Hi friends! This month’s blind spot proved to be one of those movies that’s much more fun to talk about than to watch. It’s 1963’s Cleopatra. The film that almost bankrupted 20th Century Fox. Honestly I thought it would be better. I knew it was super long. That’s why I hadn’t watched it but I thought it would be more campy fun but it’s really not. I was shocked how many long processionals there are where nothing is happening. You could almost have it as a screensaver and get as much entertainment out of it.
That said, my friend Molly and I had a great time talking about it on the podcast. Just the story of the producer Walter Wanger is worth its own podcast episode. It’s available on all the podcast platforms so give it a listen.
Next month is the musical Sweet Charity so that should be really fun to check off of my blind spot list!
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Hi friends! I would just like to apologize for the lack of attention my written reviews have been getting lately. With working at KSL Movie Show reviews in other formats have been monopolizing all of my time. I have still been doing written reviews for theatre which you should check out but it just hasn’t been possible to write and make all the other content I need to make lately. But we do have blind spot and it was a fun pick for August. Manda had seen David Fincher’s Fight Club but I never had so we watched it and talked about it together.
This, of course, is one of those movies one hears about but for whatever reason I just hadn’t seen it. Given it was made in 1999 the year I started college I probably would have loved it if I had seen it back then. It’s fascinating how many movies were made during those late 90s years about work both dramatic and comedic in tone. It is definitely something that was on the mind at that time.
The thing about Fight Club is I don’t know if I needed it to have the added meta layer of Tyler Durden and the multiple personalities. If it had just been a fight club as a rebellion against office slavery it might have been enough? What do you think?
Still, I really enjoyed the movie and it was a lot of fun to talk about with Manda. It’s very well-made and acted and speaks to anyone who has been unhappy with the life they’ve been given. I mentioned on the pod that Fight Club really isn’t that different in themes and ideas from Office Space (a film I adore) which makes sense as they were both released the same year.
It’s also a great looking film and tightly edited making it not drag the way some of Fincher films can. Overall it’s a good and entertaining film with an intriguing premise that invites debate and discussion. It’s certainly one I’m glad to have checked off my blind spot list. (I like it much better than Gone Girl...)
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First thing I want to apologize for not posting this in July. Lately I’ve been so focused on the podcast and being on KSL Movie Show that I admit to letting my written work fall to the wayside. I guess on the plus this episode of the Blind Spot Project did very well which makes me happy. Thanks to any who listened/watched
July’s entry in the series is the supernatural rom-com from 1958 Bell, Book and Candle. What intrigued me about this film is on the Hallmark show Good WitchCassie’s store is called the Bell, Book and Candle. It’s also interesting that its stars Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak also starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo that same year. They even both have superstitious elements but one is played for romance and laughs and one for thrills.
As far as Bell, Book and Candle it’s a cute romantic comedy. I am sure that Practical Magic was heavily influenced by it as well as other films that merge spooky aesthetics with romance. The plot centers around Novak’s character who is a witch and witches in this world lose their power when they fall in love. Thinking she has control over her feelings she puts a hex on Stewart so he falls in love with her because she hates his fiancé played by Janice Rule. This does bring in some modern questions about agency but the movie doesn’t totally ignore them either and Novak pays a cost for her wrong actions.
Still, it’s a fun light-hearted film that I enjoyed watching. Novak and Stewart have good chemistry and Jack Lemmon and Hermione Gingold as fellow witches trying to help Novak make her decision about love and witchcraft. This is also a film that looks great with a cool 1950s style to it.
If you haven’t seen Bell, Book and Candle I recommend it and it is free to watch on Tubi.
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When we were first setting up the Blind Spot films for 2025 putting Rush on the same month as the release of F1: the Movie made a lot of sense. They are both Formula 1 movies and one could assume they are quite similar. Now after seeing both they are actually quite different with merely the shared background of professional racing.
You can read more of my thoughts on F1 here but I really enjoyed it as a piece of underdog sports entertainment (a favorite genre of mine.) I l0ve how visceral and exciting the racing sequences are and found Brad Pitt to be charming and easy to root for.
In contrast, Rush has a different appeal. It can’t be an underdog sports movie because it’s a true story and that narrative just isn’t there. It’s more a rivalry between racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda in the 70s. The problem is Hunt won a race in the rain under controversy and then gave up racing so there isn’t the dramatic victory (or even epic fail) like we see in underdog sports racing. Instead we see these two men as they battle it out largely in the world of public relations and are left to wonder are they friends at all?
Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl play the two racers and they are believable in the roles. Brühl has a more compelling arc as he marries and tries to start a family. His relationship helps him have a more grounded understanding of life compared to Hunt but there is still something off-putting about his character. It really is a character piece more than it’s a racing movie.
The racing scenes by Ron Howard are fun enough but largely shown from the perspective of people watching TV of the races instead of in the drivers seat like in F1. It is interesting that both films have the same composer Hans Zimmer which is probably their greatest similarity.
I enjoyed the experience of watching F1 more than Rush but like I said they really are quite different films. The journey is still compelling in Rush and worth your time but more for the characters than the entertaining sports movie of it all. Make sure you check out the podcast for more of my thoughts (Manda disagreed with me on both of these films so don’t miss the fun discussion!)
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Another Halloween has come and gone and I hope you had a great time with your friends and family. My friend Jacks was in town, and we went to a lot of theatre and had a blast. We even had a theatre themed costume (angel and devil Evan Hansen lol)
This month for blind spot I actually ended up checking 2 movies off of my list from director John Carpenter: 1982’s The Thing and 1998’s Vampires. You can hear my discussion with Manda about both movies below:
The Thing
It’s interesting how certain films can grow and evolve over time. This is certainly the case with John Carpenter’s The Thing. When it was first released it received mostly negative reviews including a thumbs down from Roger Ebert (Siskel gave it a mild recommendation.) Since then it has grown in estimation but I had heard it is a very gross movie so I put off seeing it. Now the blind spot series was the perfect chance to check it off my list, and I’m so glad I did. The Thing is a movie that keeps things simple but is extremely effective in that simplicity.
In the film Kurt Russell plays a man named MacReady who as a scientist at Antarctica comes across a parasite-like alien that when implanted in an organism becomes a deadly mimic of its host. This is what makes the film scary because the things they trust are actually infected and the characters don’t realize it until too late.
It’s hard to believe The Thing wasn’t at least respected for the craft on display. The incredible creature designs by Rob Bottin and cinematography from Dean Cundey immerse the viewer in the experience and we are never left bored or distracted from the experience with Bill Lancaster’s incredibly tight screenplay.
That said, I don’t know that the film is saying anything profound like most good scifi horror like this does but sometimes its perfectly fine for a movie to just be a fun time and that’s what The Thing is. I really enjoyed it.
Smile Worthy
VAMPIRES
I would say John Carpenter’s Vampires is less successful than The Thing but it is still overall a fun time for fans of vampire flicks. In both movies Carpenter keeps things simple and entertaining. The Thing just has better central characters than Vampires.
In Vampires James Woods leads the cast with a lot of charisma as he and Daniel Baldwin seek to take down a vampire leader named Valek. There’s some fun action set-pieces and fights that go down and Thomas Ian Griffith plays Valek with a lot of energy.
The problem is so much of the plot depends on Baldwin’s infatuation with a bitten woman he just met named Katrina played by Sheryl Lee. He’s supposed to be a master vampire hunter; thereby, making a lot of his choices nonsensical and frustrating when it comes to Katrina.
Still, Woods has a ton of fun with the role and at under 2 hours Vampires doesn’t wear out its welcome.
Smile Worthy
At this point I have seen 4 Carpenter films and have recommended all of them (Halloween, Big Trouble Little China, The Thing, and Vampires.) I am sure he has his clunkers but he is definitely one of our strongest directors and certainly one of the best in the horror genre. What’s your favorite Carpenter film?
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Every so often with this blind spot series the backstory behind a film is more interesting than the actual film itself. Nowhere is that more true than for The Magnificent Ambersons from 1942. In a weird way the fact the film was basically stolen from Orson Welles and edited within an inch of its life by RKO makes it more memorable than it might have ever ever normally been. I suppose that is hard to say because we can’t view his original vision which was 40 minutes longer with a different ending but it certainly couldn’t have been as vanilla and bland as the finished product the studio came up with.
Manda and I have recorded our episode on this film and we had a great time together because we are good friends and always do but it really is not a film that stood out to either of us. You can see Welles’ craft with the camera and there are some good acting scenes but it lacks the melodrama you want from a dishy family soap opera like this should be. It’s more like Meet Me in St Louisthan Giant but without the catchy tunes or romance.
The best parts of the movie come from Agnes Moorehead who plays Fanny the Aunt of selfish young man George who is trampled on and abused until she finally has it in the famous boiler room speech. It is definitely the most memorable moment of the film.
Another memorable scene comes when George realizes he can make more money at the chemical plant than as a lawyer and he walks around the factories bemoaning what has happened to his beloved class of people and family money. Most of the rest is pretty forgettable.
It’s very sad what RKO did to Welles especially when you understand that he was down in Brazil filming a movie as part of the Good Neighbor Program which was working to court goodwill with the South and Latin American neighbors and to keep them on our side. Here he was literally doing something patriotic for the world-at-large and was repaid by losing any say in the film he’d worked so hard on. It’s too bad they didn’t have a Save the Welles Cut situation back then because I know all of us classic film fans would love to see it.
If you haven’t seen The Magnificent Ambersons I think it is worth seeing as a piece of film history and for Moorehead’s performance but that’s about it. Like I said, it’s more interesting for the backstory than the film itself. It’s too bad but it sometimes happens even today.
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Each year when I make my Blind Spot selections I try to pick a variety to keep it fun for me and hopefully for my readers. There’s some international and arthouse favorites. Some critical darlings and box office successes I’ve missed and also some cult classics with a devoted following. This month’s pick, 1997’s Face/Off is the latter and I’m happy to finally check it off my list. It has some problems, mostly with pacing, but the premise is entertaining enough and the 2 lead performances are so good that it works.
Face/Off is directed by Hong Kong legend John Woo, and I must be honest it’s the first of his films I have seen. My friend said she would give me a list of Hong Kong action to watch so I hopefully will make up for that but you can definitely feel his action roots in this film. The action is guttural and brutal with no punches being pulled. Even children and teens are put in peril with shocking results.
We also have the entertaining premise of Nic Cage and John Travolta switching faces in a new technology (the former is a ‘criminal mastermind’ Castor Troy, and the latter is the FBI agent, Sean Archer, who’s son was murdered by Troy. )Both actors are up for the camp factor of portraying the other’s personality traits and ticks and these antics are the best part of the movie.
Unfortunately it is also way too long and the premise starts to lose its novelty after a bit and things start to feel repetitive. This movie would be so much better at a 90-100 minute mark not 138. However, the supporting cast is also excellent with the likes of Joan Allen, Gina Gershon, James Denton (I’ve interviewed him!) and Margaret Cho.
All that said, Face/Off is a fun ride and when it works it really does work. I know there have been long talks of doing a sequel and I don’t know if that would be successful given the age of Cage and Travolta but a spinoff with them as “mentors” could be fun.
7 out of 10
Smile Worthy
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Last year as part of my Criterion Project I was introduced to the famed Japanese filmmaker Yasujiro Ozu and his film Late Spring. It was one of my favorite episodes of the podcast as we had Dave Fiore and Elise Moore from the There’s Sometimes a Buggy podcast. They are experts on classic film, Ozu, and actress Setsuko Hara who stars in Late Spring and other Ozu films. I enjoyed our discussion so much that it inspired me to pick another Ozu film for Blind Spot this month: Tokyo Story and it proves to be another winner.
There are some people who will find Tokyo Story to be boring and I can understand that as not much happens plot-wise. However, not all movies are about the plot. Some are about the characters and giving us a chance to walk in the shoes of other humans for a couple of hours. That’s what Ozu does here in Tokyo Story. I defy any viewer to not relate to these characters- even when they are being petty and frustrating (maybe especially when they are so?)
Tokyo Story tells the story of an elderly couple who come to Tokyo to see their grown up children including a daughter-in law Noriko who was married to a son killed in World War II. None of the couple’s children have time for their parents but their busyness is understandable and most of us have been annoyed by family even if we don’t want to admit it. At one point the Father says “losing your children is hard but living with them isn’t easy either.” I don’t have any children myself but isn’t that the case with family? We love them fiercely but also wish we could be alone away from them at the same time. Who can’t relate to such feelings?
The daughter-in-law played by Hara is the kindest and most welcoming to the couple and a lot of that comes from the natural warmth and kindness the actress embodies in all her roles. I also think every family has the person who keeps everyone together and happy (I am not that person…) just like Noriko does for her adopted family.
Ozu and his cinematographer Yūharu Atsuta have crafted a beautiful, intimate film with Tokyo Story that feels like it could have been made today instead of 1953. In fact, if it was remade today I don’t know if anything would be different with this family except there would be more ways to communicate and as a result more ways to forget each other. It’s a very sad story but oddly comforting to know that flawed families exist in every society, in every era, and maybe we can all be more like Noriko and be kinder to our loved ones?
9 out of 10
Smile Worthy
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Happy Valentines Day! Every year when I make my blind spot picks I try to have a variety- everything from cult classics, to popular popcorn flicks to beloved classics. In February I often try and find a romance I haven’t seen, which considering my extensive coverage of the genre is tough to do. Most of the big hits I’ve seen so I try to find hidden gems that might be worth checking out. Such is the case with today’s entry the 1937 screwball comedy It’s Love I’m After.
In many ways this film feels like a dry-run for the all-time classic All About Eve, which also stars Bette Davis, and has similar plot-points; although, this is more of an outright farce. In the film Olivia de Havilland plays a woman named Marcia who has an infatuation with an actor named Basil Underwood played by Leslie Howard. She isn’t as underhanded as Eve Harrington but she is equally persistent.
The main difference between the plots is in It’s Love I’m After Davis and Howard aren’t married. In fact, they keep delaying their wedding because of work and other disagreements they have. Eventually Marcia’s persistent overtures cause them to call off another wedding things get crazy as is want to be the case with screwball comedies.
The strength of this film is in 3 leads. They all play off each other well and have terrific chemistry. I’ve always found Howard to be quite annoying in Gone with the Wind so it was nice to see him here in a charming leading role (he also gets to show off lots of Shakespeare as our famous stage actor). Of course, he and de Haviland would work together again in Gone with the Wind but I prefer them in this, even if her role is somewhat one-note.
Davis is such a terrific actor and excels at playing manic characters with more than a hint of sarcasm and she does that here. Her and Howard are great together and it’s fun to see her first take on this kind of character she would perfect in All About Eve years later.
I wouldn’t say It’s Love I’m After is a masterpiece but it’s an enjoyable entry in the screwball comedy genre and one I’m glad I took time to watch this month. Have you seen it? I would love to hear your thoughts if you have and what are your favorite classic rom-coms?
7 out of 10
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