Reviews

Paths of Glory is not the movie I thought it would be. From the posters it seemed like it would be a straight up war film, albeit a straight up war film directed by Stanley Kubrick, which would likely be something special. And the first third is a standard war film. It's all trenches and explosions, this being WWI. Kubrick gives us the set-up: Kirk Douglas is told that he must take a German stronghold. He tells his superior officer, played by George Macready as an evil and power hungry man looking for his next star, that his forces are not big enough nor will they have enough support to accomplish their goal. This, of course, doesn't matter and although Douglas tries his damnedest to take the hill he barely makes it halfway through no-mans-land and a third of his forces won't even dare to leave the trenches. This sequence is just as intense as the opening section of Saving Private Ryan, though it is shot completely differently. Where Spielberg's movie is all shaky cam and tinnitus, Paths of Glory scrolls along, not shying away from the terror, but giving a continuous forward push. Is the camera following the soldiers or are they following it? It's amazing, actually, in such an action packed frame that we can pick out Douglas as he blows his whistle and climbs over dead bodies and artillery holes. At one point the camera zooms in to spot him and his glorious chin only to zoom back out and show how crazy this attack is. It is grimy to the extreme, at the same time as it is emblematic of Kubrick's complete control over his films.

After the failed maneuver, the evil General must cover his tracks. He sets up a court marshal in his ridiculously opulent base, a mansion with room sized paintings and marble floors. One soldier from each of the three sections of the troop will be tried for cowardice and shot if found guilty. Luckily, Douglas also happens to be the best lawyer in France, and he jumps to defend his men from the silly trial. To go any further into the film's plot would do a disservice to it. It is a Kubrick film and as such isn't exactly a rip-roaring good time. He films his characters with the standard detachment, though he allows them to be real people. You can sense the Douglas is pained and wants to do right by his men, not only from what he says but from how he acts. It's him against the world, Germans and French alike. The film is as much about the failings of military thinking as it is about the French vs. The Germans. Douglas rages against the machine but to little avail. It is only the final scene that changes how he views the world. It's a marvelous scene, at first terrifying, then strangely comforting.

As the second film in my 1957 marathon, Paths of Glory continues the year's excellence. Along with Throne of Blood, it shows that filmmaking was just as vibrant then as it is now. There're plenty of explosions and gunfire and later plenty of explosive dialogue and fiery speeches. It is at least as good as that other courtroom drama from the same year, 12 Angry Men. And you can imagine the entirety of War Horse happening alongside it! Both films rely on American and British actors playing foreign characters. Where are the cries of crass commercialism for Kubrick's film? Lost in the fog of war, I guess.

Alfred Hitchcock may have attained triumphant results for Rear Window in 1954, but Barbara Stanwyck also proved that she could surpass his record in a more thrilling production titled Witness To Murder, a suspenseful Film Noir that resembles Rear Window, also released the same year.

If it weren't for Rear Window that dominated box office popularity on it's release a month later, Witness To Murder would have been highly regarded by critics. At the time of it's initial release, Witness To Murder had everything running in it's favor. It highlighted a myriad of aspects that a cinematic staple contains, and unlike the latter it was shot in glorious black and white, and enhanced by superb cinematography and atmospheric vapors.

The films director, Roy Rowland is not as eminent as Alfred Hitchcock, nor has he had a successful string of pictures like Hitchcock. In truth, Rowland was only second rate compared to Hollywood's pantheon of directors, who spotlighted the entertainment industry with their commendable efforts in directing. For Rowland, Witness To Murder is what I would call his most effectual film. It provided him with the opportunity to explore heavy, solid material that is not only entertaining but rich and suspenseful in detail.

Witness To Murder was produced by Chester Erskine, with the screenplay by Nunnally Johnson, and featuring a stellar cast which includes, Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders and Gary Merrill, who at the time of filming was married to Bette Davis.

Barbara Stanwyck headlines the production as the films protagonist. One cold, windy night in Los Angeles, Cheryl Draper ( Stanwyck ) awakens to witness a woman being strangled to death from her bedroom window. Shocked with what she just discovered, she immediately phones the police, but after Lt. Lawrence Mathews ( Gary Merrill ) arrives at the scene and finds no evidence of murder in the apartment of Albert Richter ( George Sanders ) he automatically believes that Cheryl dreamed the whole situation.

As time progresses, Cheryl still firmly believes that she observed a real life murder taking place, and is persistent in trying to get her point across to the police, but before she knows it, it's Cheryl's sanity that comes into question.

The similarities between Witness To Murder and Rear Window are more than evident all though out the film. Like Hitchcock's production, the films main prop to where the crimes are witnessed is the bedroom window, and to really resemble the latter, the object used to spy in the neighboring apartment to investigate the incident are a pair of binoculars, but while it contains many of the same elements as Rear Window, it also bares a startling analogy to Vertigo, North By Northwest and Psycho.

In Witness To Murder, Barbara Stanwyck has a role that's identical to James Stewart as the protagonist who witnesses the crime happening, and remains adamant in her beliefs about what she observed. Both characters experience trouble with the police, who won't believe them and start defending the antagonist, who in this case is George Sanders in a role that resembles that of Raymond Burr in Rear Window.

Alfred Hitchcock is truly a virtuoso of the film industry and Rear Window definitely warranted the critical acclaim it received, but in no means is a Witness To Murder a pale imitation of Hitchcock's masterpiece. Of course both films explore many of the same avenues and are similar in comparison, but audiences who favor the latter tend to forget that Witness To Murder was made and released before Rear Window.

In my opinion, Barbara Stanwyck is the greatest actress to ever grace the silver screen. In the annals of cinema history there is no other star that possessed the versatility that Stanwyck inhabited. From the moment she stepped foot on Hollywood soil, Stanwyck had been portraying a plethora of diverse roles in every genre imaginable. After her victorious results as the femme fatale, Phyllis Dietrichson in Double Indemnity ( 1944 ) Barbara Stanwyck's adeptness to Film Noir was well established, so much that she became accustomed to this genre during the 40's and the 50's.

Witness To Murder might not be considered one of Barbara Stanwyck's best works, but when you have an illustrious resume with a myriad of memorable roles, it's hard to choose what is. Stanwyck pioneered her way through a multitude of meritorious productions that are definitely worthy of an Oscar, in which she sadly never obtained.

I personally feel that Witness To Murder is one film that deserves more recognition. There is absolutely nothing that one could possibly dislike about the movie. It's abounded by a great script, an excellent cast, atmospheric cinematography, and a rising flow of suspense, resulting in a nail biting climax that will keep the viewer intrigued from beginning to end.

Apart from the many highlights, the cast is one exceptional feature. Barbara Stanwyck is laudable as Cheryl Draper, the indomitable, intelligent and independent woman who witnesses the murder and is determined to get the case resolved, even going as far as investigating the crime herself. She would do anything to prove to the police that she is correct, even if it means arranging a tour of Richter's apartment that is for rent so she can search for evidence, and when she finds a pair of earrings, she immediately takes them to the police to convince them she's right, but sadly for Cheryl this method is not effective.

Both George Sanders and Gary Merrill are magnificent. George Sanders is in full sneer mode as Albert Richter. To the police, he appears amiable and demonstrates that he would be incapable of committing such a crime, but in truth, he's a cold, ruthless murderer with a motive to kill.

The film is also packed with extreme punch. The scene where Cheryl is sent to the insane asylum is very intense and dramatic. In this particular part, Barbara Stanwyck as Cheryl Draper transforms her expressions into abysmal emotions as she is being swept into a mental state. Without having to resort to histrionics, Barbara is able to execute this scene perfectly by displaying such raw feelings and mountains of emotions.

Witness To Murder is the true definition of Film Noir at it's zenith. From John Alton's cinematography and the outstanding cast to the memorable chilling finale, this is one production that is not to be missed.

This is another American sitcom aimed at children that eventually came to this country. Clarissa Explains It All was originally shown on Nickelodeon, and it starred Melissa Joan Hart as Clarissa Darling, a girl in her early-teens. Now this was that age where Clarissa was beginning to learn about things in life including boys and spots, and she wanted to tell us all about it.

Most episodes begin with Clarissa breaking the fourth wall and directly addressing the viewers about what was currently on her mind. This would also occasionally be accompanied by some bizarre cutaway scenes. Clarissa also had a fondness for computer games, and we would see how she was getting on at Thomas Tupper Junior High School, it really was chaos. Vlcsnap-00296

We also meet Clarissa's family, her mother Janet who was a teacher, her father Marshall who was an architect, and her younger brother Ferguson. He was something of a swot, and there was a lot of sibling rivalry between the pair of them, meaning that they spent a lot of time squabbling. All of these situations helped to shape Clarissa's increasingly worldly-wise outlook on life. Vlcsnap-00300

The only other main character was Sam, who often entered Clarissa's bedroom through the window, which was always accompanied by a piece of music, and the greeting "hey, Sam". Now I always thought that he was going out with Clarissa, but it seems that he was just a good friend, because she was very well-behaved. Oh, and did they do an episode where Clarissa developed a punk alter-ego and a boy at school fell for her? Of course they did! Vlcsnap-00297

Indeed, although Clarissa had to deal with various things as her life changed, she seemed to be much more level-headed and less angst-ridden than most other TV characters (a more traumatic portrayal of what the teenage years can be like could be found in other sitcoms around at the same time including Married... With Children). An episode where she tried to bake a cake as a surprise for her parents' wedding anniversary was just about as difficult as it ever got for her.

Clarissa Explains It All did well for Nickelodeon, and there were 65 episodes in five series. It wasn't shown in the UK until 1994, by which point it had already ended in America, and it was originally shown as part of the Saturday Morning show Live & Kicking, before it moved to the main CBBC afternoon slot, where it would be repeated regularly until 1999. The show also had a distinctive "na-na-na" theme song (provided by Rachel Sweet) that it was difficult to get out of your head.

As far as 90s American sitcoms go, I don't remember enjoying it as much as Out Of This World, but it still contained some good moments. I'm fairly sure that it wasn't been released on DVD in this country though. Hart of course would later star in Sabrina The Teenage Witch, another successful long-running children's sitcom (I'll review that one soon too).

As many fans of Jane Austen must know, there have been several screen and television adaptations of the author's most celebrated novel, "Pride and Prejudice", published in 1813. I usually come across at least five of those versions - including the six-part BBC adaptation that aired in the U. S. in 1980. The miniseries was adapted by Fay Weldon and directed by Cyril Coke.

Only someone unfamiliar with Austen's story would not know that "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" told the story of Elizabeth Bennet, the second-born daughter of an English gentleman and landowner in Regency England. The story focused on the efforts of her volatile mother to find eligible husbands for Elizabeth and her four sisters. It is also a love story about Elizabeth's tumultuous relationship with a wealthy and haughty gentleman named Fitzwilliam Darcy. Through six episodes, the miniseries explored Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy's emotions, as their relationship went from mild hostility, misunderstandings and prejudice, to love, respect and marriage. Many Austen fans consider Weldon's adaptation to be the most faithful to the 1813 novel. After my recent viewing of the miniseries, I realized that I could never agree with that opinion.

I am not saying that "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" strongly differed from Austen's novel. But I can honestly say that it was no more faithful than the 1995 version. Only screenwriter Fay Weldon's variations differ from Andrew Davies'. In fact, most these differences were especially obvious in the segment that featured Elizabeth's visit to Hunsford, the Collins' home in Kent. But these differences did not lessen my enjoyment of the production. However, there were some aspects of the miniseries that did.

One aspect of "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" that annoyed me was its occasionally slow pacing. There were moments when I found myself wondering if I was watching a filmed play. Most fans would dismiss this complaint on the grounds that many BBC miniseries productions had been shot in this static style. True, but I have seen a few of these old productions that managed to maintain a brisk pacing. Another aspect of the miniseries that annoyed me was the internal monologues that expressed Elizabeth's thoughts. This was especially apparent in scenes that reflected Elizabeth's opinion of the letter she had received from Mr. Darcy following his disastrous marriage proposal; and in the sequences that featured her thoughts on her sister Lydia's elopement with George Wickham and her parents' marriage. Frankly, I found the use of this film device simply a cheap way to reflect Elizabeth's opinions on the subjects. And these monologues nearly bogged the series' pacing to a standstill.

But the real disappointment proved to be the miniseries' portrayal of the Netherfield Ball. The ball given by Mr. Darcy's close friend, Charles Bingley, was one of the novel's centerpieces in nearly every adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice". The ball was replaced with a garden fête in the 1940 version. But it still turned out to be one of the movie's centerpieces. So, why did Fay Weldon dropped the ball with this particular sequence? In this version, the Netherfield Ball segment lasted a little over six minutes. Elizabeth expressed her displeasure over Mr. Wickham's non-appearance and the prospect of dancing with Mr. Darcy. She danced with both Mr. Darcy and her cousin, William Collins. She traded barbs with Caroline Bingley. And Elizabeth also witnessed her mother's embarrassing boasts about elder sister Jane's romance with Mr. Bingley. By deleting Mr. Collins brief discussion with Mr. Darcy and the embarrassing behavior of the other members of the Bennet family, Weldon's screenplay seemed to have rendered the sequence half done. Worse, Cyril Coke shot the sequence at an incredibly fast pace. Between Weldon's deletions and Coke's pacing, the Netherfield Ball sequence seemed like such a disappointing affair.

When I first saw "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE", I became immediately enamored of the miniseries. As an adolescent, I thought it was one of the best things to come from British television. After my last viewing of the series, my opinion of it has somewhat diminished. But I still consider it to be very entertaining. Austen's wit remained intact. Well . . . Somewhat. Some of the jokes - like Elizabeth's comment about Darcy's and her penchant for "amazing" statements - failed to make any impact, due to Elizabeth Garvie's delivery of the line. And many of Mr. Bennet's witticisms seemed angry, instead of funny. But plenty of humor remained in the miniseries. Elizabeth's first meeting with Lady Catherine de Bourgh and a reunion with Mr. Darcy struck me as one of the miniseries' funniest scenes. Just about every scene with Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Collins provided plenty of laughs. The romances featured in "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" remained strong as ever, especially between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.

I would not consider Paul Wheeler's photography for "PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" to be that colorful. In fact, it looked slightly faded. One could attribute this to the fact that the miniseries has been aging for the past thirty years. Yet, I have seen other television productions made around the same time or earlier that looked more colorful. But I must admit that I enjoyed Joan Ellacott's costume designs. They were certainly colorful and properly reflected the characters' social status.

Any adaptation of "Pride and Prejudice" would be nothing without strong leads to portray the two main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. The 1980 miniseries certainly benefitted from strong performances provided by Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul. Garvie proved to be a very soft-spoken Elizabeth Bennet, reminding me of Greer Garson's performance in the same role in the 1940 adaptation. Yet, beneath the soft tones, Garvie provided plenty of wit and steel. I found her performance very enjoyable. And David Rintoul definitely projected Mr. Darcy's haughty demeanor. Some consider his performance to be the epitome portrayal of Austen's famous character. Perhaps. Perhaps not. There were moments when Rintoul's Mr. Darcy seemed a bit too haughty - especially when the character was supposed to be falling in love with Elizabeth. But I believe he still gave a first-rate performance. And he provided one of the miniseries' funniest moments in a scene featuring Elizabeth and the Collins' first visit to Rosings Park.

The rest of the cast seemed solid. But I can only think of a few exceptional performances. One came from Priscilla Morgan, whose portrayal of Mrs. Bennet managed to be extremely irritating without her resorting to caricature. I was also impressed by Marsha Fitzalan, who proved that Caroline Bingley could be both subtle and spiteful at the same time. Tessa Peake-Jones gave an entertaining performance as the bookish and pompous Mary Bennet. Her portrayal seemed more subtle than other actresses who have portrayed the character. Peter Settlelen also gave a solid performance as George Wickham, but he came off as too hale and hearty for me to consider him as an effective villain. And Peter Howell was certainly hilarious as the boorish and obsequious Mr. William Collins, Elizabeth's cousin and Mr. Bennet's heir. However, there were moments when he seemed a bit over-the-top.

And then there were the performances that I found questionable. I must admit that I was not impressed by Natalie Ogle's portrayal of the childish Lydia Bennet. I found her acting skills somewhat amateurish. Claire Higgins, who portrayed Kitty Bennet seemed a little too old for the role. There were times when her Kitty seemed more mature (in a negative way) than the other four sisters. And Kitty is supposed to be the second youngest sibling in the family. Actor Moray Watson gave a sharp and entertaining performance as the Bennets' patriarch. But I found his wit a bit too harsh and angry at times.

"PRIDE AND PREJUDICE" has its share of flaws, which I have pointed out in this review. But its virtues outweighed the flaws - the biggest ones being the first-rate performances of the two leads, Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul. Screenwriter Fay Weldon and director Cyril Coke did an above-average job in adapting Jane Austen's most famous novel.

Sadao works part time at a burger joint. He barely makes enough for rent. And he's the devil king, Satan. Or he was before the hero Emilia trashed his place and forced him to retreat through a portal. Now he plans on conquering the world a different way. One shift at a time.

Most of the violence in this show is slap stick, but there are a few more violent bits. Some blood is shown via punching and getting cut. Nothing too bad, but it's there

Despite having plenty of innuendo and fanservice moments, actual nudity is rather low in this show. One character is well endowed (isn't that always the case?) and her chest size is often the butt-end of a joke or two. Also, near the end, one enemy implies he means to rape a girl. He doesn't get the chance, thankfully.

This is gonna be weird, but remember: Japan. Okay? Right. So the "devil" in this show is not the one from western culture. Not even close (although at times they try to make it seem as if he is). The story sets him and "the church" in a different dimension. A whole other world. Biblical names and church history bits are used randomly in that world, but it often rings more Catholic in places and then just deteriorates out to whatever the show creators felt like that day. In other words, it tries at times to blend religion and magic and heaven knows what else, but in the end it's all pure fantasy with characters that have the same names as those found in the Bible and little else. This show is mainly focused on comedy and it doesn't ever forget that for long.

That said, if the mere idea of these things bother you, skip this one. The symbolism, however weak, is kept throughout. One character even falls in love with the "devil." It's not a "theme" that goes away (if you can even call a story element created simply to have characters put in the most awkward positions possible a "theme").

I found this show to be hilarious and looked forward to new episode uploads while it was simul-cast. The characters are mainly stereotypes, but it hardly matters when they're so bloody hilarious. While every once in awhile a point is almost made about judging others and such, that part is clearly the backseat passenger to the comedy (it's best not to dig deeply into this show. There's nothing to see).

The animation is decent and so is the music, although not spectacular in their own right. So long as you don't take things too seriously, chances are you'll find this show a fun ride. Just be sure you don't read into some of the "religious" implications too much. It's a labyrinth of half-backed research riddled with inconsistency. In fact, you might even say that it was done on purpose to joke on the many western myths and stories that conflict with each other. With a show like this, it's hard to tell.

Who would have thought that a movie about four senior citizens going into space could be so much fun? But that's exactly what the 2000 film "Space Cowboys" is all about: pure fun.

Directed and produced by Clint Eastwood, "Space Cowboys" starred Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four elderly ex-test pilots who are sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite. The film's supporting cast included Marcia Gay Harden, William Devane, Loren Dean, Courtney B. Vance, Rade Serbedzija and James Cromwell.

At its core, Space Cowboys" is not a film solely about space. If anything, it's about a bunch of old prolific actors having a good time. I'm joking, of course, the film is really about former test pilots Frank Corvin (Eastwood), Hawk Hawkins (Jones), Jerry O'Neill (Sutherland) and Tank Sullivan (Garner) collectively known as "Team Daedalus." In the late 1950s, the four friends thought they were going to be the first Americans in space. But the group got screwed by their superior Bob Gerson (James Cromwell) who always had it out for them. When NASA is formed, "Team Daedalus" is not invited to join and America sent a monkey into space instead.

Fast-forward around forty years later when NASA is tasked with preventing a Soviet-era communications satellite named IKON, from decaying out of orbit and crashing to Earth. When initial attempts fail and IKON is deemed too big to be retrieved by a space shuttle, NASA decides to launch a mission to fix the satellite on sight. However, the design of the satellite's electronics is archaic and based on stolen blueprints. The only one who may be able to fix IKON is the guy who designed the original system, luckily for NASA Frank Crvin is still alive and kicking.

Space-Cowboys-2000-Donald-Sutherland-Clint-Eastwood-pic-9 Reluctantly, the head of NASA Bob Gerson (Cromwell) sends engineer Sara Holland (Marcia Gay Harden) and astronaut Ethan Glance (Loren Dean) to request Frank's help. Frank is initially hostile as he still despises Gerson for what he did decades earlier to him and his friends. But after thinking it over, Frank tells Sara he's willing to put aside his differences with Gerson to help fix IKON with one condition: Frank says he will only help NASA if "Team Daedalus" are the ones sent up to fix IKON.

With the clock ticking Bob Gerson agrees to Frank's terms, but only if all of "Team Daedalus" can pass the astronaut training program. Gerson isn't worried though, because he discreetly plans to have younger astronauts shadow the four so they can replace not Frank and his friends. However, when the press learn that NASA might send a bunch of senior citizens into space, it creates a lot of buzz around NASA and the mission. The Vice President of the United States convinces Bob Gerson that Frank's team must be part of the mission so that they can keep the good publicity going.

After five weeks of non-stop training the brand new Space Shuttle now named Daedalus successfully launches into orbit. Soon, the shuttle crew finds IKON but are shocked by its size. IKON if far larger than any communications satellite should be, but the Russians claim it's due to upgrades. Despite their feelings, the team secures the satellite with the shuttle's loading arm and prepares to begin repairs. But when Frank, Hawk, and Ethan perform a spacewalk, they discover IKON houses six nuclear missiles. Worst yet, if IKON begins to fall from orbit, its computers will automatically launch the missiles at predetermined targets. To see what happens from there, you need to see the movie to find out.

Space_cowboys_11_lrg "Space Cowboys" is a perfectly-paced film, with likable characters and an interesting premise. It may not be Clint Eastwood's best-known movie as a director, but it's definitely the one I watch the most. Eastwood put together a stellar cast from top to bottom. Heck, even Tommy Lee Jones looks like he cares. If I had to pick a favorite character, it would be James Garner as Reverend "Tank" Sullivan. The tank has some of my favorite moments from the movie, like when he helps Hawk lift weights and then says he's going to his room to cry. Or the time they're in a bar and he manages to win something from that evil claw game I sucked at as a kid.

The movie is funnier than you'd expect from an Eastwood film, but it's also suspenseful at times. Seeing the older guys stuck in their crippled space shuttle with malfunctioning computers and little fuel left was nerve-wracking. You could have heard a pin drop in the theater as the men try to figure out how to get back to earth in what is essential "A flying brick.". I thought Eastwood was smart to leave out all the unnecessary details we, the audience, don't need. The focus instead is on the events the actors are dealing with.

Another good thing Eastwood did was keeping other plotlines to a minimum. The other stories we get, like Hawk falling in love with Sara, and Jerry starting a relationship with the team's nurse, are all dealt with before the team goes into space. The only plotline that follows the men into space is the one where James Cromwell has "his man" onboard the shuttle. But that plotline is linked to the main plot of saving IKON, so it makes sense to keep it going. Through it all, the foul lead actors are terrific together and I got the sense they had a lot of fun working together.

It's funny, but it wasn't until I watched this movie that I realized how much space junk there is up there. It made me realize how much of it is old enough that the people who worked on it ma not be around anymore. So it wouldn't be shocking to see NASA call upon some of the old guards. But I'm pretty sure that's not what director Clint Eastwood was thinking when he made "Space Cowboys." From what I remember, Eastwood was inspired to make the movie when NASA sent John Glenn into space when he was 77 years old.

I love "Space Cowboys," but if I have one complaint about the movie it would be the opening sequence. While I like the idea of seeing "Team Daedalus" in their prime in the late 1950s, the thing that always takes me out of it is the actor's voices. For some reason, Clint Eastwood thought it would be a good idea to put their 2000 voices on their younger selves. Maybe he was trying to make it easier for the audience to tell who was who, but it doesn't work because why would they sound like they were in their 70s when they were 20 somethings?

Whenever I hear the voices of Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner, and Donald Sutherland coming out of other actors, it throws me off. Luckily this stops after the opening sequence and didn't take too much away from me enjoying the rest of "Space Cowboys." The opening sequence is noteworthy for one other thing and that's because Toby Stephens plays the younger version of Clint Eastwood.

"Space Cowboys" turned out to be one of the most entertaining movies I saw in the summer of 2000. It may not be an award winner like some of Clint Eastwood's other films, but I think it's one of his better films because it shows Eastwood can direct all kinds of movies.

But what makes this movie work is the cast. It just goes to show you good actors are good at any age, and James Garner was an underrated comedic actor. If you haven't seen "Space Cowboys" go check it out. It's always on television, and it's probably streaming somewhere as we speak. As I said at the top, this movie is pure fun, and what more could you ask for from a movie?

Love Actually follows the lives of eight different couples dealing with their love lives in various ways in loosely interrelated tales set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.

This is a Christmas classic that I haven't seen until now, and it's probably weird to review a Christmas movie in mid-February, but it's a romance film, too, so I'm doing it anyway. Thankfully this is a film that I loved (I'm thankful for that because yesterday's Across the Universe was a doozy).

Richard Curtis' writing and great direction handles all the tales well and for the most part, they all feel like they have balance. They're all connected in some way and that makes the world building more interesting, though you'll need a map to remember how each person and each couple relates to each other. I also couldn't list the couples and their stories without looking at the cast list.

Love Actually article Rowan Atkinson in Love Actually. (IMDb)

What works best about Love Actually is that it's just a feel-good Christmas movie about love and taking risks around the holiday season. Some sub-plots are problematic, like the voyeuristic Mark (Andrew Lincoln), who's in love with best friend Peter's (Chiwetel Ejiofor) new wife Juliet (Keira Knightley). While you should take risks for love around Christmas, this whole sub-plot is the weakest of them all. Ejiofor is a great actor who gets very little to do here, and the only scene of worth in their tale is the "All You Need is Love" bit at their wedding.

The pacing in Love Actually is generally strong, but I think this is the only tale that I could justify taking out of the film so we can spend more time with the better characters. The only other tale I could try to make an argument for editing out is Colin Frissell (Kris Marshall), who can't find love and think his problem is the fact that he's just so basic in England, so he sets out for America to find a love there. I could make an argument for taking it out because it's one-note, but there are also a couple of good belly laughs and cameos here and has some smart humour from Richard Curtis.

Otherwise, everyone else's story feels justified here. I really liked the tale with Jamie (Colin Firth) and Aurelia (Lúcia Moniz) as I thought the language barrier was handled in a very creative way. Him staying in a cabin and their romance blossoming the way it does feels like it does a Nicholas Sparks movie better than Nicholas Sparks.

I loved the tale with the Prime Minster (Hugh Grant) and Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), because that's funny from the start and these two tales seem to get the most screen time. Their romance was also just generally engaging. I really loved Emma Thompson's character in this one, Karen, who is a main connector of some of these tales as she's dealing with her husband Harry (Alan Rickman).

I don't mean to be boring just listing each tale and saying what I like about them, but it's hard to talk about the charming Love Actually without going through its romances. It's interesting how it depicts non-romances too, like a singer Billy Mack (Bill Nighy) who's trying to be the No. 1 Holiday song with his new release "Christmas Is All Around," which is super catchy. His tale is hilarious and it's a lot about his friendship with his manager Joe (Gregor Fisher). The film also has a smart tale about young love with Sam (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), who's trying to get the attention of a girl at his school. His father Daniel (Liam Neeson) has also just recently lost his wife, so that's an enriching part of his character.

That's the thing with Love Actually, these characters all feel well-developed in their own ways and for the most part, they're all likable. Rowan Atkinson is a notable scene-stealer as Rufus, a jewelry salesman, and I would have loved to have known more about him. My expectations were met with this film because it made me laugh a lot and I cried, too.

There's one couple here that I've never heard anyone talk about and that's the romance between John (Martin Freeman) and Judy (Joanna Page). They're stand-ins for a porn film - so if people only see this on TV that's why they don't talk about it - and their awkward dialogue during their "scenes" are really funny. Love Actually is just generally funny, too, and I feel like it's solid Christmas entertainment that could be viewed outside of the Christmas season, because it's just about love, happiness and family and that's nice year-round.

T's funny, if you watch a classic film from before 1970, for the first time and nobody will bat an eyelid - in fact, they may even congratulate you for finally seeing these esteemed masterpieces. Watch one from the past 50 years for the first time however, and you are embarrassingly late to the party. To wit...

Late 1975 and heavyweight boxing champion Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) wants to hold a world title bout in Philadelphia to mark America's bicentenary, but his opponent pulls out due to an injury. With possible replacements either already booked or unable to take the fight at such short notice, Creed decides to give a local boxer a chance to create a media buzz and have an easy fight.

Creed picks Rocky Balboa aka The Italian Stallion (Sylvester Stallone), currently working as a debt collector for loan shark Tony Gazzo (Joe Spinell). He refuses at first until his trainer Mickey Goldmill (Burgess Meredith) and girlfriend Adrian (Talia Shire) build him up to help him realise his potential. Rocky takes the fight and causes a local media stir, but is very aware he is the ultimate underdog.

Parodied, copied, and subject to endless homage, Rocky very much fits the description outlined in the opening paragraph - a modern classic it seems every film buff has seen as a rite of passage, and it beggars belief that a serious film fan hasn't. For my part, it never appealed to me as I'm not a fan of boxing and Sylvester Stallone isn't exactly a must see actor for my tastes, although I did enjoy the Rambo series.

Sly reportedly wrote the original script in three days after watching a Muhammad Ali fight on TV and go help from Henry Winkler to ship it around. It was originally going to be a TV movie but Stallone insisted on be the lead which nobody would take the chance on. Can you imagine established names like Robert Redford or Burt Reynolds as Rocky? Me neither.

What is interesting is how little boxing there is in the film- just two fights - but it isn't really about that, it's about Rocky's journey from zero to hero. Living in near squalor in urban Philadelphia and making a living beating up debtors, Rocky is driven not by failure but the fear of failure, and keeps going regardless. For instance, Adrian works in a pet shop and he talks to her every day but she is so shy she ignores him, yet he persists.

Fortunately, Adrian is the sister of Rocky's pal Paulie (Burt Young), an uncouth butcher resentful of his sister for sacrificing his life to look after her. Because of her mousiness, Adrian is considered "retarded" and destined to be an old maid. Rocky eventually makes headway with her through his pugnacious determination and earthly manner, and gradually brings her out of her shell, and they make a logical couple.

Meanwhile, Rocky falls out with Mickey who feels Rocky is wasting his talent as a debt collector. Once word gets out the Creed fight, Mickey offers to be Rocky's manager, and after a harsh exchange, they reunite. Admittedly, this is a reductive recap of this scene, as my words can't do it justice; it's not your typical Hollywood moment, the crux being Rocky's impassioned monologue aimed at Mickey who has already left.

Quite a lot of the script is comprised of odd philosophical musings from Rocky, arguably the last person you'd expect to be a font of wisdom with his thick, lobotomised delivery, yet he makes so much sense distilling society's BS and making sense of it in a palatable form. This crystallises Rocky's character - he is humble, unaffected, and happy to have something rather than nothing, and ostentation is for others.

Thus the end of the film - spoiler for the few others who haven't seen it - is Rocky is just happy he got to have his big fight and survived. Winning was not expected; the script doesn't follow the hackneyed trope of an upset victory, and rightly so - that would have undermined the very nature of his personality, his simplistic sense of pride, humility, and lack of artifice.

At no point though is this ever about lack of ambition on his part - Rocky trains hard and has an innate belief something will happen if you put in the effort - but the showbiz side of things doesn't seem to hold any interest. His TV interviews are akin to a small child oblivious to the prestige of the moment, shrugging off important questions with a fey answer. It's so refreshing, it's actually endearing.

Everyone knows the training sequence and Rocky running up the steps of the Philly Art Museum set to the anthemic funk of Gonna Fly Now, yet for me it is the heart and home spun philosophy of the script and the domestic drama that is the most memorable and affecting part of this film. It did what it was designed to do - make me keen to see Rocky win the fight - yet all the while I was thinking "And this came from Stallone?"

Director John G. Avildsen deserves much credit too, keeping things commensurate to the gritty ordinariness of Rocky's ghetto existence then turning it up for the pomp of the big fight extravaganza. Let's not overlook the support cast either - Talia Shire's ability to shrink into herself to play Adrian is sublime; Burt Young's Paulie is tragically incendiary, and Burgess Meredith's Mickey is the definitive irascible veteran trapped within his past glories.

Rocky has achieved something I'm almost ashamed to admit - it made me realise how much I have underestimated Stallone for all these years. I've only know him as the meathead muscle guy with droopy eyes and incoherent speech which is unfair if he can create - and bring to life - something so viscerally soulful and life-affirming as this.

After the unexpected death of his father, Charlie Babbit (Tom Cruise) returns home to Cincinnati to try and capture the three-million-dollar fortune left in his father's will. Unbeknownst to Charlie however, the money has actually been left to the mental institution that houses Raymond Babbit (Dustin Hoffman), the estranged sibling of Charlie. Motivated highly by his father's money, Charlie checks Raymond out of the facility and the pair embark on a journey that may alter both of their lives. A great film that still manages to stand the test of time, despite being released over thirty years ago.

Winner of four different Academy Awards in 1989 and nominated for four others, Rain Main is an excellently crafted drama that manages to provide not only great acting performances over the course of its one-hundred and thirty-three minute runtime but also deliver the serious subject of autism to its viewing audiences. With the filmmakers giving autism such publicity in 1988, the flick with any luck helped to lessen the stigma brought on to those with this condition. Even today in August of 2022, the film does a solid job of providing key insight into the condition.

The filmmakers not only explore the subject of autism, but they also dive into the issue of relationships between people - more specifically the relationships between brothers. Over the course of the picture, the changes in relationship between the two main characters are subtle, done primarily through genuine character development and character interaction, using witty and effective dialogue throughout.

It's also worth stating how easy on the eye the film was. Released in 1988, it managed to capture America in its full glory, with various noteworthy filming locations on display - California, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Ohio and Nevada just to name a few. There was also a significant score too, with Rain Man being Hans Zimmer's first score for a Hollywood production.

In terms of the acting, Charlie Babbit was portrayed by Tom Cruise while Dustin Hoffman adopted the role of Raymond Babbit. Both performances were noteworthy and a key reason for the films huge success and longevity even until this day. It's worth noting too that Dustin Hoffman spent an entire year working with autistic men and their families to understand their complex relationships in preparation for this role.

All in all, Rain Man still stands up today as being a more than watchable film from the 1980's and is certainly one I'd recommend for people to watch. One minor gripe would be the long runtime, this could have been trimmed down slightly but ultimately speaking, that doesn't take much away from the film.

"I'm an excellent driver."

Hooo boy. This is a hard one to write about.

There's certain anime that you point to (if you're an anime fan) that you use to settle arguments about the quality of the medium. Conversely, there are examples of anime that completely and utterly destroy arguments about anime being a serious art medium.

And then there are the ones that fall right in the middle. These are anime that have interesting and distinct elements with great character moments but also simultaneously have some outrageous in them.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is such an anime.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure began its run as a manga in 1986 and has continued to this day under the pen of Hiroko Araki. The story has permutated in many ways since its inception but it has never truly permeated the west until recently, despite attempts over the years.

Why is that? A couple of reasons really. Throughout the entirety of the manga run Araki has continually used the titles and names of bands as the names of characters in his manga. This is largely due to his great fondness for western music but, as you can imagine, copyright issues became a massive concern when porting over manga as well as game adaptations. Hence why several character's names get distorted accordingly.

The other reason is that the manga goes through several different story arcs migrating to new lead characters and story settings despite being set in the same world. Because of that, there is a massive tonal shift each time a new arc starts that crests of the previous one. Thusly each story becomes... well more bizarre then the one that precedes it.

So to say the least, it's a hard story to jump in on the middle of.

Prior to 2012, the only storyline to receive a anime adaptation was the third story arc Stardust Crusaders, arguably the most popular one of the franchise. Only recently has an anime been conceived that shows the first two arcs of the adventure.

Recently that anime began a sequel season covering the third arc and it isn't certain if it'll continue after that. But, because this is a manga that has an ongoing story dating back to 1986, I'm going to focus on the new 2012 anime that covers the first two story arcs of Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

For my own sanity at any rate.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure begins in 1880 in England. During a carriage accident the wealthy lord George Joestar loses his wife and almost his newborn son. A man by the name of Dario Brando comes by and attempts to rob it, only to realize that George is still alive. George, realizing what is happening takes pity on the man and convinces Dario that he; George, believes that Dario is here to save him.

As a result George makes a pledge, that he will adopt Dario's son and raise him along with his own son Jonathon Joestar (or Jojo for short).

It is a promise that condemns human history for one hundred years.

When Dario dies, his son Dio goes to the Joestar manor and begins a calculated campaign to destroy Jonathon's life and become heir to the Joestar fortune. This includes turning close friends against Jonathon, abusing young women and cooking Jonathon's dog in a fire.

Jonathon confronts Dio and assaults him. During that exchange Dio realizes that beating Jonathon head on is folly as his spirit is unbreakable and each adversity makes Jonathon stronger.

And that's when the vampire starts. Sort of. Let me explain.

In the background of all of this is an old ritual stone mask belonging to George. During that first fight Dio's blood strikes the mask causing spikes to come out. Examination of that effect by both Jonathan and Dio (separately mind you) over the next seven years reveals that the spikes will penetrate the human brain if the mask is worn. Both assume it is a mask for ritual sacrifice as a result.

Eventually both boys graduate college and return home. Dio has attempted to poison George and Jonathan has deduced it. In a drunken stupor Dio escapes as Jonathan goes to get evidence. Taking the mask with him Dio experiments on a drunkard only to learn that the mask turns the drunk into a vampire.

Dio barely survives the encounter but is saved by the sun. Heading back to the Joestar manor Jonathan confronts Dio and Dio dons the mask, killing George Joestar. And then goes sideways. As in Dio starts climbing walls because he's a vampire now.

The adventure goes from there, echoing shades of Fist of the North Star as Jonathan learns a martial art to produce sunlight in order to combat Dio. This first arc, titled Phantom Blood ends at episode 9 of the anime and volume 4 of the manga. I will not spoil the final encounter of Dio and Jonathan as it's something of a powerful moment that I don't think was truly executed in manga prior or since.

Part two of the manga and 2012 anime is Battle Tendency. Starting fifty years later in 1939 in America Jonathan is long past and his successor to the Jojo name, his grandson Joseph, is a Hamon prodigy and an all-around low brow flirt with a madman's genius.

Joseph is my favourite character if you hadn't guessed.

This arc deals with the origin of the mask as Joseph is forced to train his talents in Hamon and engage in a battle for the world with a new breed of vampires, stronger than Dio. Their names are Wam, AC/DC and Cars.

Not even going to make that up.

As I said there's a lot to compare the anime to that of Fist of the North Star, especially the Battle Tendency arc and that includes visuals and villain motivations. What makes the story unique is that of how vampires are used in their traditional fashion as horror creatures (especially in Phantom Blood) juxtaposed against the heroic anime protagonist archetype. Thusly you have the unique effect of having heroic moments buffeted and reinforced with classic horror tragedy. It's surprisingly effective.

Of the characters Jonathan Joestar is an ideal hero. He is noble, selfless, and well mannered. He is considered such a great spirit that bitter thieves become beloved friends and his tenacity earns the respect of his enemies. Even in battling the vampire Dio Jonathan is filled with regret at fighting someone he grew up with. He remains a character of great dignity and nobility throughout his story arc.

Joseph inherits the Joestar trait of righteous indignation against evil and tenacity in battle that triumphs over evil. Conversely he's a genius that loves to fight dirty to win. In his first battle with a vampire he pulls a tommy gun and covers the vampire in grenades.

He also tries to sneak into a Nazi base disguised as a woman. His failure is a blow to his self-esteem.

And then there's Dio. As cruel as a petty child with a genius mind to boot. Despite his assertions of his superiority Dio delights in wreaking pain upon anyone he considers his inferior. Which is anyone who isn't Dio. In fact, I think if he met another Dio he'd hate that Dio too for trying to imitate perfection. For Dio cruelty is the bonus for the way he conducts himself for victory.

Conversely the three elevated vampires (Cars, Wam and AC/DC) that fight Joesph, consider humanity little more than insects by comparison and view the murder of a human akin to stepping on an ant. Only Joseph really earns their respect and attention, at which point they view fighting him much like a cat playing with a mouse.

There are a host of other characters worth mentioning but length prohibits what I can say, (that includes talking about Lisa Lisa, the queen of cold hard badass and Joseph's teacher). Especially when I have to address the visual style and movement of the characters. The first two arcs represented in the anime reflect the manga's Fist of the North Star influence. What sets it apart is largely character posture which continues to be a presence as Araki developed his own artistic style.

Rather than have strong defiant stances, Araki's protagonists are often caught in fluid transition moments or wavy poses displaying their flexibility. As such there's a heavy implication in both the manga and the anime that Araki's true vision of movement for the characters is one well beyond conventional means to animate.

The series overall is one of great interest, especially if one has an appreciation for classic manga storytelling conventions of epic heroes and such. If that's within your disposition it's well worth the viewing.

So too does this work exist.

Poor Joan Crawford, she can never seem to catch a break.

She meets a handsome younger man and they get married. All is going well until he plots to murder you and then run away with your fortune with his younger, more daring blonde girlfriend. This 'younger man' troupe was the common theme in most of Crawford's films when she made the move from MGM to Warner Brothers in 1943. In no other movie is this more prevalent than the thriller/film-noir Sudden Fear.

Released in 1952, Sudden Fear stars Joan Crawford (at her most fabulous), Jack Palance, and Gloria Grahame. Joan plays Myra Hudson, a successful Broadway playwright who runs her productions like a well-oiled machine. Looking for a new male lead for her next play, she hosts auditions, hoping to find that one lucky man. That one lucky man does show up as Lester Blaine, played by Jack Palance. Lester gets the part, but come rehearsals Myra fires him, rather harshly, due to lack of romantic chemistry with his leading lady.

A few days later, the play has it's premiere. Myra, happy and ecstatic that she's getting rave reviews for her newest masterpiece, boards a train home to San Francisco. Coincidentally, Lester Blaine happens to be on the same train ride; Myra, understandably, feels put off by this.

But, after a few hours of laughing, throwing back drinks, and sharing a couple of stories, Lester successfully 'woos' her. They fall in love and Myra is absolutely smitten with her new man. One night, Lester was due at Myra's home for a get-together she was throwing for a successful play opening. After a few hours of being ghosted, Myra decides to seek out her beau, jilting a crowd of people who were now stranded at a house party without a hostess.

This is where the plot thickens.

She rushes over to his hotel, only to find him halfway down the steps getting ready to board the next train to New York. He claims that he has "no place in her life' and that he doesn't "belong to her world." Despite that, the two reconcile and eventually get married. The newly hitched couple go on a mini staycation at Myra's beachside home.

While walking down the steep steps of the beach house, Lester warns Myra that the way down has no guard rail. Why would he point this out? Why would a newly married man be worried about his wife suddenly dying? Anyway. The next day, Myra throws ANOTHER party, this time Lester actually shows up. However, what happens next changes the entire arc of the movie.

During the soiree, a mysterious blonde makes her way into the mansion. This throws Lester off guard as he drifts in and out of the conversation. The blonde introduces herself as Irene Neves, played by the amazingly talented Gloria Grahame. The pair seems to be a little bit too friendly with each other, but, Myra pays no mind.

Cue the next scene.

Irene is kissing her date goodbye and runs up to her apartment. Suddenly a man comes up behind her and stops her from putting her key in the door. Surprise, surprise, the man is actually Lester. By this point in the film, expectations have been subverted so many times that, I've given up on guessing what happens. The two have a very heated (and very sensual) argument about why she's here in the first place. Irene's feminine wiles convince Lester to leave his wife, unbeknownst to Myra.

The next few days Irene and Lester develop a plan to run away together- but first Myra needs to disappear.

They spend a couple of weeks plotting, scheming and conniving ways to possibly remove Myra from the equation. During these weeks, Lester behavior becomes increasingly bizarre. Myra, finally, becomes suspicious of her husband's odd behavior. But, here's the kicker, Myra ultimately finds out about this whole plot to have her killed by unintentionally listening to a recording, from her dictation machine, of Irene and Lester discussing ways to have her murder look like an accident.

Frightened and heartbroken, Myra falls into a deep depression- refusing to leave her room for days out of fear of being killed. During this time, she plans her way to preemptively stop this by killing Lester and placing the blame on Irene.

The plan sounds diabolical, but it just might work.

The next few scenes in the movie have Myra sneaking into Irene's apartment with a duplicate key she had made a few days earlier. When she's in the apartment, she hides in the closet until Irene comes home with a date. Irene's date is very persistent on staying longer than he's welcomed, but she eventually manages to get rid of him. She then leaves to meet Lester at a parking garage, leaving Myra in the closet.

Myra envisioned what it may be like to kill Lester, but when faced with the thought, she throws the gun away. Hysterical and disgusted with the prospect of killing her husband, she doesn't go through her plan. As soon as she was about to leave the apartment Lester walks in. The phone rings and Lester pick it up. It was Irene's date. Lester starts to get an uneasy feeling.

He walks around the apartment and he stumbles upon Myra's gun wrapped in a handkerchief. Convinced Myra set him up, he rushes out of the apartment to his car and is hell-bent on finding her. Myra, stupidly, chases after him on foot. Lester spots her (or what looks to be her) out of the corner of his eye and then proceeds to hunt her down with his car. Lester slams on the brakes believing he was killing Myra, but it turns out to be Irene, who was wearing the same white scarf Myra was. Lester ends up killing himself and Irene while Myra in disbelief, walks of dazed and without a scratch.

Conclusion

I adore everything about this movie, the way it's shot, the shadows, the acting performances- everything! Joan Crawford really gave it her all in this role. You felt the pain, and panic on her face when she found out that her husband was conspiring to kill her with a younger woman, and then that pain turned into concern for him when he ends up involuntarily killing himself at the end. Ms. Crawford unquestionably deserved that Oscar nomination she received in 1952, and in my opinion, she should've won.

I also have to give it up to the two other actors who were starring opposite Joan in the movie: Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame. Their chemistry when they shared scenes together were dripping with innuendo. At times, I rooted for them to get away with it. You know, the Bonnie and Clyde effect, but alas, never count out Joan Crawford.

Overall, I would give this film a 9/10. It's a film noir that you must put on your watchlist. The cinematography will have you thinking about it hours after you've finished, and the acting performances will make it a movie to remember.

A story about the relationship between a mother and her ungrateful daughter has become something much more in the film Mildred Pierce, released 70 years ago on September 24, 1945. The story of Ms. Pierce was received affectionately with audiences when originally released and the powerful messages it holds can still be understood today.

The opening shots of the movie shows Monte Baragon (Zachary Scott) getting shot and the story is told in flashbacks of Mildred's life. Mildred Pierce (Joan Crawford) talks about how she and Bert (Bruce Bennett), the father of her two children, end up divorcing. While Wally Fay (Jack Carson) attempts to get together with her soon afterward, Mildred turns him down. Mildred gets hired by Ida (Eve Arden) and becomes a waitress to support her family but Veda quickly tells Mildred how ashamed of her she is. After Kay, the younger daughter, dies of pneumonia, Mildred channels her grief into opening a restaurant, which quickly becomes a chain, and is therefore able to give Veda what she desires. Mildred falls in love with a once rich man named Monte Baragon who quickly shows Veda how the other half lives. As time passes, Monte borrows too much money from Mildred and Veda gets too spoiled, so Mildred ends up cutting herself off from both of them. After Bert shows Mildred how Veda resorted to singing in a nightclub to get by, Mildred attempts to get Veda to come home, which Veda refuses. Later, Mildred and Monte marry, but Mildred does so to improve her social status and get Veda back and Monte does so to get out of debt. Veda comes back, pretending that she'll change. At the end of the film, however, both Monte and Veda's true colors are revealed, as well as who the killer is.

The casting of the film could not be more spot on. Joan Crawford brings an extra level of sophistication and emotion to the character of Mildred, which explains her Oscar win. Jack Carson, Ann Blyth and Eve Arden are also standouts and make the film much more enjoyable. While, unfortunately, Bruce Bennett is a little flat, the other actors carry the film.

Honestly this film would not have been nearly as successful without Joan Crawford. For a woman in the mid 1940s, and the fact that she ends up becoming a successful business owner, Pierce is a great example of strong female characters back in Hollywood's Golden Era. She would always introduce herself with her full name, which adds credibility and prestige, while many a time a woman would be referred to as "Mrs. Husband's Name" back then. Pierce is a real woman, who loves her children (although a little extensively) and isn't afraid to cry. But she doesn't back down either and takes the extra mile to get what she wants. It's interesting to watch the character of Mildred develop as the years pass in the film. She becomes much stronger and more powerful as the film progresses but this is also attributed to her desperate desires to please her daughter. After losing Kay to pneumonia, it becomes clearer why she continues to act that way. Everything that Crawford does, from how Pierce holds herself to how Pierce acts, is incredible and should be recognized as an outstanding performance.

So says the Greek chorus and so say I. But not when it comes to my obsession with Woody movies; or so I assume. He proves yet again that he was born to be a writer and meant to be an artist. Mighty Aphrodite is an amusingly comical tale about romance, irony and obsession with a touch of Greek mythology. Now, you don't have to know much about the Greeks to understand this movie. Woody does his best to make it seem more relatable to the 'ungreek' eyes.

Mighty Aphrodite could be mistaken for a theatrical play with the Greek Chorus jumping in with their words of wisdom and that too with immense humor and wit. They might seem unwanted to some, but for me they held the act together with verve and gusto.

Most of Allen's movies have jazz playing with beautiful scenes of New York and Manhattan at the heart of its plot. It is almost a given in Allen's work, but not in this one. It was as non-American as he can get with his creations. With Spanish Guitar playing at the opening scene, Woody tries hard to keep up with it and gives it up at the end of the movie by making the Greek Chorus sing the tunes of Frank Sinatra's "When You're Smiling (the whole world smiles with you)". This was Jazzy to the core. But that's Woody Allen for you, a diehard New Yorker. By giving a contemporary handle to the Greek drama, Woody discovers Aphrodite in New York.

We meet the ancients in modern context: Cassandra the prophetess, Tiresias the blind seer, the Chorus with its constant commentary, today's Trojan hero, Lenny Weinrib (Allen), who rides subways and elevators instead of a wooden horse to reach his Helen of Troy. But who is she? A mother? A hooker? What can Lenny do about it? Here is where the chorus comes handy. Leave it onto them to explicate the situation.

The Chorus is directed in what is called a "4th Wall" technique, which allows them to break out from the action and talk to the audience directly. They foretell the gifts of the future and predict the danger that lies in our protagonist's life, but can take no action; which Lenny points out to the Chorus leader: You know, that's why you will always be a Chorus member because you don't do anything. I act. I take action. I make things happen.

At the end though, it's Lenny who has to take the helm by means of his own wit.

Greek Chorus: Remember brave Achilles.

Lenny: Achilles only had an Achilles' heel. I have a full Achilles body.

A beautiful and talented cast makes it a delightful treat. With Helena Bonham Carter, F. Murray Abraham, Michael Rapaport and Academy Award winner for her role in this movie, Mira Sorvino.

Critics could not have made it sound sweeter with their words when it was released way back in September of 1995. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times called the film "a sunny comedy" and added, "The movie's closing scene is quietly, sweetly ironic, and the whole movie skirts the pitfalls of cynicism and becomes something the Greeks could never quite manage, a potential tragedy with a happy ending."

War is dirty. War is a sickness. War is pain for all, with scars that will never truly heal. This one of the central themes of the original Mobile Suit Gundam (MSG) that first graced television screens in 1979 with its bleak, sometimes horrifying rendition of what war might look like when mankind finally breaks free of Earth's atmosphere to colonise the depths of space. That was a timeless story, where forces on two opposing sides, the earthbound Federation and the spacefaring Principality of Zeon, both suffered and committed unspeakable atrocities to one another, along with every innocent caught in the crossfire. Studio Sunrise now revisits this idea in Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, an adaptation of a manga that originally aired as a 4 episode web series before being compiled into a full-length film called December Sky.

Running in parallel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam series and taking place during the final days of the One Year War, Thunderbolt presents the battle for the 'Thunderbolt Sector', a shoal zone filled with the remains of a destroyed space colony and plagued by electrical storms. Federation forces are attempting to retake the area surrounding the colony, but their advance is halted by Zeon's 'Living Dead Division', a unit of snipers filled with amputees. In the midst of battle, an encounter between two opposing ace pilots begins a deadly obsession that torments them both to a psychotic degree. Their fight is only further escalated by the introduction of a new type of mobile suit, whose name is now infamous on both sides: Gundam.

Before going any further, if any of the things mentioned in the previous two paragraphs meant nothing to you, Thunderbolt is likely not for you, yet. Existing knowledge of the major conflicts presented in the original Mobile Suit Gundam are not absolutely required, but knowing clearly what is happening in the background of this film definitely makes the viewing experience a lot smoother. Though its visuals are extremely dated, I recommend watching the original 1979 TV series first (or at least its three compilation films) before coming back to Thunderbolt. The original series remains to this day, one of the greatest science-fiction visions of warfare ever put on film and Thunderbolt, though sometimes floundering in rushed character arcs, overall serves as a worthy and engrossing supplement to the original story.

This is the third time that other areas of conflict in the One Year War have been explored outside of the original Gundam series. 1980's War in the Pocket viewed the effects from a civilian standpoint while 1996's The 8th MS Team took place from the perspective of ground forces fighting across the Earth. Both had varying tones, yet still many a time still tried to maintain a hopeful outlook that at least some manner of peace could come from all the fighting. Thunderbolt takes the polar opposite approach, offering the full spectrum of wartime horrors to the viewers on a gritty, blood-soaked plate.

The outlook is refreshingly mature from the start, the opening minutes featuring snippets like Federation pilots kissing their partners goodbye before heading out on what is seemingly a suicide mission to attempt to breach the Zeon sniper net. Right from these opening moments, director Kou Matsuo shows a keen attention to detail with these small touches that help to immerse the viewer in Thunderbolt's gritty and death-laden setting, assisted by sharp, expressive character designs and an equally sharp script that, for the most part, manages to clearly present the effects that war has military and civilian populations, without the messages ever seeming ham-fisted. Considering the number of themes on display here and the admiral showcase of each, Thunderbolt does a pretty decent job of balancing its thematic significance with a fast paced mecha war story.

The compiled film clocks in at only 69 minutes, moving briskly from loud, jazz fuelled action set pieces to solemn and almost disturbingly quiet personal moments, yet still manages to cram in mostly satisfying, if limited, character arcs into the short running time. The two leads, Federation hotshot Io Fleming and Zeon ace Daryl Lenz form a fairly competent, if predictable, dichotomy, yet it's the supporting cast of both sides that really make up the bulk of the interesting and relatable personalities, specifically Claudia Peer, the captain of the Federation division, and Karla Pitchum, a Zeon scientist using the Living Dead division as research subjects for advancing the mobile suit arms race. Both these characters get a little too caught up in their positions and it's both simultaneously gratifying and tragic to see how the battle for the Thunderbolt sector pushes them over the edge.

As par the course with Gundam projects, the voice cast does a stellar job, with both English and Japanese dub turning out memorable performances. I'd personally recommend watching Thunderbolt in both languages, mainly just to see the, at times, wildly different interpretations of Io Fleming the voice actors have.

As much as I want to commend Thunderbolt for its engaging thematic exploration of the effects of war, the real highlight of the film is easily the animation and music. In a time when many Japanese animation studios are looking towards 3D CGI for use in their films and TV series (Sunrise themselves are even extensively using it in the Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin film series) it's incredibly uplifting to see a mecha anime where everything is gorgeously rendered in sharp, crisp and colourful 2D glory. Thunderbolt's battle scenes are some of the most fluid and well-crafted I've seen in a long time, with mobile suits that swiftly zip between chunks of debris to avoid oncoming fire, only to whizz around for the kill moments later. Matsuo triumphs here again with memorable images, such as nearly minute long POV shot that plays out a pilot's last moments before his suit is destroyed. Character animation is equally as impressive, an early scene featuring Fleming drumming away in the cockpit of his mobile suit being a prime showcase.

Speaking of drumming, not only does Thunderbolt get a perfect score in the sound design department thanks to it including a massive plethora of authentic sounding mechanical effects, but music plays a much greater role in this film than perhaps in any other Gundam project. Both the main characters listen to very different genres of music, Fleming dabbling extensively in jazz, while Daryl listens to pop. These genres make up almost the entirety of Thunderbolt's score and not only are the individual songs well produced, they're effectively utilised both typically and atypically throughout the film, as the makers play with the placement of specific tracks in thematically relevant ways.

Thunderbolt may not be a clear entry point into the Gundam franchise, and its breakneck pacing and somewhat underwhelming main characters may not work for all viewers, but for everyone else, the film showcases the highest possibilities of what can be achieved with a dedicated creative team using traditional 2D animation. Its technical merits bolster an already strong narrative foundation to make Thunderbolt a worthy addition to the Universal Century timeline. This is the best Gundam has been since the debut of Unicorn in 2010 and I certainly will be keenly looking forward to many more projects both from this creative team and this franchise (nudge, an adaptation of Crossbone Gundam please Sunrise). Thunderbolt is a stylish triumph, absolutely worth the little time it asks of its viewers.

HAVE WE SEEN A BETTER DIRECTOR for dialogue than Sidney Lumet? Not for pithy one-liners or noir-style ratatat, but rather the realistic, extemporaneous flow of human interaction. The kind of patter that makes us forget that these lines have been spoken before, rehearsed, memorized, regurgitated. To watch actors in a Lumet film is to watch them discover each other and themselves, maybe not for the first time, but always anew. 'Dog Day Afternoon' (along with the watershed 'Network' that came the year after) positively radiates this realism, achieving a nearly documentarian dynamic between actors who bicker, wave guns, huddle together, and sweat profusely through a single late summer night. This eschewal of stylization is especially remarkable for two reasons: firstly, that 90% of the film transpires on an impromptu stage: a held-up bank, spotlighted by police vehicles, transfixed by media cameras, and thronged by a public audience eager to be the comic relief in this drama. Secondly, that 'Dog Day Afternoon' is a true story, and films so inspired are often far too self-aware to look anything but stylized.

We must also acknowledge the flexibility of screenwriter Frank Pierson, who collaborated with Lumet to tape actors' improve sessions based on his original dialogue and then rewrite scenes to incorporate their spontaneous language, creating a feedback loop that invigorates the written word while also cleaving closer to the actors' own identities. Contrastingly, the look of the picture is highly particular, reflecting the televised nature of this crisis as it played out on a national stage. Thus the smooth editing and camerawork that retain the elegance and deliberate flow often missing from documentary-style dramas such as 'The French Connection'. In that film, director William Friedkin didn't even block out the scenes with his cameramen, forcing them to improvise as they tracked action they'd never been allowed to rehearse. Quite opposite from that on-location cinema verite is Lumet's picture, occupied almost completely by one meticulously controlled set and explored through Victor Kemper's long-tracking camera. As night falls and the robbers become hostages themselves, the camera begins to penetrate the walls that separate the factions within the bank, placing the audience in the center of their tableaus as if we were an overlooked hostage crouched beneath a desk.

Even as events in the bank are floodlit from the outdoors in a surreal glow, the actors on screen exist communally in one claustrophobic space that defies planar separation-hostages right, bank robbers left. But once outside, the dynamic is completely reversed, as we watch the action unfold from diametrically opposed perspectives. Over Sonny's shoulder, we peer out at a hundred pointed gun barrels, as many camera lenses, and the imploring bluster of Detective Moretti (Charles Durning, always authentic). From the other side of the street, we join the media fixed upon Sonny as he paces back and forth against the whitewashed backdrop of the bank, gesticulating wildly by his lonesome, shouting 'Attica!', and discovering his passionate desire to be seen, heard, and even to be caught.

Thus Sonny becomes our antihero, played inimitably by Al Pacino in perhaps his last major role before becoming something of a self-caricature. Here, he is typically explosive, confrontational, and passionate, but also vulnerable and deeply conflicted. He manages to seem younger than in either of the 'Godfather' pictures made earlier in the 70s and sheds all the gravitas of Michael Corleone in the process. It is a complete-and rather pitiful-transformation that dominates the film in a way quite opposite to Pacino's habit.

As the crumpled secrets of Sonny's life are laid out before the camera, the film's second half could easily have dipped into farce (or satire, more accurately). It does teeter on the brink once, unnecessarily, when we meet Sonny's clinging wife (mother of his children), and then again, quite necessarily, upon encountering his other wife, Leon, the semi-lucid male psych patient awaiting a sex change. Sonny claims to love both but can understand neither, much less treat them well. In fact, it is towards the characters he knows least that he becomes most polite. Yes, we might say he is caretaker of Sal (John Cazale), his half-Lenny co-conspirator, but Sonny becomes implicit in Sal's death and thus is rather a poor friend in the end. Yet when it came to throwing hostages' bodies out the door, we never really believed he'd do it; the Sonny that allows every teller access to the bathroom, orders them food, and releases ailing hostages is much more genuine. We might laugh at the irony when early on, wielding a rifle half his size, he professes to be Catholic and thus not inclined to hurt anyone, but his conduct, however bizarrely, does not much belie his claim.

Sonny's brief encounter with his mother, nagging and sentimental, is an unfortunate pastiche that does the film its prime injustice. The pressures Sonny feels from the outside world are made much more tangible, and he more empathetic, through the extraordinary phone conversation he shares with Leon. Intercut by necessity, this sequence still manages an intimacy and dancing delicacy rare even between characters face to face, much less those in a more familiar heterosexual context. Both men are shot quite tightly, closed in on themselves (a hand clasping shut a bathrobe; an arm slung over the forehead), and though they are but a street apart, unmoving, we feel the chasm yawning ever wider between them.

In a film that opens with two faces we recognize from gangster stardom and heavy weapons brandished wildly, only two triggers are pulled. And in a film consumed by one man's crumbling existence and inevitable failure, a great deal of humor can be found. 'Dog Day Afternoon' is not an action flick, nor only a drama, nor any other single style of film. It is life, which is action and inaction, failure and triumph, drama and comedy, all spun together inextricably. Most directors choose one or two of these passions, finding it too great a challenge to encapsulate the complete human condition in two hours. Lumet succeeds. But he succeeds not in encapsulation, which by necessity confines and encloses; rather, he highlights, leaving the context there for us to fill in as we will-as unconsciously, as naturally, as we do in life.