Rocky IV: The Director’s Cut
Surprised by how much this ended up being a worthwhile project for Stallone. The cartoon quality of the original edit has been replaced with a version much closer in tone to the other movies, while still retaining some eighties cheese in the montage sequences. Dolph Lundgren is the greatest beneficiary of the effort. His performance is far more grounded and nuanced here, conveying a lot with little dialogue. He’s not a supervillain. He’s an experiment, hand-picked for his physical prowess, enhanced by the state, and trotted out for the world to see no differently than a Soviet missile rolling in front of the Russian premier at a parade. You can see his discomfort, a flicker or two of remorse, the shine of the spotlight giving him a momentary sense of hollow satisfaction, and ultimately a deep resentment at how he’s been treated like a machine, rather than like a man. I really enjoyed it.
I ordered the 4k box simply because I am curious about the director´s cut for ROCKY IV and ROCKY BALBOA. Good to read that it will be worth it.
REAR WINDOW (1954) in theatre
Well-attended at The Paris Theater opposite The Plaza Hotel–the last single house theatre in New York City. The Paris is now owned by Netflix, where they premiere their films for awards-qualifying runs, mixed with significant revival showings–a Hitchcock retrospective ended this past weekend, and slates of Technicolor movies and boxing films are up next.
REAR WINDOW held up well for me. Grace Kelly is luminous as Lisa Fremont, and among Hitchcock heroines has one of the highest levels of autonomy. Kelly’s chemistry with James Stewart as L.B. Jeffries is palpable, and they make a believable couple. I noticed this time that the song the composer is writing–entitled “Lisa”–plays in full as the film narrative concludes with Lisa, attired in pants and shirt, watches over Jeff, and reads Harper’s Bazaar. The combination of the song’s final notes (as the vocalist ends on a plaintive “Lisa”) with the close of the story confirms the film as the coming out story of Lisa Fremont, and her success in being both who she wants to be, and who Jeff hopes she will become.
Excellent support from Thelma Ritter, Wendell Corey, and Raymond Burr.
Looking into the windows/lives of other people echoes the television sets that were becoming ubiquitous at the time of production The entire film feels completely of 1954 Greenwich Village–a carefully calibrated specificity that allows it to be timeless.
REAR WINDOW is the romantic-comedy-cum-morality-tale par excellence. A perfect Hitchcockian cocktail.
Not sure where I read it - might have been decades ago - but to me REAR WINDOW’s explanation as Hitchcock’s own peeping Tom confession (more or less confined to impotency by his body but handling a huge phallic symbol while his partner supports him in his fetish and we all share it) used to make a lot of sense. It’s been years though since I last watched it and I didn’t give the Lisa character proper thought.
I didn’t know he did a directors cut for Balboa, I’ll have to see if I can find it. The only criticism I want to level toward the new cut of IV is the extended overview of Rocky III that opens the film goes on for a bit, though I bet if you went to see it in theaters it was kind of neat. After that, we’re off to the races. Just get ready for a meaty recap of III at the jump.
I remember back then. Haven’t seen the film since its cinema run, really. Always loved the first one and the last one, enjoyed the second and the third, thought the fourth one was kind of the DAD of the series, with the fifth one having a great idea (the brain damage from fighting) which got totally abandoned at the end.
Balboa‘s 4k is supposed to have the Director‘s Cut, by the way.
It does, and I certainly went in with this analysis front-of-mind. But what surprised and pleased me is how well the movie works when laying aside this take. My tentative hypothesis is that the lightness and dexterity of John Michael Hayes script balances the usual Hitchcock pathologies to such an extent that they recede. Yes, Jeff is a Hitchcock stand-in, but just as much pleasure can be achieved by focusing on Lisa.
Especially winning is how she introduces herself–moving about the apartment, turning on lights, and articulating her full name. She takes the space over from Jeff, and he never quite regains total control of it from that moment forward. Jeff becomes enraptured by Lisa when she climbs the fire escape and enters the Thorwalds’ apartment. On the one hand, she is finally encased/captured within his viewfinder/telescopic lens, but on the other hand, she has chosen to place herself there, and now, thus situated, acts independently to extricate herself from a dangerous situation.
VERTIGO stands as REAR WINDOW’s tragic counterpart, where Judy chooses to be encased/captured within Scottie’s fantasy of Madeleine. Unfortunately for Judy, she has no room to maneuver once inside Scottie’s obsession. Lisa retains her autonomy/agency, even as she submits to Jeff’s gaze, while Judy’s submission to Scottie’s gaze/obsession requires her to sacrifice her autonomy/agency, and she dies as a result.
Negative Capability, anyone?
Looking forward to your thoughts!
The Invasion
The 4k Arrow Films release renders the film so visually sharp and beautiful it is a shame that the film itself remains an example for some of the worst studio tinkering ever.
Oliver Hirschbiegel approaches this new version of the classic “Body Snatchers” from a wonderfully fresh and interesting angle: the alien virus robs people of their emotions because the human race is otherwise unable to stop fighting wars and committing unspeakable acts of cruelty. This time, in the end a cure is found - but the human race keeps on fighting itself. A not so happy ending after all.
The first two thirds of the film work extremely well, jumping right in the changing world while the protagonists at first keep on living their lives, hiding their irritation about the strange occurrences.
Whether the film moves at such a refreshingly brisk pace because Hirschbiegel wanted it like that or whether the studio mandated the Wachowskis and James Van Teague to cut for speed, unfortunately, remains a mystery. You can, however, spot the reshot scenes in these first two thirds of the film because the hairpiece they gave Daniel Craig (who apparently had cut his hair after principal photography for Bond) is quite obvious. And then the last third is just so out of tune with the rest of the intelligently structured and written story, one can only sigh in disappointment: the studio apparently thought that the finale had to become like a Zombie film, with the obligatory mass of infected jumping onto a moving vehicle and the protagonists escaping to the top of a building being transported away in a helicopter.
I really would like to see the original cut of this movie because everything else about it seems to be interesting and well done. Stellar performances by Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig (immediately charismatic) save this film despite the reshoot mess. Oh, and this is also the first paring of Craig and Jeffrey Wright (saddled here with an underwritten role and also two different hairstyles).
I just got back from Superman (2025). Overall, I liked it. After viewing it, I realize that Superman does have his own version of the MI6 staff with the Daily Planet staff. It was perfectly cast, and I would like to see all the cast members comeback for a sequel. It’s biggest strength for me was that it truly felt like a comic book come to life. Next to Batman Forever and the Sam Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy. It wasn’t as cramped, as some people were afraid of.
Next to All-Star Superman, there was a bit of influence from the Superman/Batman novel Enemies and Allies by Kevin J. Anderson. In particular with Lex Luthor’s plot. Can we move on from Lex and his private property plans? That proves that WB (cinematically at least) doesn’t want to move forward with the character. Other than property ownership and his hatred towards Superman. I just hope that Zod won’t try to make a new Krypton or rule over earth in the next one. While James Gunn is in charge, lets hope that he uses some of Superman’s ACTUAL big enemies. Not just no name C or D list characters. Parasite and Toyman would be perfect for his style.
So overall, I feel that Superman is in good hands. But there are still characters and situations that can help him fly above (pun intended), other superheroes.
Saw it with my youngest Son, we both loved it. Superman was perfectly cast, he held the film Lois was superb too. The beats worked well for me and I particularly liked the portrayal of his Kryptonian parents, it felt more real than the Brando ideal to me. Really looking forward to the next one and will be viewing Supergirl with great interest.
Pleased to see others are liking the movie. There’s a feel good, old school charm about the franchise when it’s done well. Gunn taps in to that, with Clark and his parents being unashamedly country with a strong foundation of right and wrong. For the first time in decades I feel optimistic about Superman’s future on film. I’m wanting more from this team.
I went to see Superman yesterday with my youngest daughter, neice and nephew. I loved it as did the teenagers (save my daughter who was meh). I loved the nods to the Donner/Reeves movie and very much enjoyed it. I am more of a batman guy, but really looking forward to the next one.
SUPERMAN (2025) – in theatre
Warning to @dalton: This is a Scooby and the gang Superman movie (canine included).
Being a total dog person, I enjoyed Krypto and his antics/heroics. As for the rest of the movie–it hits its marks, several times in creative ways (notably with an entertaining variation on the superhero-is-out-numbered fight scene), but Gunn seems to have started out going for depth (screenplay), but thinned things out as he filmed and edited.
I was engaged, but the tonal inconsistencies wore me down. Fewer filmmakers are making movies that possess definite beginnings, middles, and ends. Films are well-crafted feature-length episodes carved out of a larger narrative. Instead of concluding, and reaching out/nodding to larger meanings, films peter out with hints of more stories to be told (if there is enough interest to justify another episode). The self-contained work of cinematic art is an endangered species.
They weren’t getting my business anyway. I can’t think of a recent movie that I’ve had less interest in than this one.
Oh, great. I’m not alone. 
I can. JP 7 and FF.
Before Sunrise/Before Sunset/Before Midnight
Richard Linklater´s trilogy about falling in love, coming to terms with it and staying in love despite reality setting in is a major accomplishment, not just because it features the same actors over a time span of almost two decades, but because it is not sugarcoated at all, especially in the third film, defying clichés up to the point of, well disappointment.
When Jesse and Celine are just two young people meeting on a train and spending a day in Vienna, the cracks in their characters are already on display - but the charm of attraction and falling in love in “Before Sunrise” is so sweet that I felt the film really captures those feelings and thoughts of that age (early 20´s).
Then, in “Before Sunset”, when Jesse and Celine reconnect nine years later in Paris, they are in their early 30´s, and while they seem more self-assured and rough around the edges, they still are hoping and striving for the love that eluded them when Celine could not make it to the promised second meeting nine years ago. Strolling through a late summer Paris, Linklater captures again the feeling of longing, with the tinge of regret, perfectly, since Jesse married in the meantime and had a son. But stretching out their few hours until the breaking point, well, as Celine says in the final line - Jesse is gonna miss that plane (back).
Up to this point, the “Before” films are beautifully romantic, not clichéd or kitschy, but still radiating the hopes of a fulfilled encounter of love and companionship. Everything seems to turn out the right way…
… and then “Before Midnight” pulls that rug under us. Spending a summer in Greece, Jesse and Celine - now a couple, with twin girls (a result of their first sex after they got together) - everything slowly crumbles. Jesse has just brought his visiting son back to the airport and would love to start a new life in Chicago, closer to his son, while Celine has said yes to a job offer and wants to keep living in Paris.
Linklater opens up the perspective by including a long dinner scene with other couples (cleverly younger and older couples) and then narrows it down to Jesse and Celine again who are supposed to enjoy a night together in a hotel room - but all the crashed hopes and the resentment that has built up between them are now coming to the surface. When Celine finally says she does not know if she loves Jesse anymore, it is also hurtful for the viewer who invested so much in these two characters. We do understand why Celine is feeling that way because Jesse´s selfishness has been exposed - but also Celine’s own tendency to see herself as a victim of circumstances, quick to lash out in anger.
As all of us who have lived long enough to see love turn into disillusionment or at least skirt with being exposed as an unrealistic dream, the “Before” trilogy really hits all the right notes.
Maybe, however, I still am a hopeless romantic, more “Jesse” than I want to admit, so “Before Midnight” elicited an averse reaction in me. The first two films are just so enjoyable that the third one becomes a tough reality check.
Then again, if cinema manages to do all that, it certainly is worthwhile.
I loved all three of these movies, though I agree with you that the third was dispiriting. However, it did end on a hopeful note.