Resolve and Shop

W. (2008)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Oliver Stone's "W." is his least angry film to date. The reason I say "least angry" is because if nothing else, the country grew to be angrily anti-Bush since the Iraq War began (in fact, this country might be angrier than Stone in the last eight years). Bush has been seen as a warmonger and an unintelligent dullard who couldn't speak in complete sentences, couldn't give an interview worth a damn, and was contradicting himself from one day to the next in all of his press conferences (he once told an interviewer that he felt the war in terror couldn't be won, and then the Republicans came out saying he didn't mean it). I think few can argue with Bush's lack of presence of mind and, as protracted and silly as some elements of the film are, "W." is occasionally a breathless bio of Dubya, though nowhere near as powerful or incendiary as Stone's own "Nixon," easily one of the great political biographies ever.

Josh Brolin is Dubya, from his Yale days as a heavy drinker and fraternity player, to his failure at holding numerous jobs that his father, the strict Bush Sr. (James Cromwell), helps him get including an oil rig, a baseball team owner, to his days as a Governor of Texas, and finally as the 43rd President of the United States. The movie adopts a non-linear narrative as we sense Bush can't seem to do anything right. That is until he quits drinking, helps his father win the Gulf War (with some added help from Karl Rove, a historical revision considering Rove was fired by George H.W. Bush's campaign for leaking a negative story about a fundraiser chief), and finally sees it as a message from God to be President. Dubya's mission is to go to Iraq after 9/11 because some connection is established between Saddam Hussein and the Al-Qaeda terrorist group. But is he merely exploiting his father's legacy with Iraq or trying to prove to his father that he can succeed as something, like being President of the U.S.! He can't hack it as Governor, an oil rig worker or anything else and he seems to ease into his presidency with lots of help. Oh, the irony, the nepotism, the Freudian irony.

Stone and his screenwriter Stanley Weiser ("Wall Street") have used several books on Bush to adapt the life of what some regard as the worst U.S. President in history (some historians point to Harry S. Truman or Herbert Hoover as infinitely worse). Stone doesn't seem to hold any one opinion on Dubya at all - he basically presents us with this Alfred E. Newman-type and consciously doesn't want us, the voters, to repeat the same mistake again. As expected from Stone, especially after "Nixon," the movie assumes empathy and a degree with sympathy for someone who has abused his power to perform historical actions, like a pre-emptive war strike, taking away liberties from its own citizens in the interests of a "Patriot Act," and so on. Clearly, if you have lived through the last eight Bush years, you know what to expect from Stone's film. Building on the humanity of the man, Josh Brolin is so brilliant as Bush Jr. (encompassing virtually every frame of the film) that it is hard to resist the film, despite a drawn-out narrative which includes AA meetings with an Evangelical Reverend (powerfully played by Stacy Keach) and one too many conversations with George Sr. The movie aims for a more Freudian subtext than needed, something that "Nixon" only flirted with. In "Nixon," we saw a more full-bodied portrait of the man behind the President, in addition to the media outcry, the war protests (Vietnam then) and a three- dimensional relationship between Nixon and his wife, Pat. "W." only seems fit to skirt the characters and the political turmoil rather than embody them. More of Laura Bush enabling Dubya would've been nice.

Speaking of, "W.'s" most involving scenes feature young Bush's romance with Laura Bush (a dynamic Elizabeth Banks) as they work together during his early campaigning for Governor of Texas (we see that Bush Jr. is more willing to punch below the belt than his father, particularly when attacking the late Ann Richards). And though many know what led to the Iraq War, Stone knows how to thrillingly stage scenes in the War Room as all the Bush administration figures gather to make this war possible, and to resist ending it. Interestingly, it shows Bush is not paid attention to and implicitly exists as some sort of patsy where all the blame can be laid on this dullard without question. Also worth noting is that the film sees Condoleezza Rice (Thandie Newton in a strangely mannered performance) as a stick figure with nothing to offer and Colin Powell (Jeffrey Wright) as a disgruntled general whose past experiences apparently mean very little (a heated exchanged between Powell and Scott Glenn's Donald Rumsfeld will make one chuckle). Added to that is a sneeringly evil and charismatic Dick Cheney (astoundingly played by Richard Dreyfuss, who deserved an Oscar nomination) and a subdued evil presence in subtle strokes by Toby Jones as Karl Rove, the Deputy Chief of Staff, the manipulator behind the scenes who teaches Bush how to address the press during Bush's first run for governor.

"W." is one of Ollie Stone's mellower films and gives Dubya the benefit of the doubt (Stone insists that he stopped hating Bush after 2004). The film does not give an endorsement of Bush's policies nor does it completely condemn them. It states that Bush became a man and showed his dad that he could rise as a leader, and not be seen as the black sheep of the family. Ironically, it also shows he failed despite succeeding. A fascinating and flawed portrait with Josh Brolin giving Bush a strong measure of humanity, but this W is still no Tricky Dick.

Spinning Top might make your eyes dizzy, kid

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY (1994)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

I have a special memory in my heart for Bob Clark's "A Christmas Story." It is as memorable and nostalgic a piece of Americana as almost anything else related to Christmas, including Santa Claus. The trick to the success of "A Christmas Story" is that it had wicked humor and poked fun at itself. This rarely discussed sequel, "It Runs in the Family," is decent family fun but it loses a bit of the charm though, to be fair, it has a playful sense of wickedness.

Consider the setup. Kieran Culkin (replacing Peter Billingsley) plays Ralph Barker, the kid who once really wished for a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Now, he seems to wander around the summer time, wallowing in his pride to get the perfect spinning top, the kind that is not too colorful in design but just big enough to make other kids envious. Alas, this spinning top doesn't quite make it as inspired as the Red Ryder BB gun (and who can forget that the latter might shoot your eye out!) but it will do. It's basically a way of getting even with the local bully Lug Ditka (the eternally creepy and creepier eyes of Whit Hertford).

Meanwhile, Dad (Charles Grodin replacing Darren McGavin) bears some hostility to the noisy hillbilly neighbors next door known as the Bumpus clan. Dad fights back by staging an air siren and military instructions with the help of a turntable and some speakers in one of the funniest scenes in the entire movie. Mom (Mary Steenburgen replacing Melinda Dillon) has an affinity for gravy boats that are marked with reproductions of movie stars and gets one every Ladies' Night at the local movie theater, along with an animated short! The problem is she is sick of having so many gravy boats, and who wouldn't be.

Along with the return of director Bob Clark and narrator Jean Shepherd, "It Runs in the Family" (also known as "My Summer Story") replicates some of the same spirit and joy of "A Christmas Story" but little in the way of novelty or true inspiration. The problem may be the casting of key roles. Kieran Culkin is a cute kid but he is no Billingsley, and hardly gives the role the wide-eyed innocence Billingsley gave. Charles Grodin is a bit miscast but he gives it a good try - still, he seems harmful in his attempts to deal with the Bumpus clan (hence, a little more wickedness than expected). The beauty of Darren McGavin is that he only suggested giving anyone hell, not like he really had the intent. Mary Steenburgen, however, is beautifully cast and displays a little more sass than Melinda Dillon gave the original to warrant sufficient praise.

"It Runs in the Family" was shamefully dumped into limited release in September of 1994 without any real advertising by MGM. Again, I may be biased in my nostalgia for the original, but this sequel is nowhere near as memorable or as charming as "A Christmas Story." Still, reliable Jean Shepherd's narration and a few funny scenes (including references to jawbreakers will please the tots and the adults) and some decent acting overall, not to mention an affection for an era that no longer exists, merits a mild recommendation.

Silent Night, Deadly boring Brady Night

A VERY BRADY CHRISTMAS (1988)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

Now here is some priceless dialogue for you to savor: "I am feeling terribler." That's one. The next one is a doozy. Here we go: "Don't be sorry. Just be Wally." Both lines come from one of the worst TV movies ever made, and I mean worse than anything Lifetime has to offer. Any TV series or movie that crosses over into the Yuletide season is bound to be a disappointment. Don't forget "Star Wars Holiday Special" or the unwatchable "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Then there is 1988's truly awful "A Very Brady Christmas." It is so wretched, so cheesy beyond cheeseteaks and cheesecakes, so syrupy beyond saccharine that I gag at the revolting thought of ever having to sit through again.

Now "The Brady Bunch" I did watch when I was younger and in small doses in the last few years. It was an unrealistic family comedy where every problem could be resolved within a half-hour. Most sitcoms from "I Love Lucy" to "Father Knows Best" resolved difficulties in a small amount of time as well, but this show stretched the boundaries of even TV reality. Remember Marcia's big nose? How the family had a second floor yet the outside house looked like a rancher? How overlit their backyard was? How we never saw a bathroom with a toilet? Mike's hair changing color at the most inappropriate moment?

Some shows were better than others. I did like the episode about Jesse James - it had a nice moral to it. The whole Vincent Price/Hawaii/ black magic two-parter I will choose to forget. But producer Sherwood Schwartz really turns reality on its head with this Christmas movie. Oh, where shall I begin? Let's see - the kids are all adults. Some are married, some aren't. Peter (Christopher Knight) is having an affair with his boss, and oddly likes to wear a nightgown! Bobby (Mike Lookinland) has turned to race-car driving and abandoned business school, unbeknownst to his parents. Marcia (Maureen McCormick) is having financial problems with her husband Wally (Jerry Houser) who has lost his job at a toy factory! Jan (Eve Plumb) is separated from her husband, a professor whose workload takes precedence. Greg Brady (Barry Williams) is a doctor now, married to his nurse assistant! Meanwhile, the parents, Mike (the late Robert Reed) and Carol (Florence Henderson), are planning surprise trips to different countries for each other! Then they decide to stay home and invite all the kids and their spouses for Christmas! Where on earth will they find the room?

The rancher still looks like a rancher from the outside, but not inside. Mike is still a stubborn architect and thinks Christmas solves every problem, which of course it does in the Brady world. I did forget to mention Cindy (Jennifer Runyon replacing Susan Olson) who is treated like a child. She is expected to go to her parents house for Christmas, instead of having a boinking time at a ski resort before graduating college! Oh, and I did forget the maid Alice (Ann B. Davis) who is treated as a member of the family when her dear Sam abandons her and is not expected to cook for anyone, yet she remains the faithful maid till the end, cooking Christmas dinner and somehow still wearing her old blue uniform! Another doozy is that she is expected to pick all the kids up at the airport and carry their luggage! Shouldn't Mike do that?

What we learn from "A Very Brady Christmas" is that a mother can help a daughter fix her marriage by suggesting sex; singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" helps Mike Brady lift concrete slabs off of his legs; and the youngest child of the family, no matter how old he or she is, should sit at a separate table with tots. Couldn't the writers think of a more creative story for the Bradys? No wonder they were spoofed a few years later in "The Brady Bunch Movie." If all this is to your liking, you'll love this Brady movie. I loathed it.

Lonesome in his own Heartbreak Hotel

THIS IS ELVIS (1981)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

 

Elvis Presley is not just a rock and roll legend - by all accounts, he seemed to make it dangerous and brought the sex appeal to it right from its very roots. And in the intervening years after his Army stint, his various films, and some concerts to pull back the audience who loved him in the 1950's, he began to slide under the influence of drugs and sang some sappy songs, and some truly incredible, mind-blowing gospel type music. He had a revival and kept trying to revive himself...and had he not died, he might still be playing to sold-out crowds in the Vegas strip.

 

"This is Elvis" is a hugely enthralling and sometimes bizarre documentary with various reenactments and/or recreations of Elvis's childhood, his early teen years, and clearly odd moments such as Elvis visiting the hospital after his mother passed or swimming in the pool with Priscilla, his future wife. There is also tantalizing footage of the King of Rock and Roll himself, including now classic film clips from "Love Me Tender" and "Loving You." We see Elvis in his absolute prime, just before his G.I. Blues, in the Ed Sullivan Show and the Milton Berle show. After one of these tapings, Elvis could only be photographed from the waist up (Police file footage of one of the tapings might make one think: why did anyone think this was so obscene? Could it be the fact that Sun Records was looking for a white man who sang with a black sound and that this was potentially a problem in the racist America of the 1950's?) But when he gets back from the Army, he appears in a show hosted by Frank Sinatra ("The Frank Sinatra Timex Special") and, though the spark is there, Elvis is not quite there. It is a foreshadowing of the darker days ahead.

Johnny Harra as Elvis 42 (above)
David Scott as teen Elvis (below)

There is a wealth of previously unseen footage here (the private archives were generously given permission to the filmmakers by Colonel Tom Parker), from various press conferences where Elvis makes it clear he is just an entertainer and is not involved in speaking out politically, to a party in Germany where he is clowning around and smoking pot, to his wedding to Priscilla, to a Groucho Marx show where a female president of the Elvis Presley Fan Club shows off Elvis paraphernalia, to Elvis practicing karate with 10th degree Black Belt master and Elvis's bodyguard Ed Parker, to Elvis's final days where he is bloated and forgets the words to his own songs at a concert. And yet the voice transmits and is as beautiful and evocative as ever. Yet such scenes leaves one with some burning questions - would Elvis, who went beyond his devilish rock and roll classics to superb yet less rocky music like "Suspicious Minds," ever truly go back and make a dangerous record again? Or did his agent, Colonel Tom Parker, make it too difficult for him?

Several critics at the time of the film's release excoriated the filmmakers, Malcolm Leo and Andrew Solt (who went on to do 1985's "The Beach Boys: An American Band"), for the reenactments of key passages of Elvis's life. I rather enjoyed the good old days of Tupelo, Mississippi where we see a blonde-headed Elvis (Paul Boesnch III) singing at church and listening to some blues musicians in the segregated South. I also liked the opening sequence where we see Johnny Hara as a 42-year-old Elvis walking around his Graceland mansion (I've been in there and what is most striking is the numerous mirrors in every room). The teen Elvis years are also entertaining, though the late David Scott mostly shows how shy Elvis was in performing a song for a music class. Most of the Elvis impersonator bits do not bother me at all. I do find it a little silly to use actors to play concerned citizens about Elvis's welfare and his up and downs with Priscilla in the early 70's - it is all too obvious and pure hogwash (not to say fans were not concerned but who films and interviews a mechanic fixing his car in the middle of the road who is not even an Elvis fan?)

"This is Elvis" at its best shows a man at war with himself, overmedicating on prescription pills and Demerol (as evidenced by allegations from his former bodyguards). He ravages his appearance and his body, but not his voice. At the age of 42, Elvis died and left behind a legacy that is practically unparalleled in the history of rock and roll for good reason - he basically invented it. But a famous, iconic, generous family man with no privacy and a gradual loss of passion in his music, only to have it reinvigorated on occasion, is a tragic lesson in how crucial it is to maintain that balance between integrity and selling out while losing yourself by hiding. When he sings "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and forgets the words, it becomes both humorous, touching and sad. His power will live on because no matter who you are, Elvis will always be the king of rock and roll and this strange, brilliantly fragmented and condensed documentary proves it.

Footnote: Elvis's impersonators include blonde-haired Paul Boensch III as Presley at age 10 (Tupelo, Mississippi in 1946); David Scott as Presley at age 18 (Memphis in 1953, singing in high school, and at a Sun recording session); Dana MacKay as Presley at age 35, and Johnny Harra as Presley at age 42 (Opening credits, August 16, 1977). Paul Boensch III is alive and well and sells Rolex watches. Dana MacKay, an Elvis impersonator who lived with his girlfriend in a mansion called "Mini Graceland," were both murdered in their home in 1993 in a still unsolved cold case. David Scott committed suicide at the age of 30, eerily also in 1993. Johnny Hara, another Elvis impersonator, died in 2011 at the age of 64.

A better-than-average Bruce Lee imitator

GAME OF DEATH II aka TOWER OF DEATH (1981)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"Game of Death II" is not all it is cracked up to be. Released in 1981 under the title "Tower of Death" and multiple alternate titles, it is an in-name only sequel to the despicable original film. It also does not star Bruce Lee, though we are led to believe he has top billing thanks to cribbed inserts from some of his early work. Still, this is a far more entertaining and cartoonish sequel with incredible fight choreography to compensate for scant plot and story.

Tai Chung Kim stands in, as he did in "Game of Death," as the actor Bruce Lee playing Billy Lo (the famed international martial-arts star from the original). Billy is saddened by the death of his good friend and proficient kung-fu expert, Chin-Ku (Hwang Jang Lee), who died under mysterious circumstances. Chin-Ku's illegitimate daughter has some reel of film in a box, a box too small to fit a reel of 16mm film (unless it is 8mm and only a couple of minutes long). This reel of film may point to the culprit of Chin-Ku's death. We get a few fight scenes on the streets of Japan and in some greenhouse (the latter is a deleted sequence from "Game of Death"). Then we shift to Lee/Lung perusing some book of artistic pornography, ostensibly belonging to Billy Lo's brother. Then there is Chin-Ku's funeral where his tomb is taken away by the steel claws of a helicopter. Billy Lo grabs onto the tomb and is killed by a poison dart. Shift to Bobby Lo (also played by Tai Chung Kim) who wants revenge for his brother's death. He is shown the film that Chin-Ku's daughter had, which contains footage of the Palace of Death where the dangerously brutal Lewis (Roy Horan) resides. Lewis is so brutal that he will scratch your chest and bite your finger, and his valet will break your neck! But somewhere in this Palace of Death resides the Tower of Death, a sort-of upside-down pagoda!

"Game of Death II" is mediocre kung-fu theatrics until Bobby Lo arrives at the ominous Palace of Death. We also have to sidestep a laughable-looking lion that attacks Bobby (simply a man dressed up in a lion outfit) and a blonde beauty sent by Lewis or someone else to kill Bobby. The movie is forty minutes of several fight scenes with hundreds of minions in the Tower of Death and the palace guards. There is also a booby trap worthy of Indiana Jones, and a final fight that has got to be one of the longest most imaginatively choreographed fight scenes I've ever seen. It goes on for so long that you'll wonder why neither opponent gets tired.

I first saw this film on TV and noticed that clips of Bruce Lee were used mostly from "Fists of Fury." However, the DVD version uses outtakes and deleted scenes from "Enter the Dragon," including a meeting with Roy Chiao as the abbott. The clips are not seamless, at least not enough to give the illusion that Bruce Lee is in the film. As for the rest of the picture, it is mostly a retread of "Enter the Dragon," including a moment where Bobby Lo is dressed in the same black suit Bruce Lee wore in "Enter the Dragon" while parading around the Palace of Death at night.

Certain questions pop in while watching this highly unbelievable, though fun-filled, action picture. Is Lewis evil or does someone else in that island want Bobby Lo dead? Why does Lewis's valet pretend to be handicapped? Why did Chin-Ku leave a roll of film with his estranged daughter?

Questions of logic abound, but who cares about logic in a kung-fu film? For true grindhouse picture fans, there is sex, Bruce Lee (sort of), interminable fight scenes, plenty of cartoonish violence, sword and staff fights, hungry lions, peacocks flying at a master's request, bad dubbing, and the power of drug trafficking. For myself, "Game of Death II" has so much humor, unintentional and otherwise, and such terrific pacing and excellent fight sequences that I can't imagine anyone passing it up. It's not one of the greats in a disreputable genre but it gets high marks as a superior improvement over the original "Game of Death."

Living in a Less-than-Material World

GREY GARDENS (1975)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

 There is no way to describe "Grey Gardens" except as an elegiac poem of eccentric people. It is a devastatingly beautiful and serene documentary, unlike any I ever seen on any given subject. The fact that the Maysles brothers directed it (already having fashioned one of the best rock documentaries ever, "Gimme Shelter") should give everyone an understanding of how a documentary can be a work of art.

"Grey Gardens" takes place in a largely decrepit Easthampton, NY 28-room mansion where Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter, Little Edie, reside. Edith and Edie mostly sleep in the same room where they keep a radio - their only real communication to the outside world. Newspapers litter their beds, though Edie keeps her bed made for the most part. Their diet consist of canned goods - Mrs. Beale mostly eats corn. Cats are everywhere, as is their urine. The attic has a large hole in the wall where Edie feed slices of Wonder Bread to the raccoons. The kitchen has counters with mounds of dust and who knows what else. And this is the mansion at its best, it was declared unlivable and a health hazard at one time until the Beales cleaned it up, somewhat.

The strange aspect of "Grey Gardens" is that Mrs. Beale and her daughter are related to Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. You think they would ask for financial assistance but they are too stubborn and rebellious - the Beales are separate from what society expects of them. They wallow in filth and yet they are having a ball, to some degree. Mrs. Beale probably accepts that she will die in that mansion. Edie wants out but feels a responsibility to care for her ailing mother. Still, as she declares briefly, "I can't spend another winter at Grey Gardens." This documentary is like watching ghosts who have been forgotten and are living in isolation in an abandoned house.

"Grey Gardens" is not a comfortable viewing experience but it is an enlightening, poetic film due in part to the two women's discussions, rants, and raves and their desire to see some measure of optimism in their future. Mrs. Beale doesn't want the glamorous, beautiful pictures of yesteryear shown - she would rather forget the past. Edie insists on showing them, and sometimes she speaks in a whispering tone so her mother can't hear her - she wants to live in the present, not the past. Mrs. Beale sits outside on a lawn chair, taking in the sun, while Edie sunbathes on the beach. This is life in the mansion - separating their existence from the world that they are no longer a part of.

"Grey Gardens" is not exactly whimsical yet it is lyrical. The Maysles brothers have crafted an elegiac and bittersweet experience that is at odds with the norms and conventions of the typical documentary. It is sad yet uplifting, tragic yet strangely funny (no wonder this was later made into a Broadway musical). You won't soon forget Mrs. Beale or the singing Edie with her flowing skirts as she practices her dance moves in this deteriorating household. Yes, everything is falling apart yet they remain sane and stick to their fears, their longing to make amends, perhaps, and their desires. They want to escape the past, yet can't help but relive it in their hearts. A truly unique and heartfelt film.

Gobble, Gobble

BLOOD FREAK (1972)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia 

Talk about the ridiculous and the sublime! That might be "Plan 9 From
Outer Space," which stands as the most sublime and ridiculous cult
film of all time (though "Glen and Glenda" is the better movie). And then there are the psychotronic movies of the truly absurd variety, which are so stupefying and insanely botched visions that they merit some degree of analysis and context. I see what might have been with 1972's "Blood Freak," but it is such a messy piece of garbage that it is hard to get a handle on it.

A motorcyclist picks up a woman with car trouble. She is Angel (Heather Hughes), a strictly religious, Bible-thumping woman who invites the motorcycle stranger known as Herschell (Steven Hawkes) to a party where drugs make an appearance in the form of cocaine and weed. Herschell says no to drugs and advances from women at the party. Angel's flirtatious, sexed-up sister, Anne (Dana Cullivan) is at the party and she gets the standard preaching from Angel about the dangers of drugs and sex. Herschell seems inclined to believe in Angel, or so we think. Before long, he starts boinking Anne after she gets him to smoke weed at her pool, which he is either cleaning with some pole or it is one big phallic joke! He should've calmed Angel's moods, who wears an extremely short skirt! Who knew female Bible thumpers were so sexy!

"Blood Freak" degenerates even further when Herschell gets a job at a turkey farm and engages in an experiment by two scientists. In exchange for essentially being a human guinea pig, he gets to smoke all the weed he wishes. So what is the experiment? Eat a whole turkey. Wow. And then Herschell gets violent convulsions and literally becomes half-human and half-turkey. Talk about too many drugs - moderation, my brother, moderation.

I like summing up movies like this by illustrating the content of specific scenes. We have the titular man with a turkey head; various shots of turkeys in close-up; women being hung upside down with blood pouring out of their necks thanks to Mr. Turkey Man who has an unhealthy blood lust and kills his victims - some of them are junkies (of course, turkeys are killed the same way); a foot amputated by a table saw; Mr. Turkey Man having sex with Anne in complete darkness (and I do mean complete darkness - only the soundtrack tells us that some boinking is occurring); lots of drug usage; a rape attempt; an actual live turkey that has its head chopped off; and a Narrator (the director himself) chain-smoking and telling us of the moral choices that Herschell makes.

"Blood Freak" is a freak show that is so poorly made, it actually achieves a special charm for my Truly Moronic and Unintentionally Funny Bad Movie List. I was not bored by this movie but I will not likely see it again. I can only handle so many anti-drug, anti-smoking messages wrapped around a turkey's head.