The Right Stuff review

 Number 384 on the top 1000 films of all time is the 1983 historical drama film 'The Right Stuff.'

The Right Stuff portrays the true story of the Mercury Seven - a group of Navy, Marine and Test pilots who were picked for Project Mercury - the US first manned space mission. It also tells the story of Captain Chuck Yeager (Sam Shephard) - the first person to fly at supersonic speed. The astronauts consist of Air Force captains Virgil 'Gus' Grissom (Fred Ward) Gordon "Gordo" Cooper (Dennis Quaid,) Donald "Deke" Slayton (Scott Paulin,) Marine corps pilot John Glenn (Ed Harris) and Navy pilots Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn,) Walter Schirra (Lance Henriksen) and Scott Carpenter (Charles Frank.)

Coming in at 192 minutes, this is an epic film in every sense of the word. Yes, it was depicting a monumental moment in not just American history, but the history of mankind, but did the film need to be so long? It is a slow-paced film that dragged in a lot of places and was also somewhat lacking in conflict and tension. Of course, you can argue there was never going to be that much dramatic tension in the film - we know that Project Mercury was ultimately a success, but still the film was boring and bloated.

Originally, William Goldman was hired to write the script, but he completely ignored the contributions of Chuck Yeager. Director Philip Kaufman and producer Irvin Wrinkler disagreed with this and instead Kaufman used his own script. That's why we see Chuck Yeager at the beginning of the film making history. After many failures to break the sound barrier, he does what nobody else has done before.

From here we get a loose sketch of the different main characters who soon blended into each other. I can only really remember John Glenn, due to Ed Harris' stardom, and Gus Grissom, for reasons I'll explain later. 

I understand that Kaufman and Wrinkler had to stick to the historical record, which might explain why there wasn't too much drama, but more things could have gone. Perhaps they could have taken some more creative license to amp up the tension. True there were scenes of the pilot's wives worried about their safety, but these were little more than minor inconveniences. As a whole the female characters were overshadowed by the men. They could have contributed more to the film.

The most drama came from Grissom's space flight where he lands in the ocean and possibly panicking blows the hatch early leading to the spacecraft flooding and ending up on the seabed. As such he is denied the same prestige awarded to Alan Shepard. 

Although this storyline did face some criticism for unfairly portraying Grissom as a coward, instead of acknowledging a mechanical fault with the spacecraft, it certainly injected a shot of life into this film. It also made Grissom one of the more memorable and sympathetic characters.

No doubt, the Right Stuff was portraying one of the most important moments in not only the history of space travel, but also the history of the mankind, but it could have done so in a shorter, more engaging way. The Right Stuff for Project Mercury? Sure. The right stuff for an entertaining film? Not so much.

Bride of Frankenstein (1935) review

 Number 380 on the top 1000 films of all time is James Whale's Gothic horror film 'Bride of Frankenstein.'

Sequel to Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein portrays a previously un-filmed subplot of Mary Shelley's original novel. Scientist Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) and his mentor Doctor Pretorius (Ernest Thesiger) work to create a "Bride" for the monster (Boris Karloff )they created in the last film.

The original story was the birthchild of Mary Shelley when she, her husband Percy Shelley, Lord Byron are stuck inside on a rainy, miserable day. To stave off the boredom, they challenge themselves to tell the scariest ghost stories ever and, so Frankenstein, was borne. Bride of Frankenstein began by portraying this very incident in a way to establish some continuity (more on this later) between it and its successor, but I don't think this was necessary. I think any viewer could have filled in the gaps quite easily. 

A criticism I had for the original film was their unfair portrayal of Frankenstein's monster. In the original novel, he is portrayed as an intelligent and articulate, if hideous being. In Frankenstein, he is little more than a simple-minded beast. This edition helped to rectify that mistake. He's still far from being any type of Renaissance man, but we do see more depth to his character. 

He's not just an animal now, but somebody desperately looking for friendship like when he befriends a blind hermit who teaches him how to speak and how to enjoy life. Boris Karloff should also be credited for bringing some humanity to a monster that everybody misunderstands. Rather than being a mindless brute, he's more something to be pitied. 

This film also helps to develop Henry Frankenstein. Far from being a mad scientist, he still wants to continue his pursuit to the secret of life and immortality. Again, he has more depth than the first film.

At the start, I talked about continuity. I know this film was only made in the 1930's but there were a whole slieu of continuity errors. One I particularly remember was when the hermit was showing the monster how to smoke. He passes his cigar to him, but in the next cut, both characters have lit cigars. 

Bride of Frankenstein was enjoyable enough with well-developed characters, despite its dodgy editing.

Ed Wood review

 Number 378 on the top 1000 films of all time is Tim Burton's 1994 biographical comedy-drama 'Ed Wood.'

Ed Wood (Johnny Depp) tells the real-life story of the film-maker Ed Wood and his ascension through the Hollywood ranks to become affectionately known as the "Worst Director of All Time." The film portrays his personal and professional relationships including with Dracula actor Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau) and drag queen John "Bunny" Breckinridge (Bill Murray.) Sarah Jessica Parker plays Ed Wood's first girlfriend Dolores Fuller, but when their relationship deteriorates he starts anew with Kathy O'Hara (Patricia Arquette.)

Tim Burton is well-known for gothic horror and dark fantasy films being the director of such films like Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands and Beetlejuice. Yet Ed Wood was an interesting mixture of the real and the fantasy. Being a biopic, the story was founded in truth. It portrayed the life of famed B-movie director Ed Wood, but did so through a fantasy lens. The use of black-and-white gave the film a timeless element - although it was depicting the 50s it could have been set anywhere. Martin Landau and Johnny Depp's performances were suitably surreal too.

Johnny Depp has become well-known for playing off-the-wall eccentric characters. We've already talked about Edward Scissorhands, but there's also Sweeney Todd, Willy Wonka and of course, his most famous role, Captain Jack Sparrow. I would argue that Ed Wood was just as off-the-wall and as eccentric as any of these characters. He soon became known for his unconventional production techniques such as providing little direction for his actors, only shooting one take and filling any gaps with stock footage. Having said that, George Lucas was also notorious for only saying "faster" and "more intense" to his actors, so maybe that point isn't that unconventional, but I digress. 

And, most eccentrically of all, there was also Ed Wood's transvestism. Yet despite all this, Johnny Depp gave a three-dimensional and well-rounded portrayal of the ill-celebrated director. Granted both and he and Burton admitted to being overly-sympathetic side to Wood. Reportedly, the real-life director suffered from alcoholism so bad it was the true reason why Dolores left him. These scenes were not included in the film.

Finally, let's talk about Martin Landau who won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for playing Bela Lugosi. In the fifties, Bela Lugosi's best days were long behind him. Similar to Ed Wood he also had his own alcohol problems. Yet his collaborations with the ill-famed director saw a minor resurgence to his career. Just like Depp, Landau brought a vulnerability and tenderness to the damaged character.

Ed Wood was an enjoyable enough film. It had all the surrealism and eccentricity you would expect from a Tim Burton film and it also had Johnny Depp in one of his trademark off-the-wall roles. 

Dead Poet's Society review

 Number 375 on the top 1000 films of all time is the coming-of-age drama 'Dead Poet's Society.'

John Keating (Robin Williams) is the new English teacher at the prestigious prepatory Welton school - a school that prides itself on its devotion to tradition and discipline. He inspires a group of students led by Neil Perry (Robert Sean Leonard) and including the shy Todd Anderson (Ethan Hawke) to break free of the school's draconian measures by embracing the world of poetry.

While watching this, I couldn't help but be reminded of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Keating is the Mcmurphy character rallying the students to rebel against the apparently tyrannical school regime. Except 'Dead Poet's Society' failed to hit the same emotional heights. It was quite lacklustre.

The stakes never felt high enough nor did the school feel tyrannical enough. Headmaster Dr Gale Nolan (Norman Lloyd) wasn't as fearsome as Nurse Ratched. There were vague threats of the student's individuality and creativity being wiped out, but they were never really capitalised upon. True, one of the students does get paddled, but even that never felt particularly serious. And Dr Nolan wasn't as menacing as he could have been.

Robert Sean Leonard and Ethan Hawke were certainly enjoyable enough in the lead roles. It was nice to Anderson's transformation from a shy to a more confident student. It was difficult to believe this was the same Hawke who wowed audiences in Training Day or the Before trilogy. But the rest of the gang faded into one another. I also found it very unlikely that a group of teenage boys would rebel against the system by running into the woods and reciting poetry rather than drinking or smoking weed. Having said that, these are posh, private school kids. Anything's possible with them.

Robin Williams was the definite highlight of the film. He gave a restrained performance that was hilarious at moments, but heartfelt in others. I particularly enjoyed his impressions of the different celebrities of the time.

Dead Poet's Society wasn't a bad film by any means, but it also could have been a lot better.

Bonnie and Clyde review

 Number 374 on the top 1000 films of all time is Arthur Penn's 1967 biographical crime drama 'Bonnie and Clyde.'

Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) and Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) were two bank robbers who terrorised the US during the Great Depression. This film dramatised their life, as well as the lives of their gang consisting of the dim-witted C.W Moss (Michael J. Pollard,) Clyde's brother Buck (Gene Hackman,) Buck's wife Blanche (Estelle Parsons) and briefly undertaker Eugene Grizzard (Gene Wilder) in his debut role.

Bonnie and Clyde changed the way films were seen forever. It was one of the first films to embrace the changing of the production code, which allowed a lot more violence, swearing and sex in cinema. And Bonnie and Clyde was a violent film with gunfire galore especially in the film's most climatic sequences.

It also had two great performances from leads Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway who played the titular robbers. Beatty had all the charisma you would expect from a gang leader. He was handsome, charming but also a complete maniac. Far form being the Robin Hood type, he would do anything to protect himself and his family.

That includes his brother played by the always welcome Gene Hackman. Hackman was every bit Beatty's equal matching his charisma and manic energy, as well as being deeply devoted to his Blanche. She was the weak point of the film. When she becomes an unwilling accomplice to the Barrow Gang, she spends much of the film screaming, whining and fighting with Bonnie who wants her gone.

I was surprised to learn that actress Estelle Parsons won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role, because the character was little more than a screaming mess. The real-life Blanche Barrow also criticised her portrayal saying it depicted her as a "screaming horse's ass." It's an accurate criticism. No disrespect to Parsons, but it was a bad characterisation.

Bonnie was a far better character played well by Faye Dunaway. Rather than a piece of plasticine to be moulded by Clyde, she was a willing accomplice in every sense of the word. Her unpredictable energy made her so interesting to watch.

And a quick shoutout to Gene Wilder whose small supporting role provided some much-needed levity to what was otherwise a violent, intense, but good film. 

Almost Famous review

 Number 369 on the top 1000 films of all time is Cameron Crowe's 2000 comedy-drama 'Almost Famous.'

William Miller (Patrick Fugit) is an aspiring journalist living under the thumb of his oppressive mother Elaine during the early 1970's. (Frances Mcdormand.) At the urging of his older sister, he starts rebelling by listening to rock music. But then music magazine editor Lester Bangs (Philip Seymour Hoffman) takes him under his wing. To further his career, William then joins rock band Stillwater as they tour the US.

This was an entertaining, if not amazing, coming-of-age drama ticking off all the boxes you would expect from the genre. You had William as the lost teenage protagonist looking for direction life his oppressive, over-protective parental figure - Elaine and the mentor character of Lester Bangs.

I think Frances Mcdormand showed why she went onto win three best Actress Oscars, as she was great as William's mother. It would be all too easy to play her as a cartoonish caricature, but Elaine's overprotective nature felt all too real. She was never being malicious or over-the-top, but she just wanted the best for her son.

Yet she wasn't the only future Oscar winner in the cast, as we also saw Philip Seymour Hoffman in a supporting role. He was one of the most versatile actors of his generation and he put that to good use playing William's mentor. It's a shame he didn't have more screentime - then again, he was suffering from the flu when filming, so perhaps that was for the best.

Cameron Crowe won the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for his semi-autobiographical script loosely based on his own experiences writing for Rolling Stone Magazine in the seventies. Almost Famous certainly had an air of realism to it.

Although the film lost something when William started following Stillwater around the US. The exploration of the band wasn't as deep as it could have been with much of the tension focussing on the conflict between the lead singer Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee) and lead guitarist Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup) with the rest of the band being largely forgotten about. Having said that, it's probably quite a common occurrence in most bands.

This film was enjoyable enough if overlong. Maybe I was just watching a dodgy bootleg, but it did feel longer than the advertised two-hour runtime.

The Conversation review

 Number 365 on the top 1000 films of all time is Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 neo-noir mystery thriller 'The Conversation.'

Harry R Caul (Gene Hackman) and Stan Ross (John Cazale) are surveillance experts investigating a couple in Union Square. Upon listening to their conversations, Caul becomes convinced they're going to be murdered. He soon descends into paranoia, as he tries to save their lives.

The Conversation came only two years after Coppola won the Best Writing Oscar for The Godfather, only a few months before he won the Best Directing Oscar for the Godfather Part 2 and three years after Gene Hackman won the Best Actor Oscar for the French Connection. These two creatives were at the top of their game when they met to make a tense and enthralling film.

Yet everything is so quiet and understated. Subtext is key in so many films, which was so especially true in the Conversation, where there was so much power in what was left unsaid. Coppola dialled into this with the subtext- more specifically Caul's misunderstanding of it helping to propel the film along. This all leads to a very satisfactory twist-ending, which I won't spoil here. As for the hidden bug? Maybe it's in the saxophone? Maybe there isn't one at all? Maybe it's only Caul's paranoia?

Hackman was terrific in the lead role portraying Caul's descent into obsession well. It felt real and authentic. Cazale was also good as the foil to Caul - the one character trying to keep him in check.

And as you might expect from a film like this, the sound mixing was very good. The titular conversation between the couple being spied upon is played throughout the film and is always audible even if the audience aren't aware of its importance.

Paranoia was a key theme of the film. It was something Coppola portrayed masterfully. A good film all around.