None But the Lonely Heart (1944, dir. Clifford Odets) [Out of Print]

None But the Lonely Heart (1944, dir. Clifford Odets)

What Is It?: A Cockney Melodrama about a ne'er do well son and his sick ma.

What About It?: Notable for both Cary Grant's stretching out of type and for a return to his own cockney roots, None But the Lonely Heart is fine heartstring-pulling stuff. Grant plays Ernie Mott, a roustabout coming 'round the homestead after wandering the English countryside for years. After finding out his Ma has the big C, he sticks around to try and do the right thing with mixed results. Set in between the wars, the whole enterprise feels like an allegory for something, it's beyond the Lost Classic as to what that allegory might be.

Why Should I See It?: To see how the greatest romantic lead of all time does in a standard drama. Grant acquits himself admirably as Mott and Barrymore as Ma Mott is hammy and fun (she won the Oscar for the role). June Duprez is lovely and the most believable actor (esp. as a Cockney) and a nice revelation to us. A fine film for Grant fans and lovers of 40's melodramas.

What Else Is It Like?: Since You Went Away, The Beachcomber, The Quiet Man.

When Is It Available Until ON DEMAND?: 1/4/07

Watch It ON DEMAND On Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

Nixon [Special Edition] (1995, dir. Oliver Stone)

Nixon (1995, dir. Oliver Stone)

What Is It?: An overlong, yet still somehow riveting biopic of our disgraced former president.

What About It?: The Lost Classic recently saw a note on a video copy of this film that read, "The greatest film biography since Citizen Kane." While we can't entirely echo that sentiment, we were pleased to note that someone else has love for this deeply flawed masterpiece. Nixon is far from perfect, but what it gets right is powerful and unexpectedly moving, oddly drawing some of its power from its weaknesses. For example, Anthony Hopkins doesn't look or sound like Richard M. Nixon, but he just feels like him in much of the film that one starts to believe in the performance almost immediately. If the role was filled by someone who was a gifted mimic, the Lost Classic believes that the power would have been drained out of the role. Hopkins wears his sportcoats like they weigh fifty pounds and he plays Nixon's sweaty, raw neediness in such a way to make it akin to charisma instead of repellent. Stone plays the whole story like Shakespearean drama, pitched like, yes, Citizen Kane -- with shots cribbed, to boot -- but still never losing his inimitable style.

Why Should I See It?: This should be seen by all lovers of epic drama, fans of political folderol and subterfuge and for fans of that oft-imperiled genre -- the biopic. The casting is excellent -- James Woods as Haldeman, Ed Harris as E. Howard Hunt, Joan Allen as Pat Nixon, and the great J.T. Walsh as Ehrlichman, not a bum choice in the lot. Even Paul Sorvino as Kissinger works beautifully. The whole thing is a towering achievement, that the Lost Classic believes will get its due some day. This Special Edition, released in 2002, adds a handful of scenes, the only one worth noting is a terrific, kinda funny scene with Sam Waterson as Dick Helms, head of the CIA. Stone was right to leave the scene out in the official version, but it's a pleasure to watch him go for it in this scene where Helms is literally portrayed as the devil. Living in a hothouse filled with orchids. The movie is worth watching for that scene alone, we think. The whole thing is highly recommended, though.

What Else Is It Like?: Secret Honor, LBJ: The Early Years, Hoffa, Citizen Kane.

When Is It Available Until ON DEMAND?: 1/4/07

Watch It ON DEMAND On Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

What's New This Week (That's Worth Watching to One Degree or Another)?: Krull, It Came From Beneath the Sea, Nadine, Roy Colt & Winchester Jack, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

River's Edge (1986, dir. Tim Hunter)

River's Edge (1986, dir. Tim Hunter)

What Is It?: An exceptional crime drama – based on true events – about the murder of a young woman and the inaction of her peer group upon being shown her body.

What About It?: Taken at the time to be a kind of portrait of the moral breakdown of contemporary society, one could certainly see something like this made today, with the requisite meth hysteria thrown in for good measure. The movie boasts breakout performances from Keanu Reeves and Crispin Glover as best friends of the killer, but on opposite poles of the situation. Dennis Hopper completed his hat trick of a comeback with this, his third film to come out in 1986 (Hoosiers and Blue Velvet were the other two). Hopper's creepazoid schtick had yet to wear thin, and he plays his character Feck perfectly as the burnout fugitive who gives the kids their pot (called “Feck Weed” in the movie) in exchange for their vacant glances, though nothing untoward is implied.

Why Should I See It?: It's gripping stuff and works on a number of different levels, even if it sometimes is a bit obvious. It came out when indie films were still called arthouse and the frentic stylings of Mssr. Tarantino had yet to take over that world's movies. It has a pace that feels like the overcast skies that dominate the visuals. It also has a great score by Jürgen Knieper, who scored Wings of Desire the next year.

What Else Is It Like?: Mean Creek, George Washington, Bubble.

When Is It Available Until ON DEMAND?: 12/14/06

Watch It ON DEMAND On Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

What's New This Week (That's Worth Watching to One Degree or Another)?: Dark Skies, Futureworld, The Long Riders, New York, New York, None But the Lonely Heart, The Piano, RoboCop.

Better Off Dead... (1985, dir. Savage Steve Holland)

Better Off Dead... (1985, dir. Savage Steve Holland)

What Is It?: An absurdist treat about a jilted high schooler, Lane Meyer, played by an absurdly young John Cusack.

What About It?: A deeply ridiculous and truly funny film, easily a peak of the 80's teen comedy, before the myriad attempts to make the genre "“serious"”, like with Cameron Crowe's Say Anything.... This movie is not based in any kind of reality, outside of the pitch being reminiscent of the way teens often feel, one may remember, maybe.

Why Should I See It?: Eminently quotable, exceedingly well written and directed, this is light entertainment at its best. Cusack is great as the beleaguered Lane and the supporting cast is uniformly excellent. Kim Darby, as Lane's heavily medicated Mother is both terrific and disturbing. Dan Schneider as Ricky? Sheer greatness. The paper boy? I want my two dollars. This movie is hella.

What Else Is It Like?: One Crazy Summer, Real Genius, Three O'Clock High.

When Is It Playing Until ON DEMAND?: 10/26/06

Watch It ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

Six Degrees of Separation (1993, dir. Fred Schepsi)

Six Degrees of Separation (1993, dir. Fred Schepsi)

What Is It?: A filmed adaptation of the award-winning John Guare play, loosely based on a true story, about a young man who is compulsively compelled to integrate himself into the lives of the rich in Manhattan.

What About It?: This movie made a splash when it came out, with an Oscar nod for Stockard Channing for her excellent restrained (relative to the rest of the characters) performance, but has become somewhat forgotten in the years that have followed for some reason. Will Smith, in his first starring role in a film, turns in a fine portrayal of the chameleon-like Paul. Fred Schepsi is a inconsistent director, but he does a great job at opening this up from the play, while still retaining the theatrical nature of the play. The kids of all of the "wronged" parents are a hoot of overdramatic progeny. It's also what the Lost Classic believes is the starring debut of Donald Sutherland's big, bushy, yet well-coiffed beard, no disrespect meant to his excellent performance, of course.

Why Should I See It?: It's a terrific movie with strong performances all around and the ideas behind it about identity are somewhat profound. The whole "six degrees" thing might seem a little hoary after it's been turned into a parlor game for millions, but the transformation of Channing's character is still moving.

What Else Is It Like?: The Object of Beauty, Catch Me If You Can, Metropolitan.

When Is It Available Until ON DEMAND?: 12/21/06

Watch It ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

What's New This Week (That's Worth Watching to One Degree or Another)?: The Age of Innocence, It Happened One Night, Major Dundee (Special Edition), Dances With Wolves (Special Edition), Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Things to Do In Denver When You're Dead, Jerry Maguire, Guns of Navarone, So I Married An Axe Murderer.

Topaz (1969, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

Topaz (1969, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

What Is It?: A lightly regarded espionage thriller from late in Hitchcock's career about the intelligence machinations behind the Cuban Missile Crisis.

What About It?: A filmed adaptation of the Leon Uris novel, this feels like Hitch's foray into realist-based spy stuff, as though he got caught by the Le Carre bug in the wake of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Certainly no shame in that, though by all accounts, Hitchcock's heart wasn't in this one after his sad break up with Bernard Hermann and various budgetary fights with Universal over his last few films. His next film, Frenzy, tends to get all of the revisionist attention -- and we have no truck with that endeavor -- but we think there is much to love about Topaz. It's overlong by half, with an atypically bloated screenplay and far too much expositionary talk going on, but he managed to fit in some fine set pieces and beautiful shots as he put his signature on this as well. The murder of Juanita, oft-cited, is amazing, as is the silently shot bribing of the Cuban functionary. Even the defection scene opening the film is riveting stuff.

Why Should I See It?: If you love spy movies or Hitchcock, this will be right up your alley. The wheat isn't separated from the chaff as much as it should be, perhaps, but it's still finely crafted cinema, heartily recommended by the Lost Classic.

What Else Is It Like?: The Day of the Jackal, Black Sunday, The Looking Glass War.

When Is It Showing ON DEMAND Until?: 10/26/06

Watch It ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

Death and the Maiden (1994, dir. Roman Polanski)

Death and the Maiden (1994, dir. Roman Polanski)

What Is It?: A film adaptation of the Ariel Dorfman play about a woman in an unnamed South American country who captures the man she believes tortured her years ago and exacts "justice."

What About It?: Following, as it did, the silly Bitter Moon, this was hailed as a return to form for the great/disgusting director Roman Polanski, though this was ultimately followed by The Ninth Gate, so go figure, right? Either way, the movie is riveting work, if a little stage-bound. Polanski saw no need to "open it up", and, really, it would feel weird if he did. This is mostly about the finely honed performances by both Sigourney Weaver and Ben Kingsley -- no disrespect to Stuart Wilson, the third actor in this three-actor play, but the others are the stars of the show, to be sure. The central dramatic questions of "Is She Crazy?" and "Did He Do It?" are asked again and again to great effect. The thematic question of "Why Do We Torture?" is answered in a way that might be illuminating to those who wish to plumb the depths of the detritus of torture, as salient a topic as one is likely to be confronted with via the free movies ON DEMAND.

Why Should I See It?: If, for no other reason, for Weaver's stunning performance as the woman tortured. Weaver, to our mind, is a prime example of a Lost Classic actor -- one that is woefully underappreciated and misunderstood. We think that the moviegoing public prefers cerebral acting like Jodie Foster or Meryl Streep and the physicality of Weaver is maybe offputting. The Official Wife of the Lost Classic thinks that maybe it's because of Sigourney's role in Aliens, as the sci-fi genre is hardly well respected. We think that she may have a point, though we think that it's a secret prejudice harbored by the masses against tall people. Weaver's performance is this movie is up there with her best. Watch how she uses her feet. She's just amazing.

What Else Is It Like?: Gaslight, The Dancer Upstairs, Salvador.

When Is It Showing ON DEMAND Until?: 1/25/07

Watch It ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx

What's New This Week (That's Worth Watching to One Degree Or Another)?: Better Off Dead..., The Glenn Miller Story, Marie Antoinette, Bull Durham, Mad Max, Geronimo: An American Legend.

Point Break (1991, dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

Point Break (1991, dir. Kathryn Bigelow)

What Is It?: A surprisingly effective actioner about a FBI agent infiltrating a surfer/bank thief gang.

What About It?: Yes, the movie that brought Keanu "“Canoe"” Reeves to the masses as an action star and the first action movie directed by a woman to be a financial success. Point Break really isn'’t a bad flick. Bigelow directs with a visual flair and an excellent feel for telegraphing character efficiently. The story itself is fairly standard undercover cop stuff, with buckets of new age-esque hullaballoo, but it somehow feels fresh in Bigelow's hands. In particular, Bigelow's use of an unusual voice over in the montage/extreme sports scenes was a gutsy decision. The Lost Classic can't imagine what it must have looked like on paper, but it worked pretty well. Somewhat ahead if its time, Point Break has spawned many hellish pretenders, but the original stands up.

Why Should I See It?: Because it's a fun movie, if a touch overlong. And there's fine character work handed in by Gary Busey, James LeGros in an early role, and the cranky John C. McGinley. The foot race between Reeves and Patrick Swayze is one of the best committed to celluloid, though the Lost Classic kept thinking of the poor stunt guy who had to run all that way and how stoked Swayze must've been that his character had a mask on.

What Else Is It Like?: The Fast and the Furious (more like a remake than 'similar'), Domino, xXx.

When Is It Showing ON DEMAND Until?: 10/12/06

Watch It ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx