Big Night - 1996 - USA

Big Night - 1996 - 6/10  

 
Word is, Louis Prima is going to swing by their ristorante.
Brothers Primo and Secondo are stoked.  Prima and friends ought to revitalize their struggling place.
Primo is a food perfectionist (and 20 years ahead of his time).
Secondo wants to build clientele, the rabble who want spaghetti, ravioli, lasagna.
One senses the brothers have been competing and arguing for decades.
As the night ebbs away, with Prima late-late-late, tempers bubble.

Mahjong - 1996 - Taiwan

Mahjong - 1996 - 7/10
AKA - Ma Jiang  // 麻将

 
His string of kindergarten schools made money hand over fist.
And yet, he was indebted to criminals.  Who decide to kidnap his errant son.
The son leads a crime crew, two con men, a third who gigolos rich women.
A young Parisian arrives, looking for a wayward love, and the crew decide to turn her into a prostitute.
Complicated, confusing plot, at the core greed, avarice, obsession with profit.
Taipei is a pitiless background in often funny, often sad film.

Pusher - 1996 - Denmark

Pusher - 1996 - 7/10

 
Frank’s day had started well enough.  Making deals, drinking, rolling easy.
He is in debt to his supplier, however.
Possible escape arrives with an ex-cellmate, who wants to do a major deal.
All smiles at this stage, before events go to hell.
Hyper kinetic film put Nicolas Winding Refn on the map, and launched Mads Mikkelsen.
Club scenes and street swirl are wonderfully dizzying.
Mostly, it’s the lies, the promises, the pipedreams.

Breaking The Waves - 1996 - Denmark

Breaking The Waves - 1996 - 7/10

 
Bess misses oil rigger husband Jan, emotionally and sexually, and prays to God to return him.
And lo, God responds.  Jan is injured, badly, and flown back.  Paralyzed.
To save him, the devoutly religious Bess, begins offering herself to increasingly brutish men.
Widely acclaimed film, notable for Emily Watson’s fearless performance.
This is really an uncomfortable watch, however.  Score above is for Watson, period.
The director, I felt, took delight in his mistreatment of Bess … and other women in subsequent films.
I am not a fan of Dogma 95, nor of this director.

Daylight - 1996 - USA

Daylight - 1996 - 5/10

 
Explosion in the Hudson Tunnel traps a disparate bunch of innocents, malcontents, complainers and pompous.
Enter ex-rescue guy (Stallone), whom no one listens to.
With so many trapped characters, one can safely predict a lot of meals.
Disagree with our hero?  Go off on your own?  Bicker?
Yes, prepare the body bags accordingly.
Formulaic action / disaster flick, best for insomniacs or Stallone fanatics.
Sly, by the way, looks old in this, or simply haggard.

The Truth About Cats And Dogs - 1996 - USA

The Truth About Cats And Dogs - 1996 - 6/10

 
Veterinarian and radio chat show advisor Abby lads a blind date with a hot stud.
Only thing, he’s interested in her via her voice, not the short frump package.
Hey!  How about my gorgeous model neighbor impersonating me?
So, our guy soon loves beauty and the brain, and he cannot put two and two together.
Because he has the perception of a blind gerbil without a cane.
Forced complications in far-fetched RomCom.
Wisecracking, sharp Garofalo is best thing here.  Other leads miscast.
 

 

Fudoh: The Next Generation - 1996 - Japan

Fudoh: The Next Generation - 1996 - 6/10
AKA - Gokudō Sengokushi: Fudō  // 極道戦国志 不動

 
By day, Riki Fudoh is a high school student, but after hours, crime boss.
His is the path of vengeance for the murder of his older brother.
The enforcers are lethal, yet young.  A dart-shooting assassin has to be seen to be believed.
A mix of outrageous action balances with graceful scenes.
Also a menacing rival, scene chewing Riki Takeuchi.
My first encounter with director Takashi Miike, this was mind-blowing.
Later releases proved he was no fluke, no one-shot.

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - 1996 - UK

The Young Poisoner's Handbook - 1996 - 6/10

 
Mid-school Graham has an interest in and a flair for chemistry.
He is also into death, the dark side, and he’s more than a little morbid.
When his parents cross him, Graham poisons them.
He is institutionalized, where his keen intellect sets him apart.
Dark frightening comedy, is creepy and unsettling.
Especially for those (you and I) who have toiled next to an unstable coworker.
Not for all tastes, for those with a tolerance for black comedy.

Millennium - 1996 - USA

Millennium - 1996 - 8/10  

 
A remarkable series, too dark, too bleak, too far ahead of its time.
Ex-FBI profiler, Frank Black, retired (burned out?), is recruited by the Millennium Group.
In addition to criminal analysis, Black has second-sight, a gift and a curse.
S01 episodes are akin to “monster of the week”.  Serial killers, conspiracy, occult.
The second season delved deeper into the Millennium Group.
Remember, this aired as 2000 approached, along with the dread Y2K phobia.

 
S03 was a retrenchment of sorts, with no overlying arc.
In the end, I think Millennium was too grim, remorseless, for viewers hoping for another X-Files.
I also find it remarkable that this aired on FOX and that FOX gave it a three year run.
A modern media company like Netflix would have whacked it at 10 episodes.
Lucy Butler seems to be more active than ever nowadays.
Fine documentary here.

Paris Was A Woman - 1996 - UK

Paris Was A Woman - 1996 - 6/10  

 
Following the Great War, numerous Americans flocked to Paris.
The Twenties roared, the dollar was strong, and the Depression years away.
Among them, women, creative types, completely stifled in the heartland.
Writers, poets, painters, journalists, publishers, photographers.
Less recognized than the men of the Lost Generation because they were female.
Brief documentary highlights the leading lights, although the audio is often garbled.
Companion to the book of the same name, which is highly recommended.

Jude - 1996 - UK

Jude - 1996 - 6/10

 
Jude is intelligent, but working class.  And in 1895, class is preeminent.
No matter how intelligent he is, university doors are firmly closed.
His marriage falters and the subsequent affair whit his cousin bucks social conventions.
Well acted, and fairly faithful to the Thomas Hardy novel I had to read in college.
This is, however, bleak, depressing, brutal and tough sledding throughout.
Edinburgh photography, the Scottish grey, adds considerably.
Kate Winslet, as the free spirit, crushed, is unforgettable.

From Dusk Til Dawn - 1996 - USA

From Dusk Til Dawn - 1996 - 6/10

 
Following a botched robbery, the Gecko brothers race towards Mexico.
With them, hostages.
So where do they hide?  Titty Twister truckstop, a lair of vampires.
Horror actioner is off the charts mayhem.
Bullets, buckets of blood, a frightening beautiful Salma Hayek.
Add Clooney for the females, Tarantino for his fanclub.
Runs outta steam late, dissipating the energy and mayhem.

Everyone Says I Love You - 1996 - USA

Everyone Says I Love You - 1996 - 7/10

 
People forget that there actually were musicals between 2016 and the final curtain in the early ‘60’s.
Au contraire, grasshopper.  The Woodster released this loving homage in the mid-90’s.
Plotwise, there are couples falling in love, arguing in love, and the running “I’m through with love”.
Musical numbers are Broadway standards.  Most of the cast does their own singing, and they are game.
Production numbers range from simple to elaborate.  Who expected to see singing ghosts?  
Clearly not for all tastes.  If you have a fondness for this genre, this movie is a romp.
And hooray for Captain Spaulding!

Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love - 1996 - India

Kama Sutra: A Tale Of Love - 1996 - 6/10

Fabulous looking, if empty-headed melodrama of childhood friends, Tara and Maya.
Adults, Tara marries the prince, who, bored with her boudoir limitations, begins an affair with Maya.

 
Also lusting after Maya is the prince’s hunchbacked, dwarf brother.
Meanwhile, Maya initiates her own affair with a handsome, muscular sculptor.
Ravishing scenery is a joy for armchair travelers.
Otherwise, steamy story of jealousy, revenge, comeuppance.

Emma - 1996 - UK

Emma - 1996 - 8/10

 
Emma Woodhouse, matchmaker in the worst manner, repeatedly fails to connect her targets.
At the same time, fumbling her own romantic affairs.
Of all the Jane Austen novels, this is one of the funniest.
Cast is picture perfect (even silver spoon Paltrow is great).
First rate across the board:  costumes, settings, period music, lush photography.
For guys worrying, this is not Hallmark kryptonite, though still a romantic comedy.

Viva Erotica - 1996 - Hong Kong

Viva Erotica - 1996 - 6/10
AKA - Sik ching nam lui  //  色情男女

 
Writer / director Sing is weathering a couple of film duds.
His latest script is … well … a little arty.
Nevertheless, he gets a financial backer in a Triad boss, who promises the lead role to his porn actress girlfriend who no longer wants to bare her assets but wants to be an actress.
The shoot, the walkouts, the compromises, artistic integrity.  Kiss ’em goodbye, sunshine.
Sly comedy will hit the mark with a select audience:  Hong Kong cineastes.
Cameo by Anthony Wong, in-jokes about Kar-Wai Wong, the missed free kick, and chaos swirling around poor Leslie Cheung in this How-to-make-a-Cat III flick and not commit suicide (yeah, that happens, too in an unexpected scene).

The Pillow Book - 1996 - Netherlands

The Pillow Book - 1996 - 6/10

 
Nagiko, model living in Hong Kong, merges art with physical pleasure
From childhood, her father had written calligraphy on her body and this is now an obsession.
Now an adult, she begins writing stories on the naked bodies of lovers.
As with many Peter Greenaway films, there is a tremendous amount of nudity.
To Westerners, characters and storylines may blur as Asian, yet there are really contrasts of Hong Kong and Japanese cultures, with the injection of Jerome, Nagiko’s lover.
Arthouse, approaching pretentious at times, some visuals recall Kwaidan.
I am convinced when I saw this theatrically, Pillow Book was widescreen.  Everything I read now states Greenaway supervised the 4 X 3 transfer.

Kingpin - 1996 - USA

Kingpin - 1996 - 6/10

 
No, not your local mob boss, but the king of strikes.
We’re talking bowling, friend, as in strikes, spares and gutter balls.
Rising lane warrior Roy bests top flight Ernie who exacts a vicious revenge.
The loss of Roy’s bowling hand, and end of his promising career.
Decades on, Roy discovers a hayseed marvel, a natural, though Amish.
Howlingly funny film boasts sly comedy and belly laughs.
From satisfying the landlady to flossing to Bill Murray’s headgear.
Hysterical from the get-go.

Crash - 1996 - Canada

Crash - 1996 - 6/10

 
Following a harrowing car wreck, a TV personality discovers and then delves into a bizarre car subculture.
Accident victims, disfigured, mangled, crippled, obsessed with vehicular mishaps and sex.
A twisted take of the love affair between semen and gasoline, flesh and chrome.
James Spader leads a brilliant cast in this spellbinding Cronenberg film.
Participants numb, self-destructive, suicidal.  And highly aroused.

 
This is probably not for the uninitiated nor faint-hearted.
Packed with emotionless sex that may kill your mood for the night.
Based on J. G. Ballard’s novel, an author who often alienates more than he entices.

Deep Crimson - 1996 - Mexico

Deep Crimson - 1996 - 7/10
AKA - Profundo Carmesí

 
Mexican retelling of the “Lonely Hearts Killers.” +
Low level con man romances widows and spinsters. Steals money, jewels, silver, then slips away.
Most are too embarrassed to report him, so he operates for years.
Until he encounters the large, needy woman.  They link up, cruise Sonora, turn murderous.
Film really captures the abandoned wastelands of the Mexican scrub.
The pair share a sexual passion, exclusive and claustrophobic.
Faithful retelling, though the ending is off.

 +  Lonely Hearts Killers:  Martha Beck and Raymond Fernandez
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_Fernandez_and_Martha_Beck