A barber who's a cut above the rest

On October 2, CineVerse brings back Shocktober Theater, with “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” (2007; 116 minutes), directed by Tim Burton, chosen by Jeanne Johnson. 

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Exhibit A: One of the best B-movies of all time

CineVerse peeked into the shadowy realm of the Val Lewton ouvre yesterday with its dissection of "The 7th Victim," the greatest horror movie you've never heard of. Here's what we uncovered:

HOW WOULD THIS PICTURE HAVE BEEN INNOVATIVE, DISTINCTIVE AND AHEAD OF ITS TIME FOR AN EARLY 1940s HOLLYWOOD MOVIE?

·       Its tone and message are consistently bleak, morbid, unhappy and despairing. Good does not trump evil in this film, and it ends on a surprisingly depressing note. When is the last time you saw a film from Hollywood’s golden age where it ends with a major character killing herself?

o   In fact, it’s credited as being the only Hollywood film score of this era to end in a minor key, which is meant to evoke sadness, melancholy or somber reflection.

·       The expressive lighting, creative staging, interesting characters and intriguing story influenced many films noir and thrillers to come, including three major masterpieces: Otto Preminger’s Laura (released a year later; another story about a beautiful young woman is believed to be dead); Hitchcock’s Psycho (in the staging, look and mood of the shower scene); and Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (another picture about a coven of Satan worshippers).

·       It has incredible set pieces and imagery, particularly Jacqueline’s fearful walk down the alley; Mary’s ride aboard the subway where she thinks she sees the dead detective; the shadowy lair of the Satanists who try to persuade Jacqueline to kill herself; and Mary being visited while showering by a shadowy threat.

·       There is a possible lesbian subtext represented by Jacqueline’s relationship with Frances—a true rarity for this period in Hollywood.

·       The Satanists are unnerving and creepy here not because they are wild, demented cultists, as you might expect devil worshippers to be, but because they look like innocuous, everyday people who have the ability to kill via the power of suggestion.

·       The film packs a lot of characters, action and plot in a very tight 72 minutes—the result is that, while the story and characters can sometimes be confusing, there are no frivolous scenes or fat to cut, and the movie rewards repeat viewers with rich, deep layers of content. Critic Glenn Erickson said: “The picture is a subtextual iceberg—90 percent of the ‘content’ is between the lines of the script…all these strange characters (are) enough for at least three movies.”

·       The characters also don’t over-emote or raise their pitch or volume expressively: instead, they speak in soft tones, which add an eerie ambience to the proceedings.

·       It was psychological horror films and thrillers like these, produced by the Val Lewton unit at RKO, that made the monster rally pictures from Universal passé and juvenile pleasures. The Lewton cycle ushered in a new era of thinking man’s fright films.

THEMES EXPLORED IN THIS FILM INCLUDE:

·       Death is good.

·       Looks can be deceiving.

·       Evil and fear can fester anywhere, even the most unlikeliest of places: on the subway, among a seemingly pleasant group of middle-aged, tea-drinking pacifists, on a bright, busy downtown street, and just beyond your shower curtain.
·       An symmetrical intersection of two love triangles (similar to the Palladists’ symbol and the trademarked cosmetic company logo): Jacqueline’s husband and the poet vying for Mary; and Jacqueline’s husband and the psychiatrist vying for Jacqueline.
·       Maturation into womanhood: Mary is depicted as a young, innocent and naïve girl who has yet to blossom into a woman: she’s given milk and ordered about by Jacqueline’s husband; she enters an apartment where she passes three symbols of womanhood—a lady with a baby carriage (representing motherhood); a vacuum cleaner and dust mop (representing domestic housewife); and a statue of a naked female (representing a love goddess). Mary may have to choose, like many women do, which of these three lives she wants to pursue or emulate. 

OTHER FILMS DIRECTED BY MARK ROBSON

·       Bedlam

·       Peyton Place

·       Von Ryan’s Express

·       Valley of the Dolls

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For the love of Lewton

On September 25, CineVerse will return to its monthly theme of Triple Talent Pioneers - filmmakers who wrote, directed, produced (and sometimes starred in) their movies - with a 70th anniversary celebration of “The 7th Victim (1943, 71 minutes), produced by Val Lewton and directed by Mark Robson; Plus: enjoy a documentary on Val Lewton, the B-movie producer who changed horror films forever.

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Old school ethics

"The Emperor's Club" proved to be an intellectually stimulating film that poses challenging questions to the viewer. Our CineVerse club got wrapped up in these questions during yesterday's discussion, and here are some of the conclusions we reached:

THERE HAVE BEEN MANY FILMS ABOUT TEACHERS, SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS. HOW DOES THE EMPEROR’S CLUB APPROACH THIS SUBGENRE DIFFERENTLY AND IN FRESH, UNEXPECTED WAYS?

·       It poses tricky ethical and moral questions related to integrity, honesty and intentions that aren’t predictably answered here.

·       It affords us the opportunity to flash forward in time to see the results of the teacher’s and student’s questionable actions that occurred decades earlier, allowing us to draw perhaps more definitive conclusions and see the repercussions of earlier choices.

·       It depicts a morally righteous, passionate, fully committed and admirable teacher as having faults and flaws expose him as less of the master educator than he appears to be early on.

·       The movie avoids overly sentimental, clichéd, feel-good moments and a Pollyanna-ish happy ending, as well as an overwrought tragic ending; although arguably the denouement of the film is perhaps softened a bit in typical Hollywood style to make it more palatable.

·       This picture is more focused on the teacher than the students, and less about how one or more particular students failed than how their teacher failed them.

WHAT IMPORTANT THEMES ARE TACKLED IN THIS MOVIE?

·       Who is more corrupt and culpable: the leaders of tomorrow, or the mentors who shaped them?

·       Sadly, who you know can be more important than what you know.

·       The consequences of cheating and dishonesty: society in general pays a price when individuals are given unfair opportunities.

·       Is it even possible for teachers and mentors to positively shape a student’s character, or is that character more a function of heredity, parenting, environmental influences, or even fate/destiny?

·       Being honorable and sincere and following the rules in school is a metaphor for life: everyone suffers when integrity, truth and honesty is compromised, and the same vices and lack of virtue is passed on to the next generation.

·       Critic Holly E. said “The Emperor’s Club suggests that…personal growth can happen through embracing tradition and holding oneself up to the highest standards of the past.”

THE CHARACTER OF EMILY, THE WIFE OF A FELLOW TEACHER WHOM HUNDERT IS IN LOVE WITH, HAS BEEN CRITICIZED AS BEING UNNECESSARY. DO YOU AGREE?

·       She feels a bit tacked on, like an obligatory love interest for Hundert.

·       In a film dominated by male characters, perhaps she brings a breath of feminine fresh air.

·       However, her character isn’t well developed, nor does her presence in Hundert’s life add much to develop his character or serve as a fulfilling catalyst for a romantic subplot.

FILMS THAT REMIND US OF THE EMPEROR’S CLUB:

·       Dead Poet’s Society

·       Mr. Holland’s Opus

·       Goodbye, Mr. Chips

·       The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

·       Dangerous Minds

OTHER FILMS HELMED BY DIRECTOR MICHAEL HOFFMAN

·       A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999)

·       The Last Station

·       One Fine Day

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Join the "Club"

On September 18, “The Emperor’s Club” (2002; 109 minutes) will convene at a CineVerse group near you, directed by Michael Hoffman, chosen by Art Myren.

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The art of the con

It was a treat to rediscover the joys of "The Sting" yesterday, and our group discussion of the movie yielded some interesting observations. Here's a roundup of our analysis:

WHAT MAKES THIS PICTURE SUCH A CROWD-PLEASING, ENTERTAINING AFFAIR?

·       The script is like a well-oiled machine; efficiently constructed, carefully crafted so you cannot easily guess the twists and turns to come, ever kinetic and constantly in motion to keep our attention, and loaded with fascinating characters.

·       The brilliant re-casting of Newman and Redford (earlier teamed together for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), who were both major sex symbol actor celebrities at this time and who each fit their roles perfectly.

·       The rest of the cast, featuring top-notch character actors and faces that perfectly fit their parts, including Robert Shaw, Charles Durning, Eileen Brennan, Robert Earl Jones and Ray Walston.

·       The timeless, jaunty, feel-good music of Scott Joplin, interpreted here by composer Marvin Hamlisch; “The Entertainer” is a catchy tune that bounces around in your head and is forever married to The Sting as its theme song.

o   Interestingly, this music was originally written decades prior to the 1930s setting of the story; it works, however, because of its whimsical tone and because it conjures up nostalgia for a bygone period, just as the older con artist characters are nostalgic for a bygone period; hence, this would have been the soundtrack to their lives when they were younger.

·       The setup to the “sting” of Lonnegan, referenced in the film’s title, and the payoff: the fact that Hooker and Gondorff pull it off beautifully, with no loose ends or plot holes, is enormously satisfying to viewers that pay attention throughout the movie. Those that do are rewarded, and continue to be rewarded upon repeat viewings.

o   Keep in mind that, prior to this film, con men and caper movies usually telegraphed the schemes and grifts of the main characters with careful exposition and dialogue that informed the audience about what to expect.

o   The climactic “sting” itself—referring to the instant when a con man completes his play and takes the mark’s money—and other earlier moments are a wink-wink “gotcha” to the audience that we’ve also been fooled, which elicits admiration from the audience.

THIS FILM HAS A DISTINCTIVE LOOK AND TONE EVOCATIVE OF THE PERIOD IT INVOKES. CAN YOU PROVIDE EXAMPLES?

·       It’s a loving homage to bygone gangster pictures of the 1930s.

o   It employs period-accurate sets, costumes, props and vehicles to recall this Great Depression-era time.

o   The gangsters are threatening and capable of violence, but not Godfather-like menace or murder; in an era when cinema was reflecting the dark, pessimistic themes of early 1970s America in pictures like Chinatown, The Godfather, and The French Connection, this was a more lighthearted, playful film in which the bad guys weren’t terrifying or psychologically complex.

o   Those 1930s gangster pictures also didn’t’ use a lot of extras in their scenes, so the Sting’s filmmakers also purposely chose to skip using extras in many scenes.

·       The movie is wistful in its tone for the golden age of Hollywood.

o   Consider the use of the classic Universal logo from decades earlier.

o   The filmmakers also utilize old-fashioned transitions such as iris shots and editing wipes.

o   A muted color palette dominated primarily by browns and maroons was used, as well as a throwback lighting style.

o   The Saturday Evening Post-influenced title cards that head each chapter are also reminiscent of the 1930s.

IF YOU LIKED THE STING, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THESE SIMILAR MOVIES:

·       The Flim Flam Man

·       Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, an earlier film featuring Newman and Redford as likeable anti-heroes who break the law

·       Paper Moon, spotlighting a father-daughter con man team, also released in 1973

·       The Grifters, a modern take on con men

·       Ocean’s Eleven, another popular caper movie starring big name sex symbol actors

·       Sleuth, another puzzle of a movie that tries to keep you guessing

·       Films based on stories written by Damon Runyon, famous for his colorful con men and gangster characters, including Guys and Dolls, The Lemon Drop Kid, The Big Street, Three Wise Guys, and Bloodhounds of Broadway

·       The Shawshank Redemption, which also has a great payoff ending where the protagonist gets the better of the villain in a setup that you don’t see coming

OTHER FILMS DIRECTED BY GEORGE ROY HILL

·       Thoroughly Modern Millie

·       Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

·       Slaughterhouse-Five

·       Slap Shot

·       The World According to Garp

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Get stung...all over again

On September 11, make plans to join CineVerse for a 40th anniversary celebration of “The Sting” (1973; 129 minutes), directed by George Roy Hill, chosen by Norm Omiecinski.

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When is a movie like a poem? When it's titled "Poetry"

The group consensus at CineVerse last evening was that Poetry, the South Korean film by Lee Chang-dong, was a deeply insightful, moving film. Here are some of the thoughts generated by our group discussion on this movie:

HOW DOES POETRY STAND OUT AS A FILM THAT’S DIFFERENT, RARE AND MEMORABLE?

·       It has the ingredients for a clichéd Lifetime Channel type movie of the week—older woman coping with Alzheimer’s and her grandson’s crime—yet it doesn’t fall into any of the overwrought dramatic trappings of such a formula.

·       In fact, the realization that Mija has dementia isn’t given some big, dramatic, plot twist-like reveal, nor is the crime imbued with any formulaic elements of intrigue or mystery-solving or given any major repercussions.

·       Despite its heavy thematic elements, character sufferings and dark subject matter, this is a life-affirming film that showcases much visual and aural beauty. We’re shown the sweet and the bitter of life here.

·       It’s a foreign film rarity in that it’s a South Korean export (how many movies from that country have Americans seen?) that depicts a very different culture and society than we’re used to, one that appears heavily patriarchal, misogynistic and chauvinistic.

·       There is no proper film score; instead, there is a carefully accentuated sound design that makes us pay attention to the ambient aural universe this character inhabits.

·       How often do you see scenes of senior citizens in intimate relations?

HOW IS THIS FILM A POSSIBLE CRITIQUE OF SOUTH KOREAN SOCIETY AS MALE-DOMINATED, FEMALE-SUBMISSIVE? CAN YOU PROVIDE EXAMPLES OF THIS THEORY?

·       Consider how Mija is an overworked caregiver of males: first, her grandson, who has a spoiled, entitled attitude, must be bailed out for his crime; and the disabled older man she tends to, whom she offers herself sexually.

·       The 800-pound elephant in the room, of course, is the dead female student, who was sexually abused by a group of teenage boys before she commits suicide.

·       Mija is the sole woman among a group of fathers who gather together and make the decisions they feel are best for the group.

·       She is also badgered by the male reporter and turned off by the inappropriate sexual joking of the poetry writing male cop.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL THEMES AT WORK IN POETRY?

·       Lack of communication.

·       The challenge to find beauty and truth in an ugly, cruel world, and the fact that it may not be so difficult after all, considering how we’re surrounded by beauty in nature as well as the inner beauty we’re capable of.

·       The word “poetry” is synonymous in this context to the search for truth and beauty, to closely examining and appreciating life, as Mija’s poetry teacher encourages.

o   Yet, human beings are increasingly abandoning these rewarding pursuits and asking fewer questions about life.

o   Thus, the film posits: Is poetry (the search for truth and beauty) relevant in the 21^st century? Is the art of poetry (staying curious and inquisitive about life) dead?

o   This is possibly why Mija chooses to gratify the sexual urges of the old man she cares for: to truly empathize with and appreciate the suffering that the raped girl had to endure, Mija chooses to acquiesce to this man and study the situation, to really look at things, as her teacher had suggested.

o   Also, her ability to write poetry improves as the movie progresses, suggesting that she has, by the end of the film, achieved the ability to see things for their real beauty and truth.

o   Consider how she wasn’t able to see how the flowers in the doctor’s office were fake early on in the film; she couldn’t see the real beauty or truth in things until later.

·       Life is a dichotomy of bitter and sweet, ugly and beautiful, hard and soft, and the two opposites can quickly follow each other and alternate back and forth when you least expect it.

o   Director Lee Chang-dong said in an interview that “…life itself is beautiful but it’s also ugly, life is bright but it is also dark, there’s a lot of heaviness but also a lot of lightness. I wanted to have these different feelings together in one moment. An example is after a poem has been read, the next scene might be where something unpleasant occurs. I wanted to show that in real life, our lives have many different, complex elements.”

OTHER FILMS BY DIRECTOR LEE CHANG-DONG

·       Green Fish

·       Oasis

·       Secret Sunshine

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Music and film: a match made in movie heaven

Saint Xavier University (SXU) will screen six films exploring music as part of its 2013-14 Film Series, “Music and Film.”

All screenings are free and open to the public. They all are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesdays in McGuire Hall, located in the Warde Academic Center at SXU’s Chicago campus, 3700 W. 103rd St.

The series includes:

• Tues., Sept. 17, “A Hard Day’s Night” – This 1964 British black-and-white comedy stars The Beatles during the height of their popularity and portrays a few days in the lives of the group. (87 min.)
• Tues., Oct. 15, “Tous les Matins du Monde” – Based on the book of the same name, this 1991 French film features Gerard Depardieu as late-17th century composer Marin Marais. (115 min., presented with subtitles)
• Tues., Nov. 12, “Round Midnight” – A wistful and tragic musical drama from 1986, this film tells the tale of jazzman Dale Turner, a character drawn from several real-life music legends, as he performs and battles alcohol abuse in the Paris jazz scene during the 1950s. (133 min.)
• Tues., Feb. 11, “Dream Girls” – This 2006 musical drama follows the history and evolution of American R&B music during the 1960s and 1970s through the eyes of the fictional group The Dreams and their manipulative manager. The star-studded cast includes Jamie Foxx, Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy, and Jennifer Hudson. (130 min.)
• Tues., March 18, “Buena Vista Social Club” – This film explores the music of Cuba by chronicling a group of legendary Cuban musicians as they record an album together. The 1999 documentary follows the group as they travel to the United States for a performance, despite the political tension between the two countries. (105 min.)
• Tues., April 15, “This is Spinal Tap” – Lampooning the wild behavior and pretensions of the era’s rock bands, this 1984 cult classic mockumentary follows the dimwitted members of the fictional British group Spinal Tap as they go on tour. It stars Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer. (82 min.)

For more information about the “Music and Film” series, please contact the Department of Art and Design at (773) 298-3081 or click here.

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No rhyming necessary

On September 4, CineVerse will present a World Cinema Wednesday special from South Korea: “Poetry” (2010; 139 minutes), directed by Chang-dong Lee, chosen by Janet Pierucci. Make time to attend this memorable film and post-movie discussion.

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