The Seventh Sign (1988)

The Seventh Sign

Call No: TEMP 1652

Last week I reviewed a film called The Seventh Seal, which is in no way to be confused with this movie. The only similarity that can be drawn is that both make allusions to the Book of Revelation in the title. While The Seventh Seal deals more with the idea of death, the plague and human mortality, The Seventh Sign deals with recognizing signs of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, and trying to find a way to stop it. It’s a little less “Philosophical Debate on Biblical Symbols” and a little more “Hitchcock does Bible Study”.

Despite a previous miscarriage, Abby is confident that the baby boy she’s carrying will be healthy and happy (and more importantly, a successful delivery). Soon after renting the garage apartment to a wandering stranger named David, Abby begins to notice strange things happening, things that seem to tie in all to nicely with the prophecies found in the Book of Revelation. When she realizes that her unborn baby holds the key to the final sign of the apocalypse, Abby must make a terrible decision: one that could determine the fate of all mankind.

Shadows and Fog (1991)

Shadows and Fog

Call No: TEMP 1706

Many consider Woody Allen to be one of the great filmmakers of our time. This makes me wonder why I haven’t seen very much of his work, considering how much I enjoy watching the styles and direction of any number of filmmakers. The first and only movie that I’d seen of his (until now) was The Purple Rose of Cairo, and the only reason for that was because (a) it was about the love of movies and (b) I needed a fifth movie for a blowout sale at the CNE. I thoroughly enjoyed the film, so when one of my housemates told me that she would be watching Shadows and Fog, I tagged along for the visual ride.

Somewhere in the mist and fog of the night hides a killer, and timid bookkeeper Kleinman has been dragged out by a team of vigilantes to help in the hunt. On the other side of town, Irmy leaves her cheating boyfriend Paul and the circus she calls home to find something better. Soon these two strangers will meet in the shadows and hopefully find a way to help each other with their problems. But they had better hurry, because when you spend any time in the fog, the killer can’t be far behind.

The Da Vinci Code (2006)

The Da Vinci Code

Call No: PN1995.9.S87 D3 2006

Every once and a while, a bandwagon full of people comes along with some new book or show that everybody absolutely loves and everyone else must see. That was how I was unfortunately introduced to The Da Vinci Code. The fastest way to turn me off of a book or movie is to tell me that it’s the greatest thing ever written/filmed/watched, etc (my only exception is top 100 film lists, collaborated from dozens of people). I like to have a reason to sit down and watch a movie, be it the actors, writers, directors, plot or just general interest. If you’re one of my closest friends, you learn that the best way to get me to read a book or watch a movie is to give me a bit of the plot and let curiosity gnaw away at me until I finally track it down. That was how my housemate and close friend got me to watch The Da Vinci Code.

“It’s not bad,” she’d said, “You know, huge religious conspiracy that could threaten Christianity.” Then she said the magic words: “Also, it’s got Tom Hanks and Paul Bettany.”

I haven’t been disappointed by them yet, so needless to say, I gave it a shot.

Almost everyone knows the premise: For thousands of years, an underground society has protected a great secret, one that would throw into question the entire foundation of Christianity. Caught in the middle of a war over the vital information are Robert Langdon (Hanks) and his newfound ally Sophie Neveu. The two must work together to stay alive and decode the clues to lead them to the truth, before someone gets to them first.

Double Indemnity (1944)

Double Indemnity

Call No: PS3505.A3113 D6 1997

I enjoy Billy Wilder’s films. There’s something about their openness and ability to capture human emotion at its finest that I love watching. I was talking about Billy Wilder to my uncle over the break. When he asked what I thought of Double Indemnity, he was shocked to find out that a self-proclaimed fan like me hadn’t seen it. It was one of Wilder’s masterpieces. Having watched the film, I see what he means.

When insurance salesman Walter Neff becomes entangled with the married Phyllis Dietrichson, the two plan to kill off her husband and walk away with $100,000, the payoff on Mr. Dietrichson’s insurance policy courtesy of the double indemnity clause, a special kind of clause that rewards double what the policy is worth. But when Walter’s mentor and brilliant boss Barton Keyes suspects the death was foul play, Walter must play both sides against the middle in an effort to try and stay ahead.

Psycho (1960)

Psycho

Call No: TEMP 1959

When Psycho was first released to theatres, it was sent with a cardboard cutout of Alfred Hitchcock to put in a lobby, along with this warning:

“The manager of this theatre has been instructed at the risk of his life, not to admit to the theatre any persons after the picture starts. Any spurious attempts to enter by side doors, fire escapes or ventilating shafts will be met by force. The entire objective of this extraordinary policy, of course, is to help you enjoy Psycho more. -- Alfred Hitchcock”. 

When Hitchcock bought the rights to the book, he also attempted to buy as many copies as possible so that nobody could give away the ending. Seeing the movie, it’s easy to understand why he was so determined not to spoil it for anyone. As a result (and to stop Hitchcock’s ghost from finding me), I won’t spoil it for you either.

Marion Crane loves her boyfriend Sam but, because of both of them being strapped for money, they can’t get married. When Marion is given $40,000 dollars to deposit for her employer (at a job she doesn’t enjoy), she gets an idea. Taking the money with the intention of heading to California to surprise Sam, Marion’s trip is threatened by bad weather. Pulling into the Bates Motel on a side road, Marion meets the kind and quiet Norman Bates. But life isn’t what it seems like for Norman, when his dominating mother seems to have him in an iron grip.

The Usual Suspects (1995)

The Usual Suspects

Call No: TEMP 1420

There are a number of movies that I enjoy watching more than once. I don’t mean coming across them on television and watching them. I mean taking time out of my day to sit down and give my complete attention to a film that I’ve already seen. The Great Escape and anything by Billy Wilder usually fall into that category. So does The Usual Suspects. Even though I’ve seen it a few times before, I enjoyed sitting down again to watch it. I get caught up in it every time.

Here’s the basic set-up of the film: When an explosion on a boat kills a number of people, the cops must turn to the only man who can help: witness and cripple, Verbal Kint. But before Verbal can begin to talk about the explosion and the events leading up to it he has to go back to where it all started, with five criminals meeting in a police line-up.

I knew that when I wrote this review, I would have trouble. This is because that the majority of things I want to comment on have to do with the plot, which if you haven’t seen the movie, can contain serious spoilers. I first saw the film about four years ago and at the insistence of my younger sister, who had seen it in senior film class. I asked her what it was about. “It’s about five guys in a police line-up” is the answer I received. Once I saw the film, I understood. If you haven’t seen the film, you should. But I will try my best to be very careful at not giving anything away in this review.

12 Angry Men (1957)

12 Angry Men

Call No: PN1997 .T82 2001

I need to start this review by saying that 12 Angry Men is my favourite film of all time, so I have a bit of a bias. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have seen it. I promise that this isn’t going to become a “Drop everything and see it now!” kind of review. Nor do I guarantee that this movie will change your life. It won’t. You’ll be the same person when you finish it. It won’t rattle your worldview or shake your ideologies or make you want to run out and save the planet. But if some of you see it, and I hope you will, you will be, at the very least, enjoying a good film.

The premise of 12 Angry Men, based on the play of the same name by Reginald Rose, is fairly simple. A boy is being tried for murder for stabbing his father. In order to pass a verdict of guilty, everyone must vote the same. Except that one man votes not guilty. As the eleven try to change his mind, evidence is reviewed, prejudices come to light, and it soon becomes evident that the verdict isn’t as simple as everyone thought.

M (1931)

M

Call No: TEMP 869

Note: German film, English subtitles.

I took M out of the library three times before I finally made time to sit down and watch it. I have the terrible habit of doing that with movies. I’ll find a movie that interests me, I’ll get it, and I’ll find other things to do instead of watching it. Yesterday I finally decided to sit down and watch it, and I was very glad that I did. It wasn’t for lack of interest – the plot was intriguing enough for me to keep going back for it. It was the fact that I was finally presented with a Sunday afternoon where I didn’t have an assignment pressing on me or something that needed to be done. Once it finished, I nearly started it over again.

M is the story about a child-murderer that is tormenting a German city. Parents are terrified for their children. The police are cracking down on every bit of crime in the city. And the criminals in the city trying to conduct their business are getting annoyed with the constant interruptions from the law. The top five criminals meet, each representing their area of expertise, and decide to team up and find the child-murderer. With how angry they are, the child-murderer better hope the police find him first.

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

The Lady Vanishes
Call No: TEMP 866

There’s no question that Alfred Hitchcock made his mark in the cinema. During his life he directed fifty-four feature length films from 1925 to 1976. He was known for being meticulous in storyboarding and setting up every single shot months before filming began. He expected only the best from his actors and was known for his determination and no-nonsense attitude. An actor once approached him and asked what his motivation was in the scene. Hitchcock replied without delay, “Your salary”. He was a perfectionist of the highest order, and even remade his own movie The Man Who Knew Too Much (the original was in 1934, the remake in 1956). His most popular films seem to be those made after WWII, such as Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, North By Northwest, and his most famous Psycho. Fewer people have seen his earlier works. The Lady Vanishes is one of these.

The premise is very simple: As a group of people wait out a storm for their train the next day, a young woman named Iris befriends an elderly lady named Miss Froy. The two board the train together but within hours of doing so, Miss Froy disappears. What is even stranger is that no one seems to remember who Miss Froy is. Add in a dash of romance with a flirtatious stranger, a pinch of unusual situations, and a teaspoon of passenger secrets, and you’ve got a mystery so entertaining that it could have been written by Dame Agatha Christie herself. (If the premise of the film sounds familiar, it’s because the Jodie Foster film Flightplan also follows the same plot.)

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

The Maltese Falcon
Call No: PN1995.9.D4 M253 2000

Since the last two films I reviewed were both in colour, I decided to choose something a little less colourful. I’ve chosen The Maltese Falcon for three reasons. The first is that my housemate has put together a “must see” list of films for herself, and this film is on it. The second is that I spent some time watching two Marx Brothers movies earlier in the week, both of them black and white. Third and finally, the curators from the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) have released their top 100 films to watch, and The Maltese Falcon is on it (#85).

Based on the Dashiell Hammett novel of the same name, The Maltese Falcon is the textbook definition of a film noir.  It has all of the basic requirements. It’s dark, it contains a serious crime, murders, a femme fatale, and has a cynical private detective.  Humphrey Bogart, whom many people will recognize as “that guy from that Casablanca movie”, plays Sam Spade, a private detective caught up in a web of intrigue surrounding the legend of the Maltese Falcon.

According to legend, the Falcon was a bird created by the Knights Templar of Malta, made of gold and encrusted with priceless jewels and intended as a gift for the King of Spain. It never reached him, stolen before reaching its destination.  The Falcon was covered in black to hide its true value.  Over the centuries it has been lost, stolen and bartered. Finally it has landed into the lives of Sam Spade and three other people. There’s Joel Cairo, a suspiciously quiet and soft spoken criminal. Then there’s Kasper Gutman, a heavyset man whose desire for the bird is stronger than anyone else. And there’s Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a woman involved who wants nothing more than to get out... or does she?