Anything Else (2003) - Allen's perfect, underrated millennial relationship comedy

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+ Best Huge Flop Movie of the Year + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Romcom of the Year + Most Under-appreciated Movie of the Year

Being romantically involved with a complex, modern woman can be a heavy burden to bear, as this perky, up-beat poster for Woody Allen's Anything Else seems to suggest

Anything Else is the 33rd film from master New-Yorker writer-director Woody Allen (Deconstructing Harry (1997)). Opinions differ wildly on it.

We follow a young New York author, whose relationship with a very difficult young woman taps him of his energy, while he continually seeks advice and consolation from an aging artist, whom he befriends.

Jason Biggs (Orange Is the New Black (2013-17)) plays the young, neurotic 'young Allen'-like figure and does so extremely well, while Allen plays an endlessly quoting, paranoid, ultimately murderous Jew. Christina Ricci (War Flowers (2012)) is the 'eccentric' (read; borderline mad) woman. And in a supporting role as an amateurish literary agent, Danny De Vito (Be Cool (2005)) shines especially brightly. The film is all fantastically humorous fun, mixed with jazz, philosophy and amble doses of keen sarcasm.
And to all the complexities of life and love that the film presents a slice of, the simpler inclined cab driver that Allen quotes simply returns; "Ah well ... - It's like anything else." - Wherefrom the film gets its title.
The hilarious scenes are one after the other here, poignant and absurdly funny at the same time, in what I rank as an under-appreciated relationship comedy gemstone in Allen's late career.

Related posts:

 

Woody Allen: 2016 in films - according to Film Excess

Café Society (2016) - The greatest living American filmmaker hands us another splendid gem

Irrational Man (2015) - Allen's pleasant morality tale divertisement

2014 in films - according to Film Excess

Magic in the Moonlight (2014) - Allen's irresistible French Riviera romance

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Blue Jasmine (2013) - Allen presenets Blanchett, a woman under the influence

Fading Gigolo (2013) - Turturro's pleasant turn as a high-end NY prostitute  (as actor)

To Rome with Love (2012) - Woody Allen's slightest film to date  

2011 in films - according to Film Excess

Midnight in Paris (2011) - Allen's zany (and a little depressing) crowd-pleaser  

Cassandra's Dream (2007) - Allen's well-laid but inconsequentiel English cul-de-sac  

Top 10: The best big flop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date   

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  

2003 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) - Allen's hypnotic, noirish shenanigans 
Celebrity (1998) or, Stars in New York
Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) - Sin and guilt up for laughs and rumination in unspectacular Allen work 
Broadyway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart   

Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Annie Hall (1977) or, My Relationship with Alvie Singer   

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) - Allen's curious sex comedy is a riot
Bananas (1971) - Woody Allen's South American misadventure is still a barrel of laughs   
Casino Royale (1967) - The packed spy spoof frontrunner, a film very much of its time (as actor)    

 

Watch one of the priceless scenes from the film here

Cost: 18 mil. $
Box office: 13.5 mil. $
= Huge flop (0.75 times the cost)
[Anything Else premiered 27 August (Venice Film Festival, Italy) and runs 108 minutes. Allen's sister Letty Aronson (Celebrity (1998)) produced the picture. Shooting took place in New York from May - August 2002. The film opened #12 to a 1.6 mil. $ first weekend in 1,033 theaters in North America, where it only dropped from there and only played 4 weeks, grossing a paltry 3.2 mil. $ (17.8 % of the total gross). The film's 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 3.1 mil. $ (17.2 %) and France with 3 mil. $ (16.7 %). Though many critics lambasted the film, Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs (1992)) has named it as one of his 20 favorites since his filmmaking career began in 1992. Allen returned with Melinda and Melinda (2004). Biggs returned in Jersey Girl (2004), and Ricci in I Love Your Work (2003). Anything Else is rotten at 40 % with a 5.2 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Anything Else?

Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994) - Jordan's tame, platonically gay vampire yawner

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+ Worst Movie of the Year

+ Most Overrated Movie of the Year + Most Undeserved Hit of the Year

Tom Cruise's navy-blue eye stands out on this otherwise sickly colored poster for Neil Jordan's Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles

The mysterious vampire Louis in the present day of 1994 gives an interview, - for no reason that we are explained, - to a reporter, describing his centuries long life as a vampire in strange prose-style.

Brad Pitt (Ocean's Thirteen (2007)) is that vampire, whose story is told mostly through his own abundant, disengaging narration. Interview has a lot of narration, - and I mean A LOT. It is an adaptation of Anne Rice's (Merrick (2000)) debut novel, Interview with the Vampire (1976), written by Rice herself and directed by Neil Jordan (Michael Collins (1996)).
Pitt is, when his tale begins, a rich man in late 18th century France, where he is attacked by an older vampire, Tom Cruise (Magnolia (2000)), which then also turns him into one. The two afterwards stick together, for unclear reasons, because Cruise is a very indulgent, confident vampire, while Pitt is a young vampire very much in conflict with his murderous desires. Something keeps them together, and it seems to be a carnal attraction: The sexual tension between the two is palpable in the intense glances that circle back and forth between them, from Pitt's pouty lips and as tongue-whirls are exchanged into the air. - But the attraction never escapes the drily platonic and incredibly tame throughout the film, which makes it hard to take for me. 
Later, Kirsten Dunst (Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)) comes into play, as Cruise also makes her a vampire, although she is just a girl. Later still, (this is a powerfully long film), Pitt is courted by Antonio Banderas (Shrek the Third (2007)), who is also an attractive homosexual vampire, - but again nothing comes of it. SPOILER And in the end, Pitt's unabashed flirting with his interviewer in the film's framing present plane, who is played by Christian Slater (The Power of Few (2013)), also never amounts to anything.
The homoerotic angle on vampires is Rice's own invention: Its unflattering if implicit rationale is clear; vampires prey on their own kind (people), and homosexuals 'prey' on their own kind (gender) = Gays are vampires!
Whether Rice or someone close to her was ever left enraged by a partner who turned out to be gay or fosters some other resistance towards homosexuality, I don't know, but the derogatory or homophobic light which is cast over 'the forbidden love' in Interview seems obvious from my seat. I would be inclined to forgive all of this, if the absurdly male-dominated film just had the balls to throw in a single sex scene or two with members of its impressive star cast of gay vampires. - But no, despite its epic length Interview holds nothing of the kind.

Pitt and Cruise won the Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple; I would rather have coined them Most Inactive Screen Couple

Interview really reanimates the European snob in me. The film is just of such poor, poor taste all-around: The dialog and endless narration is terribly pompous, solemn, and pathetic in its attempts to be poetic. The intermittently gushing blood flows seem vulgar and disgusting in connection with these long rambles.
All of the characters of Interview, except for Dunst's, are enormously self-important, and the single heart I give the film is for her, who gives an impressively fierce performance, but is only credited far after all the male names, in smaller print, although her part in the movie is substantial, and she acts better than most every one of the others.
The dramatic framing structure of the interview is another large issue, as it makes everything inside the tale seem comfy, still and boring. The device never comes to life; nothing too important ever really happens in the present plan of Interview, and it remains dramatically unclear, why it is there at all.
The movie's ending doesn't make sense to me, and it is even showered with an atrocious Guns N' Roses cover of The Rolling Stones's classic rock masterpiece Sympathy for the Devil (1968), which brings back the shamelessness and widespread poor taste of the 1990s.
Interview's visual style depends severely on one color: Red. Everything else is fatigued shades of mildew, grey, white, and desaturated blues, rouges and greens. It is very tiring to look at; very inhibited and ugly. Amazingly, the film was still Oscar-nominated for its art direction and score.
A precursor of the Twilight Saga-franchise (2008; 2009; 2010; 2011; 2012), Interview is an awful movie, an escapade of egos, and Hollywood at its least original, bold and creative, a true turkey.
For a vampire flick recommendation in its place, go back to Tony Scott's masterpiece The Hunger (1983), which is striking in just about all the ways that Interview isn't.

Related post:

Neil Jordan: The Brave One (2007) - Acting in the afterwake of random, deadly violence

1994 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess

 

With a fittingly ridiculous, long title, Interview With the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, one of the stupidest 90s blockbusters - watch a clip from the film with Dunst here

Cost: 60 mil. $
Box office: 223.6 mil. $
= Big hit (3.72 times the cost)
[Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles premiered 9 November (Westwood, Los Angeles) and runs 122 minutes. Rice originally wanted Alain Delon (The Gang/Le Gang (1977)) to play Lestat, later Julian Sands (All Things to All Men (2013)), and objected to Cruise's casting in the part until she saw his performance. She also suggested changing Louis' sex and having Cher (Mermaids (1991)) play the part to curtail perceived Hollywood homophobia. River Phoenix (Surviving (1985), TV movie) was to play the reporter but passed away 4 weeks before filming from an overdose. Slater took the part and donated his pay to Phoenix's favorite charity. Cruise was paid a record 10 mil. $ plus a percentage of the profits. Shooting took place Louisiana, including New Orleans, in San Francisco, California, in England, including London, and in Paris, France from October 1993 - March 1994. Pitt has since revealed that he was so 'miserable' during the 6-month mainly night shoot with a character that left him to 'just sit and watch' that he tried to buy himself out of the part and had a depression because of it. The film opened #1 to a 36.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent 3 more weeks in the top 5 (#3-#3-#2) and grossed 105.2 mil. $ (47 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, translating to much better than this review. The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Art Direction/Set Decoration, lost to The Madness of King George, and Best Score (Elliot Goldenthal (Cobb (1995))), lost to Hans Zimmer (Moonlighting (1982)) for The Lion King. It was also nominated for 2 Golden Globes, won 2/4 BAFTA noms and other honors. The third book in Rice's vampire series was adapted as Queen of the Damned (2002) and flopped. The fourth book was almost made into a movie around 2012. In 2016 Rice regained the rights to the books and has designs for a TV-series called The Vampire Lestat. Jordan returned with Michael Collins (1996). Cruise returned in Mission: Impossible (1996). Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles is fresh at 62 % with a 5.9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles?

The African Queen (1951) - Classic romance bravura de Huston/Bogart/Hepburn

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A colorful, sensationalistic and somewhat hyperbolic poster for John Huston's The African Queen, which highlights its adventure romance elements

Perhaps one of the most wonderful films ever made, The African Queen sees Humphrey Bogart (King of the Underworld (1939)) in his only Oscar-winning role as a squirrel-like, drunkard captain on the titular steamer,  The African Queen, and Katharine Hepburn (Mary of Scotland (1936)) as a missionary, who is on a Christian's journey for the Queen through the impossible, German-infiltrated Africa of 1914.

Animals, suspense, blood, sweat, tears and magnetic on-screen chemistry between the star leads that's a sheer joy to the senses, - The African Queen is a truly marvelous piece of cinema with all of that and more. It is an adaptation of C.S. Forester's (The Good Shepherd (1955)) same-titled 1935 novel by James Agee (The Night of the Hunter (1955)), John Collier (I Am a Camera (1955)) and Peter Viertel (We Were Strangers (1949)).
It is one of the not few magnificent films by Missourian master co-writer/director John Huston (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)), a romantic war-adventure classic that you do not want to miss!

Related posts:

John Huston: Chinatown (1974) - Roman Polanski's masterpiece (actor)
Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973) or, The Final Ape! (actor)
Casino Royale (1967) - The packed spy spoof frontrunner, a film very much of its time (co-director)
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) - The twentyfour carat noir caper thriller
Top 10: The best adventure movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
 

Watch a short trailer for the film here

Cost: 1 mil. $

Box office: 10.7 mil. $

= Mega-hit (returned 10.7 times its cost)

[The African Queen premiered 26 December (Los Angeles, California) and runs 105 minutes. The script was changed to fit with the censorship of the day, and also to change Bogart's character to a Canadian, since he could not perform the desired Cockney accent. Shooting took place in Congo, Uganda, England and Los Angeles, California from May - August 1951. Shooting a Technicolor film with big stars on location in difficult terrain was rare at the time, and the shoot was beleaguered by sickness and dangers. Bogart and Huston made it through without incident and ascribed their fortune to their not drinking the local water but sticking to the whiskey brought along from the West. The film grossed superior 4 mil. $ in North America (37.4 % of the total gross) and 256k £ in the UK, where it was the 10th highest-grossing picture of 1952. It has also been re-released numerous times in many countries. It was nominated for 4 Oscars: Bogart won Best Actor, his only Oscar win ever. Best Actress (Hepburn) was lost to Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire; Director was lost to George Stevens for A Place in the Sun and Best Writing, Screenplay was lost to Michael Wilson and Harry Brown, also for A Place in the Sun. The film was also nominated for 3 BAFTAs. The titular boat is now renovated and on display in Key Largo, Florida. Bogart returned in Deadline - U.S.A. (1952), Hepburn in Pat and Mike (1952). Huston returned with Moulin Rouge (1952). The African Queen is certified fresh at 100 % with a 8.7 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of The African Queen?

A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) - Montiel debuts with terrific autobiographical coming-of-age drama

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+ Best Shooting Star Actor of the Year: Channing Tatum + Best New York Movie of the Year + Best Autobiographical Movie of the Year

The Italian poster for Dito Montiel's A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a nicely balanced creation

Dito is a young man who feels trapped in Queens, New York anno 1986 by friends without a future, a stupid dog-walking job, violence and a father, who has surrounded his son in a fortress of his love. - So Dito escapes.

The first 20 minutes of this film made me want to turn it off, because it portrays a gang of very antisocial brats; but if you begin watching and feel like I did, I implore you to stay with them even still, because the story will get to you. - With a vengeance. In the group of juveniles here, I especially recognized the deeply rootless Antonio (Channing Tatum (She's the Man (2006))), who is indeed a character that is hard to forget.
The film is borne by debuting great New-Yorker writer-director Dito Montiel's (Boulevard (2014)) personal involvement, - which is natural since this is based on his own same-titled 2001 memoirs, - and Montiel's various more or less smart inventions in the storytelling, along with stellar performances from in particular Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale (1993)) as Dito's father, Shia LaBeouf (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)) as the young Dito, and Dianne Wiest (Cookie (1989)) as his mother.
A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is a strong coming-of-age drama about the universal theme of leaving your crib.

Related posts:

Dito Montiel: 2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
The Son of No One (2011) or, The Past Returns!

Watch a video of Montiel, Tatum and Palminteri talk about the film in between clips from it here

Cost: Unknown
Box office: 2 mil. $
= Uncertain - but likely a huge flop
[A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints premiered in January (Sundance Film Festival) and runs 98 minutes. Shooting took place mostly in the actual New York locations. Montiel has explained that most of the major characters are composites of different people he knew growing up. The film opened #41 in 8 theaters to a 94k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #40 and in 60 theaters (different weeks) and grossed 517k $ (26 % of the total gross). The film's 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Spain with 483k $ (24.2 %) and Mexico with 323k $ (16.2 %). The film's budget was likely low, perhaps between 2-3 mil. $, which would still make it a huge flop. It was nominated for 3 Independent Spirit awards, won a National Board of Review award, 2 prizes at Sundance and 2 awards at the Venice Film Festival. Montiel returned with Fighting (2009). Robert Downey Jr. (Richard III (1995)) returned in The Shaggy Dog (2006); LaBeouf in Bobby (2006), and Palminteri in Push (2006). A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints is certified fresh at 76 % with a 6.57/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints?

An American Werewolf in London (1981) - Landis' great, funny, scary werewolf favorite

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This poster for John Landis' An American Werewolf in London trusts its product (the movie) and the general public enough to let them know in advance that its ambition is to be both frightening and funny

Two young, American men begin their European journey in wet Northern England, - where they are soon attacked by a werewolf! Only one survives, but an unfortunate repercussion of the attack is that he transforms into a beast and starts killing under the full moon in the clammy London streets.

Illinoisan master writer-director John Landis (The Blues Brothers (1980)) made with An American Werewolf one of the three best werewolf movies of all time in my opinion. With a relatively unknown but brilliantly cast acting troupe, Landis' own enthusiasm and love for old werewolf and horror movies in general shines through in his playful, youthful and creative script, which delivers an original angle, - the werewolf as a boy-to-adult-male transformation metaphor, - taken out in a number of highly memorable, sometimes funny and sometimes nightmarish scenes. The central transformation scene, arguably the film's highlight, is a scene that every one familiar with the film will look forward to, and Rick Baker's (Missing Link (1988)) incredible make-up effects are a vital part of the film's lasting power.
An American Werewolf in London is a horror classic that gushes with the vivid energy that its brilliant young creator Landis enriched it with. - Don't miss it!

Related posts:

John Landis: Top 10: Best cop movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Deer Woman (2005) - Landis and son's solid Masters of Horror entry
Coming to America (1988) - Landis and Murphy's second amusing but less well-constructed collaboration The Twilight Zone (1983) - Fear takes many forms in tragedy-struck anthology
Top 10: Best comedies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: Best car chases in movies reviewed by Film Excess to date
Top 10: The best big hit movies reviewed by Film Excess to date 
The Blues Brothers (1980) - Try to sit still to this one!

In this video from the 1982 Oscars, Johnny Carson introduces Kim Hunter and Vincent Price, who present the nominees for the first Best Makeup Oscar, which was won by Rick Baker for An American Werewolf in London

Cost: 10 mil. $
Box office: Reportedly 61.9 mil. $
= Huge hit (returned 6.19 times its cost)
[An American Werewolf in London was released 21 August (North America) and runs 97 minutes. Landis got the idea for the film, when he witnessed a gypsy burial ritual during production of Kelly's Heroes (1970) (on which he acted as assistant director and production assistant) in Yugoslavia in 1969. His script was shelved for a decade, while he built up a solid hit reputation in Hollywood, and financiers grew a willingness to bet on his wild ideas. Shooting took place in Wales and England, including London, from February - April 1981. The film opened #1 with a 3.7 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 30.5 mil. $ (49.2 % of the total gross), or possibly 31.9 mil. $ (different reports). Its international gross (30 mil. $), if accurate, indicates that it was a global hit. David Lynch's great The Elephant Man (1980) was not premiered for its makeup excellence at the 1981 Oscars, causing criticisms, and so a Best Makeup category was instated for the 1982 Oscars. An American Werewolf in London was nominated against Heartbeeps, and Rick Baker won the first statuette in the category. An unrelated sequel, An American Werewolf in Paris (1997) was made and flopped. Landis' son, filmmaker Max Landis (Me Him Her (2015)) is working on a remake of An American Werewolf in London at the moment (6/3/18, ed.). Landis returned with video documentary Coming Soon (1982) and theatrically with comedy Trading Places (1983), before his career was derailed by the three tragic deaths which happened as a result of a helicopter crash on his set of Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). David Naughton (Cool as Hell (2013)) returned with 3 TV credits before returning to big screens in Hot Dog... The Movie (1984); Jenny Agutter (Child's Play 2 (1990)) returned in a 1982 TV movie, a video and a bit part before she had her next theatrical role in Secret Places (1984); Griffin Dunne (Straight Talk (1992)) returned in The Wall (1982, TV movie) and theatrically in Cold Feet (1983). An American Werewolf in London is certified fresh at 88 % with a 7.75/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of An American Werewolf in London?