Back To the Past: Jandrew Gets Cultured. Maltese Falcon, Arsenic, Blair Witch, etc.

[vc2002]

On 2017/5/9 at 8:27 AM, baumer said:

Can't understand how anyone can hate ET.  Just does not compute.

 

Yeah, just like we can't understand how anyone can hate Toy Story or Finding Nemo. Just does not compute.

[baumer]

8 hours ago, jandrew said:

Okay, @baumer, you got me. Angel Heart (87). I know it's 30 years old, but I'ma still put in spoilers out of courtesy.

 

  Reveal hidden contents

ROBERT DE NIRO WAS THE DEVIL ALL ALONG???? How did I not catch that!?!?! I knew something was up with him by looking at his fingernails, but I never suspected the Devil. Not gonna lie, when it started hinting that the soldier was Angel, I was like "wow, so cliche", but once the twist was revealed, it made more sense.

 

The Brooklyn stuff kind of sputtered, but once they got to NOLA I was fully invested. So De Niro, hired him, to find him, so he could reclaim his collateral, which was his soul. Wow...what a trip.

 

Good sense of atmosphere, good narration, and good thrill. One complaint though is the score. This is supposed to be a 50's setting, but it was giving off 80's vibes too much.

 

Questions though: so did Johnny knowingly have sex with his daughter or no? And also, so what happens to Angel? He has to burn in Hell even though he was just an innocent dude that was kidnapped by voodoo satanists? Man, that sucks for him. Also, was him being an atheist supposed to be ironic?

 

Really good movie. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but once they got to NOLA things got real. I approve.

 

Ps, apparently this movie was an inspiration for one of the Bioshock games. That's just awesome.

 

So glad you watched it.  

 

Favorite does have sex with his daughter, but of course unknowingly.  Epiphany is Angel's daughter, but with him having no recollection of being Angel, he did sleep with his daughter.  

Angel is going to probably get the death penalty for his crimes.  He will be convicted of the murders of Fowler, Toots, Margaret and Ethan.  Then he will go to hell.  The last scene is him going in an elevator down.....

 

Now that you have seen it, maybe one day you can watch it again and you will pick up so many clever aspects to it.  

 

Here's just a few:

 

The lawyers that hire him are named Winesap and McIntosh...names of apples, which is the fruit that ruined man.

There are several shots of him with split images in the mirror....he is two people

The fans represent the Devil.

 

and so much more.

 

Here's my very long review of it.  Read it if you are so inclined.

 

 

 

Spoiler

I have often said that horror is the most difficult to master. I believe this to be true because although it seems any moron with a camera can stalk a would be victim and try to psyche the audience out by shaking a few trees, then flagitiously embellish the film with blood instead of atmosphere, true fear is difficult to capture on film. I think we have all seen films that lay it on pretty thick but ultimately fail. I truly believe you can hire someone to make a dummy and stuff it with blood and even some rudimentary designs of intestines and hearts and various other functioning organs that have the ability to make the squeamish cover their eyes. But if you remember some of the greats, some of the icons of the trade, you will see that a good horror film is more about minacious shadows, the vicissitudes of lights, the ominous and foreboding music and finally the brilliant sagaciousness of the story. I think many people overlook the relevance of a story in the horror movie genre. Many inferior films like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Idle Hands and such will present us with a half-assed story and then try to build on it by bombastically insulting us with the banalities of gore and other not so shocking elements. But what they forget is most horror films that either succeed or develop a cult following are films that somewhere along the way hit a nerve in the collective mindset of their viewers. Friday the 13th's attack the very foundation of one of adolescent's unadulterated joys, that being camping. Halloween invaded our trick or treaters and Nightmare On Elm Street surreptitiously alienated our dreams. In short, we were not safe from these abominations on any front. Angel Heart follows that trend.

Spoilers Ahead... if you have not seen this film, do not read from here on out.

The basic premise of Angel Heart is a detective story at heart. This is a 40's style film noir complete with rain soaked streets, seedy detectives and lots of questionable characters. We meet Harry Angel ( Roarke) as he is taking a phone call from a stranger. This stranger is from the law firm Winesap and MacIntosh ( any similarities here? think about it). They would like to meet with him as they have a client that is familiar with his work. The client's name is Monsieur Louis Cypher.

"Is your client foreign? Is he a foreign gentleman?"

Harry then travels to a church ( strange enough place to meet a client who wants to hire a detective) where he enters the room and is first greeted by Winesap (who looks a lot like Stephen Tobolwolski), and then he sees his client. But what we see first is long, perfectly manicured finger nails, a strange cane, a ring that has either the star of David in the middle of it or a strange cult like pointed symbol, you decide. Also, the client's hair is put up in a bun and the man dressed impeccably. The man does not rise to shake Harry's hand. But he smiles with a diabolical, factitious grin that seems warm and inviting but reeks with deceit.

Harry then gets the facts of the case and is told that he will be searching for a crooner that owed Louis some money but disappeared during the war. So in essence, all Louis wants from Harry is to find out if this crooner is alive or dead. Cypher offers him a lot of money to find the guy and so Harry accepts.

"You must want this guy pretty bad," Harry says with a chuckle.

"I don't like messy accounts," Cypher replies dead-seriously.

And then just before the meeting concludes, Louis says to Harry,

"I've got a funny feeling we've met before." Harry has no recollection of ever meeting the man, and he would remember seeing how Cypher sticks out like a sore thumb.

From here Harry goes on a labyrinthine journey to find out what happened to this crooner. It takes him from Coney Island to New Orleans. And along the way, dead bodies begin to show up. First he interviews a doctor that had something to do with the case. He shows up dead in the next scene. Next we see an old guitar player named Toot Sweet and then he shows up dead, "strangled with a part of the body meant for pissing with." Now Harry is a suspect in two murders and it just keeps getting worse.

Every 20 minutes Louis Cypher shows up to check on his progress. And every time he does, more strange religion seems to get introduced to the plot. This French gentleman is obviously a fanatical, devout, religious iconoclast. He is not just seeking this missing person for personal accounts, it seems more like a reckoning. And the further Harry gets into the mystery, the more liable he is to be implicated in things that he had nothing to do with. To make matters worse, Cypher tells him that he has old fashioned and bucolic ideas about justice, "You know, an eye for an eye, that sort of thing." Finally Harry, in desperation, asks him in one of their sittings, "Who the @^&* are you Cypher?" Cypher's reply, "Watch your language, this is a church."

By now the film has us both intrigued with it's eccentric and neurotic characters, and confused in some ways by the abstruse manner in which the story is unfolding. This apparent confusion is by design, because this film takes pride in laying the foundation out for us but not the glue. We have to use our heads to figure things out and that is rare in many films, especially the horror genre. That may sound contradictory to what we are all lead to believe about most horror, but it is true. Horror, true horror has gone the way of the do-do bird. It is all but extinct. Angel Heart however, is more of a heterodoxy than one might think. It takes all that is good with the genre and makes it even better. Every scene in this film seems to quietly show us another piece to the puzzle. Every twist and turn seems to unravel the story like the layers of an onion. Without giving away the plot and the secrets to the film, here are a few scenes to digest and think about.

Take for instance the not so subliminal use fans in the film. Every time Louis Cypher is in the room, fans are first shown. This is relevant in some scenes because of the heat, but what about on a cold blustery day in the Bronx?

Also examine some of the intriguing lines that slither out of DeNiro's mouth. Lines like, "They say there is just enough religion in the world to make man hate one another, but not enough to make them love." Or: "Would you like an egg Mr. Angel?" After Harry says no, Cypher replies, "you know, they say the egg represents the soul." He then bites into the egg and chews it with perfect equanimity. You can never tell if Cypher is mad or satisfied. All we know is this man is here to find a missing person. Some of the time he cracks a smile but what he is really smiling about is just somewhere underneath the surface.

There are also a few times when Harry catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror but he sees two images of himself, the mirror is cracked or split or mangled in some way. And he always looks pensive and confused when he looks into the mirror as though he sees something.... but then forgets it.

We are also privy to scenes that are ripe with contradictions. Bullets are stored in a Bible, a nun is cleaning blood off the wall, a priest wants to drive in a Rolls Royce, a heart is cut out, almost like a butcher did it and took pride in his work and a few other images that confuse yet enlighten you at the same time. Angel Heart is the true working of a paradox in progress.

The climax of Angel Heart is one that will have you shell shocked. I wasn't prepared for it when I saw this film as a 17 year-old and even now when I am pushing 30 and have seen the film over 100 times, I am still in awe when I watch Harry and Louis banter about as Louis tells him of his ultimate fate.

"Alas. How terrible is wisdom when it brings no profit to the wise Johnny."

"My name's not Johnny."

"I know who I am. Cypher I know who I am!"

When all is about to be revealed, Louis tells Johnny to take a good look in the mirror because no matter how cleverly you sneak up on a mirror, you reflection always looks you straight in the eye. And when he does, all that we didn't know but may have suspected, is now revealed to us.

Angel Heart is not the type of horror film that will scare you every five minutes with ghosts that bounce balls down stairs or with pumpkin candles that flicker coyly enough to see a shadow float across the ceiling. But what it will do is turn your insides upside down with the promise that something pernicious and final is about to take place. Angel Heart is opulent with undertones of doom and sumptuous with forbidden overtones. Just as Blair Witch attacked us with what could be there, Angel Heart admonishes us to stay away from things that should not be there. Harry Angel has entered into an inchoate project and it is one that he will wish he never sought out in the first place.

This is one of the best films I have ever seen, and along with Halloween and Jaws, not only does this film rank highly on the horror charts, it cross polinates into the top films ever made. I am not sure where I would put this film because to compare a film like JFK and Raiders of the Lost Ark with an atmospheric, spine tingling film like this is like comparing a top of the line BMW to a top of the line Jaguar. Where do you start and how do you stipulate which is better. All I know is that this film made me fear what it warns us about. And it made me interested to read the Bible again. That has to count for something. After all, the Bible is filled with stories of fire, brimstone, people turning to stone and burning bushes and deceit and betrayal. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

10 out of 10-- This is the epitome of horror and if you have not seen this film, I urge you to find it and watch it this weekend. Mickey Roarke and Robert Deniro are priceless and keep in mind, this is brought to you by the same team that gave us films like T-2, First Blood and Basic Instinct. This was a different kind of film for Kassar and Vajna and I am thankful they decided to take a chance on a dark film like this. Add Alan Parker to this brilliant behind the scenes team and you have all the ingredients for one hell of a ride.

 

[Jandrew]

Repo Man (84) - It was good, though I was expecting something more trippy @Tele Came Back. It really was about him being a repo man. The characters were fun and the dialogue was cute. "I blame society", "you're a white kid from the suburbs"...HA. "Let's go do crimes", "yeah lets get sushi and not pay." "Your wifes hanging all over Otto", "like flies on shit." The ending was a little bit of a mess and there was maybe one too many characters to have to keep up with, but it still knows how to keep your attention for 90 minutes and made the repo business look interesting. Solid B.

 

The Apartment (60) - I don't know, @Jake Gittes, I just couldn't really get into it. I was honestly bored throughout. I was expecting something more along the lines of the Odd Couple, maybe a little more dramatic. I just couldn't get it to click, I'll give it another chance someday though. I'm still a Jack Lemmon fan though.

[Plain Old Tele]

REPO MAN is your classic tiny indie movie, in this case made by rebel filmmakers who had a real punk movement attitude and wanted to just fuck with conformity. (Alex Cox, the director, was connected to the punk rock scene and was the main reason the movie was able to have such a kickass soundtrack). In fact, I'm pretty sure the soundtrack made way more money than the actual movie did. 

 

The actual film was made for like 100 grand and the production worked hard to take that no-money situation and turn it in their favor. One example is all the disposable products and food in the movie. They couldn't risk using real brands and they didn't want to greek out all the logos so they came up with their own generic packaging that's a perfect commentary on consumerism. It's also Emilio Estevez' first movie (and I think arguably his best performance).

[Jandrew]

2 hours ago, Tele Came Back said:

REPO MAN is your classic tiny indie movie, in this case made by rebel filmmakers who had a real punk movement attitude and wanted to just fuck with conformity. (Alex Cox, the director, was connected to the punk rock scene and was the main reason the movie was able to have such a kickass soundtrack). In fact, I'm pretty sure the soundtrack made way more money than the actual movie did. 

 

The actual film was made for like 100 grand and the production worked hard to take that no-money situation and turn it in their favor. One example is all the disposable products and food in the movie. They couldn't risk using real brands and they didn't want to greek out all the logos so they came up with their own generic packaging that's a perfect commentary on consumerism. It's also Emilio Estevez' first movie (and I think arguably his best performance).

 

I read that Cox tried to make a sequel, and Universal or whoever told him he didnt have the rights, and he did it anyway lol.

[Webslinger]

The Apartment rocketed into my top ten the first time I saw it. It's worth another shot.

[chrisman0606]

That is awesome!

[Jandrew]

There's Something About Mary (98) - I currently have Starz and it was on, so I decided to give it a go. It adjusts to over $300 million today and I needed to see why. Let me start by saying that I laughed so hard in some places, my head started to hurt. The "frank and beans" bit, literally I couldn't breathe. There were other great bits as well. That said it was juvenile and kept stumbling into tropes. As a romantic comedy, its eh, as a comedy, it's gold, but it can't be anymore Farrelly. B.

 

Rope (48) - Hitchcock is gonna Hitchcock. The acting was good, but it was a little too thespian for me. Even for the 1940's, it was hard for me to dive into the dialogue because it felt rigid. The direction was amazing and the simplicity was good, but the thrill became less effective when it became obvious that James Stewart's character had an idea what was going on.

 

Laura (44) - Subtle and serine with a contrast of characters, this movie did a great job of not spoiling an ending, which in hindsight, should have been pretty obvious. The love angle was kind of weak, but the strong characters and "who done it?" tension, and the back and forth with the "it was that person, no it was this person" was effective. B.

 

Notorious (46) - It was solid. Not an instant classic with me, but it's hard to bet against Cary Grant, and Ingrid Bergman was a great surprise. My problem is I didn't really "feel" the Nazi angle, or the Brazilian angle. It felt like that typical Golden Age love story with a lemon lime twist. Not the best Hitchcock, but for him going out of his element, it's passable. Of course his direction is great. Also Ingrid B was very distracting because one of my friends looks exactly like her, so all I could think about was her half the time, which was kind of awk. 

 

Paths of Glory (57) - This has become an instant favorite. The characterization, the tension, the humility. My heart was racing during "the scene." Literally, I felt my chest and my rate was up. You know a movie is effective when you feel empathy for characters and desperately don't want them to die/live/get away with it/get caught. This movie was cinematic sex and it hit me like a brick. I'll get deeper later, but it's an easy, easy, easy A. Thank you @Jake Gittes for that.

 

The Day the Earth Stood Still (51) - Pretty dumb. Not as dumb as the remake, but you can tell the potential was squandered. I was expecting Gort to light the world on fire. There wasnt much real tension and the agenda was too obvious. Honestly the little boy was the most interesting part and all he did was channel his inner Andy Griffith Ron Howard.

 

Duel (71) - Very intriguing first entry from Speilberg. I dug it, but for a 90 minute movie, it felt pretty long. The tension wore out, but great cinematography to give you a sense of place. B.

 

 

Edited May 17, 2017 by jandrew

[Jandrew]

2017, we won't talk about it. Been so busy and what not, didn't really get to unplug and classic binge like I used to. Very very random list of movies from May 2017 to now:

 

Harry Potter 3-8 (04-11) - Watched them all together back to back last summer. The gf is a huge Harry Potter fan. There's so many that I don't really remember their individuals qualities unfortunately and will have to watch again. But as the young kids say these days, "I fucks with this." Such a good series. I know one or two of them reallyy stuck out, I just have to remember which ones.

 

Norma Rae (79) - Pretty good. I miss these kind of movies. Sally Field nailed it. Man I thought working at Target sucked. I'll take it over the mill. B.

 

Black Sheep (96) - Your typical dumb slapstick comedy, but still kept my interest. The political angle was actually pretty interesting.

 

Broken Arrow (96) - One of the most 90s things I've seen. Pretty predictable and uneven, but solid explosion action and obviously a Woo joint. I'm not big on Christian Slater, but Travolta did his thing. The female lead was vanilla. LOL at the variety of the deaths, so campy, so Woo. C.

 

Cape Fear (91) - Very solid, but a little tough to watch in some parts. De Niro was obviously the best thing about it, but I wish they would've stuck with him psychologically tormenting the family rather than physical, because the third act felt kind've deflated, and his mind games was when the movie was at its strongest. B.

 

Zodiac (07) - This was sooooo good. I was so surprised. Long as hell, and you already know that they never caught him, but we still didn't know what to expect. I think the stabbing murder was a little much compared to the tone of the rest of the movie though. Strong performances, strong direction, strong cinematography, strong writing. They nailed that 70s San Fran feel and juggled the various subplots well. I was seriously begging Jake's wife not to leave him. I may like that more than Gone Girl. A?

 

The Big Kahuna (99) - Caught it literally days before Spaceygate. It was solid. The performances was the best thing about it. I wasn't aware it was so small scale.

 

The Jerk (79) - One of the funniest movies I've seen on first watch. "I have to save the cans!" Only Steve Martin could pull off being born a poor black child in rural Mississippi. This was the kind of movie that just kind of did whatever it felt like doing, and that's what made it such a fun watch.

 

Son in Law (93) - My first Pauly Shore joint I believe. Mediocre. It was on CMT and I kept watching for young Carla Gugino and Tiffany Thiessen. 

 

I watched Shadow of a Doubt (43) and Philadelphia Story (40) but I don't remember enough to give meaningful reviews. I'll have to give them another go. Pretty sure I enjoyed Shadow and its suspense though, and I don't think I've not liked a Cary Grant joint yet...

 

Hopefully I can get this back and running and catching more classics, and I'll give more letter grades again. I know the OP needs an update. And yes, I'll eventually get to Lord of the Rings.

[Jake Gittes]

On 18.02.2018 at 11:58 AM, Jandrew said:

and I don't think I've not liked a Cary Grant joint yet...

I believe this is my cue to give another emphatic recommendation of Only Angels Have Wings.

 

Very happy that you experienced Zodiac's ownage too

[The Panda]

On 5/9/2017 at 4:04 PM, aabattery said:

 

They're Linklater's masterpiece.

 

Before Sunrise (1995)

Before Sunset (2004)

Before Midnight (2013)

All of them are GOAT movies.  Sunrise is in my top 5, sunset in my top 25 and midnight in my top 50 or so.

[Ethan Hunt]

1 hour ago, The Mad Panda said:

All of them are GOAT movies.  Sunrise is in my top 5, sunset in my top 25 and midnight in my top 50 or so.

Sunrise is flat out the best movie ever 

[The Panda]

Just now, Ethan Hunt said:

Sunrise is flat out the best movie ever 

Give it a few years, young Padawan and you’ll realize Raiders is the solid number 1.

[Ethan Hunt]

Just now, The Mad Panda said:

Give it a few years, young Padawan and you’ll realize Raiders is the solid number 1.

I mean it's a mainstay in my top 5

[The Panda]

10 minutes ago, Ethan Hunt said:

I mean it's a mainstay in my top 5

That used to be me, but then I realized I always shuffled previous numbers 1s and 2s out and in while Raiders always stayed constant.  I had Sunset at number 1 at one point before I stabilized.

 

It’s the perfect choice.  Spielberg, Harrison Ford, a classic, an adventure blockbuster, not too mainstream for a top choice but not pretentious, old enough so you don’t look like a casual but not so old that you’re an old fart, an academy award nominee that didn’t win BP (winning BP disqualifies a movie from being number 1).  Plus it’s just simply the best.

[aabattery]

1 minute ago, The Mad Panda said:

 not too mainstream for a top choice but not pretentious, old enough so you don’t look like a casual but not so old that you’re an old fart, an academy award nominee that didn’t win BP (winning BP disqualifies a movie from being number 1). 

 

These are the dumbest qualifiers lol

[The Panda]

10 minutes ago, aabattery said:

 

These are the dumbest qualifiers lol

But simply being the best is the best qualifier, so those are just the perks.

[Jandrew]

Arsenic and Old Lace (44) - It was good I enjoyed it, but it was also a little uneven I felt. Took me a minute to understand what was going on - especially with Teddy. I finally realized the aunts were nutjobs and I was so ready to see that plotline take off, especially when the old man visited, but then Johnathon showed up. I honestly was expecting something similar to Rope.

 

I actually found the Johnathon plotline the weakest parts of the film. I liked the wacky "whos body is it anyway?" angle and enjoyed the Teddy goose chase, but felt Johnathon's murderous self didn't gel. The Doctor was actually more interesting and compelling. I hope Carey Grant wasn't a racist or awful dude or anything, because he again knocks it out the park.

 

Also started to get a little annoyed at the ineptitude of the police, but I know that's part of what makes the movie tick I guess. Solid B. @4815162342

 

The Awful Truth (37) - Couldn't get into. Carey was obviously shiny, but the rest felt flat unfortunately. I don't know, it just didn't have that "pizazz", but I'm happy to add a Carey movie to the roster. @Telehilation

 

The Maltese Falcon (41) - I enjoyed it. Humphrey Bogart's talk is just so captivating. I have to say it didn't have that KO punch ending, and I was expecting a little more action, but it was still a fine journey getting there. B.

 

Little Miss Sunshine (06) - It was pretty good. That was probably the best representation of a New Mexico lower-middle class family. Great screenplay and atmosphere. Everybody dancing on stage was cute. Pretty honest movie. And of course that'd be the type of hotel the pageant would be held in. The filmmakers really did their research. Also lol at the Volkswagen running gag.

 

Blair Witch Project (99) - Very dumb, but I see why 80s kids fell for it, the same way my generation fell for PA. The banter was fun at first, but then just got whiny. "We're lost! We're lost!" Well no shit, we figured that one out. A very hollow movie. You could've summed the 90 minute movie up in about 1 on Youtube. Also the "witch" is the biggest lie since the "50 foot" woman. D or F, idk, idc.

 

Edited February 26, 2018 by Jandrew

[Plain Old Tele]

 just for the BWP diss.  

[4815162342]

30 minutes ago, Telehilation said:

 just for the BWP diss.  

 

at the BWP diss