as Americans (including Lee Marvin and Vivien Leigh, in her final film appearance).

It's kind of a long film with several interconnected story lines. A reoccurring theme explores the German character's feelings and attitudes about the changing political climate of the country.

Among the Germans aboard is Jose Ferrer's character, an obnoxious publisher who won't stand to eat with anyone who is a Jew.  Lee Marvin's character (a washed-up American baseball player) observes this behavior and asks someone "What's he got against the Jews?".

Oscar Werner plays the German ship's doctor, and he's good. All throughout the film he's politically agnostic, and later he's suspected of being Jewish. But the truth is never truly revealed to us. Instead, we learn that he longs for something more in life, and he longs to be with Simone Signoret's character, a humanitarian that he admires and adores.

The movie ends by showing all of the characters leave the ship, and the audience is left to wonder what is to become of them all throughout the 1930s and beyond. It's assumed that some of the Americans are just there in Germany for a short visit - Lee Marvin leaves the ship and quickly tries to meet a pretty young blond woman. And we assume that some of the Germans will grow to support the emerging Nazism, including an old woman (who previously showed sympathy to Jews) who greets and hugs her awaiting son - who is wearing a Nazi armband.

A very patriotic and proud German Jew (Heinz Rühmann) views the coming years optimistically, and is oblivious to any of the horrors that will emerge from Hitler's dictatorship. The ship's philosopher, Michael Dunn, says to him at one point "you might be the biggest fool on this ship".

With George Segal, Lilia Skala, Jose Greco, Elizabeth Ashley.
Director: Stanley Kramer

Writers: Katherine Anne Porter (novel), Abby Mann (screenplay)

The Young Philadelphians (1959)

Robert Vaughn

Paul Newman plays a young ambitious lawyer in a film based on the best-selling novel "The Philadelphian" by Richard P Powell about a lawyer's rise up the social ladder. The film's first half focuses on Newman starting out in his career and his relationships as he tries to get ahead in a firm. One of his best friends is played by Robert Vaughn, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.  The movie picks up steam toward the end, when Newman takes on the most challenging case of his life. The setting moves to the courtroom, and Newman acts as defense attorney in a murder case.  In one interrogation, Newman has a witness sniff glasses of liquor which is amusing at first but proves to be an important part of the evidence.

Games (1967) starring Simone Signoret, James Caan, and Katherine Ross

Interesting trio of actors

It's a psychological thriller starring Simone Signoret, James Caan, and Katherine Ross. Any movie featuring those three actors really piques my interest. It's one of Caan's early roles. Prior to this movie he terrorized Olivia de Havilland in Lady in a Cage. 

Went to see a screening of this last week at the Music Box Theater, which showed it in 35 MM. The film opens with a neat credit sequence featuring an animated deck of cards. Caan and Ross play a wealthy married couple living in a 2-story New York townhome. The interior of the home is decorated with all kinds of art and arcade-type amusement games such as pinball machines. The couple play host to the kinds of parties that Andy Warhol might attend, and they amuse their guests with bizarre stunts and tricks.

I love this poster.
It seems to exclaim "SHOCKER!"

Character actor George Furth plays a hipster party guest with a 60's perm. He seems to be having a ball, while their housekeeper gleefully announces that she's leaving town on a three-week vacation. Whether or not she'll be back is anyone's guess. Then there is the grocery errand boy who has a crush on the lovely Katherine Ross. He pops in and out of the house at the most inconvenient of times.

Outshining every other performer is none other than the great Simone Signoret (Diabolique), who enters the young couple's lives one day, and soon, the "games" begin - mind games if you will. The kind that put those in Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf to shame. Real guns are used, and there's real danger. To her, pinball games are mere child's play.

There are some plot twists that are better left unsaid so as to not spoil anything. I was really surprised at the outcome of everything, and wasn't expecting what was going to happen. A few of my theater companions found the movie predictable, as did Roger Ebert in his review of the film.  But for the most part, the film had me in suspense. One scene involves a cat who had me thinking it might do something that may or may not happen. You'll have to see the movie to find out.

A mind-bending thriller that you will not soon forget. Directed by Curtis Harrington.

The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming! (1966)

Zany comedy about a group of Russian sailors - led by Alan Arkin -  who find themselves stranded on a small, tight-knit New England island town. Not able to speak the language, they try to steal a boat to get off of the island hoping not to encounter any of the locals. Eventually rumors spread all over the island about invaders and everyone panics ("It's all over!" predicts one paranoid resident).

The Russians disguise themselves as as locals

There are some funny sight gags and comedic bits involving the paranoid townsfolk. One bit has Jonathan Winters at the kitchen table with his 8 little children prepping the family about a possible attack. There's a town drunk that's funny, and an old woman who gets tied to a chair while her near-sighted husband hardly notices.

But there are some softer moments, too, especially the scenes involving one of the Russians falling in love with a young woman.  Carl Reiner and Eva Marie Saint are the only two people who know why the Russians are there and try to explain it to everyone else. Another voice of reason is Brian Keith, who plays the police chief. Also starring Theodore Bikel.

It's an enjoyable satire about paranoia in the days before cable news, the internet, smart phones phones, and Twitter.