Category Archives: 1989

Coffee and Cigarettes II (1989, Jim Jarmusch)

Posted on 25 December 2012 | Leave a comment

Coffee and Cigarettes II stars twins Cinqué Lee and Joie Lee as twins having coffee in Memphis. Why are they in Memphis? They don’t know, but it seems like it’s Cinqué’s fault. Jarmusch le’s the twins bicker though most of the short, which is funny enough but then there’s Steve Buscemi too.

Buscemi’s playing the annoying (local) waiter. His Tennessee accent is shaky but his rant about Elvis is awesome. Cigarettes feels tailor-made for a film class, with white Buscemi physically separating the black Lee twins. The banter could also be plotted as to how it goes back and forth.

But spending too much time on Jarmusch’s process distracts from the short. The twins are great–particularly Joie–and the short’s rather a fun time.

There are some outstanding shots too, which Jarmusch uses both for comic relief and narrative pacing. Cigarettes is a fabulous use of eight minutes.

CREDITS

Written and directed by Jim Jarmusch; director of photography, Robby Müller; edited by Melody London; produced by Rudd Simmons and Jim Stark.

Starring Joie Lee (Good Twin), Cinqué Lee (Evil Twin) and Steve Buscemi (Danny the waiter).

Coffee and Cigarettes series:

Coffee and Cigarettes (1986, Jim Jarmusch)

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Posted in 1989, Black and White, English, Short, USA

Tagged Cinqué Lee, Jim Jarmusch, Jim Stark, Joie Lee, Melody London, Robby Müller, Rudd Simmons, Steve Buscemi

Adventures in Babysitting (1989, Joel Zwick)

Posted on 29 November 2012 | 2 Comments

Given the abundance of terrible television sitcoms, seeing what kind doesn’t make it past pilot stage should be interesting. But it’s not. “Adventures in Babysitting” is a semi-sequel to the movie–with David Simkins, the original writer, co-writing the pilot. It recasts every role.

It’s fairly clear why “Babysitting” didn’t make it to series, though mixing a sitcom with “Double Dare” in front of a live studio audience isn’t necessarily a terrible premise.

Lead Jennifer Guthrie is awful and unlikable. Brian Austin Green and Joseph Lawrence play the rambunctious teenagers. Green’s worse than Lawrence, which isn’t a compliment to Lawrence in any way. Ariana Mohit’s awful as Guthrie’s friend, but not as wholly unlikable.

The only good performances are Courtney Peldon as the Thor obsessed eight year old and Art Evans (who’s able to deliver the terrible lines wonderfully) as Mohit’s boss.

“Babysitting” is a horrific eighties curiosity.

CREDITS

Directed by Joel Zwick; screenplay by Greg Antonacci and David Simkins, based on characters created by Simkins; director of photography, Mikel Neiers; edited by Ed Cotter; music by Dan Foliart and Howard Pearl; executive producer, Antonacci.

Starring Jennifer Guthrie (Chris Parker), Joseph Lawrence (Brad Anderson), Courtney Peldon (Sara Anderson), Brian Austin Green (Daryl Coopersmith), Ariana Mohit (Brenda), Susan Blanchard (Joanna Anderson), Dennis Howard (Robert Anderson), Rocky Giordani (Vince), Jason Tomlins (Rick) and Art Evans (Mr. Dukeman).

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Posted in 1989, Color, Comedy, English, Short, USA

Tagged Ariana Mohit, Art Evans, Brian Austin Green, Courtney Peldon, Dan Foliart, David Simkins, Dennis Howard, Ed Cotter, Greg Antonacci, Howard Pearl, Jason Tomlins, Jennifer Guthrie, Joel Zwick, Joseph Lawrence, Mikel Neiers, Rocky Giordani, Susan Blanchard

Halloween 5 (1989, Dominique Othenin-Girard)

Posted on 3 September 2012 | Leave a comment

Halloween 5 shouldn’t be mind-numbingly boring. There’s no chance something called Halloween 5 is going to be smart, so I was expecting mind-numbing stupidity… but not boredom.

The movie opens with a recap of the previous entry, with some changes to the ending to keep Michael Myers alive (he escapes in a manner straight out of an old Universal monster movie) and to make his nine year-old niece, Danielle Harris, retain sympathy.

Of course, she’s been rendered mute, which helps Harris’s acting quite a bit.

Halloween 5 has some really bad acting. It’s dumb and all, but there’s just some godawful acting. Ellie Cornell, returning from the last one too (where she was bad), shines in comparison. But director Othenin-Girard underuses any of the more capable (and capable is a stretch) actors and gives more attention to people like Wendy Foxworth, who’s atrocious.

Poor Beau Starr doesn’t have enough of a presence either, with the film promising him better screen time and then failing to deliver.

As for the always present Donald Pleasence? Halloween 5 is, apparently, the one where he’s willing to burn his acting legacy. It’s hard to say what’s more unbelievable… a hermit nursing Michael Myers to health or Pleasence getting away with roughing up Harris every chance he gets.

Composition-wise, Othenin-Girard could be worse. Alan Howarth’s score has its moments too.

But Halloween 5 can’t overcome its stupidity or its repetitiveness. Every “homage” is lame and everything original is horrendous.

CREDITS

Directed by Dominique Othenin-Girard; screenplay by Michael Jocobs, Othenin-Girard and Shem Bitterman, based on characters created by John Carpenter and Debra Hill; director of photography, Robert Draper; edited by Jerry Brady and Charles Tetoni; music by Alan Howarth; production designer, Brenton Swift; produced by Ramsey Thomas; released by Galaxy International Releasing.

Starring Donald Pleasence (Dr. Sam Loomis), Danielle Harris (Jamie Lloyd), Ellie Cornell (Rachel Carruthers), Beau Starr (Sheriff Ben Meeker), Jeffrey Landman (Billy Hill), Tamara Glynn (Samantha Thomas), Jonathan Chapin (Mikey), Matthew Walker (Spitz) and Wendy Foxworth (Tina Williams).

Halloween series:

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Posted in 1989, Color, English, Galaxy International Releasing, Horror, Thriller, USA

Tagged Alan Howarth, Beau Starr, Brenton Swift, Charles Tetoni, Danielle Harris, Debra Hill, Dominique Othenin-Girard, Donald Pleasence, Ellie Cornell, Jeffrey Landman, Jerry Brady, John Carpenter, Jonathan Chapin, Matthew Walker, Michael Jocobs, Ramsey Thomas, Robert Draper, Shem Bitterman, Tamara Glynn, Wendy Foxworth

Tummy Trouble (1989, Rob Minkoff and Frank Marshall)

Posted on 2 September 2012 | Leave a comment

Tummy Trouble goes out of its way to pay homage to Tex Avery (down to a Droopy cameo) and director Minkoff does a decent job of it. Not to say Tummy‘s successful, however. While Minkoff apes Avery all right, it’s a combination of too obvious and too reverential. Outside being an “original” Roger Rabbit cartoon, there’s no creative impulse behind Tummy.

It’s also way too exquisite in terms of the animation to be a good Avery knock-off. Looking at the frames, it’s clear a lot of time went into illustrating the animations and not enough went into plotting out the gags. It’s just not funny. There’s not a single good gag.

And since Tummy is a Roger Rabbit cartoon, there’s an obligatory live action section at the end. It feels self-congratulatory, which doesn’t many any sense… Tummy Trouble‘s nothing to pat oneself on the back about.

CREDITS

Directed by Rob Minkoff and Frank Marshall; screenplay by Kevin Harkey, Bill Kopp, Minkoff, Mark Kausler and Patrick A. Ventura, based on characters created by Gary K. Wolf; edited by Donald W. Ernst; music by James Horner; produced by Don Hahn; released by Walt Disney Pictures.

Starring Charles Fleischer (Roger Rabbit), April Winchell (Young Baby Herman / Mrs. Herman), Lou Hirsch (Adult Baby Herman), Corey Burton (Orderly), Richard Williams (Droopy Dog) and Kathleen Turner (Jessica Rabbit).

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Posted in Walt Disney Pictures, Color, English, USA, Comedy, Family, 1989, Animation, Short

Tagged James Horner, Frank Marshall, Charles Fleischer, Kathleen Turner, Corey Burton, Rob Minkoff, Kevin Harkey, Bill Kopp, Mark Kausler, Patrick A. Ventura, Gary K. Wolf, Donald W. Ernst, Don Hahn, April Winchell, Lou Hirsch, Richard Williams

Back to the Future Part II (1989, Robert Zemeckis)

Posted on 31 August 2012 | Leave a comment

Back to the Future Part II, while front heavy with special effects, ends up being a small picture. The first half or so deals with the sequel setup from the first movie’s finale but then Part II tells a side story set during the first film. Time travel franchises can be, it turns out, rather economical.

Unfortunately, these economies mostly just show off how Bob Gale’s creatively bankrupt script. The film is reductive, not expansive, with most of the cast wasted. Christopher Lloyd, for example, disappears for large sections, occasionally popping up for a comical line reading. Michael J. Fox and Thomas F. Wilson are the whole show and neither do well. Neither are bad, but both have all new character quirks to incorporate. These incorporations are a tad difficult… since the original film looms over this one. And not just because whole sections of the first film’s footage is reused or because the second half involves Fox acting “alongside” himself.

Gale and Zemeckis continue to waste female talent. Elisabeth Shue actually has some decent screen time in the first half, being the viewer’s entry into the future of she and Fox, but then she literally gets knocked out for the rest of the movie. Lea Thompson shows up for a few scenes, does a lot better than Shue (who mugs constantly), before evaporating.

Gone are the first film’s likable characterizations. Part II is an ugly film; nastiness is apparently easier to write. The abject lack of story is shocking.

CREDITS

Directed by Robert Zemeckis; screenplay by Bob Gale, based on a story by Zemeckis and Gale; director of photography, Dean Cundey; edited by Harry Keramidas and Arthur Schmidt; music by Alan Silvestri; production designer, Rick Carter; produced by Neil Canton and Gale; released by Universal Pictures.

Starring Michael J. Fox (Marty McFly / Marty McFly Jr / Marlene McFly), Christopher Lloyd (Dr. Emmett Brown), Lea Thompson (Lorraine), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff Tannen / Griff Tannen), Elisabeth Shue (Jennifer Parker), James Tolkan (Mr. Strickland), Jeffrey Weissman (George McFly) and Charles Fleischer (Terry).

Back to the Future series:

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Posted in 1989, Adventure, Color, Comedy, English, Sci-Fi, Universal Pictures, USA

Tagged Alan Silvestri, Arthur Schmidt, Bob Gale, Charles Fleischer, Christopher Lloyd, Dean Cundey, Elisabeth Shue, Harry Keramidas, James Tolkan, Jeffrey Weissman, Lea Thompson, Michael J. Fox, Neil Canton, Rick Carter, Robert Zemeckis, Thomas F. Wilson

Twister (1989, Michael Almereyda)

Posted on 15 August 2012 | Leave a comment

Twister tries very hard to be avant-garde, but ends up just being a quirky family comedy. Worse, director Almereyda changes up the narrative style about fifty minutes into the film. Although Twister is based on a novel, Almereyda’s style is more appropriate for stage. The first half or more takes place on one set–Harry Dean Stanton and family’s house–with very long scenes. One can imagine, for long while, Twister on stage.

And Almereyda gives his actors a lot of leeway. Sadly, Crispin Glover uses that leeway to do his persona thing; his scenes are often exasperating. More detrimentally, Suzy Amis doesn’t create a character–some of the fault belongs to Almereyda, whether the script or the direction–but it’s mostly Amis’s fault. Watching Amis and Glover opposite the rest of the cast is often painful. The disconnect is visible.

Almereyda opens up the film in the last third and makes it into that quirky family comedy. He drains the life out of the film, which was at least an interesting project before.

Still, Stanton is fantastic, as are Charlayne Woodard, Dylan McDermott and, especially, Lois Chiles.

The narrative’s big problem is having two entries into the family. McDermott returns, one entry, then Chiles moves in, another. It’s like Almereyda wasn’t paying enough attention to notice.

As Amis and McDermott’s daughter, Lindsay Christman is quite good. Jenny Wright is okay, until she starts doing a Glover impression.

Great Tim Robbins cameo too.

Twister‘s aggravating, but still somewhat interesting.

CREDITS

Directed by Michael Almereyda; screenplay by Almereyda, based on a novel by Mary Robison; director of photography, Renato Berta; edited by Roberto Silvi; music by Hans Zimmer; production designer, David Wasco; produced by Wieland Schulz-Keil; released by Vestron Pictures.

Starring Dylan McDermott (Chris), Suzy Amis (Maureen), Crispin Glover (Howdy), Lindsay Christman (Violet), Charlayne Woodard (Lola), Harry Dean Stanton (Eugene), Lois Chiles (Virginia), Jenny Wright (Stephanie) and Tim Robbins (Jeff).

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Posted in 1989, Color, Comedy, English, USA, Vestron Pictures

Tagged Charlayne Woodard, Crispin Glover, David Wasco, Dylan McDermott, Hans Zimmer, Harry Dean Stanton, Jenny Wright, Lindsay Christman, Lois Chiles, Mary Robison, Michael Almereyda, Renato Berta, Roberto Silvi, Suzy Amis, Tim Robbins, Wieland Schulz-Keil

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989, Eric Zala)

Posted on 9 July 2012 | Leave a comment

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation clearly shows all you need for rousing adventure is enthusiasm, a willful abandon for one’s physical safety and John Williams music. The film is an attempt at a shot-for-shot adaptation of the original, made by and starring children (over approximately seven years). Their motive? Well, when they started, there was no “priced to buy” VHS version.

The best performance in the film might be director Zala as Belloq, but Chris Strompolos is good as Indiana Jones too. Ted Ross has fun as Toht (the Nazi with the scarred hand) but he’s not exactly good. As Marion, Angela Rodriguez is enthusiastic without necessarily being good or bad. At any rate, it’s impossible to imagine it without her.

The most impressive part of the film, besides the editing of sequences to the Williams music, is the action scenes. As a friend said, much of those scenes are examples of “bad parenting.” They do not attempt to fake any action sequences, instead these kids are jumping onto trucks from trees and getting dragged behind trucks and so on. It’s incredible to see.

The only thing wrong with it, the only place the lack of budget affects The Adaptation, is establishing shots. The Adaptation only works, because of that absence, if one has seen the original. In every other way, it could stand alone (again, the John Williams music helps—not to mention they use the Ben Burtt punching sound effect).

It’s a delightful experience.

CREDITS

Directed by Eric Zala; screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, based on a story by George Lucas and Philip Kaufman; photographed and edited by Jayson Lamb; produced by Chris Strompolos.

Starring Chris Strompolos (Indiana Jones), Angela Rodriguez (Marion Ravenwood), Eric Zala (Dr. Rene Belloq), Ted Ross (Major Arnold Toht), Alan Stenum (Sallah), William Coon (Dr. Marcus Brody), Clay LaGrone (Satipo), Michael Bales (Colonel Dietrich), Kurt Zala (Gobler) and Sam Cummings (Barranca).

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Posted in 1989, Action, Adventure, Color, English, Thriller, USA

Tagged Alan Stenum, Angela Rodriguez, Chris Strompolos, Clay LaGrone, Eric Zala, George Lucas, Jayson Lamb, Kurt Zala, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Bales, Philip Kaufman, Sam Cummings, Ted Ross, William Coon

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989, Woody Allen)

Posted on 25 April 2012 | 1 Comment

Crimes and Misdemeanors is not a particularly nice film. It juxtaposes two men in crisis–Martin Landau’s successful ophthalmologist has a girlfriend (Angelica Huston) who is threatening to tell his wife and Woody Allen’s failing filmmaker is crushing on the producer (Mia Farrow) of the his project. Allen’s only on the project, a biography of his brother-in-law (Alan Alda), because his wife insisted.

Landau’s part of the film deals with deception, guilt, regret and greed. There’s a lot about faith and rejecting religion and how family ties strengthen and slacken over time. Landau is stunning in Crimes, because he’s not likable, but he’s always sympathetic.

Meanwhile, Allen’s always likable. His first scene is opposite his niece (Jenny Nichols) and he truly cares for the kid. His scenes with her, and his sister (Caroline Aaron), are touching.

His part of the film is a light romantic comedy, if one forgets he’s married (though his wife, played by Joanna Gleason, is hideously evil). Allen and Farrow are good together; Alda’s hilarious as an obnoxious television producer.

Landau gets the majority of the run time, but around the final third is mostly Allen’s. Until the last fifteen minutes, where things come together and Allen tells the morale of the story.

He’s being intentionally mean to his characters and not worrying about the audience recognizing it. Allen’s never confrontational about it, however. The ending quietly shows the extent of the meanness.

Crimes is an excellent, thoughtful picture. Allen’s direction is utterly sublime.

CREDITS

Written and directed by Woody Allen; director of photography, Sven Nykvist; edited by Susan E. Morse; production designer, Santo Loquasto; produced by Robert Greenhut; released by Orion Pictures.

Starring Martin Landau (Judah Rosenthal), Woody Allen (Cliff Stern), Mia Farrow (Halley Reed), Anjelica Huston (Dolores Paley), Alan Alda (Lester), Jerry Orbach (Jack Rosenthal), Joanna Gleason (Wendy Stern), Claire Bloom (Miriam Rosenthal), Sam Waterston (Ben), Caroline Aaron (Barbara) and Stephanie Roth (Sharon Rosenthal).

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Posted in 1989, Color, Comedy, Drama, English, USA

Tagged Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston, Caroline Aaron, Claire Bloom, Jerry Orbach, Joanna Gleason, Martin Landau, Mia Farrow, Robert Greenhut, Sam Waterston, Santo Loquasto, Stephanie Roth, Susan E. Morse, Sven Nykvist, Woody Allen

Slipstream (1989, Steven Lisberger)

Posted on 4 April 2012 | Leave a comment

A lot of Slipstream plays like The Road Warrior with gliders. In this post-apocalyptic wasteland, everyone flies around because of a jet stream ravaging the surface. It’s never clear where this jet stream is located and not, in a geographic sense, because they always manage to safely take off and land… while at other times it’s so bad it blows things apart.

Lisberger doesn’t know how to operate on a small budget; the film looks awful because of his composition. It doesn’t help his cinematographer, Frank Tidy, is incompetent. Long sequences are completely incomprehensible because Tidy doesn’t give them enough light and Lisberger doesn’t know how to shoot in cramped spaces.

But the big problem is Tony Kayden’s script. How a producer like Gary Kurtz didn’t know he had a bad script is beyond me. The dialogue’s so bad, it makes me wonder if it wasn’t intended to be a kids’ movie… only one rampant with Bill Paxton’s character’s misogyny.

The acting is, similarly, bad. I suppose Bob Peck is all right. His part is terribly written, but Peck’s abilities are enough he can turn in a dignified performance. Paxton is playing Hudson from Aliens again, just with long hair. Mark Hamill is hilariously bad. Kitty Aldridge and Eleanor David are weak too. Ben Kingsley’s awful in an unrecognizable cameo.

Even the Elmer Bernstein is bad—well, half of it. The other half is actually quite good.

On the other hand, the second unit shoots the Irish countryside beautifully.

CREDITS

Directed by Steven Lisberger; written by Tony Kayden; director of photography, Frank Tidy; edited by Terry Rawlings; music by Elmer Bernstein; production designer, Andrew McAlpine; produced by Gary Kurtz; released by Entertainment.

Starring Mark Hamill (Tasker), Kitty Aldridge (Belitski), Bill Paxton (Matt Owens), Bob Peck (Byron), Eleanor David (Ariel), Robbie Coltrane (Montclaire), Ben Kingsley (Avatar) and F. Murray Abraham (Cornelius).

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Posted in 1989, Adventure, Color, English, Entertainment, Sci-Fi, UK

Tagged Andrew McAlpine, Ben Kingsley, Bill Paxton, Bob Peck, Eleanor David, Elmer Bernstein, F. Murray Abraham, Frank Tidy, Gary Kurtz, Kitty Aldridge, Mark Hamill, Robbie Coltrane, Steven Lisberger, Terry Rawlings, Tony Kayden

Second Sight (1989, Joel Zwick)

Posted on 11 January 2012 | Leave a comment

There are some funny lines in Second Sight. Not many, but some. And they’re good, laugh out loud lines. It’d be hard for John Larroquette, reacting to Bronson Pinchot acting like an idiot, not to get some laughs.

The whole thing feels like a “what I did on summer hiatus” for Larroquette and Pinchot. It’s impossible not to think about their television series when watching the film, though the Boston location shooting does help. Director Zwick is rather boring, but the film’s visibly shot on location, so regardless of his inability, the film does have a fair amount of texture.

Stuart Pankin rounds out the trio–Pinchot’s the wacky guy, Larroquette’s the straight man (just like their TV shows) and Pankin’s sort of the second straight man. He’s mostly support for Pinchot, but manages to have a bigger role. Pinchot does voices, acts goofy and does manage to be funny a couple times. Larroquette’s somewhat sturdy, a character actor thrown into a leading man role. He’s competent.

What Second Sight does right (rhyme unintentional) is portray Pinchot’s psychic abilities (complete with possessions and magic) as matter-of-fact. There’s no discovery of them, they’re real and they’re acknowledged. It makes Larroquette reacting to them a lot funnier.

The movie gets a little tired when it’s handling the case (they’re private investigators) but it’s genial enough as a bland comedy. Bess Armstrong, John Schuck and Christine Estabrook are fine in supporting roles.

A better director probably would have helped a lot.

CREDITS

Directed by Joel Zwick; written by Tom Schulman and Patricia Resnick; director of photography, Dana Christiaansen; edited by David Ray; music by John Morris; production designer, James L. Schoppe; produced by Mark Tarlov; released by Warner Bros.

Starring John Larroquette (Wills), Bronson Pinchot (Bobby), Bess Armstrong (Sister Elizabeth), Stuart Pankin (Preston Pickett Ph.D.), John Schuck (Manoogian), James Tolkan (Coolidge), William Prince (Cardinal O’Hara), Michael Lombard (Bishop O’Linn), Christine Estabrook (Priscilla Pickett) and Marisol Massey (Maria).

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Posted in 1989, Color, Comedy, English, Mystery, Sci-Fi, USA, Warner Bros.

Tagged Bess Armstrong, Bronson Pinchot, Christine Estabrook, Dana Christiaansen, David Ray, James L. Schoppe, James Tolkan, Joel Zwick, John Larroquette, John Morris, John Schuck, Marisol Massey, Mark Tarlov, Michael Lombard, Patricia Resnick, Stuart Pankin, Tom Schulman, William Prince

Category Archives: 1989

Coffee and Cigarettes II (1989, Jim Jarmusch)