a |
"Last Night", from Johnny
Web
Four interesting and
offbeat movies to talk about today.
This one is a terrific
little movie. I watch dozens of these little
movies every year,and 90% of them bite the big
one, but we live for the treasure in the trash,
and this is the treasure. You may not know it,
but Canada has its own version of Orson Welles,
although the Northern Welles, Don McKellar, is
quite a bit less flashy. Lacking the command
presence of the original Welles, McKellar is a
little soft-spoken guy who looks like he'd get
kicked around the playground by Bill Gates and
Woody Allen, but at age 36 he's written eight
screenplays and directed three movies himself,
including two of his original screenplays. Oh,
yeah, and he's appeared in a couple dozen as an
actor. He's best known as a writer now, for the
critically-acclaimed "32 Short Films About
Glenn Gould" and "The Red Violin".
I have mentioned before that I felt The Red
Violin could have won the best screenplay Oscar,
although I was less enthusiastic about the
movie's execution. (McKellar didn't direct that
movie).
McKellar did it all in
"Last Night". Wrote, directed, starred.
Here's the premise: world is going to end at
midnight, it's six PM now. Don't ask why. Act of
God, mad scientist, who cares? Doesn't matter.
Point is there's no Bruce Willis or Arnold to
save the day. At midnight it's all over, everyone
has accepted it, and has known for a couple
months or more. Given that, what would life be
like? Think about it. There won't be a lot of
trash pick-up or public transportation or police
on the streets. If you had a few hours left,
would you spend it nabbing drug dealers or
picking up trash? Hell no. Think about what you
wouldn't do. Then think about what you would do.
Think about how other people are different from
you, and would have different approaches. What
would the end of the world be like? Some bang,
some whimper.
I think the most
touching performance in the movie is given by
eccentric director David Cronenberg, who plays a
gas company executive who spends the last days
calling customers to thank them, and to assure
them that the gas will keep working as long as
possible. Cronenberg is a lonely guy, but even
with the world down to a few hours, he still
can't summon the courage to conclude an office
flirtation with his virginal assistant, and she
doesn't know how to ask for it.
It is a strange
combination of the brightest and darkest angels
of our natures, all magnified in intensity as the
end nears. It's coated with dark humor, filled
with engaging characterizations. If it sounds
interesting to you, rent it. If you like it,
thank me. If not, blame it on Canada. Karen Glave
(1,
2,
3)
Tracy Wright
"Dr
Alien", from Johnny Web
One of the all-time
classics in the young male exploitation
tits-n-chuckles genre. Lots of bims, almost all
show some goodies, and the plot is totally hokey,
but with enough cheap laughs to carry you to the
next scene with breasts. World's dullest teen
turns into a babe magnet when some aliens
experiment on him. 'Nuff said. Quite good for its
type. My only complaint: a poor transfer to DVD. Linnea Laura Albert Laura Albert Judy Landers (non-nude) Judy Landers (non-nude) Julie Gray Michelle Bauer Karen Russell Ginger Lynn Allen Edy Williams (??)
"The
Hidden", from Johnny Web
Also an excellent small
film. This is in the story line that leads from
"Brain from Planet Aurus" to
"T-2". Good entity follows evil entity
into our time and place, and must destroy it.
Lots of action, fast-paced, with some depth to
the characterizations, and exceptionally well
acted for a genre pic. Good ending as well. Well
worth a rent. Hell, the rental is justified just
by seeing Claudia Christian as a stripper. She
didn't actually get naked, but you're really
gonna like these anyway. Claudia ( 1,
2,
3)
"Little
Mother", from Tuna
This is a strange one,
which I haven't seen. Roman-a-clef loosely based
on the life of Eva Peron (although it has the
usual disclaimer "about any resemblance to
real people ... is purely coincidence",
blah, blah). Directed by the notorious Radley
Metzger. Realist and I used to have debates over
this guy. I claim that he was the world's
classiest and most intellectual pornographer
(he's a student of Pirandello). Realist said that
he was just Fellini without the talent, and some
of Fellini's movies would also have seemed like
porn in his day if he weren't just so talented.
Well, whatever Metzger was, I don't think there
were any others like him. Argentina was
instructed not not to cry for Christiane Kruger. thumbnails. Kruger (1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8)
New
from GR
Graphic response added
some rare material of his own today Isabelle Huppert in "The
Lacemaker" Greta Scacchi "Presumed
Innocent" Apollonia in "Purple
Rain"
|
a |