Choo, choo baby

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

“I hear the train a comin’,” is a refrain from a Johnny Cash song that takes me back to my childhood. My father worked on trains, and I could hear them pulling into my hometown station. I remember riding in the caboose of a freight train and in the club car of the California Zephyr.

There is something magical about trains. In our mobile society the train has played a major role. So this month I pay homage to the very American train.

Brief Encounter (1945): Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson, both married to other persons, meet on a train platform. A passionate affair begins, but they know it will go nowhere. The trains coming and going, hissing steam, display the transient nature of their love.

Strangers on a Train (1951): Oh ho. This is a deliciously wicked little film. Farley Granger and Robert Walker meet on a train. As they begin talking, they both realize there is someone in each of their lives they would like to be gone. Thus begins the plot.

Von Ryan’s Express (1965):  A non-singing Frank Sinatra leads a group of escaped World War II prisoners as they take over a German train.  Great scenery as the train travels through the Alps. Trevor Howard as the English officer is a good counterpart to Sinatra.

Silver Streak (1976): In this tale, Gene Wilder sees a murder aboard the title train. His problem is that no one believes him. Richard Pryor, as a small-time criminal, agrees to help. With Wilder and Pryor you do expect some humor.  Don’t look for a lot.

Avalanche Express (1979): Lee Marvin, Robert Shaw and Linda Evans star is this fast-paced thriller. Shaw is a Russian who wants to defect. Marvin is the CIA agent sent to get him out. As they hurtle along, they survive a terrorist attack and an avalanche. This film is not very believable, but watchable.

Breakheart Pass (1975): Charles Bronson is an undercover agent posted on a train carrying medical supplies. As passengers start turning up dead or missing, Bronson has his hands full. Ben Johnson, Richard Crenna, and Jill Ireland costar.

Before Sunrise (1995): Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy meet on a train traveling to Vienna. They, you guessed it, fall in love. And they talk about shipboard romances.

 

Bullet Train (1975): This Japanese film is the precursor of the film Speed. A man, actor Ken Takakura, places a bomb aboard a train and threatens to set it off. He does have demands. The train conductor tries to calm passengers. The dubbing is not good quality, but the film is still worth seeing. (Keanu Reeves isn’t in it.)

Darjeeling Limited (2007): Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, and Jason Schwartzman play three brothers trying to reacquaint with each other during a train trek across India. This film has moments that are funny, sweet and sentimental—and annoying.

Murder on the Orient Express (1985): That Poirot, he gets around. Now he’s on that famous train with an all-star cast. You know someone is going to get murdered. Is the killer Sean Connery, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman or one of the other stars who hated Richard Widmark?

Albert Finney will find out.

The Flying Scotsman (1929): The title train runs between London and Edinburgh. I’ve ridden it, but nothing exciting happened. In this trip, an outraged foreman wants revenge and tries to cause an accident. Ray Milland (in his first role) tries to stop him. There are some great stunts.

The General (1927): This is my favorite train movie. Buster Keaton is wonderful as a man who tries to enlist in the Confederate army. When he is rejected, he seeks to win the war using his train engine, “The General.” This is truly a very funny film.

Harvey Girls (1946): I remember my dad talking about the Harvey girls, so I had to see this film. On her way west to be married as a mail-order bride, Judy Garland meets a group of lively young women on their way to become Harvey girls at a Harvey House. These were restaurant stopovers for trains. In this film, Garland sings the Oscar-winning song, “On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe.” Good cast includes Angela Lansbury, Cyd Charisse, John Hodiak, and Ray Bolger.

The Lady Vanishes (1938, 1979): In the 1938 version, Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, and Paul Lukas star in Hitchcock film. While traveling cross-country by train, Lockwood notices that an acquaintance is missing. No one admits even seeing the woman. Enter big, strong Redgrave to help the maiden in distress. But, will he be able to unravel this sinister plot.

Narrow Margin (1952): Tough cop Charles McGraw is picked to accompany a mobster’s moll, Marie Windsor, to Los Angeles from Chicago. She’s agreed to testify, but there are goons on the train who want to stop her. Their problem: They don’t know what she looks like. Can McGraw save the day?

Night Train to Paris (1964): Don’t bother to see this unless you want to see Leslie Nielsen in a straight role (but one that portends his later comic genius). It’s all about secret agents and stolen tapes. But it is aboard a train.

 

Runaway Train (1985): The engineer has had a heart attack and the train is running unmanned. What to do? We are in Alaska and in the presence of prison escapees. Could it get any worse? The fugitives try to stop the train but stay ahead of the law. Jon Voight, Eric Roberts and Rebecca De Mornay star.

Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974, 2009): In the 1974 version, Walter Matthau tries to stop arch criminal Robert Shaw from shooting passengers on a city train. This is a tense, well-acted film.

The Train (1964): Burt Lancaster is a French (I don’t believe this) train engineer during WWII. His train is carrying Nazi plunder and hunky Burt can’t stand that the Nazi’s are taking away French art masterpieces. So he does everything he can to sabotage the train. It’s a good movie. Just forget that Burt is supposed to be French.

There are many, many more great train films. Check out: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, North by Northwest, Unstoppable, The Great Train Robbery, The Train Robbers, Man on the Train, Shanghai Express, and Lady on a Train.

Yankee Doodle Dandy

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

As the Fourth of July approaches, I am reminded of Sir Walter Scott’s lines: “Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said ‘This is my own, my native land!’”

This should be the holiday that stirs our hearts and make us thankful we live in a free society. A lot of wars have been fought to preserve our way of life, and, for all its faults, our country is better than most. So, take a moment and reflect on your patriotic feelings. Here are some films that should make you proud to be an American.

Yankee Doodle Dandy: This is a 1942 movie about the great George M. Cohan as portrayed by the great James Cagney. With such songs as “Over There,” “It’s a Grand Old Flag,” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” you might want to sing along. This is definitely a feel-good film.

Born on the 4^th of July: (1989). Tom Cruise plays a Marine during the Viet Nam war who becomes paralyzed from the chest down. He becomes a protester against the war in which he once felt proud to have served.

The Patriot: (2000). Mel Gibson, Heath Ledger, Chris Cooper, and Joely Richardson costar in this story about the Revolutionary War. Gibson plays a farmer who just wants to be left alone, but when the war comes to him, he fights.

Sergeant York: (1941). Gary Cooper plays true-life hero Sgt. York. York was drafted into WWI. He captures an entire platoon. This was probably a propaganda film. WWII was getting close.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: (1939). The all-star cast includes James Stewart, Jean Arthur and Claude Rains. A naïve innocent (Stewart) goes to the Capitol as a junior senator. He meets corruption. He will not be stopped fighting it and engages in a marathon filibuster. This is a fine film that portrays democracy in action.

The Best Years of our Lives: (1946). This film won seven Oscars as it portrays three soldiers who try to take up their lives after WWII. Fine acting and a poignant story lift this film above its genre.

 Stars and Stripes Forever: (1952). Clifton Webb plays John Philip Sousa, the march king. Robert Wagner plays the Sousaphone. Stirring music and a playful attitude make this an entertaining movie.

Abe Lincoln in Illinois: (1940). Raymond Massey plays a young Abe Lincoln honing his skills and developing the character that makes him a strong president. Gene Lockheart and Ruth Gordon costar.

1776: (1972). This is a musical about the birth of our country. It is a funny and quirky film. The cast includes Ken Howard, William Daniels and Howard de Silva.

Glory: (1989). Denzel Washington, Matthew Broderick and Morgan Freeman star in this very good movie about the first group of African Americans to serve as soldiers during the Civil War.

Casablanca: (1942). This classic film explores patriotism on many levels. Who can forget the singing of La Marseillaise? Who can forget Bogart and his “hill of beans” speech?

Apollo 13: (1995). America’s 1971 attempt to get to the moon misfires, but the astronauts become heroes for their bravery. Tom Hanks, Bill Paxton, and Kevin Bacon star.

From Here to Eternity: (1953). Burt Lancaster, Deborah Kerr, Montgomery Clift, Ernest Borgnine, Frank Sinatra and Donna Reed confront Pearl Harbor. The destruction and loss of life provide a rallying cry.

United 93: (2006). Events of 9/11 provide the backdrop for heroism and sacrifice. Airline passengers stop a hijacked plane from causing additional damage by bringing it down. All died. This is a very good film that is under-rated.

Gettysburg: (1993). Martin Sheen, Tom Berenger and Jeff Daniels fight the fierce three-day battle during the Civil War.

Miracle: (2004). Patriotism in sports. USA’s Olympic hockey team beats the USSR in a real miracle.

All the President’s Men: (1976). This film explores the freedom and the power of the press. I’m sure you know the rest.

The Fighting Sullivans: (1944). This is a sad story about five brothers who lost their lives when their ship, the USS Juneau, went down during a battle at Guadalcanal in 1943. This true story may be the basis for Saving Private Ryan.

To Hell and Back: (1955). This film is the true story about Audie Murphy who is the most decorated soldier in American history. He earned every medal the country could award him.

Robert Redford

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of  The Thing.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

By a very special request, I am focusing on the films of Robert Redford this month. As I was reviewing these films, I discovered a few things I had never noticed before: The best Redford films are those in which his looks are incidental; he had a narrow range; his movies got worse as his looks faded; he never played a villain. But he was in some really excellent films, and he was an adequate actor.

 I believe his body of work, his creation of the Sundance Film Festival, the films he directed, his work for the environment, and his image as an all ‘round good guy will provide a lasting legacy.

1962:  War Hunt. Redford is an idealistic soldier (why am I not surprised?) during the Korean War.

1965: Inside Daisy Clover. Redford is the closeted-gay husband of Natalie Wood.

1965: Situation Hopeless – but not Serious. Redford is a captured WWII soldier. Wacky Alec Guiness is his captor.

1967: Barefoot in the Park. Redford is the uptight husband of free spirited Jane Fonda.

1969: Downhill Racer. Redford is a rookie skier on the US Olympic team. One win and he thinks he’s god. The most negative role he portrayed. He won the BAFTA (English Oscar).

1969: Tell Them Willie Boy is Here. Redford is a sheriff leading a hostile posse after an Indian. He won another BAFTA.

1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Redford is the Sundance Kid and Paul Newman is Butch Cassidy. We all loved these charming scoundrels.

1970: Little Fauss and Big Halsy. Redford is a motorcycle racer. (Didn’t see this one.)

1972: Hot Rock. Redford is a jewel thief. The film was nominated for an Oscar.

1972: The Candidate. Redford is a candidate who is unwilling to run at first, compromises his ideals as he decides he wants to win, and then when he has won not sure what to do next.

1972: Jeremiah Johnson. Redford is a mountain man who just wants to be alone.

1973: The Sting. Redford is a grifter who, with Newman, runs a perfect scam against Robert Shaw. The film won seven Oscars.

1973: The Way We Were. Redford is a pretty boy who hooks up with the annoying Barbra Striesand. What was the point of this?

1974: The Great Gatsby. Redford is a wannabe sophisticate who ends up in the pool.

1975: The Great Waldo Pepper. Redford is a stunt pilot who, after his barnstorming days are through, heads to Hollywood.

1975: Three Days of the Condor. Redford is a CIA researcher on the run. He takes Faye Dunaway hostage, but he’s not a bad guy, really.

1976: All the President’s Men. Redford is a reporter in a perfect film.

1977: A Bridge Too Far. Redford is a soldier in an operation that fails to end WWII.

1979: Electric Horseman. Redford is a rodeo champ and a drunk who steals a prize horse and wins the affections of Jane Fonda.

1980: Brubaker. Redford is a prison warden who goes undercover at the state pen. He tries to make things better, but ends up antagonizing everyone.

1984: The Natural. Redford is an overage rookie in a very silly film. But he looked good.

1985: Out of Africa. Redford is a bush pilot who washes Meryl Streep’s hair.

1986: Legal Eagles. Redford is a lawyer in a film that doesn’t get off the ground.

1990: Havana. Redford is a poker player. His looks are fading fast.

1992: Sneakers. Redford is a spy. This film is pretty good.

1993: Indecent Proposal. Redford is a billionaire who must now pay for favors.

1996: Up Close and Personal. Redford is a newsman who gives Michelle Pfeiffer a break.

1998: The Horse Whisperer. Redford is, well, a horse whisperer, who cures a girl’s frightened horse. Ahhhh.

2001: Spy Game. Redford is a spy again in a pretty good little film (even with Brad Pitt in it).

2001: The Last Castle. Redford is a general court martialed for disobeying orders. While in prison he locks horns with James Gandolfini.

2004: The Clearing. Redford is a hostage. Don’t worry, it ends well.

2005: An Unfinished Life. Redford is a crusty rancher who must come to terms with his son’s death and his daughter-in-law. Formula.

2007: Lions for Lambs. Redford is — I don’t know cuz I didn’t see it. Critics were cool.

2013: The Company You Keep. Redford is a lawyer, but much, much more.

2014: Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This film is not out yet, but I doubt Redford is Captain America.

Gold and Lead

As a moviegoer for more than 70 years, I’ve seen some great movies, some not so great, some really bad ones, some trying but failing to be deep and meaningful, some reveling in their shallowness. I was born the year The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind were released. My mother started taking me to the movies shortly after that. I saw some movies that were definitely not PG rated. I can still remember being afraid of The Thing and delighting in An American in Paris.

Many times I disagree with the critics. I don’t call them and tell him what I think of their reviews, so now that there is an internet for anyone to babble on, I add my voice. I’m sure there are many of you who will disagree with my assessments. Some of you will agree.  I hope to hear from all of you.

I finish with the Oscars this month. There are still some good films, but I think the quality is starting to decline, as you will see. Silliness and boring are taking over.

1988: Rain Man. A slick Tom Cruise and autistic Dustin Hoffman play brothers on a cross-country trip. Ray Liotta and Tom Hulce as Dominic and Eugene do it much better.

1989: Driving Miss Daisy. This is a feel-good movie starring Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy and Dan Aykroyd. Thin story, but watchable.

1990: Dances With Wolves. Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene and a cast of hundreds star in a good movie. I hated it when animals were killed. There are epic proportions here.

1991: Silence of the Lambs. FBI trainee Jodie Foster interviews cannibal Anthony Hopkins to find insights into another serial killer. She bites off more than even he could chew. Creepy and unsettling as this film is, it is mesmerizing.

1992: Unforgiven. This film is one of the few Westerns to get an Oscar. It is deserved. Clint Eastwood is a retired gunslinger who agrees to do one last job. The excellent cast includes Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris and Jaimz Woolvett.

1993: Schindler’s List. This film as directed by Steven Spielberg is a little sappy, but the story is so powerful that it is worth watching. Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes star.

1994: Forrest Gump. I can find nothing positive to say about this movie. It is just one of the most stupid movies I’ve seen. No way does it deserve an Oscar. Tom Hanks and Sally Field should be embarrassed.

1995: Braveheart. A blue-faced Mel Gibson slices and dices his way through this bloody but boring film. It garnered five Oscars. I can’t imagine for what.

1996: The English Patient. Talk about boring. This movie is the most boring of this group of films. I think I actually fell asleep for a few minutes. Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, and Kristen Scott Thomas star, but who cares.

1997: Titanic. I did not see this film, but the trailer wasn’t compelling. I know a lot of you loved it.

1998: Shakespeare in Love. Why was this flimsy film even nominated? Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Geoffrey Rush and (two minutes of) Judi Dench star.

1999: American Beauty. Finally we have a film with drama, humor, anguish, forbidden love and tragedy. It won five deserved Oscars. Kevin Spacey, Annette Benning, Chris Cooper and Thora Birch star. Talk about having a mid-life crisis.

2000: Gladiator. Superhero Russell Crowe suffers through many trials to finally succeed. I know it wasn’t a great film, but I loved it. Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris and Connie Nielsen costar.

2001: A Beautiful Mind. Now here is a movie worth Oscar consideration. Russell Crowe is brilliant as a gifted economist who happens to suffer from schizophrenia. You agonize along with his wife, Jennifer Connelly, and friend, Paul Bettany.

2002: Chicago. Wow, and all that jazz. This is a delightful film. Loved it. Stars include Catherine Zeta Jones, Richard Gere, John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, and Renée Zellweger.

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This is too silly a movie on which to comment.

2004: Million Dollar Baby. Clint Eastwood and Hilary Swank star in a film about risk-taking and tragedy. Not great, but okay.

2005: Crash. If I didn’t know that Paul Haggis directed, I would have thought this was a Robert Altman film. Lots of people crash into each other in this film with racial overtones.

2006: The Departed. Oh dear, what a mess this film is. Let’s see, it’s trite, been done, silly, overdone. However, Jack Nicholson is hilarious in a death scene.

2007: No Country for Old Men. Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, Kelly MacDonald and Javier Bardem star in a thin, bleak story. Bardem is great as the villain.

2008: Slumdog Millionaire. I tried watching this but only made it through 20 minutes. No further comment.

2009: The Hurt Locker. This film is tense, well-written, and well-acted, but an Oscar? Jeremy Renner, Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes and David Morse star.

2010: The King’s Speech. The Brits really know how to do it right. This is a wonderful film. Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter, Geoffrey Rush and Michael Gambon shine.

2011:  The Artist. Who knew that to get an Oscar all you had to do was go back to silent films? This was a creative film with much going for it. Jean Dujardin and Bérénice Bego dance beautifully. Uggie is a loveable star. James Cromwell and John Goodman costar.

2012: Argo. I like Ben Affleck, Alan Arkin and John Goodman, and there is much to like about this film. It does, however, miss the mark. It was not as tense as it should have been and there was too much “Hollywoodizing” --changing the facts, etc. I liked it as I was watching but reflecting on it later, I found it wanting.