Film Review: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND (USA 2018)

January 11, 2019 festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized film reviews, gilbert seah, john huston, Oja Kodar, Orson Welles, Peter Bogdanovich, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND

A Hollywood director emerges from semi-exile with plans to complete work on an innovative motion picture.

In the words of Orson Welles himself: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is a crazy picture. It is not a documentary. It is a departure from moviemaking. Everybody will think the film is autobiographical but it is not.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is a film within a film. It is supposed to be Welles’ comeback film after being ostracized by Hollywood. He never completed the film and passed away with the footage locked in a Paris vault. Funds were eventually provided by Netflix for its completion.

The film opens by a voiceover describing the final day of Jake Hannaford (John Huston), an aging Hollywood director who was killed in a car crash on his 70th birthday. The narration is from an elderly Brooks Otterlake (Peter Bogdanovich), who had been a protégé of Hannaford’s. Just before his death, Hannaford was trying to revive his waning career by making a flashy film, laden with gratuitous sex scenes and violence, with mixed results. At the time of Hannaford’s party, this film (titled The Other Side of the Wind) has been left unfinished after its star stormed off the set, for reasons not immediately apparent to the audience.

A screening of some incomprehensible parts of Hannaford’s unfinished experimental film takes place, in order to attract “end money” from studio boss Max David. Hannaford himself is absent, and a loyal member of his entourage, the former child star Billy Boyle, makes an inept attempt to describe what the film is about. Intercut during this, we see various groups setting out for Hannaford’s seventieth birthday party at an Arizona ranch. Hannaford arrives with a young Brooks Otterlake, a commercially successful director with a talent for mimicking celebrities, who credits much of his success to his close study of Hannaford.

The story goes on but the film is all over the place and hardly coherent when one finally figures out what is happening. The film contains a few stunning segments, the most notable being these two most sexually explicit ones:

– the beginning graphic lesbian steamroom scene, rapidly intercut, featuring Oja Kodar (the actress at the time was Welles’ lover), which Hannaford is in the process of filming at the start.

the sex scene in an 1968 Ford Mustang fastback. The car takes off in the rainy night, and as the boyfriend drives, the pair have sex in the passenger seat next to him. After a few minutes the boyfriend stops the car, grabs the girl off of Dale (the actor playing the lading character in WIND), and appears to make an attempt to engage her for himself. She rebukes him and the pair is then tossed out. John Dale, with his pants halfway down, lands in a large puddle.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND is definitely not a masterpiece as Welles hoped it to be. It is not even a good film. It is madness personified into a film, with a few absorbing segments as well as unconnected boring parts in between.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND will be more interesting to cineastes (for example; what does the title even mean?) but for the rest the film is best avoided.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMWHBUTHmf0

Film Review: THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD (USA 2018) ***1/2

January 8, 2019 festreviews 2019 Movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized Alan Cumming, film reviews, gilbert seah, Morgan Neville, Peter Bogdanovich, Steve Ecclesine, THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD

In the final fifteen years of the life of legendary director Orson Welles he pins his Hollywood comeback hopes on a film, The Other Side of the Wind, in itself a film about an aging film director trying to finish his last great movie.

Director:

Morgan Neville

Stars:

Peter Bogdanovich, Alan Cumming, Steve Ecclesine

THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD is a 2018 American documentary film, directed by Morgan Neville, revolving around the making and filming of the infamous never completed and now just completed THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND, directed by Orson Welles.

A bit of background knowledge is necessary in order to appreciate the Orson Welles/Neville doc, THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD. The doc should be watched together with THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND, though best before or after could be argued. WIND was Welles’ comeback movie that took him umpteen years tin the making but never competed due to his craziness and lack of funding. WIND was supposed to be autobiographical though Welles claims it was never so. He had directed his best friend John Huston play the director and Peter Bogdanovich play another director who was not Peter Bogdanovich. He has impressionist Rich Little hired to act in his film and then edited him out. More information and madness are revealed as Neville’s doc unfolds.

The doc is immensely entertaining for several reasons. Firstly, Welles was a charismatic and intriguing character. It is also about filmmaking and filmmakers implying that all cineastes should love the doc. And Neville has done a wonderful job revealing both sides of Orson Welles.

Neville also includes short clips (wish he had shown more) of Welles’ famous films like CITZEN KANE, THE TRIAL and A TOUCH OF EVIL while mentioning his never completed films like THE DREAMERS (not to be confused with the Bertolucci film of the same name).

The title takes the words from from a prophetic comment Welles made to Peter Bogdanovic that centred on Welles’ return to the U.S. in the early 1970s to shoot his ill-fated Hollywood comeback film. The documentary concludes with his death in October 1985. “Welles is the protagonist of my documentary,” Neville said. “(The Other Side of the Wind) is so autobiographical, even though he said it was not.

The doc is also a study of the madness that goes with genius. Welles’ not only drove himself crazy but those around him. Like his cameraman, Gary Graver. After working him to death to the point that Graver would strangle him and call Welles a fucking fat idiot, Welles would put his arm around Graver and tell him that he was doing a great job.

The film is all about great directors. Besides its subject Orson Welles who made arguably the best film (as polled by critics over the years) of all time CITIZEN KANE, the film features Peter Bogdanovich who accomplished three great films during the making of THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, PAPER MOON and WHAT’S UP DOC?. This film is directed by Morgan Neville who directed the Best Documentary Oscar winner, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM as well as the well critical received BEST OE ENEMIES and WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

This film should be seen together with the recently completed THE OTEHR SIDE OF THE WIND, thanks to additional funding provided by Netflix. THEY’LL LOVE ME WHEN I’M DEAD is also a Netflix original film now playing on Netflix.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_kOsnGzfYY

Film Review: THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION (USA 2018) ***

November 22, 2018 festreviews 2018 movies, movie, Movie Review Dick Cavett, film reviews, gilbert seah, MEL BROOKS, movie review, Peter Bogdanovich, THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION

Documentary on the life and works of comic genius Buster Keaton, directed by Peter Bogdanovic.

Director:

Peter Bogdanovich

Writer:

Peter Bogdanovich

Stars:

Peter Bogdanovich, Mel Brooks, Dick Cavett

Buster Keaton is not someone as well known Charlie Chaplin. But this is by no means to say that Buster Keaton is no less a genius. Myself, I first saw Buster Keaton in a supporting role in Richard Lester’s 1966’s comedy A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. The doc, THE GREAT BUSTER: A CELEBRATION includes a footage of Keaton in the film.

The film is a celebration of actor/comedian/filmmaker and genius Buster Keaton. Buster, in those days meant ‘Fall’ and Buster Keaton grew famous in funny falls from the young age touring the country with his travelling show parents. The film is an examination of the artist from literally a baby to adult, which writer/director Peter Bogdanovich undertakes.

Who better than Peter Bogdanovich whose most famous film WHAT’S UP DOC? starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal was likely influenced by the slapstick antics of Buster Keaton. Bogdanovich also loves black and white oldies and made the excellent THE LAST PICTUR SHOW and PAPER MOON, all black and white period pics.

Unless one is familiar with Keaton’s films or grew up in those times (i.e. if you are over 70), there is much to enjoy in the old footage assembled by Bogdanovich. From Keaton’s early pictures like his two reelers to his shorts and feature films, expect plenty of laughs.

Bogdanovich also ties in the passion of film into the doc. Not only is Keaton’s talent for comedy shown but his genius in filmmaking.

The early comedic sequences are the ones with Fatty Arbuckle and Keaton. Arbuckle was Keaton’s mentor and introduced him to film, which aided Keaton’s fame. The sequence of the two having dinner is not only funny but a genius in its set up. Other simple sequences featuring these two are equally priceless.

Every genius has his downfall or at least bad times in life. Arbuckle got entrapped with a murder charge and scandal. For Keaton, it was his drinking and contract with MGM. The film was clear to point out that MGM destroyed a few classic comedians of the time including The Marx Brothers, Stan and Ollie and Abbott and Castello with churning out their worst films. Keaton’s drinking led to his divorce and firing at MGM, fed up with his drinking. The height of his depression led him to be committed to an army hospital taken away in a straight jacket. ‘Straight Jacket required to move Buster Keaton to hospital, ” read the newspaper headlines.

It becomes apparent half way through the film that material is running out. Bogdanovich inserts old Keaton film footage as fillers. At least they are funny and satisfying in filling the time.

The film ends with Keaton’s death in 1966 and with the words of Dick Van Dyke who delivered the eulogy at the funeral service.

THE GREAT BUSTER is a celebration of not only Keaton but the artists of the silent era. The film’s best segment is the clip from Charles Chaplin’s LIMELIGHT where Chaplin and Keaton performed together for the first and only time.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsffUJBYya0

Full Review: 78/52 (USA 2017) ****

October 13, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, movie, Movie Review, Uncategorized 78/52 movie, Alan Barnette, Alexandre O. Philippe, film reviews, gilbert seah, Justin Benson, Peter Bogdanovich

Submit your Screenplay to the Festival TODAY

An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock‘s Psycho (1960), the “man behind the curtain”, and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.

Director:

Alexandre O. Philippe

Stars:

Alan Barnette, Justin Benson, Peter Bogdanovich |

There has been countless film homages dedicated to the Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, the most recent being the documentary Kent Jones’ HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT made in 2015. But 78/52 is the first on that concentrates on just one little aspect of Hitchcock’s career – the iconic shower scene in PSYCHO. The film is so called because PSYCHO’s famous shower scene is made up of 78 set ups (or shots) and 52 cuts.

This is a documentary that film cineastes MUST see as well as anyone interested in the art of the cinema.

This is the “man behind the curtain” (or shower curtain) and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. This famous shower scene – that comprised the opening of the bathroom door; the water streaming from the shower; the curtain slowly pulling apart; the repeated stabbing; the image of the blurred woman’s face, the blood flowing down the bath; the slump of the body on the tub. Sound plays a major part as well – the screeching sounds, the sound of the big thud as the body slumps down the tub; the curtain ripping apart; the blood draining down the hole. The contribution of both Edward Hermann to the music and George Tomasini to the sound effects are detailed in the film, providing more insight and pleasure to the cineaste.

O. Philippe recognizes Hitchcock’s use of ‘the eye’ in PSYCHO. The eye is emphasized from the look on the cop stopping Marion as well as the eyes of Norman Bates, Marion herself, the hollows of mother’s skull etc. Voyeurism is also examined. Bates removes an old picture of voyeurism to become the voyeur himself, peeping through the hole in the wall watching Marion undressing.

The entire scene’s storyboard with the script is read aloud (and also the pages of the novel of the same name by Robert Block, illustrating the differences) to the audience as the scene, unfolds one step at a time, offering a fresh insight.

Director Alexandre O. Philippe’s film is exhaustive in its treatment of the subject. I cannot think of anything else that could have been added. O. Philippe also puts the film into perspective – of the political unrest (the atom bomb; the cold war) and other films that came out during that time, and pretty good ones too (ANATOMY OF A MURDER, SOME LIKE IT HOT, SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER). Clips of other older horror flicks with women murdered are also shown. A few clips of other Hitchcock mystery classics (SABOTEUR, FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, THE 39 STEPS, LIFEBOAT, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, THE BIRDS, NORTH BY NORTHWEST) are added for good measure.

Interviewees on display include directors Peter Bogdanovich and other directors of horror films like SAW and HOSTEL, Jamie Lee Curtis (daughter of Janet Leigh), Osgood Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins) as well as the model who did the body double for Janet Leigh.

The result is one of the best, pleasurable and most insightful documentaries on the techniques of the Master of Suspense.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9Ox3rB4cIQ

Submit your Screenplay to the Festival TODAY

HOT DOCS 2017 Reviews: 78/52 (USA 2017) ***1/2

April 9, 2017 festreviews 2017 movies, Alfred Hitchcock, HOT DOCS reviews, movie 2017 movies, 78/52 movie, Alan Barnette, Alexandre O. Philippe, gilbert seah, hot docs, Justin Benson, movie review, Peter Bogdanovich

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival: http://www.wildsound.ca

An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, the “man behind the curtain”, and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema.

Director: Alexandre O. Philippe
Stars: Alan Barnette, Justin Benson, Peter Bogdanovich

Review by Gilbert Seah

78/52 offers an unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO – the “man behind the curtain” and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. The famous shower scene – the opening and closing of the bathroom door; the water streaming from the shower; the curtain slowly pulling apart; the repeated stabbing; the blood flowing down the bath; the door bathroom door slamming shut.

The contribution of both Edward Hermann to the music and George Tomasini to the sound effects are detailed in the film, providing more insight and pleasure to the cineaste.

The film includes clips of films that have been influenced by Hitchcock. Director Philippe (DOC OF THE DEAD) has done thorough and detailed research on Hitchcock and the shower scene and it shows.

The result is one of the best and most insightful documentaries on the techniques of the Master of Suspense.

Clip: http://www.dreadcentral.com/news/208152/sundance-2017-new-7852-clip-goes-psycho-shower-scene/

_________

Also, Free logline submissions. The Writing Festival network averages over 95,000 unique visitors a day.
Great way to get your story out: http://www.wildsound.ca/logline.html

Deadlines to Submit your Screenplay, Novel, Story, or Poem to the festival:http://www.wildsound.ca

Watch recent Writing Festival Videos. At least 15 winning videos a month:http://www.wildsoundfestival.com