Movie Reviews
Titles starting with P
Play It Again, Sam
Yes, Woody knew, and I know, and every movie buff in the world knows that Bogey never said that. He said “You played it for her, you can play it for me! If she can stand it, I can! Play it!” Just as every movie buff in the world knows that Charles Foster Kane was alone in the room when he muttered “Rosebud.” (Or was he? We never saw the whole room. The nurse came running through the door ... Read more »
The Player
Robert Altman made quite a few movies that could qualify as masterpieces (and a few duds, like everyone does), and this is one of the best of them. There have been quite a few movies made about Hollywood and the movie business, too, most of them at least a little satirical, and I can’t think of any one of them that was as good as this one.
The plot: Someone is sending death threats ... Read more »
Please Give
Here’s one of those movies that drive me a little crazy. It is well-written by Nicole Holofcener, wonderfully acted by Catherine Keener, Oliver Platt, Amanda Peet, and Rebecca Hall. It is funny, and sad, and emotionally complex. And I couldn’t connect with it. I wanted to like it, I almost feel guilty that I didn’t, much. Know what I mean? I liked parts of it very much. Maybe it’s a New ... Read more »
The Pleasure Garden
Hitchcock’s first film (he directed bits of others) is this hour-long trifle. The Pleasure Garden is a theater where Patsy dances, resisting the entreaties of smitten gentlemen. Enter Jill, a girl from the country who gets her pocket picked at the stage door. Patsy takes pity on her, takes her home, sneaks her into the theater … where the little country mouse shows her true colors, ... Read more »
Pocahontas
Though this is as colorful and visually interesting as any of the features from the Disney Renaissance, it has always felt a little flat to me. The music isn’t as good, nor are the big production numbers as impressive as its predecessors, with the exception of a magical sequence done to the best song in the picture, “The Colors of the Wind.” (Oscar winner.) It’s all just too solemn, as so ... Read more »
Point Blank
Point Blank (À bout portant) (2010) (France) The ordinary man thrust into events he doesn’t understand was a favorite theme of Alfred Hitchcock; the quintessential example is probably North by Northwest. This is a damn good example of the genre. Samuel is a nurse’s aide who unintentionally foils a murder attempt on one of his patients. Then he gets a call ... Read more »
The Polar Express
The minute I heard there was an IMAX version of The Polar Express, I knew that’s how I wanted to see it. Of course, it’s also available in 3D so I wanted to see that, too. I found a list of 70 theaters showing it in that format. We made a special trip up to the nearest one, at the museum in San Jose, paid our $11 each, and took our seats.
And it wasn’t in ... Read more »
The Polar Express
I’ve been to several IMAX shows, but they had all been in settings like museums or world’s fairs, and they weren’t feature-length general release films like this one. Lee and I saw it together, and we’re not sure where it was, but I’m thinking it may have been in or around San Jose when we also visited the Winchester Mystery House. I was wondering how it would hold up, tech-wise, after ... Read more »
Poltergeist
When I TiVoed this I thought I was getting the original 1982 film. Maybe it was because the description mentioned Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams. Somebody at DirecTV screwed up. I hadn’t been aware that there was a remake. Hell, I hadn’t even been aware that there had been two not-well-reviewed sequels. Oh, well, might as well look at it.
Naturally the special effects are much ... Read more »
Poltergeist
Oddly enough, the first startling thing in this pretty startling movie was remembering that TV stations used to sign off early in the morning! No kidding, for you youngsters out there. They would play the national anthem and we would see images of the flag waving, the Lincoln Memorial, stuff like that, and then … nothing! What they ... Read more »