The Wolf Man

"Even a man who is pure in heart, and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright."

I love all the classic Universal monster movies but The Wolf Man from 1941 is probably my favorite (with 1931's Frankenstein being a close second). It's a movie I've referenced in numerous blog post, including '10 Movies to Watch in October' but interestingly enough I've never written anything in-depth about it.

 The film stars Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot, a man who returns to his family's estate after learning that his brother has passed away. While back in town Larry becomes interested in a woman named Gwen (played by Evelyn Ankers), who runs an antique shop. One afternoon while visiting her shop, he purchases a walking stick decorated with a silver wolf on the top. Later that night, Larry attempts to rescue Gwen's friend Jenny from what he believes to be an ordinary wolf. He kills the wolf with his new walking stick, but Larry was bitten during the encounter. Soon After, a gypsy tells Larry that the wolf that bit him was actually her son Bela (played by Bela Lugosi) in the form of a wolf. She also tells Larry that since he was bitten by a werewolf and lived, he will turn into one himself. From there Larry struggles to control his condition, occasionally turning into the Wolf Man and lurking in the foggy woods outside the village. In the end he's killed by his own father, with the silver-topped walking stick. 

While so many modern horror films rely on jump-scares and gore, The Wolf Man is engaging because it's a well made film with a good story, and an atmospheric score. Lon Chaney Jr. is great in the movie and every time I watch it I feel bad for Larry Talbot. He was just trying to do the right thing, he didn't ask to become a werewolf and he never turns into a stereotypical evil monster. He's just a regular guy with an unfortunate curse he can't control. 

Overall, it's a pretty short movie, with a runtime of only about an hour and ten minutes, but that doesn't make the story feel any less developed. Film critic Leonard Maltin once called it "One of the finest horror films ever made", and I couldn't agree more. I definitely recommend this film to any one interested in going back to check out some classic horror flicks, and it's a perfect film to pop in if you're looking to for a movie to get yourself into the Halloween spirit. 

5 out of 5

Today's Movie: It's Always Fair Weather

 Released in 1955 It's Always Fair Weather is a musical-comedy about three soldiers/best friends, Ted Riley (played by Gene Kelly), Doug Hallerton (played by Dan Dailey) and Angie Valentine (played by Michael Kidd) who have just finished serving in World War II together. Before going their separate ways, they meet at their favorite bar and vow to reunite exactly 10 years later at the same spot. 

There's a nice montage showing what they've been all up to over those years and how their lives didn't go quite as planned: Riley wanted to be lawyer, but instead has become a fight promoter and gambler. Hallerton, planned to be a painter, but ended up in advertising. Finally, Valentine who wanted to become a gourmet chef, is now owns and operates a hamburger stand.
 All three men keep their promise to meet at the bar years later and quickly realize that they don't have the same connection that they used to, and actually dislike each other. While at lunch, they encounter some people from Hallerton's advertising agency, one of which is including Jackie Leighton (played by Cyd Charisse), who Ted Riley is immediately attracted to. Jackie quickly gets the idea of putting the three men on TV as a feel-good piece on a show hosted by Madeline Bradville (played by Dolores Gray). There are a few obstacles and funny situations that come up along the way but, when all is said and done, they regain their friendship and it ends on a happy note.

Overall, this a really fun movie. The song and dance numbers are all solid, with the "Baby You Knock Me Out" and "I Like Myself" scenes being the two that I find particularly entertaining. If you're a fan of musicals, especially the classic MGM ones, then this is definitely a film worth checking out.
I give this one a 4.5 out of 5


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Dial M for Murder

"...in stories things usually turn out the way the author wants them to; and in real life they don't... always."

Dial M for Murder is a 1954 crime/thriller Directed by the great Alfred Hitchcock. This one didn't quite make my '10 Alfred Hitchcock Movies Everyone Should See' list (which you can check out by clicking here), but that doesn't mean that it isn't a really good film. Like so many of Hitchcock's films, it ropes you in early on and keeps you locked in all the way through.. he's not called 'The Master of Suspense' for nothing after all. So, if you haven't seen this one, I'm just going to give the setup and a few other thoughts without spoiling how everything unfolds.

Ray Milland plays Tony Wendice who is a former professional tennis player and has discovered that his wife Margot (played by Grace Kelly) has been having an affair with an author named Mark Halliday (played by Robert Cummings). Instead of directly confronting her, Tony keeps his knowledge of the affair a secret and proceeds to plan the perfect murder. He figures that by having his wife killed he not only gets his revenge, but will also get the money left to him in her will. So, Tony gets in touch with a low-level criminal who happens to be an old college classmate of his, lays out the plan, and offers the man a substantial amount of money to carry out the murder. But, not everything goes as planned...

This movie was filmed in 3-D but it isn't one of those that looks ridiculous if you just watch it on your TV without 3-D glasses. There is the occasional object in the foreground that looks a tad off, but Hitchcock pretty much filmed it like he would any other film, and didn't resort to 3-D tricks like things popping out at the audience. The acting is solid, the story is interesting throughout, and I recommend checking it out if you've never seen it.

It's a classic and I give it a 5 out of 5.

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Singin' In The Rain (1952)

Singin' In The Rain, for those who don't know, is a musical released in 1952 and it stars Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor. It also happens to be one of my favorite movies.

Gene Kelly plays Don Lockwood, a silent film actor who rose to fame starring alongside leading lady Lina Lamont (played by Jean Hagan). But, when 'talkies' become the new hot thing, all the studios jump on the bandwagon. A romance also soon starts between Don and a talented, though unknown, actress named Kathy Selden (played by Debbie Reynolds), and the "You Were Meant for Me" scene between the two is one of several really memorable moments early on.

Well, it's quickly decided that the latest Lockwood and Lamont picture The Dueling Cavalier is going to be the first 'talkie' for Monumental Studios. There's just one problem; in addition to being both dumb and pretty insufferable, Lina Lamont has an atrocious voice, and an early screening of the film is met with a less than ideal response. Fortunately, Kathy and Don's best friend, a musician named Cosmo (played by Donald O'Connor), have the brilliant idea to dub over Lina's lines using Kathy's voice and to turn The Dueling Cavalier into a musical. It's here, during the heart of the film that we get two of the best song and dance sequences: The "Good Morning" scene with the three dancing and singing through Don's house, and the iconic "Singin' In The Rain" scene with Gene Kelly at his best, joyfully dancing with his umbrella down the street in the rain.

 The next day, Don and Cosmo pitch the idea of a musical re-titled The Dancing Cavalier to the head of the studio and filming begins.

At the premiere, The Dancing Cavalier is a huge success and the audience, not knowing Lina's voice was dubbed over, cheer for her to sing a song live. Don, Cosmo, and the head of the studio tell her to just lip sync while Kathy, hidden behind the curtain, sings the actual song. While Lina is pretending to sing, they raise the curtain, exposing Lina as a fraud and Kathy as "the real star of the film". The film ends with Kathy and Don in front of a billboard advertising their new film, Singin' in the Rain.

This isn't just arguably the best musical ever made but, also one of the great films of all-time. It's fun, the comedy works, the characters a very likeable, the songs are catchy, the choreography is top notch... I challenge anyone to watch it and not crack a smile. 

It's an absolute joy and a true classic.
 I give it a 5 out of 5.

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Western Wednesday: The Big Trail

Another Wednesday means another Western!

Today's film is The Big Trail, it was released in 1930 and was one of John Wayne's earliest starring roles.
John Wayne plays Breck Coleman, a trapper who has returned to Missouri to avenge the death of a fellow trapper. He was killed for his furs by a man named Red Flack and his associate Lopez along the Santa Fe trail. While in Missouri, Coleman is asked by a group of settlers headed West to scout their caravan. He initially declines, but he soon changes his mind and agrees to scout for the train after he learns that Flack and Lopez were just hired to boss a bull train along the Oregon Trail to a trading post north of Oregon. Coleman figures that he can keep an eye on Flack and Lopez and kill them as soon as they reach the trading post. As the wagon train heads West, Coleman falls in love with a settler named Ruth (played by Marguerite Churchill), Flack does everything he can to have Coleman killed before he finds any proof of what he had done, and the group of settlers faces several hardships and obstacles along the way. Eventually, as expected, the villains meet their end and Coleman and Ruth presumably settle down together in Oregon.

Overall, though not as well know or iconic as some of John Wayne's others like 1956's The Searchers, 1962's The Man Who Shoot Liberty Valance, or 1969's True Grit (you can read my review of that one here) I'd argue that The Big Trail should still be placed among that top tier of his films.

Whether you're a John Wayne fan or just a fan of Westerns in general, I'd definitely recommend this one. I give it a 4 out of 5.


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Western Wednesday: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 Western starring Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy and Robert Redford as the Sundance Kid. The film has a unique blend of comedy and all the common things you'd expect from a film in this genre.

The plot is straight forward and entertaining: Butch and Sundace, as well as their gang (The Hole In The Wall Gang) are outlaws who are quite fond of robbing trains. It's decided early on that they'll rob a Union Pacific train on both its eastward and westward runs, thinking that no one would expect a second robbery of the same train.The first robbery goes as planned but, unfortunately the second train robbery does not. Butch accidentally uses a bit too much dynamite to blow open the safe, and ends up blowing up an entire baggage car. While the whole gang scrambles to pick up the money that has been blown everywhere, another train arrives. This one is carrying a group of lawmen, so Butch and Sundance make a run for it. Unfortunately for them, the team of lawmen is being lead by a legendary Indian tracker. So, Butch convinces Sundance  that they should escape to Bolivia, where they do actually become successful bank robbers. But it's only a matter of time before the law catches up to them.

 On it's own the plot would make for a decent Western, but it's the chemistry between the two leads (Newman and Redford) that really takes this film from good to great.

Overall, I highly recommend this one and I give it a 4.5 out of 5.


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Western Wednesday: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

"You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend: Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly was released in 1966 and is the third film in Sergio Leone's 'Dollars Trilogy', with the others being A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More*.

This one takes much of what worked from the previous two installments and puts it all together into a 3hr epic Western. The plot really isn't too complicated; Set during the Civil War, it's essentially about three gunslingers (played by Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach) who are competing with one another to find a large sum of Confederate gold that is buried in a grave at the Sad Hill Cemetery.

So, what makes the film so good? Well, a couple of things: The cinematography is top-notch and Leone's signature style of long shots, and tension filled close-ups, not only works well in this film, but has since become synonymous with the genre. This is by far the longest of the three movies, but it clicks along at steady and entertaining pace. The score perfectly compliments and enhances the mood of the film throughout. The final showdown at the Sad Hill Cemetery is a thing of beauty, and one of my favorites in any Western. Also, like the other films in the trilogy, Clint Eastwood's performance is fantastic.

  Add all of that up and the result is not just one of best Westerns ever made, but one of the all-time great films in general. Whether you're a big fan of the genre, or just enjoy occasionally watching a Western, this one is a must-see.
   

 I give this iconic film a 5 out of 5.


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*Click here for my For a Few Dollars More review: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/a-look-back-at-for-few-dollars-more-1965.html

Western Wednesday: True Grit (1969)

It's Western Wednesday! Last week's review was of a slightly lesser known film River of No Return from 1954. (you can check out that review here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/western-wednesday-river-of-no-return.html) However, this week's title is one of the most famous Westerns, and one of my all-time favorites, 1969's True Grit. There was a decent remake of this film in 2010, and I may do a review of that one at a later date, but today my focus is on the original.

The plot is pretty simple but enjoyable. After her father is murdered by a man named Chaney, Mattie (played by Kim Darby) seeks out an aging, U.S. Marshal named "Rooster" Cogburn (played by John Wayne) to bring her father's killer to justice. It takes some convincing but Cogburn eventually agrees, and they set out to capture Chaney. They soon come across, and join forces with a Texas Ranger, named La Boeuf (played by Glen Campbell), who is also pursuing Chaney. So, all three of these people are off to track down the 'bad guy', and each has slightly different motivations, but it works well. And, of course, they eventually find Chaney, Cogburn shoots him, and Mattie's father's killer meets his end.

There's a lot to like about this movie, I find all the characters likable and memorable, the chemistry is solid, and the movie overall is very entertaining. It's also one of the all-time greatest John Wayne performances, and it even won him the Academy Award for Best Actor.

True Grit is a true classic, and I give it a 5 out of 5.

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A Look Back At 'Psycho' (1960)

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s great cinematic masterpieces (and I would even argue his best) is 1960’s Psycho. I had previously placed it on my ’10 Movies to Watch in October’ list (which you can check out here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/10-movies-to-watch-in-october.html) but I still felt like I should have given it a little more of a in-depth review.

 This is not only a great psychological horror film but a great film overall, with iconic moments, a great score, solid acting (particularly Anthony Perkins) and wall-to-wall suspense. It’s spawned a couple of sequels, a remake, and TV show. Much like Hitchcock urging theater owners not to let people to enter the theater late, because it would ruin the experience, I’ll give the setup and end it there just in case anyone reading this has not seen the movie.

The Film starts out in Phoenix, Arizona. During a hotel rendezvous while on her lunch hour, a secretary at a real estate office named Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) discusses with her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (played by John Gavin), why they can’t afford to get married because Sam is in pretty substantial debt. When Marion returns from lunch, a client comes by the office and drops off a $40,000 cash deposit for a property. Her boss asks her to deposit the money in the bank, and she asks him if she can take the rest of the afternoon off afterwards. But, she doesn’t go to the bank and instead decides to steal the money to give to Sam. So, Marion heads out of town and toward California where Sam lives. That evening, she pulls over on the side of the road and falls asleep, only to be awakened in the morning by a state trooper. He asks her a couple of questions and is suspicious about her nervous behavior but lets her to drive on anyway. Shaken by the run-in with the officer, Marion stops at a dealership and trades in her car for another and then continues on her way.

Later during her travels, it starts raining pretty heavily so she decides to stop for the night at the Bates Motel where she meets Norman Bates and the whole film take a sudden and violent turn.

Like I stated earlier, I think this is one of the all-time great films and it’s always especially good to watch around Halloween. So, if you’re one of the few who hasn’t seen it -or- if you just haven't watched it in a while, go check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

I give this film a 5 out of 5.

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...and for some more good reads check out this Book, Video game, and Comicbook blog:
Boredenthusiast.blogspot.com 

Ranking the “Rocky” Movies

Ranking the “Rocky” Movies

I put up a poll about a week ago asking which film franchise I should rank, and this is what won the poll overwhelmingly. So, here is my personal ranking of the 7 films thus far to feature Sylvester Stallone as the iconic character Rocky Balboa. Like my list ranking all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films (which you can check out here: http://onlyinthemoviesblog.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-marvel-cinematic-universe.html) this list is a worst-to-first ranking based on a variety of factors; story, initial viewing and rewatchability and, above all, how much I personally enjoyed one film over another.

#7 Rocky V -1990

There was no internal debate here for the #7 spot, it wasn't even close. This is the only one I have a hard time sitting through. The movie isn’t any fun, Rocky’s son Robert (played by Sylvester Stallone’s real-life son Sage Stallone) is awful, and the plot just doesn’t work for me.

#6 Rocky Balboa -2006

I get what they were going for with this one, but it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could’ve been. It shot passed being just a dramatic look at where the 'Italian Stallion' is at this point in his life and went straight to depressing. Unlike Rocky V, I don't hate this one, it's just not one of my favorites.

#5 Rocky III -1982

 I have mixed feelings about it this one. There are a few game-changer moments for the franchise in this film; most notably Mickey's death, and Rocky and Apollo Creed putting their rivalry aside because Rocky has to learn to fight with the "Eye of the Tiger" in order to beat Clubber Lang (played by Mr. T). It's not the strongest movie, but there's a lot to like about it.

#4 Rocky IV -1985

Interestingly enough, the #4 film in the franchise came in at #4 in my rankings. Is this the 4^th best written or acted film? Nope. But it is a ridiculous bag of fun. They went balls to the wall with this one: it’s got a great training montage, some cheesy lines, they apologetically play up the strained relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and it’s one of the most rewatchable films of the franchise.

#3 Rocky II -1979

The first sequel to the masterpiece that is 1976’s ‘Rocky’ is a satisfying continuation. A rematch between Rocky and Apollo would’ve been enough reason to watch the movie, but it's also a solid development of Rocky’s relationships with the other characters from the previous film which places this one pretty high on my list.

#2 Creed -2015

 

This film really surprised my when I saw it in the theater last year. Sylvester Stallone returns as Rocky Balboa and Michael B. Jordan joins the franchise as Adonis Creed (son of Apollo Creed). Both of these actors knock it out of the park it in this film, and it hit all the beats I was hoping it would. It’s not only one of my favorite films in this series, but also one of my favorite films to come out in the last several years.

#1 Rocky -1976

It’s one of the most iconic films in the history of American cinema. The others in the franchise have their memorable moments, but I don't think any of the other films are quite as good as the original. It's a great sports movie, it's a great drama, it won 'Best Picture', it's become the definitive underdog story... It's going to take a damn good movie to eventually knock this one out of the #1 spot.

 

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