Don't Bother to Knock

Marilyn Monroe is known as the quintessential sex symbol. Anyone who's seen The Seven Year Itch or Gentlemen Prefer Blondes can see why, But being me, I'm trying to watch some of her more professional work.

So far I've seen Some Like It Hot and The Misfits, as well as her small part in All About Eve. I have also seen her fantastic work in Roy Ward Baker's Don't Bother to Knock. Instead of being the sultry blonde, Monroe's Nell Forbes is someone who is distant from the rest of society. Her mind works differently than everyone else, and you wonder what runs through it.

In a sense, Nell shows tints of Monroe's psyche. She's clearly unhinged just from her own being. Nell is a femme fatale, but not in the same vein as Barbara Stanwyck or Gloria Grahame. In a sense, the only true victim in Don't Bother to Knock is Nell herself.

Don't Bother to Knock is still effective after nearly sixty years. Along with Monroe, there's also some great work from Richard Widmark and a fresh-faced Anne Bancroft. Definitely worth checking out.

My Rating: *****

The Breakfast Club

Even after his passing several years ago, I still haven't seen much of John Hughes' work. The only titles I can brag about are Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Planes, Trains and Automobiles. Doesn't mean I'm not trying.

As most everyone knows, Hughes captured the many awkward moments in a teenager's life. (Who hasn't gone "That was so me in high school!" when watching one of his movies?) Ferris Bueller's Day Off made me realize I need to live life to the fullest while I'm still young. (I didn't steal my dad's Ferrari though. Or in reality, his Porsche.)

The Breakfast Club shows the many types of teenagers you'll find in the average high school: the brain (Anthony Michael Hall), the athlete (Emilio Estevez), the princess (Molly Ringwald), the criminal (Judd Nelson) and the basketcase (Ally Sheedy). I knew these exact types of people in high school, so I could understand them and their problems. (For me, I'm a weird mix between Nelson and Sheedy.)

I got a good kick of nostalgia from this. (I'm only a college freshman, but whatever.) Of course high school was hell for me as I'm sure it was for everyone else, but one thing is for certain however. It's about the people you from then.

My Rating: ****1/2

Victim

By the time the 1960's rolled around, there were a lot of movies that were considered groundbreaking, most of them released during the 1960's.

Decades before Brokeback Mountain, Victim was released when homosexuality was still considered a crime in both the United States and the United Kingdom. It was a daring move for director Basil Dearden, an even more daring movie for star Dirk Bogarde who had established himself as a leading man (and was also gay).

Bogarde gives one hell of a performance as Melville Farr. A number of his shots has a beam of light focused on his face, mainly his eyes. Bogarde was one of those actors who acted his eyes as much as he did with his words. That's what makes that beam of light important. He shows a wounded nature within, especially early on.

Victim is a really great movie, however it gets a tad crammed after a while. I love Bogarde's work as stated earlier. This was perhaps responsible for movies of similar themes released within the last thirty or so years. Because after all, one thing can have a big effect.

My Rating: ****1/2

Blackboard Jungle

There are movies that showcase prominently what period of time they're from. Sometimes it works, other times not so much.

Blackboard Jungle practically screams out that it was made in the 1950's. Don't get me wrong. It's a good movie, but it's just that the subject matter is something that could only be pulled off in the 1950's. It wouldn't have worked in any other decade.

Compare Blackboard Jungle to Rebel Without a Cause, which was released the same year. Both focus on the subject of juvenile delinquency, but they're from different perspectives. Blackboard Jungle is from the adults' point of view while Rebel Without a Cause is from the teenagers' point of view. Either way, both movies depict how misunderstood teenagers during the 1950's were.

Blackboard Jungle, as I mentioned, is good but it's too 1950's. What's shown isn't relevant to today's standards, however one could view this as an exploitation movie (or something of the sort). All in all, it's worth checking out to those who are curious.

My Rating: ****

The China Syndrome

You know how some manage to predict events in life before they happen? The most recent example is the Chilean miners and the media frenzy surrounding it. Billy Wilder covered an almost identical story fifty-nine years earlier with Ace in the Hole.

With The China Syndrome, it was released just in a matter of weeks before the Three Mile Island incident. Both the storyline for The China Syndrome and what happened at Three Mile Island are startling similar. Just imagine what it was like back in 1979 when it happened.

The China Syndrome stars Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, three actors I call favorites. It's amusing with Fonda and Douglas because both exhibit traits their fathers were known for in their work. Fonda shows determination in getting the right facts while Douglas raises hell in his wake. But this show belongs to Lemmon. He adds the touch of experience within the trio. He also displays what happens when you thought you knew everything about something.

The China Syndrome is one of those movies that grabs you and doesn't let go until the very end. Your nerves will become taut as the movie progresses. Plus, who doesn't love a conspiracy thriller?

My Rating: *****

Look Back in Anger

The subject of marriage has been examined countless times. Some occasions show why the subjects fell in love, but it's not the case every time.

In Look Back in Anger, the marriage of Jimmy (Richard Burton) and Alison (Mary Ure) is so estranged you wonder what made them fall in love in the first place. (That theme would also be examined in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, another work of Burton's.) They have moments of passion early on, but it's all downhill afterwards.

Jimmy is so dissatisfied with his life with Alison, he will spew his discontent onto her, regardless of what she thinks. Jimmy is also physically abusive towards Alison, as well as other women. He doesn't hate women however. If he did, he wouldn't have gotten married in the first place.

Look Back in Anger is good, but it pales in comparison to Room at the Top, which was released the same year and focuses on similar themes. I like Burton's work, but it looks weak next to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, again similar themes. It's still good though.

My Rating: ****

Control

Every now and then, a musical biopic gets released. The more notable examples (and subjects) include Walk the Line (Johnny Cash), Ray (Ray Charles) and The Doors (Jim Morrison).

Control is about Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis. Both names aren't as well known today but back in the late 70's, both were some of the biggest names in the music world. Ian is portrayed by Sam Riley, and he's great in this. He has this little boy lost look on his face, mostly because everything has happened to him so suddenly. His marriage, the success, all occurred when he was still young.

One scene I really liked was when Ian is confronted by his wife Debbie (the always great Samantha Morton) about his affair. She voices her opinion on the matter, but he remains quiet. It isn't until after she leaves the room that Ian falls apart. He tells Debbie that he loves her, and I love Debbie's response: "What does that mean?" Cold but honest.

Control is such a great movie. Anton Corbijn, a photographer before becoming a director, makes this appear as though he's been making movies for years rather than for the first time. Control looks like a living photograph, chronicling the struggles of a man whose life slowly consumed him.

My Rating: *****

Odd Man Out

Carol Reed is famous for two completely different movies: the film noir The Third Man and the musical Oliver! He has made a variety of movies, but he's known for those two.

Odd Man Out was made two years before The Third Man, and from watching it you can foretell what is to come. Like The Third Man, Odd Man Out is shot within the many dark corners of the city. The city is a character in itself.

Odd Man Out stars James Mason, a fine actor who I consider underrated by today's standards. I continually forget that he was in The Verdict and North by Northwest, but his work in A Star is Born and Bigger Than Life has stuck with me. So has Odd Man Out. He's slowly suffering throughout, but he isn't left alone to suffer. The city and its inhabitants won't let him be.

If you compare Odd Man Out to The Third Man too much, it makes it clear that The Third Man is the superior one. That doesn't mean Odd Man Out isn't as good. There are certain aspects that work better in The Third Man, but Odd Man Out is a fine film in its own right.

My Rating: ****1/2

Lenny

Bob Fosse is famous for his association with musicals, whether it be directing them (Cabaret, All That Jazz) or acting in them (Kiss Me Kate). But he has also done straight-up dramas.

In this case, Lenny. This biopic is about comedian Lenny Bruce, who preceded George Carlin when it came to lewd comedy. Bruce is portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, who is fantastic here. He goes through the plights the average person would've faced then (drugs, infidelity), but Hoffman also shows what's running through Bruce's mind.

Bruce was one of the most outspoken names in the entertainment business (his acts are solid proof). Hoffman shows that underneath the crass persona, there is a person scared of society. In the scenes set in the courtroom, he's constantly looking around the room. He's looking for a way out, mainly through the jury giving him an acquittal. Take note of the scenes after his first arrest. His acts criticize how society judges others, including himself. He's trying to confront society, but it's a losing battle.

Lenny is one of the great movies of the 1970's. Each actor plays their part excellently. If you haven't seen it, then you're in for a treat.

My Rating: *****

BOOK VS MOVIE: Get Shorty

Snappy dialogue. That's one thing I relish. Whether in books (High Fidelity, Slam) or movies (numerous film noirs, comedies from the 1940's), I just love it.

Elmore Leonard is one of the more prolific authors whose works have attitude. (Why else would Tarantino have wanted to adapt Rum Punch into Jackie Brown?) Thanks to Scott Frank's script, Leonard's mood is abundant in Get Shorty, which is just as good as Leonard's book itself.

Just a little bit more on Leonard, then I'll move on. His writing style rubbed off on me. It's easy flowing, which can somewhat describe my writing here. That's probably why I liked the book so much. My writing and Leonard's writing are practically one in the same.

The movie itself is a lot of fun. You just can't resist John Travolta's ice cool attitude. Think of his Chili Palmer as a more laid back Vincent Vega. Gene Hackman (who was mentioned in the book) is just a joy to watch. (He played the part straight as recommended by director Barry Sonnenfield.) Danny DeVito is just downright funny as semi-Method actor Martin Weir. (Leonard based Martin off Dustin Hoffman.) Bonus are a pre-The Sopranos James Gandolfini as a supposedly bumbling hood and Harvey Keitel in an awesome cameo.

It's hard for me to say which version I like more since they're practically identical. They each have their own perks, so it makes harder for me to pick favorites. So I won't.

What's worth checking out?: I'd go with both.