Hackman, Pacino, and America
580498
This is one of those little-seen gems of '70s American cinema that always seem to pop up (although maybe it's no longer accurate to say this film is little-seen, since it's been on DVD for three years).  With films like this, it's always tempting to cry "lost masterpiece!" but in this case, while the movie is very interesting and worthwhile, to call it a masterpiece would be  hyperbole.  The chief pleasures derived from two hours spent with SCARECROW are (1) the fascinating interplay between actors Gene Hackman (doing a variation on the tightly-wound jerk we've seen him play many times) and Al Pacino (revelatory as a friendly drifter whose warmth and good humor is a far cry from the typical Pacino role) and (2) the gorgeous photography from master cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, a name that should be familiar to all fans of '70s cinema.  As Hackman and Pacino amble across American backroads, hopping trains and hiking through hills, Zsigmond's lens tints everything with a shade of magic.  The episodic plot sets the pair on individual personal journeys (Hackman wants success in business, Pacino wants a reunion with his family) as well as collaborative ones.  It is great fun to watch Pacino's warmth rub off on Hackman as he becomes steadily less grumpy.  Because this was the '70s and pessimism was the order of the day, the film ends on an ambiguously dour note, but what lingers for the viewer is the ramshackle charm and beauty of the film's pleasant meanderings.
3595551
Great Blu-ray. In my opinion this film is one of Pacino's best( i'm not a fan), he acts well in it.
 Saw this film in the cinema when it first came out and I was impressed with Robin William's performance in it , better than Pacino.
Its a story of murder, all day brightness and a cop trying to catch a killer who always seems to be ahead, even when all the aces have been played out, someone has an extra one up their sleeve. In a small town everyone knows everyone right..............
1498068
This movie is memorable to me. I love that Al Pacino's character created a computerized woman for a good purpose. Everyone in the world falls in love with this nonexistent woman because of her purity and innocence. But, nobody never finds the truth except for Al Pacino's character's family at the end.

I recommend the movie to anyone who likes to create or enjoys watching a movie like "Weird Science".
2473558
It's always interesting to watch a movie that was filmed in your back-yard and even though the Washington Navy Yard (where I work) is nothing like it is depicted in the movie (I am guessing the filmmakers could not gain access to the secured home of NCIS) this movie still has enough local color to keep Washingtonians interested.
But aside from that, this movie is a generally entertaining thriller with some excellent performances by Al Pacino, Colin Farrell and the criminally underrated Bridget Moynahan. Farrell plays James Clayton, a brilliant computer programmer who moonlights as a bartender who is recuited by CIA headhunter Walter Burke (played with flair by Pacino). After passing the entrance test Clayton (along with fellow recruit Layla Moore played by Moynahan) is sent the CIA traing facility nicknamed "The Farm." What follows is a thrilling action adventure with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer enthralled.
The 2003 movie may not have appeared an obvious choice to be one of the earlier Blu-ray catalog titles (released June 3, 2008) due to its rather bleak look, but I am certainly glad it was picked because its 1080p transfer is really quite good. Though not reference quality it is quite pleasing with enough of those high definition details (such as Farrell's trademark stubble), clarity and color reproduction to please PQ enthusiasts.
The audio is somewhat average by comparison with good balance and a pleasing surround effect, and the Blu-ray of "The Recruit" is undoubtedly the best soundtrack you are ever likely to hear for the movie.
The special features are a little on the sparse side (which is not really surprising considering its catalog status) but we do get a feature commentary track with director Roger Donaldson and actor Colin Farrell (who sports his actual Irish accent). It's the kind of track I personally enjoy with plenty of anecdotal stories from the set and Donaldson offering uo some technical information on the production.
All of the video special features are in standard 480p quality and include four deleted scenes with optional commentary by Donaldson and Farrell, a too-short "Spy School: Inside the CIA Training Program" which runs at 15:58 and (as the title suggests) takes a look at the actual training school for the CIA (including an instance where the movie is not accurate) with on-camera interviews with 25-year veteran of the CIA Chase Brandon and the cast and crew. Also included is a rather pointless Movie Showcase that displays some select scenes to showcase the benefits of HD picture and sound (which if you have the Blu-ray you are already sold on anyway.
This is an entertaining movie and although the Blu-ray features a rather average HD picture and sound it is still the best representation of the movie you are likely to see.
3550663
I first watched this wonderful movie about six months after I arrived in America from a country where there was little personal freedom.  I had just taken an ESL American history class in high school, and had understood little.  This movie was simply a great eye-opener for me, a foreigner with little notion of the American freedom.
Capra's masterpiece depicted an America rife with with corruption, with lies and ruthless men to whom America was a money and power machine.  Against this backdrops stands Jefferson Smith, the hero, who is picked as a stooge senator for his home state by the political machine.  (The original screen play identifies the state as Montana; Capra said it was Illinois; but isn't Jackson City the capital of Mississippi?)  His innocence and ideals -- and incorrutibility -- immediately warm the heart of every audience member.  He's indeed the light in the dark tunnel, the hope for every American who feels that what this great country stands for is shamelessly disregarded and discarded by our politicians.
The classic filibuster scene is such a joy to watch, esp. for people who don't quite get what a filibuster is.  (Of course, how Mr. Smith could go on talking for 23 hours 16 minutes without going to the toilet puzzles me.)  The movie also lucidly explains how a bill is written, submitted for consideration, debated, compromised, and finally sent for vote, in the House and the Senate.  It's both an entertaining and educational movie.
The filibuster scene may strike some us lecturing.  Indeed, the senators in the movie turn a deaf ear to the earnest speeches of Mr. Smith.  Democracy, freedom, accountability, "government of the people by the people for the people", all mean nothing to these people.  Equally amazing, when the film was screened by Congress in 1939, they damned the film as un-American for depicting them as thieves and stooges.  Alas, in film and in real life, politicians are simply people without a conscience.  As a naturalized American, I feel all these people should be executed, for betraying the very basic foundation of this country.
I re-watched the movie recently in the aftermath of Sept. 11.  My eyes became wet as I listened to Mr. Smith begging his colleagues to wake up their conscience.  It's a shame that our politicians, ranging from George W. Bush to the donkeys in Congress to some judges, are still thieves, clowns, and traitors to the American ideal of universal liberty.  Every day they chip away at the foundation of America by allowing corrupt business leaders to rob the nation of its wealth, by letting terrorists come in at ease and killing us at will, and by turning blind eyes and deaf ears at the plight of the middle class.  Like Senator Paine in the movie, every politician of today pretends they represent the people, while in fact they represent nothing but their selfish needs.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is IMHO the best movie of all time.  It's not because it has great acting or fancy special effects.  It's because it addresses an endangered concept, first brought forth by America's founding fathers, the concept that this country was to be better than any other country, past or present.  And I'm not talking about just being richer or having more Playstation games.
4111739
It's a crazy world out there. Hard-core Stalinists like Dalton Trumbo, maybe the best known of The Hollywood Ten, are revered not only by the hard left but also by your standard liberals, who see the HUAC hearings as a 1st Amendment infringement. All of the iconic 10 were, of course, Communists dedicated to the overthrow of our government, which includes the Bill of Rights. Ryskind, Editor-at-Large of Human Events and the son of Morrie Ryskind, a fine Hollywood screen writer of Marx (not Karl) brothers' movies and others, does an excellent job of organizing the history of Communist infiltration of the film industry, primarily focusing on the incredible number of screen writers who were Reds and their determination to get Communist and pro-Soviet messages into their films, or at least bash America and the inequities of the capitalistic system. A common message throughout the left has been that the real traitors were the anti-Communists, not the Hollywood Reds who lied about their affiliations and primary loyalty to a country and totalitarian system, while at the same time pretending to be patriotic Americans with a strong fealty to the Constitution and rule of law. A perfect example of this upside-down universe is the Hollywood extreme hatred for Elia Kazan, a former Communist who left the party and named names, even though all the persons named were known to the Committee already and two of whom had given Kazan permission to out them publicly. And yet Trumbo is honored as though he is some civil rights god, a despicable person who worked throughout his adult life to further the murderous Soviet regime and to undermine the country that rewarded him with freedom and the opportunity to earn a substantial income in the motion picture industry.

Risking does an excellent job detailing the battles within the unions for control by the subversive elements who took their orders straight from Moscow, and the attempts to cripple the American was production during the near two year period of the Stalin-Hitler pact. During this period the Party formed numerous anti-war fronts to disarm America and to hinder supplying England. Once Hitler double-crossed Stalin in June, 1941, The American Communists quickly became super-American patriots-on the surface at least- and the most hawkish you can imagine, demanding an immediate second front in Europe to bail out their beloved Soviet Union. They quickly ceased their anti-British agitation and became strongly pro-Roosevelt. This lasted until 1945 when the inevitable victory against the Axis was sealed. Under marching orders from Stalin, they initiated the Cold War. And while numerousAmerican Communists abandoned the party after the August, 1939 pact, the majority simply went along. And these are the individuals we often see honored. Please read this book to learn about this period. While it focuses on the Hollywood scene, it will teach you much about the general nature of the Communist threat, which was a real threat, not the "anti-Communist hysteria" one usually hears about.
2445175
I have to object to the negative reviews here as each one seems to have a personal axe to grind. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about American history, the great Tom Hanks, and/or popular culture. Following the trajectory of Hanks' career, Cullen, a student and professor of American history, summarizes film plots and relates them to contemporary and historical issues, giving the reader unique insights and revelations about an extraordinary actor and producer. In today's culture of shallow celebrity worship, Cullen's critical analysis is a pleasure to read.
573850
Another product of Coppola's '70s winning streak, the director put this together from an old script of his between between shooting Godfathers I & II. Gene Hackman in a rare change-of-pace plays a quiet, withdrawn San Francisco surveillance expert hired to record a couple's conversation, but the intent of their dialogue confounds him until the film's stunning twist ending. Haunting and fascinating, I highly recommend it (and not just because the climactic scene occurs in the Jack Tarr hotel, where my parents first met!).
4576057
Five BIG Stars!!  A fascinating and frank look at Al Pacino in an article and essays, but mostly through interviews with one of his most cherished friends. Lawrence Grobel is an award-winning author and longtime trusted Pacino associate. Even so, he is a probing, persistent journalist who asks the tough questions. In the foreword, Al "forgives" him for this book. The introduction reveals Alfredo James (Sonny) Pacino as I would have never imagined him. Although this book is totally Pacino-centric, frank questions fly both ways in the series of interviews covering a period of over 25 years. Pacino's questions reveal as much about himself and the depth of their friendship as his answers. Full of personal insights and professional tidbits that heretofore were unknown, unless you read the articles and interviews in a previously published form over the decades, this is one book that ALL Pacino fans will want to read. After all, Al Pacino is a private person who usually keeps it that way.

In this book, we learn the impact of Charlie Laughton, among others, on Pacino. The inside scoop on plays, movies, and roles that could have happened but didn't. His saddest professional experience. The best young actor he ever saw. We also learn the true meaning of 'the show must go on' as Al shows incredible inner resolve during the Broadway run of the play "American Buffalo". I couldn't have done it, but I understand why he did it and he was right! He carves out some protective space regarding his women, while acknowledging them. And again what he won't divulge about them says alot about his character. But there is much more that he will discuss and it makes this book worth every penny of it's cost. Not a lot of verbal fat herein, this book is trenchant and to the point. Also included are 8 pages of photos from the almost obligatory baby picture to family photos to professional associates with Pacino and an ad announcing something that every Pacino fan will want when it's available. This is a deep look at the life and psyche of one of the world's greatest actors and it is very engrossing. Highly recommended!! Five ENGROSSING Stars.
(Hardcover, unabridged, 245 pages)
156021
Brian DePalma has been (sometimes correctly) accused of manufacturing little more than brilliant pastiche (which is another way of damning him with faint praise). I confess to be as guilty as anyone of this practice, finding films like Dressed to Kill slick, fun, but ultimately less works of art than of skillful post-modern artifice.
Blow Out is a haunting exception.  Yes, it has clear antecedents in Antonioni's Blowup and Coppola's paranoid classic, The Conversation.  But it is unfair to judge Blow Out by its similarities to these films.  One need only pay minimal attention to realize DePalma has his own goals in mind.  No mere retread of the standard paranoid political thriller, Blow Out is a bravura exercise in nuanced, multi-layered story telling.
Low budget movie soundman Jack Terry (John Travolta) is in the right place at the wrong time - while out recording some nature sounds for a B slasher flick (in which DePalma seems to poke fun at some of his own earlier work), he catches the sounds of an auto accident. In an incident reminiscent of Chappaquiddick, a car driven by a presidential candidate suffers a tire blowout and careens off a nearby bridge.  The candidate dies, but Terry manages to rescue his "lady friend", a party girl named Sally (Nancy Allen). Key to the story is his recording, which seems to contain a double-bang - perhaps the blowout preceded by a gunshot?  Naturally the story leads Terry into a web of intrigue featuring slimy political operatives, corrupt cops, and nefarious CIA henchmen.
Blow Out's visual style has drawn criticism from some quarters as being too flashy.  Ridiculous! The camera movements are precise and deliberate; designed to communicate story points with great efficiency.  The visual technique draws no more attention to itself than anything directed by Scorsese.  Raging Bull (released about the same time) is far more "flashy" and nobody complains about it.
The DVD itself lacks any special features, but the film transfer is vivid and detailed, with good color fidelity (essential, since the art-direction is a major "star").  It is also double-sided, with a pan-scan presentation on one side, and enhanced widescreen on the other.  Don't even bother with the pan-scan; DePalma and cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond's compositions are edge-to-edge, making full use of the Panavision frame.
Blow Out is not perfect.  Some of the dialogue is contrived and sophomoric.  Assassin Burke's (John Lithgow) golf pants in one scene make him look silly when he should seem sinister. But, on balance, John Travolta's solid performance and Brian DePalma's skilled direction more than make up for such lapses.  With Blow Out DePalma reaches deeper than usual - with a disquieting sub-plot about guilt, unrequited love, and the futility of seeking redemption. Its conclusion is the punch line to a bitter, existential joke.  Read closely, it's a scathing commentary on the Hollywood film industry itself, and the vampiric way it often feeds on very real, sometimes very sad, lives.
679996
Al Pacino is amazing in this classic movie.  Highly recommend seeing it if you haven't already.  And if you have, see it again!
3139400
(4.5) Ridley Scott's `American Gangster' has the look and feel of its era.  Shot the old-fashioned way, the film brought three films to my mind:  `The French Connection,' `The Godfather,' and `Serpico'.  They don't make `em like they used to, but Scott really resurrects the seventies in this true tale story of Black organized crime--never told quite this way in movies to my mind.  Even the details are transporting:  the Nixon and Vietnam broadcasts, Muhammad Ali on a small black and white television, and newly acquired microwaves take us to Harlem and connecting places during that time.

Frank Lewis (Denzel Washington) is smart.  His boss, Bumpy, passed away with much fanfare, but gives Frank, his former driver and apprentice, a chance to fill his shoes.  Knowing how keep inconspicuous, Frank goes about life business as usual.  He is flanked by celebrities and knows to stay away from his heroin operation unless absolutely necessary.  Some of the tensest scenes come from confrontations he has with others who draw too much attention to themselves, and much of the violence is on a par with 'Goodfellas'.

On his trail without knowing it, is Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), an officer going to school to become a lawyer.  He has everything stacked against him.  Like Serpico he refuses to take money from bribes or drug busts, which is very tempting since he has to go to court over custody of his son.  His partner seems to go along with him until it is revealed that he is doing drug busts to benefit from the graft.  Trying to revamp the entire Drug Enforcement Agency, Richie must face a dishonest fellow officer from New Jersey (Josh Brolin) who as a top drug enforcement official, gains the most from bribes that keep the drug operation on the street.  Trying to find new fellow recruits (like John Hawke) that are both honest and competent is a trial in itself.

To keep even more unassuming, Frank makes his own connections to Bankok, where he notes heroin is the purest and a connection is stationed in Vietnam.  Noting also that there is a high addiction rate among soldiers helps him to smuggle the smack with relative ease.  Also learning a business principle from an appliance store, Frank eliminates the middle man--in more ways than one.  This maneuvering also gives Frank more leverage when negotiating with the Italian Mafia, whom he reduces in revenue and importance.

Besides an intricate story, Ridley Scott offers the best aspects of celebrated seventies movies.  Denzel Washington is as smooth as ever, and Russell Crowe, Josh Brolin, and Chiwetel Ejiofor are in fine form, especially comparing their other roles this year in '3:10 to Yuma,' `No Country for Old Men,' and  `Talk to Me' respectively.

When Frank's family leaves church with the sounds of "Amazing Grace," one can't help but think of `The Godfather' where Michael Carleone (Al Pacino) witnesses his son's baptism as scenes of blood and violence interrupt the images of stained glass and solace in the church.  One of the great draws of this film is how it demonstrates so many ironies working together in one true life gangster story. Just like `Traffic` before it, `American Gangster' offers that supply and demand is a mighty tool that can make or break people's lives.  As Frank himself says, "Either you're somebody or you're nobody."  What I liked so much about the film is that even with the grim contrast between haves and have nots, the movie left me with hope, which is a good way to leave a film.  (Based on the book `Return of the Superfly'.)
3828199
The GODFATHER by MARIO PUZO is one of America's great novels and a Must have to those of the ITALIAN-AMERICAN Community. The book by PUZO spawned also one of America's greatest movies of all-time, Francis Ford Coppola's The GODFATHER  ... I have a suggestion for one and all ... If you want a truly wonderful experience, put on your SINATRA Records, get a copy of this book, the GODFATHER as well as a copy of Italian-American author Daniel Bellino Z's cookbook SUNDAY SAUCE&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sunday-Sauce-When-Italian-Americans-Cook/dp/1490991026/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook</a>&nbsp;that has a Recipe for CLEMENZA's GODFATHER SUNDAY SAUCE ITALIAN GRAVY that he taught Michael Corleone (AL Pacino) how to make in the movie, and you're all set to MANGIA BENE ! What more could you want? Basta

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Sunday-Sauce-When-Italian-Americans-Cook/dp/1490991026/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Sunday Sauce: When Italian-Americans Cook</a>
1790005
In between the Godfathers I&II, Francis Ford Coppola came out with a wonderful movie called "The Conversation". Though not as groundbreaking as either Godfather film, "The Conversation", in my mind, was one of the better movies from the 70's. I feel the same way about "Insomnia". Though not as revolutionary as "Memento", it is still a fine film in its own right and should not be compared to it. I mention this because a lot of people seem to unfairly criticize it as well as director Christopher Nolan because it's not "Memento II".
By revealing early on in the film who the bad guy is, "Insomnia" adds a nice twist to the suspense genre. The suspense is held up by the protagonist's inner conflict of right and wrong. As you probably know, Al Pacino plays an L.A. detective Will Dormer who is brought Alaska to investigate a murder. It's also a chance for Dormer to escape some professional problems he is dealing with back home. Accompanying Dormer is Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan), his partner from L.A. who can potentially make things worse for Dormer back home. Through a sequence of events, the problems that face Dormer back home are minimized, but not without consequences. The murderer in Alaska now has something on Dormer and wants to negotiate. What will Dormer do? These pressures coupled with Alaska's white nights keep Dormer up at night. The whole thing induces quite a bit of tension. Al Pacino is his usual amazing self. Definitely a satisfying suspense flick.
4483068
The American people and the world at large still feel the reverberations from the policies and adventures of the Dulles' brothers. They are in part to blame for our difficult relations with both Cuba and Iran. This history helps answer the question, "Why do they hate us?" The answer isn't our freedom, it's because we try to topple their governments.
The Dulles brother grew up in a privileged, religious environment. They were taught to see the world in strictly black and white. Both were well-educated at Groton and the Ivy League schools. Both worked on and off in the government, but spent a significant amount of time at the immensely powerful law firm, Sullivan & Cromwell. They had virtually identical world views but nearly opposite personalities. (John) Foster was dour, awkward, and straight-laced. Allen was outgoing, talkative, and had loose morals.
There's no need for a blow-by-blow of their lives in this review. The core of the book revolves around Foster Dulles as the Secretary of State under Eisenhower and Allen as the Director of the CIA. The center of the book is divided into six parts, each one dealing with a specific foreign intervention: Mossaddegh of Iran, Arbenz of Guatemala, Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam, Lumumba of the Congo, Sukarno of Indonesia and Castro of Cuba.
The Dulles view was that you were either behind the US 110% or a communist, with no room for neutrals. Neutrals were to be targeted for regime change. The author lays out explicitly all the dirty tricks our government tried on other world leaders, from poison to pornography. This dark side of American foreign policy can help Americans better understand our relationships with other countries.
My difficulty with this book is the final chapter. The author throws in some pop-psychology such as; people take in information that confirms their beliefs and reject contradictory information, we can be confident of our beliefs even when we're wrong, etc. The Dulles brothers are definite examples of these psychological aspects. Then the author says the faults of the Dulles brothers are the faults of American society, that we are the Dulles brothers. I felt like a juror in a murder trial during the closing statements, "It's not my client's fault, society is to blame!"
In most of America's foreign adventures, the American people have been tricked with half-truths and outright lies. Further more, these men received the best educations and were granted great responsibility. They should be held to a higher standard than "Oh well, everyone has their prejudices."
I agree with the author that the public should be more engaged in foreign policy and have a better understanding of our history with other nations. However, I think he goes too far in excusing their decisions because they supposedly had the same beliefs as many Americans.
2038865
First off, the brothers have amply compensated for the letdown of the "Big Lebowski". We all, after all, know LA intimately through "Starsky and Hutch".
OBWAT captures the American culture in a much more colorful and deeper way than "Fargo" does. It addresses governance; in some obvious ways, but also more subtly, alluding to the effects of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), with it's zeal for dam- building on the lives of landowners. Any reader/watcher of the popular "Cadillac Desert" book/PBS-series would catch that.
But what has this to do with Tarkovsky? Yes, what about the religious procession in the forest to the river? What about the hope and optimism that Clooneys character? The quest for redemption? Each is very evocative of scenes and major themes in Tarkovskys "Andrey Rublev". No, I'm not accusing the Coens of plagiarism, but rather I'd like you to consider the parallels between the two diverse Russian and American cultures.
2626516
Wow! This is the perfect movie to keep you laughing. Up to this point I believe I have seen it 16x and still can't get enough of it. Christopher Walken and Al Pacino are amazing together. The you ad Alan Arken this is an all time winner. Must see for all.