#movies #filmreview #film . The Shootist is a glorifying nod to John Wayne’s career, but groun
#movies #filmreview #film . The Shootist is a glorifying nod to John Wayne’s career, but grounded in a desperate ‘70s malaise. One of three films here that include a death wish (a very cinematic sentiment). Hondo (1953) was tonally less effective but less typical in its plot, though simpler. I think this has to do with modern taste: a lot of older films seem deceptively constructed- somehow you expect a turn in the plot, a thriller-like reversal. But Hondo begins its plot, sticks to it, and that’s the movie. . A Simple Plan is the story of four fairly simple people who begin a moral descent because of money. Its core flaw is Bill Paxton’s character who, it turns out, is unimaginably sick and evil, but never suspected. The denouement I could not buy- one step too far for a melodrama, which the film is, though presented as a thriller. Falling Down is a much better and tonally more interesting film, and though only slightly more visceral, its moral dilemmas are broader, more mature, and it more effectively presents its protagonist’s descent into madness. A classical blend of hubristic tragedy and the hero’s journey. The death wish here is believable whereas in A Simple Plan it offers itself a little too conveniently. . Dragonslayer and Ladyhawke are both perfect examples of fantasy films made in the '80s: their strengths and flaws are the same. Both films make discerning use of their fantasy elements (a dragon and animal transformations, respectively), and both are marred by terrible scores. Dragonslayer’s composer, Alex North (a good composer elsewhere) offers up an amateur score, replete with incongruent bells and whistles. Ladyhawke does much worse with its '80s synth-based score by Alan Parsons Project which throws the whole film into a tonal tailspin. . Two classics: Casablanca is a re-watch. Not only a cool-looking movie, but a genuine drama. I don’t think I’ve loved it so much before. Psycho was what everyone says it is: a masterpiece of suspense building. One flaw is the end where a psychologist comes forward to explain the revelations. On the other hand, Hitchcock invents an ending whereas in NBNW the film simply chooses a spot and calls it quits. (at Nashville, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4ki2sdp7ar/?igshid=dnued9p484uu -- source link
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