Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky and screenplay by Jodorowsky, Claudio Argento, and Roberto Leoni from a story by Jodorowsky, Santa Sangre (Holy Blood) is the story of a man who reflect on his life being raised in the circus as he looks back at his childhood and his life as an adult. The film is an unconventional life story that plays with unconventional narratives of flashback and flash-forwards to tell the story of this man’s life. Starring Cristobal “Axel” Jodorowsky, Adan Jodorowsky, Teo Jodorowsky, Blanca Guerra, and Guy Stockwell. Santa Sangre is a ravishing yet harrowing film from Alejandro Jodorowsky.
The film is a complex tale of a troubled and traumatized man who reflects on his life as a child living in the circus as a performer as he also copes with the demons of his past as an adult upon reuniting with his mother who wants him to kill women she sees as threats to her. The film is an unconventional story where it begins at an insane asylum where the protagonist Fenix (Cristobal “Axel” Jodorowsky) looks back at his life as a child magician (Adan Jodorowsky) where his parents were circus performers while his mother Concha (Blanca Guerra) was also a religious cult leader. Due to the infidelities of his father Orgo (Guy Stockwell), Concha would despise women as she disappeared leaving the young Fenix traumatized and institutionalized until he escapes, in the film’s second act as an adult, upon seeing her where she uses his arms to kill other women since she lost her arms following a fight with Orgo. For Fenix, whatever chances he has to find some normalcy or be with someone would be destroyed where he is consumed with guilt over his actions.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s direction definitely bears not just style but also a lot of symbolism as it relates to the world that Fenix is in. A world of the whimsical and offbeat as well as the world of spirituality where Fenix is torn between two ideals that are each represented by his parents as both ideals have their flaws. Shot on location in Mexico, the film’s location represents that sense of conflict but also a world that is quite chaotic where Jodorowsky would create some dazzling compositions that play into some of the imagery that is prevalent in the film. The usage of wide and medium shots as well as some tracking shots play into some of the locations as well as the world that is the circus and the theatre where the latter play into the events in the film’s second act where Fenix returns to performing. The world of the whimsy wouldn’t just features a very bizarre scene that involve Fenix and Downs syndrome patients going to a brothel and snorting cocaine but also moments in Fenix’s performance as a magician.
The film’s violence is definitely graphic where Jodorowsky makes no qualms into the intensity of the violence that is in the film. The sequences in the first act that involve Concha and Orgo aren’t just gory but also have this impact where it is quite confrontational as it is really the start of what Fenix would be forced to do under Concha’s prompting. The scenes where Fenix is killing women where he is acting as Concha’s arms definitely add something that is very abstract but once Fenix’s arms would attack. All fucking hell breaks loose while there are also these elements where Jodorowsky also play into the fallacy of faith as it relates to what Concha believes in as well as what she tries to do. Especially in a scene where a Vatican magistrate (Sergio Bustamante) comes to her church to inspect this pool of blood where it showcases some of the fallacy of organized religion and faith. It would come ahead in the film’s climax in the third act as it play into Fenix’s struggle to be himself as well as the torment from his mother that continuously haunts him. Overall, Jodorowsky creates a terrifying yet rapturous film about a man’s struggle for sanity as he is tormented by demons in his life.
Cinematographer Daniele Nannuzzi does brilliant work with the film‘s very colorful and gorgeous cinematography with its usage of lights and moods for many of the daytime/nighttime exterior scenes along with unique lighting for some of the nighttime scenes. Editor Mauro Bonanni does excellent work with the editing as it has a few jump-cuts while maintaining something that is very straightforward and help play up some of the film‘s suspense. Production designer Alejandro Luna and set decorator Enrique Estevez do amazing work with the look of Concha‘s church and the shrine she created for her saint as well as the look of the circus and some of the places the characters go to. Costume designer Tolita Figueroa does fantastic work with the costumes that the characters wear as they‘re very colorful as well as have an air of personality into the characters and where they are in their lives.
Makeup supervisor Lamberto Marini does nice work with the design of the makeup from the look of Fenix‘s love interest Alma as well as the look of Alma‘s mother who is covered up with lots of tattoos. Special effects supervisor Marcelino Pacheco does terrific work with some of the minimal special effects as it relates to some of the magic tricks that Fenix performs as well as some of the intense moments of violence. Sound mixer Robert Camacho does superb work with the sound to play into some of the events in the circus as well as the party atmosphere in the streets. The film’s music by Simon Boswell is wonderful for its mixture of traditional Mexican folk music with some eerie synthesizer textures to play into the drama, comedy, and suspense where it help set a mood for a scene in the film while the soundtrack would feature songs played in a traditional ballad style.
The casting by Pablo Leder is great as it feature some notable small roles from Brontis Jodorowsky as a orderly at the institution, S. Rodriguez as a female wrestler called Santa, Hector Ortega as the institution doctor, Gloria Contreras as a performer that tried to seduce Fenix in Rubi, Jesus Juarez as a midget performance and friend of Fenix in Aladin, Sergio Bustamante as a Vatican official, Ma. De Jesus Aranzabal as a fat prostitute who would sleep with the Downs syndrome patients, and Teo Jodorowsky as the pimp who would give those patients cocaine and be this spark that would bring terror to Fenix. Faviola Elenka Tapia is terrific as the young Alma as this deaf-mute circus performer who would befriend the young Fenix while Sabrina Dennison is fantastic as the adult Alma who would remain deaf-mute where she would try to find Fenix and save him from the torment of his mother. Thelma Tixou is excellent as the tattooed woman who is Alma’s mother as she would seduce Orgo in a lot of ways and bring rage to Concha where she later becomes a prostitute and raise the ire of Fenix.
Guy Stockwell is superb as Fenix’s father as a circus performer who is also a hypnotist that tries to help his son become a man while also being flawed in the fact that he cheats on Concha to be with the tattooed woman. Blanca Guerra is amazing as Concha as Fenix’s mother who lost her arms during a fight with her husband as she becomes this figure of torment who forces her son to kill at urging where she has this very chilling presence that is just intriguing to watch. Adan Jodorowsky is brilliant as the young Fenix as this boy who deals with some of the events in his life as well as trying to be this performer who would lose his innocence in the most drastic ways. Finally, there’s Cristobal “Axel” Jodorowsky in an excellent performance as the adult Fenix as this troubled man that tries to regain some of his old innocence while dealing with the torment of his mother where it’s a very chilling and scary performance that is just fascinating to watch.
Santa Sangre is a phenomenal film from Alejandro Jodorowsky. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, compelling views on faith and torment, and some very intense moments of violence. It’s a film that explores the idea of torment and conflict through the eyes of a man as he reflects on his troubled childhood and already complicated life as an adult. In the end, Santa Sangre is a spectacular film from Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Alejandro Jodorowsky Films: La Cravate - Teatro sin fin - Fando y Lis - El Topo - The Holy Mountain - Tusk (1980 film) - The Rainbow Thief - The Dance of Reality - Endless Poetry - Psychomagic: a Healing Art
Related: Jodorowsky's Dune - The Auteurs #59: Alejandro Jodorowsky
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Ted Wilde and written by John Grey, Lex Neal, Howard Rogers, and Jay Howe, Speedy is the story of a man trying to save the last horse-drawn streetcar for his girlfriend’s grandfather in New York City while trying to get work in the city. The film is a slapstick/silent comedy that doesn’t just explore the frenzy of the modern world but a man trying to salvage of what is left of what near and dear in the old one as the titular character of Harold “Speedy“ Swift is played by Harold Lloyd. Also starring Ann Christy, Bert Woodruff, Brooks Benedict, and Babe Ruth as himself. Speedy is a sensational and witty film from Ted Wilde.
The film is the story of a man trying to find many jobs in New York City as he does whatever he can to help his girlfriend and her grandfather where the latter works and runs the last horse-drawn streetcar in New York City where a businessman wants to shut it down for good. It’s a simple story of a man trying to do whatever he can as his attempts to get and hold jobs are short-lived either through bumbling circumstances or by his own fault. Yet, it plays into someone trying to do whatever he can to be part of this modern world that is so chaotic and demanding. Even as he learns about what this businessman wants to do to stop the horse-drawn streetcar out for good prompting Speedy to do whatever he can to help his girlfriend and her grandfather.
Ted Wilde’s direction is definitely thrilling in terms of capturing life in late 1920s New York City in all of its craziness in the boom that it’s in before the Great Depression as well as that air of escapism. Many of Wilde’s compositions are quite dazzling to capture the craziness of the locations in New York City that include some unique chase scenes for the second and third act where Speedy is driving a cab in the former and the streetcar in the latter. The usage of the wide and medium shots would play into that craziness as well as the beauty of the sequence in Coney Island not just for the rides but also the lights set at night.
There’s a beauty to Wilde’s direction in those moments while his approach to setting up the gags are just as engaging as well as in the comical moments that occur such as a hilarious sequence where Speedy picks up Babe Ruth and drive him to Yankee Stadium for a game. Wilde’s direction also maintains a sense of energy and wit that is always entertaining in the way Speedy does whatever to help his girlfriend’s grandfather. Overall, Wilde creates an exhilarating film about a man helping out another old man through a series of misadventures.
Cinematographer Walter Lundin, with special effects photography by H. Kohler, does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography from the way the lights of Coney Island look at night with such beauty to the daytime exteriors of the city with Kohler providing photography for some of the chase scenes. Editor Carl Himm does brilliant work with the editing as it is largely straightforward to play with the film‘s energy and humor as it includes some rhythmic cuts. Art director L.K. Vedder does superb work with the look of the streetcar that is used as well as the design of some of the shops where many of old men work at. The film’s music by Carl Davis, for its 1992 reissue, is amazing for its mixture of jazz and ragtime music to play into the period of the 1920s as it has an air of fun in the music.
The film’s fantastic cast include a hilarious cameo appearance from baseball legend Babe Ruth as himself as well as Brooks Benedict as the sleazy businessman Steve Carter who tries to buy out Pops Dillon. Bert Woodruff is excellent as Pop Dillon as the driver of a horse-drawn streetcar that is desperate to hold on to his business while he wonders why Speedy keeps losing his job. Ann Christy is wonderful as Speedy’s girlfriend Jane who is worried about her grandfather while pondering about the idea of a future with Speedy. Finally, there’s Harold Lloyd in an incredible performance as the titular character as this determined yet bumbling man who is trying to do what it takes to help Pops while he screw things up along with way as some of it is due to his love for the New York Yankees as it’s an iconic performance from Lloyd.
Speedy is a phenomenal film from Ted Wilde that features a great performance from Harold Lloyd. Featuring some dazzling visuals, hilarious gags, and some amazing sequences that is engaging and adventurous, it’s a film that manages to showcase what the idea of comedy could be and more. In the end, Speedy is a sensational film from Ted Wilde.
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Buster Keaton and Charles Reisner and written by Keaton and Carl Harbaugh, Steamboat Bill Jr. is the story of a young man who reluctantly joins the crew of his father’s steamboat as a way to be a captain like his father. The film is a silent comedy that explore a man trying to help his father save the business as well as deal with what is expected of him as Buster Keaton plays the titular role. Also starring Ernest Torrence, Marion Byron, Tom Lewis, James T. Mack, and Tom McGuire. Steamboat Bill Jr. is a sensational film from Buster Keaton and Charles Reisner.
The film is a simple story about this college graduate who travels from Boston to the Mississippi River to visit his steamboat captain father whom he hadn’t seen since he was a baby. There, he finds himself trying to do what his father does to please him while dealing with his father’s rival whose daughter is someone he’s in love with and went to school with. It’s a film that has this young man trying to find his way to a world that is so foreign to him yet bumbles his way to understand life in a steamboat. The film’s script is more driven by William Canfield Jr. and his attempt to please his father as well as win over Kitty King (Marion Byron). Still, there are complications as William’s father (Ernest Torrence) has a steamboat that is old and falling apart as he is forced to compete with the town’s richest man in John James King (Tom McGuire) who doesn’t approve of William Jr. because of his father.
The film’s direction by Charles Reisner and an un-credited Buster Keaton is quite sprawling for the world they create from the look of the river and town as well as the steamboats where Canfield‘s steamboat looks old and worked up while King is new, rich, and filled with a lot as it play into the personalities of these two men. The direction has these rich compositions with some unique wide and medium shots to capture the landscape with the latter providing some scenery in some of the gags that Keaton would create. Notably as he maintains a simplicity and straightforward approach to the way his character would act in these situations only to screw things up.
One of the film’s greatest moments involves this cyclone with these huge winds and set pieces that are just astronomical. Notably in how Reisner and Keaton would set up the moment and the framing as well as the stunts that Keaton would perform during the whole thing. Even in a scene where the wall of a house would fall while William Jr. is standing at a spot and come out unscathed. It’s among these moments that really showcases what Keaton is willing to do just to create some laughs which he does succeed and more. Overall, Keaton and Reisner create a very whimsical yet spellbinding film about a young man trying to please his father by working at his father’s steamboat.
Cinematographers Bert Haines and Devereaux Jennings do excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography to play into the sunny look of the daytime exteriors while using some lights for some of the scenes set at night. Editor Sherman Kell does brilliant work with the editing as it‘s largely straightforward with some rhythmic cutting to play into the humor as well as the transition to inter-titles. Music supervisor Gaylord Carter provides a nice music accompaniment that is a mixture of jazz and ragtime to play into the comical energy of the film.
The film’s superb cast include a couple of small roles from James T. Mack as a minister and Tom Lewis as the first mate for Canfield Sr while the performances of Tom McGuire and Ernest Torrence in their respective roles as John James King and William Canfield Sr. are just hilarious as they play the fall guys who don’t like each other and don’t approve of William Jr. and Kitty being together. Marion Byron is fantastic as King’s daughter Kitty as this young woman who is a classmate of William Jr. as she helps him look the part of a steamboat crew member while also having some feelings for him. Finally, there’s Buster Keaton in an incredible performance as the titular character as this college man who isn’t the strongest guy to work inside a steamboat but certainly determined while Keaton manages to use his physicality and wit to create a performance that is just so fun to watch.
Steamboat Bill Jr. is a phenomenal film from Buster Keaton and Charles Reisner. It’s a film that isn’t just one of the finest silent comedies ever made but also displays a sense of ambition of what Keaton was trying to do with the art form and more. In the end, Steamboat Bill Jr. is a tremendous film from Buster Keaton and Charles Reisner.
Buster Keaton Films: (The Rough House) - (One Week (1920 short)) - (Convict 13) - (The Scarecrow (1920 short)) - (Neighbors (1920 short)) - (The Haunted House (1921 short)) - (Hard Luck (1921 short)) - (The High Sign) - (The Goat (1921 short)) - (The Playhouse) - (The Boat) - (The Paleface) - (Cops) - (My Wife’s Relations) - (The Blacksmith) - (The Frozen North) - (The Electric House) - (Day Dreams (1922 short)) - (The Balloonatic) - (The Love Nest) - (Three Ages) - (Our Hospitality) - Sherlock Jr. - The Navigator (1924 film) - Seven Chances - (Go West (1925 film)) - (Battling Butler) - The General (1926 film) - (College (1927 film)) - The Cameraman - (Spite Marriage) - (The Gold Ghost) - (Allez Oop) - (Tars and Stripes) - (Grand Slam Opera) - (One Run Elmer) - (Blue Blazes) - (Mixed Magic) - (Love Nest on Wheels)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Young Frankenstein is about the grandson of Dr. Frankenstein who decides to create the same experiment his grandfather did with some hilarious results. Directed by Mel Brooks and screenplay by Brooks and Gene Wilder, the film is a spoof of sorts of the monster movies where it plays up into the myth and legends of the Frankenstein monster while being filled with a lot of absurd innuendos. Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, and Gene Hackman. Young Frankenstein is a stylish and hilarious film from Mel Brooks.
Set in the 20th Century, the film is the simple story of a scientist, who is the grandson of Victor von Frankenstein, as he inherited a house in Transylvania where he ends up recreating the same experiment that his grandfather did many years ago. It’s a film that plays up the story of Frankenstein but in a somewhat modern setting where Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson Frederick (Gene Wilder) is trying to deny his family heritage by having his surname be pronounced as “Fron-ken-steen”. The film’s screenplay doesn’t just spoof Mary Shelley’s novel in some ways but also add some absurdity into the film as it relates to the people Frederick Frankenstein meets such as a descendant of Frankenstein’s assistant Igor whose grandson (Marty Feldman) shares the same name but is pronounced “Eye-gore”. It also has these elements that play into the modern world though the people of Transylvania aren’t happy about Frankenstein’s grandson in their hometown as well as the idea that he might do the same experiment that terrorized the town so many years ago.
The screenplay is also filled with a lot of gags as it relates to Dr. Frankenstein’s old housekeeper Frau Buchler (Cloris Leachman) where horses get antsy whenever her surname is spoken. A lot of the gags in the film doesn’t just play into some of the offbeat humor of the film but also in moments that involve the creature (Peter Boyle) who was supposed to have the brain of a deceased yet revered historian but circumstances led to all sorts of trouble. Even as the creature would do things that are also offbeat in its own way that includes a spoof of sorts about the creature meeting a young girl just like the original 1931 film by James Whale.
Mel Brooks’ direction definitely owes a lot to the early horror films and monster movies of the 1930s while it also bears elements of modern-day filmmaking. Shot in soundstages, the film definitely plays up to that air of classic Hollywood where it isn’t afraid to be artificial but also have fun with it. Many of Brooks’ compositions are quite simple in terms of its framing and the way he creates these lively and often improvised moments in the comedy. Notably in a short but hilarious sequence where the monster meets a blind hermit (Gene Hackman) as it is a whole lot of fun to watch while Brooks uses some wide and medium shots to capture the whole sequence. There are also these moments that is a homage to the 1931 James Whale film such as the machine that is used to create the monster as it’s the actual machine that was used from the original by its original designer Kenneth Strickfaden. Brooks’ approach to some of the intimacy in the film as well as the non-comical moments have him use some close-ups while providing subtle bits of humor without deterring too much from the story. Overall, Brooks creates a very witty and entertaining film about Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson carrying the legacy he tried to run away from.
Cinematographer Gerald Hirschfeld does brilliant work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it has this very atmospheric look in the photography with Hirschfeld providing some unique lighting and moods for many of the interior/exterior scenes in the film. Editor John C. Howard does excellent work with the film‘s very stylized editing with its usage of transition wipes, iris outs, dissolves, and other stylish cutting techniques to not just play with the humor but also pay tribute to the editing style of the past. Production designer Dale Hennesy and set decorator Robert de Vestel do amazing work with the look of Dr. Frankenstein‘s home as well as the town and the lab that features the original props from the original 1931 film.
Costume designer Dorothy Jeakins does nice work with the costumes as it is a mixture of the period clothes of the past with some of the modern suits that Frankenstein wears. Makeup creator William Tuttle does fantastic work with the look of the creature as well as the look of the blind hermit. Sound editor Don Hall does terrific work with the sound from the way the thunderstorms and lightning sound to the way some of the machines sound like. The film’s music by John Morris is wonderful as its orchestral score play into some of the humor and light-dramatic moments as well as an inspired and hilarious usage of the standard Puttin’ on the Ritz.
The casting by Jane Feinberg and Mike Fenton do incredible work with the casting as it include some notable small roles from Richard Haydn as an executor of Dr. Frankenstein’s estate, Rolfe Sedan in a dual role as a train conductor in America and in Europe, Danny Goldman as a medical student who is interested in Frankenstein’s heritage, and Gene Hackman in a superb cameo as the blind hermit Harold as it’s a very funny brief role from Hackman who does a lot with the few minutes he’s in. Kenneth Mars is fantastic as Inspector Kemp as this one-eyed police inspector with a prosthetic right arm who is suspicious about Frankenstein where he keeps an eye on him while also being very funny. Cloris Leachman is brilliant as Frau Buchler as Dr. Frankenstein’s housekeeper who has a secret about Frankenstein’s grandfather as she would play a role in the monster’s freedom.
Madeline Kahn is excellent as Frankenstein’s fiancée Elizabeth as this socialite who wants to remain pure as Kahn is just delightful to watch while her scene in meeting the monster is just a riot. Marty Feldman is phenomenal as Igor as Frankenstein’s humpback assistant who is also the grandson of the original Igor as he says some very funny things as well as create a moment that would inspire one of the greatest rock songs ever made. Teri Garr is amazing as Inga as Frankenstein’s assistant who would also have her funny moments but also be someone who can calm Frankenstein where she would eventually become his love interest. Peter Boyle is great as the monster as this large man with an abnormal brain where Boyle doesn’t get to say much but his physical presence and awkward comedic timing makes him a joy to watch as he nearly steals the film from everyone. Finally, there’s Gene Wilder in a sensational performance as Frederick Frankenstein as this man of science who is reluctant to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps where his desire for recognition in the field has him crazed where Wilder is full of energy and bravado in what is one of his defining performances.
Young Frankenstein is a spectacular film from Mel Brooks that features great performances from Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Marty Feldman, and Madeline Kahn. Along with a superb supporting cast, visual homage to the 1931 James Whale film, gorgeous visuals, and some hilarious moments. It’s a film that isn’t just one of the most inventive comedies ever made but it’s also a film that manages to be entertaining through and through. In the end, Young Frankenstein is a tremendous film from Mel Brooks.
Mel Brooks Films: The Producers - (Twelve Chairs) - Blazing Saddles - (Silent Movie) - High Anxiety - (History of the World, Part 1) - Spaceballs - (Life Stinks) - Robin Hood: Men in Tights - (Dracula: Dead and Loving It)
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Poo Lorn L’Elephant by Reginald Campbell, Tusk is the story of a young English girl who meets an elephant where they both embark on a common destiny. Directed and edited by Alejandro Jodorowsky and screenplay by Nicholas Niciphor from a screen story by Jodorowsky, Niciphor, and Jeffrey O’Kelly, the film is a fantasy film that plays into the spiritual connection between this girl and an elephant. Starring Cyrielle Clair, Anton Diffring, Serge Merlin, Christopher Mitchum, and Michel Peyrelon. Tusk is a messy and uninspiring film from Alejandro Jodorowsky.
The film is the simple story about a young English girl and an Indian elephant who are born on the same day where they share a spiritual connection as they both share a common destiny for happiness. That is pretty much the film’s plot as it explores a young woman’s connection with this elephant she considers more than just a pet as she is raised by her father in India who also raises elephants for his own usage much to her dismay. While it is a story that is quite simple, it’s execution in terms of plotting and development isn’t very good as it is very by-the-numbers with some very predictable outcomes. Especially as this young woman wants her elephant to be free from captivity but there are those such as her father, a hunter, and a greedy merchant. The script isn’t just conventional but it’s also filled with very little surprises as it never does anything to break out of its conventional plotline.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s direction is definitely messy where it is clear that the filmmaker who is known for making films about outsiders and freaks while carrying lots of symbolism is here is making something that isn’t about any of those things. Shot on location in India, much of the film is spoken in French as it is one of the few things in the film where Jodorowsky has some air of absurdity yet his attempts to find humor and spiritual meaning often feels forced and nonsensical. While some of the compositions are interesting with some nice low-angle shots to capture the grandness of the elephant that is called Tusk. Jodorowsky never really gets to do anything that is quite visually sprawling as he would match images just like the book as transitions where some of his editing comes across as uninspiring and at times, very jarring. Since the film is very hard to find, the transfer quality of it is terrible as it makes the film a much bigger struggle to watch where the pacing lags a lot and the picture is just poor. Overall, Jodorowsky creates a very bland and messy film about an Englishwoman’s connection with an elephant in India.
Cinematographer Jean-Jacques Flori does nice work with the film‘s colorful cinematography but the transfer of the print does nothing to really showcase his work. Art director Philip King does excellent work with the look of the home of Elise and her father John as well as some of the ceremonies. Makeup supervisor Florence Fouquier D’Herouel does OK work with the makeup from the look of the swami that Elise often meets as well as some of the makeup in the ceremonies. The sound work of Raymond Adam is alright at times though the film‘s poor transfer does hinder it as it include some very bad dubbing of one character in the film. The film’s music by Jean-Claude Petit, Guy Skornik, and Martin St. Pierre is a mixed bag where it has this mixture of rock, orchestral music, and traditional Indian where it tries to do a lot but it’s all over the place in the worst ways.
The film’s cast feature small performances from Sukumar Anhana as the Maharajah, Oriole Henry as the young Elise, Andy Jenny as a preacher, B.N.K. Nagaraj as Tusk’s handler, and a man called Swami as this guru that Elise often goes to for guidance as they’re just roles that are just there. Michel Peyrelon’s performance as the villainous merchant Shakley is just comical for the wrong reasons as it’s really a very typical villainous role while Serge Merlin’s performance as Shakley’s assistant is just a bad comic relief that is there to be an idiot. Christopher Mitchum’s role as the hunter Richard Cairn has its moments where it has substance but the performance is constrained by the script’s conventional tone where he’s just this love interest for Elise.
Anton Diffring is alright as Elise’s father John Morrison as this landowner who uses elephants to do things as he wants what is best as he’s the one character that actually has some development as he’s the best performance in the film. Cyrielle Clair’s performance as Elise is a mixed bag where it has these interesting moments but it’s hampered by some campy dramatic acting as it’s not really memorable.
Tusk is a very terrible film from Alejandro Jodorowsky. Not only is it a very conventional film from a very unconventional filmmaker but it’s a film that tries to be a lot of things only to be ordinary in the worst kind. Especially as the best possible version available (through YouTube and torrents) don’t present the film in a transfer that is close to decent at best. In the end, Tusk is just a bad film from Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Alejandro Jodorowsky Films: La Cravate - Teatro sin fin - Fando y Lis - El Topo - The Holy Mountain - Santa Sangre - The Rainbow Thief - The Dance of Reality - Endless Poetry - Psychomagic: a Healing Art
Related: Jodorowsky's Dune - The Auteurs #59: Alejandro Jodorowsky
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Sam Peckinpah and screenplay by Peckinpah, Harry Julian Fink, and Oscar Saul from a story by Fink, Major Dundee is the story of a Union cavalry officers who bands together a group of Army regulars, Confederate soldiers, and Indian scouts to destroy the Apache who had been attacking towns in Texas and New Mexico. The film is a western set during the American Civil War where a man has to put aside differences and settle old grudges just so he can do what is right for America against the Apache as Charlton Heston play the titular role of Major Amos Dundee. Also starring Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, Slim Pickens, Ben Johnson, Warren Oates, Senta Berger, and James Coburn. Major Dundee is a thrilling and captivating film from Sam Peckinpah.
Set in late 1864 during the final months of the American Civil War, the film is about a Union cavalry officer who is trying to go after the Apache following an attack on a fort where many of its residents including women and children were killed with some kids taken by the Apache. Realizing he’s outnumbered and needs volunteers, he asks the help of a Confederate captain and other Confederates who are at a fort as prisoners in exchange for their pardons. With a group that includes a few Indian scouts, African-American Union soldiers, and a ragtag group of thieves and cowboys. Major Amos Charles Dundee would go after the Apache through Mexico despite the fact that Mexico is under the control of the French who are American allies. Along the way, the group of men who are very different and with very different loyalties must band together as well as deal with Major Dundee’s thirst for glory.
The film’s screenplay is interesting not just for the development of Major Dundee but also several characters that include Captain Benjamin Tyree (Richard Harris) who was once a friend of Dundee until Tyree was court-martialed following a duel where Dundee was the deciding vote. Tyree reluctantly agrees to help Dundee in taking down the Apache but once they finish the mission, Tyree wants to settle the score with Dundee. Still, Tyree was able to get some of his men and other Confederate soldiers to volunteer in the hopes that they will be pardoned though they still have to follow Dundee’s orders which they reluctantly do as well as share the same rations with African-American soldiers. Much of the film is told through the eyes of a young trooper named Ryan (Michael Anderson Jr.) who is a bugler as he volunteers to join the company where he does a lot of the narrating as he expresses his thoughts and the length of the journey to find the Apache.
Other characters such as the one-armed scout Samuel Potts (James Coburn) and the inexperienced. Lt. Graham (Jim Hutton) are characters who watch everything from afar but also kind of serve as consciences in the film with Potts being someone who is a tracker that knows his role. The script also has this unique structure where much of the first half is set in New Mexico and Texas with the second half set in Mexico where there is a change in the morale of the men but also in the setting. Especially where Dundee and Tyree start to compete for the affections of an Austrian widow living in a small pueblo that had been captured by the French. Upon liberating the pueblo and getting a break from battle, it is clear that Dundee has stirred up more trouble with the French as well as some schism in his company as it is clear that pride and ego sometimes get in the way of what is really important. Especially as Dundee has to realize what he must face and know that he can’t do it all by himself.
Sam Peckinpah’s direction is quite vast as it play into the world that is the West as it’s shot entirely in various locations in Mexico. Peckinpah’s usage of the wide and medium shots play into look of the deserts, mountains, and rivers as while maintaining some intimacy in the way he shoots the characters through close-ups and medium shots. Especially in how he would shoot some of the dramatic moments and tension that looms into the film as Peckinpah adds that air of realism about the group of people Dundee is leading. Peckinpah’s usage of low-angles also play into the way Dundee rules over everyone but also in the fact that Dundee sees himself in such a way that it is somewhat disconnected from reality where he would eventually get grounded.
The 2005 restoration version of the film which runs at a running time of 136 minutes is considered by many Peckinpah historians and purists as an improvement over the 123-minute theatrical cut from its original 1965 release. For years, the theatrical version strayed away from the elements of graphic violence and other things that some believe hindered the film as the restored version would feature these things and more. Especially in how Tyree is introduced and how some of the characters cope with death and some of the decisions that Dundee makes. The battle scenes are quite intense where Peckinpah maintains that air of frenzy in how chaotic the battle is as well as creating that air of camaraderie between Dundee and Tyree who are both at their best when they fight together side-by-side. Overall, Peckinpah creates an exhilarating and intense film about a Union cavalry officer trying to stop the Apache with the aid of a ragtag group of volunteers including members of the Confederate army.
Cinematographer Sam Leavitt does brilliant work with the film‘s cinematography that is filled with gorgeous colors of many of the daytime exteriors including the detail in the look of the flags as well as some unique lighting for scenes set at night. Editors Howard Kunin, William A. Lyon, and Donald W. Starling do excellent work with the editing as it‘s got some style with its rhythmic cuts for the action and suspense as well as some nice transition dissolves. Art director Alfred Ybarra does nice work with the set design from the look of the forts as well as the pueblo that Dundee and his company would liberate.
Costume designer Tom Dawson does terrific work with the costumes from the ragged clothes of some of the volunteers to the stuffy uniform of the French army that Dundee‘s men mock. The sound work of James Z. Flaster and Rafael Ruiz Esparza do superb work with the sound as it play into the atmosphere of the deserts as well as in a party sequence as well in some of the battle scenes. The film’s music by Christopher Caliendo, for its 2005 restoration, is amazing as it has that nice mixture of orchestral bombast with traditional Mexican-based music with the latter to play for much of the film’s second half as the score, that replaces the original 1965 score by Daniel Amfitheatrof, is considered an improvement.
The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Aurora Clavel as a woman who helps Dundee regain his health, Begona Palacios as a woman Ryan had an affair with at the pueblo, Albert Carrier as a French lancers commander, Jose Carlos Ruiz as an Apache scout Ryan is suspicious about, Karl Swenson as Dundee’s second-in-command at the fort, and Michael Pate as the Apache leader Sierra Charriba who tries to cause trouble against the army. Other noteworthy small roles as members of the company under Dundee include Dub Taylor as the horse thief Priam, John Davis Chandler as a racist Confederate soldier, R.G. Armstrong as the reverend who is the company’s moral guide, L.Q. Jones and Warren Oates as a couple of brothers who are loyal to Tyree, Brock Peters as the African-American soldier Aesop who leads his small band of African-American soldiers that eventually gets the trust of the Confederate volunteers, and Slim Pickens in a fantastic performance as the drunken mule-packer Wiley.
Ben Johnson is terrific as Tyree’s loyal sergeant Chillum who is reluctant to take orders from Dundee yet proves to be very helpful. Mario Adorf is superb as Sgt. Gomez as Dundee’s right-hand man who is able to organize things as well as help Tyree late in the film following some of the chaos in the third act. Senta Berger is wonderful as Teresa Santiago as an Austrian-born widow of a doctor who becomes an object of affection for Dundee as well as Tyree to a lesser extent on the latter as she copes with the chaos of war. Michael Anderson Jr. is excellent as Ryan as a young bugle trooper who gets his first real taste of battle as he recalls a lot of the things he sees in the narration as well as reflecting on his own misjudgment and understanding of things. Jim Hutton is brilliant as Lt. Graham as an inexperienced artilleryman who hasn’t had much time in the battlefield yet would eventually do things to help Dundee and prove his worth in battle.
James Coburn is amazing as the one-armed, half-Indian Samuel Potts as this scout is who is kind of the film’s conscience as he is someone that knows what the Apache would do but also cope with their actions as well as what Dundee tries to do. Richard Harris is phenomenal as Captain Benjamin Tyree as this Confederate soldier that does have a legitimate grudge with Dundee yet is willing to help him destroy the Apache while being someone who is a gentleman and knows what to do in handling things where he still upholds some aspect of honor. Finally, there’s Charlton Heston in an incredible performance as the titular character as this cavalry officer who is hoping to attain some glory following some mistakes he made at Gettysburg while he copes with his duty as Heston isn’t afraid to display flaws into the character where Heston does ham it up a bit but also display a vulnerability and humility as it’s one of Heston’s more overlooked performances.
Major Dundee is a remarkable film from Sam Peckinpah that is highlighted by the top-notch performances of Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, and James Coburn. In its 2005 restoration version, it’s a film that features a great ensemble cast, amazing battle scenes, and compelling themes on duty and honor. It’s a film that isn’t just a western that plays with its convention but also create something that is thrilling. In the end, Major Dundee is a sensational film from Sam Peckinpah.
Sam Peckinpah Films: The Deadly Companions - Ride the High Country - Noon Wine - The Wild Bunch - The Ballad of Cable Hogue - Straw Dogs - Junior Bonner - The Getaway - Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - The Killer Elite - Cross of Iron - Convoy - The Osterman Weekend - The Auteurs #62: Sam Peckinpah
© thevoid99 2016
Written and directed by Spike Jonze, My Mutant Brain is a four-minute perfume ad for the KENZO Parfums company to promote the new fragrance called KENZO World created by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon. The short plays into many of the visual and thematic sensibilities of Jonze to promote this ad as it features Margaret Qualley in the short. Set in a building that is a part dining hall and amphitheater, it revolves around this young woman, played by Qualley, who is bored at the dinner as she walks out and then dances around to the music by Sam Spiegel and Ape Drums featuring Assassin in a song called Mutant Brain. There, she dances throughout the building that feature an array of mirrors and other strange things throughout the short.
With the usage of unique tracking shots and stead cams to capture every movement Qualley is doing in her dancing, that is choreographed by Ryan Heffington, where it has this air of energy and excitement. Jonze and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema manages to create something that isn’t some commercial but rather something more. Especially where van Hoytema’s lighting is quite gorgeous and is aided with the usage of the mirrors courtesy of production designer K.K. Barrett. Adding to the short’s unique look is the green dress that Qualley wears which is designed by Heidi Bivens as it gives the film a lot of color. Aided by Eric Zumbrunnen’s stylish but controlled editing that allows each shot to be given enough time, Jonze would make there is something going on so that the audience can understand what is going on.
My Mutant Brain is a phenomenal short by Spike Jonze that features an exhilarating performance from Margaret Qualley. While it is an ad for a perfume, it is at least a perfume ad that is imaginative and fun to watch while being very wild and quirky. In the end, My Mutant Brain is a sensational film from Spike Jonze.
Spike Jonze Films: Being John Malkovich - Adaptation - Where the Wild Things Are - Tell Them Anything You Want: A Portrait of Maurice Sendak - Her
Related: 25 Essential Videos by Spike Jonze - The Auteurs #54: Spike Jonze
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel by Colm Toibin, Brooklyn is the story of a young Irish woman who travels to America in the early 1950s where she falls in love with an Italian-American while being pulled back to her homeland. Directed by John Crowley and screenplay by Nick Hornby, the film is an exploration of a young woman trying to find herself in a new world while carrying elements of the old world with her. Starring Saoirse Ronan, Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters. Brooklyn is a ravishing and evocative film from John Crowley.
Set in 1951, the film is the story of a young Irish woman who is given the chance to go to America with the help of a kindly priest as she encounters her new surrounding where she eventually falls for an Italian-American plumber until she is pulled back to her home. It’s a film that is about this young woman not only trying to find herself in a new world but also carry something of her own homeland where she is often given reminders as the borough of Brooklyn is filled with a lot of Irish immigrants. While the character of Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) would endure homesickness and trying to fit in, she would eventually find herself loving her new world as well as being in a relationship with this Italian-American named Tony Fiorello (Emory Cohen) who is very different from the men she’s met in her life.
Nick Hornby’s screenplay definitely explores the sense of loneliness and uncertainty Eilis deals with as she would correspond with her old sister Rose (Fiona Glascott) during her stay in Brooklyn where Eilis also has to cope with the expectations of how to present herself in America. While there is that air of culture shock, Eilis does at least get the support of Father Flood (Jim Broadbent), her landlord Madge Kehoe (Julie Walters), and fellow lodgers who are also Irish immigrant to understand the way things work. Even in meeting Tony in a social outing would give Eilis a chance to see America and how diverse it is. The film’s third act would have Eilis return to Ireland because of family where she is drawn to not just changes in her hometown but also the presence of a new man in Jim Farrell (Domhnall Gleeson) who is kind and can offer Eilis a life in Ireland but it would play into the dramatic conflict that she faces.
John Crowley’s direction is truly mesmerizing not just for its look but also in re-creating the look of early 1950s Brooklyn and Ireland. With the locations in Ireland actually shot in areas near Dublin and the small town of Enniscorthy while the scenes set in Brooklyn were mainly shot in Montreal. Crowley creates a distinctive look for each setting as it play into the world that Eilis encounters where he utilizes some close-ups and medium shots to play into the intimacy of her world where she would work at a clothing store in Brooklyn. The scenes shot in Brooklyn have this more dream-like look to play into Eilis’ own growing love for the place as well as for Tony. Crowley’s usage of the wide shots would come into play for the second and third act where the latter would be once again set in Ireland as it plays into a world that is changing but also bear elements that Eilis would remember. Especially as it play into the dramatic conflict that Eilis would endure about whether to stay home in Ireland or return to life she was starting in Brooklyn. Overall, Crowley creates a rapturous yet intoxicating film about an Irish woman’s time in a new world.
Cinematographer Yves Belanger does incredible work with the film‘s cinematography from the usage of blue-green looks for some of the scenes set in Ireland to the usage of soft colors and lighting schemes for some of the interiors set in Brooklyn. Editor Jake Roberts does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward to play into the drama as well as bits of humor. Production designer Francois Seguin, with art directors Irene O’Brien and Robert Parle and set decorators Suzanne Cloutier, Jenny Oman, and Louise Tremblay, does amazing work with the look of 1950s Brooklyn from the recreation of Coney Island to the look of the clothing shop that Eilis would work at. Costume designer Odile Dicks-Mireaux does brilliant work with the costumes from the different kind of clothes that Eilis would wear throughout the film as it play into her evolution as a person.
Hair designer Lorraine Glynn and makeup designer Morna Ferguson do nice work with the look of the characters in the hairstyles the women had at the time as well as the kind of makeup they used. Visual effects supervisor Andy Clarke does terrific work with the visual effects as it is mainly set dressing for some of the exteriors set in Brooklyn to recreate its look in the early 1950s. Sound designer Glenn Freemantle does superb work with the sound to play into the dancehalls in both Ireland and Brooklyn as well as some of the raucous sounds that happen in some of the locations in Brooklyn. The film’s music by Michael Brook is wonderful for its somber yet soaring orchestral score that play into the drama without overwhelming it while music supervisor Kle Savidge provides a soundtrack that mixes traditional Irish music with some of the contemporary music of the times.
The casting by Fiona Weir is great as it feature some notable small roles from Eileen O’Higgins as Eilis’ friend Nancy, Peter Campion as Nancy’s boyfriend George, Jenn Murray as an Irish immigrant who comes in during the film’s second half, Paulino Nunes and Ellen David as Tony’s parents, James DiaGiacomo as Tony’s youngest brother Frankie, Mella Caron as a young woman Eilis meets late in the film, and Eva Birthistle as a woman named Georgina who would give Eilis guidance on what to do when arriving in America. Emily Bett Rickards and Nora-Jane Noone are fantastic in their roles as Eilis’ housemates who are also Irish immigrants who are troublesome but fun while Jessica Pare` is terrific as Eilis’ boss Miss Fortini who shows Eilis how to present herself at work as well as give her tips on fashion.
Jane Brennan is wonderful as Eilis’ mother who copes with being alone as well as knowing that Eilis is far away while Fiona Glascott is excellent as Eilis’ older sister Rose who would be the one to get Eilis to America as she would correspond with her during Eilis’ time in America. Brid Brennan is brilliant as Miss Kelly as Eilis’ former employer back in Ireland who is quite cruel as she would have this great moment late in the film as she is a reminder of what Eilis doesn’t like about her home. Julie Walters is amazing as Madge Kehoe as a woman who runs a boarding house for Irish immigrant women to live in as she is this mixture of maternal warmth with a strict demeanor. Jim Broadbent is marvelous as Father Flood as this kind priest who would help Eilis find a place to stay as well as a job as he is this warm figure that is like a father of sorts for Eilis. Domhnall Gleeson is remarkable as Jim Farrell as this kind Irishman who is part of the rugby team as he is this gentleman that fascinates Eilis.
Emory Cohen is phenomenal as Tony Fiorello as this Italian-American who doesn’t play into traditional stereotypes of most Italians as he is someone that has simple ambitions while being very kind and gentlemanly towards Eilis. Finally, there’s Saoirse Ronan in a sensational performance as Eilis Lacey as this young Irish woman who travels to America where she copes with being homesick as well as culture shock where finally comes into her own and find a life in Brooklyn while displaying the anguish and internal conflict of returning to her homeland and the new life she has grown accustom to as it’s a career-defining performance for Ronan.
Brooklyn is a spectacular film from John Crowley that features a radiant performance from Saoirse Ronan. Along with Nick Hornby’s compelling script, gorgeous visuals, and a phenomenal supporting cast, it’s a film that isn’t just this touching story of a young woman in a new world and experiencing love but it is also a story of a woman finding her identity. In the end, Brooklyn is a tremendous film from John Crowley.
John Crowley Films: (Intermission) - Boy A - (Is Anybody There?) - (Closed Circuit)
© thevoid99 2016
Directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky and screenplay by Jodorowsky and Fernando Arrabal that is based on the play by the latter, Fando y Lis is the story of two lovers who travel to a barren wasteland in search of a mythical city. The film is a surreal love story set in a post-apocalyptic world that play into the many aspects of mysticism and chaos of the world itself. Starring Sergio Klanier and Diana Mariscal. Fando y Lis is a strange yet odd film from Alejandro Jodorowsky.
The film is a simple story of two lovers who go on a journey to find a mythical city somewhere in a barren wasteland during a post-apocalyptic period. The film doesn’t rely very much on plot as it’s more about the experience of these two lovers as Fando (Sergio Klanier) is bringing his partially-paralyzed lover Lis (Diana Mariscal) through the land either carrying her or dragging her on a cart. During their journey, they deal with flashbacks of traumatic moments as well as surreal things they would encounter as Fando would get frustrated by dealing with Lis while the two also cope with what they see and the landscape itself. While the script’s lack of plot favors more about the journey and the surrealistic themes of identity and faith, it does meander where it isn’t sure what it wants to be or attempting to be all of these things but without a sense of balance.
Alejandro Jodorowsky’s direction is very offbeat as it play into the sense of the absurd but also a world that is chaotic. Much of the compositions in terms of wide and medium shots are simple to play into the locations as it’s shot on location in Mexico in its deserts and rural areas. Jodorowsky would use the landscape to play into something that is desolate and unknowing in what the film’s protagonists would encounter as there are many odd things that happen. A group of old women playing cards and feeding a young man peaches, Fando’s parents both desiring to be buried, drag queens, a man asking for blood, and mud people. At times, it is intriguing but eventually does wear out its welcome as it does cause the pacing to get sluggish. Even during the second act where it does take place in the desert mountains as it gets too strange despite what Jodorowsky wants to say as it does have a nice payoff in its third act. Overall, Jodorowsky creates a weird yet uneven film about a couple’s journey to a mystical world.
Cinematographers Rafael Corkidi and Antonio Reynoso do excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white cinematography as it plays into that air of style in its approach to surrealism mixed in with the harsh realism of its locations. Editor Fernando Suarez does nice work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and some montage-based style to play into the film‘s offbeat tone. The film’s music by Pepe Alvida and Hector Morely is brilliant for its mixture of traditional, string-based music with some quirky pieces with its usage of woodwinds to play into the journey of the characters.
The film’s cast features appearances from Alejandro Jodorowsky as a puppeteer, co-cinematographer Rafael Corkidi as Fando’s father, Vincente and Elizabeth Moore in their respective roles as the young Fando and Lis, Valerie Jodorowsky in a dual role as a junkyard temptress and a woman in crutches, Tamara Garina as a weird version of the pope, and Maria Teresa Rivas as Fando’s mother. Finally, there’s the fantastic performances of Sergio Klanier and Diana Mariscal in their respective roles as the titular characters with Klanier as the man who is trying to find the land and deal with the fact that he’s doing all of the work while Mariscal displays the anguish and melancholia of her character who can’t walk as she laments over her condition.
Fando y Lis is a terrific yet very flawed film from Alejandro Jodorowsky. While it has some unique visuals, weird takes on surrealism, and some commentary of faith and identity. It is a film that is definitely not for everyone as it’s very slow and meandering pace will definitely be a turn off. In the end, Fando y Lis is a very good film from Alejandro Jodorowsky.
Alejandro Jodorowsky Films: La Cravate - Teatro sin fin - El Topo - The Holy Mountain - Tusk (1980 film) - Santa Sangre - The Rainbow Thief - The Dance of Reality - Endless Poetry - Psychomagic: a Healing Art
Related: Jodorowsky's Dune - The Auteurs #59: Alejandro Jodorowsky
© thevoid99 2016
Based on the novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is the story of a young boy who finds a golden ticket to be invited to go to the chocolate factory of its mysterious creator. Directed by Mel Stuart and screenplay by Roald Dahl and David Seltzer, the film is whimsical take on Dahl’s story with explorations of innocence and the desire of hope for a young boy who lives with his poor family with Gene Wilder playing the role of Willy Wonka. Also starring Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear, Denise Nickerson, Julie Dawn Cole, Paris Themmen, Dodo Denney, Leonard Stone, and Jack Albertson. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a delightful and majestic film from Mel Stuart.
The film is about a boy from a poor family who learns about a contest to be invited to a mystical chocolate factory owned and run by the reclusive Willy Wonka. The contest revolves in trying to find five golden tickets where whoever gets a golden ticket will be invited to the factory which hadn’t been open to the public for many years due to spies disguised as employees stealing Wonka’s ideas for rival competitors. Once five of these children, accompanied by their parents, enter the factory and meet Wonka. They would embark into a unique world yet also strange places with strange workers where the children would also find ways to cause trouble. The film’s screenplay which was largely re-written by David Seltzer, who would be un-credited for his work, has a unique structure where much of its first half is about finding the golden tickets and the five children who would find them.
One of the children in the story is its protagonist Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) who is the most eager to find a golden ticket as he lives in the town where Wonka’s factory is. He struggles to help his family while being a child as he is encouraged by his Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) to find it as he believes the ticket and its prize of a lifetime supply of chocolate will give their poor family hope. The other four children the gluttonous Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner), the spoiled Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), the gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), and the TV-obsessed Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen) are all these kind of individuals who represent some form of sin as they represent everything Charlie isn’t. Even as all five enter the factory where they’re being tested in what they do as they were each approached earlier in the film by a man claiming to be one of Wonka’s rivals in Slug worth (Gunter Meisner) who wants one of Wonka’s new candies.
Mel Stuart’s direction is this nice mixture of comedy, drama, fantasy, and bits of the musical as it has this balance that doesn’t make it jarring or inconsistent. Shot largely on location in Munich and Bavaria in then-West Germany, the film plays into a world that is a mixture of the modern world with a sense of the old world as well as an environment where this chocolate factory is at. Much of the compositions are simple as Stuart favors a more intimate look to play into the world of Charlie’s family life while there are a few wide shots to establish some of the locations and the mania that surrounds the search for the golden tickets. Once the film enters the factory, it is this world that is quite imaginative as it has these elements that looks very fun to look and to eat while it also borders into the line of the absurd and surreal. Most notably a scene where Wonka and his guests ride on a boat through this tunnel that is scary but also kind of fun in a dark way.
Even in how some of the kids in their own bad vices would get their comeuppance as it has that air of dark humor that is often followed by songs sung by Wonka’s workers known as the Oompa-Loompas who sing about the sins of these children. There is also some sentimentality as it play to why Wonka is opening the factory and sent out the tickets to showcase some of the wonders of life and imagination. Overall, Stuart creates an exhilarating and dazzling film about a boy who goes to a wondrous chocolate factory created by its eccentric creator.
Cinematographer Arthur Ibbetson does excellent work with the film‘s cinematography for how many of the nighttime interior/exterior scenes are shot as well as the way many of the factory‘s interiors including its room with the chocolate river looks. Editor David Saxon does nice work with the editing as it is very straightforward as it doesn‘t go into any kind of style with the exception of the surreal tunnel scene. Art director Harper Goff does brilliant work with the look of the many different sets from the labs that Wonka does for his experiments, his office, the room of chocolate with the chocolate river, and other sets which also include the interior of Charlie‘s family home.
Costume designer Helen Colvig does terrific work with the costumes to play into the different look of the children as well as the whimsical look of Wonka. The special effects work of Logan Frazee are wonderful for the scenes set in the tunnel as well as in some of the magical moments that goes on inside the factory. Sound editors Charles L. Campbell and Roger Sword do superb work with the sound in the way some of the sound effects are presented as it play into the whimsical world of Wonka. The film’s music and songs by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley is incredible as it has this air of serenity in its orchestral score while its songs play into that sense of sorrow, heartbreak, imagination, and whimsy as it says a lot to its characters and the situations they’re in.
The film’s cast is phenomenal as it include some notable small roles from Steve Dunne as a newscaster, Tim Brooke-Taylor as a computer scientist, Werner Heyking as Charlie’s newspaper vendor boss, David Battley as Charlie’s schoolteacher, Peter Capell as the Tinker who works outside of the factory, and Gunter Meisner as Wonka’s rival Slugworth who offers a great deal of money to the kids in exchange for one of Wonka’s candies. In the roles of the Oompa-Loompas as they’re played by Rusty Goffe, Rudy Borgstaller, George Claydon, Malcolm Dixon, Ismed Hassan, Norman McGlen, Angelo Muscat, Pepe Poupee, Marcus Powell, and Albert Wilkinson where they all provide that sense of whimsy into their role as Wonka’s little working men who sings songs that play into the sins of some of the children. Small roles from Dora Altmann as Grandma Georgina, Ernst Ziegler as Grandpa George, and Franziska Liebing as Grandma Josephine are wonderful while the performances of Ursula Reit as Mrs. Gloop, Dodo Denney as Mrs. Teevee, and Leonard Stone as Sam Beauregarde are fun to watch with Roy Kinnear in a fantastic performance as Veruca’s father who does whatever to please his daughter.
Diana Sowle is excellent as Charlie’s mother who tries to ensure some hope for Charlie as the search for the tickets become impossible while Aubrey Woods is superb as the candy shop owner Bill who would sell the candy including the one to Charlie that would feature his golden ticket. Jack Albertson is amazing as Grandpa Joe as Charlie’s maternal grandfather who urges Charlie to find that ticket as he knows how much it means to him while also knows about the story of Willy Wonka. In the role of the other children Charlie has to compete with, Michael Bollner is terrific as the gluttonous Augustus Gloop who is always eating something while Paris Themmen is energetically fun as the smart-aleck Mike Teevee who watches too much TV. Denise Nickerson is brilliant as the gum-chewing Violet Beauregarde who just loves gum as well as do whatever she can to hold on to the gum-chewing record.
Julie Dawn Cole is remarkable as Veruca Salt as this very bratty and greedy young girl that wants everything including the golden ticket while being full of energy and has her own song to sing. Peter Ostrum is marvelous as Charlie Bucket as this young kid who is hoping to go to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory as he clings for some hope in his life as well as give his family a chance to end their life in poverty. Finally, there’s Gene Wilder in an incredible performance as Willy Wonka as this very offbeat yet charming creator who is sarcastic at times but also ambiguous and weird yet Wilder has something in his performance that is just indescribable as it’s really an iconic role from the actor.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a spectacular film from Mel Stuart that features Gene Wilder in an outstanding performance as the titular character. Featuring a great cast, lovely visuals, beautiful art direction, and a phenomenal music soundtrack, the film is definitely a film that families can enjoy as well as be weird enough for adults to be engaged by. In the end, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is a magnificent film from Mel Stuart.
© thevoid99 2016
(In Memory of Gene Wilder 1933-2016)
Directed, starring, and songs by Mel Brooks and screenplay by Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Al Uger from a story by Bergman, Blazing Saddles is the story of a State Attorney General who conspires to have a railroad be built on a town while getting an African-American railroad worker to be its sheriff only for the sheriff to gain the trust of the locals to fight back. It’s a film that is a spoof of sorts on the western genre that includes some well-intended anachronisms as well as a commentary on race relations and ideas of the American West. Also starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, Slim Pickens, David Huddleston, Alex Karras, and Dom DeLuise. Blazing Saddles is an off-the-wall and rip-roaring film from Mel Brooks.
Set in the American West, the film is about a railroad worker, who was about to be hanged for hitting his boss with a shovel, who becomes the sheriff for a town that is under the threat of bandits unaware that that the bandits are working for the State Attorney General wanting to build a railroad through the town. It’s a film that sort of makes fun of the western genre where it plays into every cliché that happens as well as provide some commentary about the modern world where this town is aghast over the fact that their new sheriff is African-American. The film’s script doesn’t just play into some satirical commentary on race relations but also what men of power would do to stop this sheriff only to be outwitted.
The script also has gags that doesn’t just play into clichés but also subvert many stereotypes of the genre such as this dim-witted henchman named Mongo (Alex Karras) who is revealed to be quite philosophical. Another gag in the film is the fact that it’s intentionally anachronistic where it adds to the film’s subversive approach to the genre as well as the fact that the antagonist Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) is mistakenly called Hedy Lamarr. It adds to some of the absurdity that is in the script as well as the fact that it refuses to take itself too seriously.
Mel Brooks’ direction is quite simple in terms of the compositions he creates yet he definitely brings in a lot of the visual tropes that is expected in the western genre with its usage of wide and medium shots to capture the beauty of its locations. Shot in the back-lot studios of Warner Brothers, the film definitely play into some of the artificial aspects that is common with the genre while also creating these moments that are offbeat. Even with the anachronistic elements such as an audition scene for Lamarr’s posse where there’s German soldiers from World War I, bikers, and Ku Klux Klan members as well as a scene in the climax where the film literally breaks the fourth wall. It’s among these moments of the absurd that makes it so interesting while Brooks isn’t afraid to be politically-incorrect as it add to a lot of the humor that occurs in the film. Even as Brooks is willing to go into lowbrow territory just to maintain that sense of joy and laughter without deterring too much from the story. Overall, Brooks creates a witty yet sensational film about an African-American sheriff fighting for liberty, justice, and German sausages.
Cinematographer Joseph F. Biroc does excellent work with the cinematography as it is very straightforward in its approach to the daytime exteriors while using some light for some of the interiors and scenes set at night. Editors Danford Greene and John C. Howard do nice work with the editing as it is very straightforward with some stylish cutting for some of the transitions. Production designer Peter Wooley and set decorator Morris Hoffman do amazing work with the look of the town as well as the office of Lamarr and Governor Le Petomane. The sound work of Gene S. Cantamessa does superb work with the sound as it‘s straightforward in playing up the chaos of the West. The film’s music by John Morris is wonderful for its orchestral-based music that play into the world of the American West as it includes some songs written by Mel Brooks that are very funny.
The casting by Nessa Hyams is great as it features notable small roles and appearances from Robyn Hilton as the governor’s busty secretary, Ralph Manza as an actor playing Adolf Hitler, Count Basie as himself, Robert Ridgely as the hangman Boris, Rodney Allen Rippy as a young Bart, Anne Bancroft as an extra at the congregation, Richard Collier as the town doctor, Liam Dunn as the local reverend, Carol Arthur as the local schoolmarm, Charles McGregor as Bart’s friend Charlie, Burton Gilliam as Taggart’s henchman Lyle, and David Huddleston as one of the locals in Olson Johnson who isn’t receptive about Bart because he’s African-American. Dom DeLuise is fantastic as filmmaker Buddy Bizarre who is trying to make a Busby Berkeley-style musical while Mel Brooks is superb in a dual role as the dim-witted Governor William J. Le Pentomane and a Yiddish-speaking Indian chief the young Bart meets. Alex Karras is excellent as Mongo as this big and strong man who looks and seem like the dumbest person around yet is surprisingly philosophical where he eventually helps Bart and Jim.
Slim Pickens is brilliant as Taggart as Lamarr’s henchman who is the personification of every cliché of the western genre where he says all sorts of shit and does idiotic things. Madeline Kahn is amazing as Lili Von Shtupp aka the Teutonic Titwillow as German seductress/performer who is asked by Lamarr to seduce Bart only to fall for Bart. Harvey Korman is incredible as Hedley Lamarr who always has to correct people for saying his name wrong as he is this state attorney general trying to do whatever he can to destroy a small town so he can get this railroad built. Gene Wilder is phenomenal as Jim aka the Waco Kid as the fastest gunslinger in the world that is trying to escape his past while later helping out Bart in every way where Wilder provides a lot of humor without doing much. Finally, there’s Cleavon Little in a sensational performance as Bart as a railroad worker who becomes sheriff for a town unaware that he is meant to cause trouble only to win over the people and do whatever it takes to outwit and outplay the bad guys.
Blazing Saddles is a magnificent film from Mel Brooks. Featuring a great cast, hilarious gags, witty commentary on social and racial issues, and some off-the-wall humor. It’s a film that isn’t just a great spoof on the western but also manages to do a lot of things and more to create something that is full-on entertainment. In the end, Blazing Saddles is an outstanding film from Mel Brooks.
Mel Brooks Films: The Producers - (Twelve Chairs) - Young Frankenstein - (Silent Movie) - High Anxiety - (History of the World, Part 1) - Spaceballs - (Life Stinks) - Robin Hood: Men in Tights - (Dracula: Dead and Loving It)
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