The only real reason I liked parts of this early Francis Ford Coppola work was The Lovin' Spoonful. Otherwise, it's not at all what I was expecting full of whimsy and oddly disconcerting relationships between characters.
The on-location shooting in New York also makes this one into a bit of a 60s time capsule. Take it with a grain of salt...and copious amounts of milk.
The Beatnik campiness makes it kind of interesting thanks to the likes of Russ Tamblyn, Mamie Van Doren, Jerry Lee Lewis, and more. Otherwise, there's nothing here but a tacky drug, rock n' roll, and slang-filled pastiche of 1950s high schoolers. Admittedly that's pretty entertaining in a laughable sort of way. Part exploitation and another part public service announcement.
I had forgotten how good Howard Hawk's Rio Bravo is. Most any western with John Wayne is easily watchable, but this film boasts a extraordinary cast including some mainstays of the genre like Walter Brennan and Ward Bond. However, you also have some other stars that you do not associate with westerns. Namely Dean Martin, Angie Dickinson, and Ricky Nelson. Each one delivers a fun, likable, and even moving performance.
This western has been allegedly labeled as an answer to…
As cliche as it will sound this is one of those films that transcends the years for me. It is still that powerful after so many decades.
Using low angles and numerous close ups Carl Theodor Dreyer pulled me into this story early on. It was tense and claustrophobic causing the viewer to become emotionally involved in the trial and the plight that surrounded Joan.
The actors that he chose have wonderfully expressive visages that are so distinct even with…
