Flop's Film of the Night

#5. Cape Fear (1991)

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:50:00 -0600

Cape Fear is a remake of the original “Cape Fear” from 1962, which starred Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. This is Martin Scorsese’s first film after finishing the incredible GoodFellas, and while it’s nowhere near as masterful as that picture, it still stands as one of the best remakes ever made. Robert De Niro’s performance as ex-con Max Cady is riveting, and Scorsese’s masterful direction is in full effect here.

Nick Nolte plays Sam Bowden, a lawyer and family man, whose family is in danger after convicted rapist Max Cady (Robert De Niro) is released from prison. He believes (correctly) that Sam provided a lousy defense for him that landed him a 15 year stretch in prison, and now he’s out for revenge on Sam.

Max Cady is the stand-out feature of this film. He is menacing, psychotic, and in some scenes, even likable. He’s in great shape, has religious tatoos all over his body, and a strong southern accent. Anytime he’s on-screen the mood changes. He’s just a man, but it feels like he’s something more. Like a monster in a horror movie. A sense of danger looms over his scenes, even when in public and broad daylight. Robert De Niro proves once again, that he is one of the most versatile actors of all time here.

Bernard Herrmann’s score from the original Cape Fear has been adapted and arranged by Elmer Bernstein (another legendary musician) to great effect. It’s haunting and captivating, and makes some of the great scenes even greater. You can tell Martin Scorsese was having fun making this picture, utilizing some very unique, and inventive shots. He’s unmatched when it comes to pulling the viewer in, and immersing them into the film’s world.

Cape Fear is a wonderful noir thriller, with rock solid performances (especially from De Niro) and a brilliant score. Some may say that the film’s climax is kind of ‘traditional’, but I had a lot of fun with it. Martin Scorsese never lets me down. I highly recommend checking it out.

Trailer

#4. Rear Window (1954)

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 11:51:57 -0600

Rear Window is widely regarded as Alfred Hitchcock’s greatest film. While I don’t necessarily agree with that, it’s definitely a runner-up. Hitchcock’s mastery in the art of suspense is showcased here in full effect. Rear Window is one of the greatest mystery films ever made and it remains one of the most consistently entertaining films in the genre.

Rear Window tells the story of a wheelchair bound photographer, named L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries (James Stewart); who, out of boredom, begins spying on his neighbors through the rear window in his apartment. When he witnesses what he believes to be a murder, Jeff tries to find proof. But being bound to a wheelchair, and stuck in his apartment, doesn’t leave him with many options.

One of the most interesting aspects of Rear Window, like Rope, is that the whole film stays in one place. Jeff’s apartment. Everything we see is from Jeff’s point of view. It’s fascinating to watch all of the different people go about their daily lives as Jeff watches. It feels genuine. Each window he watches tells a different story. It just goes to show how great of a visual storyteller Hitchcock was. By the end of the film, we feel connected with these people who had little to no effect on the main plot of the film.

Alfred Hitchcock directs the film with his signature style, which is great, though this film is unique. Everything we see is from Jeff’s perspective, in his apartment. He’s confined to his apartment and so are we. We see out of his window, and through his binoculars and camera. It adds a great sense of immersion that you don’t see in many films. We’re trying to solve this mystery with the characters, and we feel like a part of their world.

A masterwork in mystery suspense, with an incredible cast and director. Rear Window set the bar for mystery flicks back in 1954, and some would argue that it has yet to be surpassed. The love story subplot works great thanks to James Stewart and Grace Kelly’s wonderful chemistry, and the film has a subtle dose of humor that works incredibly well. It’s one of my favorite films, and I strongly recommend it.

Trailer

#3. Psycho (1960)

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 07:49:03 -0600

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”

And my worst fear is Norman Bates. He’s a handsome, mild-mannered young man who runs a motel, and lives with his mother. Yet he still haunts my dreams. Psycho is a perfect film in every way, but the most stand-out thing about the film is, by far, Anthony Perkins’ portrayal of Norman Bates. It’s a performance that will stay with you until the day you die. The greatest villain in cinema history. Simply terrifying.

It’s difficult to summarize Psycho without spoiling it, or just flat-out lying, but I’ll do my best. Marion Krane (Janet Leigh) stops off at the Bates Motel after embezzling $40,000 and going on the run. Norman Bates, the owner of the motel, gives her a room and the two become acquainted. It’s not long before we learn about Norman’s mother, and his unconditional attachment to her. And that she isn’t very kind to unwelcome guests.

Psycho is the greatest horror film ever made. This is true horror. It’s a genre that is all but dead now. People used to see horror films to be genuinely frightened. Now they go to laugh at a bunch of naked teenagers be brutally murdered. What happened? Psycho is what horror is all about. One of the scariest things about the film is how plausible it is. This could really happen, and it probably has, to some extent.

Every aspect of Psycho is so incredibly well-done, from Hitchcock’s inspired direction to Bernard Herrmann’s perfect score (probably my favorite of all-time). To keep the budget low, Hitchcock opted to use his TV film crew from “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”, and to film it in black and white. While these measures were only used to keep the budget as low as possible, they are two of the films most stand-out features. The black and white adds a sinister undertone to the film that would have been lost had it been filmed in color; and the inexperience of his film crew gives the film an exploitation-like vibe, which provides a sense of unpredictability to the film. The feeling of safety that can come with a big budget film is completely non-existent here.

Psycho is one of the most renowned classics in film history, and with good reason. It created and perfected the slasher/horror sub-genre and showcases one of the greatest performances ever committed to film. I can’t recommend this film enough. It’s one of the greatest ever made. If you haven’t seen it, you are truly missing out.

Trailer

#2. After Hours (1985)

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 04:24:18 -0600

Let me just start this off by saying that After Hours is one of my favorite films. Ever. It’s one of those films that you just watch over and over and over and over again. It never gets old. It’s a Martin Scorsese picture about a guy named Paul (brilliantly played by Griffin Dunne). Paul has the worst night of his entire life, and we’re along for the ride. This is a fairly dark comedy, in the sense that if the stuff that is happening to Paul in this film were to happen to you or me, we would have a nervous breakdown. Bad luck doesn’t even begin to describe it. But since we’re watching this stuff happen to Paul, it’s absolutely hilarious.

After Hours is one of those films that is so consistently entertaining, that it’s almost distracting. There’s not one dull moment here. Paul is always getting into some sort of trouble. Some of the coincidences presented are extremely outlandish, but that’s what’s fun about it. At every possible instance, the worst thing that could possibly happen to Paul, does. And it’s almost always hilarious. You may feel bad about some of the things you’re laughing about here. Suicide and murder both play into some of the film biggest laughs. This isn’t an unlikable film though. It’s surprisingly light-hearted, when you think about some of the subject matter. And that likability comes from Paul.

Paul is a great character. One of my favorites in film. He’s pretty much an everyman, but he’s a character. Most “everyman” characters in films come off as a sort of blank slate. Someone that lets the events of the film completely shape who they become by the end. That isn’t the case here. Paul is a person. He meets a girl at a coffeehouse, and later on he calls and she wants him to come over. And just like that, he has initiated the launch sequence for the worst night of his entire life (and probably yours, if you were him). It’s a pleasure to watch Paul deal with the constant situations that come up. He reacts like a normal person would to them. That’s what makes it so fun.

Martin Scorsese’s direction is, as usual, flawless. He’s doing a pseudo-Hitchcock thing with this film, that really works. The camera swooping around and such. He gives the film such a brilliant sense of place. As Paul is running, around SoHo like a madman, going from place to place, you begin to feel like you could navigate your way around there. You know which way he came from and where he’s going before the scene even changes. Not many directors can achieve that in a film.

A wonderful script, a wonderful cast of characters, and a wonderful energy that you just don’t see in films anymore. It’s hilarious, dark, and pure genius. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you seek out this gem.

(Note: Once again, I WOULD put the trailer here, but it spoils a bit too much of the film for my liking. It’s great, but it’s more of a Cliff’s Notes of the film than a trailer. I suggest watching the film before seeing the trailer.)

#1. Rope (1948)

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 07:27:00 -0600

Rope is among Hitchcock’s finest films (although pretty much all of them are), in which two classmates (Brandon and Phillip) strangle their “inferior” peer (David) to death, and hide his body in a chest. To test the perfection of their crime, they throw a party at their apartment, inviting David’s parents, his soon-to-be fiance, and a few others. They even serve the food right on the chest in which David’s body is hidden.

The film has such an incredible style. There are hardly any cuts in the film. It’s based on a play, and Hitchcock wanted it to feel like one, so he made the whole film flow fluidly as one scene. Most of the cuts (there are only about 10) are “masked” by the camera passing by something dark, like the back of someone’s suit jacket, and it will cut while the screen is shrouded in darkness. This illusion works incredibly well, and the whole film truly feels as if it was done in just one take. It’s an incredible accomplishment. There’s no other film like it.

The film is way ahead of it’s time (1948). It has the usual Hitchcock suspense and tension all throughout. We, the audience, are with Brandon and Phillip. We know that the body is in the chest. Throughout the entire film we keep our eye on the chest, just as they do. There’s one incredibly well-done shot, that gets me so uncomfortable I begin to bite my nails. Every time. I can’t help it. You’ll know it when you get there. Hitchcock’s incredible eye for dread and suspense has never been matched.

Another aspect of the film that was ahead of its time, was the way it dealt with homosexuality. Brandon and Phillip are homosexuals, but that term is never used in the film. The film hardly even hints at this. We know that they are homosexuals because of their mannerisms; the way they interact with each other. It’s been said that the main reason this factor was kept so low-key, is that homosexuality was a very taboo subject in the arts in the U.S. then. I don’t know if that was actually the case or not, but all I know is that it is incredibly well-done and feels real.

All of the performances are magnificent, especially that of James Stewart (Rupert), John Dall (Brandon), and Joan Chandler (Janet). It’s a shame that Dall and Chandler did not have bigger careers than they did. They are magnificent here. Rope is among the first films either of them made, and it was the only notable film either of them ever did.

I would post the trailer for the film, as it’s one of the best trailers ever made, but I won’t due to the fact that it spoils a large part of the heart-stopping climax. I highly recommend checking out the trailer after seeing the film though. It’s incredibly unique and actually adds on to it.

I highly recommend seeing the film. It’s one of my favorites. Put it on your Netflix queue or something.