ABCs at the Movies: The Doubles Round!

[memento]

Plot: The Grateful Dead performs live at Winterland in San Francisco in October 1974.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  "I don't go perm on my first week," remarks Josh Kornbluth, a San Francisco office temp by day, an aspring novelist whenever. Josh has gotten a new temp job with S&M, a downtown law firm where he works as a receptionist. But going back on his words, Josh takes on a "permanent" position as the receptionist of head lawyer Bob Shelby, and his first task is to mail out 17 high-priority letters. But due to Josh's continual procrastination, he gets further and further away from completing a simple task.

[southendmd]

Plot:  The life of a Norwegian immigrant family in 1910 San Francisco centers around Mama and her detailed, pennywise household budget. We follow the Hansens' small joys, sorrows, and aspirations, with the boisterous antics of Uncle Chris as counterpoint.

[memento]

Plot: When the assistant district attorney of San Francisco investigates the mysterious death of an important millionaire he discovers that the first suspect in this case is a friend of his who is married to an important lawyer. Now it is difficult for him to distinguish between what is reality and what should be reality.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  Obnoxious, irresponsible George Kuffs (Christian Slater) leaves girlfriend Maya (Milla Jovovich) after learning she is pregnant. In need of money, he hits up brother Brad (Bruce Boxleitner) for a loan but ends up taking over his brother's privately owned police precinct in San Francisco after Brad is coldly gunned down inside a church.

Using the supposedly true-to-life hook of these privately owned and funded police precincts in San Francisco, the rest of the movie is pure movie-universe comedy:  a terminally offbeat, silly, who-cares-about-being-realistic affair with some good laughs; thankfully, for me, the best ones tended to occur more towards the end, especially when Kuffs is trapped in the laundry with Thunder the dog.

[Lynne]

From IMDb:

Author: David Atfield ([email protected]) from Canberra, Australia

This is one of Edward G. Robinson's best performances. He played the gangster with the expired use by date in a number of movies, most notably in "Key Largo", but here he takes the character on a fascinating journey. He starts as a newly-wed little Napoleon, is crushed by his conviction on tax evasion, degraded through ten years of prison, and tortured to near death by his former gang when released. Through all this he is motivated by a great love for a son he has never met - when he does meet him finally his tender side is released.

What a challenging role this is - and how brilliantly Robinson rises to the challenge. At times you'll hate him, but he is always so vividly real that it is impossible not to empathise. Less effective is Rose Stradner as his wife - she too often slips into melodrama. It is perhaps not surprising to learn that she only made one other film. How fabulous Luise Rainer would have been in this role. The rest of the cast is terrific - that great Warner Bros store of thugs and villains - with Lionel Stander and John Carradine particular stand-outs.

And a pre-star James Stewart is the good guy - he even has a Clark Gable moustache in some scenes (the studio never let him grow that again!). The little boy is very icky - seems more English than American and is far too boy scouty to be appealing.

But add to all this strong direction, a good script, and stunning camera-work and you have a minor masterpiece. The torture scene is really very harrowing and the passage of time in prison montage is excellent - and you've got to love the opening credits.

Anachronisms: Joe Krozac is sent to Alcatraz in 1927, but Alcatraz didn't become a federal penitentiary until 1933.

[memento]

From IMDB: Metro, starring Eddie Murphy, may well be worth your viewing time. Yes it got a fair amount of negative reviews from people who wanted to see another "Nutty Professor" or thought of "Metro" as Murphy trying to play Axel Foley again. Others had problems with the script, the plot, the pace of the film, but nobody cared to mention how good Murphy actually is in this. His character is a San Francisco hostage negotiator, named Scott Roper, who one day meets his worst enemy in a jewel thief (played wonderfully by Michael Wincott) who makes his job a nightmare. From that point on a cat & mouse chase between Murphy & Wincott develops, & plays it's part in a rather amusing way. I don't want to give a lecture here on this subject, because movies like "Metro" are just made to entertain the viewer. "Metro" is a solid action film, with some suspense, some great stunts, and very good performances from the whole cast. Murphy, in what I think is one of his better roles, gives us his comedic touch, but this is more of a dramatic, serious role for him. I saw not Murphy, but Scott Roper, throughout the whole movie. A sure sign that an actor is doing his job quite well! - Murphy is superb.

[Fran]

From IMDb:  What a great find! If you never get a chance to visit San Francisco, make sure you see this movie. It perfectly captures the essence of single life in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Here's your chance to meet a group of people who you wouldn't want to be, but you'd love to spend the day with.

From dawn to dawn, follow the life of Tyler Morgan as he tries to salvage the one relationship that makes sense in his life. So pour yourself a cocktail and be prepared to enter the sounds and psyches of these urban hipsters. This truly is a great movie to add to your collection.

[southendmd]

Plot:  Jeff Bailey, small-town gas pumper, has his mysterious past catch up with him one day when he's ordered to meet with gambler Whit Sterling. En route to the meeting, he tells girlfriend Ann his story. Flashback: Once, Jeff was a private eye hired by Sterling to find his mistress Kathie who shot Whit and absconded with $40,000. He traces her to Acapulco...where the delectable Kathie makes Jeff forget all about Sterling... Back in the present, Whit's new job for Jeff is clearly a trap, but Jeff's precautions only leave him more tightly enmeshed...

Filmed in part in San Francisco.

[memento]

From IMDB: Jennie (Susan Strasberg), a deaf runaway who has just arrived in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district to find her long-lost brother, a mysterious bearded sculptor known around town as The Seeker (Bruce Dern). She falls in with a psychedelic band, Mumblin' Jim, whose members include Stony (a pony-tailed Jack Nicholson), Ben (Adam Roarke), and Elwood (Max Julien). They hide her from the fuzz in their crash pad, a Victorian house crowded with love beads and necking couples. Mumblin' Jim's truth-seeking friend Dave (Dean Stockwell) considers the band's pursuit of success "playing games," but he agrees to help Jennie anyway.