Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur
(1959) [Trailer]
Director: William Wyler [IMDB]

When I die I hope I'm remembered for something. I don't know, maybe this website and my words written down here will serve as a gateway into the kind of person I was (if the internet is still around then.) Maybe the music I write or the art I make will inspire someone I knew to create something meaningful to them. I just hope this wasn't all for nothing. I don't know what the hell this has to do with Ben-Hur, I just felt like writing, and this is my platform to do so... deal with it.

Synopsis: Charlton Heston plays a Jew who lives under Roman rule in the time of Jesus. He runs into some problems with an old Roman friend and.... what the hell... this movie is long as shit and it's next to impossible to summarize in the normal one to two sentences that I always use... it's an epic, you get the idea.

Ben-Hur is considered a classic masterpiece and in the AFI's top 100. I'm trying to knock out the 25 films I haven't seen in that list... so here you go.

This film is impressive and besides Gone With the Wind, it's the longest film I've ever sat through.  Unlike Gone With the Wind, I didn't love it. It's fine and something I would recommend you watch once in your life... but that's the thing... I don't think I'd ever watch this again.

I loved all the elements surrounding Ben-Hur and his struggle, but found the injection of the story of Jesus to be pointless and I don't think it helped the film. I think the two stories would work well on their own, but in culmination with one another, they felt unharmonious. There are lots of fantastic films about the life of Jesus, why try to marry it with Ben-Hur's story. I'm sure there are tons of people who would disagree, and that's fine, but for me, if they trimmed Ben-Hur up a little you may have found a better movie in there somewhere. Especially towards the end, it takes a huge dive and I really started to lose interest.

One quick note: The film craftsmanship is insane and the efforts it must have taken to make this thing are mind boggling... I can see why it won so many oscars.

I don't think I could ever make something as grandiose as Ben-Hur and reviewing it seems silly, but I have to keep busy... death is ever present and I'm just trying to forget it's on its way. Blog on.

Singin' in the Rain

Singin' in the Rain
(1952)
Directors: Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen

I was positive (but not certain, so it doesn't count) that I had seen Singin' in the Rain before getting into it tonight, but after watching it, I definitely had not. I'm not a huge musical guy, but I'm open minded and will always give a movie a chance.

Synopsis: A famous silent movie actor has to learn how to adapt to the talkies... what are talkies you ask? Look it up.

Singin' in the Rain fun and light, definitely an engaging musical starring highly competent entertainers. I liked the film over all and thought it was one of the best musicals I have seen (that's not saying much.) The "Make Em Laugh" montage by the sidekick guy was really awkward but the "Gotta Dance/Broadway Rhythm " number was incredibly awesome, especially the lights and stage set ups. Considering the timeframe in which this came to fruition, it's no surprise why it was so influential. Oh yeah... almost forgot... this scene gets the film an extra Arnold... I loved it. 

The African Queen

The African Queen
(1951) [Trailer]
Director: John Huston [IMDB]

This review is a long time coming. I picked this up on blu-ray awhile back and have been meaning to get to it. I've reviewed a few John Huston films on here before and they are always a hit, so I was definitely excited to sit down with this classic.

Synopsis: Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn slowly start to  gain feelings for one another as they set course down river on the African Queen to do battle against a German river boat during WWI.

John Huston is an extremely entertaining director. All his films I've seen thus far are always jam packed with excitement and interest. The African Queen is no different. It feels timeless and solid, taking no time to unfold.

One of the greatest strengths of this film is its location. The scenes of the river flowing through Africa really look incredible in 1080p and the blu-ray is a must for any real collector.

Bogart and Hepburn's chemistry works in a weird way. At first she has a prudish vibe to her and acts like his boss. Slowly that fades and wonderment of the African river takes her over, making her drop her facade. I think it's then that Bogart sees the real person before him that he falls for. It all plays out so smoothly and locks you in.

I'm a fan of this title and like all the Huston film's I've seen, it has huge rewatch potential.

More Hitchcock: Rebecca, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, Dial M for Murder.

If you follow my musings here at the Williams Film Review, you may know that I recently crushed an insane Hitchcock marathon. 14 titles, the most of any film marathon I've done on here and you know I love a marathon. At the end of that review I said something about Hitchcock being one of the greatest of all time and that I was going to pick up more titles to review.... so here you go.

Rebecca

(1940) [Trailer]

Director: Alfred Hitchcock [IMDB]

Synopsis: A wealthy Englishman remarries a young bride who's having a hard time filling the shoes of his deceased wife.

This films does a fantastic job of taking you in one direction then throwing you for a loop. You know how people say M Night Salami always has a twist in his movies, well Hitch did it first and did it better (not that I hate M Night.) I love how the film opens with the dark, yet hypnotic, recalling of a dream.

I really liked watching this and it holds up exceptionally well for it's age.

Notorious

(1946) [Trailer]

Director: Alfred Hitchcock [IMDB]

Synopsis: A young "party girl" whose father is charged with being a traitor, breaks rank and helps the government spy on some german's down in Rio.

I really enjoyed Ingrid Bergman in this film. She's someone whose situation is a bit sticky and I started to feel myself empathize with her. Nowadays girls are loose and easy, no one gives a shit. Back in the 40's, if you drank and had a few different relationships, you're a slut... jeez.

Anyways the film, it's good. Nothing monumental, but still a really interesting watch. Claude Rains is up in there too... love Claude Rains... love em'.

   

Strangers on a Train

(1951) [Trailer]

Director: Alfred Hitchcock [IMDB]

Synopsis: Robert Walker plays a crazed rich kid who tries to lure Farley Granger into a plan to kill both his father and Farley's wife.

If this film were made today you could cast Kevin Spacey as Robert Walker's character and Keanu Reeves could play Farley Granger's character and you'd have about the same outcome in terms of performance. There's a lot of really cool scenes in this film... some note worthy moments are: the view of the murder from the reflection on the glasses, this scene, and the merry go round scene at the end. Farley Granger is pretty bad at times and brought the film down a little for me, but other than that it's a pretty entertaining ride.

Dial M for Murder

(1954) [Trailer]

Director: Alfred Hitchcock [IMDB]

Synopsis: A wealthy women still has feelings for her old flame, when her husband finds out he concocts a plan to murder her.

This film is so precise and thorough. There's a lot of work that goes into planning the perfect murder and for those of you who think you've got yours mapped out, you should probably watch this film first. It's a great deductive piece and Hitchcock presents it in a highly entertaining way. All the players were great and pretty believable in their roles.

It's not a perfect film, but pretty close and definitely worth a poke if you're into CSI and shit like that.

Peter Pan

Peter Pan
(1953) [Trailer]
Directors: Clyde Geronimi [IMDB], Wilfred Jackson [IMDB], Hamilton Luske [IMDB]

This week saw the arrival of Disney's animated classic Peter Pan on the most superior format available for your viewing pleasure... blu-ray disc. Being an avid collector and lover of all things Disney... you know I picked it up... here's the review.

Synopsis: Who the hell doesn't know the story of Peter Pan?

I haven't seen Peter Pan since I was playing hide and go seek and believed in Santa Claus. It's a classic tale that has been retold a few different times, but this has always been my favorite version. This isn't a perfect movie, but pretty fun and effective for what it is. I also didn't realize how much of a hater Tinker Bell was, she basically tries to kill Wendy at one point... it's pretty interesting.

The animation still holds up and looks flawless on blu-ray... mainly to do with Disney's superior transfer method of sourcing straight from the digital masters used to create the original film. If you're fan of Disney animation, this title is a must.

Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection

I received the most bad ass blu-ray box set for Christmas this year.... the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection. I will now give a brief breakdown and review of the set.

Saboteur
(1942)
I loved how Saboteur opened up with the smoke against the wall, it looked like something out of a David Lynch film. This was entertaining and a nice little mystery piece. It was a little heavy handed at times and the ending could have been stronger, but ultimately it was a good intro piece to this set.

Shadow of a Doubt
(1943)
This is just a great story in itself and even without Hitchcock's direction, would still probably be pretty entertaining. I loved the way Shadow of a Doubt opens in this dark depressing room... it sparks an interesting character study on the secretive Uncle Charlie. There are a few parts where it slowed a little for me, but it didn't bring the overall experience down. One quick note... I loved the dialogue between the neighbor and the father.

Rope
(1948)
Rope is a fantastic little gem in this collection and the first of the films in color. Again, this is another great story and to see it play out on screen was a delight. I love the use of all the long takes that Hitchcock incorporates, it's pretty cool for a film from the 40's. Jimmy Stewart is awesome in this and I also loved John Dall who stole the show in my opinion. The closing shot to this film is one of the greatest endings to a film I've seen in a long time.

Rear Window
(1954)
I'm only four films in but one thing I've noticed already is that there is such ease to watching a Hitchcock film... they really feel timeless and extremely entertaining. Rear Window is no exception. This film is a masterpiece and set the bar high for the other films I have left in this collection. Jimmy Stewart rules in this, watching him watch other people and just seeing his reaction to everything is great. The other impressive thing is the set, I couldn't tell if it was a real building or not. Rear Window unfolds perfectly and leaves you wondering the whole way through if the neighbor is a killer or not. Absolutely my favorite so far.

The Trouble with Harry
(1955)
Another pleasing selection from Mr Hitchcock. The Trouble with Harry is probably the best looking of the all the films so far, it had incredible cinematography. This is a brilliant comedy and one that has an interesting view on murder. All of the players involved seem completely unfazed by the dead body they've stumbled upon and watching them handle the corpse is part of the fun... it's all very macabre.

The Man Who Know Too Much
(1956)
The Man Who Knew Too Much could be released tomorrow, with all current actors and modern techniques... and it would be a huge hit. By now I've realized how many people rip off Hitchcock.... it's comical. This film is solid and extremely well executed. James Stewart is the man. The ending is a heavy hitter.

Vertigo
(1958)
I've been wanting to check Vertigo out for awhile now, but have held off until this set was released in order to partake in a proper viewing of the film. It is awe inspiring and a testament to the power of blu-ray. The visuals and cinematography are stellar and you can see why this is such a highly influential film. Jimmy Stewart cranks out another great performance... I love Jimmy Stewart. Vertigo is a highly suspenseful story and it takes a few crazy turns that I didn't expect, especially the ending, which is brilliant. I dug this film big time.

North by Northwest
(1959)
One of the best chase films I've seen. North by Northwest is quality entertainment and peaked my interest throughout it's entire run time. Both Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint are great together. It's apparent to me how influential this film was on later films that followed. Actually, I've noticed that a lot so far... so many people rip off Hitchcock.

Psycho
(1960)
It's been a long time since I've seen Psycho and I forgotten how awesome it is. The score is one of the greatest out there, it makes this film so much stronger. I actually watched half of (I fell asleep) the 1998 remake right after this (I will not be reviewing it) and it's so crazy how much better the original is. You also realize after watching the remake how much more effective Anthony Perkins and Vera Miles were. I'm a big fan of this film, it's a must if you're into thrillers and horror.

The Birds
(1963)
The Birds is half love story, half horror film. It takes it's time to get to the horror, instead Hitchcock toys with the audience and injects little slivers of the impending doom that's ahead. Some of the effects used didn't hold up that well, but I still enjoyed them, especially the scene of the group of kids being chased by blood hungry crows... or were they blackbirds?

Marnie
(1964)
The girl from The Birds returns for Marnie, she's also accompanied by Sean Connery, both do a good job. There's a few moments where the acting seemed a little over the top, especially coming from the mother. Marnie has a cool story behind it but the ending seemed a little over done... still it's a good film.

Torn Curtain
(1966)
A decent enough flick. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews were engaging but the story is so-so. I felt like it dragged a little towards the end. There's a cool scene at a farm house where Newman fights a German, that was the highlight for me. Torn Curtain is fine I guess, I would rank it low on the list compared to the others.

Topaz
(1969)
My least favorite at this point. Topaz is pretty boring. There's a bunch of characters and no real development of them. The story is pretty lack luster and the acting is average to below average. I'd pass on this one.

Frenzy
(1972)
A pleasing crime thriller which keeps you hooked in throughout the whole ride. The protagonist, Jon Finch, did a great job and the supporting cast were all fantastic. It's not perfect, but a rad little film that's worth the time.

Family Plot
(1976)
Family Plot rounds out the collection and is the last film Hitchcock ever made. Bruce Dern (from The Burbs!) is awesome in this. It's a pretty interesting film but starts to where out its welcome towards the end. There's a great score and fantastic cinematography as always. It's a nice way to go out... not perfect, but nowhere near bad.

After watching 14 Hitchcock films back to back I can say one thing for certain... there is an inherent watchability to everything he does. Even his films that aren't great, are still good and far superior than the best titles from an average director. Hitchcock is master auteur and is able to visualize such a complete work of art from beginning to end... it is incredible how harmonious all of his films are. I'd now say he sits in the upper echelon of my favorite directors and I just ordered a bunch of his other titles I haven't seen yet... so excpect more Hitch in the future of Curtis... reviewer extraordinaire.