"The Last Temptation Of Christ" is one of the finest, most-literate religious films ever made. Those who protested at its opening in 1988, and continue to decry its "supposed" blasphemy of the life of Jesus, have obviously never seen the film and are acting upon only what they've heard. Those who claim that the film was made by athiests (or whatever they say) obviously know nothing about the film or the novel that it was based upon. The novel, upon which the film is based, was written by a devout Greek Orthodox (Nikos Kazantzakis); the screenplay was written by a devout Calvinist (Paul Schrader); and the film was directed by a devout Roman Catholic (Martin Scorsese). To those who judge without facts, my advise is to see the film and judge for yourself. I first saw the film back when it first hit video in 1990 and I recently bought Criterion's superb DVD. While I was touched the first time I saw the film over 10 years ago, I hadn't had a chance to see the film again until the other night. The film this time moved me in ways that few films I have ever seen (and trust me, I've seen a lot of movies in my 35 years on this earth). The film makes Jesus so much more approachable, by concentrating on His human side. We are all taught that Jesus was fully God but also fully man. However, no other film had ever presented Jesus' human side and as a consequence He always seemed so superhuman and so divine that it made Him seem somewhat unapproachable. "Last Temptation" makes Jesus more approachable than He has ever been, and its my bet that no other work like this will ever surpass it. The performances are all first rate from Willem DaFoe's portrayal of Jesus to Harvey Keitel's Judas to Barbara Hershey's Mary Magdelene. This is easily Scorsese's most personal film and could very well be the film that will in generations to come will be considered his masterpiece. The film is also a wonderful example of how a religious film can work without being a huge, spectacular epic such as films like "The Ten Commandments", "King Of Kings", and "The Greatest Story Ever Told". Out of five stars, I would merit this film five stars without any trepidation.
Reviews
16 Reviews
The Legend of Lizzie Borden
(1975 TV Movie)
A classic made for TV movie
26 July 2001
I can still remember first seeing this film when it first aired on ABC back in 1975. It was riveting then and in the intervening 25 years, nothing has changed; its still one of the finest acted and most riveting movies ever made for television. The film of course is based on the famous 19th century axe murders. Although its based largely on speculation (keep in mind, that to this day, the case has never been solved) it really piques ones curiousity about the circumstances leading up to not only the murders, but the trial that ensued. I agree with many of the others who commented on this film: This one needs to be on video (preferably DVD). Paramount are you listening?
What's Up, Doc?
(1972)
A hilarious screwball comedy
21 March 2001
In an age when screwball comedies had largely disappeared from the screen, Peter Bogdonovich directed Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal in what is still one of the funniest comedies of the 1970's. The film was a tribute to all the classic screwball comedy elements (including a pie fight and a hilarious car chase). There's nothing here to offend, so its suitable for the entire family, but its by no means juvenile comedy. The story begins with the title card "Once upon a time there was this red suitcase..."; actually there are four of them and that's the gist of the story. Stuffy college professor Howard Bannister (O'Neal) and his uptight fiance Eunice Burns (hilariously played by Madeline Khan, in her film debut) come to San Francisco for a musicologists convention (Howard is carrying one of the suitcases). Once there, Bannister meets Judy Maxwell (Streisand) a college drop-out who meets Howard in the hotel giftshop (and also has a suitcase just like Howard's). Also in the hotel is a wealthy woman (with another of the red suitcases, her's filled with diamonds) and a man running from the government (with documents in another red suitcase). Get the idea; yes the bags get mixed up and produces some hilarious situations along the way. The entire cast blends so well with one another and this is one of those little gem movies that everyone deserves to see at least once. Look for Sorrell Booke (who would later gain fame as Boss Hogg on "The Dukes Of Hazzard") as the hotel security guard.
My Name Is Barbra
(1965 TV Special)
One of television's finest hours
1 March 2001
In April of 1965, CBS broadcast the first of Barbra Streisand's monumental television specials. The show was not only a runaway ratings success, but garnered 5 Emmy awards as well. This is one of the most memorable moments of 1960's television and (unfortunately) the kind of television special they don't produce anymore. Filled with wonderful songs and a spectacular performance by Barbra, this special is a must view for any Streisand fan and anyone interested in early television.
Fantasia
(1940)
After 60 years, still one of the greatest animated films ever made.
19 November 2000
With "Fantasia", Walt Disney reached the pinnacle of excellence in the animated feature category. The film, as most everyone now knows grew out of Walt's desire to cast Mickey Mouse in a cartoon short based on Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice", but was expanded to a full-feature presentation, when costs of the short were three times that of a traditional Mickey Mouse cartoon. The film is, for lack of a better work, spectacular. Never before, or even since, had the animators at Disney executed such a lavish treatment on the field of animation. From the abstract drawings set to J.S. Bach's "Toccata & Fugue in D Minor" to the thrilling dinosaur duel in Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring"; from the ballet dancing hippo's in Ponchielli's "Dance of the Hours" to the good vs. evil finale of Mussorgsky's "Night On Bald Mountain" paired with Schubert's "Ave Maria" this film is crammed full of memorable images. Sadly, however Walt Disney never lived to see his most personal film become the classic that it is regarded today. Critical and audience indifference in the '40's, '50's, and most of the '60's kept the film "an expensive experiment that failed". Today however there are few who don't look at "Fantasia" as a classic and it is still one of the most often cited films that provided many with the dream of becoming involved in the world of animation.
Wild Things
(1998)
Steamy thriller is no smooth ride
18 June 2000
I caught "Wild Things" late one night on cable. I really wasn't expecting a lot. After all most films today that try to re-create the feel of the "film-noir"-type films of the 1940's fail miserably. "Wild Things", on its unique '90's level, succeeds. I really don't want to reveal the plot here, this is one film that you don't need to know what's going to happen; there are more plot twists in this film than a ride on a great roller coaster. The cast are all excellent, especially the three main principals: Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon, and Neve Campbell; in fact as far as Campbell goes, this is by far her best performance on the big screen. If you haven't seen this film, and love mystery/thrillers, see "Wild Things".
The Boys in the Band
(1970)
Still the quintessential gay film
8 July 1999
"The Boys In The Band", in my opinion, remains to this day the quintessential gay film and still holds the test of time against such recent gay films as "Philadelphia", "Jeffrey", and "In And Out". The film is also a landmark in another way, keep in mind that when it was originally released in 1970, homosexuality was still classified as a "mental illness" by the American Psychological Association, and the Gay Rights movement was barely a year old. The plot is quite simple: 9 men get together for a birthday party and one of them is straight. What transpires evening long examination of themselves and each other. Many today have stated that the film perpetuates gay stereotypes, but I disagree. Every type of person at that party exists in the gay community. Others have had a hard time with the characters self-loathing, but how many of us gay and lesbian Americans haven't gone through a period like that in our lives, especially before we are out. The film is both funny and sad and for most of us can bring about strong memories of what life was like before self-acceptance and coming out of the closet.
The Shining
(1980)
Kubrick's vision of King's classic novel
23 April 1999
It's interesting to note that Stanley Kubrick's film version of Stephen King's novel "The Shining" is considered one of the classic films of the horror genre - as it is also worthy of mentioning that many feel that King's book will probably be the most enduring of his novels in the decades to come. They however are entirely separate from one another. Kubrick created his own vision of King's novel and for that we must be eternally grateful. Stephen King has stated that he never liked Kubrick's treatment of his novel (this is why "The Shining" was remade as a television mini-series in 1997). I've seen both, and although I am a fan of King's writing, I must say that I still prefer Kubrick's film over the mini-series. Kubrick builds the suspense for well over half the film before unleashing the terror of the Overlook hotel. The mini-series, while more faithful to the original story draws on too long (I think it being split over three nights hurt it more, though, than the length. This is a very suspenseful story and breaking it up ruins the suspense.). This film, along with Kubrick's others, shows just why he was regarded with such admiration, not only by other filmmakers but with the movie going public as well.
Oliver!
(1968)
The last of the great sixties musicals
12 March 1999
"Oliver!" quite simply was the last of the great sixties musicals; a decade which saw a huge amount of musicals adapted from the Broadway stage. Other musicals would follow "Oliver!" over the next few years (Hello, Dolly!; Man Of LaMancha; et al.) but none would ever approach the magic that this film brings to the screen. The acting and directing are first-rate, but what really makes this film work is Lionel Bart's fantastic musical score and Onna White's spirited choreography. There are so many classic songs in this film, that after your first viewing, you'll be likely to be seeking out the soundtrack album (which is happily available on CD). When I first saw this film, many years ago, my favorite song was "Consider Yourself", but today it would have to be the other big production number "Who Will Buy?". Listen to the lyrics and try to remember if there ever was a day so beautiful that you didn't wish that someone could "put it in a box for me". Purists of Charles Dickens' original "Oliver Twist" from which the Broadway musical and film are freely adapted, may balk at turning it into a musical, but just watch, and see if you really feel that turning "Oliver Twist" into the musical "Oliver!" hurt the story. You'll be pleasantly surprised.
Mildred Pierce
(1945)
Classic 40's soap opera that resurrected Joan Crawford's career
1 March 1999
One of the finest films to come from the Warner Bros. studio in the 1940's was this 1945 classic for which Joan Crawford won her only Oscar for Best Actress. The story is classic soap opera at its finest, with Crawford as the title character, a women determined to make a life for herself and her two daughters after her husband leaves her. Her eldest daughter Veda, played by Ann Blyth, is a vain, selfish child who worries what others will think if they find out that her mother is, as she puts it "a common waitress". Eventually Mildred makes it and begins her own restaurant chain, but Veda becomes even more selfish. Veda even gets married to a young man she doesn't love, then lies about being pregnant, forcing the young man's wealthy family to pay her $10,000.00. The scene with Crawford and Blyth, where Veda reveals that she is lying about the baby, is still one of the most mesmerizing scenes ever put on film. Quite simply a film that definitely deserves to be called a "classic".
Earthquake
(1974)
'70's disaster hit - '90's cult classic
27 February 1999
"Earthquake" is by no means a classic in the tradition of classic movies, but it does lend itself to becoming somewhat of a cult classic. The performances are laughable and the script is somewhat of a disaster in itself (57 year-old Lorne Greene father to 52 year-old Ava Gardner). However the film does feature some of the most spectacular visual effects of its time. These effects are nowhere near what is done in films today, but as a filmgoer in 1974, they were nothing short of monumental. "Earthquake" is not the best of the '70's disaster flicks, that title would probably be a tie between 1970's "Airport" and 1972's "The Poseidon Adventure". If you're looking for mesmerizing performances or great scriptwriting then "Earthquake" definitely is not for you, but '70's disaster movies weren't about putting great performances and stories on screen, they were about special effect-created disasters placing people in peril.
Airport
(1970)
Hollywood's first big-budget disaster film...and still the best
27 February 1999
Universal assembled an all-star cast for this film version of Arthur Hailey's best-selling novel "Airport", and the result was a critical and box-office smash that earned 10 Oscar nominations. The film is at its basics pure soap-opera built around the impending bomb on a 707 bound for Rome. The workings of a major international airport are well depicted and the cast provides some great performances. Burt Lancaster, Jacqueline Bisset, Jean Seberg, Maureen Stapleton, Dean Martin, and Van Heflin all turn in some of the best performances of their careers, and Helen Hayes (who won an Oscar for supporting actress) is endearing as the stowaway, who has worked out quite a system for flying for free. "Airport"'s success signaled the beginning of the disaster movie era that was followed over the next several years by such films as "The Poseidon Adventure", "The Towering Inferno", "Earthquake", "Two Minute Warning", and "Rollercoaster". "Airport" also inspired three sequels, although none of them even approached the original.
The Watcher in the Woods
(1980)
Well crafted thriller from Disney
24 February 1999
"The Watcher In The Woods" is a well crafted thriller from Walt Disney Productions. Originally released in 1980, the film had a rather abrupt ending after which extensive credits for an "Other World" sequence followed. The only problem was that there wasn't any "Other World" sequence in the film and Disney finally admitted that the sequence wasn't finished when the film was released and hoped that no one would notice the credits! When the film was reissued several months with the sequence (really a special effects nightmare) it only made matters worse. Almost a year later the film was re-issued yet again with the ending that is now seen. Through all these problems the film is still one of those rare Disney gems that, to this day, remains overlooked. Bette Davis is well cast as Mrs. Alywood, whose daughter disappeared under mysterious circumstances 30 years earlier. She owns a stately English manor which is rented by an American family over the summer. The eldest daughter Jan (Lynn Holly Johnson) begins to notice strange things happening in the home and in the woods surrounding the manor. She also has an uncanny resembelence to Mrs. Alywood's daughter Karen. Slowly the pieces of Karen's disappearance fall into place and Jan along with the three townspeople that were present when Karen disappeared, try a desparate attempt to bring her back from beyond. The film is not well suited for young children (hence its PG rating) but older kids as well as adults should enjoy it. It's a good horror/mystery film without blood and gore.
Scream
(1996)
Not just another slasher flick...
13 February 1999
What can be said about this film that singlehandly re-ignited a genre had all but died ten years before. Writer Kevin Williamson has crafted a clever script built on the premise of high-school teens who are fans of horror films. The film is chock full of references and tributes to other films, from the opening scene with Drew Barrymore (inspired by the 1979 film "When A Stranger Calls") to the party scene where Jamie Kennedy explains the three things that one should never do in a slasher flick (if they break these rules, it spells certain doom). The film has as many twists and turns as a Hitchcock classic, especially setting up many people as suspects that will keep you guessing until the very end. If one is not a fan of the horror film genre then you may not want to invest the time in this film, because although it is top notch for its prospective audience, it won't win over new fans to the genre (this would probably be an impossible task for any film of any genre). Those of you who have seen the film, but haven't seen the version packaged in the boxed set (the film with running commentary by director Wes Craven and Williamson) you may want to check out this second tape and see just how they crafted this modern horror flick.
Benji
(1974)
Still one of the finest family films ever made
19 December 1998
I first saw "Benji" when I was eight years old; during its original release, and after nearly 25 years it is still one of the finest, independently-produced family films ever made. Told entirely from the eyes of a dog, it mixes humor, suspense, and heart-tugging emotion. The dog, Benji, is still one of the finest animal actors ever to appear on screen. He conveys emotion, like no other animal on film ever had before, or has since. Although this is mainly a film for families to enjoy, it would surprise me if any adult couldn't be moved by its sentiment.
Rosemary's Baby
(1968)
30 years later and still one of the best!
14 November 1998
This is quite simply an incredibly engrossing film. Easily one of the best films of the horror/suspense genre, it benefits from a strong cast and enough time to flesh out the story. There are not a lot of films of this genre that can maintain a level of suspense past the 100 minute mark, but this film at nearly 2 hours and 20 minutes has no problem what so ever with that. If one did not know what the film was about when they first started watching, one would think it was about a young couple beginning their life together (kind of like "Barefoot in the Park"), but when the mysterious circumstances begin to take place and the strange neighbors come on the scene, one knows they're in for a rollercoaster ride of suspense. Quite simply one of the best, if not the best horror film ever made.
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