Fail-Safe (1964)

Fail-Safe

Call No: TEMP 2223

Last week, Sidney Lumet died. I don’t expect you to know who that is, so I’ll catch you up by telling you that he was a director, and who directed my favourite film 12 Angry Men. Since there are few things in the world that make us more reflective than death, and because I knew no other films of his outside of my favourite, I decided to write my final film review about one of Sidney Lumet’s other great and critically acclaimed films, Fail-Safe.

Fail-Safe takes place in the sixties, when the Cold War is anything but cool and tensions are running high between the Americans and the Soviets. When a computer malfunction sends a squadron of fighter planes on an unauthorized and irretrievable bombing mission towards Moscow, the President and his team of officers must find a way to convince the Soviet leader that it is an accident and not to return fire. But for the Americans, this means helping their enemies to shoot down their own planes. Can the Soviets successfully stop the planes from reaching Moscow? Can the President convince the leader that it was a mistake? And what is he prepared to do if the planes reach their target? The answer isn’t what you might think.

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.

The Seventh Seal (1957)

The Seventh Seal

Call No: TEMP 880

Note: Swedish Film, English subtitles

The last time I saw Max von Sydow, one of the main characters of The Seventh Seal, was when he was playing the legendary demon expeller Father Merrin in a little film called The Exorcist. At the time I thought he was a talented actor, simply based on that role. Now that I’ve seen him in his younger days, my original impression of him was right. His quiet, unassuming but passionate presence makes him an interesting character study in terms of the roles he plays. His role as knight Antonius Block is another exceptional performance.

After spending the last ten years fighting a crusade in the Holy Land, Antonius Block and his squire Jons have returned to find their home ravaged by the plague. Block has felt Death following him for a long time, and finally meets him. In an effort to buy himself some time, he challenges Death to a game of chess. As Block and Jons travel along the road, Block begins to question the existence of God, the meaning of life and the existence of the Devil. As they encounter friends and allies along the way, Death’s game of chess becomes shorter and shorter, and it’s only a matter of time until the game is finished, one way or another.

Vera Drake (2004)

Vera Drake

Call No: PN1997.2 .V47 2005

When I first came to the university three years ago, I remember looking through the DVDs and picking up this film. The description on the back sounded interesting enough and I’ve enjoyed Imelda Staunton in the smaller roles that I’ve seen her in. Somehow, I never got around to it. Finally, I pulled it from the library this week, cut some time out of my schedule, and watched it. Its heartfelt narrative combined with its content makes it a film to watch (but may impact women more strongly than men).

Vera Drake is a loving and devoted wife, mother and friend. She will do anything for anybody without thanks or praise. She is completely selfless and spends every waking moment either working her job cleaning houses or doing something for someone else out of the goodness of her heart. Sometimes these selfless acts include secretly helping unfortunate women who have gotten “into trouble” and are now pregnant. Vera Drake calmly helps them find the way out. But when a police investigation brings Vera’s world crashing down and her secrets are revealed, will she have anywhere to turn? Or have her secrets destroyed all of the good she’s ever done?

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.

Vampires Week: Blade Trilogy (1998, 2002, 2004)

This whole week of reviews was inadvertently started by my housemate. We were reading over my list of possible films to review when she said, “We should watch Blade.” She hadn’t seen it in years and I’d never seen any of them. Always up for a new movie experience and being a big fan of both action films and comic books (on which Blade is based), I named this week “Vampire Week” and we checked out all three Blade movies with which to marathon. I have to say, I was not disappointed. I’ll comment on all three movies here as simply and succinctly as possible.

Blade

Call No: PN1997 .B5738 2001

The movie that starts it all. Basic rundown? Blade is the half mortal, half vampire protector of the human race. Known as the “Daywalker” because of his ability to walk during the day while having the healing and strength of a vampire, Blade must take down vampire baddie Deacon Frost with the help of his mentor Whistler.

First of all, props to Kris Kristofferson for not only managing to appear threatening at his age, but to do it in a leg brace. The storyline is tight and suspenseful, easily driven by the equal combination of action and drama (and by drama, I mean scenes where Blade doesn’t look like he’s going to kill someone and the other characters share memories and emotions). While the manner by which some mild gore was executed turned my timid stomach while eating (my own fault), I’d watch this film again in a heartbeat.

Vampires Week: Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu

Call No: PN1997 .N663 2002

Note: This is a silent film. Written dialogue and story is in English.

You can’t very well have a proper vampire week without watching Nosferatu. Made in 1922, this silent film is the first film based on Bram Stroker’s classic novel, Dracula. And what vampire week would be complete without the grandfather of all vampires?

Hutter is a pleasant and happy man who works in a real estate office. When his boss tells him that the wealthy Count Orlok wants to move into their quiet village, Hutter must travel to Transylvania to try and sell him a house – one that happens to be right across from Hutter’s. It isn’t long before Hutter discovers that something isn’t quite right about the Count, but it’s too late. It becomes a race of who can get back to the town first, especially when the Count owns the house across the street and has his sights set on Hutter’s wife, Ellen.

Vampires Week: The Lost Boys (1987)

The Lost Boys

Call No: PN1995.9.S26 L881 2004

The Lost Boys seems to be one of those movies that straddle both the worlds of obscurity and nostalgia. Those who grew up with the movie have a sort of fond affection for the offbeat and campy film, while those who haven’t seen it might not even know of its existence. It’s not a groundbreaking film or something you absolutely must see. It’s not even that fantastic. It is an entertaining watch, if for nothing more than to see how comfortable Kiefer Sutherland is in his role of being the badass (a little less Jack Bauer and a little more pre-Twilight vampire).

The story is about two brothers and their single mom to live with their grandfather in a small town in California, a town that is rumoured to be overrun with vampires. Soon after arriving, the boys find themselves immediately pulled into opposite directions: the older brother becomes attracted to a mysterious girl and drawn into her circle of suspicious friends, while the younger brother meets two boys who claim to be vampire hunters. When the older brother’s personality and behaviours begin to change rapidly, the two must work together to find a way to stop it.

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.

Mrs. Brown (1997)

Mrs. Brown

Call No: PN1995.9.H5 M77 1990z

I realize that this is the second Judi Dench film that I’ve reviewed this week, but in my defense I’ve wanted to watch Mrs. Brown for some time now, and had no idea that she would be in Chocolat. Of course, watching too much Judi Dench is never a problem – the woman is a powerhouse of talent that often leaves you nothing short of impressed. It’s no wonder that she’s been knighted. If anything, I’m surprised it took them so long to do it.

Mrs. Brown tells the story of Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and her years of friendship with John Brown (Billy Connolly). After years of mourning the death of her husband Prince Albert, Queen Victoria is surprised by the request and arrival of John Brown, a Scottish stable attendant and gardener whom her husband was fond of. Determined to do something about the Queen’s misery, the headstrong Brown slowly begins to make a difference, pulling the Queen back to joys of life. Unfortunately her servants and politicians become concerned with Brown’s unquestionable influence over the Queen, calling her “Mrs. Brown”, and determine to do something about it. As a result, the friendship between Queen Victoria and John Brown is put to the test. But when two worlds are pulling apart, is it really strong enough to survive?

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 Towering Inferno (1974)

The Towering Inferno

Call No: TEMP 1615

Disaster movies have been around as long as there have been people to watch them. In the early seventies, there was a market for big death-defying blockbusters like Airport and The Poseidon Adventure. One of these was The Towering Inferno, one of the first films ever to be produced as a joint effort by two major studios. The story is based on two separate novels: “The Tower”, which was bought by Warner Brothers, and “The Glass Inferno”, which was bought by Twentieth Century Fox. The two studios decided to work together and combine the two novels. This film was the result.

Nominated for eight academy awards, The Towering Inferno is about a ravaging fire that rips through the tallest building in the world, trapping over three hundred guests on its top floor. Architect Doug Roberts (Paul Newman) discovers during the unveiling of his masterpiece, the tallest tower in the world made of glass, that all of the wiring in the building is potentially faulty. When a fire breaks out on one of the upper floors and begins to spread, it is going to take Doug, fire chief Michael O’Halleran (Steve McQueen) and all of the help they can get to stop what will soon become the most dangerous fire ever seen.

Ikiru (1952)

Ikiru

Call No: TEMP 859
Note: Japanese film, English subtitles

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I put Ikiru into my DVD player. I’m not overly familiar with Akira Kurosawa’s work, but I did enjoy his film noir Stray Dog when I saw it a few years ago. I’m also no stranger to subtitles. I sat back and prepared myself to enjoy the movie. Believe me when I say that I was not at all disappointed.

The film is about Kanji Watanabe, an older man who has spent the last thirty years working for the city office. When he finds out that he has stomach cancer, he reflects on his life and feels that he hasn’t done anything worthwhile in his life. Though he has a few false starts, he soon finds something to drive him through the last months of his life. The film is poignant, moving, and thought-provoking.

The film is divided into two parts. The first part of the film shows us the everyday life of Watanabe and what happens when he receives the news. A little over halfway through the movie, the story shifts. The second part of the film takes place after he has passed away, while his family and co-workers talk about the wondrous change that has come over their friend and father. I felt as though the story picked up after the shift, as the co-workers try to untangle their own ideas behind Watanabe’s transformation by sharing their own experiences through flashbacks.

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

BUBBA HO-TEP
Call No: PN1997.2 .B83 2002

There’s something about Bruce Campbell that I can’t seem to avoid. It’s not that I don’t enjoy watching him – it’s quite the opposite. I find him a treat to watch, like that snack in the cupboard that you know is terrible for you but you can’t seem to quit. I first discovered him when a friend insisted that I watch Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness. Even though it was the third part of the Evil Dead trilogy, my friend insisted that I didn’t need to watch the first two to enjoy it. He was right, and to this day I still stop for Bruce Campbell when channel surfing. When I came across Bubba Ho-Tep, I was excited to watch.

Don’t get me wrong -- this is not the witty and clever Shaun of the Dead, nor is it the gory and entertaining Zombieland. Watching this film and expecting anything but what it is could sour the viewer. The premise of the film, however, is enough to make any fan of these movies consider giving it a shot. I wish I could have been in the room when they first pitched the idea for this film: Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy fight off an undead mummy at a retirement home. Of course, not all the residents of the retirement home are still playing with a full deck so their real identity is suspect, but the stories that Elvis and Jack spin about themselves are so entertaining that you can’t help but hope they might just be telling the truth.