Reviews

Directed by Lewis Teague. Starring Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, Danny DeVito, Avner Eisenberg, Spiros Focás, Hamid Fillali, Daniel Peacock, Paul David Magid, Holland Taylor. (PG)

"Romancing the Stone" sequel finds the relationship between Joan Wilder (Turner) and Jack Colton (Douglas) growing musty, but adventure and intrigue are on the horizon when North African ruler Focás recruits Joan to write her biography and they get caught up in a conflict with a rebel tribe, all of them fighting to get their hands on the much ballyhooed Jewel of the Nile. The spark of the original is dimmed this time out, with the plot working hard to manufacture ways to insert--and keep--Ralph (DeVito) into the story; a few good set pieces and the occasionally entertaining interplay between the stars hold interest, but it's not nearly as much fun watching them bicker as a frayed couple than it was when they were falling in love the first time. Eisenberg, as a holy man, has a deft, innocently amused style about him that can be delightful, but DeVito is forced to keep playing the same note over and over. Magid is a member of the juggling and comedy troupe The Flying Karamazov Brothers (also seen in an episode of "Seinfeld"); all of his brothers briefly appear alongside him as his onscreen brothers as well.

63/100

Directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Gene Tierney, Vincent Price, Judith Anderson, Dorothy Adams.

Classic film noir with Tierney as the titular fixation, idealized by all who surround her, murdered under mysterious circumstances, with Andrews as the prosaic, no-nonsense detective assigned to the case...who finds himself falling under the young woman's elusive spell as well ("You'd better watch out or you'll finish up in a psychiatric ward...I doubt they've ever had a patient who fell in love with a corpse"). Style dominates substance, with Preminger's subtly sinister direction, David Raskin's famed score, Joseph LaShelle's Oscar-winning photography, and a handful of scintillating supporting performances deserving of praise; full of contrivances, to be sure, but that goes with the territory, and individual scenes are so full of perfectly pointed lines of dialogue that it was worth whatever effort was necessary to manufacture their appearance. Only considerable drawback: Tierney's lackluster performance, falling far short of the romanticized promise of her character (though few actresses could have possibly lived up to the encompassing hype); delicious turns from Price and (especially) Webb make up for it.

87/100

Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. Starring Aidan Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp, Julianne Moore, CCH Pounder, Dan Hedaya, Oliver Platt, Joe Grifasi, William H. Macy. (PG-13)

Aggrieved mechanic Benny (Quinn) cares for his schizophrenic sister, Joon (Masterson), unwilling to abandon her to professional care and unable to pursue other relationships because his life is "complicated." Then, through a shamefaced contrivance, an illiterate social misfit named Sam (Depp)--with more than a passing interest in the genius of Buster Keaton--comes to live with them and becomes romantically involved with Joon. Well-meaning and touching at times; eschews the saccharine that would sink most similar pictures while nevertheless overdosing on the whimsy. The script conveniently glosses over harsher realities for the sake of precious moments and crowd-pleasing catharsis. Depp gets to dig deep into his sandbox of oddball mannerisms and has a few amusing moments (though most of his rehashed silent comedy bits do little besides remind just how brilliant the original stars were), but it's Quinn's journey that matters most--an otherwise thankless role, but he's the true heart of the story. Popularized the Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" in the US, an appropriate soundtrack choice for the movie considering that it's both grating and irresistible.

59/100

Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Starring Tatsuya Nakadai, Kenichi Hagiwara, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Hideji Otaki, Jinpachi Nezu, Daisuke Ryu, Masayuki Yui, Takashi Shimura.

A thief (Nakadai) who bears a striking resemblance to a warlord (also Nakadai) is hired to serve as the leader's double, but then takes the mantle himself after the warlord dies, creating an illusion that must not be broken at the risk of personal ruin and the deterioration of the clan. Kurosawa's return to feudal period dramas is a magnificent technical achievement, an epic war film and thoughtful drama brought to life with bold colors and incredible costumes and sets. The size of it all threatens to dwarf (or crush) the finer, more philosophical details, and the storytelling sometimes struggles to connect all the pieces--it is not quite on the same level of Shakespearean drama found in "Throne of Blood" and "Ran." However, it's still an unshakable physical experience; unforgettable images abound, from a messenger charging through the resting ranks of several military divisions to the final image of Nakadai struggling against breaking waves and the tide, banner in sight. Film title roughly translates as "shadow warrior"; final film of Shimura, a long-time Kurosawa collaborator.

84/100

Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen. Starring Charlton Heston, James Coburn, Michael Parks, Barbara Hershey, Larry Wilcox, Jorge Rivero, Christopher Mitchum, John Quade, Robert Donner, Morgan Paull, Thalmus Rasulala. (R)

William Holden had the Wild Bunch; James Coburn has the Despicable Bunch. He and a band of other repellent criminals escape a chain gang and go on a rampage, putting aside the promise of buried loot to focus on getting revenge on Coburn's nemesis (Heston), now a retired lawman. And if that means kidnapping Heston's daughter (Hershey) and terrorizing her to a sickening degree, so be it. Ugly, macho preening may ape Sam Peckinpah's approach, but the filmmakers whiff on the technique. Pic is reasonably well-paced and involving trash, but strays too far at times into the realm of the exploitative (including a scene of men chasing Hershey down to tackle and rape her, filmed in lurid slow-motion); poor construction in the final act leads to confusion over where everyone is in relation to each other, who's alive and who's dead, and so on. Despite the pedigree of the top-billed cast (multiple Oscar wins and nominations), character actor Parks is the one that comes off best, playing a laconic sheriff who unfortunately vanishes not long after the halfway point. Based on a Brian Garfield novel.

44/100

Directed by Frank Borzage. Starring Gary Cooper, Helen Hayes, Adolphe Menjou, Mary Philips, Blanche Friderici, Jack La Rue.

If you want to see Gary Cooper in an Ernest Hemingway story, stick with "For Whom the Bell Tolls"; this first attempt to adapt a Hemingway novel into a feature film is badly dated, even to the point of embarrassment (unless "no" didn't actually mean "no" in the 1930s). Cooper's WWI soldier and Hayes' Red Cross nurse share a rampant, ill-fated romance, though the chemistry they share is as limited as their height difference is distracting. The ending (and scenes leading up to it), a mix of limp acting and overwrought melodrama, is a slog to sit through; originally released with an alternate "happy ending" that theaters could choose between for the screenings! Redeemed somewhat by Charles Lang's assured, Oscar-winning photography and Menjou's zesty performance as Cooper's Italian friend. Remade multiple times, including once as a miniseries; Hemingway's experiences that inspired his semi-autobiographical novel were dramatized in the 1996 film "In Love and War." Also won an Academy Award for Sound.

38/100

Directed by Woody Allen. Starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Scarlett Johansson, Matthew Goode, Brian Cox, Penelope Wilton, James Nesbitt, Ewen Bremner, Margret Tyzack, Rupert Penry-Jones. (R)

Former professional tennis player Meyers enjoys the posh trappings of life while dating the sister (Mortimer) of a former classmate (Goode) from a wealthy London family, but becomes obsessed with Goode's sexy American girlfriend Johansson; this can only end badly. After several years of disappointing efforts, Woody enters rare full-blown drama territory, even employing suspense elements out of a Hitchcockian thriller, and pulls it off superbly. Criticized in some circles for its lack of "English authenticity" (the plot was originally intended to take place among the elite in the Hamptons), but this is a universal tale for most Western cultures, dovetailing its opening statement on the fickle impact of luck towards the end in a nicely surprising way. Makes good use of Meyers' typical detached blandness to expose moral degradation in the face of selfish compulsions, and even if the characters are sometimes shallowly observed, they find themselves at the service of the efficient machinery of a plot that resists idiosyncrasy. Applies the opera recording of "Una furtiva lagrima" ("A furtive tear") as a recurring motif to haunting effect.

85/100

Directed by Christian Duguay. Starring Peter Weller, Andrew Lauer, Jennifer Rubin, Roy Dupuis, Charles Powell, Ron White, Michael Caloz. (R)

Expanded but fairly faithful re-telling of Philip K. Dick's short story "Second Variety" (by Dan O'Bannon, with a rewrite by Miguel Tejada-Flores), set on a mining planet reduced to an irradiated wasteland following a war between rival conglomerates, where lethal, self-replicating robots nicknamed "screamers" move just below the surface to attack all living beings. Smarter than the average B-picture, atmospheric and sporadically suspenseful, full of intriguing throwaway details (e.g., smoking anti-radiation cigarettes to combat radiation poisoning in the lungs). Weller's rugged, squinting inscrutability is perfectly suited for the weary Alliance commander at the center of the story. Budgetary limitations, undistinguished direction, and a botched climax prevent the film from reaching its full potential, however. Followed over a decade later by a straight-to-DVD sequel.

69/100

Directed by Joshua Logan. Starring Richard Harris, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero, David Hemmings, Laurence Naismith, Lionel Jeffries, Pierre Olaf, Anthony Rogers, Gary Marshal, Estelle Winwood, Peter Bromilow. (G)

Film version of the Lerner and Loewe musical could be described as a disaster if it wasn't so dull and pointless that it fails to inspire much reaction beyond ennui and narcosis. The elaborate Oscar-winning costumes and sets look good, but they're supplanted by excessive close-ups and a failure to enliven the scope and scale of the production once transitioned off the stage--too little magic, wonder and action, and limited visualization of key scenes begging for cinematic spectacle. Redgrave is okay as Guinevere, Franco's Lancelot is a decent singer, but Harris is a case of poor casting, lacking the robust voice and regal presence needed for a musical King Arthur; with such an unimpressive central trio, only the most splendid of directorial visions could have possibly saved it, and Logan is hardly up to the task. Slavish devotees to the original stage production may be more forgiving, but does anyone actually like the way both the Broadway and Hollywood presentations sidestep the climax they set up and simply end?

30/100

Directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack. Starring Robert Armstrong, Terry Moore, Ben Johnson, Frank McHugh, Lora Lee Michel, Regis Toomey.

Armstrong and Johnson take a trip to Africa to find wild animals for entertainment, and they stumble upon quite the find: a massive gorilla named Joe (credited as "Mr. Joseph Young") owned by Moore. Predictably, the big ape is transported back to the States to be shown off, and even more predictably, the big fella breaks loose and wreaks havoc. Something of a "'Kiddie' Kong," with a repetitive bag of tricks, reduced sense of style, imagination and adventure, and much milder thrills, but the Oscar-winning stop-motion effects work is first-rate (handled by, among others, Ray Harryhausen in his first Hollywood production). As far as acting acumen goes, Moore makes Fay Wray look like Fay Bainter and rigid Johnson is a drippy brand of hero, but Joe is a dashing diva. Although abrupt and tacked-on, the color-tinted climax involving a rescue operation at a burning orphanage is a marvelous set-piece. Watch the beautiful beast in action, skip the human drama. Produced by Merian C. Cooper and John Ford.

54/100

Directed by Anthony Asquith & Leslie Howard. Starring Leslie Howard, Wendy Hiller, Scott Sunderland, Marie Lohr, Wilfrid Lawson, Jean Cadell, David Tree, Esme Percy, Every Gregg, Leueen MacGrath.

Screen version of the George Bernard Shaw play with perfectly cast leads: Howard is the hubristic, supercilious phonetics professor Henry Higgins, Hiller the impoverished, uncouth-tongued flower girl Eliza Doolittle (a "squashed cabbage-leaf," "disgrace to...noble architecture," and "incarnate insult to the English language"). A witty, biting satire of manners and mores masquerading as a sophisticated romantic comedy; the didactic struggle is rushed, while other scenes in the opening act and climactic confrontations can get a touch redundant, but otherwise a first-rate telling. Later adapted as the stage musical (and subsequent film) "My Fair Lady." Oscar-winning screenplay credited to Shaw, as well as W.P. Lipscomb, Cecil Lewis and Ian Dalrymple; upon this honor, Shaw became the first person to win both an Academy Award and Nobel Prize (and for nearly eighty years, the only one to do so, until Bob Dylan joined that exclusive club).

89/100

Directed by Neill Blomkamp. Starring Matt Damon, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Jodie Foster, Wagner Moura, Diego Luna, William Fichtner, Faran Tahir, Mike Mitchell, Emma Tremblay. (R)

A futuristic haves-and-have-nots tale, with the rich living in Elysium, a palatial paradise orbiting Earth, and all the rest suffering on the grungy surface of the decrepit and overpopulated planet. After ex-con assembly worker Damon gets critically debilitated by a workplace accident, he resolves to do whatever it takes to hightail it to Elysium and use one of their ultra-sophisticated med-bays (able to miraculously cure anything--from fatal radiation poisoning to leukemia--in seconds). Director Blomkamp tries his hand at the same sort of sci-fi-with-a-social-agenda as he did with "District 9" with wildly mixed results. Art design and special effects are terrific (if familiar), Damon is a firm presence in the lead role, and its intentions are admirable. However, the class divide, labor exploitation, and immigration paranoia metaphors are slathered on with a trowel, and the over-the-top villainy belongs in a low-rent B-picture (Copley is downright cartoonish, while Foster gives a rare poor performance full of unnatural mannerisms).

60/100

Directed by Randal Kleiser. Starring Paul Reubens, Kris Kristofferson, Valeria Golino, Penelope Ann Miller, Albert Henderson, Susan Tyrrell, Frances Bay, Mary Jackson. (PG)

Listless second outing for Paul Reubens' popular character finds Pee-wee Herman living on a farm now (and engaged!), but then his idyllic life is interrupted when a storm literally blows the circus onto his property, and he pursues an amorous connection with lovely trapeze artist Golino. Here's a film that's so thoroughly misguided on several levels--placing Pee-wee in "real world" situations, severely tempering his juvenile absurdity, giving him sexual appetites, having him commit infidelity, and so on--that it's hard to appreciate the few times it's actually amusing ("That was so funny I forgot to laugh," indeed). Kleiser, taking over for Tim Burton, can't bring much pizzazz to the production, failing even to make the climactic circus show remotely engaging; Danny Elfman did return, but he phoned in the music. Hard to believe that in a Pee-wee Herman movie, the best moment--a dry line reading of the word "no"--would belong to Kristofferson as the oddly low-key and agreeable ringmaster. Underneath the makeup, that's Benicio del Toro playing the Dog-Faced Boy in his film debut.

39/100

Directed by James Mangold. Starring Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Dafne Keen, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Richard E. Grant, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Eriq La Salle, Elise Neal, Quincy Fouse. (R)

Jackman's presumed swan song as Marvel mutant Wolverine takes place in a deteriorating near-future, the X-Men disbanded and mostly deceased, where the aging and slowly dying anti-hero has all but given up on life while caring for ailing Professor X (Stewart). Then a mysterious girl (Keen) enters his life, along with some dastardly pursuers led by shady scientist Grant and sinister merc Holbrook, and ol' Wolfie grudgingly rediscovers a purpose. The "Shane" echoes are laid on thick, the road movie clichés are plentiful, and the rote build-up to the climax spoils what should have been a superbly cathartic blow-out, yet there's no denying that after three attempts to give the character his own showcase, they finally got it right. Self-doubting and weary, Jackman plumbs even greater poignant depths to a character he's played numerous times before, while Stewart manages to evoke great melancholy without committing to resignation. Visceral, flesh-ripping violence may turn off the squeamish, especially when it's aimed at young Keen, but she gives as good as she gets, and it ought to satisfy all other parties to finally get to see the blood-soaked reality of Wolverine's berserker rage, cautiously neutered in earlier outings. Fans of the comic books and "X-Men" franchise are likely to appreciate the final image.

81/100

Directed by Steve Martino. Starring (voices) Noah Schnapp, Hadley Belle Miller, Alex Garfin, Mariel Sheets, Venus Omega Schultheis, Noah Johnston, Rebecca Bloom, Micah Revelli. (G)

First movie based on Charles M. Schultz comic strip in over three decades; focus is placed on Charlie Brown (Schnapp) and his hopeless crush on the new girl in class ("the Little Red-Haired Girl"), with the occasional interlude set in Snoopy's fantasy world where he engages in dogfights with the Red Baron. Animation, rendered in a bright form of flattened three-dimensional art, has lots of elegant style, but is a bit too crisp and polished compared to the original comics, negating the scratchy minimalism and melancholy that is such an important part of its identity. Contains numerous charming moments and nostalgic references, but also deals out brief, frantic bursts of action, which is also hardly in the same spirit as the source material; a soundtrack that includes songs from Meghan Trainor and Flo Rida certainly doesn't help matters either. A mixed bag, but gently appealing, and more forgiving or casual fans should have a good enough time. Snoopy and Woodstock's voice are provided by archival recordings of Bill Melendez.

63/100

Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Starring Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Don Francks, Tommy Steele, Keenan Wynne, Barbara Hancock, Ronald Colby, Al Freeman Jr., Wright King, Dolph Sweet, Louil Silas. (G)

Gold at the end of the rainbow, desperate land grabs, and a love quadrangle among an Irish lass (Clark), a well-meaning schemer (Francks), a mute girl (Hancock) who expresses herself through dance, and a leprechaun (Steele) all clash in this adaptation of the popular stage musical. Coppola's first big studio production (a marked change of pace for one of "those UCLA kids") lacks a personal touch, but he corrals the big set pieces well enough and gets from Astaire--in his final singing and dancing role--a performance that echoes of his heyday from thirty-plus years ago. The songs aren't especially memorable or catchy (though the lyrics are usually at least more literate and droll than average), and like most musicals of the 1960s, it runs at least a half-hour too long. The supposedly satirical "racial shenanigans" are painful, particularly Wynne in blackface. Can at least boast one great line about the US Constitution that is as applicable to politics now as ever before: "I don't have time to read it...I'm too busy defending it!"

60/100

Directed by Timothy Bond. Starring John Rhys-Davies, Eric McCormack, David Warner, Tamara Gorski, Nathania Stanford, Darren Peter Mercer, Gene Kovacs, Kate Egan, Fidelis Cheza. (PG)

Rival researchers/explorers Challenger (Rhys-Davies) and Summerlee (Warner) trek into the wilderness in search of a mysterious plateau believed to be a "lost world" untouched by the passage of time. Third attempt to adapt Arthur Conan Doyle's story as a feature film; as in other versions, a female is added to the expedition team (Gorski, playing a photographer), but this one goes further and moves the action out of South America and into the heart of Africa. Old pros Rhys-Davies and Warner are in solid form, but McCormack is a spiritless reporter "everyman"; adventure aspects inspire indifference--the film is far more involving before they ever even reach the plateau. And when they get there, the dinosaurs they find are a sorry sight, with parts of their bodies shot in close-up to make up for limitations of the paltry budget; the prehistoric beasties in "The Flintstones" looked more realistic! Followed by a sequel ("Return to the Lost World") that was shot at the same time.

40/100

Directed by George Miller. Starring Magda Szubanski, Mary Stein, James Cromwell, (voices) E.G. Daily, Glenne Headly, Steven Wright, James Cosmo, Roscoe Lee Brown, Danny Mann, Stanley Ralph Ross, Myles Jeffrey, Adam Goldberg, Russi Taylor. (G)

Follow-up to the surprise hit finds lovable talking pig Babe (voiced this time by Daily) being taken on a trip by Esme Hoggett (Szubanski) after "the boss" (Cromwell) suffers an injury at the bottom of a well, ending up in a hotel for animals and embarking on a new adventure in the big city. Less gentle and more frantic than its predecessor, there's still no shortage of charm and imagination, and the technical details have earned an upgrade--not only do the talking-animal effects look better this time out, but the film supplies a visually dazzling playground for the furry fellows to inhabit, a fantastical city stuffed with world landmarks, a network of Venetian-style ground level canals, and architecture that wouldn't look out of place in Tim Burton's Gotham City. Miller, who co-wrote and co-produced both "Babe" films, takes over directing duties and brings a lot of the same offbeat and kinetic energy to this venture as he did with "The Witches of Eastwick" and the "Mad Max" pictures. Downright enchanting at times and a lot of fun throughout; however, despite the G-rating, it may be too dark and intense for the littlest ones. Mickey Rooney makes a brief appearance as a clown called Fugly.

81/100

Directed by Nick Castle. Starring Damon Wayans, Karyn Parsons, Steven Martini, Orlando Brown, Chris Owen, Andrew Harrison Leeds, Albert Hall, Damien Dante Wayans, Stephen Coleman. (PG-13)

Reworking of "The Private War of Major Benson" as a vehicle for comedy star Wayans; his cartoonish characterization (replete with a "funny" nasal wheeze of a voice) feels lifted out of the world of sketch comedy, and the movie is akin to a mildly amusing five-minute skit stretched out to an interminable hour-and-a-half. He's a gung-ho soldier without a war to fight, so he takes his maniacal martinet skills to a private school's Junior ROTC program to whip up a motley bunch of misfit youths into lean, mean fighting machines. Repetitive juvenile gags and humiliation aplenty, giving way to late-film sappiness, plus there's a shallow, chemistry-free romantic sub-plot only because the script said so. Not a total waste--the Spike Lee crack is funny--but an insipid slog to get to the few bright moments. William Hickey and Michael Ironside show up in pointless cameos.

30/100

Directed by Gilbert Cates. Starring Gene Hackman, Melvyn Douglas, Estelle Parsons, Elizabeth Hubbard, Dorothy Stickney, Lovelady Powell. (PG)

Poignant but platitudinous father-son-relationship drama driven by perceptive performances from the two leads. Gene (Hackman) wants to move out to California and marry his girlfriend (Stickney), but feels guilty about leaving his aging father Tom (Douglas) all by himself, especially since they have plenty of unresolved issues that the elder would prefer to bury and ignore, even while stubbornly sticking to his ways. Adapted by Robert Anderson from his own autobiographical play, the script has its share of affecting exchanges and conversations, but the mindset, emotions, and even the characters themselves are dowdily shallow--at one point, Gene's sister describes it as "a lot of sentimental crap," which isn't such an unreasonable sentiment (there are, certainly, moments of truth, but they swim in bathos). Uninspired direction and a disagreeably trilling music score don't help. The viewer's personal history will likely determine whether the ending is registered as a tearjerker or a yawner.

66/100

Directed by Anthony Mann & Alfred L. Werker. Starring Scott Brady, Richard Basehart, Whit Bissell, Roy Roberts, James Cardwell, Jack Webb.

A manhunt is underway for cop-killer Basehart, an uncommonly intelligent and elusive criminal with a working knowledge of law enforcement strategy. Taut, atmospheric crime noir helped establish the style of modern police procedurals (alongside "The Naked City" released the same year). Some of the early, documentary-style scenes suffer from static presentation and colorless dialogue; more dynamic second half makes up for it, including a drainage tunnel chase that predates (and may have influenced) the one from "The Third Man." The directorial contributions by Mann, who took over from Werker mid-production, went uncredited. Working with the technical advisers, co-star Webb was inspired by the production to later create the popular radio and TV program, "Dragnet."

75/100

Directed by Mike Newell. Starring Georgina Cates, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Peter Firth, Alun Armstrong, Alan Cox, Prunella Scales, Rita Tushingham, Carol Drinkwater, Gerard McSorley, Clive Merrison. (R)

Don't be misled by the cynical title--this is a dreary tragicomedy set in post-war England, not a moon-eyed escapist lark. Awestruck young Stella (Cates) goes to work for a grotty theatrical troupe, run by the foppish, chain-smoking Grant, a casually cruel sort that nevertheless inspires great affection from the ingenue. This doesn't prevent her from engaging in an uninhibited tryst with acting ringer P. L. O'Hara (Rickman), whose motorcycle entrance provides the film a much needed boost around the midway point, but he's eventually defeated by the jumbled material at the conclusion, leading him to shout the name "Stella" in a way that snickers of Brando parody. There are some dark secrets in store for patient viewers, but director Newell (on the opposite end of the tonal spectrum as his previous collaboration with Grant, "Four Weddings and a Funeral") goes for a chilly, lived-in legitimacy vibe that proves emotionally-smothering, rating the revelations as ho-hum, not ho-boy. Isolated appreciable moments and the highlighted points of Grant's and Rickman's inconsistent performances ensure it's not a total drag, at least.

52/100

Directed by Guy Green. Starring Sidney Poitier, Elizabeth Hartman, Shelley Winters, Wallace Ford, Elisabeth Fraser, Ivan Dixon.

Sensitive if occasionally coarse melodrama with blind Hartman falling in love with gentle soul Poitier, much to the chagrin of her cruel, belittling mother (Oscar-winner Winters) and drunk grandfather (Ford, in his final film role). Provocative upon its release, featuring one of the earliest instances of an interracial kiss in a major motion picture, as well as a chilling rape scene (suggested rather than graphic, which only encourages the darkest recesses of the imagination); it teeters on the edge of decorum and sentimentality, but the strength of the performances keeps it on the respectable side far more often. Adapted from a book by Elizabeth Kata ("Be Ready with Bells and Drums"), which had a different, more archly pessimistic conclusion. Considering how the film had been played up to that point, preserving the original ending would have ruined the film, but a movie with a slightly different tone could have sold the caustic original, allowing for a rare instance where a skewed remake might be truly rewarding.

79/100

Directed by Albert Packer. Starring Douglas Fairbanks, Billie Dove, Sam De Grasse, Donald Crisp, Anders Randolf, Tempe Pigott, E. J. Ratcliffe.

Vigorous silent swashbuckler with Fairbanks as a nobleman who becomes a pirate in order to exact revenge on the scalawags that sunk his ship and killed his father. Humdrum direction, and the romance with a hostage "princess" (Dove) is a bit feeble, but the production is brimming with graceful and acrobatic stunts, derring-do and sword fights, plank-walking and booty-hoarding (even drawing lots for a prize monkey), plus the famous scene of Fairbanks "sliding" down sails while singlehandedly seizing a ship! Fine, frivolous fun, with a scale rarely matched by its descendants. One of the earliest movies to be filmed in two-strip Technicolor, though some prints are in tinted black & white.

73/100

Directed by John Carpenter. Starring Victor Wong, Donald Pleasence, Jameson Parker, Lisa Blount, Dennis Dun, Susan Blanchard, Anne Howard, Dirk Blocker, Peter Jason, Ann Yen, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Thom Bray. (R)

John Carpenter's worst film has a plot that defies description, but here goes: With swarming insects and homeless zombies waiting outside, an old priest (Pleasence) working for a secret Catholic sect called the "Brotherhood of Sleep," a teacher (Wong), and a bunch of physics students hole up in a rundown church to study a canister containing liquid Antichrist, end up just standing around talking claptrap, staring at computer screens, dreaming of infernal video transmissions sent from the future, and getting Gatorade sprayed into their mouths. Bizarre but fatally uninvolving; no scares to speak of, but in their place, a few disbelieving laughs. The score by Carpenter and Alan Howarth inspires slow, eerie dread at the outset, then turns repetitive and plodding, much like the film itself. Alice Cooper has a cameo as one of those homeless zombies.

20/100