3:10 TO YUMA

3:10 to Yuma (2007) dir. James Mangold
Starring: Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, Ben Foster

***1/2

On DVD this week is “3:10 to Yuma”, featuring megastars Russell Crowe and Christian Bale and directed by “Walk the Line’s” James Mangold. It’s a remake of the 1955 Delmar Daves film adapted from the Elmore Leonard novel of the same name. It’s a character-film about a vicious outlaw who faces off against an ‘everyman’ rancher when he gets involved in a dangerous mission to transport him to prison. The film begins slowly but then gathers great steam resulting in a surprisingly touching finale. It’s not one of the best westerns ever made, but it improves on the original and showcases some of the finest performances this year.

The film opens with the quiet and assuming rancher, Dan Evans (Christian Bale), under attack by the local railroad developer. They burn his barn to the ground as a forceful warning to vacate his property to make way for his near-coming railroad. His young teenage son, William (Logan Lerman), disrespects his father, who is crippled from a war injury, for failing to take a stand for his family and fight back like a real man.

Russell Crowe plays Ben Wade, a wanted outlaw who leads a vicious gang of evil-doers. After stealing $10,000 from a stagecoach he becomes the target of the Pinkerton authorities. While relaxing in a small town, Wade slips up and gets caught, but the fight has only begun. Wade must be transported undercover of his menacing posse to the train station to catch the 3:10 train to Yuma Prison. Evans who happens to be in town confronting the railroad developers offers to help for a fee of $200. This money will help him through the terrible drought that has plagued his land and save his family from financial ruin. And so begins the battle of wills on the journey to Yuma. Evans is a tough match for Wade, and resists all his psychological scheming and escape attempts. But when his son unexpected hitches a ride, suddenly there’s more at stake. Evans’ fears and internal demons are tested to the extreme, physically and mentally as the clock ticks down to 3:10.

Christian Bale plays light as effectively as heavy, and is fantastic as the emasculated rancher/father. The relationship with his son is the heart of the film. At first I rolled my eyes when the ambitious youngster disobeys father’s orders and follows the Wade’s coach. I’ve seen this scene a thousand times before. But Mangold plays the dynamic intelligently. William is at first attracted to Wade’s active forthrightness. Since his father failed to stop the railroad developer from terrorizing his family, he feels the protection of the family will eventually fall to him. But as the film moves along they become closer as a family and in the end William realizes the courageous sacrifice his father has made for his family.

Russell is also very good as the maniacal yet honourable outlaw. Glenn Ford played Wade in the original, but Crowe trumps Ford’s performance who originally played him just as ‘charming’. Crowe effectively adds much needed menace to give his character weight. Crowe wasn’t stretched too far in the role though until the end. At a key moment in the film, Crowe, standing at gunpoint, and framed terrifically in a long medium shot. Viewers who’ve seen the film will know what I mean. The prolonged unspoken look of fear on his face so palpable and is the mark of a great actor.

The discovery in the film though is actor Ben Foster (“X-Men 3” and “Six Feet Under”) who plays Charlie Prince, Wade’s right hand man, one of the great bad guys in recent movie history. He is so loyal and determined to rescue Wade nothing will stop him from reaching the train station by 3:10. He is not so much a character as he is a robotic “Terminator”-like monster - petal to the metal, full throttle bad-ass.

“3:10 to Yuma” bests the original by adding the subplot of Evans’ son (who is left at the ranch in the original), but Mangold and writers Michael Brandt and Derek Haas add several action scenes to the second act. This quickens the pace - a fault which plagued the original. Surprisingly though the visual look of the film was disappointing. Delmar Daves’ black and white film had a magnificently beautiful widescreen anamorphic look. It was perfectly framed and composed and edited. This new version seems stolid and perfunctory. As well, Marco Beltrami’s music was uninspired ‘made-for-television’ material.

Overall “3:10 to Yuma” is a great on character, average on action, but a good solid modern western and must for fans of the genre. Enjoy.

FYI. Here’s my review of the original film. Click HERE.

3:10 to Yuma

RIGHT AT YOUR DOOR

Right at Your Door (2007) dir. Chris Gorak
Starring: Rory Cochrane, Mary McCormack

**

There's a certain excitement at discovering a new low budget self-produced film that actually works. So when a small buzz emerged from Sundance about a low-budget high concept paranoia thriller that won the Cinematography Prize I had hopes this could be the next “Primer”, “Pi” or “El Mariachi. It’s a lofty goal, but Sundance regularly discovers these mini-masterpieces. “Right At Your Door” is a promising start to a directing career for Chris Gorak, but compared to those other films – it falls way short of a true indie-achievement.

The story is simple. Shortly after Brad (Rory Cochrane) has just kissed his wife (Mary McCormack) goodbye for work, Los Angeles is attacked with a series exploding dirty bombs. Brad learns through the radio that deadly chemicals are slowly spreading throughout the city. Whole sections of L.A are being closed down and quarantined. Brad is forced to seal off his house to protect himself from harm. But when his wife returns he is presented with a moral conundrum – let his wife in and expose himself, or leave her to die from the deadly toxins outside.

There’s definitely talent in Gorak’s directing abilities. At a glance the film could double for an episode of “24” or “The Wire” or “Law and Order”. The production design is fantastic and the actors deliver fine performances. Unfortunately it’s the screenplay that lets Gorak down.

For some reason Chris is scared to use the “T” word. It seems a conscious decision not to say 'terrorist', and not to give reason or cause for these attacks. Gorak’s intentions to not make the ‘why’ the centre of attention are admirable (he clearly wants to focus on character), but in doing so a giant elephant sits in the room and is never acknowledged. This is one of many frustrating aspects of the film.

Inherent to low budget filmmaking are the many disguises or ‘cheats’ filmmakers must employ to keep costs down, especially in a high concept thriller. Gorak not only refuses to go into the backstory of the attack, he fills his time with too much repetitive dialogue. As a result the film loses steam after 30mins. Gorak keeps his characters in a house for 90mins, but after half an hour there’s are no substantial beats or obstacles to keep our attention.

Gorak is very clever – we are fed a plethora of emotional crying and paranoid yelling; visually he keeps us interested with a handheld camera, jump cuts, flash lights; and on the soundtrack there's a constant chatter from a radio as well as a fine Tomandandy score. But in the end “Right At Your Door” doesn’t surmount the real challenge of a low budget chamber drama – how to keep a story moving, evolving and changing with one location and minimal characters. After 30mins these distractions fade away and we aren’t left with much story.

The film won the Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival. For a low budget film it’s a minor miracle to achieve such high production value, but I do have a small beef with the lighting. It was very difficult to see the actor’s faces, as they were always underlit or covered in shadow. Even by tweeking the brightness and contrast on TV screen I could never find a satisfactory level that didn’t blow out the rest of picture.

Despite all my criticisms, cudos to Mr. Gorak. He has successfully crafted a fine director’s resume – from which he will likely get more work. I look forward to his second film.

“Right At Your Door” is available on DVD January 20, 2008 from Lionsgate Films and Maple Pictures.

Right at Your Door

FULL METAL JACKET

Full Metal Jacket (1987) dir. Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Matthew Modine, Arliss Howard, R. Lee Ermey, Vincent D’Onofrio

****

With each successive viewing “Full Metal Jacket” seems to rise the ranks of the Kubrick oeuvre. For me it sits in his top three just below “Dr. Strangelove” and “2001” A Space Odyssey”. Like his other war film “Paths of Glory” Kubrick cuts the film in two distinct halves. Each half is a masterpiece in it’s own right and when put together greater than the sum of its parts.

The opening starts with some popular music – something we aren’t accustomed to in the Kubrick universe – Johnny Wright’s “Hello Vietnam” while our characters’ hair are being buzzed off. Kubrick is stripping his characters down – bare – so they can be shaped into the stone cold Marines they will become. Then we get a loud introduction to Gunnery Sgt Hartman (Lee Ermey) – a drill instructor with the most foul mouth to ever grace the screen. The opening half of the film which takes place entirely within these training barracks is hell on earth for these characters. As the verbal and physical abuse continues the character of Joker (Matthew Modine) emerges as the leader and protagonist. We also meet Leonard “Pvt Pile” (Vincent D’Onofrio) who is eloquently described by Hartman as a ‘digusting fat body’ and a ‘slimy fucking walrus-looking piece of shit’. The abuse doesn’t harden Pile into a Marine though – his mind is carved into a psychotic who will eventually take his anger out in the most violent of ways.

The second half is like an entire different film. Only Pvt. Joker and Pvt. Cowboy continue on in the film. It’s months after basic training. Joker, looking more relaxed and comfortable with his position in the army, is a war correspondent who writes articles for “Stars and Stripes” magazine. Joker is assigned to cover a platoon on reconnaissance after the famous Tet offensive. Like the first half Joker’s tour becomes a journey into hell. When the platoon gets lost they encounter a lone sniper that will test their physical and moral strength.

The Kubrick style is in our faces loud and clear. He elegantly glides his camera easily across the pristine floor of the training bunks. The rows and rows of beds allows for some immaculately composed shots – mostly symmetrical compositions of course. In the second half, Kubrick spares no expense in the production design – creating Vietnam out of the English countryside. Kubrick’s frame is composed just as carefully, specifically the use of the omnipresent background smoke. I can’t even fathom the logistical nightmare of coordinating the billows of smoke miles in the background. But it’s these details that make the film a visual delight.

The final sequence which follows the platoon into the abandoned town to confront the sniper is the highlight of the film. Watch the amazing long tracking shot from behind the soldiers as the crouch and run into their positions (notice the similarities in these shots to “Saving Private Ryan”). Watch the subtle lighting changes throughout the scene as the sun goes down. The scene moves from standard daylight to magic hour light to complete darkness. Again watch the fire and smoke which seems to breathe a life of its own. And that’s only the background.

The confrontation with a lone sniper presents the soldiers with a moral conundrum. After all the immoral death Kubrick makes us sympathize with his exposed and defenseless victim. This final scene is important not just in conveying the theme of the film – the duality of war – but also the themes of Kubrick's career.

Like most of his films “Full Metal Jacket” is largely inhumane, showing us an emotionally unencumbered world of violence. But after almost 2 hours of dehumanization Kubrick slaps us with a moment of humanity. And the denouement which takes the soldiers back to childhood reinforces his theme of innocence regained. Enjoy.

The HD DVD of "Full Metal Jacket" features a fine commentary track from many of the actors as well as new making of Documentary. Check it out.

Full Metal Jacket Full Metal Jacket

IVAN'S CHILDHOOD

Ivan’s Childhood (1962) dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
Starring: Nikolai Burlyayev, Valentin Zubkov, Yevgeni Zharikov

****

“Ivan’s Childhood” is one of the most glorious film debuts in cine-history. Tarkovsky tells us the story of young Ivan – barely 12 years old – who works as a messenger for the Russian army on the Eastern front. The film gives us a few of the Tarkovsky hallmarks – austere, minimalist setting and a highly impressionistic look into the madness of war. “Ivan” is a visual delight and also one of his most accessible films for lay-audiences.

The film opens with Ivan as a young boy embracing his mom in an idyllic family setting. Cut to Ivan, malnourished, dirty, alone hiding from the Nazis. Ivan is a messenger boy who sends messages across the front. He arrives at a Russian outpost where he’s to deliver his message to Captain Kholin. The soldier who greets him doesn’t believe Ivan’s tall tales of his involvement in the war. When Kholin arrives we realize Ivan is telling the truth.

Like "Fellini’s 8 ½" the film flashes back to Ivan’s former youth. We see his mother and sister at their family home, playing hide and seek, eating luscious fruit etc. Tarkovsky’s shakes us back to reality with jarring cuts to the disparate war front.

Intended or not, you will see some influence of “Ivan” on Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun”. Ivan may only be 12 but he has the worldly smarts of a war veteran. He is invisible to the age difference between his fellow soldiers and he expects to be treated like an adult. The war has made him a man, and although he dreams of his lost childhood, like Christian Bale’s character, we know, based on his real-life experiences he can never reclaim this.

According to the extensive Criterion Collection liner notes, Tarkovsky was influenced – as many of the Soviet filmmakers during the post-Stalin ‘thaw’ period – by Mikael Kalatozov. In fact, it’s said he wanted Kalatozov’s DOP Sergei Urusevsky to shoot the film. He didn’t get him but instructed Vadim Yusov to make it look like Urusevsky shot it. It does, and it looks fantastic. Yusov gives the film a high contrast nourish feel. The interiors images are either harsh black or harsh white with strong shadows against the walls. The exteriors, are stark wartorn environments – endlessly flat background with sharp and jagged trees, and branches to fill the space. The seduction scene between Captain Kholin and Masha is fantastic for its subtle terrorizing of Masha’s character but it’s the visual design and choreography of the scene that is breathtaking.

For a first film Tarkovsky shows astonishing confidence and cocky cinema-attitude. His deep focus long takes and sweeping camera moves are impressive. Tarkovsky would rely less on the gymnastics later in his career. But the impressionism would remain the same. It’s essential viewing for international cineastes. Enjoy.

EAGLE VS. SHARK

Eagle vs. Shark (2007) dir. Taika Cohen
Starring: Loren Horsley, Jemaine Clement

***

On DVD this week is “Eagle vs. Shark” a small New Zealand film that has made the long journey to North America. It’s rare for an authentic non-Peter Jackson kiwi film to get a theatrical release in North America. So there must have been something special about the film I thought. Perhaps it’s a unique cultural export of the quirky New Zealand sense of humour. Instead, I was surprised to find out it was “Napoleon Dynamite” with kiwi accents.

Lily is a shy waif who works in a fast food burger joint. After years of obsessive longing of a frequent customer, she finally decides to gather up the courage to make contact with the guy. The guy is Jarrod, a completely maladjusted loser who lives in his own mind. Lily gets invited to Jarrod’s video/costume party. Lily arrives as her favourite animal (shark). Jarrod is dressed as, of course, eagle. The party is a new realm of loserdom - an annual video game fighting tournament to see who gets to challenge Jarrod as the master gamer. Lily proves to be worthy and trashes her opponents. When she goes up against Jarrod she is so smitten with him she blows the match on purpose. Lily’s persistence pays off and soon they enter into the most matter-of-fact courtships in cinema history. You have to watch the scene – it’s completely unromantic yet cute and touching at the same time.

Lily travels with Jarrod to his quaint seaside hometown where Jarrod is to train for a real fight with his high school nemesis who bullied him. Lily fits in well with Jarrod’s equally screwed-up family and friends. His sister and brother-in-law sell overstocked athletic apparel from the early 90’s. It’s pathetic and hilarious. The more she learns about Jarrod she becomes as frightened as she is sympathetic to his pathetic life.

The film follows some standard ups and downs of the romantic comedy genre, but at its heart it’s unfortunately a “Napoleon Dynamite” clone, with a dash of “About Schmidt” right down to the costumes, portrait-like shot selection, and quirky electronic and acoustic music score. I guess all these films stem from Wes Anderson, who made loserdom cool. But of course, Anderson deepened and broadened the emotional quotient way beyond both “Dynamite” and “Shark”.

I think both films love their characters equally, but one thing “Eagle” has over “Dynamite” is a backstory. Over the course of the film we come to learn why Jarrod has created this insular world in which he has declared himself king. The rejection of his mother and the suicide of his older brother left him scarred and damaged. Jarrod’s retreat is extreme, but it does provide context for his loserdom. Lily, whom the film’s point of view is taken from, unfortunately isn’t given a backstory. And her obsessive love for Jarrod is never explained, and is completely arbitrary. She has a gigantic heart that desperate wants to love, but why she choose the crass, obnoxious, and egotistical Jarrod is out of character. Perhaps she recognizes his flaws and sees his inner beauty, or perhaps she’s impressed by his ability to deflect all criticism and be happy with himself.

In the end credits I was surprised to see that the film was developed through the Sundance Institute. In fact, “Napoleon Dynamite” premiered at Sundance the same year Taika Cohen’s Oscar nominated short “Two Cars, One Night”. So maybe it was a conscious attempt to recreate that experience. Overall, though it may not be the ‘little film that could’ “Eagle vs. Shark” is a worthy knock off. Enjoy

“Eagle vs. Shark” is available on DVD this week from Alliance Films

SUNSHINE

Sunshine (2007) dir. Danny Boyle
Starring Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Chris Evans

***1/2

On DVD this week is Danny Boyle's "Sunshine" and no film this year improves more for me on second viewing than this. The sci-fi logline sounds like "Armageddon" - a group of international astronauts travel to the dying sun to reignite it with an atomic bomb. I had concerns with the third act which turned the film into a monster movie. Boyle appears to use this as a crutch to elevate the stakes in the second half, but upon closer examination the character is necessary to the existential elements of the story.

“Sunshine” is only for the selective sci-fi techno-geek audiences. It's courageous for the studio to finance a film that will likely find its audience many years down the road.

At the top, in voiceover, we’re told the sun is dying and the only way to save humanity is to reignite it with a highly concentrated nuclear bomb. Then the film immediately jumps into the story by putting us on a spacecraft headed for the sun. There’s no obligatory earth scenes, or training sequences, writer Alex Garland and director Danny Boyle clearly know its audience is literate to this story, so there’s no need. Their crew consists of an international group of eight astronauts, physicists, biologists etc. Cillian Murphy, the physicist who will deliver the payload is the protagonist. The ship, Icarus II, is the second mission after the first attempt failed seven years, ago. Along the way they encounter the Icarus I and discover the reasons why it failed in its mission. Something sinister comes in the crew’s way to accomplishing their mission, and it’s up to Cillian to save the planet.

I admire Danny Boyle’s films. His great films (“Shallow Grave”, “Trainspotting” and “28 Days Later”) are some of my favourite films of the last 20 years. And even his duds (“A Life Less Ordinary” or “The Beach”) are redeemed with dynamic pacing and a unique visual style. “Sunshine” is no exception. There are some truly awe inspiring sci-fi moments including the awesome power of the sun, which acts as an omnipresent character in the film. Boyle’s camera pans and glides across the massive heat shield reminding us how close the characters are to being disintegrated in a split second by the intensity of the sun. Inside the ship we are treated to a number of tense moments, unfortunately involving the familiar space-bound sequences we’ve seen in other films. There’s a space-walk, a space-docking, running toward closing hatches etc. But Boyle is always so clever and he brings these overplayed scenes to a whole new level.

“Sunshine” wants to have its cake and eat it too – to be a credible art film exploring existential elements of “Solaris” and “2001”, yet entertain with “Alien"-like scares. While the third act doesn't quite fit nicely with the first two thirds it successful heightens the momentum with the introduction of another character. I was disappointed Boyle felt the need to obscure this character from the audience. We are only given fractured, out of focus quick shots of him. Why? What's more frustrating is that Boyle obscures the monster from the audience, while the characters in the film get to see him in full view. In “Alien” Ridley Scott obscured his monster for most of the picture and only revealed it to us when the characters see it for the first time. In “Sunshine” we don’t ever get a full reveal. What gives?

The existential moments do pack a wallop. The film's genuine love for humanity, the beauty of the earth and the sun bring the film to that spiritual level. In the end, I didn’t mind the lack of logic with the action nor the holes in the plot. When Underworld’s Eno-esque music climaxes the film washed over me like a gentle wave and gave me sufficient satisfaction.

So I would advise seeing “Sunshine” with the knowledge that it won’t be “28 Days Later” or “2001: A Space Odyssey”, but a different but worthy experience, outside of the Harry Potter/Spider Man/Transformers/Shrek extravaganzas. Enjoy.

"Sunshine" is available on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Video.

Sunshine

DEATH SENTENCE

Death Sentence (2007) dir. James Wan
Starring: Kevin Bacon, Garrett Hedlund, Kelly Preston, John Goodman

**

“Death Sentence” is the latest in a long line of urban vigilante films. In fact, it’s based on a Brian Garfield novel, which in 1975 served as the sequel to his original “Death Wish”. So in many ways James Wan is going back to the original source material of revenge cinema. Unfortunately the film is all over the map in terms of style, tone and structure. It’s a sloppy effort from Wan, who by now (it’s his third film) should be, honing his storytelling craft. “Death Sentence” is unfocused and meandering.

Nick Hume (Kevin Bacon) is a conservative suburban dad and husband who embraces his son’s hockey playing talents. One night while taking him home from a game the son is murdered in a gangland initiation. During the trial Nick is pressured into offering the accused a plea bargain. After the killer mocks Nick in court, Nick decides to let him go free so he may inflict his own personal justice. Kevin Bacon feels awkward in these scenes. Wan only puts Nick in ‘half-vigilante’ mode. He confronts and inadvertently kills his son’s killer, which sparks a gangland war against Nick and his family.

This should be enough to set in motion the events of revenge we expect Nick to now impose on the gang members. But there’s some more heinous acts against Nick that set him off even further. This comes at the 1hour mark, at which point the film should be turning into the third act. But this feels like a first act event. After Nick is shot and left for dead along with his family. Nick becomes a 100% devoted vigilante and decides to enact full ass-kicking justice come hell or highwater.

The film is remarkably inconsistent in tone. The opening scenes which are awkwardly shot move between dark and dirty toughness to clichéd melodrama. At the most emotional scenes in the film he uses a series of inappropriate melo indie-rock songs to enhance the mood. Whether its’ Nick crying in the shower or during his son’s funeral when these songs are played it feels like unnecessary stylistic excesses – like a Gun and Roses video.

Wan also crafts a lengthy action sequence which has the gang members chasing down Nick in a parking lot. The set piece is so long and action-oriented it feels like a different film. Wan even shoots a long take in the parking lot as Bacon is running through the lot setting off car alarms to distract his pursuers. Up until now it was a small scale character study, but with gun ablazing in broad daylight, with cars falling off of high roofs, it feels more like “Die Hard” than “Death Wish”.

Technically Wan doesn’t seem to have command of his compositions either. He frequently uses extremely wide angle lenses with odd camera angles. These shots don’t mesh with the rest of the film. A director has to be very careful with changing lens sizes – especially with the extremes – it can take the viewer out of the film is used inappropriately. I certainly was.

Of the 120 mins of the unrated film I watched on DVD there’s about 20mins of interesting and exciting material. The film finally revs its engines and gets tough at the 1hr 20mins mark when Nick emerges from the hospital a broken down man. As he rebuilds himself into the Bronson-esque truely single- minded vigilante we get a taste of what this film should have been. The style, tone, lighting, acting etc that was so inconsistent in the first half comes together perfectly for these 20mins. Wan stages a fantastic gun fight in a warehouse between Nick and the gang members, which is uncompromising and tough.

If Wan had expanded his film using the style of these 20mins he would have had a good film.

“Death Sentence” is available on DVD Jan 8, 2008 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

Death Sentence

AMADEUS

Amadeus (1984) dir. Milos Forman
Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Jeffrey Jones, Elizabeth Berridge

****

“Amadeus” avoids the traps of the biopic genre by telling the productive career of Mozart through the eyes of his jealous rival Antonio Salieri. Forman makes what could have been an intellectually-alienating costume drama into an accessible and wholly engrossing masterpiece.

The film is based on Peter Schaffer’s stage play, which he also adapts. Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), in his old age, tells the story from his days as the court composer during the reign of Emperor Joseph II of Austria (Jeffrey Jones). Before Salieri even met him Mozart’s talent was legendary having composed his first opera at age 12. But Mozart is not the man Salieri expected – he’s portrayed as a skirt-chasing self-effacing jokester. Mozart makes light of his own talent which indirectly mocks Salieri’s insecurities as a ‘mediocre’ composer. Salieri, who, as a child prayed to God to give him the talent to become a star, is incensed that God has given the world greatest music talent to an affable boob. Salieri’s insecurities fuel his hatred as he proceeds to slowly crush Mozart’s soul and drive him to madness.

F. Murray Abraham gives a great understated nuanced performance. Abraham’s face reads unspoken emotions of jealousy, guilt, hatred as well as his genuine love for music. Salieri both loathes and idolizes Mozart and Abraham wonderfully expresses this contradiction at all times. Perhaps his best scene is Mozart’s first appearance for the Emperor. Salieri has composed a simple march on the piano for his entrance. The Emperor, who has no ear for music, plays the tune. The measured look of frustration on Abraham’s face is cringe-worthy.

Forman accomplishes a feat of casting I’ve rarely see – casting American actors with their own accents in the lead roles. Tom Hulce plays Mozart with a dignified American accent but with a hint of his Detroit twang. F. Murray Abraham whom we then knew most recently as Omar Suarez in “Scarface” is also dignified-American, but it’s refreshing to not have them resort to a generic British accent. Jeffrey Jones would never be cast today as the affable Emperor, but his quirky humour serves the role well. When we first hear Elizabeth Berridge’s coarse accent on screen we are taken aback but as she develops the character her accent naturally fits in.

Mozart’s music is used throughout the film, in the many staged set pieces and also as the score. The music fits in naturally with the narrative and it never seems like a greatest hits compilation. Though I can’t read a lick of music watching Salieri and Mozart discuss music is a thrill. The finale which has Mozart at his sickly bedside dictating the composition and notes of “Requiem” to Salieri is wonderful and energetic.

Cinematographer Miroslav Ondrícek provides the delicate texture of a renaissance painting. He compliments the lush costumes and production design with soft anamorphic lenses and ultra-low-key lighting. As a result the depth of focus is very shallow – throwing virtually everything out of focus. The best of Ondricek’s frames are in the theatres where Mozart conducts his orchestra (see image above). As Mozart sways his hands in time with the music, only he is in focus. But with the audience and amount activity in the background of the widescreen frame Mozart is isolated and magnified. They are marvelous scenes.

Amadeus won the Best Picture Oscar, among many others, in 1984. The film is still enthralling and deserving of its awards. It’s one of the best films of the 80’s and one of greatest films about music. Enjoy.

THE BEST OF 2007

The Daily Film Dose Best of 2007

It was a great year for many reasons. First, the launch of Daily Film Dose, which has grown substantially since my inaugural posting on Feb 3rd. Since then there have been 342 postings in 342 days (322 reviews, 20 feature commentaries).

As for the films of the year, it’s been the best, arguably since the grand year of 1999. Of the critical favourites that we’ve seen on other top ten lists lately I didn’t get a chance to see Cristian Mungiu’s “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”. Other than that I’ve seen most of the big unanimous favourites. Here’s my top ten of the year, plus a few other fun notes:

1. Control (dir. Anton Corbijn)

Sam Riley plays the tragic life and death of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis with complete authenticity. So much so in fact, he sang his own songs in the film and his on-screen band played and recorded their own versions of the songs. Corbijn’s pristine black and white images evoke the despair of working class Manchester and the depression which drove Curtis to suicide. Corbijn, Riley and his co-star/bandmates make the music pop out of the screen like few rock films before it.

2. There Will Be Blood (dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)

As grand and epic as both “Magnolia” and “Boogie Nights”, “There Will Be Blood” does what PT does best, aspiring for greatness, telling big stories about big ideas, big successes, and big failures. Though different in time and place, “Blood” fits into the challenging and edge-pushing cinema boundaries we want him to do every time he gets behind the camera.

3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (dir. Julian Schnabel)

This brilliant film mixes the art house filmmaking of Julian Schnabel (“Before Night Falls”, “Basquiat”) with the highest quality of Hollywood storytelling. Steven Spielberg’s #1 producer, Kathleen Kennedy, produces this inspiring triumph of the human spirit tale of French fashion editor, Jean-Dominique Bauby, who suffers a brain aneurysm and is rendered completely paralyzed. With the use of one blinking eye Bauby manages to put his life story into a best selling novel. You have to see it to believe it.

4. Into the Wild (dir. Sean Penn)

The story of Christopher McCandliss who eschewed his secure middle class life and literally discarded all his possessions and disappeared into the wild is a flawlessly adaptation. Two and half hours never went by so fast. It’s a riveting and ultimately tragic story anchored by one of the year’s best performances, Emile Hirsch.

5. Away From Her (dir. Sarah Polley)

The short synopsis couldn’t be less appealing – the story of an elderly man dealing with his wife’s Alzheimer’s. Though I have no connection to this tragic disease and the lead characters were over twice my age, the film is intimately compelling from the first scene to the last. It’s the quietest moments that ring the loudest in this film. Sarah Polley exercises remarkable poise for a young director with subtle yet strong directorial choices.

6. No Country For Old Men (dir. Joel and Ethan Coen)

I had problems with the final act, but the Coens wanted to stay frustratingly accurate to Cormac McCarthy’s book. With seemingly little effort the film stays a hair’s breath close to the material yet retaining that Coens-esque tone which makes the film their own. Despite some leaps to thematic conclusion the film is essentially one long chase and a triumph of sustained terror and suspense.

7. Planet Terror (dir. Robert Rodriguez)

The theatrical Grindhouse experience which included the hilarious fake trailers in between Robert Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s B-Movie double bill was perhaps too esoteric for lay-audiences, but I was caught hook, line and sinker. Tarantino’s self-conscious dialogue-heavy film was a let down, but Robert Rodriguez’ blood-splattering contribution, even after a couple of viewings, brought so much joy and happiness to me I had to show some respect by including it in this list. It’s a b-movie extraordinaire, but Rodriguez infuses so much life and energy into his ridiculous story.

8. Once (dir. John Carney)

The indie film that could for 2007. Shot for under $150,000, "Once" is one of those cinema miracles that comes about every five years or so. The fantastic songs which express the emotions of the characters make “Sweeney Todd” look antiquated and out of date.

9. Juno (dir. Jason Reitman)

Jason Reitman had the easiest job on set. First he had Diablo Cody’s near perfect screenplay whose dialogue bristles with brilliant one-liners and quirky-geek-cuteness. Second, he cast some of the finest comic character actors to read the dialogue (Jason Bateman, JK Simmons, Rainn Wilson, Michael Cera, Alison Janney). And third, he has Ellen Page as the lead. She was still a relative unknown, but one glance at her performance in “Hard Candy” and you know she is the real deal. Reitman could have phoned this one in.

10. Eastern Promises (dir. David Cronenberg)

Viggo Mortensen’s commanding performance as Nikolai, the Russian gangster, is one of those Brando-esque performances, full of nuanced actor’s mannerisms and subtext. David Cronenberg has a few moments of his own as well including, hands down, the most gruesome throat slashing ever filmed. Despite the brooding material the film isn’t without its humorous moments. Cronenberg and writer Steven Wright keep it simple. Save the epic filmmaking for Ridley Scott or Martin Scorsese, “Eastern Promises” never gets too big for its britches.

Ten films is never enough for a Best of List. So I always include my second top ten 11-20:

11. The Bourne Ultimatum (dir. Paul Greengrass) Bourne is relentlessly pursued by the latest surveillance techniques in New York as well by the nastiest and toughest villains he’s had to face so far. Buckle your seat belts, the picture moves fast, really fast.

12. Zodiac (dir. David Fincher) – A slow-burning procedural epic

13. The Hoax (dir. Lasse Hallstrom) – A highly entertaining under-the-radar film which gets betters as it goes along

14. Paris Je T’Aime (dir. Various) – 18 short films – 2 of the them bad, the rest, a mixture of good and great – more than enough to make it a whimsical journey through one of the great cities in the world.

15. A Mighty Heart (dir. Michael Winterbottom) – The tragic death of Daniel Pearl is made exciting and engrossing by Angelina Jolie and the docu-style filmmaking of Michael Winterbottom.

16. American Gangster (dir. Ridley Scott) – The complete opposite of “Eastern Promises” – a big sprawling decades-spanning tale of gangs, drugs, cops, politics and economics.

17. In the Valley of Elah (dir. Paul Haggis) – Gotta be in the right mood for this. “Elah” is dark and moody – a story of the despair of small town America coming to grips with repercussions of the Iraq War on the home front.

18. This Is England (dir. Shane Meadows) – A rough and tumble romp through the racist hooliganism of northern England in the 80’s.

19. Knocked Up (dir. Judd Apatow) – A perfectly executed sitcom feature film. Seth Rogan’s jovial best friend slacker character finally gets the star treatment.

20. Sunshine (dir. Danny Boyle) – It’s not perfect, and the third act becomes an unnecessary monster movie, but no other film on this list got better on second viewing. It’s meditative cinema at its best.

Critically Lauded Films that I Just Didn’t Get (though I hope to someday):

I’m Not There (dir. Todd Haynes) – What’s been called a masterpiece by virtually every critic out there was a complete mystery to me. Though the ideas were profound, the execution of them wasn’t.

Michael Clayton (dir. Tony Gilroy) – A slow burner with apparently a lot of subtext which was too subtle for me to penetrate.

Sweeney Todd (dir. Tim Burton) – Actors adequately singing their dialogue just lightens for me what should have been dark, really dark.

Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (dir. Sidney Lumet) – A ridiculously manipulative and overwrought melodrama consciously trying to shock us with it’s faux Shakespearan excesses.

Great Films Failed by the Third Act:

Bug (dir. William Friedkin) – The 72 year old director of “The Exorcist” could have made the comeback of a lifetime if were not for the third act which turns a fascinating three-hander character study into a predictable and nasty horror film.

Gone Baby Gone (dir. Ben Affleck) – Affleck was coasting toward having one of the best films of the year until he undercut all the great characters he created in the first two acts. The third turns into ridiculous whodunit television with an ethical conundrum which is a no-brainer.

The best action sequences to fast forward to, or rewind and watch again:

Spartan bloodletting in 300 (dir. Zach Snyder) – There‘s a single unedited shot where a pair of Spartans hack to death a dozen Persians with slow-fast uncompromising limb hacking beauty.

Robots battle robots in Transformers (dir. Michael Bay) – Few directors can blow things up better than Michael Bay. In the final action climax Bay’s robots and a few little army men destroy downtown L.A. real good.

Tangier chase in The Bourne Ultimatum (dir. Paul Greengrass) – Midway through the film, which is essentially one long chase scene anyway – Bourne chases down a hitman who’s targeted the lovely Julia Stiles. Bourne’s relentless rooftop pursuit and brutal hand to hand fight with the thug is violent and disturbing. Bourne beats the guy down with a book for god sakes!

Zombie splattering in Planet Terror (dir. Robert Rodriguez) – Just after the main characters are finally united against the flesh-eating zombies they hitch a ride on El Wray’s pick up truck for a little game of “hogs of the road” – one-by-one the truck smashes every zombie in their way. Their bodies explode into pieces like a bloody juicyfruit commercial.

Deer hunting in I Am Legend (dir. Francis Lawrence) – The opening sequence is perhaps the best action scene of the year. With Manhattan desolate and grown over with weeds the last man on earth, Will Smith, emerges in a sportscar and chases a herd of deer through the city streets. Heart pounding excitement at its best.

Fuck you terrorists! in The Kingdom (dir. Peter Berg) – For two thirds “The Kingdom” attempts to tell an investigative military whodunit with intellectual historical context and political intrigue. Peter Berg discards everything for one intense mind-blowing action finale. By the end you’ll have forgotten what the film was about.

Documentaries of the Year (note: I didn’t get to see a lot of the high profile ones, but here’s my favourites):

In the Shadow of the Moon (dir. David Sington): I can’t believe we actually take for granted the fact that man has gone to the moon (and 38 years ago). The stock footage looks better than any special effects ever made… because it’s real!

The Trials of Darryl Hunt (Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern): A tragic case of a man misidentified as a rapist/murderer because of the colour of his skin and forced to serve over 20 years in prison as an innocent man. A frightening story.

Sicko (dir. Michael Moore) – Moore effectively makes a case for public medicine in the United States by comparing the seemingly corrupt private system against the equitable public systems around the world.

Best Male Performances of the Year

Tommy Lee Jones in In the Valley of Elah
Viggo Mortensen in Eastern Promises
Sam Riley in Control
Emile Hirsh in Into the Wild
Gordon Pinsent in Away From Her
Will Smith in I Am Legend

Best Male Supporting Performances of the Year

Ben Foster in 3:10 to Yuma
Javier Bardem in No Country For Old Men
Hal Holbrook in Into the Wild
Christopher Mintz-Plasse in Superbad
Harry Connick Jr. in Bug

Best Female Performances of the Year

Ellen Page in Juno
Julie Christie in Away From Her
Nikki Blonsky in Hairspray
Angelina Jolie in A Mighty Heart
Samantha Morton in Control
Laure Linney in The Savages

Best Female Supporting Performances of the Year

Cate Blanchett in I'm Not There
Vera Farmiga in Joshua
Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton
Vanessa Ferlito in Death Proof

I hate to do Worst Movies of the Year, so I just have two to single out:

Hotel Chevalier – The short by Wes Anderson which accompanied “The Darjeeling Limited” was a tedious exercise in nothing.

The 11th Hour – A lot of good intentions went into this sub-sub-par nail-hitting documentary – watch BBC’s “Planet Earth” instead.

Thanks for reading Daily Film Dose - Please keep reading for a new film everyday plus fun new feature topics up for disussion.

Happy New Year!

ONCE

Once (2007) dir. John Carney
Starring: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová

****

Beware: Some spoilers ahead

“Once” is one of the great unconsummated love stories. Two people falling in love with largely unspoken terms of affection. The concept is simple - an Irish busker meets a young woman on the streets and bond over their love of music. Untraditional indie-pop-folk songs allow the characters to express their emotions and fulfill their suppressed dreams and passions in life.

It’s difficult to reveal how the love story progresses, but what’s most interesting is what stands between the two and what prevents them from being together. With largely unspoken subtext Carney and the two actors express emotions more complex than any other film I’ve seen about love. And Carney is smart not to over-analyze or hit the nail over our heads with dialogue. He respects the audience’s intelligence

“Once” feels so natural and unencumbered with extraneous cinematic elements that most other romance or romantic comedies instantly pale in comparison. “Once” is sparse on dialogue, sparse on characters, sparse on comedy, yet the film towers of all others in the genre. Of course, it contains a phenomenal melancholy pop soundtrack which trumps any and all Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, or Diane Warren songs we’ve heard in film.

It’s funny because I also saw “Atonement” – the complete opposite of unrequited love stories. That film has big scenes with big emotion, painfully tragic touches and glances. “Once” manages to express the same emotiona with the quietness of a whisper. But when it needs to Glen Hansard can belt out one of his screaming vocals which takes the film higher and grander than anything in “Atonement”.

The story behind the making of “Once” adds to its mystique and attractiveness. In an age where ‘indie’ film has no real significant meaning anymore, “Once” is one of those films reminds us of a true independent film. Director John Carney, a former member of the indie rock band, “The Frames” who is now a film director had cast star actor Cillian Murphy as the lead. On the back of Murphy the film would have been produced at a much higher budget with a greater guarantee of distribution. When Murphy dropped out of the picture Carney cast his former bandmate Glen Hansard and unknown Markéta Irglová as the leads and got the picture made on the back of a minor Irish film grant – likely less than the craft service budget in “Atonement.”

“Once” seems to ‘pour’ out of the filmmakers. The trio filmed in real locations amidst the everyday hustle and bustle of Grafton Street Dublin. The film was shot on grainy 24p video with little accoutrements. Charm rose from these constraints resulting in likely a better film without Mr. Murphy.

“Once” is a film to remember, and impossible to consciously recreate. Though I’m sure a lot of time, energy, rehearsals, and bad takes went into making the film, it seems like one of those unique one-of-a-kind films that could do no wrong.

“Once” is available from Twenieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Once Anchorage 2007

RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION

Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) dir. Russell Mulcahy
Starring: Milla Jovovich, Oded Fehr, Ali Larter

***

Not having ever played the video game, nor seen either of the two other Resident Evil films, I was surprised to discover that "Resident Evil: Exinction" is a well-crafted stand-alone action film. Much of the credit, I think, should go to director Russell Mulcahy, a veteran director of action films going back to the 80's. Sure, it's another zombie film with some blatant theft from "The Road Warrior", but with likeable characters and well-crafted action, scope and drama, it makes for a good entertainment.

Milla Jovovich plays Alice, a woman who seemingly has lost her memory and has woken up in laboratory facility. She makes her way out of the room, when memories of deadly booby traps in the room come back to her. She evades a few but is killed. Is this the real Alice? Apparently not - only a clone created by an evil corporation studying the effects a deadly virus that swept the earth and turned almost everyone into zombies. A few survivors remain including the real Alice who wanders the desert in search of answers to the cause of her troubles.

Alice teams up with a rogue convoy led by the tough Claire Redfield (Ali Larter). When Alice meets up with the convoy she is reunited with her old friend from previous adventures Carlos Oliveira (Oded Fehr). Alice gives the group hope with information about a safezone in Alaska where civilization has continued. As the group descends on Las Vegas to find suitable transportation, Alice finds a different destiny, discovering the source of her strange new super human powers.

As I was watching the film I knew there was a backstory which I didn't fully understand, but the holes and gaps I filled in on my own added to the discovery of the film. The corporate subplot is hokey and overdramatized, specifically the nefarious CEO who insists on wearing sunglasses to his meetings.

From a design perspective though the corporate headquarters is pretty cool. As we transition from the zombie-infested outside world, the picture turns into a skematic grid which then tracks the underground corridors and tunnels underneath the land where the corporation resides.

There are several top notch action sequences that move it beyond any b-movie territory. The best is the zombie crow attack sequence which features hundreds of crows attacking the desert convoy. It's like "The Birds" except they're zombie-Birds. The special effects are fantastic and Mulcahy shoots it with the confidence of a director with years of experience. Which he has.

Mulcahy directed the first two "Highlander" films as well as the underrated psycho thriller "Ricochet". Lately he's been paying the bills with cable television, but it keeps him sharp and able to take over a franchise like this one and keep it alive and kicking. Give "Resident Evil" and Russell Mulchay a chance. Enjoy.

"Resident Evil: Extinction" is available this week on DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Resident Evil: Extinction

SHOOT 'EM UP

Shoot ‘Em Up (2007) dir. Michael Davis
Starring: Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Monica Belluci

**

To all action directors out there, please put a stop to using ‘double-gun’ action sequences – please! In the late 80’s/early 90’s John Woo took gun fights to a new level of violence – a slo-motion choreographed dance of bullets, explosions and blood. Since then virtually every gun battle has to figure in an actor, and to quote “Hot Fuzz”, ‘brandishing two guns, whilst jumping in the air’.

Michael Davis’ “Shoot ‘Em Up” takes the John Woo influence beyond the mere double-gun thing and makes an entire movie out it. Considering the entire film was written around the gun battles, I have to judge it on that. The film is audacious, in-your-face, and unabashedly reverential to John Woo’s films. I admired the energy and genuine joy of action filmmaking on display but I was disappointed because the action sequences fell way behind compared to the glorifying beauty of Woo’s violent choreography.

The film is structured around a dozen set pieces barely hanging onto a plot about a politician, a baby, and gun company. The singularly-named Smith (Clive Owen) is the reluctant hero who interrupts a murder of a nursing mother. The mother dies and Smith takes the child to safety. He soon discovers the baby is wanted by an evil group of gun-toting criminals led by the wise-cracking Hertz (Paul Giamatti). Smith employs the help of local prostitute Donna Quintano who specializes in lactation fetish. While Donna feeds the baby Smith fights off the bad guys.

The film is consciously in-your-face and tries hard to push the boundaries of decency. The baby is treated like a briefcase full of money as it’s grabbed, tossed around, driven over and shot at numerous times without any harm. There’s also a sex scene which has Clive Owen doing the nasty with Monica Belluci, shooting the bad guys who have invaded the room and bringing Belluci to orgasm a couple times as well. That’s talent.

The actors deserve most of the credit, because without the A-List credibility of Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti the film would simply have been a festival of bullets. But the mere presence of these two great actors makes the film watchable beyond the action.

Much has been made of writer/director Michael Davis’s ‘overnight’ success. Indeed he sketched and animated all his action scenes as a pitch to New Line to finance the film. But Davis also had five other low budget feature films under his belt as well as a relationship with USC buddy and blockbuster producer Don Murphy. The shepherding of this relationship is what got the film made.

Davis has some skills and the cinema joie-de-vivre of a Robert Rodriguez. I certainly look forward to his next film. As for “Shoot ‘Em Up” I’d rather watch “Hard Boiled” for the 25th time.

“Shoot ‘Em Up” is available this week from New Line Home Entertainment and Alliance Films. Buy it here: Shoot 'Em Up

Shoot 'Em Up

THERE WILL BE BLOOD

There Will Be Blood (2007) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciaran Hinds

****

“There Will Be Blood” is Paul Thomas Anderson at his most confident, cockiest and a little bit confounding. Six years after “Punch Drunk Love” PT returns with a departure from his previous films by delving into a novel (Upton Sinclair’s ‘Oil!’) and going back in time 80 years. Absent are the usual PT players (Luiz Guzman, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly et al). Filling their shoes admirably is the amazing Daniel Day-Lewis. Lewis and Anderson are a force to be reckoned with and they deliver in spades an epic tale of greed, power, ego and oil.

PT sets the tone early by giving us an extended 15 mins sequence of then humble oil prospector Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) as he painfully sweats blood to find oil in a desolate patch of desert land in Texas. Starting with a single pick axe we watch over time Daniel’s oil empire grow and grow and grow. We watch as Daniel and his young son H.W. Plainview swindle land owners from the true value of their land. One day a mysterious boy appears at Daniel’s door claiming to know where oil-rich land could be bought at a cheap price. Daniel and H.W. travel to this acreage and discover some of the most profitable untapped oil land in the U.S.

Daniel either buys or leases the land from all the nearby towns and becomes an oil baron. Daniel’s nemesis is the equally ambitious Eli Sunday (Paul Dano) – a god-fearing evangelical who sees the opportunity to make a name for himself on the back of the oil boom. As Daniel ages, his ego and need to crush his competitors seems to cloud his sharp judgment. And with so much wealth he becomes drowned in money he can’t spend. But is it money he desires or just the power?

PT Anderson must have seen “Gangs of New York” and said to himself, “there’s my next film.” Anderson gives us Bill the Butcher again, and puts him in virtually every frame of its two and a half hour running time. He allows Day-Lewis to go full force with the character and live and breathe Daniel Plainview. At times, Anderson lets him go too far, but for the most part he carries and elevates the film beyond what any other actor in the world could have done. Day-Lewis’ voice, mannerisms, walk and bushy moustache seem to turn him into a sadistic maniac. Much of Daniel Plainview is Bill the Butcher, and that’s o.k. because I could watch Day-Lewis washing dishes for hours and still be mesmerized.

Daniel Plainview is a fascinating man. It takes us a while before we start to get a sense of who he is. We know from the first scene he’s ambitious, especially when we watch him hike himself up a mine with a broken leg and crawl to the nearest shopkeeper miles away. We soon learn he’s a family man, or so he tells us. His relationship with his son is important to the story. At times he can be cruel – like feeding him hard liquor as a baby – and also respectful and educational – teaching him the ways of oil. Is Plainview just a swindler or does he endeavour to make a difference for the lives of the townspeople as he claims? The final act shows us who Plainview is. Two awesome dialogue scenes at the end reveal everything about the real Daniel Plainview and will have you shaking your head in awe.

Anderson’s proficient technical skills are on display again and he’s never one to hide his influences. Other than the casting of Day-Lewis Scorsese is absent here, instead, believe it or not, it’s Stanley Kubrick he’s channels. The opening shot and the opening 15mins is lifted right out of, believe it or not, “2001: A Space Odyssey” and much of the sound design and music score is Kubrick-esque as well.

The film looks fantastic of course. Anderson's frequent cinematographer Robert Elswit shoots the film with beautiful anamorphic wide angle lenses. He underlits most of the nightime and interior scenes. These scenes, some of which are difficult to see because it's so dim, creates a creepiness and sense of unease throughout the film. There's always something hidden in the dark, something about Plainview's morals, or motivations, or both. The exteriors are majestic - evoking the best work of the great landscape films which likely inspired Anderson ("McCabe and Mrs. Miller", "Once Upon a Time in the West", the Dawn of Time sequence in "2001: A Space Odyssey").

Much of the film is about texture, mood and tone. Anderson knows when to quicken up the pace and raise the stakes. He announces these moments with his unique ear for music. Instead of Jon Brion or Michael Penn he employs rock-God Jonny Greenwood (of Radiohead) for the job. Greenwood delivers an accomplished classical score with hint of the new Radiohead “In Rainbows” progressive sound. It’s both fresh and familiar.

It’s frustrating because the film is a masterpeice, yet, as I write this, one scene continues to nag at me. As mentioned the finale enlightens us to the true character of Daniel Plainview. At the same time there’s tonal shift to a comic tone we hadn’t seen before in the previous 150mins. Though it got some laughter from the audience it didn’t quite work for me. PT Anderson needed to say ‘cut’ at one point. Instead he lets the camera roll too long and the scene turns into slapstick. I would have overlooked this if it didn’t come at the very end. Anderson is making a statement hear, and it’s the right message he’s sending, but he does it with the wrong tone. This nags at me because the film is so damned good it’s like that one nick in an otherwise flawless piece of art. Enjoy.

There Will Be Blood

THE KILLER SHREWS

The Killer Shrews (1958) dir. Ray Kellogg
Starring: James Best, Ken Curtis, Ingrid Goude

***

Review by Greg Klymkiw

Ken Curtis is known to most of us for his long and distinguished career as an actor – from his musical appearances with the magnificent Sons of the Pioneers in numerous John Ford westerns to his long-running role as Festus in the legendary TV western “Gunsmoke”. Surely the cherry on the sundae that is Curtis’s career is the fact that he also produced “The Killer Shrews”, a tremendously entertaining 50s B-picture that manages to keep one riveted for its mercifully short, but action-packed running time.

Beginning with a somewhat portentous narration that informs us that shrews are nasty little beasts who put Hannibal Lecter’s (and presumably Robert Pickton’s) piggies to shame, we are plunged into the bargain basement Dr. Moreau-like island where shrews have been bred all big and nasty and some mad scientist types, a babe and a villainous heavy (played by Curtis himself) encounter a stalwart sea captain and his Stepin Fetchit-like sidekick who come to sniff out the dirty doings.

Much of the plot, such as it is, revolves around the captain trying to put the make on the babe who is inexplicably involved romantically with the seemingly psychotic Ken Curtis while shrews attack (and occasionally kill) the inhabitants of the island.

The killer shrews pre-date CGI, so they are rendered oh-so-accurately by utilizing dogs who appear to have stringy mops fixed to their backs and huge vampire teeth gaffer-taped and/or glued to the insides of their mouths.

The movie is replete with both laughs and thrills. The thrills – in spite of the ridiculous effects – are reasonably genuine as the proceedings are directed efficiently by famed special effects man and second unit director Ray Kellogg (making his directorial debut here). Let’s not forget that Kellogg was hand-picked years later by John (Our Father) Wayne to direct “The Green Berets”. Then again, perhaps we do want to forget that.

You will not, however, want to forget “The Killer Shrews”. I dare you to try.

Legend Films has recently released “The Killer Shrews” in a terrific DVD that features a delightful bevy of special features including a terrifically colorized version, the original black and white version, some oddly amusing factoids on shrews, a bunch of period trailers from B pictures, an astounding 50s educational film titled “Squeak the Squirrel” and an entire second feature in a double bill (the incredibly lame “Giant Gila Monster” which is of interest only as the second Ken Curtis – Ray Kellogg collaboration).

“The Killer Shrews” is available on DVD from Legend Films. Buy it here: The Killer Shrews/The Giant Gila Monster