THE DANMAN CAN

From what I can recall, Francis Ford Coppola 's new cut of The Godfather: Part III (1990)—titled The Godfather Coda: The Death Of Michael Corleone —isn't all that much of a departure from the 1991 "Final Director's Cut" (which added 9 minutes of deleted footage to the Theatrical Version and was the only version available on home video until Coda was released). All the key scenes and themes remain in Coda  and it really didn't play too differently (at least from my memory).  In any version, I have and continue to think that  GIII  is a really good film and has always been a bit unfairly maligned. Sure, Sofia Coppola 's acting isn't the best, but come on now—we've all seen much worse. It's also always amused me that Francis was accused of nepotism by casting her, when (a) he did what he had to when Winona Ryder had to drop out last minute and (b) he's always worked with various members of his talented family on his films (his sister  Talia ...

The first time I saw Pretty In Pink (1986) was nearly twenty years ago (a thought that truly blows my mind). I never saw the film as a teenager though I was aware of it. I watched PIP  for the first time with an ex that I don't tend to like to think about but I don't hold that against the film in any way (even when my attachment to films/music/art is distinctly tied to memories of exes, I'm still able to enjoy them; I know that's not the case for everyone). Though the subject matter of this film and the nature of the relationship I had are slightly related, which is somewhat amusing. Anyway, PIP ,  with its themes of classism and single parenting, is perhaps the most serious of John Hughes ' films (that I've seen), though I still have yet to see a few, including  She's Having A Baby (1988). Tonally, it's closest to the previous year's classic The Breakfast Club   (my review here ), though Hughes didn't direct PIP . That duty fell to Howard Deu...

Clerks II  (2006) is honestly not a terribly great movie. Some of the jokes have aged very poorly and attempts at being subversive just come off as tone deaf. But there is an endearing quality to these characters, both old and new, and a slightly more dramatic approach to this sequel to the 1994 classic that shines through. I can't help liking it, flaws and all. A lot of that is Rosario Dawson —she really centers the film and it's difficult to resist her charm. Kevin Smith 's direction is perhaps better here, but the whole film is a different beast—one for being shot in color and also because Smith wasn't a starving artist trying to make a statement at this point in his career. While I prefer the rough-around-the-edges caliber of the first film, it makes sense that Smith didn't want to repeat himself. The trajectory of the characters feels realistic. Clerks II  is not nearly as quotable as its predecessor, but there's definitely memorable lines and scenes. The ...

Akira (1988), one of my  Top 100 Films , is a m arvel of animation and sound design, a metaphysical post-apocalyptic cyberpunk masterpiece with a hyperkinetic and sublime score. For my money, this anime handles the themes of untrained superpowers, revolutionized youth, false messiahs, corrupt government, military force, the dangers of unrestrained weaponry, and over-reliance on technology better than most films (animated or otherwise). There are real consequences at play and a seriousness to the subject matter that gives the film a dramatic weight not present in plenty of live action movies. Akira also has its share of humor and fun, and it's an exquisite treat for the eyes and ears. 

Tenet (2020) is another Christopher Nolan  feature that's heavy on exceptional filmmaking from a technical standpoint but disappointing from a character standpoint. Nolan made his version of a James Bond film here—infusing the spy action film with lots of complicated science fiction. Its closest cousin in Nolan's oeuvre would be Inception (2010) but even that film had a little more "emotion" to it. I really was impressed by the logistics of undertaking a film such as this and it definitely demands a second viewing due to quick exposition dumps in between long action scenes (again, impressive). Too often though (here and in his other work) Nolan is too precious in his need to be clever and innovative and his stories/characters suffer for it. I think that's why my two favorite films of his remain  The Prestige  (2006) (my review here ) and Memento (2000)—they both have gimmicks (as so many of Nolan's films do), but they have characters I care about and feel ...

After The Thin Man (1936), the first of five sequels to  W.S. Van Dyk e's  film adaptation  of  Dashiell Hammett 's novel  The Thin Man   (1934) (my review here ), is more of the same of what its predecessor provided, but that's honestly not a bad thing. It's the longest of the Thin Man  films, so it drags a bit here and there, but it's also the second best of the series.  You get more of that Nick and Nora Charles charm, more witty banter (some wonderful dialogue via returning writers Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett ), more Asta the dog antics, and another  Agatha Christie / Hercule Poirot  style reveal in the finale. The whodunit aspect of this franchise is less important to me than the interplay between  William Powell  and  Myrna Loy  though—every bit as entertaining here as they were in the first film. Plus you get some cute dance numbers and a solid early James Stewart role—all in all a winner. The Thin M...

Ridley Scott 's   Alien (1979) is and always will be the most perfect sci-fi/horror film ever made—an absolute masterpiece of tension, pacing, direction, production and sound design, with a perfect cast, an excellent Jerry Goldsmith score, and an iconic theatrical poster. One of my  Top 100 Films  and Top 10 Horror Films .   Ridley Scott Feature Films Ranked

Comedy, tragedy, family, confrontation, struggle, success. Charles Chaplin ’s 1921 masterwork microcosm  The Kid (100 years old today!) has it all. Timeless.  You can find my  Charles Chaplin Feature Films Ranked  list  here . You can find my  Top 20 Directors  list  here .

Le Doulos   (1962) ticks all the  Jean-Pierre Melville  boxes—charismatic lead*, crime, slow pace, short bursts of action/violence, detached/cool characters, double-crosses, style. It's a very good, noirish drama with a certain sense of reality due to its almost absence of score. I had seen the film once before but largely forgot the bulk of it. It's one of those movies where your attention span can drift in and out and the plot can seem confusing at times. * Jean-Paul Belmondo , with his boyish good looks, has an undeniably intoxicating quality here, but his character is also a bastard. He betrays his associates and treats women like garbage, but—much like Malcolm McDowel l in Stanley Kubrick 's A Clockwork Orange (1971)—he does it with a smirk on his mug throughout. Though the film can feel slow, there's an intricacy to the relationship of the characters that belies its simplistic surface nature. Le Doulos also has a satisfyingly dark ending that befits its neo-noir ...

I haven't read Agatha Christie 's 1967 source novel , but the 1972 film adaptation of Endless Night   is a pretty good little murder mystery thriller. I've never seen another film directed by Sidney Gilliat but he wrote the screenplays for some films by famous directors, such as Alfred Hitchcock 's The Lady Vanishes (1938) and Carol Reed 's Night Train To Munich (1940).  The Hitchcock influence shows in Endless Night , which also has a lot in common with the multitudinous  gialli released the same year. Hayley Mills and Hywel Bennett , who previously paired up in Twisted Nerve   (1968), are both engaging here, as is Britt Eklund . Bernard Herrmann 's score is an interesting one, featuring some occasional Moog synthesizer . I didn't find the reveal all that surprising but I liked its execution. Endless Night  is a bit slow but never boring. It features some gorgeous production design. It has an unusual feel for a Christie adaptation, but nothing as exper...

Review

I kind of can’t believe I had never seen  Tales From The Crypt: Demon Knight (1995) before. It was way better than I expected it to be. An exquisite blend of action, horror, and humor, Demon Knight features jaw-droppingly good practical f/x, striking imagery, and a great cast of character actors. Enest R. Dickerson  blends a siege film (à la Night Of The Living Dead   (1968) (my review here ),  Assault On Precinct 13   (1976), and Demons (1985)) with  Evil Dead II  (1987) (my review here ) antics to fantastic results. The 1990s always get a bad rep for horror fare, but this gem would have fit perfectly alongside 80s cult classics. Billy Zane  oozes charm as the villain of the piece and looks like he was having a blast spouting all the amusing one-liners. William Sadler is reliably stoic and the legendary  Dick Miller  gets more screen time than is usual, which is always welcome. DK is thin on plot but big on fun. The story is fa...

Based on Robert Louis Stevenson 's 1884 short story of the same name, Robert Wise 's The Body Snatcher (1945) is a beautifully noir -like thriller full of pathos, atmosphere, and features a fantastic, tragic finale. This was one of nine horror features that  Val Lewton  produced at RKO and it's one of the best. Wise (with the aid of cinematographer  Robert De Grasse ) packed  TBS  with a wonderful creepiness, plenty of shadows, and indelible imagery. Boris Karloff , deliciously sinister and smirking, gives one of his very best, multifaceted performances as the titular character, John Gray (based on the Burke and Hare murders ). Graverobber Gray is the former friend and manipulative supplier of Dr. Wolfe 'Toddy' MacFarlane ( Henry Daniell ). Bela Lugosi has a small, but memorable role. In particular, the final scene that he and Karloff share is one of the film's best moments. This was to be the last film that Lugosi and Karloff made togethe...

I saw  George A. Romero 's biggest-budgeted " Dead " film, Land Of The Dead (2005), twice the day it was released to theaters. I took the day off to do this. I don't think I've ever seen another film twice in the same day, in the theater or at home. You have to remember that this was Romero's return to the zombie genre (which he grandfathered) after 20 years (and more than 10 years since I first saw his original " Dead " trilogy). I was excited . And I genuinely loved the film—it was one of my Top Films Of 2005 . After I saw the film twice in the cinema, I bought the Unrated DVD when it was released later that year, and watched and enjoyed the film again, with its extra gore and additional dialogue. I was amazed to see that that was the last time I had watched the film until now. I could have sworn I watched the film again sometime a few years later but my (meticulous) records show no log.  In any case, I've cooled on the film quite a bit. I st...

I've always really enjoyed Carl Reiner 's The Jerk (1979) but some reason when I watched it this time I liked it even more than usual. I seemed to laugh out loud at more of the jokes than on previous viewings. Perhaps it's because it's just subversive enough without being mean-spirited. Perhaps it's because it's a bit crude but never disgusting. Perhaps it's because the non-sequiturial quality never derails the film. Perhaps it's because the dialogue from Carl Gottlieb and Michael Elias 's script is so quotable. Perhaps it's because Steve Martin really was a comic genius and his lovable idiot is hard to resist. Perhaps it's because Bernadette Peters  is simultaneously adorable and foxy, and her reactions to, and the sweetness between Martin and herself (who were a couple at the time), feel(s) genuine. I believe it's all of these things.

Under Capricorn  (1949) is bottom of the barrel Hitchcock . I'd seen the film once or twice before and I liked it even less this time around. There is some good filmmaking, costumes, and sets on display here, but the melodrama isn't terribly interesting, nor the love triangle, the film drags on too long, and normally fantastic actors  Ingrid Bergman  and  Joseph Cotten  (here still quite good, at times) are not enough to save this snoozefest. UC is not a complete dud, but it feels nothing like a Hitchcock film and everything like a boring period piece that hasn't aged well. Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors

Simply put, Sidney Lumet 's 1974 film of Agatha's Christie 's 1934 novel  Murder On The Orient Express   is one of the best adaptations of one of the best whodunits ever written. The absolutely stacked ensemble is perfectly cast, the shots are well staged, and the whole affair is terribly fun. I know there is a lot of love for Peter Ustinov 's portrayal of Belgian detective  Hercule Poirot  but I've always loved and preferred Albert Finney 's lone outing in the role. Having read eleven of the Poirot mysteries, including the titular one of this review, Finney's performance is very much in line with how I imagine the character when I'm reading the novels. Lumet's version of the story will always remain a favorite—a film I can put on at virtually any time and enjoy immensely. You can find my  Sidney Lumet Feature Films Ranked  list  here . You can find my Top 20 Directors list here .

Road Games (1981) is Richard Franklin 's version of Hitchcock 's Rear Window (1954), only set on a refrigerator truck. More of a thriller than a horror film (as it was sold), the film starts out incredibly strong—due in large part to the magnetically charismatic performance by lead Stacy Keach —but fizzles out by the end and concludes with a weak climax.  Franklin doesn't quite know how to stage his action and tension or take advantage of the landscapes in a way that truly grabs the audience, the way fellow Aussie George Miller did in 1979's Mad Max  (my review here ) and especially in its sequel , released the same year as this film. RG  shares those films' composer, Brian May , and the score here is good, but again nowhere near as good as the Max  films. Jamie Lee Curtis is also not utilized nearly enough. All that said, Keach soliloquizes Everett De Roche 's dialogue most eloquently and there is a certain charm to a simple film like this, one that doesn...

Happy 10th birthday today to my blog,  The Danman Can ! Wow, a decade of blogging; hard to believe. Each year on this date I post the  number of films I've watched per year since I've been keeping track (16 years of doing so today). Here they are: 2005  -  338 films 2006  -  368 films 2007  -  274 films 2008  -  269 films 2009  -  234 films 2010  -  189 films 2011  -   237 films 2012  - 254 films 2013  - 352 films 2014  - 350 films 2015  - 337 films 2016  - 270 films 2017  - 265 films 2018  - 207 films 2019  - 254 films 2020  - 284 films I watched 30 more films in 2020 than in 2019, the most in a year since 2015 but I haven't hit the 300 mark since that year. I think the uptick definitely has something to do with the pandemic in 2020 but I certainly have been doing other productive and/or fun things in my life so I'm OK with not hitting 300.  Since ...

1990s  Nicolas Roeg  films, while still containing many of his trademarks, are a far cry from 70s and 80s Nic Roeg films. They are of course surreal, obtuse, over-the-top, disturbing and bizarre, and Cold Heaven (1991) is no exception, in regard to most of those qualities. But there's a certain magic lacking in his 90s output. I imagine some of it had to do with budgetary restrictions and what type of material would secure financing. But there is also a sense that Roeg was somewhat less adventurous. That said, CH  is a solid supernatural mystery involving Catholic guilt, infidelity, and challenged beliefs. Answers aren't really given as to a certain "miracle" that the story circles around, which is good because I wouldn't want them presented in a spoon-fed way. There is some pretty good melodrama here and  Theresa Russell  does a commendable job of carrying the film (though actors like Seymour Cassel and Talia Shire are utterly wasted), but the whole affair h...

For Sleepy Hollow  (1999), Tim Burton  combined his love of Hammer  Horror, Mario Bava 's  Black Sunday   (1960), and Disney 's The Adventures Of Ichabod And Mr. Toad (1949) to create an interesting, if flawed, film. I've seen SH  a number of times, including in its original theatrical run and it always surprises me how well the first half plays out, only to run out of steam somewhere in the second. The film is indeed a lot of fun at times, chock-full of Grand Guignol gore (gotta love those beheadings), the beautiful cinematography of  Emmanuel Lubezki , impressive large-scale set pieces enshrouded in plenty of fog, and strong (sometimes campy, but appropriately so) performances from a great cast. The production design, costumes, and supernatural atmosphere—all wonderful and top notch. But it's also hampered by some decidedly weak moments and (thankfully sparing) reliance on goofy CGI and it drags on too long. I'm not personally a fan of the ove...