Tag: Raul Julia

ONE FROM THE HEART (1981)

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Directed By: Francis Ford Coopola

Written By: Francis Ford Coopola,

Armyan Bernstein and Luana Anders 

Story By: Armyan Bernstein

Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro and Ronald V. Garcia

Editor: Rudi Fehr, Anne Goursaud and Randy

Roberts

Cast: Frederic Forest, Teri Garr, Raul Julia, Natassja Kinski, Harry Dean Stanton, Lanie Kazan, Allen Garfield, Rebecca DeMornay, Jeff Hamlin

Hank and Frannie don’t seem to be able to live together anymore. After a five-year relationship, lustful and dreamy Frannie leaves down-to-earth Hank on the anniversary of their relationship. Each one of them meets their dream mate, but as bright as they may seem, they are but a stage of lights and colors. Will true love prevail over a seemingly glamorous passion? Welcome to Coppola’s Broadway-like romantic musical.

watching this infamous film Which has quite a bit of history, now while one  didn’t love it respect and admire it. Also, ended up as great medicine for the soul. Francis Ford Coppola tried, and this is a piece of art. It’s inspiring, Beautiful though it’s too technical and limited in it’s passion still worth watching

One has to give him More Admiration as he does have a gift with musical or dance sequences, and no one swings for the rafters better

This film is experimental nature makes it a beautiful site to behold. That feels exciting and magical. Especially for the time that it was made when it seemed if you had enough clout anything was possible, and as a notary Director, you could take a big swing for the rafters and hope they paid off

I still think that Francis Ford Coppola should be noted for THE COTTON CLUB And this film is making musicals in the 1980s that had flare and had that all time spirit to them that made it feel like the films had soul. Supposedly even His film

TUCKER, A MAN AND HIS DREAMS Was supposed to be a musical at some point.

Go for everything that the film Has going, for it ends up a disappointment to a certain extent, but a beautiful attempt that feels like a time capsule almost. 

As even the music by Tom Waits, who, normally, I love most of his music, one can say this is not one of my favorite albums or music by him even though I can relate to the spirit of it, and it is listenable as it feels like sad, harmonious, ballads, and duets about love.

One of the weaknesses of the films that you don’t really care about the story Or the characters as there’s not really that much to either of them, as they always feel more like concepts than three dimensional characters, so that everything feels artificial as the sets that it takes place on, which are amazing to look at and beautifully built, but unfortunately again, artificial, which was it’s aim. As it always feels like a presentation a lark that feels like theater, which was supposed to be so it did succeed but achieved what It was supposed to in the end. That was simple as it was it seemed like most audiences just didn’t get it or we’re not that interested

Unfortunately, it wasn’t successful and was the last bomb that sunk Francis Ford Coppola zoetrope studios

The film plays more tour, earlier era where you went to films more be entertained, and hoped that some of the story or characters would be identifiable to the audience. If not, personally, they knew of the subject as this plays more as entertainment, and then something that feels deeply personal and thought out or even passion filled.

By the end one can’t help, but feel sorry for Natasha Kinski‘s character as she took a risk on this fling as it’s her first real taste of freedom she can even take not being the first in his heart, but as long as she has him feels like that’s good enough for her in the end she knew that he wouldn’t really be able to tear himself away and though she leaves she has nowhere really to go back to happily

The film is in Everyman Love story that feels vague. It’s a musical with some dance sequences, but the songs are sung Morris, voiceover and narration by Tom Waits and Crystal Gale. So the actors never really sang. They more perform. It’s also the rare film, where Noted character actor, Frederic Forest actually got to play the lead

In the end, it feels like a nice try No, you never feel anything other than a driving force and artistry being thrown at you

Grade: C+

THE ESCAPE ARTIST (1982)

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Directed By: Caleb Deschanel

Written By: Melissa Mathison and Stephen Zito

Based on the novel by: David Wagoner

Cinematography: Stephen H. Burum

Editor: Arthur Schmidt 

Cast: Griffen O’Neal, Raul Julia, Desi Arnez, Joan Hackett, Jackie Coogan, Hal Williams, M. Emmett Walsh, Harry Anderson, Elizabeth Daily, Teri

Garr

The young and self-confident Danny bluffs at the local police-station that he will escape out of prison within one hour. What follows is a flashback about his childhood with his uncle and aunt, which are ‘vaudeville’-artists themselves. We also follow the problems of Danny with the corrupt son of the mayor.

There’s a film I knew about thanks to all the video guides which I wish they still had just to get recommendations from as now with message boards and social media and feels like always getting recommendations of the same films that are more modern. He’s older films are hard to find.

This film is disappointing for what could’ve been rather than what it was. As watching it, Juan was hoping that it would get better as it went along. It never quite does.

As it feels too playful with nothing really going on and it feels too slow for kids and too silly for adults.

The film plays like an early Amblin movie and adventurous film with a kid as the star who goes on a journey or adventure. We see it more from their point of view and the Child characters can actually be in True Danger only hear there’s not much fantasy happening, and Amblin films are usually made more for a preteen audience. It does make one long for when they made these types of movies for an audience looks like took more seriously.

This film unfortunately has no feeling of fun things play, but they also just seen that happen with little to no fan fare. Though it is very detailed.

Maybe because it was made under AMERICAN ZOETROPE studios, where the films made, and that matured there were more willing to be experimental

Griffin O’Neal who plays lead, never makes an impact as he Has no charisma in the role and he never seems quite lively or fun. Which makes it easier for him to blend in as a supporting characters are more lively and interesting.

So it seems like maybe concessions were made off of his name and his famous father and sister.

The film keeps in innocence about it as it never goes over the line nor does it ever dirty. It’s south, or the audience with anything exploitive, or too risqué.

This was The last film of Desi Arnaz Sr. one wonders why he even took a role in this as the role he has is Pedro but it’s not that show stopping and there’s not Too much to it.

Raul Julia in his role seems a little too often wacky almost like a cartoon character for how moody he can be one minute and silly the next.

Well, it has a sense of wonder what film quite often is dull. It should be better considering the talent behind it.

It does Seem like a film, where seeing it on the big screen would maybe increase the audience enjoyment. No, the script still would need to be stronger and a bit busier.

Which would give the audience a reason to not only watch the care.

This is one of the few films that was directed by legendary cinematographer, Caleb Deschanel. 

One rarely says this, but this feels like a film that should be remade only with more fun lore and adventure.

Grade: C

ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993)

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Directed By: Barry Sonnenfeld 
Written By: Paul Rudnick 
Characters Created By: Charles Addams 
Cinematography By: Donald Peterman 
Editor: Jim Miller & Arthur Schmidt 
Music By: Marc Shaiman 

Cast: Raul Julia, Anjelica Huston, Christina Ricci, Christopher Lloyd, Joan Cusack, David Krumholtz, Carol Kane, Jimmy Workman, Christine Baranski, Peter MacNicol, Mercedes McNab, Sam McMurray, Dana Ivey, Nathan Lane, Harriet Sansom Harris, Charles Busch, Peter Graves, Cynthia Nixon, David Hyde Pierce, Monet Mazur

On any day of the week, you could expect a newborn baby to be nurtured and loved by his older sister. Except, of course, if it’s Wednesday. Pubert is the latest addition to the Addams family and, to prevent sibling rivalry escalating to fratricide, Wednesday and Pugsley are shipped off to summer camp and a nanny is hired. Debby Jellinsky is great with wrinkling baldies, which makes her the perfect nanny for Pubert and the unlikely wife of Uncle Fester. The question is…”Is she grave-digging or gold-digging?”

This is an underrated film. One of the rare sequels that excel over it’s original. Though here they seem to have more room to explore the world that the characters live in, but also the culture clashes.

The first film seemed to try to be more loyal to the fans of the television show. While trying to set a tone. Here the film is allowed to have its own personality, the actors also seemed more relaxed, laid back, and energetic. making the characters their own and not so much an imitation. Everyone seems to have found their groove.

Directed with flair and an intricate style that is assured.

The cast is superb. This I believe was the great Raul Julia’s final good role definitely better than M. Bison in the film STREET FIGHTER.

Christina Ricci deserved a best-supporting actress nomination for her work here. She steals the film. She makes Wednesday three dimensional, sadistic and quite witty.

This is also the first time I remember a Peter MacNicol performance and the prey time I remember seeing Christine Baranski as an actress.

The Addams family always struck me as strange of course the ultimate goths, by what were they? At least with THE MUNSTERS, you knew who or what they were supposed to be even though they came off as normal just happen to be monsters in appearance. With the Addams other than a cousin, it and thing and maybe lurch the butler, who appeared to be a zombie. The others appeared normal just macabre. I mean if you had I guess Fester was a mad scientist, Grandma was a witch Morticia dressed like a vampire, but could also be seen as a witch who just never cast spells. But Gomez was always a question mark. All you knew about him was that he was wealthy and energetic. More like a game show host mixed with a use car salesman and mortician.

because of films like these being so successful, it had the trend of films being made of old television shows and cartoons. This worked as it garnered a new generation of fans. While not being so far removed in years from the shows Initial popularity that there was still a sizable audience for it. Mistakes films like SPEED RACER made (while that film also had more of a cult following)

This film is a clever mixture of dark comedy, surrealism, slapstick, and satire. This is one of the films that made me realize why I truly embraced dark humor.

The only problem I have ever had with the first two Addams Family films is that the theme song for the updates was always tied into whatever pop star was popular at the time tieing in their hit songs style to fit the theme. Hence for this film whoop the Addams family there it is by tag team. Who’s hot the previous year was whoop there it is. This seemed to be common for tent pole franchise movies at the time. I still have frightening memories of the music video from hammer and the original movie theme the Addams family. Done in a more upbeat dancing style of music.

Michael Jackson was signed on to write and perform a song for the film’s soundtrack and to promote it with a video. Although he was able to finish the song, contractual difficulties coupled with the child molestation allegations made against Jackson resulted in the song being dropped from the soundtrack, and the video was never filmed. The song, “Is It Scary,” was later included on Jackson’s 1997 ‘Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix’ album and was also used in his short film Ghosts.

This film does everything right by bringing the Addams out more and exposing them to the public in daily life. Mixing with regular everyday citizens. Making it more of a culture clash comedy. That reaches it’s highlights at the Wednesday and Pugsley being forced to summer camp. (A genius idea) That ends with a classic comic set-piece celebrating thanksgiving.

Adding more than just makeup to the character, Morticia Addams is always lit separately from everyone else in a scene. Her lighting always consists of one beam of light across her eyes that gradually fades outward to add to her grim look.

The film reaches more comedy apex with the scenes involving Joan Cusack as a nanny out to seduce Fester. She is her regular brilliant comedic self as the homicidal gold digger.

When Fester announces his engagement, Morticia makes an overt reference to the ring worn by Debbie being the same one in which Fester’s grandmother was buried. Debbie slyly whips out a shovel, adding a literal component to her character’s “golddigger” status.

Carol Kane, who plays Grandmama, is almost a year younger than Anjelica Huston, who plays her daughter, Morticia Addams.

The reborn baby Pubert doesn’t work but needs to be there for Cusack’s character to enter the picture.

Some of the jokes are more of the moment and seem to make a stab more pop culture at the time. That brings a nostalgic feeling for those who remember the times. Though might be lost on others.

I can’t help but love this film and I really think it is a dark comedy the family can enjoy and have fun with. I remember seeing this film twice I. Theaters and even knowing all that would happen. This film still made me enjoy it as much as the first time.

Grade: B+