THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE: MADCAP COMEDY

 

 

We take going to the movies for granted these days. There was a time when going to the movies was something special. People got dressed up to go. You didn’t drink inside because it might spill. And there were special events with the release of some movies. These were called “road show” attractions. They were star studded spectaculars that didn’t open across the country on the same day but opened in different markets one at a time. Tickets were bought in advance and sometimes book like programs were part of the ticket price. The movies often featured an overture before the movie began and an intermission in the middle. Sadly road show attractions ended in the 70s until Quentin Tarantino opened his THE HATEFUL EIGHT as a road show. 

So why talk about road shows? Because this week Kino Lorber is releasing the film THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE in a road show format. That’s right, the film opens with an overture, has an intermission and was one of the many movies to open that way back in 1967. Does it hold up? Thankfully yes. 

Julie Andrews, 2 years after THE SOUND OF MUSIC, stars as Millie Dillmount, a naïve your woman hitting the big city in 1922. Millie lives at the Priscilla Hotel for single women. As the film opens she takes note of what’s going on around her and changes her look and style. Getting home she runs into Miss Dorothy Brown (Mary Tyler Moore). Dorothy is new to the city and Millie helps her check in, her room being across the hall from hers.

But more is going on in this hotel than they realize. The owner/operator Mrs. Meers (Beatrice Lillie) along with her two Chinese assistants (Jack Soo and Pat Morita) have a side business going on. When an orphan checks into the hotel they usually aren’t there longer than a day. They are kidnapped and sold into white slavery by Meers. 

Millie and Dorothy talk about their plans for the future. Dorothy wants to be an actress. Millie plans on getting a job as a stenographer for a wealthy businessman who she then hopes to woo into marriage. Plans never seem to go as intended though. At a dance in the hotel Millie meets Jimmy Smith (James Fox), a happy go lucky young man that she falls in love with. Just when she finally found the perfect job working for the handsome Trevor Graydon (John Gavin). 

On a weekend trip Jimmy takes Millie and Dorothy to the home of a wealthy friend named Muzzy (Carol Channing). Jimmy used to mow her lawn with his father and she has a special place in her heart for him. The eccentric Muzzy takes to the two young girls and makes them welcome in her home and at her party. But it’s here that Millie sees something that makes her suspect Jimmy has an eye for Dorothy. 

If that news wasn’t bad enough when Trevor sees Dorothy for the first time it’s love at first sight for the two. All of this leaves Millie in a pickle, not sure what to do. But fate intervenes and things happen that lead to some funny moments and a tremendous conclusion. 

At the time this film was released madcap or screwball comedy was still doing well at the box office. The film placed in the top 10 money makers for that year and was a feather in the cap of star Andrews. Even today it can be an enjoyable romp, especially if you take it in stride and view it through a set of open eyes for the time it was released.

No way could this movie be made today and I’m surprised it hasn’t been targeted by woke groups. The depiction of Chinese is very stereotypical and the connection to them and the white slavery ring would be found offensive today. Except that this movie is playing on those stereotypes and while a solid comedy is paying tribute to the films of the past. For those who have an issue with it I say lighten up, you’re far too serious.

Kino Lorber has done a great job and the movie looks and sounds fantastic. The film has been fully restored in 4K from Universal Pictures. Few extras are included like an audio commentary track author/film historian Lee Gambin and art historian Ian McAnally and a collection of trailers. If you’re a fan of Andres, Moore or fun loving comedies then you’ll want to add this one to your collection.

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THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD: SOPHOMORE EFFORT

 

 

A hit movie these days guarantees one thing that it will be followed by a sequel or if they can keep being hits a franchise of films. In some cases like JOHN WICK this is a good thing where those involved attempt to not just repeat the success of the first film but make the next chapter just as good. Unfortunately most movies that have sequels suffer from a sophomore slump and THE HITMAN’S WIFE’S BODYGUARD falls loosely into that category.

The first film was a bromance between top professional bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) and hitman Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). Kincaid was turning states evidence to The Hague against Vladislav Dukhovic (Gary Oldman) in return for the release of his wife Sonia (Salma Hayek). By the end of that film Bryce was back to his old self, Sonia was released, Kincaid escaped and they were reunited. 

This film kicks off two years later. Bryce is having issues still with what happened back then. He’s filled with self-doubt and the triple A review board is about to decide whether to renew his license as a bodyguard or not. Seeing a therapist she tells him he needs time away from the guns and violence and sends him on a vacation to Capri. 

Relaxing on the beach wearing headphones he’s unaware of the carnage around him until Sonia yanks off his headphones and pulls him to cover. She’s tracked him down and needs his help. Darius has been kidnapped and specifically asked her to get Bryce to save him. As the bullets fly all around them the make their escape. They save Darius who tells Sonia what he said was anyone BUT Bryce. As they leave they are captured by Interpol agents. 

Agent Bobby O’Neill (Frank Grillo) needs their help. Wealthy madman Aristotle Papadopoulos (Antonio Banderas) wants to destroy the European power grid because the European Union has placed demands on his country of Greece. His plan is to crush the European monetary system and create chaos. O’Neill sends in Bryce and Sonia as the buyers for the plans revealing the location of the grid hubs with the standard madness that follows in the wake of any and all Kincaids. 

With the secrets locked in a steel case and a bomb watch attached to Sonia’s arm they go to the only place Bryce thinks he can find help, his father (Morgan Freeman). But Papadopoulos is not so easily put off and his men capture the trio. More twists and turns follow and double crosses take place and eventually it will take Bryce and Darius uniting as a team to set things straight, including rescuing Sonia from the clutches of Papadopoulos. 

The movie is filled with plenty of gunplay, explosions and action just like the first film was. And Ryan Reynolds once more is hit by so many vehicles you wonder how he could still stand (because it’s a movie in case you didn’t know). The mayhem that follows this pair is major and the body counts high. And for some reason not a single policeman is in sight anywhere. 

The problems start with Ryan’s character. At the end of the first film he seemed to be back in control of his life. It looked like everything was finally falling into place, he got the girl, he got his job back and all was well. But as this film opens it’s as if all of that never took place. Instead he is a wreck, worse off than he was at the start of the first film. To make matters worse it takes him most of this film to get back on track again. 

The next problem is with Hayek. She is one incredible actress when given the chance to do so. But here she tends to rave, rant and scream more than anything. I’m sure it was a choice made to give her something lighter than what she’s done in the past but it becomes grating after a short time. Jackson plays it as smooth as always and yes, he drops the MF bomb repeatedly here. Fans of that will be pleased while others will tire of it. Banderas reeks of evil here and does a solid job. 

In the end the movie is entertaining enough but not one I’d watch a second time nor add to my collection. Is it worth a night’s rental? For fans of the first film and the actors involved probably. But if they decide to make this a trilogy I hope they work a little more on the script. With the time they had they should have done that here.

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BATMAN THE LONG HALLOWEEN PARTS 1 & 2: THE TRUE DETECTIVE

 

 

In 1996 through 1997 a 13 issue limited series comic was written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale. The series was not only a critical success but sales of the comic series were fantastic. The combination of tight storytelling and stylized dark artwork were a hit. Eventually the series was collected in trade paperback format and that proved successful as well. With the increased interest in the Warner Brothers/DC animated films being released on disc it was only a matter of time before this series was released.

A story this large could not be contained in a single disc release. In fact this may be the longest cartoon ever running at just under 3 hours on two separate releases. It was for that reason that I held off writing about it, wanting to do it justice as the whole story and only then deciding if it was worthwhile watching. 

Taking place in the early career of Batman there is trouble on Gotham. A new district attorney named Harvey Dent is trying to bring down the Falcone crime syndicate. Carmine “The Roman” Falcone, head of the family is having other problems at the same time. Someone has killed his nephew Johnny Viti and left a jack-o-lantern behind on Halloween. 

If this wasn’t enough Batman and Dent, with the help of Catwoman, have found the stockpile of cash Falcone has been hiding as he launders the money. Rather than take the cash in only to have crooked politicians release it, Batman sets the cash ablaze. Dent returns home to his wife and as they are about to enter their house it explodes, nearly killing him. 

With each holiday another victim in the Falcone family is found. When Christmas rolls around The Joker escapes from Arkham Asylum. His ego gets the better of him and he isn’t pleased that someone else is being seen as the most feared criminal in Gotham. He first attacks Dent and then heads off to confront Falcone. His reason is to prove that he is not the Holiday Killer but still to be feared. 

As Batman thinks he has found out the identity of the Holiday Killer his number one suspect is killed before his eyes. In addition to that, the Joker has determined that he’s going to unleash his toxic laughing gas on the city of Gotham and of course Batman is the only one who can stop him. All of this and we’re just on disc one! 

As the story progresses the rogues gallery of villains that have faced off against Batman are unleashed. Scarecrow, Mad Hatter, Solomon Grundy, The Penguin, Poison Ivy, The Joker and the latest villain to materialize, Two Face, all find themselves in the mix. For those who weren’t aware Two Face is the badly scarred, both mentally and physically, Harvey Dent. Between the rogues, the Falcone family and the Maroni family competing for Gotham, Batman has his hands full. Add to that trying to find out who the Holiday Killer is and you have one major story involving more detective work than fisticuffs. 

The DC Animation crew has done as good a job as you can expect in transferring the images created by Tim Sale to the screen. Fans of the original will no doubt find fault but this was no easy task. They have brought to life the images from the flat page to the screen and done so honorably. If nothing else by viewing this perhaps those once enthralled by the colored pages of comic books will seek out the source material to compare. Having read the series back then it is worth the time to do so. 

It’s not just the images that give the story life. The story and director involved have done so and used some outstanding voice talents to get there. Jensen Ackles of SUPERNATURAL fame takes on the role of Batman/Bruce Wayne. Josh Duhamel is the voice of Harvey Dent. Billy Burke from the TWILIGHT films is Commissioner Gordon. And Titus Wellever of BOSCH is the voice of Carmine Falcone. This lineup of stars is becoming more common with the DC Animated Universe. With the final product proving to be this good it’s easy to see why. 

If you haven’t been exposed to the DC world of animation this is a good jumping on point. You’ll find yourself drawn into the story as well as the animation. Is it worth buying two different volumes to do so? If you love animation and Batman then yes. If not then find someone who does and see if they’ll let you borrow it. Or rent it and discover that you just might have fond memories of reading those old comics under the blankets by flashlight come back to you. 

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LUCKY: FAIL, REPEAT

 

 

I love the fact that women are directing horror films more and more often. Past films have shown that they are as in touch with the genre as any male director out there. Films like PET SEMETARY and SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE are direct proof of that. Unfortunately as with male directors there are sometimes efforts that fail as well. LUCKY is one of those.

Screenwriter/star Brea Grant plays May, a self-help author who’s in a bit of a slump. Waiting to hear from her publisher about the next book they want her to write she leaves her agents office with a box of books in hand for the next signing. In the parking garage she hears a soft scream, looks around seeing nothing and goes about heading home.

That night she begins to talk to her husband Ted (Dhruv Uday Singh) about getting married but he changes the subject. In bed that night she hears something and looks out the window to see a masked man looking up. She wakes Ted and he tells her it’s just the man who comes there every night to murder her. Stunned at this response she goes with him to find out what’s going on but no one is there. 

The next morning they argue about what transpired and Ted tells her he’s leaving until she decides to calm down. That night, home alone, the stranger reappears. May wounds him and calls the police but when they arrive he’s nowhere to be found. They file a report and leave. 

Each passing day the same situation repeats itself. The stranger shows, May kills him, the body disappears and she calls the police. She talks to her friends and Ted’s sister about what’s happening. Ted remains away. But still the stranger returns with the violence between him and May increasing. 

The movie sounds like a violent version of GROUNDHOG DAY but not exactly identical moments being played out, just the nightly attack and the seemingly non-existent help from the police. At one point things take a surreal turn as the detective, officer, social worker and more join in together to sing a song about questioning May. It doesn’t help things or the movie. 

As the movie developed I found my interest slipping with each new attack and the strange behavior of the characters surrounding May. Thoughts ranged from is she insane and we’re seeing this through her eyes? Or could it be that she’s in purgatory, forced to relive the same terror night after night? Perhaps this is her husband trying to drive her insane? By the end of the film no answer is presented.

Perhaps that is what made me dislike this movie so much. I’m one who wants a solid pay out to what I’ve just watched. I want a beginning, middle and end to the films I watch. I loathe movies that leave things up in the air and this movie does that. If I’m willing to invest 83 minutes into watching a movie I want there to be a reason to do so. For me this movie didn’t deliver the goods. 

On top of that while the see through mask the killer wears is creepy enough we get no background on why he’s doing what he’s doing. Is he a fan? A stalker? An escaped lunatic? Who knows? And when his mask is finally removed the last piece of the puzzle is given to us only for it to be a new puzzle piece that doesn’t fit into the puzzle we were working on.

I usually don’t slam a movie too hard. This one does look well shot, the soundtrack is good and Grant delivers a good performance. I don’t know if the fault here lies in her script or the direction of Natasha Kermani but somewhere along the line they made a film that’s not entertaining and leaves you not wishing there were more but just wishing it were over.

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SIEGE: FASCISTS IN CANADA

  

Who would have thought that a movie about gay bashing fascists killing a group of gays in a bar and then facing off against a group defending them would take place in Canada? This is a country known for tolerance and acceptance, not violence. And yet it was made in 1983. Maybe there was more of this going on back then.

SIEGE takes place in Halifax, Nova Scotia, during a police strike. With no law protected the streets the city is a free for all. A group who call themselves the New Order (a fascist group not the band) enter a small gay club and threaten the patrons, telling them there is no place for them in their world. Armed to the teeth, which seems a bit overkill, they accidentally kill the manager. Deciding it’s best not to leave any witnesses they begin shooting everyone in the bar. And yet one person escapes.

The lone escapee heads to the streets followed by the vicious gang. He holds up in an apartment house where those inside decide to help him. The gang follows him there demanding the apartment dwellers send him out. Instead this group comes together to defend this single man from the marauders outside and the siege of the building begins.

The gang calls their boss Cabe who brings them more weaponry. Apparently groups like this have easy access to weapons in Canada or at least in Halifax. One member takes to the rooftop across the street with a high powered scoped rifle. The others are armed with machine guns and try to enter the building. But the residents are resourceful and have laid out traps worthy of a HOME ALONE film for adults. 

Among the defenders of this poor victim there is dissension in the ranks. Some want to help him and others to toss him out and save themselves. As a few of them are taken out the decision to carry on is taken and with what little they have in the way of defenses are laid out and they do their best to maintain their safety.

Around this time a number of films were coming out like this that had everyday citizens taking up arms to defend themselves from different attackers. Perhaps the most famous was DEATH WISH in 1974 with Charles Bronson taking on criminals in New York. FIGHTING BACK in 1982 had Tom Skerritt forming a Guardian Angels type group to protect his neighborhood. And 1976s ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 presented a similar situation to what we see here. All are solid films and this one is no exception. 

You can tell that the budget on this film was small for most movies and yet it takes what funds they had a puts them on the screen. The acting ranges from mediocre to good and the cinematography is better than most. Far too many low budget films that take place at night make you wish you had night vision to see what was transpiring. Not so here. 

The cast for me at least was made up of unknowns but in looking at their credit listings on IMDB most had long careers, perhaps not in lead roles but plenty of supporting items. The only name I recognized was Tom Nardini as the main hero in the apartment. Nardini had a major role in CAT BALLOU and a few TV series but then seemed to disappear. 

The end result here is a movie that’s entertaining and a great example of the genre from that time period. Severin has done a great job with this one too beginning with a 2k scan from the original negative recently discovered in a Nova Scotia archive. Extras include an audio commentary track with co-direct Paul Donovan and filmmaker Jason Eisner, two cuts of the movie: a theatrical 84 minute cut ad a 93 minute extended cut, the trailer for the film, a limited edition slipcover and reversible artwork. 

Fans of the film who might remember it as NIGHT WARRIORS or SELF DEFENSE, to other titles it was released under, or who know the film as SIEGE will be delighted to see this one now available in the best way possible. Kudos to Severin for resurrecting this one from the vault.

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BORN FOR HELL: BRUTAL

 

For those alive during the time that Richard Speck committed his atrocious crime the name still can fill you with revulsion. Speck brutally held captive, raped, tortured and murdered 8 student nurses in their townhouse acting as a dormitory. Only one survivor escaped by hiding. He was sentenced to death but that result was overturned and he spent his life in prison before dying in 1991. His name is still connected with the list of famous serial killers in this country. It is only natural that his act would inspire filmmakers to use his tale in their own films.

 

Such was the case with BORN FOR HELL, made in 1976 and rarely seen. The film made its debut in Austin, TX where it was protested for its depiction of violence against women. Understandable when you actually watch the film.

 

Much is changed here and the connection to Speck is loose at best. Ex-GI Cain Adamson (Mathieu Carriere) is making his way home from Vietnam is waylaid in Belfast in 1972 Ireland. This is a time when the streets were filled with blood as battles raged between the Irish and British there. Cain is there firsthand to witness the carnage when he visits a church that is bombed. It is here that his lack of concern for human life is put on display.

Cain comes across a residence being used to home 8 young nurses. The group is preparing for their finals in a week and gather together to celebrate the birthday of one of them. In the midst of their celebration Cain enters through the back door and into their kitchen. Two of the girls take kindly to him and offer him food and something to drink before sending him on his way. 

That night Cain enters the home once more. This time his motives are completely different. He rounds the girls up in a room upstairs telling them he’ll let them free once the last girl working the night shift gets home. He ties them up and begins telling them stories of his life. He show them a tattoo on his arm that reads “Born for Hell”, a phrase he tells them his aunt gave him for not attending church regularly on Sundays. 

Cain takes one girl downstairs and talks to her, eventually trying to rape her. When she resists he strangles her with his belt. He returns upstairs and takes two more of the girls down, forcing them to have oral sex with one another. When they refuse he beats them with his belt. 

The final nurse arrives home with a friend and the carnage begins. Cain stabs both women and then goes upstairs to continue. Each girl is murdered as he moves from one to the other. The different reactions and methods make for the drama here as well as the single girl who may escape death by hiding under the bed. 

The film is definitely the type that would have played grindhouses on 42^nd Street for years. It’s not the type you’d see playing in the local multi-plex. Brutal in its depiction of violence against women one can easily see why it would be found offensive. While trying to portray the killer as disturbed the fact is he is still a sociopath and there is little sympathy to be found for him. 

The story of Richard Speck is, as I said, loosely adapted here. Little more than the set up for the story is used. But while watching the film unfold one can easily imagine Speck doing these things in real life and that can leave you with a feeling of revulsion. 

Exploitation movies by there genre alone are expected to take things to the extreme. While not a gory film this one can rise certain feelings in the viewer and they are not good ones. Perhaps that’s a good thing. It makes us realize the value of life as we watch someone extinguish that in others. Not an imaginary killer in a hockey mask or scarred face but someone we might see on the street and think nothing of. We can choose to ignore that real horror or we can watch something like this and view it as a cautionary tale of what might be. 

Severin has done a smash job her with this release beginning with a scanned 2k version of the film from a 35mm print found in the National Archives of Canada. Extras include “The Other Side of the Mirror” an interview with actor Mathieu Carriere, “Nightmare in Chicago: Remembering the Richard Speck Crime Spree” with filmmakers John McNaughton and Gary Sherman, “A New Kind of Crime: The Richard Speck Story” with podcaster Esther Ludlow, “Bombing Here, Shooting There” a video essay by filmmaker Chris O’Neill, artists Joe Coleman on Speck, the Italian trailer for the film and NAKED MASSACRE the U.S. version release of the cut. Once more Severin delivers an amazing version of a lost film.

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