Best and Worst (2015)

You may have noticed that I haven’t reviewed all that many movies in recent years. As I explained in November, I wanted to catch up on some popular television shows over the spring and summer, but that’s not the only reason I have slowed down. To be honest, it is sometimes difficult for me to maintain my passion for this blog. I reviewed most of my favourite movies years ago, and it’s tough to get excited about forgettable crap like Hot Stuff or Gang Related. Last January, I even neglected to compile my annual Best and Worst lists. 

Well, I’m going to correct that mistake right now. And since I didn’t write very many reviews in 2015 or 2016, I’m going to merge the “Best” (10/10 stars) and “Honourable Mention” (9/10 stars) categories. 

The Best Movies I reviewed in 2015 (10/10 stars, or 9/10 stars, in no particular order): 

Paris Texas

Mortal Thoughts

Career Girls

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Arthur

American Gangster

Death on the Nile

Rear Window

North by Northwest

Vertigo

The Usual Suspects

Wonder Boys

The Bridge at Remagen

The Bridge on the River Kwai

A Scanner, Darkly

Paths of Glory

    The Worst Movies I reviewed in 2015 (less than 5 stars, in no particular order): 

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn

Smokey and the Bandit II

Chasers

Body Shots

A New Life

Wholly Moses

The Brothers

Tank

Every Which Way But Loose

Terminal Island

Young Frankenstein

The American

The Great Raid

The Rocky HorrorPicture Show

Heavy Traffic

Gardens of Stone (1987)

Vietnam War Movie #4 

Synopsis: Did you ever want to see a soldier’s-eye-view of the Vietnam War that’s basically a series of Georgetown receptions and dinner parties, and that doesn’t actually take place in Vietnam? This is your lucky day! 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “GARDENS OF STONE takes a different look at the Vietnam era – a drama that captures the anguishing effect of the war on the relationships of the men and women at home.” 

What Did I Learn?: 1) Worms employ asexual reproduction; 2) Second Lieutenant is probably the worst job in the US Army. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You're in the mood for something slow, quiet and introspective.

 

Really?: 1) I could see Sgt. Hazard lending Willow a few bucks for his big date, but he throws in his car and his bachelor pad? He’s certainly a prince of a guy! 2) I realize they’re playing war games, but I’m sure Hazard could get away with kidnapping his superior officer (Dean Stockwell) without facing some sort of court martial afterwards. 

Rating: Gardens of Stone is a very slow-moving, but ultimately worthwhile character-driven drama about Vietnam-era fighting men and the women who love them. Gardens of Stone features a number of great performances – Angelica Huston as a passionate anti-war reporter, James Earl Jones as a cynical Master-Sergeant who has seen it all, and D.B. Sweeney as the eager young recruit who really wants to make a difference, but James Caan really carries the film as Sgt. Hazard – a decent and decorated veteran who knows the war is unwinnable, and rages against the slaughter of good men. Highly recommended. 9/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093073/?ref_=nv_sr_1

BAT 21 (1988)

Vietnam War Movie # 3 

Synopsis Haiku:

 

A plane is shot down.

Hackman runs through the jungle.

Glover lends an ear. 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Gene Hackman and Danny Glover star in this riveting true story that’s more about friendship than war.” 

What Did I Learn?: 1) Apparently, it’s ok to disobey a direct order from a superior officer (and steal his personal helicopter) as long as your heart is in the right place, and you’re super-committed to doing your job. 2) It’s useful to have an encyclopedic/photographic memory of every single golf course you’ve ever played upon. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You figured it must be 106 minutes of this.

 

Really?: 1) See: “What Did I Learn?” 2) Again, see: “What Did I Learn?” (How could Hackman's character remember the layout, length, width and terrain of so many golf course holes? How much golf does this guy play?)

Rating: BAT 21 is a realistic (it's based upon a true story), suspenseful, and very relatable war movie about a middle-aged Air Force officer without any combat experience who suddenly finds himself behind enemy lines. Hackman and Glover share some great chemistry, and it’s worth checking out if you get the chance. 8/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094712/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Off Limits (1988)

Vietnam War Movie # 2 

Synopsis: Salt-and-pepper military cops track down sicko serial killer in 1968 Saigon. Ok, so it’s basically Casualties of War meets Lethal Weapon/Running Scared. 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “Going Too Far Is What They Do Best.” 

What Did I Learn?: “Bullshit and science rule the world.”

You Might Like This Movie If: You know that nothing is ever really off-limits.

 

Really?: 1) [NO SPOILERS] is the killer? The only other major character with whom the two leads interact? Isn’t that a bit ridiculous? Come to think of it, why would he save their lives when they run afoul of the local constabulary? 2) I realize McGriff (Willem Dafoe) and Perkins (Gregory Hines) are decent and dedicated cops, but I had a hard time believing they would antagonize senior officers and drop their other responsibilities (tackling drug use among the troops, and tracking down deserters, for instance) in order to pursue a case that really belongs to the Saigon police. 

Rating: Off Limits is an enjoyable, albeit somewhat contrived and often-sleazy thriller that’s more of a police procedural than a Vietnam War movie. Off Limits isn’t bad for an evening’s entertainment, but I have to deduct at least one star for a terrible ending (see: “Really?”). 6.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095774/?ref_=nv_sr_1

The Green Berets (1968)

Back in 2012, I had the pleasure of reviewing a number of Vietnam War movies including Go Tell the Spartans, The Deer Hunter and Apocalypse Now.  I always intended to review The Green Berets, but I never owned a copy of it until recently. 

Oh, Happy New Year! At some point in 2017, I will tackle a related film genre: Coming Home From Vietnam movies.

Vietnam War Movie #1 

Synopsis: The Duke single-handedly wipes out the Viet Cong. 

Blurb From the VHS Jacket: “The fire-packed granddaddy of all Vietnam War films.” 

What Did I Learn?: Apparently, South Vietnam looks a lot like the forests of North Carolina and Georgia. 

You Might Like This Movie If: You know that John Wayne could sell anything to the American public.

 

Really?: 1) See: “What Did I Learn?”  and “Synopsis.” Seriously, isn’t Wayne a little too old, and a little too out-of-shape to play an in-the-field Special Forces officer? 2) So wait... the North Vietnamese somehow occupy and maintain a captured luxurious French mansion (complete with electricity and running water) for the use of their senior officers somewhere in South Vietnam? That's ridiculous. 3) The first 15-20 minutes are just revenge porn for 1960s-era conservatives: obtuse, and not-very-honest anti-war reporters ask a bunch of stupid questions, and the military officers not only respond with clever zingers and factual sound bits, but they receive actual applause from military families. It’s a bit much. 

Rating: As I noted in my review of The Longest Day, John Wayne made some truly great Westerns, but his other films were generally quite awful. The Green Berets has a lot of problems, but it isn’t nearly as bad as its critics charged (Roger Ebert famously gave it zero stars, and Oliver Stone later made Platoon as a response to its pro-war message).  The movie’s biggest problem is that its politics consistently get in the way of good storytelling (in the original script, for instance, Colonel Kirby and his men raid a mansion in North Vietnam, which makes a lot more sense), and all too often, dialogue descends into simplistic editorializing. 5.5/10 stars. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063035/?ref_=nv_sr_1