bobwestal-2 Reviews

My Life with Count Dracula (2003)

A Forgotten, Poignant Gem of Hollywood Esoterica

[8/10 · 31 August 2023]

I hope someday whatever problems are keeping Dustin Lance Black's deeply sympathetic but honest portrait in the can be solved and more people will see this extremely fascinating and poignant slice of Hollywood esoterica.

Circa 1976-77, I was the teenage president of The Junior Count Dracula Society, a completely forgotten organization put together by a young Pacific Palisades teacher who has since dropped off the grid, possibly on purpose. We published one issue of a fanzine, "Young Blood," which I recently was reminded had a cover penciled by Jim Starlin and inked by one of our gang, along with an interview with a then still somewhat dangerous Harlan Ellison. I co-edited this but my partner went on to become Falling James Moreland. (James is a whole other story. Look them up.)

Dr. Reed, as we called him, was a fascinating side character in my journey through this geeky demimonde and, while he did treat us in a slightly high-handed way -- and I'm pretty sure he'd decide who won awards based on who he thought he could get to show up -- I realize now that we weren't entirely fair to him. His achievements were real.

It looks like board this won't allow me to post links but if anyone wants some more detail, look up the Film Threat article about "My Life with Count Dracula" written by a guy named Bob. The main event is an interview with filmmaker Dustin Lance Black, who was then, I think, just starting to work on his Oscar-winning screenplay for "Milk." He's had quite a career since. It also includes more of my own reminiscences about Dr. Reed.

Porgy and Bess (1959)

Not Definitive -- But Important

[7/10 · 30 November 2002]

I first saw the opening of Otto Preminger's "Porgy and Bess" on TV, probably some time in the early 80s, and my younger self found it a bit slow, despite the timeless music. I turned it off

Last night, an extremely rare, cobbled together print screened at the L.A. Cinematheque and it was a bit of a revelation. The performances are strong and memorable. Dorothy Dandridge brings a great deal of vulnerability, strength and subtle (at least by today's standards) eroticism to her part. Sidney Poitier is said to be uncomfortable with the movie, but his performance is terrific, as is Pearl Bailey. Even better are Sammy Davis as the amoral, cat-like Sportin' Life and Brock Peters as the villanious bully Crown.

Still, I'm no fan of Preminger's earlier, leaden -- and far easier to see -- "Carmen Jones." Porgy and Bess" is far superior to that less controversial film -- though that may have to do with the fact that the source material is also far superior.

As seen last night, this is a sturdy but far from perfect work. Not all of the moments quite come alive, and there is some awkwardness in the way the film mixes the overtly stylized Catfish Row set (beautifully done by Oliver Smith) with actual locations. Also, even to my rather untrained ear, some brief portions of the score seem unduly popularized.

Moreover, while this doesn't detract from the achievement of the filmmakers -- Preminger's decision to film almost entirely in wide shots, with no close-ups and occasional medium shots, no doubt rendered it unwatchable on TV "panned and scanned" and may doom it even on widescreen DVDs if it gets the restoration it deserves. On smaller screens, we won't be able to make out the many details that are crucial to the way Preminger staged the film.

Also, the mix heard last night was odd. Many of the vocals, particularly on the opening "Summertime" seemed unduly soft and were overwhelmed by the instrumental music. Perhaps this can be fixed in a restoration.

There is the issue of the film's racial politics. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it, at least in a contemporary context. At the time when so few films depicted strong African-American characters, this may have seemed an unfortunate choice for a big-budget Hollywood film. And, while there may not be much "empowering" here, these are recognizable human beings that are not racial stereotypes. These are operatic characters who make poor choices because that's what tragic characters do. That alone made it a giant stride forward at the time.

In a modern context where strong and heroic African-American characters are less rare (though still not common enough), these characters seem nothing more nor less than human. They truly could be poor and undereducated people of any ethnic background.

Thorny politics aside, the original work is undoubtedly one of the truly great achievements of American music and (secondarily) theater. Poitier, Davis, Dandridge, Peters and, yes Pearl Bailey, were all amazing performers who we'll never see the likes of again. This less than perfect but still solid film clearly deserves to be seen and treasured.

The Racket (1951)

They Can't All Be Great...

[6/10 · 24 September 2002]

But there's some fun to be had here in this slightly lame-brained noir. (Sorry to the above doctrinaire defender of a very narrow definition of noir, but "noir" is about a feeling and there's no strict definition I know of. There doesn't always have to be a femme fatale a la Barbra Stanwyck or Mary Astor to qualify -- though I won't argue it doesn't help!)

Mainly, the fun in this from is from the always great Robert Ryan who sinks his teeth into a out-and-out nasty character. Ryan even finds a little bit of complexity.

Poor Robert Mitchum, however, seems a bit uncomfortable playing a thoroughly stalwart lawman. It's more of a Gary Cooper part and there's nothing roguish for Mitchum to have fun with.

Still, there's tons of familiar faces doing good work including the always good Lizabeth Scott (not quite a femme fatale in the classic sense, I admit) and William Talman as a braver but stupid cop. (I'm not sure if we're supposed to think he's not smart, but he the risks he takes are beyond foolhardy.)

I particularly got a kick of out seeing the great Bill Conrad (aka Quinn-Martin's "Cannon" and "Rocky and Bullwinkle"'s bombastic narrator) as well as Don Porter as a sleazy ward healer. 20 years later Porter would play an equally oily (though arguably less evil) political type, as the Nixonian/Reaganesque Senator Crocker Jarman in "The Candidate."

Light Sleeper (1992)

Guess it's time to revisit "American Gigolo"...

[9/10 · 26 August 2002]

Just wanted to add my two cents worth, mainly regarding where I differ from the other comments.

A few folks complained that the ending was too similar to "American Gigolo" (and may have been, in turn, lifted from a nameless French film).

Well, I haven't seen "Gigolo" since it came out. (At the time, I remember liking it a lot more than most of my friends and most of the critics. I'm a sucker for redemption stories, I guess.) In any case, I've long since forgotten the ending, so that may explain why I found myself so moved by the ending of "Light Sleeper."

I also enjoyed the fact that it wasn't easy to see where things were heading, either in terms of plot or emotions.

But, the tradition of rather strange flaws in Schrader's movies continues, this time a god-awful musical score (sort of 90's era-Springsteen mixed with Robbie Robertson, but in a bad, bad way) that could have destroyed the movie for me -- if it weren't so superb in every other way.

The cast is consistently good and it's nice to see Mr. Intensity, Willem Dafoe, portray an essentially sweet natured, though intense, person for a change -- but I was especially entranced by Susan Sarandon's work toward the end of the film.

I understand that idea of the "drug dealer with heart of gold" may seem like an oxymoron -- but that's part of the point of the film, that our commonplace ways of characterizing our fellow man may not be all that terribly accurate in all situations.

In this light, there's an interesting scene about half-way through the film where a homicide detective questions Dafoe. The dialogue, and even the acting, could have been taken from a thousand movie scenes where a detective questions a sleazy dope peddler -- Dafoe even takes on the traditional body language that we associate with such characters. It's almost as if Dafoe wandered into a more traditional movie starring the detective.

But, knowing what we do about Dafoe's character and why he's not being forthcoming changes entirely the way we view the scene.

Good stuff.

Prime Suspect 2 (1992)

Just Two Comments?

[9/10 · 31 July 2002]

Yes, this terrific four-hour (really 3.? hours) miniseries (actually, just a long movie when you think about it) deserves far more accolades on this here site.

I don't have much to add, except to say that I thought this was a notable improvement on PS I -- truly impressive stuff that, for me, didn't QUITE live up to the hype.

This one, however, exceeds it. If you're a fellow fan of T.V. police procedurals, this is possibly better than even the very best episodes of "Homicide" and definitely far more fleshed out and believable than any episode of "Cracker" -- and with an lead actor every bit the equal of the amazing Robbie Coltrane. This one was powerful stuff indeed, upsetting at times, complex in the best possible way and constantly fascinating.

And Helen Mirren as Jane Tennyson is, in her own way, almost as morally ambiguous and psychologically messed up as poly-addicted Fitz of "Cracker"...In a world where most movie cops fear promotions and the specter of a desk job more than death itself, she just may be the first truly careerist detective hero.

The only thing missing is that there's little humor here, but that's probably appropriate too. In the case of Jane Tennyson, a policeman's lot is definitely not a happy one!

Two Rode Together (1961)

A fun, fascinating -- and possibly more racist -- follow-up to "The Searchers"

[8/10 · 6 July 2002]

Lately, I've developed the habit of waking up on Saturdays and checking up on AMC and TCM for a good movie to start the day with -- preferably a Western. (Not sure why I like Westerns best in the morning, but I guess it's the same reason why I prefer my film-noir after 9:00 p.m.)

I don't often find them, but this one may not be a landmark exactly, but it is a real treat. Stewart gives yet another great performance, this time as a sort of cynical and corrupt, but far more sane, cousin to John Wayne's Uncle Ethan in "The Searchers." And the rest of the cast, including a nicely low key Richard Widmark, do just as well in less overtly meaty roles. As others have commented, this film delves far more into that films premise of what happens when whites are held captive by Comanches.

In a sense, I really don't feel educated enough to have an opinion on this section of the film. On the one hand, there's a nasty undercurrent of sexual fear -- it's assumed at one point that Comanche braves will rape white women without too much thought. (It's put a bit explicitly for a film made in 1961 -- you can see the Hays code boys stirring uncomfortably there.) And life under them is portrayed as being a slow death. And then there is the issue of what you might call sexual contamination, which is an brought up even more overtly here than in "The Searchers." We're never quite sure where the filmmakers stand on this, but it's certainly a strong belief of the characters. (There are undercurrents in earlier Ford films, particularly "Stagecoach.")

As a good liberal/progressive type, I want to chalk this up to the racism of the past. At the same time, simply being a Native American doesn't turn people into angels. (Even the overly long and "poetic," but still moving, "Dances with Wolves" bothered to depict a nasty Indian tribe as a contrast with the apparently saintly Lakotas.)

I honestly don't know whether or not this type of thing actually went on, but, if you think about the "rape camps" of the Balkans or the practices of Japanese soldiers during World War II (the rape of Nanking, the "comfort women," etc.) and you can see how this sort of thing probably transcends all cultural boundaries. Once war makes murdering our fellow humans necessary, all the old boundaries are dropped and sexual torture might not seem so unthinkable even to those of us who like to think of ourselves as civilized.

It would be interesting, just once, if a really well-researched film was done on these themes, really showing both sides of the struggle in as accurate a manner as possible in a fictional story. Maybe some sort of collaboration between Sherman Alexie and, I don't know, Walter Hill. (I'd suggest John Milius, but they'd probably start talking politics and things could get ugly!)

Of course, it probably wouldn't be half as good as "Two Rode Together" (let alone "The Searchers")...but it'd be worth a try!

U-Boat 29 (1939)

An Intriguing Little Thriller with a Difference

[8/10 · 3 May 2002]

Just wanted to second the other user's comment.

I saw this last night as part of a Michael Powell/Emeric Pressberger retrospective underway at the American Cinemetheque. There are some unlikely aspects to the plot, but on the whole this is well crafted WWI thriller with a remarkable level of moral complexity, especially given that it was made and released just as England was entering a second war against Germany.

The protagonist (hero?) (played by the extraordinary Conrad Veidt) is a German officer on a spy mission and he is, in many respects, a quite admirable character. For the first half of the film, it's almost entirely from his point of view. It's hard to imagine Hollywood filmmakers EVER having the confidence that Powell and Pressberger clearly had in the intelligence of their audience, allowing them to actually like and admire an enemy agent.

While "The Spy in Black" eventually does come down squarely on the side of the English, the agents of the Kaiser come off only as perhaps a hair more ruthless than those fighting for king and country.

Of course, the Germany that England would be fighting within a few a few months would be far, far worse. This film is a potent reminder that while World War II might have a morally clear "good" war because of the vast evil of the Nazis, World War I was a horse of a far grayer color.

With sophisticated, occasionally black humor, this is a neat bit of old-fashioned movie entertainment with some genuinely intriguing differences. Enthusaistically recommended.

The Edge of the World (1937)

For Powell Completists and Scotland-philes (Scotophiles?) Only

[5/10 · 3 May 2002]

This film kicked off the Powell-Pressberger retrospective currently underway here in Los Angeles and, this film may be a very personal film for the great Michael Powell -- one that he would revisit in the 1970s -- but it nevertheless strikes me as for the most part the sort of crashing bore of a type familiar to those of us who see occasionally suffer through a certain type of overly earnest, deeply heartfelt yet dramatically inert contemporary independent film.

Marred by uneven acting and a non-story -- a major character, the only source of real conflict -- is killed early on, and with only an occasional flash of Powell's trademark humor but plenty of his sometimes overwrought emotionalism, "The Edge of the World" boasts a lot of amazing visuals -- though many of the shots don't really cut together in what appears to have been a arduous production process.

Still, if you love Michael Powell (and you definitely should), there'll be no stopping you from taking a look at this.

Perhaps it's a Scottish thing and I just wouldn't understand. Still, next time, I'll take "Local Hero."

Ocean's Eleven (2001)

Nifty!

[10/10 · 17 December 2001]

Judging from some of the remarks on this board, it seems that it's been so long since there's been classy, deliberately lightweight entertainment that people don't know how to react!

This is a rare opportunity to see a filmmaker at the top of his form goofing and having a great time -- and giving us a relaxing, great time. Too much suspence could actually ruin a cinamatic souffle of this type. (That's why comparisons to "Rififi" don't really make a lot of sense here.) This is easily the best looking film I've seen in some time and the immediacy of the performances, which has to have something to do with SS being his own DP, really brings something a little bit new to the blackjack table.'

I enjoyed it from start to finish (though I admit the ending played a slightly off). I always judge movies based on what how well they achieved their goals -- not how well they acheive the goals I think they ought to have. Just like "Iron Monkey", which aspired to be nothing more than an super-fun, funny and good natured martial arts film and nothing else --- and achieved it perfectly, Ocean's 11 aims at a goal most people think is "lower" than on a movie like "Traffic" (perhaps wrongly, but that's a whole essay for some other time), but achieves it in top form, with plenty of flourishes and grace notes.

I'll say it again. "Nifty"!!!!

Eureka (2000)

The Searchers Meets the Sixth Sense, Minus the Ghosts and the Indians

[10/10 · 20 May 2001]

The above tag is a bit glib -- to be honest I'm still processing this stunning film.

Yep, it's long, not getting around that. And there's precious little dialogue -- but that can be a good thing. I also have to say right here that I usually have very little patience for the sort of film that is more akin to painting -- which is how some of the other reviewers seem to classify this movie. Films that have bored me silly include "The Thin Red Line" and everything I've seen by Antonioni, who I find more or less completely detestable.

On the other hand, I love Wenders at his best. So what's the difference?

It may be that, even more than Wenders, this film is utterly sincere in its convictions. Antonioni's films are about people without the capacity for love or joy. Like in Wenders films, this is a film about people learning to, perhaps, regain that capacity. For that, I can take the somber mode (especially since there are some lovely comic moments).

I could go on (and just may, elsewhere), but as I said, I'm still processing the movie. I can only add that I nearly broke down crying about five or six times and that the opening sequence left with a reaction I can't really describe, only that I felt I had a taste of what post-traumatic stress might feel like.

More than gorgeous.

Sergeant York (1941)

Subtle Propaganda? Definitely. Classic? Maybe not. Good? Definitely.

[8/10 · 16 May 2001]

First of all, who are some of these people? Joan Leslie too old???? She looks young enough to be Coop's daughter (the first of a few onscreen paramours to be a little mismatched agewise for Cooper) and, according to someone else on these boards was the same age as her character, sixteen.

But enough of that, while I'm not nearly as cynical about it as Lemmy Caution, this film brings up more questions than it answers. Howard Hawks was quoted as saying that he saw the film as something of a tragedy, since York gave up his fondest beliefs -- but the film doesn't really seem to see things that way. There's an odd mixture of bloodthirsty humor mixed with what seems to me lipservice to the idea of nonviolence -- but of course it's only nonviolence in a world that has moved beyond violence, i.e., when it's convenient, which means never. Not quite Gandhi's idea of the concept.

As a bit of a lefty peacenik, though not a pacifist, myself, I'm bothered by the way this film, like many of the prewar propanda films designed to get reluctants to consider fighting the Axis powers, confabulates World War I with the war that was about to explode across Europe. I'm one of those who argue against pacifists that WWII could not be avoided, that Hitler and the other powers had to be fought to prevent what undoubtedly would have been the greatest calamity in the history of mankind. World War I was another story completely -- a cynical maneuver bereft of heroes or morality on any side, which resulted in untold deaths and through the vindictive treaty of Versailles essentially "created" Hitler.

Still, that's hindsight and it's easy to get high and mighty about all this. As I said, more questions than answers.

It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

A Big Screen Must-See! (Or Wait for the widescreen DVD)

[10/10 · 11 May 2001]

Just wanted to chime in here...Haven't seen the panned and scanned video, but I have seen this at theaters and can tell you that you're missing something if you see it on T.V.

Truly, there's no way to appreciate either the famous skate dance without seeing the dimensions fully explored as they are in 'scope. Even more important, there's a great dance number involving a three-way split screen -- I shudder to think how they handle that on the reformatted version.

While I wouldn't want to delay anyone from seeing this, more than most movies, you're missing something if you don't see this great movie in widescreen!