Into The Storm (2014)

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2014-08-15

Twitter Plot Summary: A MASSIVE storm hits a small American town, and they have to try and survive the weather onslaught.

Five Point Summary:

1. Slow start…
2. Graduation: ruined.
3. Why are you all running around filming this?
4. Fire twister!
5. Escalation. Big weather.

Extreme weather has long been a particular favourite sub-genre of the disaster movie for low budget film studios, but on occasion we do get the odd film that has a much larger budget doing exactly the same thing. Such as it is with Into The Storm, where a freak storm front kicks in over small town America and a small group of central characters have to use all of the resources at their disposal in order to survive it. Among these characters are Richard Armitage’s deputy headteacher from the local high school, his two slightly irritating sons who are conveniently filming excerpts for their school project time capsules, and a team of tornado hunters featuring Sarah Wayne Callies (her off’ve Prison Break) and a surprisingly serious turn from Matt Walsh.

The biggest strike against it is that it’s all purportedly filmed by those experiencing the action. The “found footage” format is one that can work if presented in a clever manner, which this sadly isn’t. Are we genuinely supposed to believe that these people are intent on filming everything despite being in mortal peril? That’s perhaps a silly question in this day and age, but it does take you out of the film. If it’s all found footage, how did they recover the clips from the vehicle thrown into the sky by the giant twister? In that respect, it would have benefited from mixing the footage with some traditional film making, which would have made the scenes of destruction all the more powerful, and for that miles-high vehicle-in-twister scene to make a whole lot more sense. As it is, your sense of disbelief is frequently thrown out of the window as if the tornado was having a direct impact on the script itself.

The characters are vaguely drawn but they do at least have some depth that makes us root for them as the situation grows more and more extreme. Thankfully it manages to avoid the whole “obligatory romance” angle that you would usually get when you find out that two of the characters are single parents. There’s some conflict and ideological differences, but the main aim is just to survive. These aren’t even characters who are trying to do something to stop the onslaught – it’s far beyond their capabilities and marks this apart from SyFy TV movie territory where everyone and their dog is capable of telling the weather to jog on.

Obligatory "stare at something offscreen" shot. — Obligatory “stare at something offscreen” shot.

With all of that said it still remains an extremely exciting and thrilling disaster movie, the gradual escalation of the weather front mixed with the impact it has on the town of Silverton helps paper over any concerns you may have about the drab characterisation and the lack of solid story. It boils down to a lot of people running from A to B whilst being stalked by an increasingly more destructive natural force. Are there hints of subtext at play here? Most likely, but given that the main cast are all white and, the school headmaster aside, there’s nary an ethnic face to be seen, you do find yourself wondering if this was a deliberate effort given the destruction wrought following the likes of Hurricane Katrina.

At least the CGI is impressive, and adds to the tension, as does the very minimal use of music throughout. It would have been nice to have a bit more development in terms of characterisation and more creativity in terms of the script, but otherwise it’s a solid film that will either have you gripped or reaching for the remote to switch it off, depending on your attitude towards natural disaster movies.

Score: 3/5

The Inbetweeners 2 (2014)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-14

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Jay had very particular ideas about how to use a boomerang.

Twitter Plot Summary: The Inbetweeners are back, this time on a jolly down in Australia.

Five Point Summary:

1. Hands up anybody who thinks Jay may be lying?
2. Pretentious travelling types. Ugh.
3. The guitar sequence cannot be unseen.
4. The water park. Say no more.
5. The outback, without water. Clever.

Few could have predicted how insanely popular the first Inbetweeners movie was going to be. Spinning out from the popular Channel 4 sitcom, that film saw the four friends of Jay, Simon, Will and Neil head off on a sun-filled holiday where they met some girls, paired off and started to move on with their lives. It also made a ridiculous amount of money, so it seemed inevitable that a sequel would follow. The Inbetweeners 2 (imaginative title) picks up after Will and Simon have spent some time at university – which is proving to be a challenge for both of them, for different reasons – whilst Neil has been doing very little and Jay has upped sticks to Australia. After he sends the others a postcard stating how great it is over there (an excellent voice-over made real as Jay describes the benefits of Australian life in a fun, continuous montage sequence), they decide to fly over and visit where it turns out life isn’t quite so peachy.

Once more this is not a film for those who object to gross-out humour, nor for those who prefer their films to present an even keel when it comes to gender politics. Female characters aren’t portrayed in the greatest light, but then as it’s entirely about a bunch of generally misogynistic characters and their attitudes towards women rather than a true reflection of women in reality, there’s always going to be issues there. The female characters exist primarily to act as either romantic foils for the cast or to voice their disgust at their actions. Or, on occasion, both.

The traditional comms with Will's mum. — The traditional comms with Will’s mum.

First time directors Damon Beesley and Iain Morris, who also wrote the script and created the series, prove themselves to be more than capable being placed in charge of the production. Their direction is confident and and belies the fact this is their first effort. They prove themselves to have a style that is fluid and unafraid to do things a little differently, which is perhaps a benefit given their writing background. They’re also fully aware of how they want their words to appear on screen, so if they had messed it up the fault would have been entirely theirs. Thankfully that isn’t the case.

The jokes are just as filthy as the first film and the preceding series, linking toilet humour with almost unbearably cringeworthy moments (beware any moment where a guitar is being played in a social setting) and the mandatory thought processes of four friends who find that they don’t quite fit in with the world around them. As Bowling For Soup once sang, high school never ends.

The four characters retain their loveable goofiness and the chemistry is still there between the four actors. There are a number of hints dropped throughout that their friendship may have reached an impasse, but there are enough threads left open just in case there are more adventures in life for them to experience. But then, will there be any more outings for The Inbetweeners? It’s looking unlikely, so unless they decide to reunite in 20 years and still run through the same old routine, we’ll just have to make do with what we have. This is no bad thing.

Score: 3.5/5

Europa Report (2013)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-13

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They hadn't been away from Earth for long, but Gangnam Style still caught them all by surprise. — They hadn’t been away from Earth for long, but Gangnam Style still caught them all by surprise.

Twitter Plot Summary: Footage from the first manned mission to the moon of Europa. It’s around Jupiter.

Five Point Summary:

1. Heading to Europa before Mars? Rilly?
2. Precarious journey onto the surface.
3. Off into space he goes.
4. She’s going out for a walk, she may be some time.
5. Typical third act territory.

What would it be like if there was a privately funded trip to land a manned mission on Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter? Well, Europa Report answers that question, basically stating we’ll make a couple of important discoveries before the crew are very slowly killed either through bad luck or the perils of space travel becoming most apparent – you know, the vacuum of space, heading into the unknown and having to drink your own recycled urine. Cliche and obvious this pattern may be, but if it had been any other way it would no doubt make for a far less entertaining story.

As something that’s supposed to make us suspend disbelief and watch it as though we’re privy to something that has recently been declassified, the footage is presented a little too cleanly to fully immerse the audience, a little too obviously a bunch of unfiltered HD cameras being used rather than being footage gained from a viable scientific endeavour. The documentary-style approach, inserting talking heads and “archive” footage of scientists discussing the lead up to the mission, works on the whole and helps create a sense of realism – you’ll be grateful for it by the time we reach the finale as it does lapse into typical third act territory by having lots going on in a very short space of time.

And it's the choice of a new generation. — And it’s the choice of a new generation.

There are a number of positive points, first and foremost in that the story remains entertaining in both a narrative and a scientific sense. The science may not be entirely kosher throughout, but it’s presented in such a way that any scientific fallacies are easily glossed over, it’s a work of fiction after all. With the exception of Sharlto Copley, who most audiences may not recognise unless they’ve seen Maleficent, The A-Team or District 9, is the biggest name in a cast made up primarily with unknowns. This is for the best as it allows for at least some immersion into the characters and the story, which wouldn’t have worked nearly as well had name actors been cast. There are a few emotional moments as it becomes clear that the characters all have a certain amount of respect for each other despite their occasionally negative banter, which makes the inevitable deaths all the more poignant. This isn’t a group who are ideologically split about their mission or how they should proceed when things start to go wrong, which marks a refreshing change from the norm.

Europa Report marks a solid if unremarkable science fiction movie that approaches its story in a competent and realistic manner, yet fails to distinguish itself beyond its generally solid appearance. It’s nice to have a solid science fiction movie for a change, however it would have been better if it was a little less George Clooney’s Solaris and a little more Danny Boyle’s Sunshine. That way you’d be in a position to enjoy the rampant science on display whilst also experiencing an entertaining story. In this instance it might be a little too dry for the majority, but the sci-fi trappings are well handled and doesn’t quite go in the direction you might expect. For that it deserves praise if nothing else.

Score: 3/5

Jason X (2001)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-12

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Personally, knowing where that mask has been, I wouldn't touch it. — Personally, knowing where that mask has been, I wouldn’t touch it.

Twitter Plot Summary: Jason is cryogenically frozen and awoken in 2455, where he does the same old thing in the future. You know – killing.

Five Point Summary:

1. So now Jason is a science fiction character?
2. Most of these characters are going to die, clearly.
3. Who decided wool would be the best material to wear in the future?
4. Nice holodeck.
5. Uber Jason… rilly?

Hands up anybody who saw a science fiction Friday The 13th film coming? After nine films of various quality – ranging from average to downright awful – Jason is cryogenically frozen after inexplicably returning from Hell (although the explanation for this appears to have been retconned in 2003’s Freddy VS Jason) and is unfrozen in the year 2455 to begin his killing spree on yet another batch of unsuspecting victims.

After the music in the opening credits does an inverse Commando by making the music change tone randomly from mysterious sci-fi to a lighthearted frolic before shifting back to mysterious sci-fi, it becomes immediately clear that this will not be an example of cinematic excellence. But then if you’ve seen any of the previous nine films at this point or having a passing knowledge of their existence, that should be obvious.

Lexa Doig is a government scientist from our present day who is frozen along with Jason and awoken in the future. She of course knows exactly what will happen but her concerns fall on deaf ears at first. Standard, really. She’s decent in the role and in stark contrast to the screaming women that have previously populated the series. The only other member of the cast who seems to get the most out of his character is Peter Mensah as the slightly crazy Sergeant Brodski, either him or Lisa Ryder as android KM 14 who provides yet another interesting sci-fi twist on the “victim of Jason” routine.

What does Jason X get right? Well, it looks atmospheric and the sci-fi setting does actually suit the character, strangely enough. There’s also a return to the knowing humour that made the sixth film the best of the run. It knows to poke fun at the franchise’s own history by including a holodeck style representation of Camp Crystal Lake in 1980. Jason X also provides the largest number of deaths in a single film out of the entire franchise, and has much fun with using the science fiction setting to generate some interesting and frankly gore-tastic deaths.

She had realised a little too late that she'd signed up to star in Jason X. — She had realised a little too late that she’d signed up to star in Jason X.

Amongst the many things it gets wrong are the costumes – somebody clearly thought brightly coloured wool was a viable design for the future – and the overly-sexed crew is simultaneously an homage and a spoof of the films which precede Jason X. In what is perhaps a deliberate move, Jason only wakes up in the future once folks start getting jiggy with it. The almost unbeatable sci-fi version of Jason that shows up towards the end is laughably bad despite being appropriate to the setting.

Whilst it’s still not very good, New Line did at least make an attempt to do something different with the character and refused to get trapped in the cycle that made the first eight films so generic and, let’s face it, rather bad. Even despite these efforts, the final outcome is still of a franchise that was happy to make things up as it went along and showed a flagrant disregard for continuity or logic. In that respect, Jason X is perhaps the ultimate representation of the series as a whole.

Score: 2/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sv8eWDEFsM

Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday (1993)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-11

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Starting to look a bit worse for wear now, Jason.

Twitter Plot Summary: Could this finally be the end of Jason Voorhees? No, but they had a good go at finishing it once and for all.

Five Point Summary:

1. FBI make Jason go BOOM!
2. Finger snapping. Eek.
3. Poor Steven Culp. He deserved better.
4. There are a lot of bodies around here.
5. Dragged down to hell. Is this… the end? Don’t be daft.

A change in studio and a slight dip in budget actually did Jason Voorhees some good, believe it or not. For a start, efforts are actually made to explain why Jason keeps coming back from the dead and proves that he’s on the watch list of an FBI task force – this is made quite clear because they blow him up in the first five minutes. From here, his soul returns and starts possessing random folks in a desperate bid to kill his only surviving relatives, as it turns out they are the only ones who can kill him once and for all. There’s a convenient plot device right there, given that this has never been mentioned before. To make life easier, there’s only three of the Voorhees family left – a mother, daughter and grandchild. Why this requirement for killing him has not been mentioned until now remains yet another mystery of the Friday The 13th franchise that won’t be adequately resolved, but if the residents of Crystal Lake had been told about this a few films ago then perhaps less people would have inadvertently bit the dust.

The special effects vary between The Thing levels of excellence and the traditional Friday The 13th style of cheap and iffy, but they get the job done. As does the concept of Jason zombifying the occasional victim and taking over their body in order to continue his killing streak, leading to you not always being certain as to who he is currently inhabiting. With this one exception it does of course follow exactly the same pattern as before, although surprisingly it does manage to freshen up the concept a little. Ironic given that the bodies Jason possesses are essentially dead. You know, because of the smell.

He just couldn't resist planting a big wet one on Jason's kisser. (This caption is brought to you by the Gorilla Monsoon Quip Foundation). — He just couldn’t resist planting a big wet one on Jason’s kisser.
(This caption is brought to you by the Gorilla Monsoon Quip Foundation).

As a direct consequence of this, for better or for worse there’s greater focus placed on developing the characters of the local residents, so they’re not just walking stereotypes waiting to be killed by an errant machete strike, having their skulls crushed or something equally as gruesome. It’s the slightly ineffectual and passive Steven (LeMay) who comes into his own in this respect, after having a couple of fingers broken (in a scene that doesn’t make much sense at all) he gradually morphs from the guy in the background to someone entirely capable of taking Jason down – with some help of course, that prophecy about surviving relatives won’t resolve itself.

The efforts to do something completely different to the usual teen killing rampage template are moderately interesting, but it ultimately amounts to nothing. A brief tease in the final scene would take another 20 years to come to fruition in the form of Freddy VS Jason in 2003, and has no impact on this film nor the follow-up that would bring the original run of the series to a close in 2001. Still, it’s a nice little addition for fans of this and that other notable horror franchise, and marks perhaps the most exciting thing to happen in the series since the original film’s killer was revealed, or that funky theme song was used in Part 3.

Score: 2/5

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-10

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On occasion Keanu liked to pretend he was a cat and make himself look big.

Twitter Plot Summary: Future courier Johnny has to contend with 320GB of data in his head and bad guys wanting it.

Five Point Summary:

1. The 90s version of the 2020s looks awful.
2. Dina Meyer is the only one who’s vaguely competent.
3. Dolph Lundgren needs more to do as this character.
4. That thumb wire thing is pretty cool, thinking about it.
5. A cyberpunk dolphin?!

Welcome to the 1990s interpretation of what the technology of 2021 will look like. Unfortunately for filmmakers of the 90s, their interpretation of the future looks just like a CD-ROM video game, at best/worst exactly like a non-pixelated Tex Murphy adventure. It’s into this 90s-tinged future that we meet the cardboard presence of Keanu Reeves – because to call him wooden would be offensive to trees.

So the plot goes like this: Reeves is Johnny, a courier capable of transporting information via a data port into his brain. He has a max limit of 160GB, which was quite a lot of memory in an era where most home computers maxed out with 2GB hard drives and Cinemania 95 was the best resource for movie information. He’s soon on the run as undesirable types close in around him to use the data for nefarious means, while true to form Johnny attempts to get it into the hands of those who will use the information for good.

Camp fun is provided by Udo Kier as the man responsible for getting Johnny into the mess in the first place, and Dolph Lundgren as Karl the God-fearing assassin, showing off long flowing locks and a beard that any viking would be proud of. Lundgren treats the script with a level of knowingness that may have gone unnoticed at the time. With 20 years of hindsight, his performance is a veritable work of genius. It’s a shame therefore that he wasn’t used in a much larger capacity.

The only person who seems to take all of this seriously is Dina Meyer, and somehow she manages to make something worthwhile from the material she’s given. It’s no wonder she’s one of the people casting directors go to when they want somebody to treat a science fiction role with respect, no matter how poor the rest of the production may be.

Halt, sinners! The best thing Dolph Lundgren has ever done. Maybe.

It’s arguable whether Henry Rollins is being entirely serious in his role as a street doctor who engages in a puzzled stare-off with Johnny around the halfway mark, but then as it’s generally not very good – everyone seems to spend half their time having a mini-spasm – it’s perhaps best to take from it what we can. Thus, he is an unexpected source of humour, whether this is intentional or not doesn’t make much difference.

The future dystopia in which the story is set in a world direct from the imagination of cyberpunk legend William Gibson, although it’s not given much room to breathe beyond the Lo-Teks and the story being set almost entirely at night, utilising a black, blue and green colour palette. You’re probably better off sticking with Gibson’s source material to be fair.

Once the cyberpunk dolphin shows up, you’ve probably already invested too much time in it to make a quiet exit, and you’ll probably have the same reaction as Johnny – one of gobsmacked acceptance of the situation. Even after all of the lazy action sequences, the typically generic soundtrack and the mostly bad acting, it’s that dolphin that will make or break it. Or you could just delight in the 1995 perspective on what the 2020s might look like, that’s 90 minutes of entertainment in itself.

Score: 2.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78kcBkxY8Bk

Android Cop (2014)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-09

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"So did your mother dress you today, or do you always look like that?" — “So did your mother dress you today, or do you always look like that?”

Twitter Plot Summary: An LA cop teams up with an android cop to tackle corruption and stuff.

Five Point Summary:

1. Future LA has a hint of the Terminator franchise about it.
2. Michael Jai White has some cool martial arts skills.
3. Charles S Dutton! Clearly had a spare afternoon.
4. Shame “Andy” is a really, really boring character.
5. A twist! Shame it’s not very good.

These days it would seem strange if a big budget movie didn’t get a direct to DVD knockoff from either The Asylum or one of the myriad other budget movie making studios. Here it’s The Asylum again with their own interpretation of that story, where a police officer is augmented with technology and tasked with cleaning up the villainous scum who are responsible for society’s woes and resolve a serious case of corruption within the police force itself. Michael Jai White, best known for his role as Spawn in the movie of the same name, is Hammond, an LA cop who teams up with an android cop. Because, well, they can’t do the same thing as Robocop, can they?

In what will no doubt come as a surprise, Android Cop has the occasional entertaining moment, but then if you make enough of these mockbusters you’re bound to get the odd shot right now and again. There’s ample opportunity for White to show off his martial arts skills and his wisecracking acting ability, both of which are the best aspects of this production by a very large distance. There are efforts to form a buddy cop atmosphere between Hammond and the android cop partner, but they are tired, cliche, and so forced they just don’t work. Other attempts at humour are laboured, almost as laboured as the “real drama” moments where characters do their level best to emote and pretend this is a work as revered as a Shakespeare production.

The android cop’s costume looks very, very cheap indeed, wearing a modified bike helmet when in combat, and looking like just a guy in a slightly too big combat suit when he takes the helmet off. He’s also terribly dull to watch and listen to. It’s obvious that he’s supposed to be this unemotional automaton, but then the same applied to Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and he still turned out to be an intriguing and much loved character. Just because you’re playing an android who feels no emotion doesn’t mean you can’t put any inflection in your voice. Throw in some absolutely awful CGI and you’ve got an average Asylum movie.

"You're only paying me how much?!" — “You’re only paying me how much?!”

Charles S Dutton represents the face of somebody moderately popular whose career has fallen on harder times and taken on an Asylum job in order to make ends meet, and shows up for no more than a few minutes of screen time. He does bring a certain level of competence in terms of overall acting ability, but then he makes everybody else in the scene seem so much poorer as a result. It’s one of those situations where perhaps calling in a slightly less well known/less competent actor may have been of benefit to the production.

Just to add insult to injury the editing is slapdash and the script lacks the polish of, well, somebody capable of writing a competent story. A major twist (which you can probably see coming anyway) leads into a third act that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but does at least wrap up the story vaguely competently. Will we ever see more of the Android Cop? We can only hope that the answer is a resounding “no”.

Score: 1.5/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IROQdIbehSg

The Last Waltz (1978)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-08

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Hey, it's everybody! — Hey, it’s everybody!

Twitter Plot Summary: The final performance of The Band, recorded in 1976, released in 1978. They inevitably toured again.

Five Point Summary:

1. Good tunes to start.
2. Neil Young! Whoop!
3. Muddy Waters. Awesome.
4. Joni Mitchell!
5. What’s Ringo Starr doing? Not much, apparently.

The Last Waltz opens with the words, in big bold letters, that this film should be played loud. In hindsight it’s very good advice as the music in this documentary, which captures the final performance of The Band at Thanksgiving 1976, is exceptional. The tunes fit in with what today we would describe as that “classic rock” sound – inspired by southern blues, old country and soul. Of course, back then it was just good old fashioned rock and roll, pure musicianship.

The documentary is primarily a flurry of classic rock songs from that final performance interspersed with interviews with The Band. Their history is explored in choice soundbites and features some typical rock and roll stories, mixed with a discussion about their origins and their reasons for calling it a day some 20 years after starting out. Much of the focus however is given to the live music on what was at that point their final show – as we all know, musicians only ever seem to call it a day due to ill health or one or more members of the lineup shuffling on from this mortal coil, so it was inevitable that The Band would complete more tours in future years. Conveniently for a documentary about a final gig, the music happens to be very good indeed, and the live mix captures the feeling of what it would no doubt have been like in that ballroom theatre on that night in ’76.

As if to cement just how well-respected and appreciated The Band were, the live show features a number of guest performers such as Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Neil Diamond, Ronnie Wood, Eric Clapton, Muddy Waters and er, Ringo Starr. The Band were responsible for inspiring some of these acts, and drew inspiration from others. If nothing else it demonstrates their near-universal appeal at that time – no two acts who join them on stage are alike, and all have their own unique styles to contribute to the show.

Scorsese directs in an entirely relaxed manner, there’s no dramatic camera movements, no flashy flourishes. Instead he lets the music and The Band take centre stage (no pun intended), both in their live performances and their interviews. To do anything in addition to what The Band provides naturally would be to tarnish the final product. As an interviewer he is equally as relaxed, occasionally pushing for a specifically worded answer but never doing so with the intention of a man wanting to aggravate the interviewee. The members of The Band join in with this laid back attitude, and appear more than happy to discuss their careers and opinions on camera without holding back.

Whilst there is little in terms of background history of the collective known as The Band, and bearing in mind that this has been made as a celebration of their careers and music, there is little more to The Last Waltz than some candid interview moments combined with some superb musicianship. To be fair though, it doesn’t need to be anything more than this – the music speaks for itself.

Score: 3.5/5

New York, New York (1977)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-07

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"Do you want to blow on my saxophone?" — “Do you want to blow on my saxophone?”

Twitter Plot Summary: A love story set amidst the rough and tumble of an exaggerated New York.

Five Point Summary:

1. The man just doesn’t give up, does he?
2. He’s a touch jealous.
3. Arguing in a car whilst driving? Bad idea.
4. Things work out for everyone, Kinda.
5. That song was going to be heard eventually.

Martin Scorsese hails from New York City, and the film New York, New York is the director’s love letter to the city he calls home. Into the city are dropped a pair of lovers who sing and perform their way through several years of their lives, undergoing the trials and tribulations of relationships, careers and life in the big city.

Jimmy (De Niro) is short tempered and prone to snapping at everyone, which is a shame because he is a darn fine saxophone player. He’s a mostly unlikeable guy who hides it initially through his smooth talking charm. His persistence and way with words is what ultimately allows him into the life of Francine (Minnelli) on VJ Day 1945, a small time singer who he takes a shine to. Through his persistence, and a little bit of circumstance, the combination of her singing and his sax playing results in them forming a stage partnership.

Scorsese has stated that the style of the film was intended to mix the look of Hollywood’s golden era – that slightly unrealistic, exaggerated and colourful look popularised in the 1950s – with the more gritty style of cinema that was common from in the 1970s. It’s an approach that works really well indeed, the two styles competing against one another to form something that doesn’t fit in either category. It’s also a musical in disguise, stylishly produced and those sequences again acting in contrast to the real world relationship between Jimmy and Francine.

The tone starts lighthearted, in particular the lengthy sequence at the beginning where Jimmy tries desperately to get Francine to agree to meeting up again. Once their relationship develops and their marriage takes place, it slowly becomes a darker tale of relationship woes, alcoholism and conflicting interests. Jealousy is the main emotion from Jimmy as Francine’s star starts to outshine his own.

No Liza, the audience are the other way.

The extended version of the film manages to generate some deep character development, and also permits additional time to let scenes play out naturally without forcing the dialogue or the story. The performances from De Niro and Minnelli are typically strong, De Niro is powerful and intense, whilst Minnelli manages to convey deep levels of vulnerability mixed with inner strength and resilience. One scene in particular, where the pair argue in the car, is powerful and perfectly captures how good a performer they both are. Sadly it’s the only real example of engaging with the audience on an emotional level – if the rest of the film had this amount of power and intensity the final score would be much different.

The real winner here of course is music, becoming a real celebration of musical theatre, those Hollywood musicals of the 1950s, and the jazz era. Scorsese’s direction is another reason for this story working so well. Francine and Jimmy are united in creative ambition, but ultimately destined to go their separate ways much along the same lines as the residents within New York itself – they may all practically live on top of one another but everyone has their own goals and ambitions. Mistakes will be made along the way, but the city will always remain, a constant backdrop against which the trials and tribulations of our every day existence can play out against.

Score: 3/5

Boxcar Bertha (1972)

By

Simon Prior

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2014-08-06

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If the smile didn't work, she'd try pointing the gun at his crotch. — If the smile didn’t work, she’d try pointing the gun at his crotch.

Twitter Plot Summary: Exploitation interpretation of the story of criminal Boxcar Bertha.

Five Point Summary:

1. Random nudity part 1.
2. Nice train.
3. Random nudity part 2.
4. Working on the railroad.
5. It’s all gone a bit comic book…

Boxcar Bertha is based on the exploits of the titular train robber (Barbara Hershey) and her beau Big Bill Shelly (David Carradine) who, after being embroiled in the woes of railroad workers in the American South, become fugitives after Bertha shoots a gambling man and their group rob a train. That is essentially the whole story, albeit with a couple of obligatory nude scenes for Hershey and Carradine as they form a relationship. It’s an exploitation flick, after all.

And Boxcar Bertha remains a relatively low budget exploitation film holding a loose narrative that, whilst well directed, feels like half of the narrative is missing, such is its haphazard editing. The prompt 24 day shooting schedule does it no favours, giving Scorsese no opportunity to complete reshoots or expand on areas that don’t quite work. This should come as no surprise given that it’s part of Roger Corman’s production stable, a film producer who has been prolific over the years for offering low budgets and short filming schedules to up and coming directors. Luckily for us, Scorsese didn’t find himself trapped in this world of low budget nonsense, and despite doing his best with the material at hand can’t save this from being just another Corman-produced piece of nonsense.

The four main characters are thrown together far too quickly for them to be introduced properly, nor does the real life story of Bertha receive sufficient time to be explored in enough detail. It’s almost as if the script wants you to move onto the next scene a few seconds before the current one has ended, and the action has to be crammed in before the premature cut otherwise you’ll miss even more.

There are the hints of a serious theme that the script teases but never offers opportunity to be explored – Shelly the union man who finds himself becoming a criminal through circumstance rather than intent, Bertha herself moving from pillar to post following the death of her father, and again falling into a life of crime and enjoying it.

They weren't very subtle about their perverted interests. — They weren’t very subtle about their perverted interests.

Scorsese’s direction is the strongest point here, he may have been rushed in the production but his camera placement and directorial style shines through all of this, creating a colour version of a 1930s era caper film. The production values too aren’t all bad, with many of the locations eliciting the feel of the 1920s. When the violence happens it has the same level of impact as a comic book, all bright red blood and over the top reactions to being shot in the chest, and a badly structured Christ metaphor no doubt designed to shock.

Perhaps because of the rushed filming schedule the performances don’t get much room to breathe, and whilst the central pair of David Carradine and Barbara Hershey works well (they were a couple at the time of filming), there is little else to recommend amongst the rushed delivery and frenzied performances. It may not be one of Scorsese’s better movies, but it’s clear even from this early stage what he was capable of. Sadly in this case he was working on limited resources yet still somehow turned out a moderately entertaining story, even if it does still feel like half of the script wasn’t shot.

Score: 2.5/5

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