A Nightmare on Elm Street

GREEN'S "I'M YOUR BOYFRIEND NOW, NANCY" REVIEW:

Nancy and her friends aren't sleeping well lately, if at all. That's because they're all being visited in their nightmares by a burnt, creepy guy in a dirty red and green sweater who uses a set of home made finger knives to murder his victims in their dreams.

I've never been one to get caught up in the horror of the horror film genre. Usually these types of movies are so unabashedly stupid that they're comical. Not so for A Nightmare on Elm Street. This movie, the first time I watched it, really freaked me out. Nowadays I can watch it with the same detached-ness that I view all horror movies.

That doesn't lessen the cleverness of this story and I think that's why this film will always be one of the best horror films ever made. Sure there's your standard blood and guts goriness, which comes du jour with these slasher films. Wes Craven's script is brilliantly surreal and his direction fluid because the story is entirely his and he knows exactly in which direction he wants it to go. As an added bonus, there is actually some decent acting in this film. Of course, this movie will also forever be known as the film that launched the career of the sometimes brilliant, always intense, somewhat odd Johnny Depp.

The special features provided with the Infinifilm, 2-disc edition that I watched were excellent and add to my enjoyment of this film.

Unlike some of the horror movie franchises of the last 30 years or so, I've actually enjoyed most of the Elm Street sequels.

***** out of *****

All the President's Men

SCRIBE'S I NEVER THOUGHT I'D WISH FOR THE DAYS WHEN THIS GUY WAS PRESIDENT REVIEW:

What's left to be said about a classic motion picture and who is arrogant enough to presume they are the ones to say it?

US!!! Two guys who barely remember this time and have no business discussing it, that's who!!!

Besides, I grew up in your typical Nixon-despising household and never knew anyone who felt differently until I was well into my thirties. To me, this was a film about someone everybody hated getting his comeuppance. Apparently not. There really were those who thought he was a good president on a righteous path.

Thank god for the media! (In those days) Washington post reporters Bob Woodward & Carl Bernstein wouldn't take no for an answer in their hard-hitting and long-running investigation of the Watergate break-in and wire tappings.

Nowadays neo-cons would probably see tapping the conversations of the competition during their convention as a sound business solution. But not only is it illegal, it is also sending the message that the president condones suppressing the rights of individuals who disagree with him. Aren't you glad that ugliness is behind us? Oh, right.

All the President's Men would be a cautionary tale if anyone had heeded the warning. As it currently stands, it is a well-acted and directed film with two legendary stars portraying real people in a compelling manner. The cast is top-notch for the time, for all time actually, and the story clips along rather nicely.

This is one of those films I like to watch to gain historical perspective. For instance, watching this, would you have ever thought that one day Bernstein would be the real investigative journalist exposing government corruption while Woodward became a moderate, president-blowing media whore? Well, OK, that second part probably so...JUST SEE THE DAMN THING!!!

****1/2 out of *****


GREEN‘S “I NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW” REVIEW:

Bob Woodward. Carl Bernstein. Two intrepid and tenacious young reporters for the Washington Post crack the story of a lifetime that defined the early 1970’s and raised the bar for print reporters’ journalistic integrity while ruining many a political career in the process. Faced with silence, fear, lies, denials and denials of denials from people “in the know,“ Woodward (Robert Redford) and Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) persist until they discover the truth about it’s widespread underlying conspiracy.

Watergate, one of the biggest political scandals and cover-ups in American political history takes center stage in this excellent and gripping true story nicely directed by Alan J. Pakula. Redford and Hoffman are very convincing as the crack reporters who broke this case wide open. The supporting cast is excellent, too. I thought the movie dragged in places with its lengthy 139 minute run time but still found the story and characters compelling.

I'm always amazed at the 1970's hairstyles, or lack thereof. It amuses me to see the mop that passes for hair on Hoffman's head. Did Carl Bernstein really wear his hair that messy?

The most impressionable thing I remember most about Watergate was my mom’s monopolizing the television to watch the lousy Congressional hearings when I, as a selfish young pre-kindergarten lad, just wanted to watch cartoons. Sadly, I must admit that both of my parents admit to voting for Tricky Dick. Twice.

I majored in Communications in college and once harbored dreams of being a reporter some day, so I found this film's look inside a modern (albeit for the 1970’s) newspaper office to be fascinating and most informative.

Overall, I think the script was adapted well from Woodward and Bernstein‘s book, on which the film is based. An excellent film to watch if ever you get the chance.

**** out of *****

The next few reviews will be...

Yesterday scribe suggested to me a list of presidential or election themed films that we could review until election day. I thought it was an excellent idea since I like to try and be topical when appropriate.

So, we're putting aside Labyrinth, Stop-Loss and a few others for now, to try and review as many films as we can from scribe-o's list. How many films we review and what we review will remain a surprise.

Even we don't know for sure.

What we do know is that they won't be older films, or films made in glorious black and white, since the dearth of comments on the last review is appalling. Shame on you loyal readers, whoever you are!!