Reviews for the week starting on June 12, 1995

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MOVIES ON VIDEO

Here are four movies out on video and/or laserdisc.

Once Upon a Time in the West (1969)

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I have gotten many suggestions from the letters that I have been getting, to see this movie. Well, in three short words, I liked it. It's not as quick as "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," But has very exciting scenes. The story centers around Charles Bronson as a Man-with-no-name type hero (or anti-hero, which ever you chose) who comes to a small western town to get revenge on a gunslinger (Henry Fonda, in a surprising turn as a heartless villain) who is now trying to steal land for the railroad from a Widow (Claudia Cardinale), who's husband Fonda killed.

There are three films I think are the best of Leone's work. They are "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly," "Once Upon A Time In America" (the complete uncut version) and this film. The scenes in here are slowly paced but it gives suspense all the way to the end. Fonda, as I said before, becomes a true villain by first trying to kill Cardinale then to start having sex with her to get her to come to his side. Jason Robards also has a memorable role as a famous gunslinger that helps Bronson out of jams. You can find this on AMC (American Movie Classics) all the time or in the video store. You should see this in Letter-Boxed form so you can see this masterpiece spread out more.

My Rating =

Rent

Night On Earth (1991)

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Jim Jarmusch is becoming one of my favorite directors. I have only seen two films by him. "Stranger Than Paradise" and this film. There are some weak points in this film and some very strong points. They are five-part episodic tales which take place all over the world and deals with one subject. Taxi drivers and their relationships with their passengers. The first one, taking place in L.A., is the weakest one. Starring Gena Rowlands as a movie executive who becomes interested with her street-smart cab driver (Winona Ryder) and wants to make her into a star. It just doesn't gel with me and it wasn't funny or dramatic.

The second one is funnier, taking place in New York, when a black passenger (Giancarlo Esposito) takes over the wheel of his confused German driver (Armin Mueller-Stahl). The funniest part is when they tell each other their names and each thinks their name is funnier than the other. The third one Takes place in Paris, the first of the other three in subtitles, where an Ethiopian driver tries to become the friend of a blind girl. She is very hostile to him and in the end they never develop much of a relationship. This is the part I didn't like about the film and you'll probably see why. The fourth one in Rome is extremely funny. It stars Italian comedian Roberto Benigni as a driver who confesses his sins to a priest in the back, who happens to be dying of a heart attack. This scene is sidesplitting funny and has a great comic performance By Benigni (who you can also check in "Son of the Pink Panther").

The fifth and final one from Helsinki, is the saddest one as the driver listens to the sorrow's of his drunk passengers and tops it with his own story! This is a completely heart breaking scene that should be seen by everybody. I have given my criticisms already. Although some don't think that episodic films work, I think it has it's moments. The first and third episodes are pretty weak and mostly unwatchable. Still, for you Jarmusch fans or people who are getting interested in him, this is the film to see from him.

My Rating =

Rent

Psycho (1960)

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In celebration of the 35th anniversary of the release of Psycho, I have two reviews of the first two "Psycho" films. I saw this up on the big screen where it should be seen and it was a lot more scarier up there. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, it tells of a woman (Janet Leigh in the typical Hitchcock blonde role) who has just stolen some money. She takes off and eventually comes across the Bates Motel, where the showers are plentiful! The film still scares after all these years and that endlessly imitated score helps a lot. Anthony Perkins is still as wonderful as ever as Norman Bates, a jittery young man who takes care of the motel and his mother. This may not seem like much to the Freddy Krueger and Jason generation, but the folks back in 1960 hadn't seen anything like it.

The film still makes you not want to take a shower, it's so potent. Alfred Hitchcock made a surprising turn from his usual mystery genre to direct a film with scares and shocks, things that Hitch never had to use before. He was also the first director to show the graphic truths of murder in a film. The supporting characters are good, but the one that stands out is Martin Balsalm as a detective, who starts snooping around the motel to find out more info on Bates. You should see this on the big screen and see the shower scene and it's 78 camera angles in all it's glory.

My Rating =

Rent

Psycho II (1983)

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This is the second review for a Psycho movie. Like most sequels, this doesn't amount to much compared to the original. You're probably saying to yourselves', "Of course it's not going to add up to much. How could any sequel match up to the first one?" Well to be honest with you it's actually a pretty suspenseful film through the first half. Anthony Perkins returns as Norman Bates who returns from the sanitarium after 23 years. He decides to (surprise, surprise) re-open the motel and move back into his Gothic mansion. But soon murders start happening and they start blaming him. But he swears he's innocent.

That's the good part. The bad part is that during the second half, the film starts using slasher film gore to add to excitement, but it really adds to boredom. The performances are pretty wooden except for Perkins' performance. He knows Norman so well by now that there really wasn't any other part but this. The supporting characters are part of the many flaws in this film. You can catch Dennis Franz of NYPD Blue fame in an early role as the new motel manager, but that's the only good thing about the cast other than Perkins.

Trust me on this. If you want to see a good Psycho film, see the original.

My Rating =

Rent

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