The Movie Journal

Shampoo (1975) Shampoo was a major disappointment for me. It had a fantastic cast headlined by Warren Beatty and Julie Christie whom both worked so well together previously in McCabe and Mrs. Miller . It had a great director in Hal Ashby who directed other critically well-received works such as Harold and Maude and Coming Home . The script was written by Robert Towne, who wrote what some critics call the best screenplay of all time with 1974’s Chinatown . The movie was promised as a black comedy with political farce and it was quite the daring, edgy movie for a 1975 release. So if you add up these ingredients, this movie has to be good, right? Unfortunately, there were problems. Enough problems to make me wonder how on earth did this film get nominated for four Academy Awards. Well, let’s talk about these issues more in-depth. I did not think the movie was especially funny. There were some amusing moments for sure, but I never laughed or even chuckled the way I was meant to...

Murder on the Orient Express (1974) When mystery movies are done correctly, you get movies like 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express , based off the novel of the same title by famed mystery author, Agatha Christie. When it comes to her works being adapted to the silver screen, Christie is known for being harsh on those adaptations. In fact, this is only one of two adaptations she saw that she gave her begrudging approval with the other being Witness for the Prosecution . The movie is worth watching for a variety of reasons. Sidney Lumet’s expert direction, the large ensemble of bankable actors (all whom have their moment to shine), Paul Dehn’s script allowing an incredible amount of tension and suspense to build, and just the fact that the source material is a great whodunit mystery with a great ending and a heroic lead character. Despite the large cast, there are only really two settings: the train and the platform. I would generally suggest a large cast being fitted into two ...

Bates Motel: Season 1, Episode 2 "Nice Town You Picked, Norma" March 25, 2013 After watching this second episode of Bates Motel , consider me impressed. I am still skeptical how the entire series will shake out, but I enjoyed what I have seen so far. It is obvious the show is still trying to find its footing and it clearly toys around with ideas to keep the interest of its audience. Some things may come out of the blue such as an adventure in a pot field and the plot being connected to Chinese sex slaves, but the cast really is worth watching as every actor or actress elevates the sometime-jarring material to another level. Freddie Highmore and Vera Farmiga continue to show a striking, almost sexual energy with each other. You can really see Vera’s dominance over her son come into play with this episode. We are also introduced to Dylan, played wonderfully by Max Theriot and he provides drama as an antagonist to the rest of the Bates family. Much to the dismay of...

Bates Motel: Season 1, Episode 1 "First You Dream, Then You Die" March 18, 2013 At first glance, I did not think Bates Motel sounded like a good idea. Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is an amazing film, and all remakes or sequels/prequels of that film has failed because they could not stand up to the original. Plus there is that thing in today’s world where it is considered cool to make new material based on pre-existing material often to mediocre results. Which is understandable why I and many others were hesitant when this show was announced. After this pilot episode, “First You Dream, Then You Die, “ I came away rather impressed. Yes, the episode feels like a pilot, but there was enough material to keep me intrigued. I loved the setting of the film. The showrunners moved the film to modern day but I love the use of outdated fashion, technology, etc. It gives the show more of a creepy vibe. Speaking of which, I liked how they kept the house and motel intact from the...

The Conversation (1974) Should the government or any private corporation be allowed to spy on citizens? Is spying an ethical duty to protect one’s country or livelihood? These are very relevant questions one must consider when watching 1974’s The Conversation , written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. When the film was first released, people believed it was a response to the Nixon administration’s handling of the Watergate Scandal, where it turned out that Nixon was spying on his opponents. This film is also relevant in today’s post-9/11 world because the government was saying it should be legal to spy on people in order to fish out national security threats. As the film was released before the Watergate fiasco and the script reportedly written in the mid-1960’s, Coppola claims this film had nothing to do with Watergate and it all was a major coincidence. That said, the film raises very interesting questions about the morality and ethics of spying on other people. T...

The Sugarland Express (1974) Before Raiders of the Lost Ark , before Close Encounters of the Third Kind , before Jaws, acclaimed director Steven Spielberg made his theatrical debut with 1974’s The Sugarland Express . Of course, Spielberg would draw attention one year later with the excellent monster film Jaws , but that movie would not have been made without this movie-which David Brown and Richard D. Zanuck also produced. For a theatrical debut in the mid-1970’s, I think Spielberg did an admirable job although I am not quite over-the-moon about the movie. We see the seeds that were planted and would later make him renowned for his ability to create movie magic. I was a little surprised at first that this movie succeeded because it is considered a road trip/chase movie based on a true story and there were many of them that were produced this decade. When viewing the movie, I was surprised this story was based on a real-life event that took place in 1969. The script, writ...

Arrested Development: Season 1, Episode 22 "Let Em' Eat Cake" June 06, 2004 We have finally come to the Season One finale of Arrested Development . There are many things that happen in “Let Em’ Eat Cake.” The episode is critical because we finally see how scathing and biting the show can be regarding political events of the time period. The episode makes direct references to Saddam Hussein and Iraq. The show remains funny as ever making great use of incest themes (Michael saying “it is a struggle” when Lindsey asks if Michael wanted sex with her), to the events that are occurring in the world at the time (Iraqi war and Atkin’s Diet(!!)), and setting up events for the second season (we meet Ann, George-Michael’s rather bland girlfriend). With all the humor in the episode, the episode does get surprisingly tender at certain points especially within the storyline of George Sr’s. The episode focuses on George Sr’s case of “light treason.” We learn that George Sr...

Arrested Development: Season 1, Episode 21 "Not Without My Daughter"  April 25, 2004 One of the things I love about Arrested Development is how the show won’t hold back against certain political or social notions. We have seen and will continue to see the show rip off things like the idea of controlling corporations, the Iraqi War, and the media just to name a few. This episode tackles one of my favorite childhood memories-Take Your Child to Work Day, or Take Your Daughter to Work Day in AD’s case. The episode incorporates this event to often wildly hilarious moments. The slight visual gags that explain this event is funny- when the girl shadowing her prison guard father shouts, “No Touching!,” I knew this would be a very funny episode! In the past, Michael took George-Michael to work on “Take Your Daughter to Work Day,” but he decides to take Maeby to act as a proper role model for her unlike her parents. They even decide on a pact to not lie to each other. Tha...

Badlands (1973) Terrence Malick’s Badlands is an incredible directorial debut and as many people say, one for the ages. In essence, this movie became a cult film because of how picky Malick was when it came to choosing projects to direct. Between 1973 and 1997, he only directed two films. But this review will focus on Malick’s 1973 feature. Badlands has everything you want from a Malick film. A story that represents the American lifestyle and culture, beautiful cinematography from Tak Fujimoto, haunting music from the likes of Nat King Cole and Carl Orff, and a story that is held together in narration by one of its main characters. Like most Malick films, this may not be for everyone. Those expecting a traditional Western, look elsewhere. Those looking for a thoughtful, intelligent film about American values (well, values of 1973’s Americans), this is the film for you. Badlands was written by Terrence Malick himself. His source of inspiration for his main characters Kit ...