Classics REVIEW: What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?

Tremendous acting from two mega stars create an intense story of culpability and self-imposed misery instigated by jealousy and plagued with guilt. The film showcases the unsettling relationship between two sisters who are bound together through a history of sibling rivalry boiling over into emotional abuse.

Bette Davis plays Baby Jane, a has-been child star whose only positive memories reside in the dreams from that young girl she once was—while her adult life is burdened with the everyday chores of caring for a sister she resents.

Joan Crawford’s Blanche is confined to a wheel chair, held prisoner by a mentally ill sister and the stair case that looms below her second floor bedroom. Unlike Baby Jane, Blanche wasn’t a talented child; however, as an adult she came into her own and evolved into a talented actress with an incredible future ahead of her, until the car accident where the cops found her on the ground and a drunken Baby Jane missing from the scene.

Blanche watches her old movies and remembers those glory days while Baby Jane trashes those movies because she, the child star, was supposed to be famous. It should have been her, not Blanche. And so the two sisters are locked in a struggle where Baby Jane controls everything and torments her sister on a daily basis.



The contrast between the two actresses is electric. Joan Crawford is under the current. She performs with a controlled calmness. And in fear of her own life, she can’t help but crack and even crumble under the strain as she tries to tame her sister’s insanity. As opposed to Bette Davis, who’s portrayal of Baby Jane is like a storm brewing on its best days—and on its worse, a hurricane thrashing against the current.

Rumor has it that the two stars didn’t get along in real life and maybe that added to the brilliance displayed on screen.

The film delves into the psyche of Baby Jane that showed a descent into madness that was unnerving to watch. The focusing of the camera on things like the stair case, the phone and the mirror helped build the tension and, in some, cases create a creepiness that had you on the edge of your seat. And there were moments of shock and horror as the film progressed albeit with a couple of exaggerated incidences.

“What Ever Happened To Baby Jane” is a psychological horror that makes bold choices to demonstrate the extremes of an destructive rivalry between two sisters.


Score: 9.25/10

10 Cloverfield Lane: Who is the Monster?

After letting the movie sit, I pondered on the characters and I looked at the story from different perspectives. And I realized just how much the story changed depending on how I viewed their intentions.

Unlike MY SPOILER-FREE REVIEW, I will dig deep into plot points and major reveals. So this analysis is riddled with spoilers.

**spoilers**

The tagline for the movie reads as follows:

“Monsters come in many forms”

Although 10 Cloverfield Lane is related to Cloverfield; it’s only loosely. So the monsters aren’t of the same variety (until the end… sort of). Throughout the film, the tension is in the bunker, that’s the monster we’re talking about. So let’s start with the obvious and more considered monster…

Howard is the monster…

Howard is the character who is the clear first choice for the bad guy. After all, he had Michelle chained to the bed at one point.

Let’s trace his story:

Howard works with satellites. That’s how he knew of the existence of aliens. So he hired Emmett to build this bunker in preparation of that day.

Suspicious activity:

He has social issues so he may have some kind of problem here. Or maybe he’s just plain crazy. 

He runs Michelle off the road. He says it’s an accident but what if he did it on purpose to kidnap her?

He warns Emmett to not touch Michelle and can’t call Michelle a woman. This suggests that he sees Michelle as a girl. Seeing her as a woman ruins his illusion. The moment he sees her as a woman, she is in danger. This theory is based on him being some kind of serial killer.

Serial killer?…. Let’s rewind.

The word “HELP” is scratched into the window in that portion of the bunker (we’ll call it the “filter room”) that Michelle had to access via the vents. Michelle found that picture of Brittany, a girl whom Emmett said went missing a a couple of years back. But Howard had told Michelle that the Brittany picture was his daughter Meagan.

So Howard lied about the picture. Brittany was one of his victims that he had stashed in the bunker.

Emmett is the monster…

Now this is interesting. Emmett is the character that gets the least amount of focus. Because we see the movie through Michelle’s eyes, Emmett becomes the harmless one, the one who seems honest. Michelle trusts him and so do we since we aren’t given information beyond her perspective.

But what if Michelle has been trusting the bad guy all along? Let’s examine this scenario:

Howard contracted Emmett to build the bunker. That’s how Emmett knew about it.

Emmett saw the invasion and broke his arm trying to get inside.

But why didn’t Howard just let him in? Why does Emmett have to break his way in, especially since (in this scenario) Howard is the good guy? 2 reasons:

1. Howard may have thought Emmett was infected. This is  a possibility because Howard has social issues & is paranoid. Remember when that woman tried to get in and he kept yelling at Michelle to not let her in. But when Emmett tried to get in, it was at the start of the invasion and Emmett wasn’t infected.

2. What if Emmett having to fight his way in is related to the picture that Michelle found? What if Emmett dated Howard’s daughter (or had the hots for her) and because of this, Howard doesn’t trust or like Emmett. Notice how Howard doesn’t want Emmett to touch or get close to Michelle. What if Howard is watching out for Michelle? What if we go even further and say that Howard suspects Emmett of killing his daughter?

What… Emmett killed Howard’s daughter?

Let’s go back to what we know. “HELP” is etched on the window with blood on it. Someone was trapped in the filter room. We also know that the door to the filter room is blocked and can’t open. Maybe it was blocked on purpose.

That room has two exits: the blocked door and the window, which is shut with a lock.

Emmett wanted to crawl through the vents but his arm is broken. So Michelle went instead. Maybe Emmett wanted to go because he didn’t want Michelle to see the clues to what he had done.

But, but… Emmett said that the girl in the picture isn’t Meagan, so Howard is lying. But what if Emmett is lying and that is indeed a picture of Howard’s daughter. This changes the whole context of what’s to come.

Emmett says the girl’s name is Brittany, who went to school with his little sister. Brittany is a missing girl for the last two years. Body never recovered and everyone thought she left the town.

So let’s think about this. A girl goes missing and everyone assumes she left town? You mean her family didn’t call in a missing persons? Okay, maybe she had a bad relationship with her parents and had run away before. So they figured she was not coming back. Or maybe she’s an orphan. We don’t have details, but it does sound suspicious after some thought.

Summing up the theory:

The girl in the picture is indeed Howard’s daughter, Meagan.

Emmett worked with Howard on the bunker. During this time, he dated Meagan or wanted Meagan (maybe she wasn’t interested in him). Howard didn’t like Emmett dating or eyeing his daughter. So Howard wants nothing to do with Emmett.

Meagan goes missing or is found dead. Howard may suspect Emmett, but he doesn’t really know. Howard’s wife leaves him and moves to Chicago.

Emmett killed Meagan. Prior to the murder, he kept her in the filter room for some period of time (might not be too long).

Fast forward to now… aliens attack.

Emmett remembers Howard’s bunker. He tries to get in but Howard doesn’t like Emmett because Emmett dated his daughter. Emmett gets in, breaking his arm.

Emmett sees Michelle who has similar features to Meagan. So he gains her confidence and uses that to further Michelle’s paranoia about Howard. Maybe he planned to kill Howard if he had to so he can have the bunker with her or maybe he just wants to run away with Michelle.

Michelle is the monster…

This scenario is probably the least obvious to see. That’s because it relies on Emmett being the main monster. That’s the key.

So if Emmett is the main monster, how does that relate to Michelle?

Because Michelle inadvertently becomes a monster to Howard when she believes Emmett and let’s her paranoia destroy Howard. Of course, Howard’s social inadequacies didn’t help him.

Let’s look at it from Howard’s perspective:

Emmett dated Howard’s daughter, Meagan, and Howard doesn’t like this. Or Emmett was crushing on Meagan.

Meagan is missing or dead. Howard blames Emmett—either he thinks Emmett may have a hand in it or that he is somehow responsible, like he corrupted her.

Howard hears about the invasion, drives so fast that his car hits Michelle’s. She reminds him of his daughter so he takes her in to save her life.

Emmett and Michelle are getting along. Howard thinks back to his daughter and doesn’t like this. He gives the “no contact” rule to protect Michelle.

Howard notices the scissors and confronts Michelle and Emmett. Emmett confesses, mentions the gun and says he wanted to get Michelle to respect him like she respects Howard. This is his daughter all over again. Emmett is dangerous and will kill him & probably Michelle if he does nothing. He couldn’t save his daughter, but he will protect Michelle. So he kills Emmett.

Michelle turns on Howard and burns the place down.

Howard is dying and sees his safe haven burning down confused as to why she would do this to him after all he had done for her. For Howard, maybe he's come to the conclusion that Michelle corrupted Emmett since Emmet stole the scissors because of her. 

If only he hadn’t let anyone in. Both Emmett and Michelle ended up being evil.

REVIEW: The Invitation

 

“The Invitation” to a dinner party that serves up a plateful of foreboding that has you at the edge of your seat, wondering ‘do I want to stay for dessert?’ and the answer is ‘yes’.

The premise itself offers uneasiness as the film centers around Will—a divorced man who gets an invitation to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife and her new husband. And if that’s not uncomfortable enough for our hero, throw in the fact that he hadn’t seen her in two years. So they clearly weren’t close after the break up. This is sure to be one interesting get together.

However, there is a small reprieve in all this. He won’t be alone with them. Several of his friends also got an invitation. So it was like a reunion of sorts. Except for the new husband and the two weird strangers that had befriended his ex-wife during the past two years. Of course, Will goes albeit reluctantly but brings his girlfriend with him for support.

This sets the stage for a compelling night as we watch Will emotionally break down from memories that permeate his mind, which are shown to us in flashbacks. He descends into some kind of neurosis worsened by the confines of that house.



Depression fills his mind and as the night goes on he has an internal sense that things aren’t right. His ex-wife is acting strangely to him. And her husband and those two strangers he just met seem questionable.

Paranoia and mistrust sets in. And director Karyn Kusama brilliantly used the color schemes of the house to feed into our own anxiety. The walls are muted shades of brown mixed with shadows and dim lighting that generate a haunting effect. And what began as a sense of calm and coziness morphed into uneasiness as the night went on.

There’s an unnerving contrast from Will’s suspicious nature to that of his friend’s joyfulness and with that of his ex-wife’s pleasantness. He can’t relate to any of this and turns himself into an outsider.

And we the viewer follow him unsure of what is really going on. Is something sinister going on? Or is Will an unreliable narrator? Either way there is a sense of dread festering in every scene.

And so the journey builds, creating a roller coaster ride of emotions. Though it does feel like it goes on a tad too long at one point but course corrects itself.

Sometimes a thriller like this leaves me unsatisfied, unable to close out. But that wasn’t the case here. “The Invitation” ended on a high note.


Score: 8/10

Review: 10 Cloverfield Lane

Score: 7.75/10

The trailer dropped and the internet fluttered with excitement. A movie coming out really soon and no one even new it was going to be made.

J.J. Abrams—you sly devil. In a world where there are scoops about upcoming scoops, he managed to sneak this one past us.

Reportedly, 10 Cloverfield Lane is part of the Cloverfield franchise. Though, it kinda-sorta does—if you go by the name. Other than that, not so much. The movie can easily be its own entity. It’s a very loose connection. Maybe it’s akin to the The Twilight Zone series.

So if you’re expecting to see the characters being chased by creatures while carrying their shaky cam, you’ll be disappointed… Or maybe you’ll be relieved.

The movie is more of a claustrophobic thriller, which does a great job building tension, for the most part. Michelle is our eyes into this world. We know what she knows, which is very little. Trapped in a confined place, unsure of what’s going on outside.

Imagine, “Signs”, but the people you’re stuck with aren’t your family—instead, they’re strangers, who give you a bad vibe. And you have no idea what is going on on the other side of that door. Add in sporadic noises coming from the outside world that tease you with signs of life. But what could those sounds be? Are they good or bad?

Taking a tour inside the bunker…

Michelle shares the space with two other people: Emmit and Howard.

Emmit knows Howard. He comes across as an okay guy, but what do we really know about him. Howard is played by John Goodman, who is a control freak who poses the psychological threat. Not to mention, he’s an imposing figure. And this is where the story treads into the dark and foreboding waters of a psychological thriller.

John Goodman is amazing in the role. There’s a threatening presence about him, but it’s what goes on inside his head that is worrisome.

Clues are dropped along the way, but early on, we can’t nail it down completely and neither can Michelle. You can see the wheels turning and a shift in demeanor as she contemplates her situation.

What is outside?

At the start, the curiosity builds. Is she better off inside or not? Are these strangers crazy or not… telling the truth or not?

The movie does a good job at keeping the movie going. After all, it’s not easy to make a film that is mostly occurring in one place.

Though, there were a couple of time during the second act where I felt the story dragging a bit. Maybe even a little frustrated with the whole “are we ever going to know what’s outside?”; because it’s this dangling fruit that hangs over your head throughout and you just want to snatch it once and for all.

When it all comes to a head…

The start of the final act is well done, but the ending was just okay. Maybe because of all the build up.

But all in all, it was an tense filled story that had some shockers and nail biting moments.

Rebecca

Score 10/10

Rebecca is a wonderful psychological thriller seen through the eyes of a mousy, unsure woman, played by Joan Fontaine. When we’re first introduced to her, she’s a companion for a rich, overbearing woman. She meets Maxim, played by Laurence Olivier, a rich widower whose beautiful deceased wife – Rebecca – drowned in a boating accident.

She falls in love and marries Maxim. And the story unfolds when Maxim brings her to Manderley, where she finds herself overwhelmed by the magnificence of the place, as well as the memories of Rebecca. She meets Mrs. Danvers, who manages the estate and has an undying devotion to Rebecca.

Her low self-worth becomes magnified. “How can she compete with Rebecca?” becomes the main angst in her life. The memories of Rebecca are everywhere. Maxim refuses to talk about Rebecca, making her even more paranoid, and Mrs. Danvers takes every opportunity to throw the perfection of Rebecca in her face.

Two scenes which demonstrate how uncomfortable she feels are as follows:

~ She answers the phone and proceeds to tell the caller that Mrs. de Winter has been dead for over a year. She hangs up the phone and quickly catches herself because she is the new Mrs. de Winter

~ She accidentally breaks a figurine and hides it in the back of the drawer for fear of getting caught.

With each scene, we are drawn into her world and her inferiority complex, until Rebecca’s body washes up on shore. At this point it feels as though things would get worse. The ghost that haunted their marriage returns as the body washed across the beach.

But instead, the shocking truth of Rebecca and Maxim unfolds…

At this point, her world turns right side up. She then transforms from a weak fearful woman into a pillar of strength.

Twists develop leading to a crashing end when Mrs. Danvers obsession with Rebecca destroys herself and any memories of Rebecca along with it.

Mrs. Danvers is a very interesting character. We’re never told about why she feels so strongly toward Rebecca. Is a motherly emotion? Attraction? Regardless, she’s a haunting figure.

BEAT SHEET

Inception

CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Ever since the teaser trailer hit the net, I have been anticipating this movie.

First off, this movie was so brilliant that I already saw it twice. The premise is not complicated. Although, some details may be confusing or ambiguous (I discuss them below).

It’s the kind of story that makes you think and want to discuss it. It’s thought provoking and doesn’t fall into the trap of getting so caught up in trying to dazzle you with cool special effects of the dream world that it loses a deeper impact.

The main character of Cobb, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is emotionally scarred and compelling to watch. And there are some poignant moments between Cobb and Mal (Marion Cotillard), as well as, Fischer (Cillian Murphy) and his father (Pete Postlethwaite).

It’s beautifully directed… Particularly, the “no gravity” sequence, which had me at the edge of my seat.

So what is Inception?

It’s a heist movie. But the target isn’t money, jewels etc… it’s information locked in the recesses of your mind. The twist is that the thieves aren’t looking to steal, but to implant an idea. This is what is called “Inception” – a monumental task that has only been done once.

There are strong moral implications:

• Should one implant an idea; thereby, manipulating another person’s decisions?
• What are the ramifications?

The Story:

When INCEPTION begins, Cobb is a depressed fugitive, unable to come back to the US and be with his children.

Saito gives Cobb an offer he can’t refuse: Do an inception, and I’ll use my influence to get the charges against you dropped so you can be with your children again.

And so the heist begins.

Cobb gets his crew together… they plan… they do the mission.

But since they are doing an “Inception”, it requires more than one dream level. You have to create dreams within dreams.

Fischer is the “target” on all 3 levels. He is the man whose mind is being infiltrated.

Ariadne is the “architect”. She creates the mazes of the dreams, which I believe is to maintain the coverage area, ensuring that the “target” can’t exit the contained area.

The “dreamer” creates/maintains the environment. If they exit the dream, the dream rips apart.

Who are the DREAMERS?

• Level 1 dream: Yusuf
• Level 2 dream: Arthur
• Level 3 dream: Eames

This is where things get hairy. As a result of creating dreams within dreams, they need heavy sedatives, which means they can’t come out of it as easily as they use to (which was kill yourself & you’re out). If you die in this state, you go into Limbo where you can live a lifetime unable to leave because you can’t tell reality from the dream, and you ultimately end up brain dead in the real world.

Instead they need KICKS, which is done with a feeling of falling, to exit the dreams.

Here is where it gets confusing. Yusuf speaks of needing “double kicks”. This is what I *think* happens:

You need to kick from the upper level while simultaneously kicking yourself out of the level below. Now as far as timing goes, this isn’t a difficult task. Minutes in one level could mean hour/s in the lower, which could mean hours/days in the one below and so on.

Let’s look at the LEVELS:

• Reality: plane
• Level 1 dream: van
• Level 2 dream: hotel
• Level 3 dream: snow/mountain
• Limbo: Collective Consciousness filled with Cobb/Mal’s dream world

In order to complete the simultaneous kicks, they use music. Whoever is the “dreamer” wears a headset. So the music will infiltrate the dream, and everyone will know how much time they have before they need to exit.

Here are the SIMULTANEOUS DOUBLE-KICKS:

• Level 1: Van hits water (kick upper 1) – Arthurs sets Hotel elevator explosion (kick lower 2)
• Level 2: Arthurs sets Hotel elevator explosion (kick upper 2) – Eames sets explosion on floor (kick lower 3)
• Level 3: Eames sets explosion on floor (kick upper 2) – Ariadne jumps out of the window (kick lower Limbo)

At this point, they stay in Level 1 until the sedative wears out, or until the plane descends (which equals about a weeks time at this level).

One of the things I found fascinating about this movie is the ambiguity of the ENDING.

My immediate reaction was that he was stuck in Limbo at the end. But because of the wobbly totem, it’s possible that the totem would have fallen and that he really is in reality.

Another interesting thought is that the entire thing could be an inception on Cobb, planting the idea of “freeing himself from guilt”; thereby, allowing him to go home. Mal told Cobb “to take the leap of faith”. Saito said the same thing in the helicopter. Is this a coincidence, or could this be a hint?

Also, what is Cobb’s real TOTEM?

We see him using Mal’s totem, but surely he had one of his own.

Could his totem be his wedding ring? He wears it in his dream, but not in the beginning (when he’s supposedly in reality), and he doesn’t wear it in the end? A hint that he’s really in reality at the end? Or does his subconscious remove the ring once his guilt is released, and he’s still dreaming?

Could his totem be his children? Could finally seeing their faces at the end mean he’s in reality?

However you see the ending, it leaves you with something to think about.

Score: 9.75/10

Ciao!

Movie Review: Lost Highway (spoilers)

I just recently rented the "Lost Highway" directed by David Lynch. I didn’t know what to expect, and I ended up liking it. It’s not for everyone. It’s a confusing movie that makes you think, and doesn’t have a clear cut ending, or a clear cut plot leaving the audience wondering “what just happened?!”. I actually had to view it twice before sending this Netflix rental back in the mail.

So if you’re a person who likes your movies tied up in a need bow, this isn’t for you. And depending on your interpretation this movie is linear or non-linear. At the moment, I’m not sure. I tend to lean toward a linear interpretation, but I have two theories and the second is a non-linear one. In addition, there seems to be a supernatural element, possible Doppelgängers and physical transformations.

Premise as per Imdb: Fred Madison, a saxophonist, is accused under mysterious circumstances of murdering his wife Renee. On death row, he inexplicably morphs into a young man named Pete Dayton, leading a completely different life. When Pete is released, his and Fred's paths begin to cross in a surreal, suspenseful web of intrigue, orchestrated by a shady gangster boss named Dick Laurent.

This movie can be broken into two parts: before Fred goes to jail and what happens afterwards.

Spoilers ahead…

Part 1: Fred (Bill Pullman) is married to Renee (Patricia Arquette) and suspects she’s having an affair. They receive anonymous mailings of a video tape illustrating that someone is watching them. These video tapes turn scary from just a viewing of the outside of the home to watching them sleep in their bedroom. Until the final tape of Fred over Renee’s dead body. Fred is then convicted and sent to jail (death row)

This is when things get crazy. Fred goes through some physical transformation and when the guards check his cell Fred is gone replaced by Pete (Balthazar Getty).

Part 2: Pete goes home to biker parents. He seems to have no memory (which indicates a clue). He has an association with Mr Eddy (Robert Loggia) who has a girlfriend Alice (also played by Patricia Arquette). Alice is blonde where as Renee is a brunette. Pete ends up having an affair with Alice, putting him at odds with Mr. Eddy, which ends in Eddy’s death.

We learn that Mr. Eddy is also Dick Laurent, who was the man Renee was cheating on when married to Fred.

Interesting Clue: When Pete is with Alice he sees a picture with her and the brunette counterpart (Renee – Fred’s wife). Also in the picture is Mr. Eddy/Dick Laurent and another man. At this point, Pete gets emotional at seeing the brunette version as if recalling the event. Yet he never recognized the blonde counterpart on first meeting. Later the police see the same photo and the blonde is NOT in it. My conclusion is that the blonde doesn’t exist. She is really in Pete’s mind. Actually, I think Pete partially exists. It seems as though Fred can transform to Pete, but Pete is just the other half of Fred. He doesn’t seem to be a fully fleshed person. Even his parents seem odd. Do they really exist?

In the end: We see Pete… then Fred as if Pete transforms back into Fred.

Important note: Throughout this movie there is a Mystery Man who seems to be pulling the strings. Is he the devil? Is he just an evil man? Or is he all in Fred’s mind?

What leads me to believe that this film might be non-linear is the end and beginning of the movie. It opens with Fred hearing through the intercom that Laurent is dead. It ends with Fred leaving this message on his intercom. Could this just be in Fred’s head? Is Fred a Doppelgänger? There are some who feel that Alice is in fact a Doppelgänger?

All in all, it’s an interesting movie with so many possibilities. I think I need more viewings, though I suspect I’ll never really figure it out.

Score 8/10