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Escape from L.A. (aka John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A.) (1996, 101 min, R) ** - Directed & co-written by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, George Carraface, and Steve Buscemi. This sci-fi adventure never quite takes off, despite having so many good elements: a laconic, scenery-chewing, eye-patched hero; atmospheric and rusty production design; a direct set-up promising both action and satire; and star cameos from the likes of Peter Fonda and Pam Grier. In a giddily comic book future, in which America is crumbling and California is an independent anarchy, the U.S. president sends a one-eyed hired killer (Russell, reprising his “Escape from New York” role) to rescue his wayward daughter from the City of Angels. The movie stumbles from one episode to another, without even the forward momentum of an energetic B-movie. Also, the satire of a president too prayerful to take action is blunted, considering the most God-talking president of the last half-century has no compunctions about bombings, executions, and hurling doughboys into the fray.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, 159 min, R) **** - Directed & co-written by Stanley Kubrick, starring Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Sidney Pollack. Surreal and dreamy examination of marriage finds a young doctor and his wife (Cruise and Kidman) wondering about infidelity and fantasies. As if wandering into his own psyche, filled with jealousy, inadequacy, and terrified curiosity, the doctor wanders into a New York of the imagination, where pleasures of the flesh tempt him at every turn. A difficult, mysterious film, “Eyes Wide Shut” requires a certain amount of trusting to the subconscious to understand.
Easy Rider (1969, 94 min, R) **** - Directed by Dennis Hopper, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson. The ultimate road movie follows two hippies (Fonda and Hopper) on a cross-country motorcycle odyssey. America is examined from the road, including ambiguous episodes with the counterculture and dangerous turns from reactionaries. Leisurely paced with moments of the surreal and a generous helping of narcotics; perhaps the most ‘60s of all ‘60s movies.
8 ½ (1963, 138 min, B&W, NR) **** - Directed by Federico Fellini, starring Marcello Mastrianni. Self-indulgent filmmaking at its finest: an Italian director named Guido (Mastrianni) is beset from all sides by his wife, his mistress, his writers, his producers, the woman of his dreams, the Church, and his conscience, all while suffering writer’s block at an expensive health spa. We’re never quite know what’s really happening and what’s just in Guido’s head; we can be pretty sure that the scenes of him being flown like a kite, of talking to his parents before they climb back into their graves, and of him using a whip to moderate a dinner comprised of all the women he’s ever lusted after are fantasies. Another level of intrigue is added when we try to figure out what parts of Guido are actually parts of real-life filmmaker Fellini. Perennial placeholder on the “Sight & Sound’s” Top Ten Films of All-Time.