Unappreciated: The Neverending Story

Michael Ende's The Neverending Story

 

Oh, you think you know this story? You can sing the theme song and draw the luckdragon's nostrils, no problem? You think because you've seen the movie - that means you have full knowledge of what's in this book? Lord have mercy! Girl...you crazy! You just don't even know!

In 1983, the guidance counsellor at my Jr. High School spotted me reading like a fiend and struck up a friendship with me. He had originally planned on teaching English, but like many things in life - shit changed. A ravenous reader himself, he exposed me to many fine volumes of literary wisdom but none stood out any greater than his original copy of The Neverending Story.

I was eleven years old. The book is written in two different colors - green for Fantastica (not Fantasia, they changed it for the movie), and red for the real world. Each chapter begins with an astounding color plate of a single letter - illustrated all to hell and including scenes from the upcoming chapter. Not only that - the damn things are written in alphabetical order! My budding OCD was so happy about this book even before I'd read the first word.

Why would a book/movie as popular as this one make it onto the "Unappreciated" blog? It's simple: the movies suck when compared to the book. Not that it's a bad movie by any means - Lord knows, I've watched it thousands of times and still chuckle when Falcor groans - it just pales in comparison with the experience you get from reading the novel. For this reason - I included this in the blog. It's important that people realize this story doesn't end the way they think it does. What if someone told you The Wizard of Oz doesn't actually end with Dorothy returning to Kansas but rather - prior to her return, embarked on an entirely new adventure - just as long and involved as the plot to kill the witch? You'd get excited, right? That's exactly the situation with The Neverending Story. If you've seen the movie and never read the book ... you've only heard half of the story.

This is important because the second half of the book kicks major ice. Warner Brothers actually filmed two sequels to the original movie - I apologize if you're one of the eighteen people alive who actually saw those films - but they are horrible representations of what happens in the book. So many elements were screwed with in order to adapt this book into a screenplay - what's left to watch is like a half-breed, dirty-cousin of the original tale. This is frustrating, so you must go read this book at once. Michael Ende wrote several amazing novels but none (to me) shine brighter than this one. (However; Momo is pretty damn hot - so if you like this, try that one next. It's bizarrely-delicious).

The story doesn't end with Bastian being given a single grain of sand from the Childlike Empress but rather - Bastian uses that single grain of sand to create an entirely new Fantastica! The imagery and adventure that happens in the second half of the book is unmatched in fantasy fiction. It's a horrible shame that Ende never went further with this saga, but then again - he really didn't need to. It's all here. A perfectly encapsulated fantasy - this book stands alone as one of the premier examples of the genre ever penned.

The first half of the novel is pretty much what you get in the original film. Lots of extra subplots are tweaked for good movie-making, but the bulk of the plot is sound. You're not really missing too much. You'll quickly realize how little of this (fairly thick) novel in your hands was used for the film
- and smile a little. It's what happens next that makes the book so much better. When Bastian (the child from the real world) meets and joins the hero from the first half of the book - actively diving into the story itself, that things become beautiful.

Bastian is given "the gem" which allows him to create things of permanence from his imagination, new Fantastica. The catch is - the more wishes, the more of his own memories of home disappear. Atreyu realizes this and leads a rebellion against Bastian as he begins a search for his True Will. Things get really twisted and philosophical over the final one hundred pages. I could break it down, but it would ruin it for anyone who hasn't actually read it. It does, however; have a happy ending - where Bastian returns to the real world, redeems himself to his father and closes with one of the greatest closing lines in all literary history.


"This is another story and shall be told another time..."



Unappreciated: Jean-Pierre Melville

Jean-Pierre Melville

 

Y'all - seriously. Hitchcock ain't got nothing on JPM. Unfortunately for those of you just gaining interest in this fantastic French director - you'll have a hard time finding his stuff as most of it just went out of print in North America (last week).

I'd never heard of Melville. I'd never even heard of the titles for any of his films so when I joined the Melville party - I came as a virgin. And boy - am I glad I did! Each of Melville's films is a wholly new experience. I don't know how anyone could top the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, but Melville pretty much nails it. If you don't believe me - check out the first ten minutes of ANY of his films, then let's see what you've got to say.

I'm so thankful for the Criterion Collection allowing these films to make an appearance in North America. Had it not been for their fully-loaded DVD's - I'd have missed most of the works by this incredible French master. Born Jean-Pierre Grumbach - Melville donned the last name of his favorite author (Moby Dick, y'all) and joined the military. He participated (loosely) in WWI and as soon as the war was over, he applied for work as an assistant director and was declined. With his dreams in his palms, Melville didn't take rejection well - and set out to make his own films - seperate from the studio system that rejected him. He was spunky, okay?

Melville did not churn out thousands of films like Fassbinder, Bergman and Fellini - but of the handful he created, each one is a rival for the top slot. Melville (and a very few others) are one of the directors that you can watch "blind." Don't read the back. Don't check Wiki. Just stick the DVD in and press play - you're about to fall in love. Each film is a masterpiece in its own right, which makes selecting my favorite pretty much impossible. You'll need Xanax or a good weed connection if you plan on watching more than one movie at a time. Some of Melville's films are so suspenseful they give me heart palpitations. Let's just jump in and get this over with.

**Honorable Mention** 
"LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES" (1950): ("The Terrible Children") Eh...you're supposed to love this one, and since I didn't utterly despise it (and I'm told it's insantly important), I placed this one as Honorable Mention. What makes this film watchable is twofold - firstly, you're given Melville at the beginning of his career, not yet sure of his signature "style" - he willingly adapts a classic French novel for the screen just a year after his first feature Le Silence De La Mer. The second reason you're supposed to admire this film - the author. Jean Cocteau is one of the biggest names in French history. What didn't he do? Who didn't he sleep with? Why did everyone find him so sexy? I've pondered Cocteau for many years - seen all his films, read all his books - read all the books that inspired him...I still don't quite get it. The story is a little on the shady side - a brother and sister spend 99% of their time locked in their apartment where they slowly become more and more crazed and isolated from reality until the dramatic conclusion. This is a good film. I'm just persnickety when it comes to Melville. In his defense - this is one of the few times you'll ever see his directorial hand involved in something that doesn't require guns, gangsters or chain-smoking thugs. A standard dramatic story from surrealist Cocteau is how Melville greeted the world. This film was a huge success and pretty much everyone alive loves it. Maybe one day, I will too.

5) "BOB LE FLAMBEUR" (1956): ("Bob, The Gambler") This film is considered two things: one - it is one of the inspirations for the French New Wave (due to it's jump cuts and use of handheld camerawork - never before used solely to shoot an entire film), and secondly because it is one of the best examples of film noir ever put to film. The story is one that Melville really liked. A retired crook gets out of jail, tries to stabilize himself into his new life - then all his nasty, old friends resurface and try to lure him back into a life of crime. While Melville would nail this scenario a few years later, Bob Le Flambeur is a fantastic, thrilling, gut-wrenching, rollercoaster ride through the misty shadows of Paris. I really love this film. The acting is very gentle, almost as if you're watching non-professionals whisper out their lines. The storyline works seamlessly and also allows Melville his first opportunity to get his feet wet when it comes to increasing tension. I feel that had it not been for the raving success that this film garnered - Melville would have made less suspense films. Thank God for Bob Le Flambeur, this is the movie that starts it all. As the story moves along, you (as a viewer) definitely get the sense that you're in the hands of a master. Melville removes your ability to tell time, answer phones or care why your baby is crying...all you care about for 90 minutes is: will Bob get away with it? The answer will rock your world...

4) "LE SAMOURAI" (1967): ("The Samurai") Hailed by many as Melville's ultimate masterpiece - this film is still growing on me. I will agree - it's one of the best damn movies you'll ever see, I'm just hard-pressed to describe exactly why. I suppose we should begin with the devilishly handsome Alain Delon who plays the lead role. Nearly mute - and I think he only has about 10 lines, he keeps the viewer riveted as he creeps around Paris and rural France in preparation for his next crime. There is so much to love about his movie - it's really challenging to try and explain it in a paragraph. Suffice to say, the opening shot is one of the sexiest things I've ever seen (and not for the reason you'd suspect), it's one of the most potent of all Melville's gangster films, the color cinematography is so beautiful it's just plain stupid and it's a nail-biter on the level with Psycho or North by Northwest. What makes this film so seductive to me is the pacing. It's as riveting, gripping, explosive, intriguing and wild as anything Tarantino could create - yet the action on the screen moves at this methodical, agonizingly slow pace ... somehow ... (and I can't explain it), the slower this film moves - the harder it becomes to turn away. It's magnetic. It's hypnotic. It's mandatory viewing for anyone with a pair of lungs ... because, wow ... French people smoke a LOT.

3) "LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE" (1966): ("A Second Wind") Remember when I said to check out the first ten minutes of ANY Melville film? This is the one to check out if you want to have your mind blown. This film opens without any dialogue (a trademark) and instantly you watch as a man and his prisoner are led onto a train for a trip...somewhere. They slowly check in. They check out their cabin. They admire the view. The guard handcuffs his prisoner into the top bunk, turns out the light and - glass explodes. The next thing you know - the two characters, the camera and you are all running through the forest in a hectic tracking shot the likes of which you won't see very often. How do they not hit a tree? Someone please tell me how long it took Melville and the crew to block these shots? It's ridiculous. But that's just the first ten minutes. The character of Gu (the escaped prisoner) is one of the best ever created by Melville and team. He rejoins his girlfriend only to realize she's being blackmailed by the same people who had him arrested, Gu sets out to tackle one last heist in order to get them all out of danger - and ... the heist, is some of the most gripping film you'll ever glue your eyes to. Completely silent and almost thirty minutes long - I've never...in my life...screamed at a movie to "oh my God, just run" but...I did it here. If you want to see a primo example of the Melville touch (suspense, atmosphere, jump-cuts and stroke-level tension) then this is probably the one to see first. You don't hear much about this one as Army of Shadows and Le Samourai pretty much eclipse the world. Then there's Le Cercle Rouge to consider ... but should you happen to be able to avoid the accolades surrounding those three films - you should explore this one because in my professional (and very handsome) opinion - this is one of the best Melville films ever made, possibly even one of the best French films - period. I've babbled enough here. Moving on...

2) "L'ARMEE DES OMBRES" (1969): ("The Army of Darkness") I liked this film before I could even see it. Repressed in the United States for FORTY YEARS - The Army of Darkness made its debut at MOMA in 2009. A restored, resurfaced print was discovered in France and after years of work, the world was ready to finally see the film that Melville considered his greatest achievement. Due to the events of 1968, the Cashiers du Cinema decided that since this film glorified Charles de Gaulle, they would sit on it - and they did. The story of a band of renegade vigilantes fighting the Nazis during the occupation of France in WWII, this is one seriously bad-ass film. When you watch this (and you will), notice how timeless it feels. It's hard to believe a movie of this magnitude could be shelved and hidden for almost half a century - but what a gift to unwrap?! I went to the MOMA exhibition and after the three hours, I walked out of that gallery with a new appreciation for a director I knew very little about. This film established my love for Melville in a big way. Simone Signoret appears in (mmm, lord) a fantastic role and keeps the crew motivated as all hell breaks loose around them. The torture scenes are shocking (even moreso considering the age of this film). The action, heist, and finale are so tense you won't breathe very much until the credits roll. This is one of the longer films in the Melville canon - but don't pay any attention to that. It honestly won't matter. After the third hour of this - be prepared to feel shorted. This is one of the best films to ever come out of France and I don't care who says differently. I'll fight you with my teeth.

1) "LE CERCLE ROUGE" 1970): ("The Red Circle") Want to rob a jewelry store? Sure? Hot damn! Three strangers join forces to deliver the greatest film ever directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. There is no better film. Trust me on this - Alain Delon, Yves Montand, Bourvil ... seriously folks. There is so much going on in this movie, you'll want to watch it over and over. This single film is better than all twenty James Bond films put together. Oh...yeah, I just said that. If you don't believe me, then you haven't spent thirty six minutes of your life robbing a jewelry store in darkness and complete silence. The best way to see this is in a theater. Unfortunately - unless you live in NYC or LA, you probably won't get that opportunity. This is required viewing for anyone who enjoys thrillers. It's slightly dated in the fact that you're in late-60's Paris, but somehow you stop noticing these things as the plot thickens. Melville and his gift for cinching a tense situation into something damn near fatal is unmatched. Nowhere does the master deliver his subtle, quiet, aching than in Le Cercle Rouge. Also - I think it's one of the best movies with Alain Delon, even better than Le Samourai and that's saying a lot. If this movie were a human - I would slither up behind it at the bar, whisper filthy things into its ear and try my best to seduce it into some seedy behavior. Either that or I'd just drop to my knee and propose. I'd marry the hell out of this movie.

A side note - while writing this, I was constantly reminded of Melville's leading competitor in the world of suspense, Jules Dassin. To anyone familiar with Dassin, before you mail me a snarky letter about why I'm overlooking him - rest assured, he's coming. I do not feel that Dassin delivered nearly the same thunderpunch of suspense and tension, however; Dassin did establish a far greater reaching body of work, ruled the film noir world for a decade and led an incredibly eventful life. I did not forget him. I am saving him for another time. Be patient and in the style of a Melville film - HUSH UP!

 

Unappreciated: Thomas Wolfe

Thomas Wolfe

 

“. . . a stone, a leaf, an unfound door; a stone, a leaf, a door. And of all the forgotten faces.
Naked and alone we came into exile. In her dark womb we did not know our mother's face; from the prison of her flesh have we come into the unspeakable and incommunicable prison of this earth.
Which of us has known his brother? Which of us has looked into his father's heart? Which of us has not remained forever prison-pent? Which of us is not forever a stranger and alone?
O waste of lost, in the hot mazes, lost, among bright stars on this weary, unbright cinder, lost! Remembering speechlessly we seek the great forgotten language, the lost lane-end into heaven, a stone, a leaf, an unfound door. Where? When?
O lost, and by the wind grieved, ghost, come back again.”   (from Look Homeward, Angel)

 

Thomas Clayton Wolfe (Oct. 3, 1900 - Sept. 15, 1938) was one of the twentieth century's most relentlessly original authors. Not to be confused with drug-addled "Tom" Wolfe, Thomas grew up in the North Carolina city of Asheville during the boom times of the early 1900's. With railroads, spas, industries and that tiny little Vanderbilt family - the quaint little mountain town became a hot-spot for southern living.

Son of a stonecutter, Thomas was the youngest of eight children. While his mother struggled to keep the home fires burning and made a side-living renting out guest rooms in the family's home at 48 Spruce Street, Thomas turned into a quiet, introverted child - hidden in the shadows of all his siblings and badgered by his abusive, alcoholic father.

There's very little that I can add that hasn't already been said about Mr. Wolfe. Rather than prattle on about the boring details of his biography - I'll jump over to my self-absorbtion for a while.

When I first discovered Wolfe, it was as the result of a quote from one of my all-time favorite writers, William Faulkner who credited the younger author as "the greatest talent of our generation." You have to give some credit to anyone who could get such a compliment from a man like Faulkner. I truly believe that Faulkner's used toilet paper could have won a Pulitzer - so this accolade instantly pushed me across the library to the meager collection of Thomas Wolfe novels.

Meager - yes. Thomas only made it to 38 years old when he died from tuburculosis of the brain. He managed to leave behind (literally a ton) a dump-truck of manuscripts. Only four completed novels (and only two published during his lifetime), Thomas Wolfe died without ever realizing his gift to the world of American letters. His first novel - a whirlwind success (for all the wrong reasons), is entitled Look Homeward, Angel and was originally released in 1929. Some people call this a "semi-autobiographical" novel. I do not. This is as autobiographical as you can get - all he did was alter the names of the main characters to keep his ass out of legal trouble. Every other fine detail is perfectly recorded and documents the life in Asheville during the early twentieth century. Problem: in case you're not a resident of the great state of NC - you may not be aware ... NC is full of snippy, nosy, bitter people. People who really didn't enjoy reading about all their sins and scandals printed for all the world to see - so despite the impressive debut of Wolfe's first novel, in his home state - he was hated with a passion. He let it bother him - so much so that this would go on to be the motivating plot point for his final two novels (published posthumously, of course).


After LHA took off - Scribner's wanted more. There was no other author at work that was anything like Thomas Wolfe. There are fifteen billion different descriptions of a Wolfe novel but my favorite is by the New York Times, who claimed the author to be "gifted with the act of putting words on paper but his pen has a debilitating case of diarrhea." That pretty much nails it. Wolfe's angelic gift with words will literally drown the unsuspecting reader. Some of his prose will stretch on for many pages - no periods, just stream-of-consciousness - microscopic descriptions and internal dialogue for days. You have to succumb to this. Don't fight it. Let yourself be swept away into a twenty page description of a tablecloth - it's okay. You'll come out on the other side a much better person for experiencing this. Wolfe fought a struggle with this while trying to write his second novel (the lesser-known sequel) Of Time And The River.

It took six years. While traveling the world and pimping out LHA, Wolfe poured himself into his next novel. Originally he had planned to write a series of autobiographical fiction - six. The only reference to this - and the proposed titles, is in the first edition/first run of the second book. There were only five thousand copies of this mammoth door-stopper of a book printed. I own two copies, both locked deep inside my vault (last time I price checked, these were well over $5k a copy). I would have really loved to have an entire series about the Gant family just so I could drown in Wolfe's sticky prose, but he got sick and died instead. I have to be okay with that.

Of Time and The River is not the best book in the world. It's not even a good sequel - nor is it easy to find. Out of the four published Wolfe novels - this is the one that no one wants to revisit. I will agree - getting through this novel is a lot like cutting your own kidney out. Rather than slim down his sequel to LHA, Wolfe beefed it up. Well over 1,000 pages - the story continues following Eugene Gant (Wolfe's alterego) as he becomes famous for his first novel and sets sail for Europe (where Wolfe would get the inspiration for his next two novels). I would recommend reading this, despite how awful it is. Read it last. You get the sense that Wolfe knew this would be a flop and wrote every word as it came to him. Screw the editors! I believe this is a good example of what an unedited Thomas Wolfe manuscript would have sounded like. Just pages and pages and pages of babbling - something which would normally be incredibly frustrating to read...is a juicy, delicious dream. I can't explain it - you'd just have to spend six months reading this one for yourself. Bring a microscope, the font is ridiculously small.

"At that instant he saw, in one blaze of light, an image of unutterable conviction, the reason why the artist works and lives and has his being--the reward he seeks--the only reward he really cares about, without which there is nothing. It is to snare the spirits of mankind in nets of magic, to make his life prevail through his creation, to wreak the vision of his life, the rude and painful substance of his own experience, into the congruence of blazing and enchanted images that are themselves the core of life, the essential pattern whence all other things proceed, the kernel of eternity."  (from Of Time and The River)

This second novel pretty much sealed Wolfe's fate. Scorned, ridiculed, dismissed, mocked, chastised and still despised in his own home town - his career as an author plummeted with the epic flop from the sale of his second novel. He was his biggest fan - so despite the wave of depression, loneliness and isolation that began blanketing down around him, Wolfe continued writing like a fiend. He taught at Harvard, he toured all over Europe and dazzled the elite upper crust of society with his pompous manner of speaking. He made friends, he found money, he hobo-'ed his way through life while tirelessly penning his final two books as his health slowly began to suffer.

The Web and The Rock was released a few months after his death. The last thing Wolfe saw published was a chapter from this novel entitled The Lost Boy (which...eh...didn't do so well). This novel begins the trend all over again. Critics will bash this one - hard...so don't read the reviews. At first glance - you get the impression you're reading LHA all over again. Sometimes the similarities are too close to dismiss. The plot, characters and setting are basically identical to the ones found in Wolfe's first novel - but what we have this time is a much more mature, intelligent work. It's like the loose strands from LHA that had no real home in the first novel - all come back for a reprise. I personally cannot stand this book. I love, admire and adore it because of who wrote it ... but as a novel standing on its own merit ... you should probably save this one for last. There are some very important scenes in this novel - most likely scenes you'll read in some other location as most of this book was sliced apart and used as "excerpts." The overall product is confusing, messy and disjoined - but if you're a fan of Faulkner...that won't bother you too much.

“What is it that a young man wants? Where is the central source of that wild fury that boils up in him, that goads and drives and lashes him, that explodes his energies and strews his purpose to the wind of a thousand instant and chaotic impulses? The older and assured people of the world, who have learned to work without waste and error, think they know the reason for the chaos and confusion of a young man’s life. They have learned the thing at hand, and learned to follow their single way through all the million shifting hues and tones and cadences of living, to thread neatly with unperturbed heart their single thread through that huge labyrinth of shifting forms and intersecting energies that make up life—and they say, therefore, that the reason for a young man’s confusion, lack of purpose, and erratic living is because he has not “found himself.”  (from The Web and The Rock)

Now for one you've probably heard of - Wolfe's second "major success" came with the sequel to W&R, entitled...drumroll please...You Can't Go Home Again. Released to lackluster cheers in 1940, this novel is a parallel to Of Time and The River, building off the same themes he first visited in the earlier novel - this book tells the story of a young author struggling to come to terms with his own artistic output during a burgeoning time in world history. I think I love this book, but it's still not as badass as the first one. This should be the second book by Wolfe you read, and in lots of ways - it will roughly tell you the same story as the (planned) sequel Of Time and The River, even save you about four hundred pages of reading - but still a monster of a book in its own right.

“But why had he always felt so strongly the magnetic pull of home, why had he thought so much about it and remembered it with such blazing accuracy, if it did not matter, and if this little town, and the immortal hills around it, was not the only home he had on earth? He did not know. All that he knew was that the years flow by like water, and that one day men come home again.” (from You Can't Go Home Again)

 

I can't end this without mentioning the revamped novel O, Lost! by Thomas Wolfe. What's that? I didn't mention it before? Shame on me, right? Technically - I did.

O, Lost! was released about fifteen years ago - thank you Jesus, and is the full, unedited manuscript from Wolfe's original Look Homeward, Angel. Basically, if you read the novel and felt like it's eight hundred pages weren't sufficient - you can read the full, unexpurgated text here. Already out of print - you can still find copies online in hardcover (and I would recommend doing this as the value is going to steadily rise...forever). If you're new to the Wolfe canon, adventurous, and have the world's greatest attention span - read this instead of LHA for a more fulfilling Gant experience. Watch out for those Mountain Grills, y'all...sunsabitcheries.



Unappreciated: Robert Altman

Robert Altman

 

There was no way to trim this down to a top five. If you look at the filmography for director Robert Altman, it's likely you'll know about 85% of these pretty well. What I like to do is try to find the few titles that didn't wrack up a gazillion awards in under thirty seconds. It's hard!

One of the few directors to have three titles inducted into the National Film Registry, Robert Altman has been making movies for a long time. When I think of his name, I think star-studded. I think: tracking shots that make me dizzy. They are very simple, natural films. It's likely you didn't walk out of the theater (or change channels) asking yourself who the director of that amazing artistic piece was - because Altman wasn't like that. To enjoy his movies you have to focus on the writing, the subtle humor, the statements on the world we live in. These are timeless stories about the human condition, molded by the hand of a master storyteller who just also happened to own a camera and have the world's greatest collection of friends.

Imagine his Rolodex. Did I just date myself?

Because this was so hard for me, I had to call a tie for honorable mention. I just could not omit either of these movies.


**Honorable Mention**

(1/2) "COOKIE'S FORTUNE" (1999):  One of the director's final films, this is what I consider to be the last "great" Robert Altman movie. Very few people seemed to actually appreciate this movie when it first appeared. Altman followed this up with Gosford Park (which won all kinds of awards and blah blah blah), I always thought this was a fantastic movie. Chocked full-a-stars, this down-home murder mystery is highly atmospheric, dark, hilarious and has some amazing performances from Liv Tyler, Glenn Close and Julianne Moore. If you're a super-duper-movie-geek like myself, you'll want to plan a trip to Holly Springs, Mississippi to visit the original locations from this movie. Absolutely nothing has been altered since the film. It's incredibly fun (despite what locals scream at you). If you want to see a low-committment, easy Altman film - check this one out. You'll probably like it. Probably...

(2/2) "POPEYE" (1980): Ain't nothing in this world any better than some Popeye. I love me some Shelly Duvall in this. I remember when this movie came out. I was beyond excited (which was odd considering I never really liked the Popeye cartoons), I was in the front row on opening night. There is so much right about this movie - I'm not really sure where to begin. First thing: most Altman fans absolutely hate this movie. Just...blind, white-hot rage...and I've never understood that. I loved this movie before I knew who Robert Altman was. I loved it even more once I became a fan of the director's other work and realized he had created this landmark film from my childhood. I will always own a copy of this movie. 99% of the people I hang out with - also own this movie. I'm not sure that there are many people alive who haven't witnessed the sublime miracle of this film. Behold...my favorite moment below. If that doesn't make you rush out and see this - I don't think you have a soul. Close my blog now, demon-spawn...

5) "THE PLAYER" (1992): This was the movie that made me aware of who Robert Altman was. I'd never seen a film with so many A-list stars before - I had to research who the hell had directed this movie so I could see who the hell had this many superstar friends. The answer was Robert Altman. So many things about The Player rock my world - the plot is flawless, Whoopi Goldberg's performance is one of the best of her career, Tim Robbins made me love him as the victimized protagonist and the techno-geek in me really finds that opening tracking shot to be so exciting I want to rip my eyes out, slap them against the TV screen and scream at the sky. Second only to Orson Welle's Touch of Evil, I believe the opening tracking shot is an homage to Welles (but I could be wrong). For whatever reason - it's one of the longest in film history and sweeps you right into the hectic frenzy of the plot. This is (by far) one of Altman's greatest films. To make room for this at #5, I knocked M*A*S*H out of the list. That's how much I love The Player. I was about to list out all the awards this received - then I realized it was like 80...suffice to say, this was a critically acclaimed hit from a seasoned director.

4) "SHORT CUTS" (1993): Like feeding the junkie in me - Altman followed up The Player with an even more salacious blockbuster. Three hours and eight minutes of pleasure, based on the writings of (OMG!!!) Raymond Carver - this film explores several different plots at the same time. I'm a big fan of this format (see also Magnolia). Rather than bore you or confuse myself trying to relay this complicated plot - get a load of who's in it! Matthew Modine, Julianne Moore, Fred Ward, Anne Archer, Buck Henry, Huey Lewis, Lily Tomlin, Tom Waits, Andie McDowell, Lyle Lovett, Jack Lemmon, Lili Taylor, Robert Downey, Jr., Chris Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Madeline Stowe, Lori Singer, Peter Gallagher, Tim Robbins...and about 400 others. This is a feeding frenzy of greatness. Just the way the writers were able to melt ten different Carver short stories into one coherent plot - tie it together using cinematic brilliance and sell it...is amazing to me. You should own a copy of this in any way possible. This is core Altman. If you own this - you'll own the rest of the films following...because you know...you just know...

3) "NASHVILLE" (1975): Possibly the best by all accounts - this film is unlike anything else on the screen in 1975. I got the honor of watching this in a theater while Karen Black sat in front of me...it was difficult not to scream to be honest. I've seen this more than the other Altman films (with the exception of #1, which I can recite for you). There is no acceptable way to describe the story behind this film. To dumb it down - it's about Nashville...the country music scene...the life of Americans in the late 70s...but it's also a musical and as stuffed with celebrities as Short Cuts, this seems to me to be the first of the Altman films where he started jamming familiar faces into every possible role. Prior to this they were there, just not...EVERYWHERE. Even the non-speaking roles in Nashville are cast with famous people. There is no way to spend three hours with this movie and not walk away with a smile on your face. It's like a damn drug. Did I mention Karen Black was in this?

2) "3 WOMEN" (1977): You ever seen a dream? Watching this movie is so hypnotic and seductive, you walk away two hours later feeling as if you've just experienced something deeper than your own consciousness can grasp. The first couple of times you see this - be prepared to be confused. This is not a movie to be seen once. It's the type of movie you watch once a week for the rest of your life and still don't quite understand it completely. Also - if you're not already completely in love with Sissy Spacek and Shelly Duvall, be prepared to fall head over heels for these two quirky women. The third woman is played by the epic and astounding Janice Rule. Everything about this movie is correct. I cannot find anything to pick on - no matter how many thousands of times I've seen it. Composed of hundreds of perfectly framed (and breathtakingly beautiful) shots, these two women basically swap places and all kinds of head games proceed as the movie rushes toward the climactic ending. Yeah, that was climactic - if you didn't think so, start it over and watch it again. In closing - the artwork that Janice Rule's character works on throughout this film blows my face right off. I would do anything to own a fragment of that but it is my understanding that it was destroyed after the filming was completed. Imagine how hard that must have been to paint over that...*shudders*

1) "BREWSTER MCCLOUD" (1970): I will fight you with my shirt off over this one. All the critics and Altman fans are wrong - this is the greatest film of the director's life. I don't even care. I have seen this probably two thousand times - every time I get weepy at the end. It's not even supposed to be sad, okay? Yet I bawl...unstoppable crying because Brewster's dreams didn't quite come true - or did they? It's such a beautiful work of movie art. Bud Cort plays Brewster. I love...Bud...Cort. He's the model for Waldo in all those Where's Waldo books, ya know? The round glasses, striped shirt...yeah, that's not Waldo to me. It's Brewster McCloud. This film came out after the landslide success of M*A*S*H and it seemed that no one got it. It's supposed to be a comedy but there is a definite element of weirdness keeping this one going. The subtle lessons about ornithology are usually off-putting. Margaret Hamilton (the Wicked Witch of the West in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz) appears to butcher the national anthem then use the "N" word - if only to be shat upon by a bird and promptly die. Who knows what the hell is going on most of the time, but that's part of the appeal. It's so campy, so schlocky and so silly - you cannot possibly help but to love it. You know another reason to love it? It's the movie that introduced Shelly Duvall to the world. So there! How about a car chase? Sure! This movie has an extended one that doesn't seem to have any purpose - BUT it's there! I have no explanation as to why I love this movie the way I do - but it's real, it's pure and it's well established. This is usually the Altman film I shove down people's throats when they say they don't know the director's work. This is usually why all my friends think Robert Altman movies are "eh" - but ignore everything I just typed and try to see this film. It's not easily attainable, the DVD is a little overpriced because it's one of those "print on demand" archive services ... but if you're only going to be alive for two more hours, this is the way to go out. Fly, Brewster...fly!!!

Unappreciated: Terrence Malick

Terrence Malick

 

I love me some TM. Terrence Malick is one of those film director who I am thankful I am alive to witness. I have been aware of him from an early age. His reputation for being difficult, hard to see (reclusive) and highly auteuristic made me fall in love. Seeing one of his films at home is an experience. Seeing a Terrence Malick film in the theater is an absolutely awe-inspiring event.

 

 

 

By no means "unappreciated" as the title suggests, this term means not appreciated enough. In Malick's case the title is proof - no amount of celebration could warrant what this man is worth. He's a gift to cinema. When you study film you realize there are very few who have such a distinctive stamp that they inevitably alter everything that comes after them. To me, that's the case with Malick. He broke the mold and inspired gazillions of copycats. A sharp eye can find a touch of Malick in pretty much everything in theaters today...and tomorrow...and forty years from now...

 

It was a difficult task to select five to rank from his total body of work. It was like childbirth trying to twist these and come to a decision over my top number-one super-duper slot. Each of his films is something cherished and unique. It's really hard to nail one on top of the heap but...to keep with the theme here, I gave it my best, well-thought out attempt. Ahem...

5) "THE NEW WORLD" (2005): The story of Pochahontas. I'd say this is the weakest of the films directed by Terrence Malick - but even the weakest wins awards. Taking five different awards The New World is remarkable for both its cinematography and its historical accuracy. Malick being Malick has created (I'm not sure really) three or four different cuts of this movie, so the longer the better is the rule with me. The acting in this is brilliant. I typically cannot stand the Colin of Farrell but in this he is actually watchable. The beauty of a Malick film is pungent and if anything - should be a valid reason for you to at least check this one out. Not a classic yet - it will be. This film came seven years after The Thin Red Line and did not do nearly as well at the box office. Christopher Plummer is also in this. He doesn't sing Edelweiss, but he's still incredible.

4) "TREE OF LIFE" (2011): This one grew on me but it took three viewings. The first time...I was kind of disappointed. Approach this one with an open mind and lots of patience. It's going to come off a bit scattered at first ... but that's all part of a masterful trick. I think if I were to rank these movies in ten years, this one would place higher. I'm not the only one that thinks this is a pretty good  flick - it won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 2011. Not only that - it was nominated for three Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography). Sight & Sound critics poll ranked this as one of the 10 greatest films ever made. So...yeah. It's like really thought-provoking eye candy. If this isn't making you drool yet - it also stars Sean Penn, Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain. If you pay attention and really watch closely, you'll learn the meaning of life in Tree of Life. It's just that good.

3) "THE THIN RED LINE" (1998): War movies aren't always my thing. There has to be something of a human or emotional element behind all the explosions and gore to capture my affection. If I were making a film festival line-up of great war films ... The Thin Red Line would play on the final night. I saw this when it originally came out. In 1998 - after a twenty year disappearance from any/all public view, Terrence Malick was back! As a fan of both his previous films - I got caught up in the hype...and I'm glad I did. This is one of the best films ever made about climbing up a hill. Every single shot and composition is intoxicating...hypnotic...compulsively watchable. The original cut ran nearly two hours longer and took Malick a record-breaking amount of time to edit (this is the prime example of where he sealed his reputation for taking an eternity - last time was Days of Heaven). He edited out entire subplots, cameos and sidelines. By the final cut, some of the performances lost included Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Sheen, Gary Oldman, Bill Pullman, Lukas Haas, Jason Patric, Viggo Mortensen and Micky Rourke. But that's nothing! Look at who's still in the film's final cut: Adrien Brody, George Clooney, John Cusack, John C. Reilly, Woody Harrelson and John Travolta (just to name the leads). There is so much to love about this film it justifies Malick's difficult reputation. Two words: the grass.

2) "DAYS OF HEAVEN" (1978): I bet I've seen this two hundred times or more. The only reason I'd notice something like that is solely because this movie is the polar opposite of the type of movie I enjoy. It's a damn love story...a period piece, for God's sake. It even has Richard Gere in the lead role and everyone knows he kind of creeps me out...but somehow, Terrence Malick makes none of this important, sucks me into the wheat...the scandal...the drama, and then burns me to the back of my retinas and beyond. I've seen this numerous times in theaters and that's the recommended venue to first experience this film. Sit close ... even if you hate sitting close to the screen, you'll thank me. Watching this movie is like watching a painting come to life. It really is. The plot is Malick at his finest. Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer-winning playwright plays an astounding role as wife to Brooke Adams. This relationship smoulders on such a delicious simmer you can hardly stand it because (*cue drumroll*) Richard Gere is her real snooky-dumplin' and she's just playing along with the marriage so they can fleece Sam Shepard's character out of his wealth. Or just generally use him while leading him to believe Gere is Adams' brother. Things get awkward when he catches them making sexy-eyes at each other. The climax (which might not sound very climactic here) is a fire and plague of locusts - of Biblical proportions. Every frame, every second, every music cue, angle and word of this film is perfection. I have to stop talking about it now - I get over-stimulated, my blood pressure skyrockets and I pee on myself. I gotta stop doing that...

1) "BADLANDS" (1973): Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen. Oh...I needed to say more? This was Terrence Malick's first film and will one day slap Citizen Kane, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone With The Wind (and anything else that thinks it's hot sh*t) out of the way for first place - best movie of all time. I first caught this as a kid on late-night television. It's where I fell in love with Sissy Spacek for the first time. The poster is iconic. I could paint it in my sleep. The storyline is gripping, tight and (despite how many times you may have seen it re-done) was completely original for its time. Narrated with voice overs by Holly (Spacek), this is a movie you can't live without seeing at least once. It's romantic. It's gory. It's funny. It's gasp-worthy beautiful. It's suspenseful. It's got chase sequences. It's tense yet light. There is just simply no better Terrence Malick film than Badlands...yet. Yet, I said. I put nothing past this incredible director and I wake up every morning and thank God we share the same air. He's a gift and every time he releases a new film you should grab everyone who still likes you and go see it immediately. The greatest of all living directors, Badlands is Terrence Malick's finest moment.
 

 



Unappreciated: The War Trilogy

The War Trilogy

 

To approach The War Trilogy without prior knowledge of what it took to create it - is like approaching a filet mignon without the knowledge of how to chew. Very few times in the history of film has the story surrounding the making of a film (much less three) is every bit as intriguing as the film itself. Now before you're done fathoming what that must require - factor in how each of the films was hailed as a masterpiece. Before you reach the solution - it's fair to admit, Rossellini's War Trilogy officially began the neorealist movement in Italian Cinema. There's no easy way to explain exactly how influential this was but maybe if I babble for a bit - it'll make more sense.

What makes these films so important? They were the first images anyone could see from post-war Europe. In some cases, the films were created in a clandestine, cat-and-mouse game with the occupied forces (Nazis). Rossellini pilfered and stole film stock to use to make these. Put them together in dark, underground editing rooms and did it all for art. The power of the independent filmmaker cannot be stopped - and there is no better example.

Rossellini, his cast and crew - and anyone associated with these films risked (not just silly arrest)
death to make these films. You'd think that would be enough to seal these films into history just based on that factor alone - but they're also insanely good movies. Compulsively viewable, atmospheric, well-written, suspenseful as heck and standing up to 21st century sensibilities, the three films in Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy have been restored back to their original (close, close) format for the first time in fifty years. Hell, one was even considered lost...the work involved in bringing these three movies back from the dusty corridors of antiquity is as amazing of a story as any found in the films in the trilogy.

The Nazis weren't really fond of Germany, Year Zero which showed post-war Berlin up close and personal and they did their best to destroy it. Paisan was ripped apart - for decades the only copies available omitted nearly a third of the film - what remained was so splotchy you could barely make any sense of it. Rome, Open City is the only film that required less restoration - but it was still a mammoth achievement. Once you're done being engrossed by film perfection - check out the special features by Criterion on exactly how agonizing the restoration job was on each of these three whoppers.

1) "ROME, OPEN CITY" (1945): A film about Italian natives evading capture after their city becomes occupied by the Nazis - while Rome was actually occupied by Nazis, this is the film that started it all. Stocked mostly with non-professional actors, shooting mostly improvisational dialogue - Rome, Open City was meant to document the Italian's experience during the war. While not a huge hit in native Italy upon its initial release, it has gone on to become one of the most influential films of all time. Awards? Oh sure, it's got a few - Grand Prize (highest of all) at Cannes, NYFCC named it Best Foreign Language Film, it's star - Anna Magnani won Best Actress at the National Board of Review. It goes on and on. This film takes you by surprise. You will be shocked how much you end up liking this movie. The final scene stays with you forever. It's iconic and burns its way into your consciousness. This renegade style of filmmaking, hiding from Nazis, using stolen film stock, filming without lights - established what would become known as Italian Neorealism (one of the most powerful of all movements in film history). When I first came to this movie - I was thinking, "Oh, sure - an old Italian war movie. I've seen that before," and by the final ten minutes - my mind was leaking out of my ears, I was bawling like a toddler and I wanted to see the next film in the War Trilogy as quickly as humanly possible. This is my #2 favorite of the three films.

2) "PAISAN" (1946): Now this was supposed to be the one I liked most, but as it turns out - I actually enjoyed this one the least of the three films in Rossellini's War Trilogy. What makes Paisan ridiculously interesting is the amount of restoration it took to bring this film back from obscurity. This film was a HUGE hit in the United States and paved the way for an entire wave of foreign films to invade art houses in NYC. Even an episode of I Love Lucy mentions this film - that's how popular it was. National distribution by co-funder MGM probably helped that a lot, based on the success of the previous film American big-boy MGM chipped in to help aid in the creation of Paisan, the story of the Allied invasion and ultimate liberation of Italy. Again in the neorealism style, this movie plays out in six distinctly different episodes. Using some of Italy's brightest young writers, each of the episode focuses on a different aspect of Italian life, scarred, maimed and changed by the recent war. One of the writers was newfound auteur Federico Fellini, each of these "snippets" is very compelling cinema. Some in Italian, some in English - it should be the audience favorite but to me it lacks that emotional sucker-punch that the other two films in the trilogy have. This is my #3 favorite of the three films.

3) "GERMANY, YEAR ZERO" (1948): My number one at number three. The final film in Rossellini's War Trilogy - Germany, Year Zero is just so good I can hardly stand it. The scars of war are even more visible as he finishes up the trilogy on the streets of Berlin, Nazi headquarters. Rossellini was granted permission to film (or finagled it, rather) in the heart of enemy territory based solely on the success of his previous two films - and boy...did he deliver the whopper of all whoppers. One of the few times you'll ever get to see Berlin shortly after the war, this film documents a young boy named Edmund. One of the best child characters ever created, you would never want to tell Edmund that you'd be better off dead - because he'll actually try to kill your ass. Completely blinded by the graphic horrors he saw during the war, this young boy's emotional compass is burned up and as we watch the final twenty minutes of this movie - it's hard to keep your jaw off the floor. I can't even describe what the last few seconds are like but you're almost guaranteed to gasp, howl, shriek, stand-up, throw a shoe or pee a little. This movie came out in 1948 and will blow your face right off. This is my #1 favorite of the three films.

Unappreciated: Greta Garbo

Greta Garbo

 

Oh, why couldn't I have met you just once. You could have taught me so much about being a superstar...

She who wants to be alone - lived a highly public life. Her reputation as being a recluse seems (to me) unfounded as she went for hour-long strolls around Manhattan daily. Documentaries abound, celebrating the myth surrounding this Hollywood icon. The woman who created screen glamour for the entire golden age - Greta Garbo. The most beautiful woman to have ever lived.

Starting her career on film nearly at the birth of film itself - Garbo first appeared as a teen in silent films in Sweden. The Saga of Gosta Berling almost made the list - but Garbo's screen time is slender, the film is eternally long - and it's in Swedish (not for everyone). Growing up lusting over the alabaster goddess - it wasn't easy to see her old silent stuff. I opted instead for the wall of VHS choices that were available so it wasn't until much later into my Garbo fixation that I viewed most of her work in silent cinema. TCM has a nice box set of a few of her earlier films. While not the quintessential Garbo - they're still worth owning. I just really like my Garbo to speak. That sultry, syrupy accent just drives me insane.

**Honorable Mention** "JOYLESS STREET" (1925): The film Garbo made following Gosta Berling, The Joyless Street (The Street of Sorrow) was a German film directed by the amazing G.W. Pabst. The film established the "New Objectivity" movement and is a fantastic time capsule of life between the two world wars. The plot is simple - two women from poor beginnings try to take advantage of the new wave of prosperity in Austria; one does well ... one does not. Guess which of the two female leads plays the tragic victim? No! It's not Garbo this time! She actually plays Grete who goes on to be the more optimistic of the two (and the one not arrested for murder, woops - spoiler!) This is a timeless example of a youthful Garbo, a master director at the helm and a riveting tale that 8 out of 10 people on Rotten Tomatoes agree - is one of the finest films of the silent era.

5) "CAMILLE" (1936): Time magazine named this one of the 100 best films of all time. American Film Institute placed this at #33 on it's list of 100 Years...100 Passions. Nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards and winner of the NY Film Critics Circle Award - this is a keystone in classic cinema. Hell, even the final scenes are featured in the musical Annie. Everyone knows Camille - and if you don't know the whole film, you've definitely seen the last few moments where Garbo succumbs to tuburculosis in the arms of Robert Taylor (dolled up so swanky, I swear he's a mannequin). The story (by now in 2013) has been done to death. The gist is - girl from the bad side of town falls for a rich boy, makes the rich boy change his life and then just as they fall passionately in love - one of them has to die. What makes this different is that this was one of the first times that such exquisite melodrama was acted out on film with such sublime slow pacing that no one in the audience escapes without the sense that they've just sat through the death of a close, personal friend. It's heart wrenching. You care so much for these two characters you really shouldn't care about - it's magical, it's hypnotic, the cinematography is gauzy, foamy and keeps you in a dream-like state. Drifting through every frame like a whisper is Garbo at the height of her power. You'll see this movie one way or another. It's truly inescapable.

4) "FLESH AND THE DEVIL" (1926): This was the film that made her a star. After her hits in Europe, Louis B. Mayer invited Garbo to make a few movies for MGM. This was her first starring vehicle and boy...did she ever drive Flesh and The Devil right into the heart of American consciousness. The world wasn't ready for Garbo. Her stunning features erupt off the screen. Her acting abilities - all done mostly through glances, smirks and a weighted eyelid...is some of the greatest you'll ever witness. Once again, mired in one of the typical doomed romances, Flesh and The Devil was all kinda popular when it originally appeared toward the end of the silent era. Childhood friends who are separated by life come together, reunite and fall in love. Dum, dum, dummmmmm. It's dramatic and as cliche as anything you'll ever see. It's almost schlocky - but none of that matters because every once in a while Garbo comes on screen, you forget everything and just sit there staring. Imperative Garbo viewing, Flesh and The Devil is a classic of the highest caliber.

3) "SUSAN LENOX (HER FALL AND RISE)" (1931): Garbo and Gable. This is what I consider to be a bad-ass Garbo film. MGM shoved her in so many films once she started becoming a screen star, some of her small films get overlooked. This is one classic example. Far better than a lot of other films, Susan Lenox tells the story of a woman who just can't seem to get her life together. She jumps from relationship to relationship (scandalous for a lady in 1931), travels the world and eventually ends on a happy note far, far away in "exotic" South America. In this movie, you truly get a sense of who Garbo was as a person. She seems happy, enjoying her role in the movie - her cast of stars are some of the best in world cinema and she was working once again with a director she loved. The joy radiates off her face in nearly every hazy shot. This is one of the best of the best - while many consider it easily dismissed, I would advise ignoring that and giving Susan Lenox a shot. It's not even 90 minutes long. Just do it.

2) "AS YOU DESIRE ME" (1932): Talk about overlooked - this is a freaking stupid-amazing movie. A story of alcoholism, abuse, amnesia and broken dreams, As You Desire Me is an essential Garbo film (to me). If that's not alluring enough - Erich von Stroheim stars as Garbo's husband. Seriously...I can't believe you'd read any further. That would be enough to seduce me into rushing out and grabbing the DVD. You gain clout points for knowing this one. In a heated debate with Garbo snobs, toss out some references from this film and shut the argument down. Nothing beats the sublime, syrupy melodrama in this film. I love Garbo as a semi-bad girl, and only one film shines brighter than this one when it comes to bad girl Greta. She reeks glamour. She drips honey with every slurred line of dialogue. I first caught this at 2am on TCM back in the early 1990's and I've owned it ever since. This is bigger than essential - this is mandatory.

1) "MATA HARI" (1931): KABOOM! All upside your head with the Greta Garbo glamour - Mata Hari is the ultimate of ultimates. Marketed to play off her sultry image, this movie was made for Garbo. No one else could capture the mysterious Mata Hari as well - and no one ever has. Ramon Navarro (her true love at the time), Lionel Barrymore (the king of Hollywood) and George Fitzmaurice (her favorite director) all combine forces to deliver one of the most successful films of Garbo's career. As tragic as anything by Douglas Sirk, this film is timeless, elegant, beautiful, touching, suspenseful, alluring and seductive. This typically ranks fairly high on lots of Garbo lists, but never at the number one spot. People just love Camille, Anna Karenina and Ninotchka so much they forget how bad-ass this one is. I would encourage anyone interested in The Garbo to see her smaller films first. Avoid the biggies - watch her star shine in the little movies she made because it's only there that you will see the sparkle of joy in her eyes because she's still enjoying herself doing what she came to America to do ... before the horror of publicity ruined her life and made her quit acting at the ridiculously young age of thirty-five after only twenty-eight films.