Sabotage (rewatch)

Not as fun as its predecessor The 39 Steps… it’s actually rather a downer, and none of the stars really grab you like Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll.  But it is extremely well-done with signs of Hitch developing his craft.  There’s a number of moments that approach greatness, including one of the most shocking events in a Hitchcock film.  Rating: 8

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The Lodger (rewatch)

There are two problems here.  One is the somewhat sluggish pacing.  Nothing in particular needs to be cut, but there’s a lot of tightening up that could be done.  It just doesn’t seem like there’s enough happening here to justify a 100-minute running time.  The other problem is that Hitchcock’s change to the novel’s ending (to protect the image of star Ivor Novello) makes the first two acts of the film feel like rather ludicrous misdirection, especially on a second viewing.  But there are some good cinematic ideas, and the story isn’t that shabby.  It’s also interesting to note that it’s essentially Hitchcock’s first “wrong man” film, although kind of an inversion of the formula.  Still, this’ll probably be the last time I watch it.  Rating: 6

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She’s Gotta Have It

Spike Lee’s first feature is somewhat like John Cassavetes’ debut, Shadows.  Like that film, it bristles with a raw energy but is dragged down by poor acting.  There’s also a Woody Allen quality to it (including Lee casting himself in a comic role).  Allen’s dialogue is sometimes over-written, but he almost always makes it work.  This is where Lee fails… in combination with the subpar performances, these lines often just don’t sound right.  But even though the flaws were a little too big for me to get past, I don’t want to dismiss this as a mere Cassavetes/Allen ripoff.  There’s a strong, unique voice at work here.  I really ought to catch up with more Spike Lee, I haven’t seen ANY of his work from the 90′s.  Rating: 6

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Secret Honor

An aging, bitter Republican goes on a frustrated, incoherent, angry rant.  No, it’s not John McCain… it’s Richard Nixon.  I’m no presidential scholar, and I freely admit that the bulk of my knowledge about Nixon comes from reading “Doonesbury” books in high school.  Right up front, Altman explains that this is a work of fiction.  But it feels more like a smear campaign, kicking a man when he’s down.  I’m not a Nixon fan, and I make no excuses for him, but surely this over-the-top portrayal of him as a bumbling, demented mama’s boy is unnecessary.  It’s a caricature of one of our country’s easiest targets.  Fortunately some substance and complexity does come through, and there are interesting thoughts and ideas here and there (especially in the ending).  But it’s buried under an awful lot of mean-spirited nastiness.  Philip Baker Hall is to be commended for tackling what must have been an extraordinarily difficult performance.  Rating: 5

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Pierrepoint: The Last Hangman

Timothy Spall does a remarkable job inhabiting the figure of Albert Pierrepoint, portraying him (accurately or not) as an executioner who did his job with practical, but not ruthless, efficiency.  Pierrepoint leaves himself outside the gallows, but still performs his duties with pride and with his own sense of the proper and humane way to do the job.  Pierrepoint’s life takes an interesting turn when he’s asked to execute Nazi war criminals.  It’s a great performance… one that unfortunately falls apart in the third act.  It begins with an event that is remarkably true, but the director took liberties in building up to it, in a way that makes it absurdly dramatic (sorry if that’s hard to understand, I’m trying not to spoil anything).  It’s a transformative moment for Pierrepoint, which leads to a scene almost as embarrassing and pandering as the “this watch!” scene in Schindler’s List.  Meanwhile the wife (Juliet Stevenson) plays the textbook example of “denial”.  It’s pretty lame, and a disappointing dénouement to an otherwise very compelling film.  Rating: 7

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The Legend of the Suram Fortress

I would like to see more of Parajanov’s films from the 50′s and 60′s, before his time in the gulag.  Those seem to be better than his work from the 80′s.  This one is a lot like Ashik Kerib: the compositions are unmistakably Parajanov (few directors have such an immediately recognizable style) and an interesting story underpinning it, but it’s buried by so many oblique symbols, cultural references and seemingly irrelevant asides that it’s very difficult to watch.  Rating: 6

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Touch of Evil (rewatch)

I’ve only ever seen the “restoration” version.  If I cared about the movie a little more, I’d watch the theatrical version (or the preview version) out of curiosity, but I’ve got too much other stuff to get through right now.  I’m not bothered by Heston’s distinctly un-Mexican accent and appearance, but Dennis Weaver’s eccentric performance as the motel clerk bugs the shit out of me.  Otherwise, it’s a really solid noir film… not one of my favorites by Welles, but an excellent watch.  Rating: 8

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Ten Nights of Dreams (rewatch)

Not quite as enthused about this as I was 4 months ago.  All of the ”dreams” have something to offer, but some are clearly better than others.  The anime sequence, for instance, is absolutely gorgeous but otherwise entirely uninteresting.  The best ones tend to be the funnier ones.  As a whole, I guess it’s worth keeping around, but pretty soon I’m going to need to sell some movies or buy a bigger DVD rack.  Rating: 8

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Revenge of a Kabuki Actor (rewatch)

I’ve always called this An Actor’s Revenge, but AnimEigo released it under this alternate title.  Despite my burning desire to file the DVD under “A”, I’ll go along with it.  This isn’t the best this film could look, but it’s always nice to be able to add one of my favorites to my shelf.  A flawless film, amazingly stylized “kabuki noir” with an entertaining story of intrigue and brilliant cinematography.  One of those movies that gets me excited about watching movies.  I really need to start tracking down more Ichikawa.  Rating: 10

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Mon Oncle (rewatch)

Although a little too slow at times, Tati’s satire of modernity is still a joy to watch.  I delight in the contrast between the sterile, ridiculous, frustrating world of the Arpels and the rustic charm of Hulot’s world.  Great music, great gags, great art.  Rating: 9

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