The Lost Classic: Free Movies from the Multnomah Public Library in Portland

Point Break (1991, dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

2006-10-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

Point Break (1991, dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

What Is It?: A surprisingly effective actioner about a FBI agent infiltrating a surfer/bank thief gang.

What About It?: Yes, the movie that brought Keanu "Canoe" Reeves to the masses as an action star and the first action movie directed by a woman to be a financial success. Point Break really isn't a bad flick. Bigelow directs with a visual flair and an excellent feel for telegraphing character efficiently. The story itself is fairly standard undercover cop stuff, with buckets of new age-esque hullaballoo, but it somehow feels fresh in Bigelow's hands. In particular, Bigelow's use of an unusual voice over in the montage/extreme sports scenes was a gutsy decision. The Lost Classic can't imagine what it must have looked like on paper, but it worked pretty well. Somewhat ahead if its time, Point Break has spawned many hellish pretenders, but the original stands up.

Why Should I See It?: Because it's a fun movie, if a touch overlong. And there's fine character work handed in by Gary Busey, James LeGros in an early role, and the cranky John C. McGinley. The foot race between Reeves and Patrick Swayze is one of the best committed to celluloid, though the Lost Classic kept thinking of the poor stunt guy who had to run all that way and how stoked Swayze must've been that his character had a mask on.

What Else Is It Like?: The Fast and the Furious (more like a remake than 'similar'), Domino, xXx.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx

From Tugboats to Polar Bears (2004, dir. Matt McCormick)

2006-09-28T20:50:00.000-07:00

From Tugboats to Polar Bears (2004, dir. Matt McCormick)

What Is It?: A collection of short experimental films by local filmmaker Matt McCormick.

What About It?: That they are short or that they are experimental should not dissuade you from these delightful films. They are moving, funny, beautiful and thought-provoking, and all without tasting like medicine. The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal is the big "hit" among these shorts -- and where the still above is taken from -- a fascinating study in the where's and the why's of Portland's extremely aggressive graffiti abatement program. That and the bold statement -- perhaps tongue-in-cheek, perhaps not -- that, subconsciously, the graffiti abaters are the logical extension of such abstract expressionists as Rothko and Hoffman. Narrated by the delightful Miranda July. Equally engaging is Towlines, a meditation on, and history of, the tugboat. That, and there are shots of pitching flying from the top of a silo and back again from Grounded that the Lost Classic is still daydreaming about.

Why Should I See It?: Because you never see short films and, really, you should. Not because they're good for you, but because they taste great. And, when you're done, go to Matt's website and check out the video to dearly departed Sleater Kinney's Jumpers.

What Else Is It Like?: The Vyrotonin Decision reminded the Lost Classic of a couple of Stan Brackhage's shorts, but otherwise we're not too sure. You tell us.

Reserve It at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx

French Connection II (1975, dir. John Frankenheimer)

2006-09-22T22:38:00.000-07:00

French Connection II (1975, dir. John Frankenheimer)

What Is It?: The sequel to the 5-time Oscar winner (also available ON DEMAND until 11/16) following NYC detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle as he goes to Marseilles to find Heroin Distributor Alain Charnier, last seen getting away in the first film.

What About It?: An unusual sequel, not so much about more action or more chases but more about burrowing into Popeye's character. Allegedly much of the dialogue was improvised and it does have that feel -- Gene Hackman really wears Doyle's skin, but it makes for a somewhat ugly film. Shot with what feels like entirely telephoto lenses, rendering everything flat and in focus. Marseilles is depicted as gritty and urban and the audience is thrust into this confusing, unpleasant world just as Doyle is. When he's kidnapped by Charnier's coolies and, while imprisoned in some flop house, forced to shoot heroin, the film comes alive as we become invested in Doyle and the case.

Why Should I See It?: Primarily for Hackman's striking performance, up there with his best for sure. Also for the big set-piece chase scene. The first had the amazing car chase through Bensonhurst and though Frankenheimer is known for chase scenes -- he made the greatest race car movie of all time, Grand Prix, and Ronin has some of the best chases ever put on film -- he went with a riveting foot race.

What Else Is It Like?: Sudden Impact, Frantic, Rush.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

-- ddt/pdx

The Harder They Come (1972, dir. Perry Henzell)

2006-09-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Harder They Come (1972, dir. Perry Henzell)

What Is It?: A nifty outlaw/folk-hero story that introduced reggae to much of the Western world.

What About It?: Jimmy Cliff vaulted to the international music scene with this little low budget thriller, the first feature film to be made in Jamaica and one of the more popular "midnight movies" of the 70's. What's the big deal? Well, it's the music, mainly, as the outlaw tale is fairly well stripped from standard Western genre tropes -- not that there's anything wrong with that. Jimmy Cliff is charismatic as the anti-hero and the realism of the film -- the poverty and squalor of the shanty towns of Kingston -- is affecting. The many chase scenes are shot with a grittiness that leads to an urgency for the whole enterprise.

Why Should I See It?: Because you have a thing for movies with such heavily-accented English that you need subtitles? No, you're seeing this for the great musical numbers by Cliff, Desmond Dekker and Toots & the Maytals, terrific all.

What Else Is It Like?: Third World Cop, White Heat, Countryman.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bonus MP3:
Many Rivers To Cross - Jimmy Cliff (from The Harder They Come Soundtrack)

The Last Waltz (1978, dir. Martin Scorsese)

2006-09-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

The Last Waltz (1978, dir. Martin Scorsese)

What Is It?: Maybe the most acclaimed concert documentary of all time, filmed at the Thanksgiving Day, 1976 farewell concert of The Band.

What About It?: It's Music Week here at the Lost Classic and what better way to start it off than with this classic concert Rock Doc. Wildly overrated and far from perfect, there is still much amusement to be gleaned from many of the performances. Dr. John is ageless and terrific and Muddy Waters -- clearly enjoying himself -- hands in a great reading of "Mannish Boy". Hell, even Neil Diamond's inclusion, though somewhat baffling, makes some historical sense and the Lost Classic actually digs the tune (from Beautiful Noise, produced by Robbie Robertson a couple of years previous). Robertson, a close friend of Scorsese', is the embarrassingly obvious focus of the film: he's the only one having the time of his life, lucid in his anecdote-telling and visually ecstatic in his playing and singing (unheard -- allegedly his mic was turned off). This is his show and the handful of awkward scenes, misbegotten studio set pieces, and treacly and pretentious overtures it slows down, otherwise ...

Why Should I See It?: ... it's terrific. It was quite a party backstage and everyone is up, up, UP. Neil Young sings a vibrant "Helpless" with a rock of cocaine lodged in his nose (rotoscoped out for release), a disapproving Joni Mitchell sings "Coyote" and Bob Dylan comes off aloof and angry in an awesome hat. That, and The Band play all of their greatest songs, with a phenomenal performance of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" being the highlight.

What Else Is It Like?: Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock N' Roll, The Grateful Dead Movie, Festival Express.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bonus MP3:
The Weight - w/ Bob Dylan, Neil Young & The Band (03-23-75 San Francisco, CA) (from Move Around Brown)

Dark Days (2000, dir. Marc Singer)

2006-09-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Dark Days (2000, dir. Marc Singer)

What Is It?: A documentary about the "mole people" who lived in the closed tunnels beneath New York City. No alligators make the scene.

What About It?: A fascinating document about homeless people who carve out a place for themselves underneath the city and the continued efforts to find them a place to live by various social agencies. Shot in grainy Black and White largely because the director was told that he would make fewer mistakes as a rank amateur (which is true), visually, the film becomes a metaphor of sorts of how we view those who fall through the cracks of our families and our society. Singer not only got lucky with some amazing sequences -- see the train arriving when his guide is first taking him underground -- he clearly has a knack for framing his subjects. In addition, those selfsame subjects helped him make the film -- the crew was largely homeless people that Singer hired on to assist him.

Why Should I See It?: Because you like your VÃ©ritÃ© straight up and you like creepy, dark documentaries. And you like the great DJ Shadow, who composed an incredibly effective score for the film.

What Else Is It Like?: Brother's Keeper, Streetwise, Down and Out in America.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

Against the Wall [aka Quality of Life] (2004, dir. Benjamin Morgan)

2006-08-29T08:54:00.001-07:00

Against the Wall [aka Quality of Life] (2004, dir. Benjamin Morgan)

What Is It?: A well-crafted and heartfelt indie film about two graf writers living in the Mission District in San Francisco.

What About It?: Following Basquiat and Bomb the System, this film, though without the pedigree of the first and without the cash and caché that comes from its NYC location, Against the Wall is honestly a better film than both. Honest being the key word in that this is one of the more genuine films we've seen lately. The story is fairly simple -- and kinda besides the point -- but the director tells it exceedingly well, making the life that these two artists lead more lived in than a spectacle to watch. It doesn't feel like we're watching the characters in a zoo. It's neither preachy nor hectoring about the question of the ethics of street art, and makes the act of "bombing" seem as exciting as to make the characters as junked out as they are about it.

Why Should I See It?: It's a really good film, well-acted and -shot and -directed. And graffiti can be very cool.

What Else Is It Like?: The Graffiti Artist, Groove, Los Angeles Street Art.

Sadly, it's not available at the library as of this writing, but it is available at your local video store and here. Or harass the Multnomah County Library into ordering it.

--ddt/pdx

Basquiat (1996, dir. Julian Schnabel)

2006-08-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Basquiat (1996, dir. Julian Schnabel)

What Is It?: A biopic about the meteoric rise and swift demise of street artist-turned-New York-Art-Scene-Darling Jean-Michel Basquiat.

What About It?: The impressive directorial debut of 80's Art World superstar-cum-chubby egotist, Julian Schnabel, Basquiat is a well-crafted, vibrant -- if ultimately empty -- portrait of one of the first street artists to gain "legitimate" fame on the walls of galleries and museums. In his first starring vehicle, the perfectly cast Jeffery Wright disappears into the role and adds considerable depth to an otherwise shallow script. Fun cameos abound from Gary Oldman as Schnabel himself to David Bowie as Andy Warhol, wearing Warhol's actual hairpieces.

Why Should I See It?: An excellent example of the oft-tedious, completely fairly maligned genre of the biopic, Basquiat is both engaging and entertaining while giving the impression that we're learning about the enigmatic titular artist. That Wright turns in a terrific performance and Schnabel makes a colorful, well-edited film seems to be almost a bonus.

What Else Is It Like?: Love is the Devil, Vincent and Theo, the Scorsese bit of New York Stories.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

Darkman (1990, dir. Sam Raimi)

2006-08-11T08:28:00.000-07:00

Darkman (1990, dir. Sam Raimi)

What Is It?: A superhero B-movie made by the (future) maker of the Spider-Man series.

What About It?: Though Sam Raimi is not the Lost Classic's favorite, he sure did know how to liven up the superhero genre. This was his first mainstream flick after great cult success making Evil Dead I and II: Dead by Dawn. It's a fast-paced, visually restless comic book flick about a brilliant scientist way unfairly dipped into acid by evil real estate magnates, exacting his revenge as he slowly loses his mind.

Why Should I See It?: The DP Bill Pope and Raimi have a singular feel for camera placement that many of his generation lack. It's enjoyable all by itself and neat to see a once cult filmmaker make his first steps into the mainstream juggernaut that he's become. Interesting that two of the most successful filmmakers of the last decade, -- both critically and financially -- Raimi and Peter Jackson both were initially splatter-horror underground shooters before moving on to the Main of the

What Else Is It Like?: RoboCop, Face/Off, The Crow.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

Stagecoach (1939, dir. John Ford)

2006-08-08T23:18:00.000-07:00

Stagecoach (1939, dir. John Ford)

What Is It?: It's an action-adventure-western in which John Wayne is made from a bit player into the iconic star we know today.

What About It?: We're hard-pressed to think of a movie that's more fun than Stagecoach. One can look at the titular stage and see a microcosm of America or see the tensions between the classes as a statement on the America contemporaneous to the film, or you can just enjoy the archetype for most westerns -- not to mention most actioners, period -- that followed. Ford's beloved Monument Valley also makes its debut in this rollicking good-time of a film.

Why Should I See It?: Because the film is pure cinematic fun. From the first focus-pull on Wayne as the stage comes around the bend to the hilarious asides from Andy Devine, we can't think of a more enjoyable western -- and one that holds up so well.

What Else Is It Like?: Rio Bravo, The Plainsman, Ride the High Country.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

Lenny (1974, dir. Bob Fosse)

2006-08-07T13:02:00.000-07:00

Lenny (1974, dir. Bob Fosse)

What Is It?: The story of the rise and fall of seminal stand-up, Lenny Bruce.

What About It?: Bob Fosse, famed choreographer, directed this as his follow-up to the brilliant Cabaret. Though it doesn't reach that film's heights (how many do, though?), it is one of the best biopics of all time. Some critics complained upon release of its chilliness, or cold detachment, but we at the Lost Classic think they're looking at what the film isn't rather than what the film is. And what it is is one of the most beautifully shot, artfully cut (edited with a jazz-like acuity, perfectly married to the Miles Davis score) and masterfully acted film.

Why Should I See It?: For many reasons, we suppose, but first and foremost for Dustin Hoffman's staggering portrayal. Far more than a brilliant mimic of Bruce (though it is that, too), Hoffman brings Bruce to vivid life, disappearing into the role. One of the best perfomances in a decade rife with them.

What Else Is It Like?: Raging Bull, Man on the Moon, All That Jazz.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

Modern Romance (1981, dir. Albert Brooks)

2006-08-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

Modern Romance (1981, dir. Albert Brooks)

What Is It?: A romantic comedy about a neurotic film editor and the poor woman he tortures with his massive insecurities.

What About It?: The Lost Classic supposes that one either "gets" Albert Brooks or one doesn't. As he's more of an acquired taste than Woody can get stuck in folks' craw. We think he was pretty funny in his day, and Modern Romance is a fine example of a free-form comedy made in the wake of Annie Hall. Super Dave Osborne (aka Bob Einstein) and director James L. Brooks have very funny cameos as a shoe salesman and a hack film director respectively.

Why Should I See It?: It's very funny. The Super Dave scene wherein he's a pushy shoe salesman is worth the price of admission alone. Brooks taking a quaalude while in the throes of his self-imposed break-up is doubly so.

What Else Is It Like?: Annie Hall, Walking and Talking, Barcelona.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

--ddt/pdx

Shadow of a Doubt (1943, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

2006-08-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

Shadow of a Doubt (1943, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

What Is It?: A thriller of the highest order about an Uncle who may not be what he seems to his loving neice.

What About It?: Maybe Hitchcock's greatest film, oddly and woefully overlooked among contemporary film lovers, this is truly a Lost Classic in every sense of the term. The primary pleasure in this is you may not have seen it, and now you get to. Shadow boasts what might be Hitch's best screenplay -- written, in part, by Thornton Wilder, and a sublime performance from Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie and an atypical Hitchcock heroine (not blonde, not evil, not doomed) in Teresa Wright. It's about family, identity and loss of innocence.

Why Should I See It?: Because you love movies and you want to see one of the best ever made. Duh.

What Else Is It Like?: The Fallen Idol, Suspicion, Blue Velvet.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

-- ddt/pdx

Beautiful Girls (1996, dir. Ted Demme)

2006-07-29T16:12:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Girls (1996, dir. Ted Demme)

What Is It?: It's a darkish, Gen X-dude-turning-30-doesn't-know-what-the-next-step-is ensemble comedy.

What About It?: Ted Demme carved himself an interesting little career before he had a cocaine-induced heart attack playing a game of basketball. He directed Denis Leary in his first filmed stand-up gigs and also directed him in his first starring vehicle, the excellent black comedy, The Ref, which also introduced Kevin Spacey to the mainstream. After The Ref's mild success, he made Beautiful Girls. He had a modicum of autonomy and his film, though awkwardly plotted has many high points.

Why Should I See It?: It's an interesting mid-90's time capsule with good performances from all of the principals. Timothy Hutton turns in a charming, low-key starring performance and the supporting cast -- even Rosie -- is terrific. The general feel of working class New England in unnamed town (or state for that matter) is nailed here. Also, The Lost Classic is hard pressed to think of another film that has such athoritative authentic snow. It just feels like the hideous New England winters. That, and the title track is a great Tom Petty rip-off.

What Else Is It Like?: Sleep With Me, Walking and Talking, Kicking and Screaming.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library.

-- ddt/pdx

The Man From Laramie (1955, dir. Anthony Mann)

2006-07-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

The Man From Laramie (1955, dir. Anthony Mann)

What Is It?: An angry revenge western starring the great Jimmy Stewart in a bitter lead role.

What About It?: The fifth and last of Anthony Mann's collaborations with Stewart (Bend of the River is another good one) defies a simple explaination, though we'll try. Stewart plays a wagon train runner who delivers goods to a dusty outpost at the "end of the West" -- beautiful New Mexico -- and stays on to find out who sold the guns to the Apaches that killed his brother. That, and they burned his wagons for stealing salt. Great, multilayered supporting work from Mann regular Arthur Kennedy.

Why Should I See It?: Mann's Stewart westerns are terrific, interesting and belie the notion that there were no complicated, interesting westerns prior to the revionist western movement of the 60's and 70's. Dramatic and entertaining.

What Else Is It Like?: Unforgiven, Forty Guns, 7 Men From Now.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

--ddt/pdx

Kings & Queen (2005, dir. Arnaud Desplechin)

2006-06-29T16:58:00.000-07:00

Kings & Queen (2005, dir. Arnaud Desplechin)

What Is It?: A critically acclaimed, though little-seen, French, ah, tragiocomic-romantic-drama? Something like that.

What About It?: Desplechin is well-known is his home country as a terrifically gifted director who makes intricately constructed, but easy-to-enjoy films. Kings & Queen was something of a breakthrough here in the states, though still far under the radar of most filmgoers.

Why Should I See It?: This is a big, sprawling film that still has a sense of intimacy unmatched by any film in the Lost Classic's recent memory, there is so much to recommend this movie. The two main characters, Ismaël and Nora, are engaging and mesmerizing. The narrative is fractured, but not in a painful, Tarantino-esque way, more of a novelistic meandering. The more you see this film, the more you get out of it. For example, there is a scene in the third act that knocked the breath out of us. It was the perfect kind of surprise -- one that enriches everything that came before, rather than undercuts it. This was easily the best film of 2005 (with only the very different The New World coming close). Watch it more than once.

What Else Is It Like?: Thieves, Irma Vep, Nenette et Boni.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

--ddt/pdx

In Good Company (2004, dir. Paul Weitz)

2006-06-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

In Good Company (2004, dir. Paul Weitz)

What Is It?: A romantic dramedy about a sad-sack, newly-divorced, young turk ad exec who falls in love with the daughter of the man whose job he just was handed post-evil-big-company takeover.

What About It?: This movie came and went when it arrived without much notice, one would imagine because of the lack of the appeal of the What Is It? above. That, and the star is That 70's Show alum Topher Grace, not your first choice for latter-day romantic leads. But it was directed by Paul Weitz, who brought us the surprisingly good About a Boy, a maudlin, self-important book turned into a fascinating humanistic comedy. He reminds the Lost Classic a little but of a kind of latter-day, budget Renoir in his obvious interest in what makes interpersonal relationships tick. Weitz, who wrote the film as well, has a deft touch for both the comedy and the drama here. In particular, he directs Grace with a peculiar agility and a naturalistic touch. Dennis Quaid (in his excellent supporting mode here, a la Traffic or Far From Heaven, as opposed to his charmingly smirky starring mode) underplays his role surprisingly well and the lovely and talented -- and new muse for Woody Allen -- Scarlett Johannson does more than you would imagine with a fairly straightforward part.

Why Should I See It?: To see a moving, well-written, -acted and -directed film with the love story framed entirely by heartbreaking Iron & Wine songs, to great effect (in particular the credit-sequence tune, "The Trapeze Swinger" is a doozy. Also, the film looks at corporate life in a even-handed, nuanced manner that's highly unusual for a Hollywood movie. A true sleeper.

What Else Is It Like?: About a Boy, The Apartment, Wonder Boys.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx

Stray Dog (1949, dir. Akira Kurosawa)

2006-06-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Stray Dog (1949, dir. Akira Kurosawa)

What Is It?: A rookie detective has his gun stolen on a crowded train and he must track it down before it's used in bombed-out, post-war Tokyo.

What About It?: A furiously-paced, humanistic noir thriller -- the first Japanese detective flick, if you can believe it -- Stray Dog is compulsively watchable and totally entertaining. Now, before we get ahead of ourselves here, we here at the Lost Classic understand the difficulty with subtitles and with older films, too. We find that if you can see acting styles and cinematic styles as a continuum -- that this led to and informed the things that we love today -- then it's easier to meet the film eye to eye, so to speak, and enjoy it as a movie. We aren't here to recommend movies that are good for you; to the contrary, we want you to be entertained -- which is why we all rent movies. And we love movies.

Why Should I See It?: There's a scene at the mid-way point of this film that feels like a great documentary about post-war Japan, with the main character, played by the esteemed Toshiro Mifune, wandering the back alleyways and black markets of Tokyo. It's both compelling and moving. And we swear that the fellow playing the titular Stray Dog looks exactly like Steve Buscemi when he first appears. Let us know if you agree.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx

Deconstrucing Harry (1997, dir. Woody Allen)

2006-06-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Deconstrucing Harry (1997, dir. Woody Allen)

What Is It?: A very black comedy about a famed writer -- and all-around bad human being -- trying to get to an honoring ceremony at his alma mater.

What About It?: Though it's from the end of his period where he was seemingly trying to work with every living white actor in the western world, and it was sandwiched between the execrable Everyone Says I Love You and Celebrity, this poisonous little flick has a lot to offer. First, it has the most interesting editing in an Allen film dating back to his early-70's heyday, matching the rhythm of the film to various scat anthems, opening with a mesmerizingly, sputteringly furious Judy Davis arriving to "Twisted" sung by Annie Ross. Secondly, it offers a fascinatingly self-depricating, truly unpleasant -- yet still funny -- Woody Allen. To be clear, we here at The Lost Classic HQ's basement bunker have long grown tired of the Woodsters schtick, so it was refreshing and genuinely amusing to watch his self-loathing take such a pure, bitter form.

Why Should I See It?: More than a mere curiosity, however, the film offers a kind of cinematic version of the "horrid little man," -- in the words of the Official Wife of the Lost Classic -- Phillip Roth. As none of his unapologetically autobiographically-informed novels has ever been made into a watchable film, this stands as a fascinating record. All that aside, however, the film is interesting, well-written and genuinely, darkly funny.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx

Blow Out (1981, dir. Brian De Palma)

2006-06-17T21:12:00.000-07:00

Blow Out (1981, dir. Brian De Palma)

What Is It?: A bleak, exciting political thriller about a man who witnesses an assasination of a presidential favorite and his struggle with the aftermath.

What About It?: Though (arguably) overpraised by Pauline Kael in his heyday, De Palma has fallen on largely deaf ears in the years that have followed. Today, he's praised only by a select few Kaelites left (no disrespect intended) who appreciate his singular gifts, which is a shame. He's a intelligent, funny filmmaker who knows when to crib from Hitchcock and when to put his own peurile cinematic impulses on display.

Why Should I See It?: Blow Out, a kind of re-imagining of the seminal Blowup (1966, dir. Antonioni), tells the story of a B-movie sound engineer who accidentally records the fatal accident of the favored presidential hopeful and the unraveling of his life following the incident. De Palma makes the best 70's political conspiracy thiller you've ever seen (in 1981, natch). And it'll remind you of the magnetic actor John Travolta once was without having to watch Saturday Night Fever again.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx

7 Men from Now (1956, dir. Budd Boetticher)

2006-01-12T14:34:00.000-08:00

7 Men from Now (1956, dir. Budd Boetticher)

What Is It?: A taut revenge western about a man hunting down his wife's killers.

What About It?: The release of Budd Boetticher's 7 Men from Now, is a formerly rare event that we are happily getting used to in the era of re-releases on DVD (in the wake of the CES, we wonder what the future will bring us, tinted as it will be with Blu-ray or HD-DVD-hued glasses). Originally produced by John Wayne's Batjac company as a B-Reel picture, this was raised to classic status by the writings of French New Wave-era critic, Andre Bazin, who abhorred the coming of the "Super Western" of Shane or High Noon, and preferred the honest, lean going's on in a taut little revenge flick like this one.

Why Should I See It?: And revenge is the task at hand in this first collaboration with Boetticher and Randolph Scott (they would go on to film 6 more). As Scott hunts down the 7 men who were culpable for the death of his wife, marvel at the lean, spare storytelling. One can easily see the line drawn from Randolph Scott to Eastwood and from Boetticher to Tarantino (esp. the Kill Bill series). Highly recommended.

Reserve it at the Multnomah Public Library

If you are so inclined, you can read all about Boetticher in this fine book, Horizons West by famed San Francisco film scholar, Jim Kitses.

-- ddt/pdx