Frank, Kyle, and Jason continue their auteur series discussing Lawrence Kasdan’s BODY HEAT.
Author: Frank Mengarelli
I have always been Frank.
David Lynch’s BLUE VELVET
BLUE VELVET may just be one of the most depraved and transgressive love stories ever put on film. It’s a complex narrative that ushers the audience past their comfort zone into a dark and dangerous world of obsession and perversion. Not only do we enter this world through our innocent protagonist, Jeffery Beaumont, but we see and experience what he is exposed to. As his innocence erodes, as does ours.
Like anything David Lynch, the film is richly layered. The color scheme can be overanalyzed, as can the vague shadow world crime story, and especially the shifting timeline. When we’re in Jeffery’s world, we are in this overly nostalgic “good old days” of Americana and once we enter into Frank Boothe’s life in the fast lane all of a sudden we are thrown into this overly stinging and lightspeed paced contemporary (the 1980s) world of drugs, violence, and sexual perversion.
Lynch constructs a deeply layered world by his own aesthetic and his brilliant casting strokes. Kyle MacLachlan and Laura Dern’s star-making performances zigzag back and forth between the two worlds that Lynch creates, showcasing their brilliant range as actors as they carefully hold the audience’s hands during the build up of the story only to rip away once they enter the world of Frank Boothe.
Dennis Hopper is incredible in this film. His embodiment of Frank Boothe is not only one of the finest performances on film ever, but it is such a bold and daring performance. Frank Boothe is nearly irredeemable. He’s disgusting, he’s dangerous, he’s insane – yet he has a very empathetical trait. Everything he is doing, he’s doing because he is so very much in love with Dorothy Vallens played by Isabella Rossellini who matches and outdoes Hopper when it comes to giving a deeply brave performance.
With Lynch’s casting of Priscilla Pointer, Frances Bay, and George Dickerson he builds his pure vision of the idea of America, only to tear it down with the Hopper and more specifically former Golden Age of Hollywood child star Dean Stockwell in one of the most unique and scene-stealing performances ever. Stockwell’s overly caked on makeup, 70’s powder suit, and lip syncing Roy Orbison’s IN DREAMS using a work light as a microphone is one of the most memorably haunting scenes in Lynch’s canon, and that’s saying a lot.
Once the rip cord is pulled in the film, it is an incredibly exhilarating ride. How this film got made, or better yet distributed to the degree it did upon its initial release is gobsmacking. It’s a piece of cinema that will never be outdone. It propelled Lynch into a stratosphere of auteurs that not many can even approach.
Jon Watts’ SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING
When the credits rolled it all made perfect sense. The film had six screenwriters. Six. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING is two films. The first story is an incredibly engaging story of class warfare; an examination of how the assembly of the Avengers created an even greater economic divide between the ruling class and the common people. The second story tries to play it smart. It forgoes the origin story, it ignores Uncle Ben’s lore, yet it is the coming of age/teen angst/generic internal struggle. The film tries so hard but the two narratives never fully fuse together.
The film looks great. Salvatore Totino’s cinematography is sharp and shot with authority. Michael Giacchino delivers the best score of the MCU and director Jon Watts does a very good job juggling a film that acts as a slight follow up to CIVIL WAR whilst staying true to who Peter Parker is.
Tom Holland is great as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, but he and the film are overshadowed by the command performance of Michael Keaton. Keaton completely owns the film. He ranks at the top tier of Marvel’s cinematic villains, joining the likes of Jeff Bridges’ Iron Mongerer and James Spacer’s Ultron.
The problem is Keaton is too good a villain in the film. Not only is his storyline of a salt of the earth scrapper turned big bad supremely rich, he outweighs an untested Spider-Man. It’s apparent in their first altercation, and by the final showdown when Spider-Man doesn’t have his Tony Stark super suit it is literally a showdown that is near impossible to accept.
Keaton doesn’t pull any punches. He’s cashing in on his star power with a big paycheck from Marvel, and good for him, he’s more than earned it with his phenomenal filmography. He doesn’t go through the motions with his performance, he’s frightening yet he’s a sympathetic man pushed to the brink to provide the life that his family deserves. The best scene of the film is a brief car ride, where Keaton figures out the true identity of Spider-Man that is cued up to Traffic’s THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH-HEELED BOYS. That scene is more than worth the price of admission alone.
Marvel makes solids films. They always have. You know exactly what you’re going to get. They may change the ethnicity of a character, they may try and sex up a character (heyyyy Aunt May), but they always serve a conventional fan service. They have yet to strike the balance of giving the diehard herd of fanboys what they want while at the same time formulating an emotionally dynamic story for those who after sitting through nine years of the Marvel machine expect a little bit more.
Mike Hodges’ GET CARTER
In the back rooms of London, gangsters smoke cigarettes, drink scotch, and view pornographic images on a slideshow. While the stoic John Carter watches his secret fiance getting felt up by his boss, he gets a phone call telling him that his brother has been killed. The next day he gets on a train traveling to his hometown to kill anyone and everything that stands in his way to find out what happened. GET CARTER is a no bullshit hard genre gangster film that is propelled by its perverse and transgressive narrative and its self-titled leading man, Michael Caine.
The film flawlessly executes the pulpy elements that make genre pictures such a joy to watch. The mysteriously perverse big bad, the femme fatal, a bloody climax, and a hero’s fall from grace during the finale. Michael Caine is cinematic perfection as John Carter. He brutishly navigates the back alleys, barrooms, and streets of Newcastle without speaking very much at all, doing all of his talking brandishing a shotgun or better yet, his commanding gaze.
A lot can be said for Caine as an actor. He’s a lot of fun to watch, whether he’s playing an English intellectual version of Woody Allen, or a caricature of himself, Alfred Pennyworth; in GET CARTER his screen presence is as terrifying as it is commanding. You can’t take your eyes off of him. He’s brutishly mysterious, yet he’s as capable as he is cunning – always being one step ahead of impending danger that is one step behind him.
The film captures what makes English gangster films so great: the gray aesthetics of a de-glorified England. It’s rainy and smokey, with side stares from bar patrons and supremely unfriendly looking men in heavy overcoats brandishing shotguns that drive around in tiny sporty looking cars.
Another remarkable aspect of the picture is how it handles its very dark and pornographic subject matter. It doesn’t try to hide anything or deceive the audience. From the opening scene, the viewer is fully immersed into the underground world of crime and pornography. The nudity is as unapologetic as the fierce perversion of the men the film revolves around, including Carter himself.
GET CARTER is that film that was the preface to universally adored films of the genre like THE FRIENDS OF EDDIE COYLE, THE HIT, THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY, MONA LISA, and SEXY BEAST. There are not any limitations to how far the plot will trek into the moral ambiguity of the “hero”, nor will it soften the blow as the narrative slowly pulls itself to a pitch black finish.
BREAKING: Mahershala Ali for TRUE DETECTIVE Season 3.
We”ll have more when the story develops.
ACTOR’S SPOTLIGHT with JAMES MORRISON
Today we have an incredibly special episode for you guys. Joining Frank, Tim, and Nate is veteran actor, playwright, and musician James Morrison. James has graced the stage and screen for decades, appearing in SPACE ABOVE AND BEYOND, MILLENNIUM, THE X-FILES, THE WEST WING, four seasons of 24, PRIVATE PRACTICE and recently appeared on the third season of TWIN PEAKS as Warden Murphy. James also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and Sam Mendes’ vastly underrated JARHEAD. He has also released two albums, I BROKE FREE and SON TO THE BOY. To sample or purchase James’ music and his plays, and for everything else James Morrison, please visit his website JPMORRISON.com.
STAR WARS EPISODE VI: OPIE RON KENOBI
Frank is joined by his Star Wars expert friend, Terry to discuss the abrupt firing of Lord and Miller from the HAN SOLO film, and swift replacement that is Ron Howard.
Patty Jenkins’ WONDER WOMAN
WONDER WOMAN is a rather terrific film. Yes, it follows the template of an origin story, and it is somewhat uninspired at times following that formula (first reel death, sacrificial death at the end of the film, “surprise” villain), but regardless of the generic template used, the film and its star propel forward creating a very engaging, entertaining, and invigorating film.
The constant comparisons to CAPTAIN AMERICA: FIRST AVENGER does have some slight merit, but it is a rather lazy comparison. Sure, both films revolve around a set piece pertaining to each World War, and sure it’s a ragtag crew of soldiers that support the hero in their take-down to essentially end the war; yet there is so much that separates the two.
The craftsmanship of WONDER WOMAN stands superior.
The cast of this film may be one of the best ensembles constructed for a comic book movie. Supporting Gal Gadot is Chris Pine (in probably his best performance to date), Connie Nielsen, Danny Huston, Ewan Bremner, Said Taghmaoui, David Thewlis, and a scene-stealing Robin Wright. All of these characters, regardless of screen time and/or limited development are giving a substantial amount to do and say, and casting each specific actor to their respective role immediately creates authenticity for that character.
Hans Zimmer’s theme for Wonder Woman, which made its debut in BvS, is perhaps the best piece of music that he has ever composed. When it cues itself up to Gadot kicking German ass in the film, it creates even more excitement for the viewer. The action pieces in this film are incredible.
Everyone deserves full credit for this picture. Gal Gadot completely owns the role while simultaneously propelling herself to a bonafide movie star. Director Patty Jenkins has become a rising star within Warner Brothers, and Zack Snyder deserves his due credit for discovering Gadot and creating the aesthetic that WW cultivates.
WONDER WOMAN didn’t save the DCEU, it was doing just fine before this film, but it certainly stopped a lot of the negative press. Though those who constantly fill their social media feeds with unapologetic bias and echo chamber nonsense will remain undisturbed. This film may not completely warrant the abundance of overwhelming and over the top accolades, it is a very fine picture, and don’t be surprised if this film has legs going into awards season.
Episode 49: Patty Jenkins’ WONDER WOMAN
Join Tim and Frank as they discuss WONDER WOMAN. They discuss the influences, the current state of the DCEU, where the WW franchise will go from here, and what this film means for the DCEU and the genre in general.
Episode 48: ROGER MOORE
Join Frank and James Bond aficionado Tom Zielinski as they discuss Roger Moore’s tenure as James Bond and the beloved franchise in general.
Nobody did it better. Rest in Peace, Mr. Moore.
Podcasting Them Softly 