Reviews
Seven Days in May (1964)
The Quintessential Political Thriller
Marvellous acting by antagonists Douglas and Lancaster, complemented by sexy and sophisticated Ava Gardner. Fredric March turns in one of his last great performances as a US President who has just negotiated a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union. Douglas, playing a Marine Colonel and Director of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, becomes disturbed by a number of peculiar events surrounding the JCS Chairman (Lancaster), which lead him to believe his superior is planning a coup d'etat. By the time he manages to convince the White House that his suspicions are correct, less than seven days remain till the fateful hour -- which will destroy the Constitution and may lead to World War III. Frankenheimer's direction is stark and taut, worthy of Hitchcock, while Rod Serling's screenplay remains truer to the novel than perhaps any other novel adaptation ever filmed. Watch for an uncredited appearance by John Houseman.
Advise & Consent (1962)
Ah, for the days . . .
when a political scandal simply meant questionable ideology. "Advise and Consent" follows the passage through the Senate of the nomination of a controversial public servant to the post of Secretary of State. This is the Senate in the waning days of its existence as a "Gentlemen's Club," and as such is fascinating to watch. Just as fascinating is the unusual spectacle of a left-wing McCarthy intent on shoving the nomination through, no matter what the personal cost to his colleagues. Charles Laughton turns in an excellent performance, his last, as a South Carolina senator violently opposed to the nomination, while Henry Fonda plays the nominee to the hilt (though somewhat over-billed, given his small screen time). Somewhat dated, but not to be missed.
Richard III (1995)
Long Live the Fink!
The film version of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1992 production of "Richard III" is a masterful retelling of the classic Shakespearean tragedy, updated to the 1930s. In this version, Richard of Gloucester is a general who manipulates and murders his way to the throne, transforming the seat royal into a fascist dictatorship. Sir Ian McKellen has the role of his career here, with stellar supporting performances by Jim Broadbent as the Duke of Buckingham, Nigel Hawthorne as the Duke of Clarence (Richard's brother), and Kristin Scott Thomas as Richard's wife Anne. The sets, costumes and music are also spectacular. The only reason I do not give this film the full 10 stars is that, having seen Sir Ian on stage in 1992, I can imagine it being even better than it was.
The Giant Spider Invasion (1975)
Say Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!
The plot is routine enough -- monsters invade the earth, kill several people, threaten a town, and only a pair of scientists stand between them and world conquest. So far, so good. Unfortunately, a horrible script horribly acted, combined with a number of confusing plot twists and unbelievably cheesy special effects render this film among the worst of its genre. This film is to the Sci-Fi Channel's "MST3K" what "Manos" was to the old "Comedy Central" show.
The Caine Mutiny (1954)
Triumph against Type
Humphrey Bogart turns in one of the greatest performances of his career as Lt. Cmdr. Queeg, a by-the-book naval officer whose shattered nerves render him tyrannical, indecisive, and cowardly by turns. In other words, he is the polar opposite of virtually every character Bogie ever played in a long career of tough guys, good and bad. Complementing Bogart are Fred MacMurray as manipulative communications officer Lt. Tom Keefer, Van Johnson as beleaguered executive officer Lt. Steve Maryk, and Jose Ferrer as Lt. Barney Greenwald, defense attorney for the mutineers. Were it not for the release of "On the Waterfront" that same year, "Caine" would have swept the Academy Awards.
The Falls (1980)
Simply Awful
I saw this film in college. A third of the way through (about 90 minutes into the film), the lights came up for an intermission -- and virtually everyone in the theater left. It was that boring. To paraphrase Tom Servo of MST3K from his critique of "Manos," this film made me want to blow my brains out. I would recommend "The Falls" for the MST3K treatment itself, save that the show doesn't produce two-part episodes, which is what this behemoth would require.