Matt Clark – People Talking

Classic Twofer – ‘The Wizard of Oz’ & ‘Return to Oz’ – Double Rainbow?

Oh, you thought we were done with kindertrauma after Willy Wonka?

We are in no way done with kindertrauma here.

Now, for clarity’s sake, the two films I’m talking about in this post did both play at the Mahoning Drive-In early this season, but not together (they were actually in separate double bills). I just thought it more fitting (and fun) to review them side-by-side.

Directed by Victor Fleming
Written by Noel Langley & Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Cast: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton, Charley Grapewin, Pat Walshe, Clara Blandick
Soundtrack: Harold Arlen (music), E.Y. Harburg (lyrics)

Honestly, I didn’t much care for this movie.

Now, listen, much like Willy Wonka, The Wizard of Oz is so ingrained into pop culture that it doesn’t matter if I think it’s a classic or not; it simply is at this point. In fact, I’d say you should watch it once just because it’ll unlock a whole world of jokes and references for you, but that doesn’t mean you should feel obligated to thoroughly enjoy it.

Which is not to say I hated it. I really liked Frank Morgan as Professor Marvel/The Wizard; I actually wish he had more legitimate screen time (I know he pops up in a few other parts; don’t e-mail me), but I understand that would hold up the story.

I think my biggest issue is that the film seems to rely so much on the turn from “real world” sepia to “Land of Oz” technicolor to wow audiences that the filmmakers just didn’t think of entertaining people in the same way as other strictly black and white movies of the time. To put it more simply, The Wizard of Oz just doesn’t hold up for me; and I’ve seen enough other films from the Thirties that do hold up and that I would recommend (It Happened One Night comes to mind).

Beyond that, to draw another comparison to Willy Wonka, I don’t mind the musical numbers in that one, but I can largely do without them in Oz; which, I know, that’s the whole point of casting Judy Garland, but she’s also 16 or 17 trying to play younger, and that takes me out of it as well (I do feel bad for the awful things she went through in her career though, including this film, so don’t think me heartless there).

Much respect to Toto though.

Rating: ★★½ (out of five)

Directed by Walter Murch
Written by Walter Murch & Gill Dennis, based on the novels The Marvelous Land of Oz and Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Cast: Fairuza Balk, Nicol Williamson, Jean Marsh, Sophie Ward, Fiona Victory, Piper Laurie, Matt Clark, Emma Ridley, Justin Case, Pons Maar, Bruce Boa, Denise Bryer, Sean Barrett, Brian Henson, Lyle Conway, Beatrice Murch, Mak Wilson, Timothy D. Rose, Michael Sundin, Stewart Larange, Stephen Norrington, Deep Roy, John Alexander
Soundtrack: David Shire

Now, THIS is a beat I can dance to!
(Ironically, there are no musical numbers in Return to Oz, which is a positive.)

One last criticism I have of 1939’s The Wizard of Oz is that I just struggle to feel the stakes of it, but that’s not a problem with Return, because within the first ten minutes a ten-year-old girl is threatened with shock therapy if she doesn’t shut up about that gott-dang Land of Oz.

BOOM! I’m in!

And she’s an actual ten-year-old girl. She doesn’t have to play vulnerable; she simply is. That helps. Much respect to young Fairuza Balk, who carries so much of the film on her shoulders. As stated, Wizard of Oz is so iconic, it couldn’t have been easy to slip into the shoes of a character like Dorothy Gale after more than forty years of history, but I really appreciate the switch to a younger actress in the role.

Another difference between the “original” and Return is that while the ’39 movie was, to my knowledge, shot entirely on sound stages, large swaths of Return are actually filmed outside, which also helps give credence to the stakes, despite some quite fantastical moments.

I know one aspect of Return to Oz that many people find disappointing (or at least did when they saw it as children) is that Dorothy has a new traveling crew, while Scarecrow, Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion are pretty much relegated to the sidelines, but I have to say that I love the new characters (especially Tik-Tok, the mechanical one man Army of Oz); not to mention that it probably would have been a less interesting sequel if it was just the same foursome again.

Also, the rest of the human cast is really solid, particularly Nicol Williamson and Jean Marsh as the heavies.

I’d be remiss though if I didn’t mention the visual effects, which were rightfully Oscar-nominated. Some are obviously quaint now after so many years, but many are still breathtaking (not a total surprise give that one of the supervisors was Zoran Perisic, who made Christopher Reeve fly in Superman I, II, and III). Even the stop-motion effects, which often don’t age fantastically, hold up fairly well.

One last shout-out I’ll give is to David Shire for the musical score. It may not be culturally iconic like “Over the Rainbow” but it serves the movie perfectly.

Rating: ★★★½ (out of five)

So, look, as I said, The Wizard of Oz is a classic no matter what I say. It doesn’t need me.

Return to Oz, on the other hand, has been a “cult film” all my life, and I think it deserves a bit more than that, so if you want to say I’m caping up for it, I’m proud to wear that.

I mean, I’ve defended Superman IV. You think I’m ashamed of Return to Oz?

Please.

Classic Movie Review – ‘The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension’ – …There You Are

Directed by W.D. Richter
Written by Earl Mac Rauch
Cast: Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd, Lewis Smith, Rosalind Cash, Robert Ito, Pepe Serna, Ronald Lacey, Matt Clark, Clancy Brown, William Traylor, Carl Lumbly, Vincent Schiavelli, Dan Hedaya, Mariclare Costello, Bill Henderson, Damon Hines, Billy Vera, Laura Harrington, Jonathan Banks, John Ashton, Yakov Smirnoff
Soundtrack: Michael Boddicker

Speaking of not getting things, I’m not convinced there’s anyone, alive or dead, including its creators, who truly “gets” Buckaroo Banzai.

Does it matter? Hardly. I love it all the same.

Now, I have to be careful here, because this is one of those cult classics, meaning there’s been a small but loyal fanbase for a long time, and I have to admit that I’m not one of them. No, I came to this movie the way I’m sure many have in recent years: the fact that it was Spine #1 for Shout Factory’s “Shout Select” line (which also includes Shakedown and Trespass, by the way).

What can I say? They sold me on it, and I bought it (it also doesn’t hurt that it’s largely “set” in New Jersey).

But, yeah, this movie’s wild, and it throws a lot at you (I might give it a higher rating if it wasn’t so much), but thankfully it has a great ensemble cast to pull it off. This is is one of those films that if it was made a year later, there’s no way you’re getting the same caliber of cast together (e.g. Under Siege). And the quality is not just in the major players like Peter Weller and John Lithgow (though they are great in this movie), but all the way down the line to people you may not know at all, like Lewis Smith as Perfect Tommy, and people you might know now, like Jonathan Banks as the Hospital Guard.

And thanks to the cast selling the often insane-sounding dialogue, Buckaroo Banzai is the second-most quotable movie of 1984. I mean, I’m very tempted to just start quoting lines right here, right now, but I’ll refrain; just take my word for it.

Really though, what makes Buckaroo Banzai so special is that it feels so wholly original. It has its influences, to be sure, but I personally have a hard time making straight line connections where I can say, “This thing comes from that thing.” The sad part is that there was some really petty interference from the executive producer that ended up holding the movie back just enough, perhaps none greater than firing the original cinematographer, Jordan Cronenweth (he shot a little movie you may have heard of called BLADE RUNNER).

Still, for me, Buckaroo Banzai is one of those movies that’s a great litmus test for people. As I said, nobody “gets” it, but if somebody else really likes it, there’s a pretty good chance we’re going to get along. It’s fun, it’s bonkers, it’s just a touch romantic, there’s some really unique sci-fi elements, and it’s only 103 minutes.

What a shame it never got a sequel.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Classic Movie Quinella – Burt Day: The Burt Reynolds Marathon – “I was born ready!”

In the relatively short history of Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers, there have been four marathons dedicated to specific actors: Caged, Stallone Zone, Van Dammage, and, most recently, Burt Day.

Every marathon has been a great event, very much tailored to both true fans of the stars in question and real film buffs, as each movie is shown on a 35mm print. In the case of Burt Day, it went the extra mile, giving us five movies instead of the usual four.

Enthusiastically curated by Cristina Cacioppo, Burt Day was a celebration of that indefatigable American personality, the one and only Burt Reynolds; and, with the exception of a Charles Durning supporting role, it rather thoroughly captured the breadth and width of his career (as well as sparking such debates as “Which Burt is better: mustache or no mustache?”).

Let’s dig in.

Movie #1: ‘Hooper’ (1978)

‘Hooper’ is one of those movies that’s a bit up and down along the way, but in the end makes you glad you saw it.

Burt plays Sonny Hooper, a stuntman who’s universally regarded as the best in the business, but faces pressure from a young hotshot (Jan-Michael Vincent), his live-in girlfriend (Sally Field), and the ravages of time and injury. While working on the Adam West (so wonderful) film-within-the-film, ‘The Spy Who Laughed At Danger’ (which I wish was a real movie we could see), Hooper finds out that one more nasty fall could render him paralyzed, forcing him to weigh the cost of one last, big “gag”.

Directed by former stuntman Hal Needham (who rose to prominence directing ‘Smokey and the Bandit’), ‘Hooper’ is largely a fun romp with lots of great stunts (obviously) and practical effects, but there are also some “What?” moments, like when Hooper and his girl get romantic outside their house and the music makes you think the movie’s ending. It also features an impossible-to-miss cameo from a very much still active Terry Bradshaw.

It’s not the best, but it’s far from the worst, and it was a great movie to start the day with.

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Movie #2: ‘White Lightning’ (1973)

People like to goof on [New Jersey’s own] Joseph Sargent because he happened to direct ‘Jaws: The Revenge‘ (which is wonderfully terrible and you should definitely watch it), but he also directed [the original] ‘The Taking of Pelham One Two Three‘, which is not only one of the great New York movies ever made, it’s one of the signature movies of the 1970s.

‘White Lightning’ is about as far from the Yankee city as you can get, but it’s no less entertaining. Burt plays Gator McKlusky, a moonshine runner who’s in prison until he finds out his brother’s been murdered and strikes a deal with the Feds to take down corrupt Sheriff J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty). Paired with fellow parolee Dude Watson (Matt Clark), Gator is out for justice, but must work carefully to gather hard evidence without blowing his cover and suffering the same fate as his brother.

In essence, the movie is a Southern-fried revenge flick with a lot of hot car action (largely driven by Hal Needham), but what I really like about it is that it takes itself seriously. Sure, there are fun moments, and Burt’s natural personality lends itself to levity, but the film definitely has a hard edge as well. While not R-rated violence, the opening scene where Gator’s brother is murdered by the Sheriff is unquestionably brutal, and sets the tone for what Gator must overcome.

It’s also a movie filled with great character actors, which I like. Besides Ned Beatty and Matt Clark, you’ve got Bo Hopkins, R.G. Armstrong (from ‘Predator‘), and Diane Ladd (along the with first appearance of her daughter, Laura Dern). I also think Jennifer Billingsley looks quite fetching in this one, but I was alone in that opinion amongst my compadres at the marathon.

While ‘White Lightning’ may be overshadowed by other works in the Burt Reynolds canon, I put it among the best in terms of overall quality, and it’s one I’ll definitely revisit in the future.

Rating: ★★★★☆

Movie #3: ‘Gator’ (1976)

“You can’t have one without the other.”

That’s right, for the first time at an Alamo Yonkers actor-centric marathon, we were feted to a legitimate double feature of an original and its follow-up.

Directed by Reynolds himself (his directorial debut, in fact), ‘Gator’ is a classic “It happened again!?” sequel, except rather than getting justice on a sworn enemy, Gator McKlusky must take down his old friend, Bama McCall (Jerry Reed). a Southern gangster who keeps “Dunston County” under his thumb. Oh, and this time Gator’s paired up with a federal agent from New York (Jack Weston) who sticks out “like a bagel in a bucket of grits.” Also along for the ride are TV reporter love interest (Lauren Hutton) and crazy cat lady (Alice Ghostley).

All puns aside, ‘Gator’ is a strange animal. While it maintains the hard edge of ‘White Lightning’, dealing with some very real subjects like urban poverty and underage prostitution, the movie is also chock-full of “What?” moments, mostly involving two of McCall’s henchman, “Bones” and “Smiley” (who are a giant and a homosexual, respectively), but also other characters as well. The tonal shifts are enough to make your head spin at times, but, the movie is pretty consistently entertaining, so we can more easily forgive such things.

I still say ‘White Lightning’ is the superior film of the two, but ‘Gator’ is a strong effort by sequel standards. It was great to see them back-to-back.

Rating: ★★★½

Movie #4: ‘Heat’ (1986)

As is tradition at these marathons, at least one movie of the day must be decidedly obscure. In this case, it’s 1986’s ‘Heat’, based on the William Goldman novel of the same name, and which apparently has been recently remade as ‘Wild Card‘ starring Jason Statham, again featuring a screenplay from William Goldman. We must also note that this ‘Heat’ is not to be confused with Michael Mann’s ‘Heat‘ or the earlier ‘L.A. Takedown‘.

In our ‘Heat’, Burt is Nick Escalante, a man of danger whose occupation resides somewhere between bodyguard and private investigator, and who is well-versed in the seedy underbelly of Las Vegas. There are three main strands to the story: the first is Nick’s deep yearning to retire to Venice; the second is helping a platonic ladyfriend (Karen Young) get revenge on a young mobster for, shall we say, grave mistreatment (and dealing with the consequences himself); and the third is teaching an eccentric young man of means (Peter MacNicol) how to be a tough guy.

Reportedly, the production of this movie was something of a mess, requiring a new director practically every week, but I like what I see, even if the editing of the fight sequences is a bit unusual. The Burt Reynolds of ‘Heat’ is an older, grizzled veteran, and his trademark laugh has taken on a more cynical tone. For all the characters Reynolds played in his younger years with a devil-may-care attitude, Nick Escalante is deadly serious, and Burt gives a very effective performance.

‘Heat’ may be a small story in terms of scale and scope; there aren’t any bomb threats or bank robberies or hijackings, but it’s a gritty, slow-burner of a thriller that offers a nice change of pace from the usual actioners, and it’s got some heart as well. I give it a solid recommendation.

Rating: ★★★½

Movie #5: ‘The Longest Yard’ (1974)

Talk about saving the best for last. I remember watching this movie as a kid and thinking it was pretty good. Watching it now, I see that it is nothing less than a work of genius.

‘The Longest Yard’ is the story of Paul Crewe, a disgraced former pro quarterback who ends up in prison, whereupon the warden “convinces” him to form a football team of fellow convicts to play a tune-up game against the guards’ team, so that the warden may show us all the true meaning of power.

While not an anti-hero in the realm of Snake Plissken, the movie goes to great lengths to show us that Paul Crewe is not a good guy. He beats his girlfriend, he steals her car (while drinking), drives it into a bay, then harasses the cops who come to arrest him. Worse than all of that though, he’s a points-shaver, which is just plain un-American. And yet, we can’t help but root for him and his ragtag team of convicted criminals, because it’s Burt Reynolds and he’s indelibly charming.

The movie is a tour-de-force. It’s got action, comedy, brutal drama, and some of the best football scenes ever done in a Hollywood film. However, the true genius lies in its subversive nature. There are plenty of movies where you find yourself rooting for the bad guys, but to be cheering for a bunch of criminals like they’re your favorite team playing in the Super Bowl, that’s a whole other level.

Burt is his usual wonderful self, but everyone in the ensemble brings something to the table. From the prison officials, guards, and inmates, to Bernadette Peters as the warden’s secretary, everybody is on their game, making this movie a real treat.

If you’ve never seen it, you must; it’s nothing less than an essential American film.

Rating: ★★★★½

So, that’s it; that was a long, incredibly enjoyable day for all of us who attended.

Shout outs again to Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers for hosting and Cristina Cacioppo for curating, and to all the servers, runners, cooks, and bartenders who took care of us. My Gator-Ade (moonshine and lemonade in a mason jar) was quite delicious.

I don’t know when the next marathon will be, or who will be featured. All I know is I can’t wait for it to happen.