What I’ve Caught Up With, August 2024:
Film: Underworld U.S.A. (1961)
Young Tolly Devlin (David Kent) is headed down a criminal path when he sees his father beaten to death by a group of four thugs. As an adult (now played by Cliff Robertson), still on the criminal path, he seeks out revenge against the four men, even doing time to get close to one so he can find out the identity of the others. This is a dark tale of revenge, and had this been made 10-15 years earlier, it would be heralded as one of the great noirs of the period. As it is, it’s right in the wheelhouse of the great Samuel Fuller, who never fails to please when it comes to seamy stories and revenge. These are the films that Fuller was born to make, and we’re all better off for the fact that he did.
Film: A Walk in the Spring Rain (1970)
Libby Meredith (Ingrid Bergman) and her bland husband Roger (Fritz Weaver) temporarily move to Tennessee so that Constitutional lawyer Roger can write a textbook. Here they meet Will Cade (Anthony Quinn), whose own highly religious wife leaves him cold. He and Libby are attracted to each other and a fairly tepid romance takes place. I have to wonder if Will telling Libby that he wants to rub her feet and give her a bath was seen as somehow attractive (or even acceptable) in 1970, because today it comes across as very creepy and upsetting. Bergman is great (as always), but the film is a dud that has aged very poorly.
Film: 25th Hour (2002)
The more I watch the films of Spike Lee, the more I like the films of Spike Lee. 25th Hour tracks the last 24 hours of freedom of drug dealer Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) before a seven-year prison sentence. He deals with his childhood friends (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper), his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson), his alcoholic father (Brian Cox), and finding the person who turned him in. There’s a lot to fit into that last day, and a lot that needs to be said. Spike Lee is great when he’s got a message (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X), but he’s equally great when he’s just telling a story. If there’s a message here, it’s secondary to the story he’s telling.
Film: Igby Goes Down (2002)
The obvious comparison of Igby Goes Down is to Catcher in the Rye, with the difference being that I hate Catcher in the Rye and want nothing more than to bitch slap Holden Caulfield into next week. A much more appropriate comparison would be to The Graduate--the story of a dissolute rich kid rebelling against the system that gives him all of his privilege. Rebel Without a Cause for the Millennial set, this is actually pretty entertaining, as young Igby (Kieran Culkin) slums his way through life, dealing with his cancerous and drug-addled mother (Susan Sarandon), schizophrenic father (Bill Pullman), and more. A good cast (Jeff Goldblum, Claire Daines, Amanda Peet, Ryan Phillippe, Jared Harris, and others), and surprisingly light-hearted for something this filled with strychnine.
Film: Fast & Furious (2009)
When, precisely, did the Fast and Furious franchise jump the shark? Was it when they went to Tokyo? In my opinion, that moment comes in the opening sequence of Fast & Furious, the fourth movie in the franchise, when criminal leader Dom (Vin Diesel) and his girlfriend Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), drive under a tanker truck that is bouncing toward them while on fire. Shaky cameras abound, and old rivalries are addressed. Eventually, Dom and his criminal family have to team up with old frenemy Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) to hunt down a street racing gang that is also trafficking heroin. It’s ridiculous and frenetic and an assault on the senses. Why did I agree to watch these again?
Film: Fast Five (2011)
Well, this franchise jumped the shark in the previous movie, so it’s not like we’re going to jump the shark again. This time the biggest addition is Dwayne The Rock Johnson as agent Luke Hobbs, sent to catch our heroes, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker). This time, the crew is in Brazil, attempting to steal all of the money from a powerful drug lord. Insane car stunts, wild thievery, and gun fights abound. I’d be crazy to say it’s not entertaining, because it certainly is, but I don’t know if it’s really any good. Like all of these movies, it’s been edited by someone with ADHD for an audience with ADHD. Honestly, it’s headache-inducing for me.
Film: Thor: The Dark World (2013)
For whatever reason, I missed this movie in the original MCU run, and now that I’ve seen it, it was probably the one that I could have continued missing. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) fights off the Dark Elves who have come to destroy the universe and reality like all good villains, evidently so they can revel in the darkness and chaos. Thor fights back, sometimes helped by his brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), sometimes not. And, of course, there are romantic entanglements with Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). I suppose there are a few things that eventually pay off in the lead up to Avengers: Endgame, but if you’re going to skip an early MCU film, flip a coin between this one and The Incredible Hulk.
Film: Duck, You Sucker (1971)
Also known as A Fistful of Dynamite, Duck, You Sucker feels a great deal like Sergio Leone trying to remake The Good, the Bad and the Ugly without a “good” character. Mexican bandit Juan (Rod Steiger) teams up with Irish revolutionary/dynamite expert John (James Coburn) to rob banks, but instead keep getting caught up in a revolution. It genuinely feels like the same movie, but with no Civil War and a different cast. There’s even a protracted bridge sequence. It also has some similarity to The Wild Bunch in the sense that it’s not classic Old West, but roughly the mid-1910s. It’s fine, but genuinely could use a trimming. More than 150 minutes of dust, desert, and dynamite is more than anyone needs.
Film: Leap of Faith (1992)
So what happens when a huckster who sells a religious scam has his own crisis of faith? Traveling tent revivalist/flim-flam artist Jonas Nightengale (Steve Martin) rolls into a depressed Kansas town and sets up shop, bilking the poor in exchange for good feelings and faith. A young local (Lucas Haas) believes, but can’t give up his crutches. A few romances blossom, at least potentially, as Jonas tries to get out of town with as much money as he can. A surprising cast includes Debra Winger, Liam Neeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Meat Loaf, and Lolita Davidovitch. This has a lot going for it, especially it’s cynicism, but it does punt a bit in the fourth quarter. Get rid of the cop out ending, and I boost my rating at least half a star.
