Monday, September 29, 2008
This is my third and final Robert Mitchum movie for noir month, after The Big Steal and Angel Face:
Notable Talent: Beyond Mitchum, Claude Rains has a small role. Faith Domergue is the female lead, but all I know about her is that the blonde girl from Lars and the Real Girl played her in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator.
Detective Story: I guess this is sort of a road/crime movie, lovers on the lam, maybe? Except it's a really weird one. Hard to say what it is exactly, except that it has some distinct noir elements.
Twisty, Turny Plot: Hoo-boy. Where to begin. Where Danger Lives edges out Decoy for strangest Noir Month entry. Mitchum plays an E.R. doctor who falls for a strange, suicidal woman in the hospital, played by Domergue, who seems to be under the thumb of her overbearing father. Only, maybe things aren't exactly what they seem to be... I won't say too much, but Mithcum and Domergue end up on the run together, and Mitchum spends 75% of the movie with a serious concussion that impairs his ability to think clearly. Further complications ensue.
Moral Ambiguity: Well, I think the Mitchum character wants to do the right thing, but then the shit hits the fan and he gets a concussion and things go all wrong. Domergue convinces him to go on the run, but it becomes clear pretty soon that she's not entirely on the level and is manipulating him. She plays an interesting spin on the femme fatale: a mentally ill femme fatale. Seriously, this bitch is crazy. It's pretty clear who's good and bad here, and the fun is in watching Domergue manipulate the injured, confused Mitchum.
Sweet-ass, Shadowy Black and White Cinematography: Well, it ain't exactly Gregg Toland quality filming, but the weirdness and psychological aspects of the movie allow them to play up all the cockeyed shadows and shit. A weird look for a weird movie.
Overall Quality: This is not my favorite Noir Month selection by a long shot, but it may be the one I'm most likely to randomly pop on some time when I'm bored. Back when I watched Decoy, I commented that it wasn't a very good movie, but it was made kinda fun by it's oddness and desire to entertain. Well, Where Danger Lives is like that, only it's also a decent movie. The arc of the story could be pretty run of the mill, but the treatment of it is so offbeat that it stands out as one of the more fun movies I've watched this month.
Only one more movie left after this one:
1) The Set Up
2) Act of Violence
3) Crime Wave
4) Night and the City
5) The Big Steal
6) The Wrong Man
7) Where Danger Lives
8) Illegal
9) Angel Face
10) Shoot the Piano Player
11) Gun Crazy
12) Mystery Street
13) Side Street
14) Decoy
15) They Live By Night
Showing posts with label Robert Mitchum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robert Mitchum. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Angel Face
Saturday, September 27, 2008
I Netflixed this one because I wanted to work some more Robert Mitchum into Noir Month. And I should have one more with him to watch after this.
Notable Talent: Well, Mitchum was the main draw here, but I also got this one because of director Otto Preminger, who did two movies I've watched for my K2K.
Detective Story: There's maybe a bit of a mystery going on here, at least for a little while. Mitchum begins working for a rich family and tensions seem to be building under the surface. Is the daughter trying to knock off the mother? But the movie keeps changing style and direction as it goes along. It's a mystery, then a melodrama, then a crime movie, then a courtroom drama, then more melodrama.
Twisty, Turny Plot: Like I said, it keeps changing around on you, hard to tell where it's going. Throws a curveball or two at you, and then has an ending that I would venture to guess was pretty shocking to audiences in the 1950's.
Moral Ambiguity: To the degree that there's no clear good guy in this story. Mitchum is the protagonist, but he's kind of an asshole and makes some iffy choices. The rich family is pretty fucked up, and later in the movie a manipulative lawyer features prominently in the story.
Sweet-ass Shadowy Black and White Cinematography: Preminger certainly knows how to shoot a movie, in what I believe is considered the deep focus style. Not reallly set in urban environments, in fact most of it is at a mansion, and they don't reallly go overboard on the shadows and all that. But it still looks pretty good.
Overall Quality: Slow going at first and a little too talky, but it gets increasingly entertaining as it goes along, with a particularly memorable ending. Mitchum is great as always, and ultimately I would say this is a good one but nothing special.
1) The Set Up
2) Act of Violence
3) Crime Wave
4) Night and the City
5) The Big Steal
6) Illegal
7) Angel Face
8) Shoot the Piano Player
9) Gun Crazy
10) Mystery Street
11) Decoy
12) They Live By Night
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
The Big Steal
Monday, September 22, 2008
Up now for Noir Month, we have what was probably my most eagerly anticipated selection, and when I tell you the "notable talent" you'll see why:
Notable Talent: First and foremost, this movie is a reteaming of the excellent Out of the Past's lead actors Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. So right there, that's something to be excited about. In recent years, I've really come to bow down at the altar of Mitchum, who seems to be one of the most effortlessly captivating actors ever. Whatever that elusive "it" quality is, he has "it" in spades. Then, to top things off, the director is Don Siegal, tough-guy movie director extraordinaire, famous for such films as Dirty Harry (and a few other Clint Eastwood films), Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Charley Varrick (okay maybe that last one isn't so famous, but I'm fond of it.) Mitchum + Siegal = something I will watch.
Detective Story: Kinda, yeah, definitely more so than most the other movies I've watched so far. (Why oh why did I think so many of these were going to be detective movies?) There's a sorta detective guy chasing after Mitchum through most of the movie, so that's kind of detective like. I guess.
Twisty, Turny Plot: Complicated, but more in an upbeat, caper-y sort of way. This is probably the most overtly fun of all the noir I've watched this month so far. In fact, I'd say it's practically a comedy, which seems un-noir-like. This is more of a high-spirited, comic thriller, not as dark as the other movies on the list. I guess you could argue that it doesn't really fit in the noir genre, but it's close enough that I'm counting it. Anyways, everyone has complicated motivations, and there's a pretty big twist near the end, and it's all part of the fun.
Moral Ambiguity: Well, this is not some dark, brooding examination of mankind's capacity for evil. Still, there is some fun to be had with the motivations of the characters... it's not not clear right away who's on the level and who isn't. We're clear on who the protagonists are, but for a while we aren't sure if their motives are pure. Which is part of the fun, although it it plays things safe by having all the protagonists turn out to be good and the antagonists turn out to be bad.
Sweet-ass Shadowy Black and White Cinematography: One of my big regrets with noir month is that not enough of the movies have been in the expressionist tradition in terms of the lighting. This movie looks fine and is well made, with particularly strong action given the era, but damn it I want more elongated shadows stretching across the walls and shit. There's probably a little of that here, but since it's an upbeat movie there's none of that dark, nightmarish quality that I dig in noir.
Overall Quality: Fast paced and good fun. Sure, maybe I would have prefered something more hardboiled, but I can't deny good entertainment when I see it. This one kept a smile on my face throughout. And if nothing else, it provided me with the almost Herzog-ian image of Robert Mitchum, in a rumpled suit, running through a herd of goats, trying deperately to lead them out of their pen and into the street.
Probably the most fun I've had so far for Noir Month:
1) Act of Violence
2) Crime Wave
3) Night and the City
4) The Big Steal
5) Illegal
6) Shoot the Piano Player
7) Gun Crazy
8) Mystery Street
9) Decoy
Up now for Noir Month, we have what was probably my most eagerly anticipated selection, and when I tell you the "notable talent" you'll see why:
Notable Talent: First and foremost, this movie is a reteaming of the excellent Out of the Past's lead actors Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer. So right there, that's something to be excited about. In recent years, I've really come to bow down at the altar of Mitchum, who seems to be one of the most effortlessly captivating actors ever. Whatever that elusive "it" quality is, he has "it" in spades. Then, to top things off, the director is Don Siegal, tough-guy movie director extraordinaire, famous for such films as Dirty Harry (and a few other Clint Eastwood films), Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Charley Varrick (okay maybe that last one isn't so famous, but I'm fond of it.) Mitchum + Siegal = something I will watch.
Detective Story: Kinda, yeah, definitely more so than most the other movies I've watched so far. (Why oh why did I think so many of these were going to be detective movies?) There's a sorta detective guy chasing after Mitchum through most of the movie, so that's kind of detective like. I guess.
Twisty, Turny Plot: Complicated, but more in an upbeat, caper-y sort of way. This is probably the most overtly fun of all the noir I've watched this month so far. In fact, I'd say it's practically a comedy, which seems un-noir-like. This is more of a high-spirited, comic thriller, not as dark as the other movies on the list. I guess you could argue that it doesn't really fit in the noir genre, but it's close enough that I'm counting it. Anyways, everyone has complicated motivations, and there's a pretty big twist near the end, and it's all part of the fun.
Moral Ambiguity: Well, this is not some dark, brooding examination of mankind's capacity for evil. Still, there is some fun to be had with the motivations of the characters... it's not not clear right away who's on the level and who isn't. We're clear on who the protagonists are, but for a while we aren't sure if their motives are pure. Which is part of the fun, although it it plays things safe by having all the protagonists turn out to be good and the antagonists turn out to be bad.
Sweet-ass Shadowy Black and White Cinematography: One of my big regrets with noir month is that not enough of the movies have been in the expressionist tradition in terms of the lighting. This movie looks fine and is well made, with particularly strong action given the era, but damn it I want more elongated shadows stretching across the walls and shit. There's probably a little of that here, but since it's an upbeat movie there's none of that dark, nightmarish quality that I dig in noir.
Overall Quality: Fast paced and good fun. Sure, maybe I would have prefered something more hardboiled, but I can't deny good entertainment when I see it. This one kept a smile on my face throughout. And if nothing else, it provided me with the almost Herzog-ian image of Robert Mitchum, in a rumpled suit, running through a herd of goats, trying deperately to lead them out of their pen and into the street.
Probably the most fun I've had so far for Noir Month:
1) Act of Violence
2) Crime Wave
3) Night and the City
4) The Big Steal
5) Illegal
6) Shoot the Piano Player
7) Gun Crazy
8) Mystery Street
9) Decoy
Monday, June 30, 2008
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Once I found out that Robert Mitchum starred in a John Huston movie, I couldn't resist and immediately put it on my queue. But I had been watching an unbalanced number of Huston movies at that time, and didn't feel that was in the spirit of my K2K, so I held off.
It's similar in its broad outlines to Huston's The African Queen (religious woman and uncivilized man go on WW2 adventure together), so to a certain degree it was probably trying to cash in on the success of that film. Still, Huston changes up things enough so that it doesn't feel like a rehash, and explores some very different themes. This is less of a comedy and more of a drama, and this time around the woman is a nun, making the burgeoning attraction between the man and the woman a lot more awkward. And that leads to a touch not often seen in these kinds of movies, but one that I always appreciate, where the two characters decide not to shack up. It's refreshing to see a movie where they don't contrive to kept the boy and the girl together in the end.
Once I found out that Robert Mitchum starred in a John Huston movie, I couldn't resist and immediately put it on my queue. But I had been watching an unbalanced number of Huston movies at that time, and didn't feel that was in the spirit of my K2K, so I held off.
It's similar in its broad outlines to Huston's The African Queen (religious woman and uncivilized man go on WW2 adventure together), so to a certain degree it was probably trying to cash in on the success of that film. Still, Huston changes up things enough so that it doesn't feel like a rehash, and explores some very different themes. This is less of a comedy and more of a drama, and this time around the woman is a nun, making the burgeoning attraction between the man and the woman a lot more awkward. And that leads to a touch not often seen in these kinds of movies, but one that I always appreciate, where the two characters decide not to shack up. It's refreshing to see a movie where they don't contrive to kept the boy and the girl together in the end.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Cape Fear
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to my first ever Robert Mitchum Sorta Kinda Convoluted Remake Double Feature. (It's not likely to be a repeat event... a little too specialized). It starts with Cape Fear, an early 60's horror/thriller movie in which Mitchum co-stars as the villain, which was later remade by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro in the Mitchum role. Next up is Against All Odds, a mid-80's remake of the classic Mitchum-starred film noir Out of the Past, with Jeff Bridges stepping into Mitchum's shoes.
So, you know, there's some sort of tangential, spritual connection going on between these films. Kinda. One's a Robert Mitchum movie that was later remade, and the other is a remake of a Robert Mitchum movie. So maybe they are like evil twins. Or one is the Bizarro version of the other, I don't know. The theme still works a little, I don't think it's too tenuous.
Let me start by noting that Cape Fear was directed by J. Lee Thompson, who 20 years later would make Happy Birthday to Me, a sometimes well made, near-miss slasher movie with a batshit crazy ending. (You can read my post about it here. When I saw it, I was all fucked up on cold medicine and the movie felt like some weird, 5 hour long dream about a slasher movie.) How Thompson went from directing a classic thriller with respectable cast members like Mitchum and Gregory Peck, to making a weirdo slasher picture where the killer impersonates the heroine by wearing some sort of futuristic, perfectly lifelike mask of her and by doing a fucking amazing impersonation of her voice... I don't understand. Later on, when he was 73, he did Death Wish 4: the Crackdown. Life is something, huh?
This is one of those movies that black and white was made for... it's so shadowy and sinister looking, dripping with atmosphere. It's a lot darker and more violent than I was expecting... I know 1962 wasn't some time of puritanical innocence, but I wouldn't have guessed that they would have the villain constantly threatening to rape the family of the hero. That's intense.
Any ways, really good thriller, great score, but I'm here to talk about Mitchum. And he's awesome. He's one of the creepiest, most intimidating villains ever here, even moreso than his performance in Night of the Hunter. I always thought Robert DeNiro did a great job of getting under your skin in the Scorsese version, but he doesn't hold a candle to Mitchum, and Mitchum doesn't even seem to be trying too hard. He just oozes some sort of insinuating evil. The way his character seems to be motivated by pure hate, yet never seems to become angry or worked up. Good shit.
Oh, one last thought. The movie has an anti-violence (perhaps anti-death penalty) message and does a good job of getting it across. It sets up Peck as an upstanding liberal citizen, but as Mitchum starts to threaten him more and more, Peck becomes more and more willing to resort to violence/vengenace to protect his family. So for a while it seems like there might be some sort of Death Wish-esque, let's be tougher on criminals sort of vibe. But in the end, Peck opts not to kill Mitchum when he has the chance, and instead makes sure he goes back to prison. No fancy speeches or nothing, it gets it's point across via the actions of the characters, just the way I like it.
Hello ladies and gentlemen and welcome to my first ever Robert Mitchum Sorta Kinda Convoluted Remake Double Feature. (It's not likely to be a repeat event... a little too specialized). It starts with Cape Fear, an early 60's horror/thriller movie in which Mitchum co-stars as the villain, which was later remade by Martin Scorsese starring Robert DeNiro in the Mitchum role. Next up is Against All Odds, a mid-80's remake of the classic Mitchum-starred film noir Out of the Past, with Jeff Bridges stepping into Mitchum's shoes.
So, you know, there's some sort of tangential, spritual connection going on between these films. Kinda. One's a Robert Mitchum movie that was later remade, and the other is a remake of a Robert Mitchum movie. So maybe they are like evil twins. Or one is the Bizarro version of the other, I don't know. The theme still works a little, I don't think it's too tenuous.
Let me start by noting that Cape Fear was directed by J. Lee Thompson, who 20 years later would make Happy Birthday to Me, a sometimes well made, near-miss slasher movie with a batshit crazy ending. (You can read my post about it here. When I saw it, I was all fucked up on cold medicine and the movie felt like some weird, 5 hour long dream about a slasher movie.) How Thompson went from directing a classic thriller with respectable cast members like Mitchum and Gregory Peck, to making a weirdo slasher picture where the killer impersonates the heroine by wearing some sort of futuristic, perfectly lifelike mask of her and by doing a fucking amazing impersonation of her voice... I don't understand. Later on, when he was 73, he did Death Wish 4: the Crackdown. Life is something, huh?
This is one of those movies that black and white was made for... it's so shadowy and sinister looking, dripping with atmosphere. It's a lot darker and more violent than I was expecting... I know 1962 wasn't some time of puritanical innocence, but I wouldn't have guessed that they would have the villain constantly threatening to rape the family of the hero. That's intense.
Any ways, really good thriller, great score, but I'm here to talk about Mitchum. And he's awesome. He's one of the creepiest, most intimidating villains ever here, even moreso than his performance in Night of the Hunter. I always thought Robert DeNiro did a great job of getting under your skin in the Scorsese version, but he doesn't hold a candle to Mitchum, and Mitchum doesn't even seem to be trying too hard. He just oozes some sort of insinuating evil. The way his character seems to be motivated by pure hate, yet never seems to become angry or worked up. Good shit.
Oh, one last thought. The movie has an anti-violence (perhaps anti-death penalty) message and does a good job of getting it across. It sets up Peck as an upstanding liberal citizen, but as Mitchum starts to threaten him more and more, Peck becomes more and more willing to resort to violence/vengenace to protect his family. So for a while it seems like there might be some sort of Death Wish-esque, let's be tougher on criminals sort of vibe. But in the end, Peck opts not to kill Mitchum when he has the chance, and instead makes sure he goes back to prison. No fancy speeches or nothing, it gets it's point across via the actions of the characters, just the way I like it.
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