Prizzi's Honor

Year 2, Day 261 - 9/18/10 - Movie #627

BEFORE: I had originally scheduled "Easy Rider" as today's film, but then I realized that Jimmy Hoffa's (alleged) ties to the mob made this film a better follow-up.

THE PLOT: A professional hit man and hit woman fall in love, only to discover that they have each been hired to kill the other.

AFTER: I don't like IMDB's description of the plot - they oversimplified it. I felt that the entire storyline was much too complicated, there were a few too many coincidences and reversals. And it wasn't funny enough to be a mob satire, or any kind of comedy, really.

Also, there were a few too many characters - how many people does it take to run a crime family? I was led to believe (by Hollywood, of course) that there could only be one boss in each family - but there are several "Dons" here in the Prizzi family, and that made things too confusing.

This was made back when Kathleen Turner (last seen in "The Jewel of the Nile") was very easy on the eyes - but that means it's also hard to take her seriously as a hitman, er, hitwoman. And who marries the man that kills her husband, just a few days later? Either that's a cold woman, or she's playing the hitman.

Actually, it's hard to get a reading on anyone's motives in this film, because the situations are constantly shifting, and people are forced to turn against each other - I guess that's life in the mob, but it sure makes a movie hard to follow.

Also starring William Hickey (last seen in "Christmas Vacation"), Robert Loggia (last seen in "Armed and Dangerous"), Anjelica Huston (last seen in "Choke"), John Randolph (also last seen in "Christmas Vacation"), and Lawrence Tierney (last seen in "Armageddon")

RATING: 4 out of 10 silencers

JACK-O-METER: 5 out of 10. A couple of OK moments here, but for the most part he's pretty restrained, considering the circumstances. The mob's trying to rub you out, don't you think you should be a little more upset about that?

Hoffa

Year 2, Day 260 - 9/17/10 - Movie #626

BEFORE: Yesterday's Brooklyn/Queens tornado knocked out the cable and internet at home, so I'm typing from the office. That's OK, it's not like my job and my whole life centers around watching TV and movies. Oh, wait, yes it does. If you don't see any blog posts over the weekend, it doesn't mean I've given up, it just means I have no access to the interwebs.

I'm closing out my look at American labor and big business tonight, I wasn't able to get to films like "Michael Clayton", "Silkwood", or anything involving waiters, like "The Slammin' Salmon". I'll have to work those films in later, because there's just enough days as needed to watch my Jack Nicholson chain, which will transition neatly into horror movies - I bet you can even guess how, if you've been paying attention.

THE PLOT: Portrait of Union leader James R. Hoffa, as seen through the eyes of his friend, Bobby Ciaro. The film follows Hoffa through his countless battles with President Roosevelt and RFK all the way to a conclusion that negates the theory that he disappeared in 1975.

AFTER: Well, it was an innovative way to tell a story - the framing device was Hoffa (Jack Nicholson, last seen in "The Departed") and Bobby Ciaro (Danny DeVito, last seen in "10 Items or Less") at a roadside diner, waiting for a clandestine meeting to take place. Various items or bits of conversation spark their memories, which of course detail their entire back-story, which is basically synonymous with that of the Teamsters Union.

Full disclosure again - my father was a truck driver for most of his life, until he retired about 6 years ago. He ran a small family business, which he took over from his father, until deregulation made that financially impossible. After a slight detour into baking, he signed up with one of the larger trucking firms, and was a Teamsters member for a decade or so before retiring. So I probably owe an odd debt to Mr. Hoffa, and the struggles to unionize the trucking industry decades ago.

I'll try to remain impartial - this is still a powerful portrait, which really takes off when Hoffa comes face to face with Robert Kennedy's senatorial committee, investigating illegal loans (I think) made from the Teamsters pension fund. One slight verbal mis-step, and Hoffa goes haywire on the guy. This is why you hire Nicholson - for the freak-outs/tirades that he's capable of pulling off.

This film kept my attention, despite the 2 hour and 20 min. length, more than I thought that a film about union policies would. Obviously there's some underhanded stuff that went down in the formation and the operation of the Teamsters, and Hoffa is portrayed as an odd mix of hero and villain here. I guess he was a hero to some and a villain to others, definitely a guy you wanted fighting for you, and not against you.

As for the ending - well, since no one really knows what happened to Hoffa, although the scenario portrayed here is highly implausible, you can't really say it's impossible, now can you? The situation depicted here would have required a ridiculous amount of set-up, so it's very doubtful that things went down exactly like this...

A couple quick conversions to the Denir-O-meter, and I should probably give a 2nd rating to these films for their Nicholson-Ness, the extent to which Jack is really allowed to pick up the crazy-ball and run with it - to BE the Jack that he can be. A movie like "As Good As It Gets" would be like a 9 on the scale, in case you wanted to calibrate.

Also starring Armand Assante (last seen in "Q&A"), John C. Reilly (last seen in "The Promotion"), J.T. Walsh (last seen in "Crazy People"), Frank Whaley (last seen in "The Freshman"), Paul Guilfoyle (last seen in "The Negotiator") and Robert Prosky (last seen in "Death to Smoochy"). Oh, and a cameo from Bruno Kirby (also last seen in "The Freshman")

RATING: 7 out of 10 picket signs

JACK-O-METER: 7 out of 10 - for the most part he's hidden behind Hoffa's facial features, which would suggest a 5, but during Hoffa's tirades you can definitely see some crazy Nicholson scenery-chewing "shining" through. (pun intended)

Tucker: The Man and His Dream

Year 2, Day 259 - 9/16/10 - Movie #625

BEFORE: Man, September is moving quickly, isn't it? I mean, it's half over, and it feels like it just started! I had to stop in the $5.99 DVD store today, and buy copies of the three films that will make my Shock-Tober horror chain work. Some cable channel might run those films, but I needed to know for sure that I could watch them as of Oct. 1.

Tonight it's another film about a starry-eyed inventor in the auto biz. Executive producer was George Lucas, a dreamer himself whose films inspired me and set me on my own career path. Lucas' name means the film merits a look, though I'm still feeling burned by the suckfest that was "Radioland Murders".

THE PLOT: The story of Preston Tucker, the maverick car designer and his ill-fated challenge to the auto industry with his revolutionary car concept.

AFTER: Well, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't spectacular either - it's another film based on a true story, so it's hard to criticize it (assuming it told Tucker's story accurately, that is...).

As in last night's film, a car innovator (and family man) sees his life's work end up in court, thanks to the big automakers, who act as a cartel to block Tucker's innovations. He had this crazy idea that cars should be safer, with things like seatbelts, shatter-proof glass, disc brakes, etc. Not that I know much about cars, but Tucker apparently did - many of the Tucker cars that were produced are still running today. According to IMDB, producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola each own two.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to learn from this film, with regards to big business, or even filmmaking. What's the moral - stay true to your dreams? Don't let the big guys wear you down? It's OK to raise capital investments, and produce a small amount of merchandise? The American dream says it's OK to build a company on promises, smoke + mirrors?

And what's with that song, "The Tiger Rag" (aka "Hold That Tiger"?) what does it mean? Why did Tucker keep singing it - what's the implication? Other than the fact that jazz standards are really non-sensical and awful...

I don't know, I wasn't blown away by this one - maybe I am getting cynical and burnt out on movies.

Starring Jeff Bridges (last seen in "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People"), Joan Allen (last seen in "Manhunter"), Martin Landau (last seen in "The Majestic"), Elias Koteas (last seen in "Fallen"), Christian Slater (last seen in "Mobsters"), and (friend of the blogger) Jay O. Sanders (last seen in "Half Nelson"), plus cameos from Lloyd Bridges, Patti Austin, Don "Fr. Guido Sarducci" Novello (last seen in "Casper"), and Dean Stockwell (last seen in "Air Force One") as Howard Hughes.

RATING: 5 out of 10 engine blocks

Flash of Genius

Year 2, Day 258 - 9/15/10 - Movie #624

BEFORE: Another story about a normal guy trying to get ahead in the business world, and getting the shaft instead. Wrapping up my Labor Day chain with a 3-day look at the auto industry (and teamsters).

THE PLOT: Robert Kearns takes on the Detroit automakers who he claims stole his idea for the intermittent windshield wiper.

AFTER: This is based on a true story, of course we don't know the real Bob Kearns, we see an interpretation of him, played by Greg Kinnear (last seen in "Fast Food Nation"). He's portrayed here as an earnest engineer and inventor, who perhaps places too much trust in the Ford Motor Company. After years of trying to prove that Ford stole his idea - excuse me, infringed his patent - for the intermittent wiper, he has a breakdown, then finally gets his day in court, acting as his own attorney.

Kinnear played a character who was part of the system in "Fast Food Nation", but here he's the little guy that corporate America ripped off and sent packing - why? Because they could... But I've always said that all you need in life is one original idea, one thing that you managed to think of before anyone else did, and for Bob Kearns, that was intermittent wipers. It seems simple enough - wipe, pause, wipe again - so why didn't anyone else think of it in that way?

Kinnear gets a chance to play a character over a large period of time, and through a variety of personal setbacks - which seems like an interesting challenge. We, the audience (and the jury) have to decide if we like a guy who stands up for what he believes is right, even though it costs him nearly everything important in his life to do so. Ah, the stress and paranoia that develop when you go up against the corporate machine...

I've been watching a show on TLC called "Hoarding: Buried Alive" (not "Hoarders" on A&E, different show), partially because I understand a thing or two about obsessive behavior, and because I've gone through cleaning my parents' basement and garage several times, and I understand that process. Many of the people on the show have gone through a traumatic experience in their lives, and they're so fixated on it, that they're unable to move forward emotionally, and are somehow comforted by big piles of useless junk. Something akin to that seems to be at work here in this portrayal of Bob Kearns.

But since I'm anti-spoiler, I won't reveal the results of the court case - though you can probably look it up if you're so inclined. Instead, since my trivia buddies and I have been debating the proper use of the term "ironic", I'll point out that Kearns pursues the case to get money to support his family, but his obsession drives his family away, which is ironic indeed. Also, it seems here that in victory there is still some loss, in struggle there is some futility, and in the fracturing of his family life, there arises a new unity. Zen enough for you?

I could easily transition into legal-themed movies from here - they've been running a lot of Grisham-y movies lately on cable, and I decided to make a week of it - never saw "A Time to Kill", "Absence of Malice", "Presumed Innocent" or "The Chamber", throw in films like "The Juror", "Twelve Angry Men", and even "Jury Duty", and that's a theme week - but no, I'll stick with the plan, because I'm looking forward to Jack.

Also starring Lauren Graham (last seen in "Evan Almighty"), Dermot Mulroney (last seen in "Burn After Reading"), Mitch Pileggi, and character actors Daniel Roebuck (last seen in "U.S. Marshals"), Bill Smitrovitch (last seen in "Crazy People") and Alan Alda.

RATING: 6 out of 10 settlement offers

The Promotion

Year 2, Day 257 - 9/14/10 - Movie #623

BEFORE: My trivia team won tonight - even though we were in 5th place after three rounds, we had a near-perfect audio round, and a perfect lightning round - way to finish strong, guys! The team sent me up to compete on the buzzers in the final round, and I won by knowing that an aardwolf is a type of hyena. How did I know this? Not a clue. I must have run across this fact somewhere in all those crosswords I do. Anyway, my team split $200, and I was out late, so a short movie for Tuesday am (after midnight) is in order. Sticking with the grocery store-worker theme.

THE PLOT: Two assistant managers of a corporate grocery store vie for a coveted promotion.

AFTER: This turned out to be another slice-of-life movie, the humor comes from situations that stick pretty close to real-life, like hearing your neighbor practicing the banjo, or being upset that your spouse earns more than you. Or competing with someone at your workplace for an opening as a manager.

It's a simple concept - two men, one job. But sometimes in the simplest situations we can see the greatest truths. In the end we're all rats in a maze going after the same bit of cheese, and what matters is the path we take to get there. No matter what your job is, you need to be able to go home at night to your loved ones, knowing that you put in some hard work that day, and that you did so honorably. Isn't that what it's all about, really?

Like George Carlin once said, companies are looking for people who show up, punch in, pitch in, put out, clean up, punch out, head home, throw up, turn in, sack out and shut up...

The film's delicate balance came from not making the situation black and white - neither guy is a saint, and neither is a giant prick, either. That might have made the film too simple, I think. Of course both men want the job, each one feels that they deserve it, and each one contemplates how far he is willing to go to get it. But by not going to extremes with the situations, the movie also plays it a little safe. Compared to, say, a Jim Carrey film, which would be way over the top.

I'm feeling generous tonight - though, really, after paying $7 entry fee and $15 for food and beer, my share of the $200 prize meant that I broke even for the night - but you can't put a price on hanging with your friends and coming in first place, can you? And now we get to be defending champions in the high-stakes competition in 2 weeks - so that's a big win. Anyway, I'm awarding this movie an extra point for featuring the awesome song "Time For Me to Fly" by REO Speedwagon.

Starring Seann William Scott (last seen in "Mr. Woodcock"), John C. Reilly (last seen in "Step Brothers"), Jenna Fischer (last seen in "Walk Hard"), Fred Armisen (last seen in "The Rocker"), Gil Bellows, Lili Taylor (last seen in "Public Enemies") and Bobby Cannavale (for the third time this week!), with cameos from Jason Bateman (last seen in "Extract"), Fred Gonzalez (last seen in "The Rookie"), and Masi Oka (last seen in "Get Smart").

RATING: 5 out of 10 shopping carts

10 Items or Less

Year 2, Day 256 - 9/13/10 - Movie #622

BEFORE: From dock workers to grocery store workers -

THE PLOT: An actor prepping for an upcoming role meets a quirky grocery clerk, and the pair hit the road to show one another their respective worlds.

AFTER: Arrggh, it should be "10 Items or FEWER". Does it bother anyone else that nearly every grocery store in the country has a sign with a grammar mistake on it? Look, if you can count the items, the correct word is "fewer", but if it's a quantity that can't be counted, the word is "less". You can ask for less butter, or fewer sticks of butter.

This is a character showcase for Morgan Freeman (last seen in "Lean On Me"), who's listed in the credits as playing "Him" - so essentially, he's playing himself, or a version of himself, researching a role. Whether you find this movie charming or not depends largely on how you feel about Mr. Freeman.

I know for a fact that actors do this sort of character research - my boss was hired a few years ago to do some animation for an indie feature, in which the main character was a teenage artist and aspiring animator. They invited my boss down to the set, and he didn't know that the lead actor had been told to shadow him and watch the way he carried himself, for inspiration.

Freeman strikes up a friendship with a cashier named Scarlet (Paz Vega, last seen in "The Spirit") and is fascinated by the details of her life. When he requires a ride home, their paths become intertwined and they end up spending the afternoon together, bonding and inspiring each other. Freeman gives an inspiring speech in Scarlet's car that's essentially the opposite of Brando's car-seat "contender" monologue from "On the Waterfront" - he tells her about all the potential she has, all the things that she can accomplish. What a nice bit of symmetry...

Even though the middle of the film felt a little stretched out, as the pair kill time at a car wash before her job interview, this has the feel of an indie short film. It's a simple idea that shows us a small slice of someone's life, but fortunately it's a tasty slice.

Also starring Bobby Cannavale (last seen in "Fast Food Nation") and Jonah Hill (last seen in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") with a cameo from Danny DeVito (last seen in "Be Cool") and Rhea Perlman.

RATING: 6 out of 10 car air fresheners

On the Waterfront

Year 2, Day 255 - 9/12/10 - Movie #621

BEFORE: From factory workers to dock workers - I sort of shamed myself into watching this one, as opposed to another crappy comedy where people play waiters or something - I've seen several sub-par comedies already this week, so maybe I should watch a well-respected Hollywood classic. From the list of films that I hate to admit I haven't seen, like "Cool Hand Luke", "Rebel Without a Cause", "The Philadelphia Story" and "Midnight Cowboy".

THE PLOT: An ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman struggles to stand up to his corrupt union bosses.

AFTER: I found this a little bit hard to follow, I don't think they explained exactly why the dockworkers union was so corrupt - or maybe they did, I had a little bit of trouble keeping my eyes open. I could easily see the connection between the longshoremen in this film, waiting on the docks for work, and the Mexican migrant workers seen in last night's film.

Of course Brando is the main reason to watch this film, and the 2nd and the 3rd. Karl Malden comes in 4th, I suppose, since he's got a soliloquy of his own, standing over a dead dockworker and proclaiming how his death was a "crucifixion". But Brando's rant in the back of a taxicab is the equivalent of Hamlet's "To Be or Not to Be" speech. People who don't know the whole Hamlet plot still know that line, just as everyone knows the "I coulda been a contenda..." scene, without knowing the full context.

Terry Malloy, played by Brando (last seen in "The Freshman") feels guilty over his part in the death of another dockworker, who was going to testify about corruption on the docks. Malloy lured him to the roof with the promise of returning one of his homing pigeons, and he was pushed off the roof. But the dockworkers and most of the neighbors have learned to be "D&D" - deaf and dumb - when it comes to this sort of thing.

For his role in the killing, Malloy is given a "loft" job, the equivalent of today's no-show job, and is then sent to spy on Father Barry (Karl Malden, last seen in "Nuts") who is trying to organize opposition to the mob on the docks. Eventually Malloy feels guilty about his role as a "bum" while he falls for the sister of the dead man. And the symbolism of the pigeons (as in stool pigeons) comes into play later in the film.

It's good to have context, it's good to cross a Classic Film off the list. And I didn't know there was a movie character named "Johnny Friendly" - that was one of my aliases, I used to give that name sometimes when making restaurant reservations, as a goof...

Also starring Rod Steiger (last seen in "The Hurricane"), Eva Marie Saint (last seen in "Superman Returns"), and Lee J. Cobb.

RATING: 6 out of 10 crates of bananas