Reviews and Comments by Ken Burke
I invite you to join me on a regular basis to see how my responses to current cinematic offerings compare to the critical establishment, which I’ll refer to as either the CCAL (Collective Critics at Large) when they’re supportive or the OCCU (Often Cranky Critics Universe) when they go negative.
Opening Chatter (no spoilers): Given the enormous in-theater response to this latest incarnation of Dune—opened in 4,125 domestic (U.S.-Canada) theaters (income details below), but its audience must be in the millions already, not even counting those like me who watched it via streaming on HBO Max (which, because of its stunning visuals and soundtrack is not the way most critics are encouraging your viewership, but I’d still prefer to limit my potential indoor exposure to the COVID variants possibly lurking in large, well-attended, indoor spaces)—I certainly couldn’t avoid making it my lead review this week, even though I’m not as enthralled with it as a good many others are (I’ll get into that aspect of my response in just a bit, but it's a bit like finally seeing Stagecoach [John Ford, 1939] after watching decades of other westerns, then not being as impressed by it even though its elements have influenced so many that came along later). If, somehow, you’re not familiar with this storyline it’s based on what’s become an iconic book by Frank Herbert in 1965, followed by his 5 sequels, which may someday find their way to the big screen given the obvious popularity of this opening salvo, but first the initial story needs a finishing-sequel because only the first half of the first book is covered by this version of Dune, as the sci-fi exploits of House Atreides in the far distant future to assume control of dangerous-but-essential-planet Arrakis are detailed in their battles with the former overlords, aided by the “shock and awe” of the devious Emperor’s battle-hardened-troops. Also, in the Short Takes section I’ll take you to Sweden’s Fårö, or Bergman Island, so-called in honor of the famed filmmaker who lived/worked there, where a contemporary filmmaker couple have come, him to be honored by a local cinema society, her to continue working on a script that just won’t come together (similar to my struggle this time to find appropriate Musical Metaphors for each of these reviews). Also in that section I’ll offer suggestions for some choices on the Turner Classic Movies channel (but too much extra text for line-justified-layout like you see here [Related Links stuff at each posting’s end is similarly-ragged], at least to be done by this burned-out-BlogSpot-drone—oh, tedious software!) along with my standard dose of some industry-related-trivia.
Here’s the trailer for Dune [2021]:
(Use the full screen button in the image’s lower right to enlarge it; activate
that same button or use the “esc” keyboard key to return to normal size.)
If you can abide plot spoilers read on, but this blog’s intended for those who’ve seen the film or want to save some $ (as well as recognizing those readers like me who just aren’t that tech-savvy). To help any of you who want to learn more details yet avoid these all-important plot-reveals I’ll identify any give-away sentences/sentence-clusters with colors plus arrows:
⇒The first and last words will be noted with arrows and red.⇐ OK, now continue on if you prefer.
What Happens: Unless you’ve recently read Herbert’s original Dune novel or, like the Mentats described just below, have a near-photographic memory of encountering it at some earlier time (I sure don’t; I read it decades ago [maybe some of the sequels, too; can’t recall] as well as saw the critically-lambasted-adaptation by David Lynch [1984] back during its original release but by now I remember almost nothing about either of them so, in a manner of speaking, I’m a fairly-blank-slate-viewer for encountering this latest cinematic version) you might benefit from reading this detailed synopsis—which will also give you further extensive background on the inspirations, intentions, and allusions of Herbert’s novel—as well as from watching this short video (5:15) which provides an overview of the Dune universe (with some brief notes on those 5 sequel-novels) without getting into spoilers about the current movie. I’ll do my usual dance around such in my comments below, but given how much detail of this futuristic universe is crammed into the lengthy-running-time of this new Dune these just-noted-sources might also help fill in plot-content-gaps I’ve skipped over, attempting to convey the basic flow of this story without getting into a lot of background explanation about characters, related events, history of this far-off-evolution of what I assume to be how our universe might have changed in the many thousands of years from our era to what’s now being depicted here.
In distant 10191 Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV orders House Atreides to leave Caladan, the water-dominated-planet they control, to take over dangerous-desert-planet Arrakis, the only source of highly-prized-spice which enhances human vitality/lifespan while also allowing the Guild navigators to conquer interstellar travel through “folding” space (there’s more about this in the book, not really addressed much in this movie despite how vital such a tactic is within this future era), ruled for the last 80 years by House Harkonnen (run by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen [Stellan Skarsgård, under a ton of fat makeup/costuming], his thuggish-nephew, Glossu Rabban [Dave Bautista], and their Mentat* Piter De Vries [David Dastmalchian]). Despite the Baron’s seeming public anger at this demotion, the secret plan between him and the untrustworthy-Emperor is for the Baron’s forces, aided by the Emperor’s crack-combat-troops, the Sardaukar, to retake Arrakis in a coup to eliminate House Atreides, seen by the Emperor as dangerous for gaining too much power, prestige, popularity.
*In this futuristic universe all Artificial Intelligence is banned (even computers, which weren’t that ubiquitous in 1965 when Herbert wrote this origin book) so Mentats are people of extraordinary intelligence and personal memory who operate as sort of the “consiglieres” to these ruling "families."
In cautious acceptance of their charge, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), his consort Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), their son Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), their weapons master Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), their swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), their Mentat Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley), and Dr. Wellington Yuen (Chang Chen) head off to Arrakis where they find the departed Harkonnen have sabotaged some of the vital spice gathering technology, which makes it even harder to harvest the stuff because it’s also guarded by huge, vicious sandworms. Another plot point is Paul is the latest in a long line of carefully-calculated-humans overseen by the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, of which Lady Jessica is a member, with their collective hope of bringing forth a powerful, universe-harmonizing-savior, the Kwisatz Haderach (yet another tale of a "Chosen One"), so Jessica’s been teaching her son some of the tactics of “Jedi mind control” (not what they call it, of course; they say “the voice,” but such similarities to Lucasworld are what I digress about at the end of this review’s next section). Paul has dreams of a woman he doesn’t know along with disturbing visions of chaos, so Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) gives him the difficult Gom Jabbar test (he surprises her, enduring the pain; see Related Links far below for Villeneuve’s analysis of this scene); she then asks Baron Harkonnen to spare Jessica (now pregnant) and Paul during the onslaught on Arrakis, to which he agrees. However, Dr. Yeuh turns out to be a traitor to House Atreides during the coup in order to release his captured wife but he does implant a poison gas capsule in Leto’s mouth in an attempt to kill the Baron who escapes as Leto dies. ⇒The Baron turns over spice production to Rabban, Jessica and Paul are captured by Harkonnens but escape to take refuge with the planet’s indigenous people, the Fremen, then are attacked by Sardaukar troops leading to another escape but in the process Idaho and some Fremen die. Jessica and Paul then find the main Fremen tribe, led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem), where Paul meets/is attracted to Chani (Zendaya), the woman from (as well as of) his dreams, but Fremen Jamis (Babs Olusanmokum) objects so Paul has to kill him in a knife duel, then joins the Fremen in a move to repel the invaders although Paul worries about his dreams of violent conflict in his name.⇐
So What? The ongoing-axiom about adapting novels into cinema is that it’s a difficult task at best (even when based on a relatively short book, as with The Maltese Falcon [Dashiell Hammett, 1930; 217 pages] that can more-easily-translate into a standard 2-hr. movie [although the most famous adaptation of that one {John Huston, 1941; see farther below for an upcoming TCM cablecast of this seminal-detective-genre-narrative} runs only 101 min. so it does compress some] because of all that must be left out in bringing page to screen, although in my opinion the Huston … Falcon does a extremely-commendable job of staying faithful to the source material, but even there the ending’s changed in the movie allowing Sam Spade to seem more righteous ["When a man's partner is killed, he's supposed to do something about it. It doesn't make any difference what you thought of him. He was your partner and you're supposed to do something about it."] than how he’s depicted in the book’s final scene—you should read it for yourself, but if you can’t wait, here’s a summary and analysis). This adaptation-challenge certainly has been the case with Dune as evidenced by the difficulties Alejandro Jodorowsky faced in his attempts to make cinematic sense of Herbert's book in the 1970s (explored long after the fact in the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune [Frank Pavich, 2013; review in our March 28, 2014 posting]), then Lynch’s much-maligned-version where he attempted to cram over 400 pages into a 137 min. movie (yet, he’d intended a 3-hr.-epic but Universal forced drastic cuts which likely had a lot to do with the negative critical response; it’s impossible to know how Jodorowsky’s vision would have been rated, yet he planned for a mammoth 10-14 hr. adaptation which might have been beyond anyone’s standard filmic-comprehension-skills).
If you really want to fully indulge in all things Dune, though, you can read this summary of Lynch's movie (along with a lot more about it) or even watch it for yourself (see JustWatch here for options, including free streaming on HBO Max and a few others, rentals for $.99-$3.99 on many platforms including Amazon Prime, Apple TV+; yes, I know you’re going to say I should have watched it again myself for insights in this review [just as I probably should have again seen Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage {1973} in reference to what I’m reviewing just below, but those large blocks of time just don’t always make themselves available even to a retired guy like me when there’s viewing competition from the MLB playoffs {let’s go Atlanta Braves, even though I hate their fans “tomahawk chop” chant while still finding it a tad more tolerable than the Houston Astros cheating their way to a World Series win back in 2017; Astros and Braves now tied 1-1 in this year’s Fall Classic} and the opening of the Golden State Warriors NBA season {4-0 so far; yea, Steph Curry and company}]), but in lieu of that here's a video (14:57) comparing the Top 10 differences between Dune 1984, Dune 2021 (note: This contains Spoilers [and ads interrupt at about 3:40, 9:05, 13:20]).
Although I can offer excuses for not bringing myself directly up to speed on Lynch’s iteration of Dune (Wait! You didn’t expect me to re-read the book too, did you?) I can’t fully explain why I’m not as awestruck as many others have been about what Villeneuve’s accomplished in this long, expensive movie so I’ll turn to someone like Ty Burr (regular critic for The Boston Globe) who echoes aspects of my sentiments, " ‘Dune’ is a gigantic, rumbling, otherworldly epic of a movie that’s slightly less than it seems, if only because it seems so huge. [… It] isn’t ‘Lawrence of Arabia in Space,’ but it comes pretty close, and I say that as someone who went in a doubter," although overall he’s more complimentary than me, while we both steer away from The New Yorker’s Anthony Lane who says “One’s eye is at first dazzled, then sated, and eventually tired by this pitiless inflation of scale. And here’s the funny bit. On the same day that ‘Dune’ is released in cinemas, it will also be available, thanks to HBO Max and the wisdom of Warner Bros., on your TV. Nice plan, guys. It’s like trying to stuff a cornfield into a cereal box.” (Both of them also address Wes Anderson’s newest, The French Dispatch [only in theaters, I probably won’t see it for now; Lane’s much more enthusiastic about it.])
So, please keep in mind Dune’s not for everyone; you should at least read a partial summary of this new interpretation before investing a good bit of time (plus whatever it costs to attend a theatrical screening, although if you already subscribe to HBO or HBO Max you’re home free that TV way) in this story of palace intrigue which offers a lot of combat, in both training and warfare. In deference, though, to those who insist this Dune should only be seen on a huge theatrical screen—augmented with a state-of-the-art sound system—to fully appreciate the stunning visuals (created by an army of computer artists, cinematography by Greig Fraser) and mesmerizing soundtrack (Hans Zimmer), I can see the validity of their arguments when imagining what this would have looked/sounded like beyond my 47” TV screen, but I still think it preserves its audiovisual-power in a less-than-fully-overwhelming-format for those who choose not to venture into indoor crowds. Yet, I’m not as stunned as some say I should be possibly because through no fault of anyone associated with any aspect of Dune (certainly not Frank Herbert) as elements of this story from the mid-20th century have found their way so effectively into sci-fi/fantasy stories too-well-known in the ensuing decades (especially the Star Wars trilogies with their cruel Emperor, clandestine plots against the heroes, the long-lived-order of Jedi knights, the “new hope” of a savior to bring about “balance in the Force,” creatures akin to sandworms, etc.) it all seems repetitive to me, no matter how artfully executed. I commend the filmmakers for a high-quality-production, but nothing beyond the skillful-cinematics really engaged me all that much. Still, those who will be more enthralled than me might also enjoy this Easter Eggs/explained-ending video (15:27) with some mentions of events from the later books—but Spoilers about the plot of this current movie, for those who haven’t read that first novel.
Bottom Line Final Comments: The CCAL’s actively behind the new Dune with critics surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes (345 of them as I go to “press”) settling on a cluster of 84% positive reviews while the usually-more-restrained-folks at Metacritic (63 of them so far) deliver a 74% average score (quite supportive for them, actually, especially when only 12 of those reviews are what they call mixed, just 1 is negative so based on the scores their staff assigns to the reviews it often doesn’t take much to bring down the MC average, especially in a case such as this one where 50 of those reviews are what they consider positive yet the ultimate average is barely enthusiastic). There’s no doubt, however, as to the positive response of audiences as I noted up in my Opening Chatter comments far above as audiences worldwide have provided a hefty pile of financial support—$41 million domestically, $223.2 million globally thus far after just a brief time in release—so it’s already well on its way to recouping costs ($165 million for production, probably another $100 million or so for distribution/marketing) before it’s even been out for a month, easily bringing the news (see Other Related-Cinema Stuff much farther below) that the (first of many?) sequel(s) has been approved, allowing us in 2023 to see the rest of the events from Herbert’s original Dune novel as Paul Atreides’ new powers and influences take on more universal aspects in this sprawling narrative.
While that novel certainly provided Villenueve lots of plot material to work with in formulating his spectacular vision of this story stuffed with commentary on politics, religion, human needs and desires, I found the scope and complexity of it befuddled me for awhile in coming up with an appropriate Musical Metaphor to finish off this review’s meandering direction (well, what else do you expect?) until I finally turned to Nobel Laureate Bob Dylan who long ago provided me with the answer I was seeking in “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine” (on his 1967 John Wesley Harding album) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF-FY8rqA1I due to lyrics such as these "I dreamed I saw St. Augustine Alive as you or me […] Searching for the very souls Whom already have been sold ‘Arise, arise,’ he cried so loud In a voice without restraint ‘Come out, ye gifted kings and queens And hear my sad complaint No martyr is among ye now Whom you can call your own So go on your way accordingly But know you’re not alone’ " which speak to me of the crisis in House Atreides, the villainy in House Harkonnen, the need for an inspirational leader willing to be a martyr to help bring about justice and stability in this future universe, providing “a new hope” that none of the oppressed are truly alone; there’s also the connection to the influential early-Christian philosopher/theologian, St. Augustine, who wrote extensively about evil, guilt, and Original Sin, yet contrasted all of this misery to the salvation offered by the City of God. Thanks, Bob, I think this works out very nicely. Now on to a topic about a filmmaker whose understanding of God was often much more in question.
SHORT TAKES (spoilers also appear here)
Married filmmakers Tony and Chris Sanders come to Fårö island, the former home of now-deceased Swedish cinema-master Ingmar Bergman, Tony to be lauded by a local society, Chris to continue working on a new script she hasn’t been able to finish so she tells him her story (which we see on screen as if it’s been produced), but he’s little help for her project even when she needs it the most.
Here’s the trailer:
Before reading further, please refer to the plot spoilers warning detailed far above.
The CCAL’s in solid support here too (RT 86% positive reviews, MC with an 82% average score [one of their highest of this year]), although it may be because—like its primary characters—there’s just too much enthrallment with the life and work of Ingmar Bergman to avoid being enamored by a story centered on the place, Fårö island, where this Swedish cinema legend lived much of his life, shot most of his films from the time of Through a Glass Darkly (1961) throughout the rest of his career. What we get in … Island, though, is an odd mix of its primary story of noted genre writer/director (horror/sci-fi apparently, though we don’t get much detail on that) Tony Sanders (Tim Roth) and his more-independent-filmmaker wife, Chris (Vicky Krieps), on Fårö, primarily for him to be celebrated by a local cinema society (a bit odd such a group in ground zero of Bergman-mania would fete someone like Tony [unless they’re trying to consciously distance themselves from their famous former neighbor who died July 30, 2007, same day as another cinema-master, Italy’s Michelangelo Antonioni]) while she’s struggling to finish the script for her current project, hoping to pick up whatever inspiration she can from Bergman’s former surroundings (a local cottage industry on this island including a bus tour of landscape-sites where he shot many films, although there’s really not all that much to see outdoors as his powerful dramas usually took place mostly indoors).
While there’s affectionate-connection between these spouses he’s consciously not much help with the screenplay, The White Dress, she’s struggling over (either because he doesn’t feel he’s the right person to offer advice on her concept or maybe he’s just not all that interested in it), she says she’ll do her writing in the windmill next to the house they’re staying in. It doesn’t help too much they’re sleeping in the bed shared by Liv Ullman and Erland Josephson in Scenes from a Marriage (1973) before their characters’ union deteriorated (well, our couple’s landlady did remind them this was a film that launched countless divorces).* Nor is Chris’ mood lightened (she also misses their little daughter June [Grace Delrue], staying on the mainland with Tony’s mother) by watching the heartbreaking Cries and Whispers (1972) in a nearby building that served as Bergman’s private screening room. Further, Chris is a bit put off by all the fawning-adulation Tony’s getting at his screening/audience dialogue-event, so she slips away (forgoing the Bergman Safari bus with him), goes instead to the graveyard where Bergman’s buried, meets grad student Hampus (Hampus Nordenson)—also a Bergman fanatic—who takes her on a nice, personalized tour of Ingmar sites.
*Scenes … originally a Swedish TV miniseries (6 episodes, 282 min.), then condensed to a 168 min. theatrical film, which I’m still planning on seeing again at some point, post-World Series (with no fears of it instigating divorce) especially after having just watched the marvelous 2021 HBO 5-part-miniseries based on it (roughly same TV running time) with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac.
Next, Chris tells Tony (when he’s not distracted by phone calls) the details of her script so far in which former lovers Amy (Mia Wasikowska) and Joseph (Anders Danielsen Lie) end up on Fårö at the wedding of mutual friends (Amy agonizes over having brought only 1 formal dress, worried it’s not off-white enough to distract from the bride, finally wears something else), rekindle their passion (despite each being in another relationship), but he's overcome with guilt, leaves the island without telling her, leaving her despondent, which is as far as Chris has written at this point (but she does work Hampus into a brief purposely-melodramatic scene with Amy in a pub where she’s drunk, lamenting her situation while we hear ABBA’s "The Winner Takes It All"). ⇒Tony then goes to bring June to the island, Chris visits Bergman’s old home (Hampus is there, just leaving), she falls asleep, is awakened by Anders who goes with her to a nighttime wrap-party for her film, which apparently has been shot, finished parallel to what we’ve been watching (at least in Chris’s dream/ projection). Next day, Tony’s back with June who’s glad to see Mom. ⇐ Bergman aficionados (like me) will surely find much to like about this film (even though it’s only tangentially-related to him and his works, but it is photographed on Fårö), yet the main story doesn’t seem to connect all that much to what Chris is plotting (which we see actively on screen, not controlled by any voiceover-narration from her) until that concluding dinner scene and the following family reunion's true finale.
If this situation interests you it still might be possible to find … Island in a domestic theater (89 of them, down from 115) where it’s taken in $113.2 thousand (worldwide $556 thousand) but more likely you’ll do as I did, streaming where Amazon Prime and others offer a $6.99 rental. Harder for me than finding it or finally deciding what I thought of it (the structure’s a bit off-putting, but then so was [more successfully, I’d say] the meta-awareness of the filmmaking process in Persona [1966] or the actors talking directly to the camera about their characters in The Passion of Anna [1969], so there’s Bergman precedent here, although if you’re willing to make the investment in Bergman’s bleak visions I’d recommend any of his titles I’ve mentioned, along with The Seventh Seal [1957] and Autumn Sonata [1978] over Bergman Island) was finding a useful Musical Metaphor so I ultimately turned to The Beatles’ “There’s a Place” (U.K. debut 1963 album Please Please Me and U.S. debut album Introducing … The Beatles [released by Vee-Jay in early 1964, almost the same contents as U.K. version, just before Capitol’s Meet the Beatles!]) at https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=vTsbYbN8VVI as they sing “There’s a place Where I can go When I feel low When I feel blue And it’s my mind And there’s no time when I’m alone […] In my mind there’s no sorrow Don’t you know that it’s so There’ll be so sad tomorrow Don’t you know that it’s so,” which speaks to me of Chris’ personal/professional dilemmas, finally resolved in her mind as well as elsewhere here.
Suggestions for TCM cablecasts
At least until the pandemic subsides Two Guys also want to encourage you to consider movies you might be interested in that don’t require subscriptions to Netflix, Amazon Prime, similar Internet platforms (we may well be stuck inside for longer than those 30-day-free-initial-offers), or premium-tier-cable-TV-fees. While there are a good number of video networks offering movies of various sorts (mostly broken up by commercials), one dependable source of fine cinematic programming is Turner Classic Movies (available in lots of basic-cable-packages) so I’ll be offering suggestions of possible choices for you running from Thursday afternoon of the current week (I usually get this blog posted by early Thursday mornings) on through Thursday morning of the following week. All times are for U.S. Pacific zone so if you see something of interest please verify actual show time in your area for the day listed. These recommendations are my particular favorites (no matter when they’re on, although some of those early-day-ones might need to be recorded, watched later), but there’s considerably more to pick from you might like even better; feel free to explore their entire schedule here. You can also click the down arrow at the right of each listing for additional, useful info.
I’ll bet if you checked that entire schedule link just above you’d find other options of interest, but these are the only ones grabbing my attention at present. Please dig in further for other possibilities.
Friday October 29, 2021
10:00 PM Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) Another of my periodic suggestions based not so much on cinematic quality but on cult-status, especially because it led to several sequels (all directed by Romero) and a remake of this original (Tom Savini, 1990), as well as inspiring a seemingly-never-ending glut of zombie movies into the present. It’s grotesquely gory at times, maybe the scariest thing I’ve ever seen, but with an even more chilling sociopolitical ending. Followed on TCM for the next 2 days in a Halloween marathon with a constant flow of actual horror movies (including 8:00 PM Saturday October 30, 2021 Frankenstein [James Whale, 1931], 8:00 PM Sunday October 31, 2021 Psycho [Alfred Hitchcock, 1960]) and not-really-horror movies (such as 9:30 PM Saturday October 30, 2021 the hilarious parodyYoung Frankenstein [Mel Brooks, 1974]).
Monday November 1, 2021
12:49 AM Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) This one is a marvelous example of the dynamic, bold, consciously-exaggerated style of German Expressionism set in the future (2027!) where elites run society, workers toil as underground slaves to huge machines until the city leader’s son joins in a rebellion against the wealthy overlords (silent with intertitles and music). A strong influence on later classics of the futuristic sci-fi and horror genres with its massive sets and stunning special effects
for this early time in the history of film. Let's hope TCM runs the most complete version available.
Tuesday November 2, 2021
12:30 AM West Side Story (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, 1961) One of the best musicals
ever, adapted from a successful 1957 Broadway play, itself adapted from Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet, the rival families now being rival NYC street gangs as Jets Tony (Richard Beymer) falls
for Sharks’ relative Maria (Natalie Wood) but the entrenched rivalries (Whites vs. Puerto Ricans)
lead to tragedy. Huge Oscar winner: Best Picture, Director(s), Supporting Actor (George Chakiris), Supporting Actress (Rita Moreno), Film Editing, Scoring for a Musical, Sound, Art Direction, Cinematography, Costume Design (last 3 all for color films), Honorary Award to Robbins for his marvelous choreography, also highest grosser of ’61 (Pauline Kael hated it; she’s one of the few).
5:45 PM The Misfits (John Huston, 1961) In its own way a bit of a swan song for Old Hollywood,
with script by Arthur Miller, direction by Huston, the final screen appearances of Marilyn Monroe
and Clark Gable, one of the last by Montgomery Clift (Thelma Ritter and Eli Wallach are in there too), sort of a western but set in contemporary Nevada as interpersonal angst, drunkenness, desperation haunt the starring characters. A flop in its time, much more highly regarded today by the critics.
Wednesday November 3, 2021
8:00 PM The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941) Some claim this started the troubled-crime-tradition of film noir: Humphrey Bogart as Dashiell Hammett’s streetwise-private-eye, Sam Spade, whose life gets complicated when the takes on Brigid O’Shaughnessy (Mary Astor) as a client searching for the priceless “black bird.” A fabulous cast includes Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Elisha Cook Jr. Masterful “Hardboiled-detective” story with a sense of morality amongst greed.
If you’d like your own PDF of ratings/summaries of this week's reviews, suggestions for TCM cablecasts, links to Two Guys info click this link to access then save, print, or whatever you need.
Other Cinema-Related Stuff: Extra items for you: (1) Dune (now called Dune: Part 1) officially announced for 2023; (2) IATSE film/TV production union set for ratification vote on new contract. As usual for now I’ll close out this section with Joni Mitchell’s "Big Yellow Taxi" (from her 1970 Ladies of the Canyon album)—because “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘till it’s gone”—and a reminder that you can search streaming/rental/purchase movie options at JustWatch.
Related Links Which You Might Find Interesting:
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Here’s more information about Dune [2021]:
https://www.dunemovie.com/ (click the 2 little bars in the upper right corner for more info)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoAA0sYkLI0 (17:33 director Denis Villeneuve breaks
down the Gom Jabbar scene where Paul passes a crucial test [ad interrupts at 9:30])
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dune_2021
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/dune-2020
Here’s more information about Bergman Island:
https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/bergman-island
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGigo-lGZhc (18:37 interview with director Mia Hansen-Løve and actors Vicky Krieps, Anders Danielson Lie [I don’t know who the man on the far left is])
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bergman_island_2021
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/bergman-island
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If we did talk, though, you’d easily see how my early-70s-age informs my references, Musical Metaphors, etc. in these reviews because I’m clearly a guy of the later 20th century, not so much the contemporary world. I’ve come to accept my ongoing situation, though, realizing we all (if fate allows) keep getting older, we just have to embrace it, as Joni Mitchell did so well in "The Circle Game," offering sage advice even when she was quite young herself.
By the way, if you’re ever at The Hotel California knock on my door—but you know what the check-out policy is so be prepared to stay for awhile (quite an eternal while, in fact). Ken
P.S. Just to show that I haven’t fully flushed Texas out of my system here’s an alternative destination for you, Home in a Texas Bar, with Gary P. Nunn and Jerry Jeff Walker. But wherever the rest of my body may be my heart’s always with my longtime-companion, lover, and wife, Nina Kindblad, so here’s our favorite shared song—Neil Young’s "Harvest Moon"
—from the performance we saw at the Desert Trip concerts in Indio, CA on October 15, 2016 (as a full moon was rising over the stadium) because “I’m still in love with you,” my dearest,
a never-changing-reality even as the moon waxes and wanes over the months/years to come. But, just as we can raunchy at times (in private of course) Neil and his backing band, Promise of the Real, on that same night also did a lengthy, fantastic version of "Cowgirl in the Sand"
(19:06) which I’d also like to commit to this blog’s always-ending-tunes; I never get tired of listening to it, then and now (one of my idle dreams is to play guitar even half this good).
But, while I’m at it, I should also include another of my top favorites, from the night before
at Desert Trip, the Rolling Stones’ "Gimme Shelter" (Wow!), a song always “just a shot
away” in my memory (along with my memory of the great drummer, Charlie Watts; RIP).
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