#557. Sense and Sensibility (1995)

Directed By: Ang Lee

Starring: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, James Fleet




Tag line: "Lose your heart and come to your senses"

Trivia:  Emma Thompson's first draft of the screenplay consisted of 350 hand-written pages

Based on the novel by Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility tells the story of Mrs. Dashwood (Gemma Jones) and her three daughters, all of whom are mourning the death of their patriarch, Mr. Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson). Due to the strict rules of inheritance as defined by both law and tradition, the late Mr. Dashwood’s entire estate is passed on to his son, John (James Fleet), a child from a previous marriage, leaving the current Mrs. Dashwood and her offspring penniless, and without a place to call home. This harsh reality forces the Dashwood women to forsake London in favor of the country, where they settle down at the home of their cousin, Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy). Unfortunately, one of the Dashwoods left more than luxury behind; Elinor (Emma Thompson), the eldest daughter, had fallen in love with Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant), a romance that started to cool right after her sudden departure. Yet one sister’s loss is another one's gain, and once the family's settled into their new country cottage, Marianne (Kate Winslet), Elinor’s idealistic younger sister, finds herself juggling two suitors, rejecting the advances of the noble but boring Colonel Brandon (Alan Rickman) in favor of the unpredictable Willoughby (Greg Wise). 

Sense and Sensibility contains moments of charming simplicity, presented within the serenity of the English countryside, a contrast of sorts to the pomp and majesty one normally associates with England’s Georgian age. But as impressive as these contrasts are, they pale in comparison to the film's artistic style, and the manner in which director Ang Lee employs his camera to tell the story of the Dashwood women. In one incredibly realized, yet straightforward, sequence, Elinor receives word that Edward will not be coming to visit as promised. To take her mind off the disappointment, she tends to her sewing, seated at a table in the back room, as her mother, concerned for her daughter’s well-being, hovers nearby. The two women remain in position as the camera slowly moves backwards down the hall, framing mother and daughter in the doorway and stopping just in time to catch the wind as it blows a curtain in the front room. By utilizing depth of field in such a manner, Lee gives us a chance to take it all in, background and foreground, while making sure there’s plenty to see in both. It’s a beautiful scene, one of several to be found throughout the movie. 

Sense and Sensibility is a marvelous tale of love and loss in jaded high society, and boasts many exemplary performances. But it's also a stunning visual feast, not to mention a shining example of the art of film making at its most eloquent.

#556. The Stuff (1985)

Directed By: Larry Cohen

Starring: Michael Moriarity, Andrea Marcovicco, Garrett Morris, Paul Sorvino




Tag line: "Are You Eating It...Or Is It Eating You?"

Trivia:  Arsenio Hall was at on point considered for a role in this film

OK, just for a moment, let’s play a little game called “What would you do?” 

Here’s the situation: 

You’re an employee at a refinery, and you’re working late one night, checking out the grounds, when you happen upon some white goo bubbling up out of the snow. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before. What would you do? Dig it up? Call someone else to come take a look at it? Try to determine if there are any pipes in the area that might be leaking? There are easily a dozen or so different courses of action you could take, but I’m guessing one thing you wouldn’t do is bend down, scoop some of the goop up, and pop it into your mouth, which is exactly what Harry, the employee in question, does in the opening moments of The Stuff. 

“That tastes real good”, he says, and maybe it does. But dude…come on! 

From the looks of it, old Harry isn't the only one who likes this tasty substance. Packaged in small containers and marketed as the “Stuff”, it becomes an overnight sensation, and the dessert of choice for thousands of American families. Of course, this doesn't sit well with the country's ice cream manufacturers, who hire David Rutherford (Michael Moriarty), an ex-FBI agent specializing in industrial espionage, to check into about this mysterious new sweet. Right off the bat, his investigation raises a few red flags. For one, the Stuff was approved by the FDA, yet almost every official who passed it is now missing. What's more, a young boy named Jason (Scott Bloom) was taken into custody for trashing a small-town supermarket, claiming he saw the Stuff “moving by itself” in his refrigerator. Rutherford eventually joins forces with Jason, as well as Nicole Kendall (Andrea Marcovicci), a campaign executive who now regrets producing the commercials that made the Stuff so popular, and together they go under cover to infiltrate the factory turning out the gooey treat, hoping to finally get to the bottom of this potentially dangerous snack. 

While we never do learn with any certainty what the Stuff actually is, director Cohen slowly strips away the mystery as Rutherford's investigation intensifies. He pays a visit to an FDA employee named Vickers (Danny Aiello), who's more evasive than helpful. When asked about the approval process, Vickers replies “You got to understand, this is a dessert, not a prescription medicine. Not any different from yogurt or ice cream”. Kind of a chilling statement coming from an FDA official, wouldn't you say? But the real break in the case happens when Rutherford checks out a small town, which has supposedly been inundated with the Stuff. Here, he meets Chocolate Chip Charlie (Garrett Morris), a famous cookie magnate who lost his company around the same time the Stuff started flying off shelves. While strolling down a dark street in this seemingly deserted little town, the two are attacked by a group of crazed locals, and when Rutherford slugs one across the jaw, the man's entire face implodes! At that moment, he realizes the Stuff contains...well, some pretty nasty stuff! 

The film has something to say about the power of advertising, and how a little bit of positive buzz can turn even the strangest item into a moneymaker. But never mind all that, because The Stuff is also about white goo trying to take over the world, which is ultimately what makes it such a blast to watch.

#555. Blackout (1978)

Directed By: Eddy Matalon

Starring: James Mitchum, Robert Carradine, Belinda Montgomery




Tag line: "The night the power failed.... and the shock began!"

Trivia:  In Australia, this film was released as NEW YORK ESCAPEES

A blackout in New York City is a bad situation. Throw some escaped convicts into the mix, and you have a real mess on your hands! 

A severe thunderstorm causes a massive power failure, plunging all of New York City into total darkness. As a result of the blackout, an armored vehicle transporting some dangerous prisoners loses control and crashes into a wall, killing the guards on impact. Of the prisoners, only four survive. Led by the sociopathic Christie (Robert Carradine), this quartet manages to break into a posh apartment complex, where they go door-to-door, terrorizing residents in their search for money and a getaway car. Officer Dan Evans (Jim Mitchum) is the only policeman on the scene, and he hopes to apprehend the escaped cons...by himself, if he has to...before they've had a chance to do any serious damage. 

At the heart of Blackout is an excellent performance by Robert Carradine, whose Christie is a natural leader of men, yet one with a mean streak a mile long. The other surviving prisoners, Chico (Don Granberry), Eddy (Terry Haig) and Marcus (Victor B. Tyler), were on their way to jail after spending time at a psychiatric hospital, and Christie, who's extremely bright, knows just what to say to gain their trust. In contrast to the camaraderie he develops with his fellow fugitives, Christie shows nothing but contempt for the well-to-do tenants of the high-rise complex, who he believes contribute to a corrupt system that favors the rich. One of the first apartments the group enters belongs to a French magician named Henri (Jean-Pierre Aumont), whose only companion is his little dog. Along with the fact he has no cash to give them, Christie is further annoyed to learn Henri uses the dog in his magic act, accusing the aging Frenchman of exploiting the animal for financial gain. Prior to walking out of the apartment, Christine will stick a knife in Henri and leave him to die. Another victim of Christie's cruelty is Mrs. Grant (June Allyson), whose husband (Fred Doederlein) is hooked to a life support system. Claiming Mother Nature has no time for the sick, Christie turns off the machine that's keeping Mr. Grant alive, leaving Mrs. Grant, who's been tied to a chair, to watch as her husband slowly suffocates. 

Carradine is deliciously evil as the man who considers himself a crusader for the lower classes, yet is, at his core, merely a psychopath, bent on stirring up as much chaos as he possibly can. Though small and somewhat frail in appearance, Christie is far from physically intimidating. But his powers of persuasion, coupled with a militant attitude, make him the most dangerous foe these particular tenants are likely to ever face.

#554. Sweatshop (2009)

Directed By: Stacy Davidson

Starring: Ashley Kay, Peyton Wetzel, Brent Himes




Tag line: "One Hammer. No Prisoners"

Trivia:  The character "Enyx" is named after The Enix Corporation (now Square Enix), publishers of such video games as Dragon Warrior and Xevious

Sweatshop is a 2009 indie horror film with loads of blood and gore, and a killer you won't soon forget. 

Charlie (Ashley Kay), Enyx (Naika Malveauz), and a group of their friends break into a seemingly abandoned warehouse and start decorating it for a Rave they have scheduled later that night. But what none of them realizes is somebody's already there, a giant in a mask (Jeremy Sumrall), who's none too happy to see them. Wielding what can only be described as a hammer the size of an anvil, this beast of a man begins taking his frustrations out on the revelers, tearing them, one by one, into tiny little pieces. 

Simply calling Sweatshop “violent” doesn't adequately prepare you for just how bloody this film gets. The first kill occurs in the opening scene, though this particular victim, a girl named Brandi (ViVi Sterling) who was sent ahead by the others to check out the warehouse, isn't finished off by the “Beast”, as he's called in the credits, but by a policeman (Michael Gingold), who spotted her vehicle in the parking lot and decided to investigate. Spooked by a series of strange noises he hears after entering the warehouse, the nervous cop unloads his gun into poor Brandi, who came running towards him, bare naked and screaming for help. Yet despite being shot a number of times, including once in the head, Brandi still fared better than some of her friends would later on. Cornered by the Beast's two ghoulish “sisters”, a duo of freaky looking women who follow him wherever he goes, Lolli (Krystal Freeman) gets the bottom of her jaw ripped off, while Kim (Danielle Jones) is captured, tied to a table, and, after having two of her fingers snipped off, loses both legs when her captor brings his humongous hammer crashing down on them. Both Lolli and Kim tried screaming for help, but their friends couldn't hear them over the loud music. 

Which leads me to another of Sweatshop's strengths: the fact that none of the Beast's potential victims ever know he's there until it's way too late. Despite his size, this killer moves pretty quickly, and leaves no survivors to run and warn the others. From start to finish, he remains a force to be reckoned with, and the cruel manner in which he dispatches his victims will stay with you for a long, long time. 

Believe me when I say, “Brutal” isn't a strong enough word to describe Sweatshop.

#553. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Directed By: David Lean

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn




Tag line: "A Mighty Motion Picture Of Action And Adventure!"

Trivia:  Almost all movement in the film goes from left to right. David Lean said he did this to emphasize that the film was a journey

Simply put, Lawrence of Arabia is as grand a motion picture as I have ever experienced. 

While stationed in Cairo, British officer T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole) is ordered by High Command to meet with Prince Feisal (Alec Guinness), an Arabian military leader, to discuss the Prince's growing concerns regarding the Turkish occupation of his homeland. Though officially restricted to the role of a liaison, Lawrence nonetheless finds himself sympathetic to the Prince's cause, and disobeys his superiors by volunteering to assist Feisal in his war against the Turks. To gain the trust of his new comrades, Lawrence commands a small contingency of Feisal's soldiers, guiding them across the dangerous Nefud desert, in the hopes of taking the port city of Aqaba, a Turkish stronghold, by surprise. The mission is a success, and to show their appreciation, the Arabs give Lawrence command of his own rebel army. With the help of other chieftains such as Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif) and Auda aba Tayi (Anthony Quinn), Laurence leads his men to victory time and again on the battlefield, and before long, the man known as "El Aurens" has put the entire Turkish army on the run. 

Even with the film clocking in at around four hours, Lawrence of Arabia spends very little time getting to know its main character. It reveals nothing of Lawrence's early years, and aside from an opening scene that shows us his death (the result of a motorcycle accident), the life he led following his service in the Army is completely ignored. Instead, the movie focuses on Lawrence's days in the desert, and the exploits which made his name legendary in that part of the world. History tells us, at some point during his time in the Middle East, T.E. Lawrence fell in love with the desert, so much so that he was compelled to fight for it. In Lawrence of Arabia, director David Lean reveals, in sometimes striking detail, exactly what it was that Lawrence saw in this desolate corner of the globe. As Lean moves his camera slowly across the barren landscape, we, too, bear witness to the majesty of the place. We marvel at the elegance of a desert sunrise, and react with nervous anticipation as men are led across its dangerous, hot sands. Lawrence the man may remain a mystery when the final credits roll, but what inspired him to become a legend is laid bare for all to see. 

When writing about the film, critic Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times stated the experience of watching Lawrence of Arabia in its original format “is on the short list of things that must be done during the lifetime of every lover of film”. Even on the limited scope of my television, I've fallen in love with this movie. I can’t imagine how I'd react if I were to catch it on a huge 70mm screen. 

But, man...would I love to find out!

#552. The Addams Family (1991)

Directed By: Barry Sonnenfeld

Starring: Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd




Tag line: "Weird is relative"

Trivia:  Cher wanted to play the role of "Morticia", but Anjelica Huston was cast instead

For the last 25 years, poor Uncle Fester has been missing from the Addams family home, a residence packed with a number of bizarre luxuries, not the least of which is a hand-servant (make that a severed hand-servant) named Thing, bringing new meaning to the term “odd jobs”. In an effort to gain access to the enormous Addams fortune, the family’s shifty lawyer (Dan Hedeya) conspires with a crooked doctor (Elizabeth Wilson) to disguise the doctor’s son, Gordon (Christopher Lloyd), so that he resembles the long-lost Fester. At first, it looks as if their plan will go off without a hitch when Gomez (Raul Julia) and Morticia Addams (Angelica Huston) welcome the phony Fester with open arms, but their youngest daughter, Wednesday, (Christina Ricci) has some doubts concerning the true identity of her 'prodigal' uncle. 

Visually, The Addams Family is dazzling. The vast set pieces that adorn the Addams home, such as the family safe that can only be accessed by way of a gondola, are really quite amazing. Along with the sets, Director Barry Sonnenfeld relies on a variety of clever camera angles to keep things hopping, perhaps the most interesting of which is the ‘Thing-Cam’, where we follow Thing as he scurries through the house on all fives. I was also impressed with the sense of the macabre that takes over The Addams Family from time to time, a morbidity that always adds to the humor. In the middle of a rather dull school play, Wednesday and her brother, Pugsley (Jimmy Workman), stage a pirate sword fight, complete with severed limbs and gallons of blood spattering onto the unsuspecting audience. 

Thanks to the efforts of a good many people, including set decorator John Sweeney and Special Effects supervisor Mike Edmundson, the zaniness of the original Addams Family television series isn't just recaptured in The Addams Family, it's expanded upon, creating a unique experience in which a sitcom mentality is presented within the confines of a big-budget motion picture. 

Yes, the Addams family is still creepy and kooky, mysterious and spooky…only now, much more so.

#551. It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955)

Directed By: Robert Gordon

Starring: Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, Donald Curtis



Tag line: "Out of primordial depths to destroy the world!"

Trivia:  This is the film that brought together producer Charles H. Schneer and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen. Their professional relationship would last until Clash of the Titans

It Came From Beneath the Sea tries to be more than your typical monster film, what with its lighthearted humor and complex love story, but the movie never really hits its stride until Ray Harryhausen's animation finally takes center stage. 

When an atomic submarine runs into a few problems during a routine dive, its Commander, Pete Matthews (Kenneth Tobey), orders the vessel to surface and return to base for repairs. Upon inspection, it’s determined the ship’s damage was caused by a giant octopus, one that's grown to an amazingly large size. Two scientists, Professor Joyce (Faith Domergue) and Dr. John Carter (Donald Curtis) are hard at work trying to determine what it was that mutated this creature, but time is quickly running out. According to military radar, the monster is on the move, and will soon be unleashing its fury on the unsuspecting citizens of San Francisco. 

The look of the octopus, as devised by Harryhausen, is really quite impressive, and an early attack on a navy scouting ship establishes, in one fell swoop, both the creature’s strength and its nasty disposition. This exciting pace intensifies once it finally arrives in San Francisco, where it lets loose a furious anger on the unprepared city. At one point, the beast even attacks the famous Golden Gate Bridge, a sequence that's unquestionably the strongest in the film. As he’s done many times over the years, Harryhausen's creation transforms what would have been a mediocre monster film into something considerably more substantial. 

Harryhausen has lent his talents to a number of memorable films, including such rousing adventures as Jason and the Argonauts and Clash of the Titans. The single element each of these movies has in common, including It Came From Beneath the Sea, is the incredible amount of imagination that went into their making, an imagination which never failed to find its way to the screen.