The Movie Journal

Legend (1986) I am a sucker for any fantasy movie. I can even be drawn in to watch the horrible ones and still find some joy. So, when I discovered that the visionary director behind Alien and Blade Runner directed a fantasy film reminiscent of the tales of King Arthur and Lord of the Rings , I made it my mission to seek the film out. There are multiple versions of the film, so I am reviewing the American version which came out in 1986. The production design and the makeup are true works of art and the visual eye candy really stands out. That said, I wish I could have said the same thing about the story itself. The performances are fine, but the script is mediocre. Thankfully this is a Ridley Scott film, or I am afraid this film would have been utter dreck. There are multiple versions of the movie. As I said, the American version was released in April 1986 to unflattering reviews. Trivia fact time! The film was released in the UK in 1985 with a slightly longer version. The f...

Gung Ho (1986) Ron Howard’s Gung Ho sounded like a promising film. It is a movie about a culture and economical clash; about a Japanese firm taking over a small-town Pennsylvania auto factory. The man who directed Splash and Cocoon reteaming with Michael Keaton? Yeah, that really sounds promising. The only thing this movie needed…was a competent script. The script, which was written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, was horrendous. The portrayal of the Japanese was stereotypical and one-dimensional. In reality, the Japanese were insulted. Yes, they are extremely hard workers, but nothing to the extent depicted here. In fact, the Japanese use this film to show their workers how not to behave. Is that not ironic or what? When Howard signed up to direct the film, maybe there should have been a clause where he needed to rewrite the screenplay. It really is not a good one. In addition to the portrayal of Japanese management, the American assembly line workers are one-note. George W...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 10 "1984" August 03, 2014 The back half of this season has been excellent. Watching the group finish the PC in time “for the computer to be on shelves by Christmas” has been nothing but entertaining. The season finale, “1984” while still entertaining, ends the season on a little whimper. This episode is all about the characters drifting off into their own thing. Maybe there were a few big speeches, but no crazy surprise was in store for us. I was surprised because the episode does not take the normal route that finales usually do. Instead, we have a more quiet, introspective episode. The GIANT was an immediate success. Computerland purchased the computer for an enormous amount of money. Joe and Gordon are now rich. They become owners of Cardiff Electric. With Gordon as the master engineer and making the big bucks, he still is not entirely happy. He even shaves his noteworthy beard to add an intimidation factor to his looks (not...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 9 "Up Helly Aa" July 27, 2014 “Up Helly Aa” is the penultimate episode of Halt and Catch Fire ’s first season, and it is a beautiful episode. The main theme is “betrayal.” Due to some unforeseen circumstances, Cameron’s vision for the Giant has been compromised by both Joe and Gordon, which will undoubtedly lead to an interesting future for the three characters. The final scene is amazing and rather crushing. Donna played a bigger role here and Kerry Bishe did an excellent job. The scenes were Gordon chewed her out and her reactions are great. This episode is funny, moving, and entertaining from start to finish. Joe sold his sports car for $11,000 and the gang hope that is enough money to promote the Giant at COMDEX in Las Vegas. They arrived in Gordon’s station wagon. With the bad publicity Cardiff Electric received over the embezzlement scheme, Joe hopes to use it to his advantage. With the usage of smoke and mirrors, they sh...

The Gold Rush (1925) When Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush was initially released in 1925, the director exclaimed, “This is the film I want to be remembered for!” Well Mr. Chaplin, we definitely remember you for this film. Even though he made many excellent films after this film’s release, pundits consider this his greatest achievement. I was enamored with the film myself. For a silent film, it had a character-driven narrative and did not solely rely upon Chaplin’s familiar humor, which remains excellent as always. There are two versions that the public is aware about; the 1925 silent version and a version edited by Chaplin in 1942 made for the audience that has grown accustomed to sound. He added a score and he made tweaks including changing the ending. Personally, I think the original version is the best because I really do adore the ending. Apparently, the ending was shot in terms of how Chaplin’s love life was at the time. Both versions are incredible, but my preferable ...

Pretty in Pink (1986) Yep, another teen romance from John Hughes featuring members of the Brat Pack! In terms of teen romances and comedies, John Hughes ruled the 1980’s. Unlike other films, he did not direct it but was rather the soul and mind. He produced and wrote the script with newcomer Howard Deutch taking over directorial duties. Like most of his scripts, Hughes’s Pretty in Pink is a very sweet film. Anyone who was once 16 could relate to the film as it authentically tackles class/social division within a school background. Like any of his films, Hughes made his characters relatable whether you like them or not. I genuinely thought this film is sweet and I enjoyed it very much, but there are some issues. As I said, the script itself is sweet. Hughes took his story from a tale that is old as the beginning of time. We have seen this story play itself out countless numbers of time. The poor girl falling for the rich guy who has snobbish friends. And the poor girl does not...

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Along with Annie Hall , Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters ranks among the writer-director’s best films. The movie manages to be complex and nuanced without going overboard. It is not a comedy, but there are big laughs within the family dynamics. In a sense, you could also view the film as a near-tragedy. The film is viewed through the eyes of Woody Allen’s character, Mickey. Mickey is one of those characters who is hypochondriac or a person who believes he has some unchecked major disease and is about to die. He wants a sense of belonging within the web of characters. That alone makes the film have tragic moments. The film on a whole works because of Allen’s sprawling, but tight (if that makes sense) narrative that interweaves dozens of characters within one another. It’s funny, sad, poignant, and emotional. Woody Allen originally imagined the film to be a simple one about a husband falling in love with his wife’s sister. Then he started gett...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 8 "The 214s"  “The 214s” is no doubt the best episode in Halt and Catch Fire’s interesting first season. A lot of action took place. Gordon becomes sane and acts like a leader! John Bosworth makes the change from angry boss to tragic hero with a knack for inspirational speeches…and a father figure. Donna has a decision to make because after all, her neighbor and former coworker of Gordon’s “knows what she is up to.” The episode, written with excellent character moments from Dahvi Waller and Zack Whedon, is an excellent, tense watch. And for the first time in a long time, the gang is back together! Breathing in the same room as one another. Wooooooow!! John Bosworth is hauled away in handcuffs when it comes to light (with Cameron’s help) that he embezzled money from the company to keep the project afloat. Nathan Cardiff delivers a stop work order for the PC, now known as “The Giant.” The PC was going to be displayed at COMDEX, but...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 7 "Giant" Gordon, the Cardiff’s team working man, is falling apart…and quickly. That is one of the biggest storylines we see in “Giant.” In the previous episode, Gordon gave Cameron’s idea backlash about giving the computer a personality type. This week, his gives even more backlash…this time to Joe regarding the computer’s aesthetics. We learn that Joe had a secret lover who is now dying of AIDS, and he works as a design artist. Simon Church, played brilliantly and emotionally by D.B Woodside, shows up with his input for the PC’s design. That storyline felt a bit superficial and contrived. It did not feel as developed despite the strong individual performances. However, the “Gordon falling apart” storyline and the storyline about Cardiff’s financial ruin held my interest. With COMDEX looming, the next step in the PC’s creation is its design. Gordon believes the PC is good as is and any changes to the design means loss in functio...

F/X (1986) What does F/X mean? No, it is not a complicated math equation. It is actually a short abbreviation for special effects which are obviously used in film and television, such as 1986’s F/X . This is a film that is the product of its time. It is an 80’s flick with slick action sequences and your usual action movie shootouts. Unlike many action flicks, this is actually an adept psychological thriller that will pull strings and confuse your mind if you are not paying attention. There are so many twists that it is hard to keep count which will cause some haywire. Ironically enough, the film is not laden with special effects. Instead, Academy Award winner John Stears was able to integrate them into the characters and the plot. The film was written by two novice writers, a documentarian named Robert Megginson and actor Gregory Fleeman. The original plan for the script was to be made into a low-budget television movie. When the producers read the script, they decided it would...

Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986) Paul Mazursky’s Down and Out in Beverly Hills definitely had reason to pique my interest. I enjoyed Mazursky’s previous drama Moscow on the Hudson which was a thematically important story. He tackled a different but still relevant theme regarding poor vs. rich ageless debate. He is working with a trio of great actors in Nick Nolte, Bette Midler, and Richard Dreyfuss. He is tackling this film as a drama and the topic is bound for a few laughs. Plus, there is Little Richard! Annnnnnd he is going to contribute to the soundtrack? As one of the well-known films to greet 1986, it is bound to be decent, right? Well…uh…let’s discuss. When the dog is funnier than the human characters, you know you are in trouble. The Whiteman family’s dog, Mike is the movie’s MVP. That adorable creature had me laughing every single time he showed up. If the movie was about him, I might have been okay. Instead, Paul Mazursky’s script focused on some extremely unlik...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 6 "Landfall"  July 06, 2014 “Landfall” is an episode that has a hurricane swirling around the background and is used as the episode’s main focal point to tell its story. In terms of character development, they are pushed forward with some explanations and some actions we least expect from them. The main plot is put on the backburner for now, but this episode is more character-oriented. It’s funny, but also sad considering what happens as Hurricane Alicia rages on. This episode happens as Hurricane Alicia strikes the Gulf Coast. Despite the tempest, excitement is in the air as their PC nears completion. That said, Cameron wants to make the user interface more friendly which means Gordon needs to do some extra engineering work which he does not want to do. Joe, however, seems to be on board. Cameron and Joe, whom been having a sexual relationship, break up with each other. Cameron and Bosworth have a heart-to-heart with Bosworth ...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 5 "Adventure"  June 29, 2014 “Adventure” is definitely an adventure for our protagonists in this episode of Halt and Catch Fire . The writing is beginning to catch up with our characters. In other words, the show has some excellent character development. The episode also shows where Joe got his manipulative streak from- his own father, Joe Sr. played wonderfully by John Getz. In fact, this entire episode is about trying to find a father figure. Joe with his own father, Cameron with Joe’s father (until she realizes what a jerk he is), and Gordon with his intimidating father-in-law. Gordon becomes more developed here. The pilot introduced him as an alcoholic man with some high stage of depression-and that was not really shown until this episode. He had a very amusing sequence where alcohol causes him to insult Japanese businessmen. The episode seemed to skip some weeks into the future. The article from Wall Street Quarterly was r...

Enemy Mine (1985) To be frank, I did not think 1985’s Enemy Mine would be anything special. Based on the trailer, it looked like to be one of those forgettable 80’s sci-fi flicks with cheesy special effects and no story. Ironically, the movie is nearly forgotten as time pass, but it really is not that bad of a film. I think the movie is a little dated (in terms of special effects), but the message behind the film is not. Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett Jr. carry the film as two completely opposite beings as enemies but eventually form a bond with one another. The film had a long production road- a costly one that nearly got the film shuttered by 20 th Century Fox. The film was originally helmed by Richard Loncraine. His work on the film was received negatively. It was so bad, he actually got fired. His shooting in Iceland looked nothing remotely science-fiction and Gossett’s makeup was atrocious. With the negative dailies received, the executives needed to do something. They hi...

Out of Africa (1985) Sydney Pollack’s Out of Africa is a very interesting case study. On paper, it has the makings of an amazing film; an old-fashioned, lengthy drama that mimics epics of old, an excellent director in Pollack, and two leading stars with high pedigree: Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. Sadly, the finished product does not reach the dazzling heights it could have been. I did thoroughly enjoy the film, but one couldn’t help expressing disappointment. Looking back, how on earth did this film win Best Picture over the likes of The Color Purple or Witness ? It does not even have a fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. Even though I mostly liked it, I can completely sympathize and understand why people would not. Let’s focus on the positives first. Sydney Pollack previously worked with Robert Redford in the excellent 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson . Together, they continued a strong collaboration. Pollack’s direction is sure-handed and competent. Redford, who played a charact...

The Color Purple (1985) Steven Spielberg is probably the world’s most gifted storyteller. As children, he enlightened our minds and made us feel emotions in gems like E.T and Raiders of the Lost Ark. He terrified our souls with that one shark film we all know as Jaws. Up until 1985, Spielberg used science-fiction or fantasy to develop his incredible gift of storytelling. Just like any excellent filmmaker would, he made us cry tears of sadness and tears of laughter. With his first attempt at serious filmmaking, he does the same thing except within the framework of a serious topic. This movie had me grinning and bawling my eyes out. With eleven Oscar nominations (and sadly no wins) it shows that Spielberg has a hand for this kind of material. I was not expecting much, but Spielberg delivered an amazing film. The film, written by Menno Meyjes, is based off the literary classic by Alice Walker. Many people thought the story, about a young black girl suffering from men most of ...

Brazil (1985) Terry Gilliam, the creative genius behind Monty Python , is back with a very weird dystopian drama, Brazil . The film is clever, visually creative, and did I mention weird? Yeah, the film is really weird which is normal for Gilliam. Still, the film is an effective retelling of George Orwell’s 1984. Gilliam created a film about a failing society that operates under bureaucratic nonsense. The film could have been super serious, but Gilliam uses dark comedy and his style of strangeness to elevate the story. It is not to everyone’s taste I need to warn. Some people may think the film goes nowhere or would not understand what is going on. Not even I am sure if I fully understand what was happening, but I was down for it. The film had a checkered past. The studio Universal was very hesitant to release the movie the way Gilliam wanted. The film ended on a dark note, but the studio wanted to give it a happy ending to make it more accessible for consumers a la Blade Runner...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 4 "Close to the Metal" June 22, 2014 “Close to the Metal” has a lot working for this episode. It’s an incredibly fun watch and I found this episode surprisingly relatable. I am sure this happened to everyone, but remember the sheer panic you had when you were working on a huge project school or work-related, but you fail to back it up. Yeah, that’s the main problem and I thought it was shot effectively. This episode also gives more to Kerry Bishe’s character, Donna. Donna gets chewed out at her Texas Instruments job, but she finds herself interwoven in the Cardiff storyline. Apparently, she really does not like Cameron (mutual feeling as Cameron wrecks the Clarks’ house as she babysits the kids) and Joe (she really gave him a smackdown). I wasn’t too sure of the family aspect of the Clarks in the pilot, but I admit the chemistry is there and I am becoming more interested in the family dynamics. In this episode, Cameron fails to ...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 3 "High Plains Hardware" June 15, 2014 Halt and Catch Fire hit some minor roadblocks in “High Plains Hardware.” The writing left some to be desired, but its characters, while mostly set in individual settings, continue to entertain us and grow as characters. Joe does lose some of his mysterious ways, but I am still intrigued by his character. Mackenzie Davis continues to brightly shine and give the show a taste of her punk attitude. Jean Smart costars as a rather nasty potential investor who demands 80% of proceeds if the PC turns out well. Yeah, I’m sure Joe is not gonna like that. Cardiff Electric has to fire a majority of their employees because of Joe’s PC project. Gordon is forced to let go many of his engineers but is struggling to do so. A talk with his friend finally gives him motivation, but his friend’s career is now jeopardized. The friend also has something with Gordon’s wife, Donna. Hmmmmm. Joe realizes that portab...

Duck Soup (1933) Duck Soup is a movie that is nearly ninety years old, yet it remains more relevant than ever thanks to the buffoonery that is present in the world’s political spectrum. The movie, the Marx Brother’s best, is hilarious and feature some prominent visual gags. Groucho Marx did say they were not aiming to create a political satire, but they did so anyhow. The brothers were pleased when Benito Mussolini, the Italian fascist dictator banned this film in his country. The plot is silly and flimsy, but the brothers do what they do best to carry the movie-to make people laugh and laugh until they cry tears of laughter. This film was to be the last film the Marx Brothers made with Paramount. The studio was going through some costly restructuring and the brothers feared they would not get paid for their work. Thankfully, their contract dispute ended, and they were able to get the film to work. This film is also the last film that the fourth brother, Zeppo worked on. He ...

Clue (1985) I have seen 1985’s Clue several times now. Prior to watching it, my friends boasted how it is one of the greatest comedies and mystery films ever made? My initial reaction when the credits rolled was, “Uhhhhhhh…..seriously!?!” I have a blasted headache no thanks to the film. But on subsequent rewatching, while still holding true to my initial thought, I did think the film is a fun if not forgettable 80’s flick. Jonathan Lynn’s script is super-thin and barely holds together, but the excellent cast is the glue that holds the film together. Tim Curry absolutely knocks it out of the park, and I would not hesitate to say this is his finest role despite being in better movies. I remember playing the hit Hasbro board game as a kid. Yay for family nights! It is nuts to think that a feature film, a watchable film that is, was made from the board game. Paramount somehow succeeded! The script eventually came together from producer John Landis when he got the likes of Anthon...

After Hours (1985) The 1980’s was an interesting decade for Martin Scorsese. After Raging Bull , the director made quite a few films this decade-including After Hours . These films are, sometimes unfairly, categorized as minor Scorsese films. They are not Taxi Driver or Raging Bull , but they are still solid-to-great films. It took me some time to get my head wrapped around this film, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Just like 1983’s King of Comedy , Scorsese attempted to blend dark comedy and satire with his features and did so with relative success. Like all of his pictures, Scorsese continues to tell tales about New York City. As a New Yorker, he is the right man for such authenticity. Is there any city in the world other than New York which would allow a mob to form over a simple act of thievery? Most likely not! Still, we are treated to a very angry ice cream truck lady. Are you one of those people who believe that you have such bad luck and what could go wrong, does go w...

Halt and Catch Fire: Season 1, Episode 2 "FUD" June 08, 2014 After creator Christopher Cantwell set the ball rolling with his excellent foundation-laying work in the series premiere, he gets to work here. “FUD” is a character-driven episode that features fine performances from Pace, McNairy, and Davis. Pace continues his secret, troublemaking ways. Boy, he knows how to deliver a tantrum-whether it was destroying Cameron’s basement office or the information we learn that he caused two    mjllion dollars worth of damage to IBM when he left. Or the ending! Davis continues getting into mischief as she shoplifts. Also, Gordon is still at the mercy of his wife, who seems to exhibit some professional jealousy. The wheels are turning, and we are getting more and more into our characters. The episode starts with the IBM legal team hammering Cardiff to see if any of their secrets are being stolen. Joe makes them believe that all they are doing is creating a PC clone and Camer...