The Missouri Breaks

Directed by Arthur Penn and written by Thomas McGuane, The Missouri Breaks is the story of a rancher who hires a regulator to hunt down a horse thief whose gang has killed one of his men in an act of revenge while his daughter is in love with the head thief. The film is an offbeat western that play into a pursuit with some eccentric characters as it revolves around a man wanting to kill a thief. Starring Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, Randy Quaid, Harry Dean Stanton, Frederic Forrest, John McLiam, and Kathleen Lloyd. The Missouri Breaks is a whimsical yet engrossing film from Arthur Penn.

The film revolves around a horse thief whose gang kills a rancher’s foreman who hung their friend over angering a rancher as they would later buy land from that rancher just to piss him off. Yet, the rancher is trying to find out who killed his foreman as he hires an eccentric regulator who plays by his own rules and would later cause all sorts of trouble. It’s a film that is about a thief trying to maintain a life that is honorable and decent yet he also copes with this regulator being around him and causing trouble as well as having issues with a rancher whose daughter he falls for. Thomas McGuane’s screenplay opens with the rancher David Braxton (John McLiam) hanging a young man named Sandy (Hunter von Leer) whose friend is the horse thief Tom Logan (Jack Nicholson) who runs a gang of horse thieves as they learn about their friend’s death. The first act is about Logan and his gang robbing a train to buy land near Braxton’s ranch to start a ranch of their own yet Logan would be the one tending to the ranch while his gang led by Cal (Harry Dean Stanton) travel to Canada to steal horses from the mounted police force.

Logan would meet Braxton’s daughter Jane (Kathleen Lloyd) who is intrigued by Logan though their affair would be kept secret except that her father’s hired regulator in Robert E. Lee Clayton (Marlon Brando) is watching as he suspects Logan involved in the death of Braxton’s foreman. Clayton is this man who is a real oddball as he arrives to the Braxton camp holding on to his horse on the side as if he’s hiding while he has an Irish accent and wears strange costumes. Yet, there’s an aspect of him that is ruthless and cunning in his pursuits though his initial meeting with Logan with Braxton is based on curiosity yet Logan is aware of his reputation as he just tries to not get into trouble. Even as the third act is about Braxton realizing the trouble Clayton is bringing as it would lead to all sorts of chaos in his pursuit of Logan and his gang.

Arthur Penn’s direction is definitely mesmerizing in the way he presents the American West as it is shot on various locations in Wyoming to play into this world of the West and in areas near the Missouri River. Penn’s usage of the wide shots do play into the vast scope and the attention to detail into the landscape from the trees on the mountains as well as the rivers and other parts of the film while he would maintain an intimacy through medium shots and close-ups as it relates to the characters. Penn’s compositions play into moments that are comical such as the train robbery scene as well as the way Clayton introduces himself. Penn would also maintain that air of humor and low-key drama to play into the characters that are trying to do their work in stealing horses or Logan trying to tend to his land. The smaller moments showcase Penn putting time in the characters while letting the action take hold during the third act as it relates to Clayton’s methods and what he does where the violence is intense. Even as it would play into this confrontation between Logan and Clayton with Braxton having some part in playing to the chaos that he’s created. Overall, Penn crafts an exhilarating and quirky film about a horse thief being watched and hunted by an odd regulator.

Cinematographer Michael Butler does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its gorgeous yet natural look for many of the daytime exteriors with some stylish and low-key lighting for some of the interior scenes set in the day. Editors Dede Allen, Gerald G. Greenberg, and Steven A. Rotter do excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward for some of the dramatic and comedic moments while using some stylish rhythmic cuts for some of Clayton’s antics. Production designer Albert Brenner, with set decorator Marvin March and art director Stephen Myles Berger, does fantastic work with the look of the Braxton home as well as the ranch that Logan runs and the home that his gang live in.

Costume designer Patricia Norris does amazing work with the costumes from the ragged look of Logan and his gang to the odd clothes that Clayton wears including a dress that he would wear as part of his disguise. Sound editor Richard P. Cirincione does terrific work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as some of the usage of gunfire and other weapons. The film’s music by John Williams is incredible for its offbeat approach to country and folk with some orchestral elements that add to the film’s odd yet enjoyable tone.

The film’s wonderful cast include some notable small roles from James Greene and Luana Anders as a rancher and his wife that Cy would hide out at, Danny Goldman as a baggage clerk during the train robbery, Hunter von Leer as Logan’s friend Sandy who gets hung by Braxton, John P. Ryan and Frederic Forrest as a couple of Logan’s friends in his gang in their respective roles as Cy and Cary, and Randy Quaid in a superb performance as a young member of the gang named Little Tod who gives Logan the idea to rob a train as he is an able though naïve hood who is always helpful. John McLiam is terrific as David Braxton as a rancher who wants retaliation for the death of his foreman as he is also suspicious of Logan buying land near him. Kathleen Lloyd is fantastic as Braxton’s daughter Jane as a young woman who is often caring for her father as she becomes fascinated by Logan whom she sees as someone who has a lot more to offer as well as an escape from her stuffy life. Harry Dean Stanton is excellent as Logan’s right-hand man Cal who gets some of the film’s best lines and dialogue as he’s kind of the conscience of sorts who often puts Logan in his place but also is aware of how dangerous Clayton is.

Jack Nicholson is great as Tom Logan as a horse thief that is trying to go straight and live a decent life while falling for the rancher’s daughter as he becomes aware of Clayton’s presence as it’s a restrained performance from Nicholson where he displays some charm but also a grounded approach of a man that becomes uneasy by what is happening around him. Finally, there’s Marlon Brando in a phenomenal performance as Robert E. Lee Clayton as this offbeat and odd regulator that has Brando sport an Irish-American accent as well as a twangy-western accent in one sequence as it’s a strange yet exuberant performance that has Brando be funny but also ruthless in the way he does his job as it’s one of his more overlooked performances of his career.

The Missouri Breaks is a sensational film from Arthur Penn that features incredible performances from Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson. Along with its gorgeous visuals, top-notch supporting cast, John Williams’ exhilarating score, and a compelling screenplay by Thomas McGuane. It’s a western that doesn’t play by the rules while maintaining much of the visual tropes and plot devices expected from the genre with elements of dark humor. In the end, The Missouri Breaks is a spectacular film from Arthur Penn.

Arthur Penn Films: (Portrait of a Murderer) – (The Left Handed Gun) – (The Miracle Worker) – (Mickey One) – (The Chase (1966 film)) – (Bonnie and Clyde) – (Flesh and Blood) – (Alice’s Restaurant) – Little Big Man - (Visions of Eight) – (Night Moves (1975 film)) – (Four Friends) – (Target (1985 film)) – (Dead of Winter) – (Penn & Teller Get Killed) – (The Portrait (1993 film)) – (Inside (1996 film))

© thevoid99 2018

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me

Directed and sound designed by David Lynch and screenplay by Lynch and Robert Engels that is based on the TV series by Lynch and Mark Frost, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me revolves around the final days of Laura Palmer before her murder as well as the events before and after the events of the TV series. The film is a prequel/sequel of sorts to the series as it relates to the mysterious murders of a young woman and another young woman who would be connected to the murder as aspects of her life are unveiled. Starring Kyle MacLachlan, Sheryl Lee, Moira Kelly, Chris Isaak, Harry Dean Stanton, Ray Wise, and Keifer Sutherland. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a gripping yet mesmerizing film from David Lynch.

The film explores not just the final days of the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) who was a major subject in the TV series but also in the events that preceded her murder as it relates to the death of a young woman named Teresa Banks (Pamela Gidley). It’s a film that isn’t just about a young woman falling apart in her final days but also dealing with the revelations about the mysterious figure that had been stalking her as he would eventually become her killer. The film’s screenplay by David Lynch and Robert Engels does have an odd structure in terms of its narrative. Notably in its first act as it relates to Banks’ murder where Special Agent Chester Desmond (Chris Isaak) investigates with Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) as they find some things that relate to the murder and then something happens that stops the case that includes the sudden re-appearance and disappearance of the FBI agent Phillip Jeffries (David Bowie).

The film’s second and third act plays into Laura Palmer’s final days as she copes with being in a multitude of relationships with other men, a drug problem, and the mysterious appearance of a man named Bob (Frank Silva) who had been stalking her. Then there’s her father Leland (Ray Wise) whom she believes might actually be Bob as well where there are some revelations about his own past and such. Still, it raises questions about not just his relationship with Laura but also other things about him that definitely becomes puzzling. Even as there’s moments in Laura’s own world where she sees things as it relates to characters whom she had never met nor were part of the series in the beginning start to appear for some strange reasons. Those are among some of the flaws in the script as well as these surreal moments about this mysterious world that is the Black Lodge where Bob supposedly lives in.

Lynch’s direction is quite simple at times for the way he shoots the many locations in the Pacific Northwest while he would add things that are surreal such as Desmond and Stanley given a message from a mute woman in a red dress. It plays into this strange mix of Americana and European surrealism where Lynch does create some simple compositions and such in his close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots yet will find a way to play with these elements. The film’s first act which revolves around the Banks case where Special Agent Desmond is leading the investigation play into a world that is corrupt as Desmond and Stanley were forced to do things by themselves. 

 By the time the story moves to the second act at the small town of Twin Peaks, it plays into the town and what it was like during Laura Palmer’s final days. Still, there are odd moments as it relates to not just some of the characters from the TV show but also the ones who either were on the show but don’t appear in the film or those who come into the show very late into the series. The direction would feature these point-of-view shots as well as moments that add to the surrealism that includes key moments in the third act that plays into Laura’s final day including her death. Even as it relates to those involved and what could’ve been done to save her. Overall, Lynch creates an eerie yet intoxicating film about a young woman’s final days in a small town.

Cinematographer Ron Garcia does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography with its usage of lights including blue lights as well as some naturalistic images for some of the scenes set in the day. Editor Mary Sweeney does excellent work with the editing as it play into the drama and suspense while creating some cutting styles and montages that are bizarre which delve into the moments that are unexplained. Production/costume designer Patricia Norris and set decorator Leslie Morales do fantastic work with the set design including the Palmer home, the Roadhouse bar, and the mysterious red room where the Man from Another World is from while the costumes are quite stylish to play to what Laura wore in her bawdy moments as well as the suits of the FBI agents.

Sound editor Douglas Murray and sound designer David Lynch do amazing work with the sound to play into some of the sound effects that occur in the film as well as in the atmosphere in some of the events that go on including the scenes where Bob would be around lurking towards Laura. The film’s music by Angelo Badalamenti is incredible as it’s the highlight of the film with its mixture of orchestral, blues, dream-pop, and ambient music that features variations of themes from the TV show as well as some somber themes that play into the drama and tragedy of the film as the music includes contributions by Julee Cruise who appears as the singer at the Roadhouse bar.

The casting by Johanna Ray is wonderful as it features small appearances from TV cast recurring/regular characters like Catherine Coulson as the Log Lady, Al Strobel as the one-armed man Philip Gerard, Lenny von Dohlen as the agoraphobic Harold Smith who would hide Laura’s diary, Peggy Lipton as the diner owner Norma Jennings, Madchen Amick as the diner waitress Shelly Johnson, Heather Graham as Annie Blackburn, Grace Zabriskie as Laura’s mother Sarah, Miguel Ferrer as Agent Rosenfeld, David Lynch as FBI regional superior Gordon Cole, Gary Hershberger as Mike Nelson, Frances Bay as the mysterious Mrs. Tremond, Walter Olkewicz as the Roadhouse bartender Jacques Renault, Michael J. Anderson as the Man from Another Place, Jonathan J. Leppell as Mrs. Tremond’s grandson, Eric Da Rae as Leo Johnson, and Phoebe Augustine as Ronette Pulaski as the young woman who would walk out of the event traumatized and lost.

Other notable small roles include Kimberly Ann Cole as the mute woman in red, Rick Aiello as deputy Howard who tries to antagonize Special Agent Desmond, Gary Bullock as Sheriff Cable, Jurgen Prochnow as a mysterious woodsman at the Black Lodge, Pamela Gidley as Teresa Banks, and Harry Dean Stanton in a terrific performance as a trailer park landlord who is trying to make sense about what happened. David Bowie is superb in a small role as the FBI agent Phillip Jeffries who had disappeared two years earlier as he suddenly appears talking about the Black Lodge. Kiefer Sutherland is excellent as Agent Sam Stanley as a man who has quirks that allow him to see things where would make a chilling discovery as it relates to Teresa Banks’ body. Frank Silva is fantastic as Bob as the evil killer who may or may not be real as he stalks Laura as he might also be involved in Banks’ death. James Marshall and Dana Ashbrook are brilliant in their respective roles as James Hurley and Bobby Briggs as Laura’s two lovers with Marshall as the sensitive Hurley and Ashbrook as the more troublesome Briggs who both cope with Laura’s offbeat behavior.

Kyle MacLachlan is amazing as Special Agent Dale Cooper who deals with the chaos over the Banks case as he waits for what will happen next as he would later become a key figure in the Palmer case. Moira Kelly is pretty good as Donna Hayward as Laura’s best friend who tries to deal with Laura’s behavior as Kelly brings a more low-key approach to the character that is played by Lara Flynn Boyle in the TV show. Ray Wise is remarkable as Leland Palmer as Laura’s father who hides a dark secret as it relates to a lot in what is happening as it’s an ambiguous but underwritten role that loses some of its intrigue. Finally, there’s Sheryl Lee in an incredible performance as Laura Palmer as this troubled young woman who deals with a severe drug problem as well as juggling relationships and a stalker as Lee brings a lot of weight and anguish to the performance of a young woman who is living on the edge.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is an excellent though flawed film from David Lynch. While it does sort of deviate from elements of the TV series while focusing more on the events that related to Laura Palmer’s final days. As a standalone film, it is quite exhilarating and strange that manages to be out there but also riveting. For those who are fan of the TV series, the film serves as a fitting companion piece despite some of its flaws. In the end, Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me is a brilliant film from David Lynch.

David Lynch Films: Eraserhead - The Elephant Man - Dune - Blue Velvet - Wild at Heart - Lost Highway - The Straight Story - Mulholland Dr. - INLAND EMPIRE - The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 1 - The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 2 - The Music Videos of David Lynch

Twin Peaks: Season 1: Pilot - Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5 - Episode 6 - Episode 7

Season 2: Episode 8 - Episode 9 - Episode 10 - Episode 11 - Episode 12 - Episode 13 - Episode 14 - Episode 15 - (Episode 16) - (Episode 17) - (Episode 18) - (Episode 19) - (Episode 20) - (Episode 21) - (Episode 22) - (Episode 23) - (Episode 24) - (Episode 25) - (Episode 26) - (Episode 27) - (Episode 28) - (Episode 29)

Season 3: (Coming Soon)

(The Missing Pieces)

The Auteurs #50: David Lynch: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2015

The Short Films of David Lynch Part 1 (1966-1995)

Throughout his illustrious career in the world of film, television, art, and music, David Lynch is someone that is the true definition of an artist. While he is largely known for his work in feature films, the man has also carved a very solid career in the world of short and experimental films. His work in shorts have spanned for more than half a century as it is clear why he is so lauded by many as one of the finest filmmakers in the world.

Part 1 (1966-1995)

Six Men Getting Sick


The first short that Lynch did is a forty-second animated loop about six men getting sick as they throw up as it features images that are strange which would play into the many things Lynch would do in the coming years. While it’s a simple student film that cost about $200 back in 1966, the sense of imagination is very prominent as Lynch’s approach to editing and shooting style is just incredible for someone who was just starting out in the world of film. 

Sailing with Bushnell Keeler

One of Lynch's early short films is essentially a homage to his mentor Bushnell Keeler as it play into a sailboat trip with Keeler and Keeler's brother Dave.  While it doesn't feature many of the surreal nor offbeat aspects that Lynch is known for.  It does play into something simple though Lynch claims it's really just a home film that is a tribute to his mentor.   

Absurd Encounter with Fear


The first of two short films Lynch made in 1967 showcases Lynch playing around with an emerging sub-genre in the world of horror which involves the living dead. It revolves around a zombie walking down a hill as if he’s about to stalk a young woman as he pulls something out of the fly of his pants. What happens is probably one of the most odd short films ever created but it also shows Lynch’s very warped idea of humor.

Fictitious Anacin Commercial


The second of two short films Lynch made in 1967 would be in the form of a commercial for Anacin. Yet, it is played with a sense of kitsch where it starts out being very dark until this young makes the Anacin and feels great. It’s another example of Lynch playing around with the ideas of commercial as it is clear that the 60s were a very weird time.

The Alphabet


The four-minute short film Lynch made in 1968 is a combination of live-action and animation as it relates to a young girl having a nightmare involving the alphabets. The girl, played by Lynch’s then-wife Peggy, would be haunted by learning the alphabets as it’s this strange mixture of fear and innocence as Lynch find ways to combine these two elements in both animated and live-action. It’s a short that would be very inventive as it would give Lynch a grant from the American Film Institute as it’s another of one of his finest shorts.

The Grandmother


The 34-minute short film Lynch made in 1970 at a budget of $7,200 as it is a mixture of live-action and animation in this story about an abused boy who finds seeds and hopes to grow a grandmother to protect him. It’s a short that is just very imaginative as well as relying music and sound effects to help tell the story rather than dialogue. It’s a short that has elements of mime in the performance of the actors but also a lot more as it features images of a boy growing a tree on a bed along with repeated images of him wetting the bed and getting beaten up by his father. Relying on black-and-white and color photography plus animation that is sort of reminiscent of Terry Gilliam’s work with Monty Python. It’s definitely a short that is quintessential Lynch.

The Amputee (versions 1 & 2)


Made in 1974 for the American Film Institute, the short was made during the production of Eraserhead where Lynch and cinematographer Frederick Elmes were both experimenting with black-and-white video stock. Written with Catherine Coulson (who would be known more as the Log Lady in Twin Peaks), the short revolves around an amputated woman (Coulson) writing a letter while a nurse (Lynch) is changing her bandages. The differences between the two shorts as the first one is timed at five minutes and the second is at four is that the former has a crispier look where it’s darker in its photography while the latter is a bit more polished with some blurs. Both are shot in one take in an entire static shot as it’s a very weird yet compelling short from Lynch.

The Cowboy and the Frenchman


The 26-minute short that stars Harry Dean Stanton, Jack Nance, and Frederic Golchan was made for the French TV series The French as Seen By… that would feature shorts by Werner Herzog, Andrejz Wajda, Luigi Comenichi, and Jean-Luc Godard. It’s a very humorous short film that is set in the American West where a nearly-deaf cowboy (Stanton) asks his fellow cowboys to see what is coming down as it is this Frenchman (Frederic Golchan). Thus, a strange mix of culture clash and confusion looms as this cowboy wonders what this Frenchman is about where he and his buddies look into the Frenchman’s luggage and sees things that are foreign to them. However, the two different men would find common ground in all sorts of things which goes to show that even the biggest differences can bring people together.

Industrial Symphony Vol. 1: The Dream of the Broken Hearted


On November 10, 1989 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City, Lynch did a stage presentation of an experimental play based on complex mosaic geometric shapes that he did during his days at the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts. Starring Nicolas Cage, Laura Dern, Michael J. Anderson, and vocalist Julee Cruise, the fifty-minute short that Lynch released a year later would have a lot of references to projects Lynch would do in 1990 such as Wild at Heart and the TV show Twin Peaks. With a stage set looking like a factory, it’s a strange avant-garde mix of musical performance with drama, exotic dancing, horror, and all sorts of things with music by Lynch collaborator Angelo Badalamenti. It’s one of Lynch’s most oddest film pieces but certainly a fascinating one thanks in part to the music and stage setting.

Premonitions Following an Evil Deed


The fifty-two second short film made in 1995 as part of the anthology film Lumiere and Company is a celebration of the works of the Lumiere Brothers where forty filmmakers would create a short no longer than fifty-two seconds with no synchronized sound and no more than three takes where they would use the original Cinematograph camera invented by the Lumiere Brothers. The short revolves around the death of a young woman where the police tells her parents about their daughter as it features some surreal imagery that is definitely in tune with what Lynch does as a filmmaker.

(End of Part 1)

David Lynch Films: Eraserhead - The Elephant Man - Dune - Blue Velvet - Wild at Heart - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - Lost Highway - The Straight Story - Mulholland Dr. - INLAND EMPIRE

The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 2 - The Music Videos of David Lynch

The Auteurs #50: David Lynch: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2015

Christine (1983 film)

Based on the novel by Stephen King, Christine is the story of a young teenager who buys a 1958 Ford Plymouth as he becomes obsessed with the car that comes to life and kills whoever harms him and the car. Directed by John Carpenter and screenplay by Bill Phillips, the film explores the strange relationship between a nerdy young man and his car which creates something that is scary and full of terror. Starring Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Alexandra Paul, Robert Prosky, and Harry Dean Stanton. Christine is a thrilling and exhilarating film from John Carpenter.

Set in 1978, the film revolves a young nerdy teenager who buys a beat-up 1958 Ford Plymouth from an old man as he would start to change in drastic ways while becoming obsessed with the car and kill anyone who insults or harms him and his car. For this young man, the chance of having a car doesn’t just give him the chance to have something of his own but also would mark a major change from this cowardly nerd to being someone that is no longer afraid but would also mark some very dark characteristics into his personality. Bill Phillips’ screenplay doesn’t just explore the change in the personality of its protagonist Arnold Cunningham (Keith Gordon) but also in how those who are close to him would react to this change. Especially as his best friend Dennis Guilder (John Stockwell) notices the change in his personality where Arnold manages to snag the new girl in town named Leigh (Alexandra Paul) as well as get the ire of the bullies.

The script would also indicate where Arnold was before he had the car as he was just this nerd that was doing whatever it takes to succeed in high school and always did what his parents told him. Upon seeing this beat-up car, Arnold sees this chance to find a new identity but one that has him being very antagonistic towards his parents as well as being neglectful towards Dennis who would get injured at a football game upon the moment he sees the change in Arnold with this car. Even as the garage owner Darnell (Robert Prosky) who would let Arnold put the car there in exchange for some work and such notices that something isn’t right. Once the story becomes more about the car that is called Christine and the number of victims it went after, it would also play more into Arnold’s own personality as he becomes obsessive, angrier, and also more controlling in what he wants to do with his life.

John Carpenter’s direction is very gripping from the way he opens the film which begins with an assembly line of workers checking on different models of 1958 Ford Plymouth where this one red Ford Plymouth would do something and it would then shift to twenty years later. While much of it is presented in a simple manner in terms of its compositions, Carpenter’s approach to the suspense is very slow once it relates to the car that is Christine. Carpenter’s usage of close-ups and medium shots do help play into some of the drama and suspense yet it is the moments involving Christine where the radio would light up playing an rock n’ roll tune is where things get very interesting. Most notably the sequence where Christine goes after Arnold’s enemies in such a way as it has this sense of terror but also glee considering that some of these individuals who tormented him are getting what they deserve. The film’s climax is intense where Carpenter’s usage of the wide shots and setting doesn’t just play into what must be done but also reveal exactly how far one must go to help a friend from this terrible obsession. Overall, Carpenter creates a very exciting and mesmerizing film about a teenager and the car that he loves.

Cinematographer Donald M. Morgan does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography from the sunny and colorful locations in the day to the more lavish usage of lights for some scenes at night including the scenes involving Christine. Editor Marion Rothman does fantastic work with the editing in its usage of rhythmic cuts as well as some stylish cutting to help build up some of the suspenseful moments including the scenes of Christine unleashing herself. Production designer Daniel A. Lomino and set decorator Cloudia Rebar do brilliant work with the design of Darnell‘s junkyard/garage which would be the place where Arnold would work on Christine as well as some of the places he would go to. Costume designer Darryl Levine does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual as it sort of strays from the clothing that is often typical of the late 1970s.

Special effects supervisor Roy Arbogast does amazing work with some of the effects as it revolves around Christine coming back to life after being beaten and humiliated as it is among one of the chilling sequences in film. Sound editor David Lewis Yewdall does superb work with the sound to play into Christine coming back together as well as some of the sound work that goes on in the locations and in the suspenseful moments. The film’s music by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth is wonderful as it’s very low-key in its electronic setting with its usage of synthesizers and keyboards to help play into the horror and suspense while the soundtrack would feature not just old classics from Ritchie Valens, Robert and Johnny, Johnny Ace, Buddy Holly, Larry Williams, Dion and the Belmonts, Danny and the Juniors, and Little Richard but also songs from the 70s by the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt and an anachronistic yet fitting song from George Thorgood and the Destroyers.

The casting by Karen Rea is incredible as it features some notable small roles from David Spielberg as the auto shop teacher, Stuart Charno, Steve Tash, and Malcolm Danare as a trio of bullies who torment Arnold, Robert Blossoms as the old man who sold Arnold the car which previously belonged to his brother, Kelly Preston as the cheerleader Roseanne who has a thing for Dennis, Christine Belford as Arnold’s mother who disapproves of Arnold having the car, and William Ostrander as the lead bully Buddy who torments Arnold and wants to cause hell to him until he becomes a target of Christine. Harry Dean Stanton is superb as the detective Rudy Junkins who would confront and question Arnold over some of these incidents as he knows something isn’t right. Robert Prosky is fantastic as Darnell as a junkyard/garage owner who reluctantly lets Arnold have Christine stay at the garage as he is a no-nonsense kind of guy that is also baffled by the car itself.

Alexandra Paul is excellent as Leigh as the new girl in school that catches the eyes of many as she would date Arnold until she becomes concerned with his ever-changing moods as she thinks it has to do with Christine. John Stockwell is brilliant as Dennis as this jock who is a friend of Arnold as he becomes concerned with Arnold’s newfound behavior and obsession towards Christine as he realized how much he’s changed and not for the better. Finally, there’s Keith Gordon in an amazing performance as Arnold Cunningham as this nerdy kid who buys this beat-up ‘58 Ford Plymouth as he becomes obsessed with this car where he becomes a much darker and more antagonistic individual as it’s one of Gordon’s finest performances.

Christine is a phenomenal film from John Carpenter. Featuring a great cast, a cool premise, a fun soundtrack, and some chilling moments in films. It’s a film that isn’t just one of Carpenter’s quintessential films in terms of horror and suspense but it’s also one of the finest Stephen King adaptations ever created as it is told with such unique style. In the end, Christine is a spectacular film from John Carpenter.

John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Someone’s Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - Escape from New York - The Thing - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward

The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2015

Escape from New York

Directed by John Carpenter and written by Carpenter and Nick Castle, Escape from New York is the story of a former soldier who is tasked to rescue the President of the United States of America in a crime-ridden world in 22 hours. Set in a futuristic and dystopian New York City, the film is an exploration into the world of terror and chaos where a man named Snake Plissken has to save the day as he’s played by Kurt Russell. Also starring Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, Harry Dean Stanton, and Donald Pleasance as the President. Escape from New York is a riveting and exciting film from John Carpenter.

After a massive rise in crime in America which led a mass evacuation of Manhattan Island in New York City where the island has become a prison. The film revolves around a former soldier who is asked to rescue the President of the United States of America whose plan has crashed in Manhattan Island after it was hijacked by a terrorist group. It’s a film that isn’t just a rescue movie but also a dystopian film of sorts as it plays into this renegade named Snake Plissken who has 22 hours to save the President who is supposed to give a speech in the hopes of ending a conflict with China and the Soviet Union. Upon arriving to Manhattan where he is also carrying a virus that would kill him if he doesn’t bring the President in time, Plissken also has to endure the many things that goes on in Manhattan including a prison leader known as the Duke (Isaac Hayes).

The film’s screenplay by John Carpenter and Nick Castle play into the stakes of what is going on as it is clear how troubled the United States is where everything outside of Manhattan Island is surrounded by a wall. Attempts to escape the island means certain death as anyone who is in the island is stuck no matter who that person is. This would add a lot to what is happening in the film as retrieving the President in an island full of criminals as he’s not the only one that isn’t safe but anyone else who tries to help him is safe. This prompts the country’s top police chief in Hauk (Lee Van Cleef) to bring in Plissken who was a former soldier that was just convicted for a robbery attempt on a Federal Reserves building. Plissken however is reluctant to do the job which plays into the complexity of his character as he is essentially a loner that is very distrustful of government and authority.

Once the second act is set in the island, it is clear that Plissken is in a world that is very different but is able to deal with the situation. It’s just that he’s dealing with people who are essentially nutcases as well as someone like the Duke who runs the city though there are a few such as a cab driver (Ernest Borgnine), an old friend of his named Brain (Harry Dean Stanton) who is the Duke’s advisor, and Brain’s girlfriend Maggie (Adrienne Barbeau). There, Plissken would have to survive with their help to save the President but it’s not just the life of the President that is at stake but also what he is carrying his briefcase which would play to the fate of the world.

Carpenter’s direction is very entrancing from the way he opens the film to the moment he reveals what goes on when a couple of men try to escape the island. It sets the tone for what is to come as there is this element of suspense once it becomes clear that the President is in the island and being held hostage. While much of the film is actually shot on locations in St. Louis and Los Angeles plus a few moments in New York City and Atlanta with additional scenes set in soundstages. It would play into the sense of despair that is in Manhattan where it looks like a city in complete ruins and being out on the street at night is very dangerous where no one is safe. Carpenter’s usage of wide and medium shots help play into that sense of danger while he also knows how to build suspense into what Plissken is saying.

While the film may be a futuristic sci-fi dystopian film, it has elements of the western since it involves some showdowns and a man’s instinct to survive. At the same time, Carpenter creates these moments where the violence is disconcerting but not really graphic as it’s more about what could happen and how far some are willing to go. The film’s climax where Plissken and the President are escaping is quite thrilling as it plays to not just the sense of danger of the island itself but what will happen there are those who will try to find a way to try and reach the wall. It does lead into an aftermath that plays into not what Plissken was doing but also into the fact that he realizes that there is a bigger picture which doesn’t really involve him. Instead, it plays into his own cynicism and how he would contend with that. Overall, Carpenter creates a gripping yet adventurous film about a renegade who goes to Manhattan to save the President from a bunch of crazed thugs.

Cinematographer Dean Cundey does excellent work with the film‘s very dark yet eerie cinematography which plays into many of the interior/exterior scenes where a lot of it is set at night with some more vibrant colors for some of the daytime sequences. Editor Todd Ramsay does amazing work with the editing as much of it is straightforward to help build up the film‘s suspense along with some fast-paced rhythmic cuts for the action sequences. Production designer Joe Alves and set decorator Cloudia Rebar do fantastic work with the look of New York City as well as the scenes set in the prison base.

Costume designer Stephen Loomis does nice work with the costumes as it‘s quite stylish in the ragged looks of Plissken and the characters at the island. Special effects supervisor Roy Arbogast and the visual effects work of William L. Arcane do terrific work with some of the effects for some of the film‘s action scenes as well as some computer-based images that includes some contributions by James Cameron on the special effects. Sound editor Warren Hamilton Jr does superb work with the sound to play into some of the sound effects and eerie tone for the scenes set in the island to play up its suspense. The film’s music by John Carpenter and Alan Howarth is brilliant as it is largely an electronic-based score with low-key yet brooding synthesizers to play into the mood of the film while the soundtrack features the swing classic Bandstand Boogie which the cab driver likes to play.

The film’s cast is incredible as it features some notable small roles from wrestler Ox Baker as a man Plissken must fight in the island, Frank Doubleday as the Duke’s assistant Romero, Tom Atkins as Hauk’s assistant Rehme, Charles Cypher as the Secretary of State, Season Hubley as young woman Plissken meets at the island, and voice appearances from producer Debra Hill as a computer and Jamie Lee Curtis as the film’s opening narrator. Adrienne Barbeau is fantastic as Maggie as Brain’s girlfriend who aids Plissken in getting the President while Harry Dean Stanton is superb as Plissken’s old friend Brain who also helps as he realize what is at stake while being one of the few that knows how to get out of the island. Ernest Borgnine is excellent as an old cab driver Plissken encounters as he knows where to go and such as he would also provide some key things in the rescue.

Lee Van Cleef is brilliant as Bob Hauk as the prison supervisor who asks for Plissken’s help knowing that he’s the only one that can do the job right as he also deals with the situation that is at hand. Isaac Hayes is amazing as the Duke of New York as a gang leader who holds the President hostage as he uses him as bait so he can get amnesty for himself and the other prisoners. Donald Pleasance is marvelous as the President as the leader who becomes a hostage as he tries to hold on to the contents of the briefcase which plays into what he really wants to do to end a worldwide conflict. Finally, there’s Kurt Russell in a phenomenal performance as Snake Plissken as this former soldier turned criminal who reluctantly takes the job to save the President for a pardon as he deals with his situation as well as what is at stake as he also carries a virus that will kill him. It’s a performance from Russell that is full of restraint but also a sense of cool as it is one of his most iconic performances of his career.

Escape from New York is a spectacular film from John Carpenter that features a tremendous performance from Kurt Russell. The film isn’t just one of the most intriguing rescue/dystopian films ever made but also one of the most exciting in terms of its action and suspense. Even as it features one of the greatest anti-heroes to be presented in cinema in the character of Snake Plissken. In the end, Escape from New York is a rapturous film from John Carpenter.

John Carpenter Films: Dark Star - Assault on Precinct 13 - Halloween - Someone’s Watching Me! - Elvis - The Fog - The Thing - Christine - Starman - Big Trouble in Little China - Prince of Darkness - They Live - Memoirs of an Invisible Man - Body Bags - In the Mouth of Madness - Village of the Damned - Escape from L.A. - Vampires - Ghosts of Mars - The Ward

The Auteurs #60: John Carpenter Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

© thevoid99 2015

The Straight Story

Directed by David Lynch and written by Mary Sweeney and John E. Roach, The Straight Story is a simple story about an elderly man who heard about his estranged brother’s stroke as he decides to visit him by driving 240 miles by using a John Deere lawnmower. The film is a change of pace from Lynch who strays from his world of surrealism in favor of something low-key but engrossing as it is based on a true story about an event that happened in 1994. Starring Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, and Harry Dean Stanton. The Straight Story is an exhilarating yet touching film from David Lynch.

The film is a simple story in which an old man drives a lawnmower, with a homemade trailer towed behind the mower, just to see his ailing brother whom he hadn’t seen or spoken to in a decade. Yet, it is a story of not just about forgiveness but also perseverance in which a man wants to do what he feels is right by not just seeing his brother but also to make amends for whatever bad things they said to another that split them apart. Though Alvin Straight (Richard Farnsworth) could’ve asked someone to drive him from Laurens, Iowa to Mount Zion, Wisconsin. It’s a journey that Alvin needed to make on his own while his stammering yet sort of mentally-disabled daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek) stays home as she couldn’t drive her father as well. With bad eyesight, walking on two canes, and is very stubborn, Alvin will do whatever it takes to see his brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton).

The film’s screenplay by Mary Sweeney and John E. Roach does play to a traditional structure though it’s told in a very loose form. The first act is about Alvin preparing for his journey where he would use his old lawnmower which doesn’t last as he would get a new one to use for the journey from Iowa to Wisconsin. It’s in the second act where the story really takes shape as Alvin would drive his mower and trailer in the day at a very slow speed and stop at night. Along the way, he would encounter many people including a young hitchhiker, cyclists, and other sorts of people in small towns. Many of which display the sense of decency and generosity that is often encountered in small towns. Especially where Alvin would talk to people about the things he experienced as well as his daughter Rose and brother Lyle where he doesn’t talk much about the latter until later in the film. It is Lyle where it adds weight to the journey that Alvin is taking and the reason into why he needs to see him.

David Lynch’s direction maintains that air of simplicity in terms of compositions as well as shooting the film on location from Laurens, Iowa to Mount Zion, Wisconsin as it was shot largely on chronological order which rarely happens in film. Yet, it does play into Alvin’s determination to reach his destination no matter how long he takes as well as having to endure big trucks and such. Lynch’s usage of close-ups and medium shots help play into not just Alvin’s struggle to get to where he needed to go but also his age as he’s walking with two canes and knows he’s getting older. Lynch would also go for close-ups and shots that play into the feel of the road as if the audience is a passenger in Alvin’s journey.

There are also wide shots of the many locations that is used in the film as it plays into a sense of Americana that is rarely seen in films as it plays into a world where there is still a sense of good and generosity that people need in a world that is often troubled. Though it’s climax is inevitable, it does have something that is still powerful not just about a man’s journey but also a man just wanting to see his brother. Overall, Lynch creates a very evocative yet touching film about a man driving more than 200 miles on a lawnmower to see his ailing brother.

Cinematographer Freddie Francis does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography to capture the beauty of the American Midwest in its daytime settings while going for something more natural and low-key for scenes set at night including the campfires that Alvin would make. Editor Mary Sweeney does excellent work in the editing as it is straightforward with its rhythmic cuts with a few stylish usage of dissolves and fade-to-black cuts. Production designer Jack Fisk and set decorator Barbara Haberecht do fantastic work with not just the look of the home that Alvin and Rose live in but also the small trailer that Alvin would live in during his journey.

Costume designer Patricia Norris does nice work with the costumes as it‘s mostly casual for what Alvin and Rose wear. Sound editor Ronald Eng and sound designer David Lynch do superb work with the sound in not just creating naturalistic sound for everything that happens on location but also in some of the layering of sound to play into some of the surroundings including a scene where Alvin talks to another elderly man about World War II. The film’s music by Angelo Badalamenti is brilliant as it is this mix of ambient-based music with elements of traditional and folk-based music to play into the world of the American Midwest as it is one of Badalamenti’s finest scores.

The casting by Jane Alderman and Lynn Blumenthal is great for its usage of professional and non-professional actors as there’s appearances from John P. Farley and Kevin Farley as a couple of bickering twin mechanics and Everett McGill as a friend of Alvin who would sell him a new lawnmower to use. Other notable small roles include James Cada as a man who would let Alvin sleep in his backyard and arrange things to continue Alvin’s trip, Barbara E. Robinson as a woman with bad luck, Anastasia Webb as young hitchhiker, and John Lordan as a priest Alvin would meet late in the film. Harry Dean Stanton is fantastic as Alvin’s brother Lyle who appears in the film’s ending as it’s just this brief yet mesmerizing appearance.

Sissy Spacek is brilliant as Alvin’s stammering but capable daughter Rose who helps her father prepare for the trip while being the one to tell him the news about Lyle. Finally, there’s Richard Farnsworth in an incredible performance as he brings this sense of weariness but determination to a man that just wants to see his brother as there is also a sense of wisdom and charm to a man that is really full of life as his simple journey is one that is just extraordinary.

The Straight Story is a phenomenal film from David Lynch that features a magnificent performance from the late Richard Farnsworth. While it is considered an anomaly of sorts in comparison to the darker and more surreal films that Lynch is known for. It is still a Lynch film in terms of its restrained quirky humor and the simplicity of small town American life that isn’t seen much in American cinema. In the end, The Straight Story is a majestically rich and sensational film from David Lynch.

David Lynch Films: Eraserhead - The Elephant Man - Dune - Blue Velvet - Wild at Heart - Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - Lost Highway - Mulholland Dr. - Inland Empire

The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 1 - The Short Films of David Lynch Pt. 2 - The Music Videos of David Lynch

The Auteurs #50: David Lynch: Pt. 1 - Pt. 2 - Pt. 3 - Pt. 4

© thevoid99 2015

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid

Directed by Sam Peckinpah and written by Rudy Wurlitzer, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is the story of an aging Pat Garrett who is hired by wealthy cattle barons to hunt and kill his friend Billy the Kid. The film is an exploration of friendship and betrayal in the Old West as well as the final days of the West as James Coburn plays Pat Garrett and Kris Kristofferson stars as Billy the Kid. Also starring Jason Robards, Slim Pickens, Katy Jurado, Richard Jaeckel, Chill Willis, and Bob Dylan. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is a wondrous and evocative film from Sam Peckinpah.

Set in 1881 in New Mexico, the film is about Pat Garrett being asked by forces with political ties to hunt down and kill his friend Billy the Kid. While it is a simple story, the film is more about a sense of change that looms in the American West where Billy the Kid is a representation of someone that doesn’t play by the rules as he spends much of the film trying to live his life and find ways to play under his own rules. Pat Garrett meanwhile is a man that is conflicted about hunting the Kid down as just wants him to go to Mexico or deal with him by himself instead of letting others kill him. Even as he meets with individuals who are part of a secret ring of cattle barons who not only want the Kid dead but want to do things their way to the world that is the West.

Rudy Wurlitzer’s screenplay opens with Garrett’s death as he is gunned down by a group of mysterious men as it adds some ambiguity into why he is killed. It plays into not just the sense of change that Garrett didn’t want to be a part of but a change that already happened as it inter-cuts with a time where Garrett had just become a sheriff where he meets the Kid as they shoot down the heads of chickens. It plays into a moment where things were simple as Garrett and the Kid are friends though Garrett knows he is now the law and he is instructed to capture the Kid. Yet, Garrett tells the Kid on what he has to do where he wants him to be safe and not be killed in the hands of the law. However, the Kid is a freebird that just refuses to do what anyone tells him as there is someone who admits to killing some people whether they were good or bad.

The script also plays into that sense of changing times where Garrett is forced to uphold the law as he struggles to do things his way but finds himself coping with these changes. Especially as he would be forced to work with men who are part of this secret ring as they do things in ways that not only disgusts Garrett but also the Kid who would encounter some of these things on his way to Mexico which would force him to seek refuge in the place in Old Fort Sumner. It is in that moment where both the Garrett and the Kid are forced to realize that the ideas of the Old West is coming to an end where Garrett would have to make a decision to either adapt or die. A decision that the Kid wouldn’t stand for as the inevitable is to come.

Sam Peckinpah’s direction is very entrancing for not just the way he pictures the American West but also into how its sense of mythology and codes are being pushed aside in favor of greed. The film is very stylized in not just the way Peckinpah shoots some of the violence but also in the way people lived in those times. There is a looseness to the direction where Peckinpah puts in some humor over some of the situations the Kid would get into but also play into someone that would kill someone when he didn’t want to but had no choice. With its usage of wide and medium shots along with some close-ups, Peckinpah takes great stock into the world that surrounds these characters but also plays into a sense of change that is looming. Most notably a scene where Garrett and an aging sheriff in Colin Baker (Slim Pickens) try to confront a gang only for things to go wrong as it plays into a world that is changing.

The direction has these tense moments in the drama such as a meeting Garrett would have with New Mexico’s leader in Governor Lew Wallace (Jason Robards) who would introduce Garrett to this group of cattle barons who are part of a secret ring in New Mexico. Most notably as it plays into the sense of change that would emerge that the Kid would later see when he encounters a group of men killing a friend and raping his wife to show an ugliness in a new world that he doesn’t want to be a part of. It would all play to the inevitable as the climax where Garrett would do what has to be done since it plays into a new world that neither he nor the Kid could be a part of. Overall, Peckinpah creates a mesmerizing film about two friends who are both forced to go against each other in an ever-changing world.

Cinematographer John Coquillon does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of lights for some of its nighttime interior/exterior scenes along with some gorgeous and naturalistic images for the scenes in the day including a shootout involving Sheriff Baker. Editors Roger Spottiswoode, David Berlatsky, Garth Craven, Tony de Zarraga, Richard Halsey, and Robert L. Wolfe, with additional editing by Paul Seydor for the 2005 special edition, do amazing work with the editing in creating some unique slow-motion cuts for some of the action along with rhythmic cutting for some of the drama and suspense. Art director Ted Haworth and set decorator Ray Moyer do excellent work with the design of the sets from hideout that is Fort Sumner as well as the look of Lincoln where the Kid was supposed to be hanged until his escape.

The sound work of Harry W. Tetrick and Charles M. Wilborn is superb for the naturalistic sound it captures along with some sound effects in the sound of gunfire and knives that are thrown. The film’s music by Bob Dylan is fantastic as the soundtrack album features some country-folk instrumentals and a few songs including one of Dylan’s greatest songs in Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door that is played in one of the film’s most poignant moments.

The casting by Patricia Mock is great as it features notable appearances from such noted Western character actors like L.Q. Jones as a bandit Garrett confronts in a shootout with Sheriff Baker, Jack Elam as Garrett’s ragged deputy Alamosa Bill Kermit, Emilio Fernandez as the Kid’s Mexican friend Paco, Chill Wills as a saloon owner named Lemuel Jones who knows Garrett, screenwriter Rudy Wurlitzer as a friend of the Kid in Tom O’Folliard, Luke Askew as a cattle baron that is part of a secret ring in Santa Fe, Richard Bright as a member of the Kid’s gang, Rutanya Alda as a prostitute who lives in Fort Sumner with the Kid and his gang, Charles Martin Smith as an early member of the Kid’s gang who encounters a horrifying shootout, and Aurora Clavel as Garrett’s wife Ida who appears in the film’s 2005 reconstructed special-edition version. Other notable small roles include Harry Dean Stanton as a member of the Kid’s gang in Luke, Matt Clark as a deputy sheriff the Kid befriends, R.G. Armstrong as a sheriff who despises the Kid, and John Beck as a hired gun for the secret Santa Fe ring who is eager to kill the Kid.

Barry Sullivan is terrific as a cattle baron named Chisum that the Kid used to work for as the Kid learns what Chisum’s men would do that would disgust the Kid. Slim Pickens is fantastic as the aging sheriff Colin Baker who aids Garrett in trying to find the Kid while Katy Jurado is wonderful as Baker’s wife who helps them both while being great with a shotgun. Richard Jaeckel is superb as a friend of Garrett in Sheriff McKinney who helps Garrett late in the film to capture the Kid while Jason Robards is amazing in a brief but memorable performance as Governor Lew Wallace who tells Garrett what is at stake in capturing the Kid as he is part of a new world order. Bob Dylan is excellent as a young bandit named Alias who joins the Kid during the film’s second act as he proves to be very handy with a knife.

Finally, there’s the duo of James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson in phenomenal performance in their respective roles as Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Coburn brings a rugged yet weary role to Garrett as a man who is now part of the law as he deals with the new rules of his role as well as times that are changing which adds to the conflict in capturing the Kid. Kristofferson brings this sense energy and joy into the role of the Kid as someone who is a total free spirit that doesn’t believe in rules as he copes with a world that is very difficult and troubling. Coburn and Kristofferson have great rapport together in how they both share similar views towards the world as they’re both being pulled into different directions.

Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is a remarkable film from Sam Peckinpah that features exhilarating performances from James Coburn and Kris Kristofferson. The film is definitely one of Peckinpah’s finest films (whether in its preferred 1988 122-minute preview version or the 115-minute special edition version) as it plays into the myth of the American West and how it would change. Especially as it features an incredible soundtrack from Bob Dylan that plays into the mythological elements of those times. In the end, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid is a riveting film from Sam Peckinpah.

Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Major Dundee - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah

© thevoid99 2015

Fool for Love

Directed by Robert Altman and written and starring Sam Shepard that is based on his play, Fool for Love is the story of a man who finds his former flame in a motel as he tries to get her to come back home. The film is an exploration into a couple’s relationship and their troubled past as well as the motel they’re staying in. Also starring Kim Basinger, Randy Quaid, and Harry Dean Stanton. Fool for Love is an entrancing yet eerie film from Robert Altman.

Set entirely in a motel in the middle of the desert, the film revolves a man who arrives to meet a former flame in an attempt to bring her home as she refuses while her father watches nearby. It is a film where these two people seem to have a history together where they love each other but also can’t stand each other while the woman May (Kim Basinger) is waiting for her date to arrive while her father (Harry Dean Stanton) watches from afar. It is a film that doesn’t just play into the fallacies of love but also into how intense things are where May and Eddie (Sam Shepard) have this love-hate relationship. Sam Shepard’s screenplay does feature a lot of monologues from the major characters in the film but also some flashback scenes that doesn’t just play into their past but also the past of May’s father. Even as May’s date in Martin (Randy Quaid) would arrive late in the film where he would hear some unsettling stories about May and Eddie’s history.

Though it is shot largely in Las Vegas, New Mexico in a motel setting, Robert Altman’s direction does maintain something that is very intimate but also with some stylistic visuals that makes it so much more. Notably in the fact that Altman uses a lot of wide shots to capture the whole setting of the film but also uses some tracking shots and other things to capture some of these conversations. The direction also has Altman use close-ups and medium shots to capture the conversation while using little motel houses to play up the sense of intimacy and tension that looms over May and Eddie. There are also elements of surrealism that relates to May’s father and his recollections of the past where the flashbacks become very prominent in the film’s third act where many secrets are unveiled by both May and Eddie to Martin with May’s father in the room. It’s also something where it does climax into something big but also something that was inevitable as it relates to May and Eddie’s troubled relationship. Overall, Altman creates a very engaging yet haunting film about love in the most complicated way.

Cinematographer Pierre Mignot does excellent work with the film‘s vibrant and colorful cinematography to capture the neon lights of the motel exterior as well as some unique lighting for its interior settings plus some naturalistic images for the flashback scenes. Editors Stephen P. Dunn and Luce Grunenwaldt do nice work with the editing as it‘s very straightforward with a few rhythmic cuts to capture the intensity of the drama. Production designer Stephen Altman and set decorator John Hay do amazing work with the look of the motel homes and its diner as well as the trailer home that May‘s father lives in. Sound mixers Daniel Brisseau and Robert Gravenor do fantastic work with the sound to capture some of the naturalistic sound on location and on set as well as some of the things that goes on outside of the motel. The film’s music by George Burt is wonderful as it is this mixture of eerie orchestral music with some country music textures while much of the soundtrack features some country music pieces by Sandy Rogers and Waylon Jennings to play into the fallacies of love.

The film’s brilliant cast include some notable small performances from Jonathan Skinner as a young Eddie, April Russell and Sura Cox in respective versions as the young and teenage May, Deborah McNaughton as a mysterious woman stalking Eddie known as the Countess, Louis Elgolf as Eddie’s mother, and Martha Crawford as May’s mother in the flashback scenes. Randy Quaid is excellent in a small but memorable performance as May’s date Martin who appears in the film’s third act where he meets Eddie and May’s father as he tries to make sense of what he had just heard from Eddie and May.

Harry Dean Stanton is superb as May’s father as a man who observes what she and Eddie are doing while recalling elements of his own past that would be key to the story. Kim Basinger is great as May as this woman who is trying to start a different life working and living in a motel as she copes with Eddie’s presence and elements of her own past. Finally, there’s Sam Shepard in an amazing performance as Eddie as this man who traveled more than 200 miles to meet May in the hopes that he can bring her home as he is quite impulsive to deal with while revealing more to their troubled relationship to Martin.

Fool for Love is an excellent film from Robert Altman that features top-notch performances from Sam Shepard, Kim Basinger, Harry Dean Stanton, and Randy Quaid. While it might seem like a minor film from Altman in terms of its intimate setting, it is still a very compelling film that explores the fallacies of love. In the end, Fool for Love is a fantastic film from Robert Altman.

Robert Altman Films: (The Delinquents) - (The James Dean Story) - Countdown (1968 film) - (That Cold Day in the Park) - M.A.S.H. - Brewster McCloud - McCabe & Mrs. Miller - (Images) - The Long Goodbye - Thieves Like Us - California Split - Nashville - Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson - 3 Women - (A Wedding) - (Quintet) - (A Perfect Couple (HealtH) - Popeye - (Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean) - (Streamers) - (Secret Honor) - (O.C. and Stiggs) - (Beyond Therapy) - (Aria-Les Boreades) - (Tanner ‘88) - (Vincent & Theo) - The Player - Short Cuts - Pret-a-Porter - (Kansas City) - (The Gingerbread Man) - Cookie's Fortune - Dr. T and the Women - Gosford Park - The Company - (Tanner on Tanner) - A Prairie Home Companion

© thevoid99 2015