Tag: Friendship

“Victor Frankenstein” (2015) starring Daniel Radcliffe & James McAvoy

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James McAvoy and Daniel Radcliffe star in a dynamic and thrilling twist on a legendary tale. Radical scientist, Victor Von Frankenstein (McAvoy), and his equally brilliant protégé, Igor Strausman (Radcliffe), share a noble vision of aiding humanity through their groundbreaking research into immortality. But Victor’s experiments go too far, and his obsession has horrifying consequences. Only Igor can bring his friend back from the brink of madness and save him from his monstrous creation. -Synopsis (20th C. Fox)

Igor [in opening voiceover]: You know this story. The crack of lightning. A mad genius. An unholy creation. The world, of course, remembers the monster, not the man. But sometimes, when you look closely, there’s more to a tale. Sometimes the monster is the man.

Who is Igor, some of y’all may be asking? Fans of Mel Brooks’ comedies will know Igor (Marty Feldman) as the wide-eyed/hunchback assistant to Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein (1974). There is at least one joke from that classic in this movie. The directorial style is all over the place; some scenes are manic, while others drag on w/o much effectiveness. The editing is choppy; I’m guessing several scenes were cut for time (by the producers). The one female character, Lorelei (Jessica Brown Findlay), is underused and has V little character development. The romance is undercooked; the filmmakers should’ve just focused on the friendship (bromance). The soundtrack is often too loud and overbearing. There are horror elements, yet NOT much was scary (aside from one of the “monsters”).

Victor: Life is temporary, why should death be any different.

The late Christopher Lee said: “Every actor has to make terrible films from time to time, but the trick is never to be terrible in them.” I think we can apply that to McAvoy here; the Scottish actor gave it 100% (exuding energy and enthusiasm in the larger than life role). He was ALL in, so that his natural accent popped out when Victor is esp. passionate about something. Radcliffe is the POV character, which is a rare take; it’s easy to sympathize w/ him. The wealthy investor/med school student, Finnegan (Freddie Fox), doesn’t get much to do; he will soon he seen on S2 of House of the Dragon. The policeman obsessed w/ capturing these men, Inspector Turpin (Andrew Scott), will bring to mind Moriarty in the BBC Sherlock series (also played by the Irish actor). Many of the crew from Sherlock worked on this movie.

“The Caine Mutiny” (1954) starring Humphrey Bogart, Jose Ferrer, Van Johnson, & Fred MacMurray

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When a U.S. Naval captain shows signs of mental instability that jeopardizes the ship, the first officer is urged to consider relieving him of command. -Synopsis

During WWII, the crew of a ship in the Pacific fleet experiences something unlike any event experienced by the US Navy before. The ship’s captain, Lt. Cmdr. Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), is removed from command by his Executive Officer, Lt. Maryk (Van Johnson), in an act of mutiny. As the trial of the mutineers unfolds, we realize that Queeg is mentally unstable. The Navy must decide: Was the Caine mutiny a criminal act, or was it an act of courage to save a ship from destruction? If you’re a fan of A Few Good Men (1992) and/or Crimson Tide (1995), then you should check out this classic film.

As one viewer noted: “in the 1950’s, films about the problems that you encounter during wartime (that have nothing to do with the enemy itself) began to appear.” WWII threw all kinds of people together; here we find career Navy, along w/ the other men drafted into the service b/c of war (disrupting their plans, BUT they had to make the best of it). Queeg is a petty jerk everybody ends up hating; he’s a compulsive authoritarian who sticks to the minute details of the rules (to the detriment of the ship). This film received 7 Oscar noms, incl. one for Bogie. His performance in the (climactic) courtroom scene even captivated the crew; after filming was done, they burst into applause!

A romantic subplot which frames the story w/ a young couple (played by newbies Robert Francis and May Wynn) distracts attention from the real story. I’m sure this was written to appeal to women and younger viewers; too bad it wasn’t effective. Sadly, Francis (who plays college grad/pampered son- Ensign Keith) had an untimely death about a year after this movie was released! I’m usually NOT impressed by Johnson, BUT this role suits him V well. I recently learned that Johnson was one of the (closeted) gay stars from the “golden age of Hollywood.” The actor I most enjoyed watching (aside from Bogie) was MacMurray; he plays Lt. Keefer (a writer in civilian life/reluctant naval officer). As the defendant’s assigned lawyer, Lt. Greenwald (Ferrer), gets to show his stuff in the last 30 mins. of the film; being recently injured, he is (finally) able to practice law. Lt. Cmdr. Challee (E.G Marshall- a prolific character actor) is a worthy counterpoint for Greenwald, as he is an experienced lawyer/no-nonsense proponent of Naval protocol.

[1] Having served in the U.S. Navy for 32 years, I can accurately state that many of the characters and situations depicted in Wouk’s book and in the film are all very real...

[2] The Caine Mutiny works well on so many levels. It is a great insight into navy life, a first rate legal drama, and an unforgettable character study. […]

Bogart spectacularly conveys the sheer complexity of his character: the quirks, the devotion to duty, the demand for perfection, the refusal to accept his own fallibility. 

[3] Bogart is brilliant, giving the greatest performance of his career, his quirky mannerisms and tortured demeanor contrasting starkly with his usual roles. MacMurray is superb as the glib slippery novelist who must eventually deal with his own cowardice, more damning than Queeg’s because of his intelligence and insight.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Mutiny on the Bounty” (1935) & “The Bounty” (1984)

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Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

Y’all probably know this (classic) story: while sailing from England to Jamaica (West Indies), 1st mate Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) leads a revolt against his sadistic commander, Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton); this is based on a real-life 1789 mutiny. This is the only film to receive 3 Oscar noms for Best Actor: Gable, Laughton, and Franchot Tone (who plays midshipman/linguist Lt. Roger Byam). After this occurred, the MPA introduced a Best Supporting Actor Oscar to ensure this situation wouldn’t be repeated. These actors all lost to Victor McLaglen for The Informer (1935). Check this movie out (free on streaming) IF you’re a fan of B&W films &/or Gable. No, he doesn’t use an English accent here (as he’s playing a version of himself– a dashing Hollywood star). For the more natural performance, see Tone’s portrayal as a newbie sailor.

[1] “Mutiny On the Bounty” is a well-made movie, with one of the best musical scores I have heard. […] Strong performances, great camera work, a well-written script, and an astounding musical score. All in all, this is a movie worth seeing!

[2] Gable always carried with him a touch of the theatre where he cut his teeth, and proves himself a powerful counterpoint to the blustering Charles Laughton. With his barrel chest, wavy hair and easygoing swagger he does have the makings of a swashbuckling hero, and this is the role Fletcher Christian takes in this adventuresome adaptation. […]

Charles Laughton’s performance as Captain Bligh is integral to the movie. You realise here that Laughton was rather a short man, and he plays on this, making Bligh a jumped-up, Napoleon-complexed bully: all sharp, jabbing motions, an arrogant stance and a face like a dead fish.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

The Bounty (1984)

The cast here is headed by Anthony Hopkins (as the experienced naval officer- Bligh) and rising star Mel Gibson (as his young friend turned adversary- Christian); it also incl. future stars Daniel Day-Lewis (a cautious officer- Fryer) and Liam Neeson (as , hot-headed sailor- Churchill). Gibson brought on fellow Aussie, Roger Donaldson, as the director. A replica of the H.M.S. Bounty was built for the movie (w/ steel hull). It was originally set to be filmed in 1975 w/ David Lean as director. The production values are high and the settings are gorgeous. Hey, who wouldn’t be impressed w/ sunsets, Gibson (w/ shirt open), and DDL’s steely glare? So what went wrong w/ this movie!? The two leads shared their thoughts below.

I think the main problem with that film was that it tried to be a fresh look at the dynamic of the mutiny situation, but didn’t go far enough. In the old version, Captain Bligh was the bad guy and Fletcher Christian was the good guy. But really Fletcher Christian was a social climber and an opportunist. They should have made him the bad guy, which indeed he was. He ended up setting all these people adrift to die, without any real justification. Maybe he’d gone island crazy. They should have painted it that way. But they wanted to exonerate Captain Bligh while still having the dynamic where the guy was mutinying for the good of the crew. It didn’t quite work. -Mel Gibson

It was such a sad mess of a film, such a botched job. Yet I’d put so much time and effort into the role. So right then and there I decided: Never again. I will no longer invest so much effort in something over which I have no control. It’s too frustrating. That film was a sort of turning point for me. For years I’d been trying to cultivate a don’t-give-a-damn attitude. After watching “The Bounty” I knew I had it. -Anthony Hopkins

Though the film was made on time and w/in budget, the production was troubled. Hopkins and Donaldson clashed over how Bligh should be characterized. Gibson was getting drunk after the shooting day ended; one night, he was injured in a bar fight- yikes! I think his acting is fine; his English accent is believable. Hopkins (who had quit alcohol many yrs ago) is giving it 100%, as we’d expect, so that Bligh becomes less of a “bad guy.” Neeson gets a few good scenes; he made the best of his experience, I’m sure. DDL doesn’t have much to do until the last act; he has a strong screen presence. I expected there to be more of a build-up to the mutiny. The Tahiti scenes go on too long, as many critics/viewers have noted. A LOT of folks seem to have complaints re: the soundtrack, BUT it didn’t bother me.

“10 Cloverfield Lane” (2016) starring John Goodman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, & John Gallagher, Jr.

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After getting into a car accident, Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), awakens to find herself in an underground bunker w/ two men- Howard (John Goodman) and Emmett (John Gallagher, Jr). Howard offers her crutches to help move (w/ her leg injury from the crash); he tells her to “get good on those” before leaving. She is told that there has been an attack and the outside world is poisoned! However, Howard’s intentions soon become questionable. Michelle wonders: Is it better in here or try top get outside?

Howard: People are strange creatures. You can’t always convince them that safety is in their best interest.

I came across this film recently while browsing; I think it’s still streaming for free. I’m NOT an expert on modern horror; these movies are often shot quickly w/ low budgets. Teens/20s viewers seem to watch these more in theaters, from what I’ve observed/heard. There are some classic horror films which I still haven’t seen. I was impressed w/ the pacing (editing) and direction of this movie. Dan Trachtenberg, who now mainly works in TV, earned a Directors Guild of America Award (DGA) nom for Outstanding Directing – First-Time Feature Film. The screenplay was written by Josh Campbell, Matt Stueken, and Damien Chazelle (who most recently directed Babylon).

Emmett: We’re here. We’re alive. That means something… It’s gotta.

We know Goodman (a veteran character actor) is always good in every role; he creates an (unexpected) villain. I’d seen Gallagher, Jr. (who also has a career in folk music) in The Newsroom; he plays a farm boy-next-door who regrets missing out on college. Michelle and Emmett (a good guy) form a friendship bond, which Howard is angered (and perhaps threatened) by. I learned that different tonal versions of most scenes were shot (from light/humorous to angry), so filmmakers could find the right mix in the end. I enjoyed the story a LOT until the ending- it wasn’t what I expected at all!

[1] It’s incredibly compelling mainly because of its intense focus on character, while it’s the several subtle twists and turns that keep us on the edge of our seat as our reading of the situation (always seen through the lens of the protagonist) continues to organically change.

[2] There are little if any horror elements in this movie. […] Those of you looking for a tense, slow building atmosphere are going to love this one! This is primarily a mystery movie.

[3] This film done everything right in terms of keeping you on edge, building tension and keeping you guessing. You feel just as confused and vulnerable as the protagonist and have no idea where everything is leading. But then, out of nowhere, it suddenly takes a sharp turn down towards WTF-ville and completely kills everything that it worked hard to build over the duration of the film.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

“Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022) starring Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova, Myha’la Herrold, Chase Sui Wonders, Pete Davidson, & Lee Pace

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When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong. -Synopsis

This movie had a viral moment after Amandla Stenberg (who plays the lead- Sophie) messaged NYT film critic, Lena Wilson, after Wilson called the film a “95-minute advertisement for cleavage.” In a direct message (DM), the 25 y.o. actress wrote: “Ur review was great, maybe if you had gotten your eyes off my tits you could’ve watched the movie.” The title/game played are based on Body Body (or Murder In The Dark) where players run around in a dark room while the murderer “kills” players by tapping them, hoping to get away w/ “killing” the entire group. This is Dutch director Halina Reijn’s 1st film to be made in the US; she allowed the (young/Gen Z) cast to choose songs and improvise some of the dialogue. The screenwriters are Sarah DeLappe and Kristen Roupenian (who worked on the viral op ed turned movie- Cat Person). As this movie takes place mostly in the dark, w/ the only source of light being cellphones, a headlamp, and glow tubes, the cast was instructed on how to light scenes/themselves from the cinematographer, Jasper Wolf.

As one critic commented: this movie (distributed by A24) shows how “Gen Z’s social life has been greatly affected by the use of social media.” Another issue here is toxic masculinity, as the director noted. This cast is mostly little-known, though some may be familiar w/ 30 y.o. Pete Davidson (who plays Dave, Sophie’s BFF); he’s known for SNL and relationships w/ famous women. The other man here is played by the handsome/tall (6’5″) Lee Pace (now 45); he’s the slacker/Tinder hook-up of Alice (Rachel Sennott). As I noted before, Sennott appeared recently in two indie comedies- Shiva Baby and Bottoms. For sabering-the-champagne-bottle near the start of the movie, Pace practiced at home using Thranduil’s sword from The Hobbit (2012)- LOL!

The movie opens w/ a close-up of two young women kissing and sharing their emotions; it soon shifts to them in a car texting on their phones. Such is modern life! Sophie and her gf, Bee (Maria Balalova- a Bulgarian actress seen in Borat 2) go to a hurricane party at a mansion. These diverse partiers are ALL from wealthy families, perhaps aside from Bee (w/ an Eastern European accent) and Greg (who they assume to be a war vet). There is little character development; most of these ppl are NOT likeable. As they drink, take drugs, and- worst of all- treat each others cruelly, your patience might wear thin. The dialogue is often banal and unfunny, as many critics/viewers have commented. I realize that this is NOT geared to ppl my age; however, it’s an undercooked waste of time!

[1] A modern horror of sorts, no scares and mild action. Mostly focused on trying to study the breakdown of people in the wake of suspicion. As I was looking for some good scares, I left feeling disappointed. I should have kept my old ass at home.

[2] Part of me wants to rate this well for how good it is at touching on a lot of what Gen Z is today. A lot of me wants to give this a thumbs down for how completely unlikable the characters are, how overplayed the point is, and how predictable and dumb the whole movie ends up being.

I give it points for it’s grounded approach. It advertises itself as a slasher, but it really ends up mostly being a deconstruction of these characters. Nothing over the top or typically slasher. Unfortunately, everyone here is a cliche.

[3] Bodies isn’t scary and there’s only so much tension and excitement to be gleaned from the premise. The acting was fine, but it was also hampered by the characters being so self-absorbed and hard to like. While the twist is kind-of new, it didn’t mean much and I was still left disappointed that I sunk an hour and a half into this.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews