Based on the article from Vanity Fair entitled The Man Who Knew Too Much by Marie Brenner, The Insider is the story relating to a segment from 60 Minutes about a whistleblower in the tobacco industry where CBS producers deal with the chaos relating to what could be exposed. Directed by Michael Mann and screenplay by Mann and Eric Roth, the film is a drama that plays into a news story and the fallout that would endure in this news story that the tobacco industry does not want people to know. Starring Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, Bruce McGill, Diane Venora, Michael Gambon, Lindsay Crouse, Debi Mazar, and Christopher Plummer as Mike Wallace. The Insider is a mesmerizing and haunting film by Michael Mann.
Set in the mid-1990s, the film revolves around a former tobacco company executive who is fired as he sends documents to a producer for the CBS show 60 Minutes which leads to bigger things about what this man knows despite the confidentiality agreement, he had signed to not speak out against this corporation he worked for. It is a film that explores a man who knows something about what the tobacco industry is doing as he is aware of what he is risking but also feels like the public needs to know as this producer believes this is a story that the world needs to hear. The film’s screenplay by Michael Mann and Eric Roth is straightforward in its narrative while it is really a study of two men trying to get the truth out to the public amidst the many obstacles, they would endure including death threats, smear campaigns, legal maneuvering, and corporate pressure. Even as both men are pushed to extremes and their backs against the wall as the idea of truth and integrity becomes less valued in favor of greed.
The first act opens with producer Lowell Bergman (Al Pacino) in a Middle East country trying to convince the head of Hezbollah in Sheikh Falladah (Cliff Curtis) for an interview with Mike Wallace which he succeeds as it establishes the kind of reasoning and level of comfort Bergman has on those who want to talk to the press. Upon getting a box of documents at his home, Bergman learns who sent the box in former Brown & Williamson executive Dr. Jeffrey Wigand (Russell Crowe) as they meet in a hotel where Dr. Wigand only tells him some details about the documents and nothing else due to a confidentiality agreement he signed following his termination. Bergman realizes that Dr. Wigand knows more following threats from the people at Brown & Williamson forcing Dr. Wigand to reveal what he knows in an interview with Mike Wallace that doesn’t get aired as his family is forced to move from an upper-class home to something more modest as it would take a toll on his marriage to his wife Liane (Diane Venora) who doesn’t know what has been going on until the threats come in.
The second act plays into Bergman and Dr. Wigand dealing with Brown & Williamson’s attempt to block everything the latter is to say as they get help from Richard Scruggs (Colm Feore) who has been battling the tobacco industry as he would represent Dr. Wigand with his own team in the state of Mississippi. It would also be this moment where Dr. Wigand must settle for a new line of work in being a high school chemistry teacher while also teaching Japanese though he does feel like he would have influence through his testimony. However, the film’s third act plays into the world of corporate politics where CBS find themselves being bought as there are those who want to suppress the story leaving Bergman and Dr. Wigand in a bigger mess than they’re both in where the former does what he can to go public about what is happening as it would mark a major change in the way news is presented to the public.
Mann’s direction is intoxicating in its overall presentation where it is shot on various locations including New York City, Los Angeles, Lebanon, the Bahamas, Big Bear Valley in California, and Pascagoula, Mississippi to play into a moment in time when news brought a sense of awareness to the world. Mann’s direction is stylish as he shoots much of the film with hand-held cameras to get a sense of urgency into what is happening inside the offices, a news studio, and inside a house. While there are some wide shots in some of the locations including some gorgeous compositions where Mann places a character on a location whether it is on a beach or at a golf park. Much of Mann’s direction emphasizes medium shots and close-ups to create an intimacy as well as a sense of dramatic suspense for the characters in the situations they are in. Even in scenes during meetings where Mann would carefully create compositions where the actor is at the forefront and who is in the background.
Mann’s direction also has this element of realism such as the deposition scene as it takes place in the actual building where Dr. Wigand’s real deposition took place in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Mann does create this sense of tension where the Brown & Williamson legal team keep interrupting one of Dr. Wigand’s lawyers who mouths off at one of them over the gag order towards Dr. Wigand in his native Kentucky. The film’s third act takes a major tonal shift though the air of dramatic suspense is still in tact as it play into corporate politics and how they can suppress a story. Even to the point that a few of Bergman’s allies, including Wallace reluctantly give in except for Bergman as he believes that he must do what he can to get Dr. Wigand’s story out as he feels it is a threat to the free press. The film’s ending is about what needs to be done but it comes at a price where everyone loses something but something much bigger is lost as it relates to what the news is. Notably as it marked a major change where the truth becomes compromised by the ideals and interests of others who want to have things their way. Overall, Mann crafts an evocative and exhilarating film about a news producer trying to get a former tobacco corporate executive to tell the truth to the American public.
Cinematographer Dante Spinotti does phenomenal work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of low-key colors and lighting for some of the exterior scenes in the day and night including scenes in the rain as well as some stylish lighting for some of the interior scenes at CBS and at the different homes that Dr. Wigand would live in. Editors William Goldenberg, Paul Rubell, and David Rosenbloom do amazing work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts while also allowing shots to linger for a bit to play into the drama through some straightforward cutting as it is a highlight of the film. Production designer Brian Morris and art director Margie Stone McShirley do brilliant work with the look of the different homes that Dr. Wigand and his family live in as well as the interiors of the offices and studios for CBS in New York City and the other places that Bergman and his CBS crew go to. Costume designer Anna B. Sheppard does excellent work with the costumes as it is casual with the suits that Dr. Wigand wears as well as some of the clothing that Bergman wears.
Hair designer Vera Mitchell and makeup effects supervisor Keith VanderLaan do fantastic work with the look of Dr. Wigand in the grey hair that he has as well as the hairstyle of Mrs. Wigand. Visual effects supervisor Chris Watts does terrific work with some of the film’s visual effects in the usage of video as well as some set dressing for some scenes. Sound editors Gregg Baxter and Gregory King do superb work with the sound in the way cars sound up close and from afar in a suburb or in a city as well as the sparse textures in some of the sound mixes. The film’s music by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke is incredible for its world music-based score filled with vocals and dissonant instruments that play into the atmosphere of some of the drama as it is a highlight of the film. The film’s soundtrack features some additional score pieces by Graeme Ravell as well as pieces by Gustavo Santaolalla, Jan Garbarek, Massive Attack, Einstürzende Neubauten, Curt Sobel, Avro Part, the Casbah Orchestra, and David Darling.
The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Evan Podell as Bergman’s son, Breckin Meyer as Bergman’s stepson, Wings Hauser as a Brown & Williamson attorney at the deposition, Willie C. Carpenter as a newspaper editor friend of Bergman, Paul Perri and Wanda De Jesus as a couple of FBI agents posing as geologists meeting Bergman for a source of the whereabouts of an infamous American terrorist, Rip Torn as a CBS executive leader in John Scanlan, Roger Bart as a hotel manager who tries to relay a message to Dr. Wigand in a scene in the third act, real-life attorneys Jack Palladino and Mike Moore as themselves who help out Dr. Wigand, Gary Sandy as an attorney for Brown & Williamson CEO Thomas Sandefur, Cliff Curtis as Hezbollah leader Sheikh Falladah, Renee Olstead as Dr. Wigand’s eldest daughter Deborah who suffers from acute asthma, Hailee Kate Eisenberg as Dr. Wigand’s youngest daughter Barbara, Stephen Tobolowsky as CBS News president Eric Kluster, Gina Gershon as CBS attorney Helen Caperelli, Bruce McGill as the attorney Ron Motley who is anti-tobacco crusader, Lynn Thigpen as a high school principal who hires Dr. Wigand, Pete Hamill as a reporter for the New York Times, Nestor Serrano as an FBI agent who tries to help Bergman over a few things, Linda Hart as an ex-wife of Dr. Wigand used for a smear campaign, and Michael Gambon in a superb small performance as the Brown & Williamson CEO Thomas Sandefur who makes some serious threats towards Dr. Wigand.
Lindsay Crouse is fantastic in a small role as Bergman’s wife Sharon Tiller who is also a journalist that understands the chaos that Bergman is going through while is also someone who ensures that he does not lose himself. Debi Mazar is excellent as Debbie De Luca as a CBS News employee who helps Bergman in gathering sources and such while also having connections of her own regarding legal matters. Colm Feore is brilliant as Richard Scruggs as an attorney battling tobacco as he learns about Dr. Wigand’s situation as he realizes he help Dr. Wigand over his issues while also having him take part in this big battle against tobacco. Philip Baker Hall is amazing as 60 Minutes creator Don Hewitt who is aware of the importance of Dr. Wigand’s story while also finding himself dealing with corporate pressure as it relates to those wanting to buy CBS. Diane Venora is incredible as Liane Wigand as Dr. Wigand’s wife whose life changes because of the death threats and change of lifestyle while being shielded into what her husband is going through to the point that she becomes unsure if him being a whistleblower is a good idea.
Christopher Plummer is great as Mike Wallace as the famed journalist/reporter for 60 Minutes who would interview Dr. Wigand as he is aware of how the story is while later dealing with pressures from corporate in suppressing the story where he becomes unsure to give in or have the interview aired. Russell Crowe is phenomenal as Dr. Jeffrey Wigand as a former Brown & Williamson science executive who gets fired while he knows things that he feels could be harmful to the public about cigarettes where Crowe brings this sense of restraint and weariness of a man being pushed to the edge. Even where he sacrifices a lot where Crowe brings in one of his career-defining performances of a man just trying to do the right thing. Finally, there’s Al Pacino in a tremendous performance as Lowell Bergman as a producer for 60 Minutes who learns about this story and wants it out for the world to hear while also trying to help Dr. Wigand and his family over their death threats. It is a somber performance from Pacino, who does bring in some charm and wit while is also someone who believes in something only to see what is happening to the news media as it head towards the 21st Century with a weariness that is a lot to bear.
The Insider is an outstanding film by Michael Mann that features two top-notch leading performances from Al Pacino and Russell Crowe. Along with its great supporting cast, intoxicating visuals, stylish editing, study of truth and what those are willing to suppress it, and a mesmerizing score by Lisa Gerrard and Pieter Bourke. It is a film that explores two men trying to get something big known to the public while dealing with forces that does not want the people to know the truth about the dangers of tobacco. In the end, The Insider is a magnificent film by Michael Mann.
Based on the characters created by Michael McDowell and Larry Wilson, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is the sequel to the 1988 film Beetlejuice in which a family returns to a small town following the death of their patriarch where a woman reunites with a demonic figure after her daughter is taken to the Afterlife leading to another misadventure. Directed by Tim Burton and screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar from a screen story by Gough, Millar, and Seth Grahame-Smith, the film explores a family whose previous encounter with the Afterlife has them dealing with loss and other strange things with Michael Keaton reprising his role as the titular character/Betelgeuse with Winona Ryder and Catherine O’Hara also returning to reprise their respective roles in Lydia and Delia Deetz. Also starring Jenna Ortega, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci, Arthur Conti, Santiago Cabrera, and Willem Dafoe. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a whimsical and witty film by Tim Burton.
More than 30 years after events in which a young woman meets a demonic figure named Betelgeuse, the film revolves around that woman, her stepmother, and daughter who return to the small town following the death of her father where strange events occurred in the Afterlife involving Betelgeuse and his ex-wife seeking revenge on him. It is a film that does not just explore loss but also a woman dealing with the traumatic events when she was a teenager as she is forced to confront her past as well as her own relationship with her daughter. The film’s screenplay by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar is straightforward in its narrative as it plays into a woman who remains haunted by Betelgeuse where she has spent her adult life hosting a TV show relating to ghosts whom she can see. Yet, the show has also been the reason Lydia Deetz has become estranged from her teenage daughter Astrid (Jenna Ortega) who does not believe her mother’s claims, nor does she believe in ghosts as she wonders why her mother could see ghosts but not her late father.
The death of Lydia’s father Charles Deetz forces Lydia, Astrid, and Lydia’s stepmother Delia to return to Winter River fin the funeral as well as cleaning out their old house where Astrid discovered a flyer at the attic that has Betelgeuse’s name. Astrid would meet a fellow teenager in Jeremy (Arthur Conti) as they share a love of Dostoyevsky while Lydia’s boyfriend/producer Rory publicly proposed to her during the wake adding to the growing tension between Lydia and Astrid while Delia also is not fond of Rory as she’s concerned with cleaning out the house and express her grief through art. The script does play into Lydia and Delia’s relationship with each other as the former feels lost as she turns to the latter despite the issues they have had in the past. Still, the presence of Betelgeuse still looms as he has problems of his own in the fact that his ex-wife Delores (Monica Bellucci) has returned following a strange accident involving a janitor. Delores and Betelgeuse met during the plague as the former was part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill the latter only for Betelgeuse to kill her in retaliation. While Lydia is reluctant to ask for Betelgeuse’s help when Astrid is sent to the Afterlife, Betelgeuse does help her though it does come with some risks as he is an opportunist who will always want something. Still, he does want to show Lydia that he does care despite his motives.
Tim Burton’s direction is stylish and full of whimsy in terms of re-establishing a few visual clues and some Easter eggs relating to the original 1988 film but also paying tribute to that film as its opening sequence mirrors the same one from that film. Shot on location in Vermont and Massachusetts with some interior shots created in London, Burton does play into these two different worlds that is the living and the dead where Lydia’s show is filled with these quirks that is expected in shows about the paranormal. Yet, Burton also infuses the film with different kinds of style ranging from European horror in a sequence where Betelgeuse tells his employees about how he met his ex-wife to stop-motion animation in discussing how Charles Deetz had died. Still, Burton knows when to break from the humor and horror to create scenes that are straightforward in his compositions where he uses close-ups and medium shots in the way characters interact with one another. There are some wide shots that Burton uses though he prefers to maintain some simplicity when it comes to the compositions and elaborate set pieces.
Burton also plays into this idea of death where there are some humorous moments as it relates to Delia’s over-the-top approach to grief as she expresses it through art as well as well as some of the antics that Betelgeuse does in the building he works at. Burton also maintains some suspense once Astrid is sent to the Afterlife as there are stakes not just for the Deetz but also for Betelgeuse himself as he is also being chased by the ghost detective Wolf Jackson (Willem Dafoe) who was once a B-movie actor. The film’s climax is a throwback of sorts to the climax of the original film, but Burton brings in a more elaborate setting that involves musical dance numbers and other silly things that is expected from Burton. Overall, Burton crafts a dazzling and offbeat film about a woman reaching out to her former tormentor to help her retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife.
Cinematographer Haris Zambarloukos does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with the usage of natural lighting for the daytime exteriors in some scenes as well as the usage of colorful lighting for the interior scenes in the Afterlife. Editor Jay Prichidny does excellent work with the editing as it is straightforward in its approach to rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and suspense. Production designer Mark Scruton, along with supervising art directors Nick Gottschalk and Andrew Palmer plus set decorators Lori Mazuer and David Morison, does amazing work with the look of the Afterlife offices and hallways as well as the interiors of the old Deetz/Maitland home that also featured additional work from the first film’s production designer Bo Welch who serves as the film’s visual consultant. Costume designer Colleen Atwood does fantastic work with the costumes from the black clothing that Lydia wears as well as some of the clothes that Betelgeuse wears and the stylish clothing that Astrid and Delia wear.
Hair/makeup designer Christine Blundell does incredible work with the look of the characters from the look of the dead in the Afterlife as well as Delia’s red hair. Visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton and special effects supervisor Stefano Pepin, along with creature effects designer Neal Scanlan, do phenomenal work with the visual effects in the mixture of practical and CGI effects to create a unique world . Sound designer Jimmy Boyle does superb work with the sound in some of the sound effects created as well as the atmosphere of a room during the wake scene as well as the raucous atmosphere of the scenes in the Afterlife.
The film’s music by Danny Elfman is wonderful for its bombastic orchestral score filled with grand string and brass arrangements that play into the sense of suspense and humor while music supervisors James Balmont and Matthew Lawrenson create a fun soundtrack that features two different versions of the song MacArthur Park sung by Richard Harris and a disco version by Donna Summer. The rest of the music soundtrack also features music from the Bee Gees, Mazzy Star, Scott Weiland, Pino Donaggio, Sigur Ros, and Richard Marx as it is a highlight of the film.
The casting by Sophie Holland is great as it feature some notable small roles and appearances from Georgiana Beedle as Jackson’s secretary who always brings him a cup of coffee, Filipe Cates as a mysterious figure Astrid would meet in Vlad, casting director Sophie Holland as a hot dog lady with a stick who runs the office when the dead arrive, Sami Silane as an artist in Le Tigre who is upset at Delia for cancelling her show, and Amy Nuttall as the real estate agent Jane Butterfield who took over the business from her mother as she reveals some crucial information to Lydia that would be a key plot-point to the film. Other notable small roles include Santiago Cabrera as Astrid’s late father Richard who had died in South America, Burn Gorman as Father Damien who performed the funeral for Charles Deetz as well as other events in the town, and Nick Kellington as Betelgeuse’s right-hand shrinker-zombie friend Bob who helps run things for Betelgeuse.
Arthur Conti is superb as Jeremy as a young man Astrid meets after crashing her bicycle into his fence where he offers a chance to help Astrid see her father though he has motives of his own. Willem Dafoe is excellent as Wolf Jackson as a former B-movie actor who leads a paranormal detective force as he tries to deal with Delores and the antics of Betelgeuse where Dafoe gets the chance to ham it up as someone who really loves playing the role of a detective. Monica Bellucci is fantastic as Delores as Betelgeuse’s ex-wife who is part of a soul-sucking cult that tried to kill Betelgeuse during the black plague only to be killed by him in retaliation as she is eager to get revenge on him. Justin Theroux is brilliant as Lydia’s producer/boyfriend Rory as a guy who is the embodiment of uncool as he tries everything to win over Astrid while also forcing Lydia into a wedding for publicity reasons where Theroux is fun to watch in the way he reacts to certain things as well as just being so dumb. Jenna Ortega is incredible as Astrid as Lydia’s teenage daughter who wants nothing to do with her mother as she doesn’t believe in ghosts while feeling resentful towards her mother for not seeing their late father as well as other issues where Ortega brings a lot of wit and angst to her character while also proving to funny as she has great rapport with her co-stars.
Catherine O’Hara is phenomenal as Delia Deetz as Lydia’s stepmother who becomes consumed with grief over the death of her husband as she expresses it through art in the most hilarious of ways. Notably as she does some things that are odd, yet O’Hara often keeps things lively while also proving to be understanding over Lydia’s relationship with Astrid. Winona Ryder is great as Lydia Deetz as a paranormal TV show host who is still dealing with trauma as well as loss where Ryder keeps a lot of her performance straightforward while retaining a few quirks in her choice of clothing. Even though she is determined to not deal with Betelgeuse but realizes that she needs him to help retrieve her daughter in the Afterlife. Finally, there’s Michael Keaton in a tremendous performance as Betelgeuse as the demon who still pines for Lydia while dealing with the return of his ex-wife as he is eager to be rid of Delores while also hoping to reunite with Lydia in the hopes of marrying her. Keaton adds a lot of energy and charisma to his performance as well as the complexity of someone who likes to create chaos while also wanting to show Lydia that he really does care in his own offbeat way.
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a marvelous film by Tim Burton that features great performances from Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, and Jenna Ortega. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, amazing set pieces, dazzling visuals, a fun music soundtrack, and a story about loss and family. It is a film that does not try to be its predecessor while also acknowledging it in a loving way while also wanting to be entertaining and not taking itself too seriously. In the end, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is a remarkable film by Tim Burton.
Tim Burton Films: (Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure) – Beetlejuice - Batman - (Edward Scissorhands) – Batman Returns - Ed Wood - (Mars Attacks!) – (Sleepy Hollow) – (Planet of the Apes (2001 film)) – (Big Fish) – (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) – (Corpse Bride) – (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street) – (Alice in Wonderland (2010 film)) – (Dark Shadows) – (Frankenweenie) – (Big Eyes) – (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) – (Dumbo (2019 film))
Summer is nearing its end, and it has been a chaotic one although not as crazy as it had been in recent years. Still, it has been problematic as this month began with me contracting COVID for the first time. What happened was that my sister went to Tennessee for work and stayed at a friend’s house only to come with COVID as her kids would get it. My mother and I spent time watching them as they could not go to their therapy sessions near Powder Springs where we would all eat at Chik-Fil-A every Tuesday. Then over that weekend, we got COVID and ended up not doing much that week. We did not go out except to get fast food or something. This is nothing new for my mother as she has had it a few times though nothing serious, but it lasted more than a week for me, and it sucked. I was coughing a lot to the point where I could not breathe at times. I had to sleep with extra pillows on my bed for support as that was a bit uncomfortable. Still, I managed to rest and such as I hope to never get that again.
Aside from all the shit that is happening around the world while the Olympics was a good escape with the non-sports stuff involving Snoop Dogg was entertaining. Even in the moments he was sharing with Martha Stewart as it made things a joy to watch while there some were events that were fun to watch. Still, not much had happened as I just spent a lot of time watching stuff on YouTube and played some old video games on my laptop including Quake which I had not played in more than 20 years as I loved that game.
In the month of August 2024, I saw a total of 19 films in 9 first-timers and 10 re-watches with one first-timer being a film directed/co-directed by a woman as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. Not one of my better months and that is my fault for getting sick though it is better than not seeing anything at all. A big highlight for this month has been my Blind Spot choice in Leave Her to Heaven. Here is my top 5 first-timers that I saw for August 2024:
This documentary from Netflix by Alison Klayman about the rise and fall of Abercrombie & Fitch is a fascinating yet lacks some substance regarding the life of its CEO Mike Jeffries who left the company in 2014 due to many controversies as well as the fact that he’s a racist, homophobic piece of shit who is gay. The film does talk to former models and employees about their experiences, yet the film also tries to get its viewers to buy their stupid clothes. I never liked Abercrombie & Fitch in the late 90s when I was in high school as it worn by the popular white kids who thought they were the shit. They looked like assholes while the group I spent time together with were wearing metal t-shirts at the time. It is an all-right film, but it could have done more into the horrible business practices as well as be more of a takedown of the brand instead of trying to sell its shitty-ass clothes.
Piper
This short from Pixar that my niece and nephew had seen a few times on Disney+ is something I had not seen before. What I saw was something beautiful as it is about a small sandpiper trying to get food from waves while meeting a young baby crab. It was not just the simplicity of the story that drew me but also in how almost realistic it looked. The animation is top notch in terms of the way it looks yet still has this richness in the animation as filmmaker Alan Barillaro creates something that is touching and wondrous.
Dammi
An 18-minute short that I saw on MUBI by Yann Demange starring Riz Ahmed, Souhelia Yacoub, and a special appearance by Isabelle Adjani that revolves around a British-Arab man travelling to Paris to see his father. It is a film filled with dazzling imagery as it is about a man trying to find himself and who he is while also coming to terms with the chaos of his own family life including his estranged relationship with his father. Even as he meets a French-Algerian woman that he falls for as it a personal film by Demange who needs a comeback following the disappointing reaction of his last feature film in White Boy Rick.
Wisdom Teeth
This five-minute short film that Don Hertzfeldt made in 2010 that is this really fucked up short revolving around a man asking his friend to pull out a stitch from his wisdom tooth following a dentist appointment. Well, he does what his friend asks him to do and some really fucked up shit happens along the way including lots of blood. It is short but fucking incredible.
Creating a Universe: The Making of Rebel Moon
From Netflix is this 28-minute making-of documentary about the making of Zack Snyder’s two-part space epic. It is a documentary short that shows Snyder not only putting a lot of thought into what he wanted to make but the story he wanted to tell as well. It is also in making the film a collaborative project with the help of his crew including his production designer, editor, visual effects team, costume designer, makeup designers, prosthetics, and stunt team. Even as some of the actors reveal the depth of what he wanted to do as well as set it in some physical areas and find a balance of using practical and CGI visual effects to create something realistic and imaginative. It is something fans of Snyder’s work should see.
Well, that is all for August. Coming next month will be a review of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice as well as the two films of Michael Mann that I need to watch for my Auteurs series for him as I hope it will be finished this coming month. Then, I will do work on David Lean as I have Summertime prepared. Other than films that I have access to as well as my next Blind Spot film in The Roaring Twenties. That is all that is coming for September. Before I bid adieu, I want to express my condolences to those who have passed this month. Among them is Sid Eudy aka Sid Vicious aka Sycho Sid aka the Ruler of the World, Afa Anoa’i, Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, Gena Rowlands, Alain Delon, Villano V, Catherine Ribiero, Atsuko Tanaka, Phil Donahue, Johnny “Dandy” Rodriguez, Charles Blackwell, writer Scott Thorson, Wally Amos of Famous Amos, writer Sergio Donati, Greg Kihn, actor Angel Salazar aka Chi Chi (get the yeyo), Rachael Lillis, writer Charles R. Cross, wrestler Kevin Sullivan (I respect you booker man), Mitzi McCall, Jack Russell of Great White, Fatman Scoop, Charles Cyphers, and film/TV producer Daniel Selznick. We will miss you all. This is thevoid99 signing off…
Based on the novel by Ben Ames Williams, Leave Her to Heaven is the story of a novelist who falls in love with a socialite whom he would marry only for their marriage to go into serious trouble due to her possessive behavior as she refuses to get anyone close to him. Directed by John M. Stahl and screenplay by Jo Swerling, the film is a noir-thriller that explores a man’s belief in finding the perfect woman only for that perfect woman to be anything but in a tumultuous marriage where anyone who comes close to him gets in trouble. Starring Cornel Wilde, Gene Tierney, Jeanne Crain, Mary Philips, Ray Collins, Gene Lockhart, Reed Hadley, Daryl Hickman, Chill Wills, and Vincent Price. Leave Her to Heaven is an intoxicating yet eerie film by John M. Stahl.
The film revolves around a novelist who meets a socialite during a train ride to New Mexico where they fall in love and get married until he brings in his teenaged, polio-stricken brother and her family into their lives as the woman becomes possessive to great extremes. It is a film about obsession and the idea of love where this man falls for love with a woman he meets on a train as she is reading one of his books as they both realize they are guests for an acquaintance of theirs where they would fall in love and marry only for the marriage to become troubled. Jo Swerling’s screenplay is filled with some witty and stylish dialogue that plays into the sense of attraction between the novelist Richard Harland (Cornel Wilde) and the socialite Ellen Berent (Gene Tierney) upon their first meeting on the train. Yet, the story is told in reflective manner where Harland’s lawyer Glen Robie (Ray Collins) meets with Harland who had served a two-year prison sentence as he tells the story to people in this remote lake in Maine about what happened to Harland.
Robie was the one who invited Harland to his ranch in New Mexico where he also invited Ellen, her mother (Mary Philips), and her cousin/adopted sister Ruth (Jeanne Crain) as Harland gets to know the family as well as learn about Ellen and her attachment to her late father where she spread his ashes on a desert plateau. Although Ellen is engaged to an attorney in Russell Quinton (Vincent Price) who is running for district attorney. Ellen falls for Harland as they agreed to get married which would upset Quinton as Harland takes Ellen to Warm Springs, Georgia to meet his younger brother Danny (Daryl Hickman). At first, Ellen is warm in having Danny around until they moved to Harland’s remote lake house in Maine where Ellen is unhappy with not having Harland being around much due to his work while him inviting Mrs. Berent and Ruth to the home only made Ellen more possessive towards Harland. It would lead to some dark moments where Harland would temporarily live with the Berent family in Bar Harbor, Maine where Harland becomes close to Ruth though not in a romantic relationship despite Ellen’s paranoia.
John M. Stahl’s direction is stylish for the way he creates a film that has this tone that feels romantic, yet the opening scene reveals that something dark is ahead once Robie tells the story of what happened to Harland as he rows on a canoe all alone in the lake. Shot on various locations in Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and parts of California, Stahl uses the locations to play into the journey that Ellen and Harland would go through during their courtship and eventual marriage. While there are some wide shots of the locations including the scenes at the lake where Harland has his remote lake house. There is a sense of romanticism in the way Stahl presents the scenes with Ellen and Harland in the film’s first act through the medium shots and close-ups in how they interact with one another. Stahl would also create these gorgeous compositions that also add to the dramatic tension once the story goes to Harland’s home as it is this idyllic place, but it also marks this change in Ellen’s behavior where its tone starts to darken.
Stahl also plays into this sense of dramatic tension and suspense in the way Ellen yearns to be with Harland who starts to get disconnected with her. Even where he begins to question a lot of things including her relationship with her father. It is also when he starts to befriend Ruth where Stahl knows where to place the actors in a frame as well as these small moments that would add to this ferocity in Ellen over wanting Harland for herself. Given that the film was made during the period of the Hays Code which prevented certain things that American filmmakers could not do. Stahl does know how to create something that is shocking by not showing anything but rather through sound or in a wide shot. The film’s third act is about the aftermath of this event and how it would impact Harland and Ellen’s marriage with revelations on the latter that would prove to be disturbing to not just Harland but also Ruth who also questions her sister’s motives as well as questions into what happened with their father. Overall, Stahl crafts a haunting yet exhilarating film about a woman’s possessive behavior towards her new husband.
Cinematographer Leon Shamroy, along with Technicolor specialist Natalie Kalmus, does phenomenal work with the film’s colorful cinematography as the daytime exteriors in the deserts and lake are gorgeous in the details in the coloring with the interior and unique lighting that play into the drama and suspense. Editor James B. Clark does excellent work with the editing where it is straightforward in terms of its rhythm in playing up to the suspense and melodrama. Art directors Maurice Ransford and Lyle Wheeler, along with set decorator Thomas Little, do brilliant work with the look of Robie’s ranch in New Mexico, the lake house that Harland owns, and the beachside home that the Berents have in its interiors as well as the train where Harland meets Ellen. Costume designer Kay Nelson does amazing work with the costumes in the stylish clothes and dresses that Ellen wears as it plays into her personality as well as this idea of a woman of immense beauty but with a dark and dangerous persona from within.
Makeup artist Ben Nye does wonderful work in the way Ellen looks in wanting to be this goddess of sorts that is a direct contrast to the naturalistic look of Ruth. The special photographic effects by Fred Sersen are terrific for some of the film’s minimal special effects in a few set-dressing pieces for the scenes on the beach and a few bits in the desert. The sound work of Roger Heman Sr. and E. Clayton Ward is superb in the sparse sound in the way a location sounds or how things can be heard in another room as it adds to the drama. The film’s music by Alfred Newman, with orchestral arrangements by Edward B. Powell, is incredible for its orchestral music score that has arrangements that play into the suspenseful moments of the film with its usage of heavy percussions as well as the swelling of strings with themes that add to the sense of melodrama in the film.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Jim Farley as the train conductor, Olive Blakeney as Robie’s wife, Reed Hadley as Danny’s doctor, Gene Lockhart as the Berent family doctor, and Chill Wills as Harland’s family friend Leick Thome whom Danny is often fond of though Ellen finds his presence to be distracting. Mary Philips is terrific as Ellen’s mother who laments over Ellen’s feelings for her father hoping Harland would be a good influence on her only to cope with the chaos over Ellen as she becomes more concerned towards Harland. Ray Collins is superb as Glen Robie as the man who would bring Harland and Ellen over to his ranch as he was also the former’s lawyer where he tells the story to locals in Maine over what happened with him and Ellen. Daryl Hickman is fantastic as Harland’s younger brother Danny who is partially paralyzed due to polio as he is fond of Ellen while also hoping to return to Maine to continue his growing progress unaware of Ellen’s growing disdain towards him.
Vincent Price is excellent as Russell Quinton as Ellen’s former fiancé who is shocked by the end of their abrupt engagement only to appear much later in the film during a trial that would put Harland into some serious trouble. Jeanne Crain is amazing as Ellen’s adopted sister Ruth as a young woman who has a love for nature and gardening as she becomes troubled by Ellen’s behavior while getting closer to Harland in their love for nature. Cornel Wilde is brilliant as Richard Harland as a novelist who falls for Ellen as he becomes smitten by her only to later be troubled by her behavior and possessiveness where he tries to sort out her behavior and motive. Finally, there’s Gene Tierney in a magnificent performance as Ellen Berent as a woman who is smitten by Harland because he looked like her late father while is hoping to have him all to herself. It is a performance that is filled with this sense of exotic beauty but there is this cold interior about her that is also monstrous in the way she becomes possessive towards Harland to some great extremes as it is truly a performance for the ages.
Leave Her to Heaven is a tremendous film by John M. Stahl that features a spectacular leading performance from Gene Tierney. Along with its supporting cast, ravishing visuals, a haunting music score, beautiful locations, and a rapturous story about love and obsession. It is a film that is an unconventional noir melodrama that also knows how to shock while also exploring a woman’s troubled obsession towards her husband. In the end, Leave Her to Heaven is an outstanding film by John M. Stahl.
Directed and shot by Zack Snyder and screenplay by Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Shay Hatten from a story by Snyder, Rebel Moon is a two-part film series that explores a conflict between an imperialist galaxy who decides to threaten a farming colony on a moon outside of its galaxy leading to a rebellion by a young woman who would seek out various misfits to help her rebel against these imperial forces. The film, in its expanded director’s cuts with a total running time of 377-minutes, is an epic sci-fi adventure film that displays a group of people who refuse to bow down to the whims of an imperialistic force even though the imperialists have an army that will not stop in taking over. Starring Sofia Boutella, Djimon Hounsou, Ed Skrein, Michiel Huisman, Bae Doona, Ray Fisher, Charlie Hunnam, Jena Malone, Fra Fee, Corey Stoll, Staz Nair, Elise Duffy, Cary Elwes, Sky Yang, Charlotte Maggi, Stella Grace Fitzgerald, and the voice of Anthony Hopkins as JC-1435 aka Jimmy. Rebel Moon is an audacious, bold, and viscerally evocative two-part film by Zack Snyder.
Set in a futuristic galaxy led by an entity known as the Motherland, the two-part film is about a young farmer who decides to leave her farming village with another farmer to gather some warriors to help train the farmers for an upcoming battle against these imperial forces. It is a story with a simple plot, yet it plays into this planet where a village of farmers deal with a large spaceship whose fleet is led by the sadistic Admiral Atticus Noble (Ed Skrein) who learns about what the planet does and wants all their harvest though his intentions prove to be far more sinister. Especially as it plays into a dark history of planetary domination and acts of genocide in the hands of the Motherland ever since the assassination of their king (Cary Elwes) and his royal family with a former military leader in Balisarius (Fra Fee) being the new leader. The screenplays by Zack Snyder, Kurt Johnstad, and Shay Hatten, in their extended versions, split the story into two parts with the first chapter entitled The Chalice of Blood and the second chapter entitled Curse of Forgiveness.
The Chalice of Blood establishes this sense of dread that the Motherland has impacted on various planets with a moon called Veldt being the center of this conflict within both stories as a farming village where a young woman in Kora (Sofia Boutella) lives in even though she is seen as an outsider in the village. When Admiral Noble arrives on his ship to see the village and what they had to offer, he demands that the farm give them all their grain while leaving his soldiers to watch over everything. Yet, Kora would kill all but one soldier from raping a young farmer, she would leave the village with another farmer in Gunner (Michiel Huisman) to find people who would help them deal with imperialist forces since Gunner had made secret grain trades to rebels. Meanwhile, a rogue imperial robot in JC-1435 aka (Dustin Ceithamer) would watch over the village and secretly help them out where recalls a story of the Motherland when it ruled peacefully for a time with its king and his young daughter Princess Issa (Stella Grace Fitzgerald) as the latter was believed to be this spiritual being that would bring peace. With the help of a mercenary/starship pilot in Kai (Charlie Hunnam), Kora and Gunner would gain the services of a former imperial general in Titus (Djimon Hounsou), a sword master with cyborg hands in Nemesis (Bae Doona), a former nobleman turned blacksmith in Tarak (Staz Nair), and a rebel soldier in Milius (Elise Duffy) who is part of a rebel faction lead by the siblings in Darrian and Devra Bloodaxe (Ray Fisher and Cleopatra Coleman, respectively).
In Curse of Forgiveness, the script plays more into the back stories of the rebels that Kora and Gunner had brought in as well as the past of the former whose family was killed by the Motherland where she met Balisarius who would adopt her. Kora’s last encounter with Admiral Noble would prove to be fatal for Noble as he realizes Kora’s identity hoping to capture her to gain favor from Balisarius as well as a seat in the Motherland’s senate. On Veldt, Titus, Nemesis, Milius, and Tarak not only help the farmers in preparing for battle with the rogue soldier Aris (Sky Yang) who would function as a double agent for the farmers in his reports to Motherland. They also rediscover a life they had lost due to their past encounters with the Motherland, adding more weight to what is at stake with Jimmy making a discovery that would get everyone to prepare for Noble and his forces.
Snyder’s direction is truly grand in terms of not just the massive scale he presents as if it plays into events that are inspired by the realities of war and tyranny but also a reality that those disconnected from modern-day society must deal with. With the scenes on Veldt and other exterior locations shot on location in areas in California, much of Snyder’s work is shot on studio soundstages yet he does create something that does play into a world that is in absolute and total chaos. The Chalice of Blood opens with a sequence of a family trying to defend themselves against a force of imperial soldiers where Admiral Noble coerces Aris to join the Motherland through a horrifying act. Also serving as the film’s cinematographer, Snyder does create some unique visuals some of the planets as they are drenched with unique lighting and color schemes with elements of the Motherland being heightened in their lighting to play into this false utopia they claim to portray. Shot in a 2:76:1 aspect ratio, Snyder uses that format to create images as if they are a wide canvas as the diligence in his wide and medium shots add a lot to the world that these characters live in.
Notably in the scenes on Veldt in its village setting as it has this naturalistic feel that is also heightened in its lighting reminiscent of 1970s cinema. Snyder would also maintain a sense of intimacy in his approach to medium shots and close-ups as he also plays into the way characters interact with each other or the environment they are in. Notably in some of the scenes during the harvest in Curse of Forgiveness where there is this sense of community where these outsiders take part in and deal with a world that feels idyllic and inclusive. Especially towards characters like Milius and Nemesis who both came from farming villages that they lost due to the actions of the Motherland where they reconnect with a side of themselves that they had lost long ago. Snyder also maintains some unique compositions in the way he presents the different planets the characters go to in The Chalice of Blood as well as some disparate imagery in the way Veldt is shown and the Motherland ship that Admiral Noble lives in.
In these expanded versions of the films that Snyder had intended to make, it allows him to present the violence in a more gruesome manner in some of the battles and attacks to display how extreme war is. Even in moments of conflict such as the first fight between Kora and Noble in the climax of The Chalice of Blood, while the big battle scene in Curse of Forgiveness is far more intense. Especially as there are these chilling elements where Noble has more concern for himself and making the Motherland look good as the original mission to get the grain from the farmers becomes unnecessary. It has elements of anti-war sentiment where some begin to question Noble’s views as it relates to Kora and her identity believing that capturing her would gain him favor of Balisarius. The ending does not just play into what was lost but also the beginning of something bigger in what a rebellion must do. Overall, Snyder has crafted a rapturous and enthralling film about a young woman who gathers some rebels to fight against a tyrannical force led by a madman.
Editor Dody Dorn does brilliant work with the editing where it is filled with lots of style in slow-motion cuts, fast-cuts, and jump-cuts to play into the action and drama while also knowing when to slow things down to let shots linger to establish what is happening in a scene. Production designers Stefan Dechant and Stephen Swain, along with supervising art directors Julien Pougnier and Brett McKenzie plus set decorator Claudia Bonfe, do amazing work with the look of the farm houses and the interior of some of the spaceships. Costume designer Stephanie Portnoy Porter does fantastic work with the costumes from the regal uniforms that the imperialists wear to the more ragged and simpler look of the people on Veldt as well as the different clothes that Titus, Nemesis, and Tarak wear.
Makeup artist Laura Calvo, hair stylist Miki Caporusso, and special makeup effects/puppet designer Justin Raleigh do excellent work with the look of the characters as well as some of the details in the scars that some characters sport as well as the different hairstyles of Kora. Special effects supervisor Michael Gaspar and senior visual effects supervisor Marcus Taormina, along with animation supervisors Nikki Braine, Yvon Jardel, and Nick Starcevic, do tremendous work with the visual effects with its mixture of practical effects and puppetry for some of the small creatures in the film as well as the design of the different planets and their exterior settings as it is a highlight of the film. Sound designers Scott Hecker, Bryan Jerden, and Chuck Michael do superb work with the sound in the way gunfire sounds as well as other sparse and small sounds with elements of bombastic sound effects that play into the terror of these weapons. The film’s music by Tom Holkenburg is incredible for its mixture of bombastic orchestral arrangements, electronic swirls, and folk-based music as it plays into the different worlds that the film presents with a lot of folk-based music having this sense of traditional tone to play into something that Veldt is trying to hold on to.
The casting by Kristy Carlson is marvelous as it features various small roles and appearances from Brandon Auret and Greg Kriek as a couple of imperial soldiers tasked in watching over the village, Derek Mears as a monstrous alien who is part of a group asked to spy for the Motherland, Tony Amendola as a king who shelters the rebellion, Rhian Rees as the queen of the Motherland in the flashbacks, Elizabeth Martinez as the young Kora, Ray Porter as a farmer from another planet that is Tarek’s master, Stuart Martin as a farmer named Den whom Kora would have sex with early in the film, Dominic Buress as a man Kora and Gunner fight with at a bar where they would meet Kai, Ingvar Sigurdsson as an elder farmer in Hagen who was the one that took Kora into the community as well as being a father figure to her, Stella Grace Fitzgerald as the princess Kora was a bodyguard for as she is the spiritual being who is believed to be the key to peace, and Cary Elwes as the king of the Motherland who would change his ways from being a tyrant into wanting to become a more peaceful leader.
Other notable small roles and appearances include Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher in terrific performances as the sibling rebel leaders in Devra and Darrian Bloodaxe who agree to help Kora and her team only from afar with the latter being involved early on with the former coming in late in the film. Corey Stoll is superb as the village leader Sindri who is troubled by the appearance of the Motherland unsure of what to do while also being unaware of their extremities. Jena Malone is fantastic in her brief role as the humanoid-spider Harmada who kidnaps children and causes trouble where she gets into a fight with Nemesis in The Chalice of Blood. Alfonso Herrera is excellent as Noble’s second-in-command Cassius who runs the ground forces and everything else while finds himself questioning Noble’s intentions. Charlotte Maggi is brilliant as Sam as a water girl who nearly gets raped by some imperial soldiers only to fall for the rogue soldier Aris and become a fighter herself. Sky Yang is amazing as Aris who reluctantly serves for the imperialists after his own encounter with Noble only to go rogue and help the farmers to defy the Motherland. Fra Fee is incredible as Balisarius as the leader of the Motherland who rules the galaxy as a tyrant as he is intent on ruling the galaxy while is hoping to find Kora who is his long-lost adopted daughter.
Charlie Hunnam is great in his role as the mercenary Kai who helps Kora and Gunner travel to the galaxy to gather some people to fight with them as he is an ambiguous individual that is also a pessimist while does see the sense of hope in what Kora is fighting for. The performances of Elise Duffy, Staz Nair, and the duo of Dustin Ceithamer and the voice of Anthony Hopkins are phenomenal in their respective roles as the rebel fighter Milius, the former nobleman-turned-slave in Tarak, and the imperialist robot who has gone rogue in JC-1435/Jimmy as they all express a need to return to a life they once had with Milius as a fighter who once had a life in a farmland that was taken from her with Tarak as a prince who went into exile after his planet was taken and Jimmy as this robot who had been programmed to protect the royal family only to rebel after dealing with the abuse of the imperialists soldiers where he would help the farmers in secrecy.
Bae Doona is remarkable as Nemesis as a sword master with android hands who came from a fishing village that used to be a land of violence where she joins Kora in the rebellion where she regains a sense of what was lost in her encounters with the people of the village. Djimon Hounsou is tremendous as General Titus as a former imperialist general who had become an alcoholic as he reluctantly joins Kora where he would regain a sense of purpose while teaching the farmers how to fight with what they have while also knowing Kora’s identity. Michiel Huisman is sensational as Gunner as a farmer who joins Kora in trying to gather people for the rebellion as he secretly sold grain to the Bloodaxe where he gains a sense of bravery and purpose where he hopes to have a future with Kora.
Ed Skrein is magnificent as Admiral Atticus Noble as this monstrous military figure who is willing to do everything for Balisarius where he has this devilish charm to him that also has elements of camp where Skrein goes all out in this role as it is his greatest performance to date. Finally, there’s Sofia Boutella in a spectacular performance as Kora as a woman who had been Balisarius’s adopted daughter only to flee because of an incident where she exiled herself to become a farmer until the Motherland returns prompting her to gather people for a rebellion. Even as Boutella displays the complexities of her emotions in the guilt that she holds in her past actions while also dealing with the fact that she lost a lot in her life only to gain a new purpose and a community that has embraced her.
Rebel Moon, in their extended director’s cuts, is an outstanding film by Zack Snyder. Featuring a great ensemble cast, enthralling visuals, its exploration of war and guilt, a balance of action, suspense, and drama, and an exhilarating music score and soundtrack by Tom Holkenburg. It is a two-part film series that does not just allow Snyder to highlight his full vision of a space conflict but also shows so much more in its exploration of a community that just wants to live a peaceful life despite the threat they must deal with. In the end, Rebel Moon is a magnificent two-part film series by Zack Snyder.
Written and directed by Michael Mann, L.A. Takedown is a TV movie about a police sergeant who goes on a chase towards a group of ruthless criminals as its leader is searching for someone who had betrayed their team. The TV movie, which would later be remade into Mann’s 1995 film Heat, is an exploration of obsession in which two men go into extremes in their pursuit of one another with one of them also hoping to get out of the life of crime. Starring Scott Plank, Alex McArthur, Michael Rooker, Ely Pouget, Vincent Guastaferro, Richard Chaves, Victor Rivers, and Xander Berkeley. L.A. Takedown is a riveting and gritty film by Michael Mann.
The film is the simple story of a police sergeant who investigates a recent robbery, learning that the crew is planning an elaborate bank robbery though its leader is on the hunt for a criminal who had betrayed them. It is a film that explores two men who are both determined in their work but also deal with troubles in their personal lives where a cat-and-mouse chase between the two would occur. Michael Mann’s script is straightforward in its exploration of these two men who are on different sides of the law as they also go through great extremes to deal with one another as Sgt. Vincent Hanna (Scott Plank) is trying to capture a group of men who robbed an armored car while his marriage to Lillian (Ely Pouget) is falling apart due to the demands of his job. Patrick McLaren (Alex McArthur) was the mastermind behind the heist, yet it went wrong with his recruit Waingro (Xander Berkeley) kills the guards and goes on the run as he would take part in a series of murders of prostitutes. It would lead to McLaren going on a hunt while trying to stage another heist while also forging a new relationship with Eady (Laura Harrington).
Mann’s direction is stylish in terms of the way he uses Los Angeles as a character through its aerial shots of the city, highways, and its different locations as well as use it as a place in this conflict between order and disorder. While it is shot on a 1:33:1 aspect ratio since it was filmed for television and was originally meant to be a TV pilot that expanded into a film. Mann does use some wide and medium shots to play into the scope of the city with certain locations being key to how a heist is set up or a world that is vibrant but also dangerous. Still, Mann does maintain some intimacy in the way characters meet such a diner where McLaren and his colleagues meet or a coffee shop where Sgt. Hanna and McLaren meet in a key scene about who they are and what they are about. It plays into these two men who are on opposites of the law, but they have a code of honor in the way they do things as well as not wanting people to be killed even they did not mean to.
There is a big shootout scene in the third function as it is intense though considering that it was made for television. The violence is kept to a certain restraint while Mann’s approach to suspense is also filled with a sense of urgency into what characters must do in a situation. Even as Mann would use hand-held cameras and tracking shots to capture some of the intensity of these scenes, though much of the violence is shown offscreen apart from a few key moments. The film’s climax revolves around this chase of Sgt. Hanna going after McLaren who is trying to find where Waingro is as he has been this loose end that has been trouble for everyone. Overall, Mann crafts a riveting and engaging film about a conflict between a police detective and a criminal who both deal with their own personal and existential issues.
Cinematographer Ronald Victor Garcia does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its usage of available lights for some of the exterior scenes at night as well as some natural lighting for some of the film’s daytime exterior scenes and low-key lights for the interior scenes at night. Editor Dov Hoenig does incredible work with the editing with its stylish usage of jump-cuts and fast-cuts to play into the action as well as the suspense with some straightforward cuts to slow things down. Production designer Dean Taucher, along with set decorator Don Diers and art director John Krenz Reinhart Jr., does excellent work with the look of the home that Hanna lives in as well as some of the hotels/motels that Waingro would hide out at. Costume designer Patricia Field does fantastic work with the costumes in the stylish suits that Hanna and his men wear that McLaren and his team also wear.
The special effects work of Richard Stutman is terrific for the stunt work that occurs including scenes involving the heists and other action sequences. Sound editor John A. Larsen does superb work with the sound in capturing the way gunfire sounds up close and from afar as well as the sounds of how music is heard on a location. The film’s music by Tim Truman is amazing for its ambient-based electronic score with elements of rock in some part with its soundtrack consisting of music in clubs whether it’s salsa or pop with two notable songs featured in the film in Jane’s Addiction’s cover of the Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil and Billy Idol’s cover of the Doors’ L.A. Woman.
The casting by Bonnie Timmerman is wonderful as it features some notable small roles and appearances from Clarence Gilyard Jr. as a getaway driver for McLaren in the bank heist, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as a friend of Waingro that Hanna later confronts, Juan Fernandez as an informant for Hanna, R.D. McCall as an informer for McLaren, Sam J. Jones as a man that harasses Lillian at the club she works at, the trio of Daniel Baldwin, Victor Rivers, and Richard Chaves in their respective roles as Hanna’s fellow detectives in Detective Bobby Schwartz, Detective Arriaga, and Detective Lou Casals, and Laura Harrington as McLaren’s love interest Eady who is fascinated by McLaren’s view on the world though she has no idea what he does until later on.
Peter Dobson and Vincent Guastaferro are superb in their respective roles as Chris Sheherlis and Michael Cerrito as two of McLaren’s fellow thieves who also take part in the planning and working the heists as they hope to use the money to provide good lives for their families. Ely Pouget is fantastic as Hanna’s wife Lillian who starts to feel neglected by his duties as a detective while also dealing with an incident involving the guy who was harassing her that Hanna would beat up. Michael Rooker is excellent as Hanna’s second-in-command in Detective Bosko who would help in the investigation while also taking charge in surveying McLaren and his men.
Xander Berkeley is brilliant as Waingro as the new guy in McLaren’s crew who proves to be a loose cannon as well as a liability where he kills people as well as do what he can to make things for both Hanna and McLaren difficult. Alex McArthur is amazing as Patrick McLaren as an expert thief who leads the heists as he deals with trying to find Waingro and kill him as well as deal with his own need to have a life outside of crime even though being a thief is all he really knows. Finally, there’s Scott Plank in an incredible performance as Sgt. Vincent Hanna as a police detective that is obsessed in trying to capture McLaren as well as do his work though it takes much of his time in his personal life.
L.A. Takedown is a marvelous film by Michael Mann. Featuring an excellent cast, stylish visuals, frenetic editing, and a killer music soundtrack. It is a crime film that is engaging to watch although it is unfortunate that it is overshadowed by its far superior remake in Heat. In the end, L.A. Takedown is a remarkable film by Michael Mann.
Well, things here in the U.S. has certainly gotten crazy with a botched assassination attempt on Dookie Tank while Cunt Hogan did a stupid speech brother on how Dookie Tank will fix the country with the help of J.D. Vance who thinks childless women are stupid. What a shitshow this has become as Joe Biden has decided to drop out of the election which I think is a good thing since it is highly likely he is going to get killed by the polls anyway. Do I have faith in Kamala Harris? I do not know. Appearing at the BET Awards certainly does not help as BET sucks. Anyone who still hopes that things will change for the better in their belief in democracy needs a wake-up call as what just happened in Venezuela is proof that democracy sucks. It can be bought and rigged no matter for whom you vote.
Remember nearly five years ago when a question is asked about the Marvel Cinematic Universe being cinema and I made a response to it as it was meant to be a seven-part series with only four of the seven finished? Well, given the recent events at Comic-Con and toxic fanboy responses over the reaction to Deadpool & Wolverine towards those that did not like the film. I can now say that everything Martin Scorsese said is correct and I am wrong. I will love what Marvel did but recent events as it relates to the quality of their films and shows had me questioning my own fandom. I can admit that both Ant-Man & the Wasp: Quantumania and Secret Invasion were duds while I was apprehensive about Deadpool & Wolverine not just because it is directed by Shawn Levy who is a filmmaker I really do not like at all. It is also because of my growing disdain towards Ryan Reynolds and him being a shill for either his own bullshit products or for other products that he is being paid to sell.
Reading about the numerous cameos in Deadpool & Wolverine had me questioning why some of these actors are doing it when they really did not need to as it really affects the quality of a film. What is next? Taylor Swift and Harry Styles making appearances in a Marvel film just for the sake of them saying “hi”? I do not want that shit in movies. I am already worried over the astronomical budget of Captain America: Brave New World that cost at around $350 million due to re-shoots and re-writes. Then came the events of Comic-Con where I was excited about the news over Thunderbolts* and The Fantastic Four: First Steps and then the announcement for Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars as I was hoping that it wouldn’t be helmed by Shawn Levy though bringing Joe and Anthony Russo back is a step backwards. It all leads up to the announcement of who will play Doctor Doom and it is none other than Robert Downey Jr. and I was like “what?” Honestly, this is a massive step backwards and a cry of desperation for Marvel as I do not think Downey needs to do this as he has already accomplished so much. I would have rather had another actor take the part as it just feels weird seeing Tony Stark playing Dr. Victor von Doom. With all this news and the questions about the quality of Marvel’s upcoming films and TV projects, I can now say that I am out of the MCU. The fatigue has set in, and it is time to find something else for a change.
In the month of July 2024, I saw a total of 22 films in15 first-timers and 7 re-watches with three of those first-timers being films directed or co-directed by women as part of the 52 Films by Women pledge. A major highlight of the month is my Blind Spot pick for the month in Django. Here are the top 10 first timers that I saw for July 2024:
This BBC documentary is about Blondie’s popularity in Britain from 1977 to their most recent performance at the 2023 Glastonbury Festival where they played to one of the largest audiences in their entire career. The documentary doesn’t just feature interviews with founding members in Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Clem Burke who are still in the band (though Stein is not part of the live version of the band due to health reasons) along with former members in Jimmy Destri, Gary Valentine, Frank Infante, and Nigel Harrison as well as others who were around Blondie’s entourage at that time. The film highlights the loyalty they received in Britain as well as this sense of change in the music scene in the late 1970s that included this great photograph of Harry with some of the women in the late 1970s punk rock scene that included Siouxsie Sioux. It is something fans of Blondie should watch as well as anyone who has a love for well-crafted documentary films.
Good Night, Dear
The first in a trio of early short films made by Lars von Trier when he was a child is an 80-second short that is a silent film. Notably a film about a kid who steals money and uses it to make someone else happy as it is a fun little gem. Especially in seeing Satan as a child just trying to create a crime film at such a young age.
Why Try to Escape from That Which You Know You Can’t Escape From? Because You Are a Coward
The second of three shorts by von Trier is one he made in his teens as it is about a boy being chased by a ghost. It is this 8-minute short film that displays many of the visual attributes that von Trier would later adopt into his work as a feature film director in the years to come.
The Trip to Squashland
For anyone that wonders why von Trier is so fucked up should watch this 2-minute animated short he made in 1967 when he was just a child as his very first film is a delightful one. It is about a trio of little creatures who are just singing and having fun until a group of bad creatures come in and ruin everything until a big worm and a whale come in to save the day. It also involves something that is not for the eyes and ears of children. Oh Lars!
Beau
The one short of Ari Aster that I had not seen prior to seeing Beau is Afraid is the short that the film is based on from 2011. It is a six-minute short starring Billy Mayo as the titular character who is trying to get ready to leave his apartment only to forget his dental floss and trouble arrives. It is this scene that Aster would later expand to in his 2023 film which does remain my least favorite film of his though I would say this short is better than the film with a hilarious ending.
Necktie
A short film made for the 2013 anthology film series Venice 70-Future Reloaded in celebration of the 70th Venice International Film Festival is pure Yorgos Lanthimos. It is this 2-minute short film about five kids taking part in a duel between two young girls. It is a film that plays into everything that Lanthimos is about in terms of his absurdity and view on violence.
Pamela, a Love Story
This documentary by Ryan White in which Pamela Anderson is allowed to tell her own story is a remarkable film that has the sex symbol taking control of her narrative. Even as she is supported by her sons Brandon and Dylan Lee who are given the chance to express their views of dealing with shit their mother went through. Anderson is aware that she is imperfect and flawed but she is not this dumb blonde that many in the media perceive her to be. While I may not agree with her association with PETA or support someone as vile as Julian Assange. She is a woman that has a good heart and just wants to be loved while going through so many relationships and marriages that never worked out as she needed to love herself. It is a film that ended up being better than I thought it would be as I am rooting for her newfound career renaissance.
Void
From Emma Seligman is this six-and-a-half-minute short film about a young woman’s crush on a classmate despite being addicted to pornography. It is a film that explores a woman’s idea of what being with this young man could be but also this reality in relation to her own addiction to porn. It is an excellent film as it is something worth seeking for those interested in Seligman’s work.
The Moon’s Glow
The first of two short promotional films by David Lynch for his upcoming collaboration with Chrystabell in Cellophane Memories has Lynch use non-copyrighted footage in which he would re-dub them and create some unique narrative about people talking about this upcoming album as it is fun to watch. Especially for anyone that loves David Lynch.
Will There Be Anything Else?
The second promotional short from Lynch is set in a diner where Lynch would once again use royalty-free footage and re-dub everything as it plays into a man not wanting to hear music as he is awaiting the release of Lynch and Chrystabell’s new album. Even as they mention the idea of an ant singing Row Row Row Your Boat as the ending of this short is the ultimate kicker.
The Acolyte (season 1 episodes 6-8)
The last few episodes of the season show certain points of views of what the Jedi and Sith sees things as the seventh episode is a big flashback episode that plays into what really happened the night Osha and Mae’s mother as it really shows the Jedi in a bad light where Sol really got what he deserved at the end of the series. As a series, I would not rank it highly though it is better than The Book of Boba Fett as there are some serious flaws in the writing and the fact that there were characters in the show that I was really getting into and then they are gone. Amandla Stenberg is great as both Osha and Mae while I would not mind a second season if the writing is better.
Community (pilot)
I have heard about this show for years and always see a bunch of memes that come from the show. I have been watching clips from the show as I decided to watch this pilot in which a lawyer loses his job as he must attend a community college to get his law degree back. He takes part in a study group filled with a group of oddballs in a pop culture nerd, a former athlete, an activist, a middle-aged Christian divorcee, an overachiever, and Chevy Chase. It was funny and I really liked it while some of the clips I saw really makes me want to see the show, but it is on Peacock and that streaming service sucks.
That is all for July. I have no clue on what new films that I will do for August other than start work on my Auteurs piece on Michael Mann by watching the rest of his filmography and then get started on David Lean for the next Auteurs piece. Now that I have access to all my remaining Blind Spot’s picks, I am unsure what to do next other than Berlin Alexanderplatz as I will watch the series for the duration of the year. Before I bid adieu, I want to express my condolences to those who have passed away this month that includes rock blues legend John Mayall, Shelley Duvall (fuck you Dr. Phil), Richard Simmons, “that bitch Brenda from Beverly Hills 90210” Shannen Doherty, Erica Ash, Chino XL, Sweet Valley High author Francine Pascal, Martin Phillipps of the Chills, Irish novelist Edna O’Brien, football player Jerry Simmons, wrestler Leo Burke, baseball player Denny Lemaster, Jim Ninowski of the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins, baseball player Mike Ferraro, Italian film legend Aldo Puglisi, songwriter Jerry Fuller, costume designer Donna Berwick, actor Whitney Rydbeck, pianist/composer Sarah Gibson, James B. Sikking, that freaky German-American sex doctor Dr. Ruth Westheimer (she’s fucking awesome), video artist Bill Viola, singer/songwriter Dave Loggins, Polish film legend Jerzy Stuhr, Joe Egan of Stealers Wheels, film legend Yvonne Furneaux, film producer Jon Landau, writer/filmmaker Robert Towne, and Bob Newhart. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off…
