Hi Mom ( ***) Robert De Niro Gerritt Graham ..1969...directed by Brian DePalma
Imagine Taxi Driver directed by Woody Allen. ..This film is as close as you can get. The DVD box credits 1970 but the film credits say 1969. The significance? Young De Niro made this film with young " social satarist?" Brian De Palma in the summer of 1969 in Greenwich Village. At that time the Greenwich Village director with whom DeNiro would forever be associated, Martin Scorcese was 100 miles upstate as a cameraman at the Woodstock Festival. De Niro and De Palma made 3 films together . The other two being, Greetings ( 68) and The Wedding Party ( 69) . All 3 are social satires. De Palma shows a black comic side that would not be evident in his later work which includes Carrie, Scarface, and The Untouchables.
In Hi Mom Robert DeNiro foreshadows characters we would get to know years later; King Of Comedy's Rupert Pupkin and Taxi Driver's Travis Bickel. Radical street theater is used to flesh out hipocracy. Black power and the Viet Nam war are topical and in your face.If you ever walked down La Guardia Place or Bleeker St. in Greenwich Village in 1969 you will enjoy this film. Three years before Mean Streets, four years before The Godfather .
You will see some surprises..from Charles Durning to Gerritt Graham to Alan Garfield.
Garfield was featured in many social satires in that period including Putney Swope and Bananas and those two films have a kindred spirit for different reasons.
At one point we find De Niro's character reading The Urban Guerilla and quoting a passage that suggests that : "no radical organization can exist because they have all been infiltrated by the man..the only course left for radical action..is the individual."...at that point the look on his face is almost a comic outtake from Taxi Driver.
I found this DVD at the Big Lots Dollar Store in Poughkeepsie for $3. A real find.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Last Of The Record Retailers In memorium for Jack Goldberg
Last of The Record Retailers..Goodbye Jack Goldberg.. 1-09-10
By Stan Beinstein
Jack Goldberg died this week at the age of 66. I did not see him often. I did not know him well, but we understood each other to the core because I once had an interest in a record store in New Paltz. Jack owned two record collector stores. Rhythms Of Woodstock and Jack’s Rhythms of New Paltz. The Woodstock store closed several years ago and that was the signpost for me that everything had changed. Woodstock no longer had a record store. Part of the adventure of shopping at Rhythms of Woodstock was that you could not only pick up something rare, you could pick up something dropped off by the artist. Be it John Herald or John Sebastian, Artie Traum , John Platania or Eric Andersen. You could also talk music; any kind of music. That was Jack's magic.
In John Barry’s news item / obituary in the Poughkeepsie Journal (1-6-2010) Barry quotes John Lefsky ,who recently took over Rhythms of New Paltz. In memory of Jack Goldberg ,Lefsky said : “ turn off the lousy radio station or TV. Put on The Replacements , Doug Sahm, John Coltrane.” …. As I read this I was deeply saddened and cut to the quick. I am the advertisng sales manager of one of those “ lousy “ radio stations. WDST / Radio Woodstock, my station is better than most but I understood John Lefsky’s frustration. No radio station can do what a guy like Jack could do in a record store; interact with people about music.
I began my record store career at 16. It was the Summer of Love 1967. Taking the #20 bus from Jerome Avenue in The Bronx to the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers where I worked at Sam Goody’s. One of my slightly older co-workers Mike Winfield , taught me all about jazz and blues .I soaked it up like a sponge. Mike talked in a be bop cadence that I had only witnessed in movies and he was the most amiable guy on the planet.
Mike and I only had a few months together at Sam Goody. He was a bass player about to launch The Colwell Winfield Blues Band on Verve Forecast records, the same label as The Blues Project. He invited me invited backstage at The Café Au Go Go on Bleeker St in Greenwich Village. This was the club that housed the NYC premier of Cream and The Dead. A low ceiling basement with no more than 150 seats . Mike Winfield and Bill Colwell would move to Woodstock where Van Morrison would lift half of their band for his Moondance band. I would like to thank Michael Winfield for teaching me how to talk to customers about music. He could make anyone feel comfortable, from a know nothing to a know it all. He taught me about Muddy, and Wolf and Coltrane and Miles, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells and so much more. As I stocked the shelves with Cream’s Wheels Of Fire I was getting an education on the precursors Willie Dixon and Freddie King.
After Mike Winfield left Sam Goodys for fame and fortune I became the manager of the blues department. All 6 bins of it .Room for about 50 titles. If a kid like Eric Clapton with John Mayall I made him listen to Freddie King. If a kid liked Paul Butterfield I made him listen to Junior Wells or Little Walter. actually met Sam Goody once ( ne: Goodman). We were all on our best behavior as he visited the Yonkers store and we all shook his hand.
It was at that same store that I made my stand for Jimi Hendrix.the day his first album …Are You Experienced... was released… That Saturday morning I opened a copy without asking permission and put it on the portable Webcor stereo in the front of the store . I then made sure that the speakers were separated by at least 8 feet ( they usually sat four feet apart). Stereo was still new ....Sgt. Pepper was ringing in our heads. From the first notes of Purple Haze I was inside the music. Unbeknownst to me, the classical manager made a B- line for the store manager and had “ that crap” taken off. I told the store manager that this album was important and being played today in its entirety…if I have to wait until the end of the day. I jeopardized my job and got my way later in the afternoon when the store was crowded with young people.
I understand John Lefsky’s frustration with radio. In a record store you play music for people and you look at their faces and you wait for customers to say. “what is that?” ..good or bad ..you get to watch them react... The more independent the store the more likely to share esoteric music. Sam Goody’s was not the place for esoterica. At a place like Jack's youy never knew if you were walking into Sun Ra or The Carter Family .
During college at New Paltz I worked at The Book and Record Store in 1971. It was a chain of about 8 stores throughout the Hudson Valley big on gifts , cards, Russell Stover candies and books.. We had to be judicious in our musical choices..but we had more leverage in the New Paltz store with all the college kids. My customers included the late Dr. William Abruzzi. Dr. Bill was the head Dr. at the original Woodstock Festival and also Dr. at the infirmary at SUNY New Paltz . I turned Dr. Bill onto Frank Zappa at The Book and Record. It was the Flo and Eddie period and he loved it. ..in turn he turned me onto Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck .The Book and Record was also not a place for esoterica. That would come to New Paltz later.
I returned to New Paltz in the fall of 1974 to find a new establishment. The Spindle Spot in the middle of Main St. about 6 stores uphill from where Jack would settle years later. I partnered up with Stu Johnstone. The “used” record business had my attention. You made an offer based on condition and your judgement of sellability . You could make more on used albums than on new ones. We knew the handwriting was on the wall for new albums when Springsteen’s Born To Run came out in 1975. Our wholesale price from went up to from $3.25 to $3.52 and Barker’s Department Store up the road was selling it retail as a loss leader for $3.49.
Years later I would shop with Jack Goldberg at both of his stores periodically. I knew he had no money to advertise on any of my radio stations. I would stop to just talk music. I remember when CD s were new and there were two artists that I was passionately seeking on disc, Fred Neil and Moby Grape. We talked about different music, recordings, performances all aspects of music. Jack was a native of Boston, me NYC and we compared notes on the classic dives of the 60s from the Cafe Au Go Go to Club 47.We would talk about obscure bands like Earth Opera. I told Jack about the store in New Paltz that was halfway up the block on the same side of the street years earlier. At one point I didn’t see Jack for nearly a year. If I dropped in one store he would be in the other, …and when I did finally see him he said.. “got some Fred Neil for you!” …That’s what I mean about a record store man..he knew his customers… and you NEVER knew what you were going to hear when you went in there. The magic of was always the lack of predictability. Mingus? Mink Deville? Dave Van Ronk? ...I told Jack that I came from a planet where BECK was Jeff and MOBY was Grape.
Here’s to the independent stores on Fordham Rd. in The Bronx. Cousins and The Spinning Disc where you could ALWAYS find hipper stuff than at Alexander’s …but more importantly you could find people to talk about the music with. ....Thank you Jack Goldberg for remembering how much Fred Neil meant to me.
By Stan Beinstein
Jack Goldberg died this week at the age of 66. I did not see him often. I did not know him well, but we understood each other to the core because I once had an interest in a record store in New Paltz. Jack owned two record collector stores. Rhythms Of Woodstock and Jack’s Rhythms of New Paltz. The Woodstock store closed several years ago and that was the signpost for me that everything had changed. Woodstock no longer had a record store. Part of the adventure of shopping at Rhythms of Woodstock was that you could not only pick up something rare, you could pick up something dropped off by the artist. Be it John Herald or John Sebastian, Artie Traum , John Platania or Eric Andersen. You could also talk music; any kind of music. That was Jack's magic.
In John Barry’s news item / obituary in the Poughkeepsie Journal (1-6-2010) Barry quotes John Lefsky ,who recently took over Rhythms of New Paltz. In memory of Jack Goldberg ,Lefsky said : “ turn off the lousy radio station or TV. Put on The Replacements , Doug Sahm, John Coltrane.” …. As I read this I was deeply saddened and cut to the quick. I am the advertisng sales manager of one of those “ lousy “ radio stations. WDST / Radio Woodstock, my station is better than most but I understood John Lefsky’s frustration. No radio station can do what a guy like Jack could do in a record store; interact with people about music.
I began my record store career at 16. It was the Summer of Love 1967. Taking the #20 bus from Jerome Avenue in The Bronx to the Cross County Shopping Center in Yonkers where I worked at Sam Goody’s. One of my slightly older co-workers Mike Winfield , taught me all about jazz and blues .I soaked it up like a sponge. Mike talked in a be bop cadence that I had only witnessed in movies and he was the most amiable guy on the planet.
Mike and I only had a few months together at Sam Goody. He was a bass player about to launch The Colwell Winfield Blues Band on Verve Forecast records, the same label as The Blues Project. He invited me invited backstage at The Café Au Go Go on Bleeker St in Greenwich Village. This was the club that housed the NYC premier of Cream and The Dead. A low ceiling basement with no more than 150 seats . Mike Winfield and Bill Colwell would move to Woodstock where Van Morrison would lift half of their band for his Moondance band. I would like to thank Michael Winfield for teaching me how to talk to customers about music. He could make anyone feel comfortable, from a know nothing to a know it all. He taught me about Muddy, and Wolf and Coltrane and Miles, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells and so much more. As I stocked the shelves with Cream’s Wheels Of Fire I was getting an education on the precursors Willie Dixon and Freddie King.
After Mike Winfield left Sam Goodys for fame and fortune I became the manager of the blues department. All 6 bins of it .Room for about 50 titles. If a kid like Eric Clapton with John Mayall I made him listen to Freddie King. If a kid liked Paul Butterfield I made him listen to Junior Wells or Little Walter. actually met Sam Goody once ( ne: Goodman). We were all on our best behavior as he visited the Yonkers store and we all shook his hand.
It was at that same store that I made my stand for Jimi Hendrix.the day his first album …Are You Experienced... was released… That Saturday morning I opened a copy without asking permission and put it on the portable Webcor stereo in the front of the store . I then made sure that the speakers were separated by at least 8 feet ( they usually sat four feet apart). Stereo was still new ....Sgt. Pepper was ringing in our heads. From the first notes of Purple Haze I was inside the music. Unbeknownst to me, the classical manager made a B- line for the store manager and had “ that crap” taken off. I told the store manager that this album was important and being played today in its entirety…if I have to wait until the end of the day. I jeopardized my job and got my way later in the afternoon when the store was crowded with young people.
I understand John Lefsky’s frustration with radio. In a record store you play music for people and you look at their faces and you wait for customers to say. “what is that?” ..good or bad ..you get to watch them react... The more independent the store the more likely to share esoteric music. Sam Goody’s was not the place for esoterica. At a place like Jack's youy never knew if you were walking into Sun Ra or The Carter Family .
During college at New Paltz I worked at The Book and Record Store in 1971. It was a chain of about 8 stores throughout the Hudson Valley big on gifts , cards, Russell Stover candies and books.. We had to be judicious in our musical choices..but we had more leverage in the New Paltz store with all the college kids. My customers included the late Dr. William Abruzzi. Dr. Bill was the head Dr. at the original Woodstock Festival and also Dr. at the infirmary at SUNY New Paltz . I turned Dr. Bill onto Frank Zappa at The Book and Record. It was the Flo and Eddie period and he loved it. ..in turn he turned me onto Bill Evans and Dave Brubeck .The Book and Record was also not a place for esoterica. That would come to New Paltz later.
I returned to New Paltz in the fall of 1974 to find a new establishment. The Spindle Spot in the middle of Main St. about 6 stores uphill from where Jack would settle years later. I partnered up with Stu Johnstone. The “used” record business had my attention. You made an offer based on condition and your judgement of sellability . You could make more on used albums than on new ones. We knew the handwriting was on the wall for new albums when Springsteen’s Born To Run came out in 1975. Our wholesale price from went up to from $3.25 to $3.52 and Barker’s Department Store up the road was selling it retail as a loss leader for $3.49.
Years later I would shop with Jack Goldberg at both of his stores periodically. I knew he had no money to advertise on any of my radio stations. I would stop to just talk music. I remember when CD s were new and there were two artists that I was passionately seeking on disc, Fred Neil and Moby Grape. We talked about different music, recordings, performances all aspects of music. Jack was a native of Boston, me NYC and we compared notes on the classic dives of the 60s from the Cafe Au Go Go to Club 47.We would talk about obscure bands like Earth Opera. I told Jack about the store in New Paltz that was halfway up the block on the same side of the street years earlier. At one point I didn’t see Jack for nearly a year. If I dropped in one store he would be in the other, …and when I did finally see him he said.. “got some Fred Neil for you!” …That’s what I mean about a record store man..he knew his customers… and you NEVER knew what you were going to hear when you went in there. The magic of was always the lack of predictability. Mingus? Mink Deville? Dave Van Ronk? ...I told Jack that I came from a planet where BECK was Jeff and MOBY was Grape.
Here’s to the independent stores on Fordham Rd. in The Bronx. Cousins and The Spinning Disc where you could ALWAYS find hipper stuff than at Alexander’s …but more importantly you could find people to talk about the music with. ....Thank you Jack Goldberg for remembering how much Fred Neil meant to me.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Hangover
The Hangover ( **) 2009..I don't know the cast ..I don't know the director... Everyone said this was a very funny movie... I was in the mood for a very funny movie..i was in the mood for comic actors whose reactions i could not predict. I love stoopid.... I can live stoopid...this was not good stoopid....it was just dumb and poorly timed...
Why does this only happen when I buy retail with high expectations....$17...
Why does this only happen when I buy retail with high expectations....$17...
Angeks and Demons
Angels and Demons ( ***) 2009 Tom Hanks directed by Ron Howard.
Both of these film icons have resisted the Saturday serial format but this sequel to The Da Vinci Code could clinch Robert Langdon as the 007 or Dick Tracy of symbologists. As you could easily expect the book is much better..but...... Ron Howard did an amazing job at recreating the Vatican in startling and breathtaking detail without having access to it because it was off limits.
Rome and The Vatican are the stars of this film. Having been to the Vatican, it is amazing to see the detail that was put into the recreation of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Square, The Pantheon and more. The special feature on the making of the film is an incredible lesson in special effects and sets..
Surprised to already find it in the 3 for $20
Both of these film icons have resisted the Saturday serial format but this sequel to The Da Vinci Code could clinch Robert Langdon as the 007 or Dick Tracy of symbologists. As you could easily expect the book is much better..but...... Ron Howard did an amazing job at recreating the Vatican in startling and breathtaking detail without having access to it because it was off limits.
Rome and The Vatican are the stars of this film. Having been to the Vatican, it is amazing to see the detail that was put into the recreation of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Square, The Pantheon and more. The special feature on the making of the film is an incredible lesson in special effects and sets..
Surprised to already find it in the 3 for $20
The Soloist
The Soloist ( ****) 2009 Jamie Foxx Robert Downey Jr. directed by Joe Wright.
A tour de force based on a true story exploring the pain of mental illness Both actors are at the absolute top of their craft. A must see. Jamie Foxx deserves an academy award.
Easy to find in the 3 for $20 bin
A tour de force based on a true story exploring the pain of mental illness Both actors are at the absolute top of their craft. A must see. Jamie Foxx deserves an academy award.
Easy to find in the 3 for $20 bin
Star Trek
Star Trek ( *** 1/2) John Cho, Ben Cross, Leonard Nimoy, directed by JJ Abrams.
I am not a treky yet I found myself on the beach my last vacation reading William Shatner's Autobiography. The book was very funny. This film is a great look into the origins of Kirk and Spock. The effects and space travel are as good as have ever been accomplished in Star Trek or Star Wars and the inclussion of Nimoy was very touching as his time travel self. ...( wonder why Shatner took a pass?) Cranks well thru the sound system. Buckle yer seat belts and get ready for a fun ride with a decent plot. Should be in the 3 for $20 bin by February. I actually payed $18 ..A rarity for me.
I am not a treky yet I found myself on the beach my last vacation reading William Shatner's Autobiography. The book was very funny. This film is a great look into the origins of Kirk and Spock. The effects and space travel are as good as have ever been accomplished in Star Trek or Star Wars and the inclussion of Nimoy was very touching as his time travel self. ...( wonder why Shatner took a pass?) Cranks well thru the sound system. Buckle yer seat belts and get ready for a fun ride with a decent plot. Should be in the 3 for $20 bin by February. I actually payed $18 ..A rarity for me.
Benjamin Button
The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. ( ****) Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett directed by David Fincher. I was told this was too long and slow but I absolutely loved it. Based on an unfinished short story by F Scott Fitzgerald it plays out like a classic episode of the Twilight Zone . Lost Horizon in reverse.. ..a life lived in reverse....fascinating and touching.
An easy find for five bucks
An easy find for five bucks
Frost Nixon and W.
Frost Nixon (*** 1/2) Frank Langella , MichaEL Sheen directed by Ron Howard,
Ron Howard is one of my favorite directors. He keeps a story moving. He keeps you involved.
He was just finishing up being Opie when these events took place. Frank Langella is brilliant as Nixon. Michael Sheen seems too handsome and young to portray Frost who more resembled Eric Idle,,..but Eric would be too old for the part. A fascinating look at how Nixon tried to vindicate his legacy and how a tv "personality" became a newsman. A fine game of high stakes chess . Easy to find in 3 for $20
W. ( *** 1/2) Josh Brolin , Directed by Oliver Stone...Like Ron Howard Oliver Stone is another of my favorite directors. I get swept into the paranoia of his situations and here he gives a surprisingly sympathetic look into George W. Bush and his need for dads approval . Dad is well played by James Cromwell. Richard Dreyfus gives a chilling performance as Dick Cheney.
Easy to find for $5... a great presidential double feature.
Ron Howard is one of my favorite directors. He keeps a story moving. He keeps you involved.
He was just finishing up being Opie when these events took place. Frank Langella is brilliant as Nixon. Michael Sheen seems too handsome and young to portray Frost who more resembled Eric Idle,,..but Eric would be too old for the part. A fascinating look at how Nixon tried to vindicate his legacy and how a tv "personality" became a newsman. A fine game of high stakes chess . Easy to find in 3 for $20
W. ( *** 1/2) Josh Brolin , Directed by Oliver Stone...Like Ron Howard Oliver Stone is another of my favorite directors. I get swept into the paranoia of his situations and here he gives a surprisingly sympathetic look into George W. Bush and his need for dads approval . Dad is well played by James Cromwell. Richard Dreyfus gives a chilling performance as Dick Cheney.
Easy to find for $5... a great presidential double feature.
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion ( *** 1/2 ) 2006.. Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Kline,Lilly Tomlin, Meryl Streep,John C. Reilly, Lindsay Lohan, and of course Garrison Keillor.
Directed by Robert Altman ( his last film ). I have always been a major fan of Altman from MASH to Nashville to The Player. This film is more of a love song to country music than Nashville was. The soundtrack sounded phenomenal on my system. It is also a lovesong to the bygone era of old time radio and plays out like a cross between Firesign Theater and The Twilight Zone. A wonderful exit for a masterful director. I wish Woody and John C. would tour as a duet. You should still be able to find one for $4 or $5 .
Directed by Robert Altman ( his last film ). I have always been a major fan of Altman from MASH to Nashville to The Player. This film is more of a love song to country music than Nashville was. The soundtrack sounded phenomenal on my system. It is also a lovesong to the bygone era of old time radio and plays out like a cross between Firesign Theater and The Twilight Zone. A wonderful exit for a masterful director. I wish Woody and John C. would tour as a duet. You should still be able to find one for $4 or $5 .
Don't Come Knocking
Don't Come Knocking (*** 1/2) Sam Shepard, Jessica Lange, Eva Marie Saint directed by Wim Wenders.
Wenders vision is like an Andrew Wyeth painting of the prairies and mountains of the west. The quiet is deftly and sparsly filled with subtle music by the great T Bone Burnett ,much like another Wenders film Paris Texas in which the musical mood was set by Ry Cooder. The film is the story of a self destructive western movie star . It brings home the point that fame isn't everything and you can't run away from yourself. You really feel like you are in Montana .
If you can find one at Blockbuster for $4 ( 5 for $20)
Wenders vision is like an Andrew Wyeth painting of the prairies and mountains of the west. The quiet is deftly and sparsly filled with subtle music by the great T Bone Burnett ,much like another Wenders film Paris Texas in which the musical mood was set by Ry Cooder. The film is the story of a self destructive western movie star . It brings home the point that fame isn't everything and you can't run away from yourself. You really feel like you are in Montana .
If you can find one at Blockbuster for $4 ( 5 for $20)
Monsieur Ibrahim
Monsieur Ibrahim ( *** 1/2) 2003 Starring Omar Sharif, Pierre Boulanger directed by Francois Dupeyron . If you have ever walked the streets of The Marrais , the Jewish quarter of Paris you will may recognize some streets if not you will get a mini vacation there. A wonderful coming of age story. A young boy in his early teens watches his parents marriage crumble and fends for himself. He befriends the local shop keeper, an elderly arab with a bodega type corner store. A wonderful life affirming story,... winner of numerous awards. Found it at Blockbuster for $3.99
The Night Listener
The Night Listener ( ***) Robin Williams 2005 directed by Patrick Stettner.
A very dark film both in story and cinematography. I vaguely remember a 60 minutes expose from over a decade ago upon which the story is based. Worth a view on a dark night in a dark mood. A psychological thriller that leads you to question what motivates a radio talk show hosts quest for the answer. Is it "the story" or a higher moral purpose?...but a dark journey. Much of it was shot in Montgomery NY in County NY. $4 ( five for $20 bin at Blockbuster)
A very dark film both in story and cinematography. I vaguely remember a 60 minutes expose from over a decade ago upon which the story is based. Worth a view on a dark night in a dark mood. A psychological thriller that leads you to question what motivates a radio talk show hosts quest for the answer. Is it "the story" or a higher moral purpose?...but a dark journey. Much of it was shot in Montgomery NY in County NY. $4 ( five for $20 bin at Blockbuster)
Tyson
Tyson ( ***1/2) 2009 A James Toback Film . The most compelling aspect of this documentary bio pic is that it is 100 percent narrated in the first person by Mike Tyson himself . Through the course of these interviews he succeeds in contradicting himself many times. Some great footage of his teen years at Cus D'amato's camp in Catskill NY. It was during that period when he first turned pro that i saw him from ringside at the Mid Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie. He was scary then he's scary now. If you have interest in fight films or sports figures this is a fascinating close look. Tyson's voice and contradictionsn can get fatiguing but worth the view. Found it in the 3 for $20 bin at Blockbuster.
De Niro and Pacino... Bogie and Cagney for our generation
Righteous Kill ( ***) Robert DeNiro Al Pacino directed by John Avnet 2008 ..I have never seen a package do more damage to a film than the horrid photo of these two icons on the cover of this dvd. I put it down 6 times in a month finally saying.."how can a DeNiro / Pacino film that's only a year old be selling for $3.99?." I was relieved to find out..it was not that bad. ... Deftly directed by John Avnet a gritty NYC cop pot boiler that "seems" obvious:... gets a Hitchcockian twist reminiscent of Coppolla's The Conversation with Gene Hackman. The film is a great lesson in really listening. You keep believing you've seen this one before until that twist comes. Who can resist these two together ..kind of like Bogie and Cagney.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Lions For Lambs
Lions For Lambs .( *** 1/2) Robert Redford , Meryl Streep , Tom Cruise directed by Robert Redford ( 2007)...
How can a film with this superstar cast be in the $5.00 bin.... must be a stinker.... but it's not...
Redford .... the obvious liberal Political Science professor ... Streep .... the reporter who re-discovers her conscience.... Cruise ..the conservative senator ..master of socratic dialogue..smooth as glass.. but very very convincing..you can't escape the logic of his position..it's all about survival...... This is a film about the war in Afghanistan and it doesnt know what it wants to say....and that may be the point in the end..you are left with more questions than answers and that is the honest dilemma of the day,.. worth seeing..worth debating about
How can a film with this superstar cast be in the $5.00 bin.... must be a stinker.... but it's not...
Redford .... the obvious liberal Political Science professor ... Streep .... the reporter who re-discovers her conscience.... Cruise ..the conservative senator ..master of socratic dialogue..smooth as glass.. but very very convincing..you can't escape the logic of his position..it's all about survival...... This is a film about the war in Afghanistan and it doesnt know what it wants to say....and that may be the point in the end..you are left with more questions than answers and that is the honest dilemma of the day,.. worth seeing..worth debating about
September Dawn
September Dawn ( *** 1/2) John Voight directed by Christopher Cain
This is a beautifully shot pre civil war western depicting one of the most outrageous incidents in American history. The massacre of a wagon train by a community of Mormons. Jon Voight is brilliant. Just knowing the theme I left the film on the shelf for over a month but fell into its grip and let the tragedy of the situation sink in. Like a good listen to Bob Dylan's With God On Our Side, this film will disturb and provoke you but you will be glad you viewed it. the extras are worth a view..interviews with the decendents.
Blockbust 4 for $20 bin...
This is a beautifully shot pre civil war western depicting one of the most outrageous incidents in American history. The massacre of a wagon train by a community of Mormons. Jon Voight is brilliant. Just knowing the theme I left the film on the shelf for over a month but fell into its grip and let the tragedy of the situation sink in. Like a good listen to Bob Dylan's With God On Our Side, this film will disturb and provoke you but you will be glad you viewed it. the extras are worth a view..interviews with the decendents.
Blockbust 4 for $20 bin...
The Great Buck Howard
The Great Buck Howard ( ****) 2009... John Malkovich ...Colin Hanks ...written and directed by Sean McGinly produced by Tom Hanks. John Malkovich is a genius , one of the most intense actors no matter the role . He has created yet another unforgettable character based on The Amazing Kreskin. Colin Hanks is the son of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson. His face shows both of their best characteristics and if he keeps picking films like this he'll do fine in the family business. It was produced by Hank's Playtone Productions, lovingly named for the record company in the classic That Thing You Do. This film has a similar theme the life on the road of an entertainer. Tom Hanks takes a small role himself. The movie is an absolute gem. A real lesson in life on the road and the super ego of the showman...
and yes...... another $5.00 Blockbuster gem..( gotta spend a few minutes in the 4 for $20 bin )
and yes...... another $5.00 Blockbuster gem..( gotta spend a few minutes in the 4 for $20 bin )
Baadassssss and Sweet Sweetbacks Badass Song
Baadasssss ( ****) 2004 Directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles.
Seldom does a son get to pay hommage to his father is such an honest way...warts and all... and still come out admiring the man. Mario's father Melvin Van Peebles was an African American film maker with a vision in 1970. A vision to create a cops and robbers film by black people for black people. Ironically it had never been done. Even topical films like In The Heat of The Night had been produced by whites portraying 'good' blacks. Hollywood would not touch Melvin's idea so he was forced to go to the porn community to get the non union cameramen and help. He also went to Bill Cosby who quitely helped the project along. The film he produced in 1970 was Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song. It was received an X rating as many attempts were made to squash it. A full two years before Shaft supposedly broke the mold this fim opened the door. It also introduced a sountrack from an experimental unknown funk band by the name of Earth Wind and Fire. Baadassss is Mario's bio pic of his dad's journey...one which participated in at the tender age of 13. ... His portrayal of Hollywood in 1970 and the racial barriers of the day are compelling.... I found Baadassss in the cut out bins for $5..... and was dumbstruck lucky one month later to find the film to which it pays hommage ..the original Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassss Song for $4.....I strongly reccomend that you view Baadassss (2004) first..... it makes it alot easier to understand what it took to make the original. This film ushered in Blacksploitation.. and it ushered in equality of expression...
Seldom does a son get to pay hommage to his father is such an honest way...warts and all... and still come out admiring the man. Mario's father Melvin Van Peebles was an African American film maker with a vision in 1970. A vision to create a cops and robbers film by black people for black people. Ironically it had never been done. Even topical films like In The Heat of The Night had been produced by whites portraying 'good' blacks. Hollywood would not touch Melvin's idea so he was forced to go to the porn community to get the non union cameramen and help. He also went to Bill Cosby who quitely helped the project along. The film he produced in 1970 was Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song. It was received an X rating as many attempts were made to squash it. A full two years before Shaft supposedly broke the mold this fim opened the door. It also introduced a sountrack from an experimental unknown funk band by the name of Earth Wind and Fire. Baadassss is Mario's bio pic of his dad's journey...one which participated in at the tender age of 13. ... His portrayal of Hollywood in 1970 and the racial barriers of the day are compelling.... I found Baadassss in the cut out bins for $5..... and was dumbstruck lucky one month later to find the film to which it pays hommage ..the original Sweet Sweetbacks Baadassss Song for $4.....I strongly reccomend that you view Baadassss (2004) first..... it makes it alot easier to understand what it took to make the original. This film ushered in Blacksploitation.. and it ushered in equality of expression...
a statement of purpose
It should be apparent that I am a movie fan.... but I am not a fan of standing in line at the theater. The last film Pam and I went to see in the theater was Road To Perdition with Paul Newman and Tom Hanks six years ago.......then i saw Napoleon Dynamite a couple of years later on vacation in Florida with my kids... but I do watch alot of films on dvd in a pretty good media room. I viewed 21 films on dvd in the past month. That may be a record for me.
I get fatigued by the box office data in the media which seems to have replaced reviews. Just because a film brings in big bucks doesnt make it a classic. Quite the reverse 99 cents of every dollar to effects and maybe a star or two and a penny to the plot. Citzen Kane and Duck Soup both died at the box office. I love film's ability to tell a story without words. I intend to see Avatar in a quality 3D theater but most films translate satisfactorily on my home system.
My intent is to point out some films you may have overlooked.... and to continue frequenting the pile of dvd's in the cut out bin until the last Blockbuster goes the way of Sam Goody and Tower Records. Movies and music are getting tougher to find on dvd or cd..It's all about the intellectual property now , not the package. I enjoy keeping a library of film. When retail music and movies cease to come in packages my family will have nowhere to park me at the mall.
I get fatigued by the box office data in the media which seems to have replaced reviews. Just because a film brings in big bucks doesnt make it a classic. Quite the reverse 99 cents of every dollar to effects and maybe a star or two and a penny to the plot. Citzen Kane and Duck Soup both died at the box office. I love film's ability to tell a story without words. I intend to see Avatar in a quality 3D theater but most films translate satisfactorily on my home system.
My intent is to point out some films you may have overlooked.... and to continue frequenting the pile of dvd's in the cut out bin until the last Blockbuster goes the way of Sam Goody and Tower Records. Movies and music are getting tougher to find on dvd or cd..It's all about the intellectual property now , not the package. I enjoy keeping a library of film. When retail music and movies cease to come in packages my family will have nowhere to park me at the mall.
Edward Norton as Travis Bickel
Down In The Valley ( ****) 2005 Edward Norton ,Evan Rachel Wood , Rory Culkin and David Morse Directed by David Jacobsen.. Last week I watched the Kennedy Center Awards on CBS TV. In Edward Norton's induction speech of Robert DeNiro he said that he would never have become an actor without De Niro and in this film he creates a character as chilling as DeNiro's Travis Bickel of Taxi Driver. The San Fernando Valley of suburban Los Angeles is the canvas for teen escapism and fantasy. A shocking ethnic twist will leave you baffled and rewinding the DVD. Another one of my $4.00 finds......
Larry David's Sour Grapes to Woody Allen
Sour Grapes (*** 1/2) 1997 starring Steve Weber and Greg Bierko . Written and directed by Larry David. A true find for the Larry David fan. His 1997 directorial debut. This film was produced as Seinfeld was winding down (and he was no longer involved) 3 years before he started up " Curb" . I was thumbing through a barrel of $3 videos in a drug store and Larry David's name caught my eye just as I was about to throw this one back. The story starts slow and for the first 15 minutes seems terribly mis-cast. Both leads walk through a combination of Larry's social flaws. Then the story gels and a classic series of "Larry David " situations ensue.
Whatever Works ( *** 1/2) 2009 Written and directed by Woody Allen . Larry David gets to play Woody Allen as a man in his late 50's early 60's because Woody can't play Woody at 60 anymore. Certainly not Woody's best ..but... great lines and a VERY funny climax.
Cassandra's Dream ( ***1/2) 2008 found this one for $4.00 at a Blockbuster. Was about to toss it back when I noticed written and directed by Woody Allen very subtly placed at the bottom. Woody is worth four bucks at his worst and this is far from his worst. It is very similar to Matchpoint the Hitchcock like British thriller. Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as brothers in a tangled web. For awhile Woody was as " at home" in London as he is in Manhattan.
so much for *** 1/2 star bargains
Whatever Works ( *** 1/2) 2009 Written and directed by Woody Allen . Larry David gets to play Woody Allen as a man in his late 50's early 60's because Woody can't play Woody at 60 anymore. Certainly not Woody's best ..but... great lines and a VERY funny climax.
Cassandra's Dream ( ***1/2) 2008 found this one for $4.00 at a Blockbuster. Was about to toss it back when I noticed written and directed by Woody Allen very subtly placed at the bottom. Woody is worth four bucks at his worst and this is far from his worst. It is very similar to Matchpoint the Hitchcock like British thriller. Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell as brothers in a tangled web. For awhile Woody was as " at home" in London as he is in Manhattan.
so much for *** 1/2 star bargains
4 WWII Nazi dvd's to start 2010
Hello and welcome.. I hope to use this space to share opinions on music , film , and TV. Lets start with some recent dvds. I spent New years weekend immersed in Nazi movies (that should lose 30% of you) within 72 hours I saw Defiance, Valkerie, The Countertfeiters ,and Inglorious Basterds
All four films are based on true stories. ( lets work with a 5 star system).
Valkerie(**1/2)Starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Brannagh,Terrance Stamp.Director: Bryan Singer Tom Cruise looks good as Tom Cruise in this Hollywood action package of the plot to kill Hitler . Great to view on the stationary bike or treadmill but I really need a few nazi's to dislike and all I get are nice nazis who hate their boss...Hell I know plenty of New Yorkers who hate their boss.... but this plot could have been plugged into a western.
Defiance ( ****) Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber , Jamie Bell Director : Edward Zwick. My personal interest in the topic gets clouded here. My father, a native of Bialystok Poland lost his mother and sister in the concentration camps and this true story takes place in Belorus not 75 miles from where he was raised. It was filmed in Poland as Belorus is a hostile dictatorship today. The forrest is a stones throw from where the story took place. Blue collar non-religious Jews leading and saving the very neighbors that looked down on them before the war. A sobering view of the human condition. The special features are a must. They are even more moving than the film. The children of the Bielski brothers tell the story of how the film was made with the aid of survivors. An implausable story of survival , yet true. Very well cast.
The Counterfeiters ( *****) Quite possibly the most extraordinary film I've ever seen on the topic of the holocaust. A true story, filmed in Austria and Germany in little over 30 days. The review on the cover says that it : "Turns Schindler's List on its head." I thought this pretentious until I viewed the film. The special features are incredible. 90 year old survivor Adolph Burger ,one of the films two prime protagonists, has spent the last 65 years lecturing and publishing throughout Europe on the events of the day. The fact that it is a German /Austrian film makes it all the more compelling. The director Stefan Ruzowitsky,admits that it was not well recieved in Germany but did banner business in England and won the 2007 Academy Award for Foreign film in the US. He also admits that both of his Grandfathers were Nazis and that makes the film all the more meaningful. The humanity of his candor might serve to heal if not explain.
Inglorious Basterds ( ** 1/2) Brad Pitt directed by Quentin
Great cartoon. Tarrentino gets to live out an old comic book. Great villain, colorful, bloody, time tripping music. Tarrentino opens the film with Green leaves Of Summer ,last used for the theme to John Wayne's The Alamo in 1960 and David Bowie's, Putting Out Fires With Gasoline is absolutely Teutonic. Thanks to Mikey Colvin for reminding me of the fourth film in my holiday quartet. In my rush to write the first draft of this review I actually suceeded in blocking out the blockbuster. I won't begrudge the fact that this one cost me $18 while the others cost four or five , but this is the one that everyone is talking about and that's wrong
OK ..so now I can lighten up.... coming up next..the lost Larry David film.....
All four films are based on true stories. ( lets work with a 5 star system).
Valkerie(**1/2)Starring Tom Cruise, Kenneth Brannagh,Terrance Stamp.Director: Bryan Singer Tom Cruise looks good as Tom Cruise in this Hollywood action package of the plot to kill Hitler . Great to view on the stationary bike or treadmill but I really need a few nazi's to dislike and all I get are nice nazis who hate their boss...Hell I know plenty of New Yorkers who hate their boss.... but this plot could have been plugged into a western.
Defiance ( ****) Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber , Jamie Bell Director : Edward Zwick. My personal interest in the topic gets clouded here. My father, a native of Bialystok Poland lost his mother and sister in the concentration camps and this true story takes place in Belorus not 75 miles from where he was raised. It was filmed in Poland as Belorus is a hostile dictatorship today. The forrest is a stones throw from where the story took place. Blue collar non-religious Jews leading and saving the very neighbors that looked down on them before the war. A sobering view of the human condition. The special features are a must. They are even more moving than the film. The children of the Bielski brothers tell the story of how the film was made with the aid of survivors. An implausable story of survival , yet true. Very well cast.
The Counterfeiters ( *****) Quite possibly the most extraordinary film I've ever seen on the topic of the holocaust. A true story, filmed in Austria and Germany in little over 30 days. The review on the cover says that it : "Turns Schindler's List on its head." I thought this pretentious until I viewed the film. The special features are incredible. 90 year old survivor Adolph Burger ,one of the films two prime protagonists, has spent the last 65 years lecturing and publishing throughout Europe on the events of the day. The fact that it is a German /Austrian film makes it all the more compelling. The director Stefan Ruzowitsky,admits that it was not well recieved in Germany but did banner business in England and won the 2007 Academy Award for Foreign film in the US. He also admits that both of his Grandfathers were Nazis and that makes the film all the more meaningful. The humanity of his candor might serve to heal if not explain.
Inglorious Basterds ( ** 1/2) Brad Pitt directed by Quentin
Great cartoon. Tarrentino gets to live out an old comic book. Great villain, colorful, bloody, time tripping music. Tarrentino opens the film with Green leaves Of Summer ,last used for the theme to John Wayne's The Alamo in 1960 and David Bowie's, Putting Out Fires With Gasoline is absolutely Teutonic. Thanks to Mikey Colvin for reminding me of the fourth film in my holiday quartet. In my rush to write the first draft of this review I actually suceeded in blocking out the blockbuster. I won't begrudge the fact that this one cost me $18 while the others cost four or five , but this is the one that everyone is talking about and that's wrong
OK ..so now I can lighten up.... coming up next..the lost Larry David film.....
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