Road to Singapore (1940)

Posted on August 13, 2013 by 4 Star Films

This is the Road film that started all with the brilliant comic pairing of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope. The two bozos both skip out on obligations and relationships back home and together they hightail it to Singapore. There they both fall head over heels for the same girl despite having vowed to give up women. Together the trio hide from their respective pasts. However, with barely any money they must muddle through with cons. Everything comes to fruition at a native marriage ceremony where Mallon’s father and fiancee catch up with him. In the end everything works out as it always does and Singapore was only the tip of the iceberg. The film works based on the chemistry of the leading trio and the ad-libbing and various gags such as “Patty-Cake.”

3.5/5 Stars

Duck Soup (1933)

Posted on August 12, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Arguably the greatest movie of The Marx Brothers, Duck Soup takes place in the country of Freedonia where Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho) is appointed the new leader. All too soon he proves to be incompetent and the ambassador from the rival country of Sylvania wishes to start a war with Freedonia so he can take over the country. He enlists the help of a wily woman as well Chico and Harpo who are spies. Chico is caught and his trial ultimately leads to war. However, he is also Firefly’s secretary of War and with the Brothers leading things it is sure to be zany and wild. Beside the ever present puns and quips, some memorable moments include the opening serenade, the street vendor scenes, the famous mirror sequence, and of course the war at the end. This would be the last film with Zeppo but the other brothers would move onto MGM and keep their career going. This film is good but upon seeing more of their films I would say I appreciated A Night at the Opera more.

4.5/5 Stars

Take the Money and Run (1969)

Posted on August 10, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Woody Allen made this mockumentary about an inept bank robber before it was cool or at least before everyone else was doing it. Whether he is trying to escape San Quentin using a bar of soap, playing the cello, having trouble explaining his hold up in a bank, or escaping with members of a chain gang, this film has genuinely funny moments. The narration is an important touch, there are pretend interviews, and of course Woody Allen playing the inept Virgil as he seemingly plays all his roles. Janet Margolin is funny opposite Allen simply for the fact that she is so beautiful, and he is, well, Virgil Starkwell, the world’s most inept, conniving, lying, yet lovable criminal. This is certainly is not Allen’s best film and the editing probably could have been better, but he was just getting started after all. It seemed like this film had some similarities (although more comedic) to Bonnie and Clyde and Cool Hand Luke.

3.5/5 Stars

Horse Feathers (1932)

Posted on August 9, 2013 by 4 Star Films

This comedy starring The Marx Brothers opens with Groucho being made the new president of a college. His son Zeppo implores him to get some players to help them win a big football game. However, after going to the Speakeasy Groucho winds up with Harpo and Chico while the professionals are on the other team. At the same time, first Zeppo and then Groucho fall for a girl with bad intentions. The game day comes and things look bad but the Marx Brothers turn the tide with their shenanigans on the field. Memorable moments include the opening number, the password gag, anatomy class, and of course the crazy football match! There is also a precursor to the stateroom scene from A Night at the Opera. Fewer people but still craziness.

4/5 Stars

Nashville (1975)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Directed by Robert Altman, this musical, comedy, drama has an ensemble cast made up of 24 different people. The film’s story takes place over several days in Nashville, Tennessee during the political season. From the beginning we follow the politics, music, and most importantly the folks who inhabit and visit this place. They come from all backgrounds, some are in Nashville for musical careers and others for their own personal reasons. You have shaky relationships, an ill country singer, a British BBC journalist, and many other characters who are all interrelated. All their stories culminate in one tragic moment at a show. However, they all quickly move on with their lives. This film was enjoyable because there were so many different people. Even if it made the story more difficult to follow, that did not really matter. By the end everything seemed relatively cohesive. True, the conclusion is abrupt but I think that is how the story was meant to end.

4.5/5 Stars

Easy Rider (1969)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, this road film follows the two young men traveling across country from L.A. after a drug deal. Along the way they meet a Hippie colony, experimenting with drugs, and simply live life as they please. Much of the movie comprises of the many pit stops they take as they make their way to Mardi Gras. Some people welcome them, and still others are hostile, especially in the South. This film does a wonderful job of portraying the counter culture generation and the experiences they had. In some ways it seems that Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda are not really acting, but partially embodying the existence that they are already used to. One of the highlights in the film would be Jack Nicholson’s odd ball, hick lawyer who crosses paths with the two hippie bikers in a Southern jail. A stellar soundtrack including such 1960s groups like the Byrds and the Band take potentially boring biking sequences and make them some of the best moments of the film. They also often express the mindset of the generation including anthems such as “Born to Be Wild” and “I Wasn’t Born to Follow.” Although it is not the greatest movie, it holds historical importance in order to help us remember this past generation.

4/5 Stars

The Graduate (1967)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Some may see this film as a comedy drama that is not in the category of great movies. However I feel if nothing else, The Graduate is culturally significant because it ushered in an age in the late 1960s where films focused on trying to attract younger audiences. Along with its good writing this film was one of the forerunners in using popular music in its soundtrack.

*May Contain Spoilers

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Anne Bancroft, and Katherine Ross with direction by Mike Nichols, the film opens with Benjamin Braddock returning home from college. He has excelled in many ways and yet he feels bored and alienated from his parents. However the naive Benjamin soon finds himself in an affair with an older woman. This further confuses him as he figures out what to do with his life. His unknowing parents want him to date a girl attending Berkeley. Things become complicated since it turns out to be Mrs. Robinson’s daughter. Not wanting anything to happen between Benjamin and Elaine, Mrs. Robinson sabotages the relationship and tries to marry her daughter off while her own marriage goes down the tube. Benjamin who is ultimately in love with Elaine crashes the wedding and takes her away to face an unknown life ahead. With the help of a memorable Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack, this film ushered in a new age geared toward the younger generations.

4.5/5 Stars

Monkey Business (1931)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Starring the four Marx Brothers, the film opens with them stowing away aboard an ocean liner. As they try to avoid the crew, they cause trouble as always and then accidentally get involved with rival mobsters. When they finally get off the boat, they attend a party of one of the men.
However, during the festivities mixed with craziness, his beautiful daughter is kidnapped by the other gangsters. In the final showdown, the Brothers lend a hand and save the girl being help captive in a barn. Aside from the usual chaos, some notable scenes include the opening sequence, the Punch and Judy Show, the Maurice Chevalier scene, and of the course the final barn sequence!

4/5 Stars

A Chump at Oxford (1940)

Posted on August 7, 2013 by 4 Star Films

This short comedy film has Laurel and Hardy scrounging around for work and they masquerade as a maid and butler in a well-to-do home. As expected they cause loads of trouble and skip out. Next they are a pair of street sweepers who come upon some luck while on break. They unwittingly capture a bank robber and they are soon rewarded with a free education at Oxford. There they are met with a group of haughty Oxford snobs who cannot wait to mess with the new arrivals. The ensuing moments include getting lost in a maze, dizzy spells, run-ins with the Dean, and a chance encounter with Oxford Athletic hero Lord Paddington, who shares an uncanny resemblance to Stan. Despite all the ups and downs, Stan and Ollie make it through and they succeed in making this comedy quite funny.

3.5/5 Stars

Animal Crackers (1930)

Posted on August 5, 2013 by 4 Star Films

Headed by the four Marx Brothers, the film opens with the return of the famous African explorer Captain Jeffrey Spaulding (Groucho), who is being honored at the estate of a Mrs. Rittenhouse (Margaret Dumont). Along with him there are two musicians (Chico and Harpo), and an art lover with an especially extraordinary painting in his possession. The daughter of the hostess is in love with a young, aspiring artist. She enlists the help of the two musicians to replace the painting with a fake done by her beau. However, they are not the only ones with an interest in the masterpiece and mayhem ensues. In the end all is revealed and everything works itself out. Besides some famous Groucho quips about his travels, there is “the flash” sequence, several musical numbers, and the final scene with the insecticide gun. As always the brothers deliver the chaotic and pun laden humor they gained notoriety for.