Month: November 2021

Moviedrome Mondays: The Girl Can’t Help It (1956) and Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana (1994) (Mark Cousins intro)

by John Charet

This week’s Moviedrome Monday entry is a double-bill consisting of two comedies.

The Girl Can’t Help It (1956)

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to cult cartoonist-turned-director Frank Tashlin’s 1956 satirical rock-and-roll musical The Girl Can’t Help It. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 27, 1997 (read here). Whereas Cousins appreciates the film with reservations, I absolutely love The Girl Can’t Help It. Given his earlier background as an animation director on various 1930’s and 40’s Looney Tunes shorts at Warner Bros., it is unsurprising that The Girl Can”t Help It plays like a cartoon itself, albeit one presented in CinemaScope. The garish colors (provided by DeLuxe) emphasizes the film’s cartoonish (among many examples, think Tex Avery’s Red Hot Riding Hood) style of humor (vulgar or otherwise). In fact, the names of Tom Ewell and Jayne Mansfield’s respective characters are Tom Miller and Jerri Jordan (a la Tom and Jerry). Despite all of the numerous jokes here revolving around her body, it is Jayne Mansfield’s Jerri Jordan, who comes off (hilariously and ironically enough) as the lone rational character of the film. This is best summed up in her desire for a normal life – I just want to be a wife. Have kids. But everyone figures me for a sexpot! No one thinks I’m equipped for motherhood! Last, but not least, it features cameos from some of rock music’s biggest names of the day – Little Richard, Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent are just three of many. Read more about the film’s influence on rock music here. If any of you readers are interested, here is a list of my favorite Frank Tashlin films (read here).

Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to The Girl Can’t Help It

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Here is a youtube video link to cult director John Waters appreciation of the film

Also, here is a youtube video link to late director/producer Dan Ireland’s Trailers from Hell commentary for it

Also, here is a youtube video link to one of the film’s funniest visual comedic gags

Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana (1994)

Since I could not find a youtube video link to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to legendary Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki’s 1994 film Take Care of Your Scarf, Tatiana, readers will have to rely on Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 28, 1997 (read here). Since I have not seen the film, I can’t really comment here, though it does look fascinating.

Since I could not find a youtube video link to a trailer, one will have to do a search on the aforementioned site for various clips from it.

Moviedrome Mondays: Dazed and Confused (1993) and The Sexual Life of the Belgians (1994) (Mark Cousins intro)

by John Charet

This week’s Moviedrome Monday blog entry is a double bill consisting of two coming-of-age films set during two different decades.

Dazed and Confused (1993)

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to director/writer Richard Linklater’s 1993 cult comedy Dazed and Confused. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 20, 1997 (read here). Though Linklater has surpassed himself many times since, I do still love Dazed and Confused and it’s status (implied or otherwise) as one of the many greatest teen movies of all-time is still richly deserved. If any of you readers are interested, here is a list of my favorite Richard Linklater films (read here).

Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to Dazed and Confused

Here is another youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to Dazed and Confused

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

The Sexual Life of the Belgians (1994)

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to noted Belgian anarchist Jan Bucquoy’s 1994 film The Sexual Life of the Belgians. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 20, 1997 (read here). Sad to say, I never seen this film, but it does look interesting based on Cousins assessment of the film.

Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to The Sexual Life of the Belgians

I could not find a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer though

Moviedrome Mondays: Blue Collar (1978) and American Gigolo (1980) (Mark Cousins intro)

by John Charet

This week’s Moviedrome Monday entry is a double-bill consisting of two films directed and written by Paul Schrader.

Blue Collar (1978)

Since I could not find a youtube video link of Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to Paul Schrader’s 1978 directorial debut Blue Collar (he also co-wrote it with his brother Leonard), readers will have to rely on his intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 13, 1997 (read here). Since I can’t comment on his most recent film The Card Counter (have not seen it yet), I will say that after 2017’s First Reformed (for me his masterpiece), Blue Collar ranks as my second favorite film by Schrader as a director.

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

American Gigolo (1980)

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to Schrader’s 1980 neo-noir sexual drama American Gigolo. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was July 14, 1997 (read here). I am sorry, but I have to totally disagree with Cousins on this one. For myself, American Gigolo is a film that alternated between bad and mediocre. Visually, it perfectly captures the excess that defined the 1980’s on a whole – courtesy of it’s art deco and John Bailey’s cinematography. Giorgio Moroder’s music score – (including his involvement with Blondie’s Debbie Harry on the hit song Call Me) serves as a fitting contribution. Last, but not least, we get outstanding performances from it’s two leads, which in this case would be Richard Gere and Lauren Hutton. So now you might be wondering what my problem with American Gigolo is? Schrader’s reported intention of playing American Gigolo as a Bressonian character study feels out of place here for what becomes a routine commercial mystery. Given that the film’s visual style was influenced by Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist (a reported favorite of Schrader’s), maybe it would have been more fitting for the previously mentioned director/writer to play it as a Bertoluccian one – regardless of whether it’s more commercial aspects benefit or hinder it (the latter in this case), but that is just me. Equally problematic (as others have noted – here is Moviedromer’s thoughts below Cousins intro transcript) is the homophobia and sexism on display here – whenever these sentiments are not expressed by Gere’s lead character, they take the form of Schrader’s depiction of some of the characters as played by Bill Duke, Tom Stewart and (combing the former with the latter) Nina van Pallandt. My qualms here lie less with those aforementioned accusations against it and more with how those criticisms end up considerably damaging the result – once one combines the first half’s (supposed) Bressonian elements with the debatably more conventional ones of the second, American Gigolo can’t help but come off as sophomoric for a drama and uncharacteristic for a commercial film of this type.

Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to American Gigolo

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

Moviedrome Mondays: Exotica (1994) (Mark Cousins Intro)

by John Charet

I have posted a youtube video link below to Moviedrome presenter Mark Cousins introduction to Toronto New Wave veteran director Atom Egotan’s 1994 thought-provoking drama Exotica. Readers can also read Cousins intro transcript here. The episode’s original airdate was June 29, 1997 (read here). Cousins admits to not liking this film, so on that, I disagree with him completely. Not unlike Calendar and The Sweet Hereafter (Egoyan’s two other great films), Exotica (as others have implied) takes it’s frequent backdrop (a strip club in this case) and uses it to explore it’s themes (central among them here are lust and grief) in a way that is both emotional and intellectual. If any of you readers are interested, here is a list of my favorite Atom Egoyan films (read here).

Here is a youtube video link to Mark Cousins Moviedrome intro to Exotica

Here is a youtube video link to the film’s original theatrical trailer

John Charet’s Take On: Almost Human (1974)

by John Charet

Please note that the following may contain some spoilers so If you have not seen the film, I recommend not to continue reading from here.

Although some have implied that Almost Human ranks as the number one best poliziotteschi film ever, I am not too sure. Nevertheless, I do agree that it ranks as one of the many greatest ones. Almost Human (like many poliziotteschi entries made before and after it) may have been shot on a shoestring, but what it lacked in it’s budget, more than compensated with their truly gritty flavor.

In Milan, homicidal small-time thief Giulio Sacchi (Tomas Milian) aspires to get rich, so he hatches up a plan to kidnap the daughter (Laura Belli) of a wealthy businessman (Giudo Alberti). Using his girlfriend’s (Anita Strindberg) car as transportation, Sacchi then buys a bunch of guns from an old acquaintance (Pippa Starnazza). Simultaneously, Sacchi hires some hoods to execute the kidnapping. At first, Sacchi’s plan looks like a success, but as Inspector Walter Grandi (Henry Silva) and his team of cops begin to slowly put the pieces together, Sacchi loses his sanity and in the process, jeopardizes the lives of everyone around him.

I will not go any further with the plot from here, just watch for yourselves. As for Tomas Milian himself, he was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his electrifying performance here as the psychotic Giulio Sacchi. One minute he is quick-witted and then the next, suddenly incompetent. Speaking of the latter, check out the scenes featuring his mob boss Ugo Maione (Luciano Catenacci) beating the crap out of Sacchi for screwing up – can you really blame him? Perverted? Aside from the kidnapped girl, Sacchi rapes two women during that notorious home invasion sequence. Sadistic? Once again, read that last sentence. Murderous? He does not seem to mind killing his girlfriend, an old colleague or his own goons. Along with Malcolm McDowell’s Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange, Milian’s Giulio Sacchi is truly bad to the bone. While not the scene-stealer that Milian is, veteran tough-guy actor Henry Silva offers excellent support as detective Walter Grandi, who credibly dishes out Dirty Harry Callahan-like justice.

* * * * (Out of * * * *) stars

Here is a youtube video link to what may be the film’s American trailer (released under the title The Death Dealer)

P.S. I also want to give a huge shout out to Steve (a fellow reader of this blog) for introducing me to this excellent film 🙂 If any of you readers are interested in watching his videos (and I am one of them), click here to view his youtube channel – great stuff indeed 🙂