Anzio

Over the 1950's and 1960's, World War II movies were a dime a dozen hitting theaters. Even with the abundance of movies though, some theaters of war were often ignored, or at least covered less. Case in point? The Italian Campaign as Allied forces took Sicily and then Italy in horrific fighting that claimed thousands and thousands of lives in what some said/say was a waste of manpower. So while 1968's Anzio may not be a good movie, I can't help it. I'm a fan so sue me.

It's early 1944 and the fighting has dragged to a stalemate between Allied and Axis forces along the Monte Cassino line. The Allied forces are planning an invasion in Italy above the fighting as Cassino, intending to land some 70,000 troops north of the fighting at the port of Anzio. Among those landing is a war correspondent, Dick Ennis (Robert Mitchum), who will tag along with an American Ranger battalion (specially-trained infantry) as they hit the beaches. An expected hot landing is anything but...the troops hit the beaches with little to no resistance. There's no German forces for miles. On a patrol into the Italian countryside, Ennis and a corporal from the First Special Service Force, Jack Rabinoff (Peter Falk), discover just how open the countryside is. Back at the Allied beachhead though, no one on the general staff believes them. While the Allies dig in and establish a strong beachhead, the Germans take advantage, assembling a line as deadly as anything the war has seen.

If you're looking for a more detailed description of the Battle of Anzio, check out the Wikipedia page. I'm currently reading Alex Kershaw's The Liberator, an excellent read that explores the fighting in Italy in some detail. What's here in this 1968 war film is a condensed version with some embellishments and names changed. The actual battle of Anzio was a horrific miscalculation on the parts of the Allied commanders who made cautious decisions that ended up costing thousands of lives needlessly in fighting that could have been easily avoided. See? We learned something today!

'Anzio' itself is an interesting mess of a movie. It's from the 1960's, the age of the big, epic war films like The Great Escape, Battle of the Bulge, The Guns of Navarone, a trend that would continue into the 1970's. From director Edward Dmytryk (and Duilio Coletti in whatever the "Italian version" is), 'Anzio' is part of a trend of flicks dubbed Macaroni war movies (instead of spaghetti, get it?!?), films made with mostly Italian backing albeit with smaller budgets. Dino De Laurentiis produced the war film, bringing a respectable budget that's seen in landing shots where landing crafts empty of hundreds of soldiers hitting the beaches. There is a big budget feel (some of the time) as this story develops about one of the most costly battles of WWII. More detail later, but there's also truly odd moments sprinkled throughout, giving Dmytryk's film an off-balanced feel to the proceedings. More later!

Two performances here have always appealed to me, Robert Mitchum as war correspondent Dick Ennis, a character very loosely based on famed writer Ernie Pyle. Interesting tidbit? Mitchum earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in 1945's The Story of G.I. Joe, the story of Ernie Pyle in Italy! Ennis is a frontline guy, always sticking with the troops at the front even when he doesn't have to be. Mitchum treads that fine line between looking worn out and being interested, but that laconic, tired look favors Ennis well. He's sick of war, sick of stupid orders and commands that costs unnecessary lives. A good performance for Mitchum. As for Falk, it is an...interesting performance. His Jack Rabinoff is a SOLDIER. He loves fighting. He's good at it (maybe too good), and his backstory of how he ended up in the First Special Service Force is quite revealing. Again, there's some odd moments, but Falk brings a ton of energy, some humor to the part that's hard not to like.

This quasi-epic war film resorts to more familiar territory in the second half. Following a horrific German ambush, a small group of Rangers, including Ennis and Rabinoff, must get back to their own lines to report what the Allies are about to march into. If it's familiar, so be it. It's more at home. It's more comfortable. Among the survivors, look for Earl Holliman as the capable Sergeant Abe Stimmler, Reni Santoni as Pvt. Movie (always ready with an impression), an underused Mark Damon, Thomas Hunter, Giancarlo Giannini, and Joseph Walsh. In the epic vein, we also get unnecessary cameos from Robert Ryan and Arthur Kennedy with Kennedy at least getting something to do. Ryan is in two scenes, and he only speaks in one! Also look for ever the German, Wolfgang Preiss as Field Marshal Kesselring, the Allies' opposition across the line.

Where 'Anzio' falls in parts is its odd tone and general lack of epic qualities, even though it thinks it is an epic. It is NOT. It's a good, old-fashioned war flick. Simply put, it tries to cover too much ground in 117 minutes. The song that plays over the opening credits, This World is Yours (listen HERE), is awful. Truly out of place. The score itself is hit-and-miss, but when it works, I liked it a lot. As for the tone, this is a story that just refuses to pick one tone and go with it. Is it dark? Is it a light war film? While things are somewhat ironed out (not really), we get a painful scene of Falk's Rabinoff sitting in an ambulance with three prostitutes as he sings "Bye, Bye Blackbird" with them. There's another scene later where he does the same thing. What the hell is going on?!? Don't even get me started about the general combat tactics here either, highly-trained American troops charging into machine gun fire without even raising their weapons or trying to throw a grenade at the nest. Meh, run!!!

Now all that said, I've always liked this movie and held it up on my most recent reviewing. I love the Italian filming locations, especially the shots of Rome. I've always been a big fan of Mitchum and Falk, and even considering some script idiosyncrasies, they're both pretty good here, as is the whole supporting cast. Through all the general craziness and oddness, there's some...oddly charming. The action is harsh, including a late battle between our survivors and four German snipers, and from beginning to end, it is entertaining. It ain't a classic. So be it. It's very entertaining.

Anzio (1968): ***/****
Rewrite of May 2009 review

Can't Hardly Wait

With movies like Ferris Bueller, 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, and The Breakfast Club, director John Hughes opened the door for a new wave of comedies in the 1980s, a new sub-genre that is still alive and kicking 30 years later; the teenage comedy (now adjusted to the teen sex comedy). New variations and developments keep on changing the teen comedy, but one of the best is 1998's Can't Hardly Wait, almost a tribute to Hughes' films.

It's graduation day at Huntington High School. With summer and college ahead of all the graduates, the senior class has one more party together, an epic house party with ample amounts of booze. With one last shot to accomplish what they want, many grads go into the party with an objective. Smart everyman Preston (Ethan Embry) wants to profess his love for Amanda Beckett (Jennifer Love Hewitt), the school's hottest girl and recently dumped by star athlete Mike Dexter (Peter Facinelli). A class nerd, William (Charlie Korsmo) hopes to humiliate Mike for years of torture and abuse while Kenny (Seth Green) simply wants to get some action. All sorts of hijinks and shenanigans are on the docket, and no one is immune from some trouble.

A formula for a successful teen-high school-epic party movie is simple; is it real? Is it even remotely similar to what high school is actually like? 'Wait' passes with flying colors. Sure, some things are exaggerated a titch here and there (gotta get those laughs), but directors/screenwriters Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan get it right. For most of us, high school was an extremely awkward, uncomfortable time. So when I say a successful teen comedy is 'real,' that's what I mean. Much of the laughs come from the natural awkwardness resulting from 17 and 18-year old teenagers trying to figure out who they are. Throw in a late 1990s soundtrack -- hello Smash Mouth!!!! -- with an interesting camera technique, and you've got a winner!

Stereotypes and cliches are based in the truth, right? Right??? The answer is 'Yes' if you were confused. 'Wait' runs with that thought, following a handful of characters that every high school has. Embry does a good job as Preston, the normal kid who is shooting for the stars with his crush, the hottest girl in school, Love Hewitt an ideal choice for the part. Facinelli is perfectly cast as Mike, the jock and coolest guy in school who can't wait to get to college and keep on partying. Wise choice in the script, Mike is humanized late -- however briefly -- before resorting back to his usual jock antics in the finale. Another key character is Lauren Ambrose's Denise, Preston's friend who is the necessary cute but antisocial girl who resents just about everything and everyone at school.

As good as all those parts/characters are, two parts stand out from the rest, Green as Kenny and Korsmo as William. Their characters? Green as the white guy trying for all he's worth to be a black guy, and Korsmo as the nerd who becomes a class hero at the party. Both parts are movie-stealers, both memorable in their own way. A rising star, Green hams it up like nobody's business as Kenny, a normal kid growing up who decides he wants to be a black guy. He treads that fine line between funny and offensive, but because he's so epically over the top in his mannerisms, it works perfectly. In his last role before leaving acting, Korsmo is a scream. His William so desperately wants revenge, but then he starts drinking.....and becomes popular, the life of the party. His two fellow nerds -- Joel Michaely and Jay Paulson -- have some very funny moments too as they wait too unleash William's plan.

Beyond those main characters, 'Wait' is noteworthy for its supporting cast from key parts to bit parts that only make an appearance or two. Jenna Elfman plays the Angel, a dancer, not a stripper, who Preston meets during his night travels. Jerry O'Connell is Trip, the former high school star returned in all his "glory." Melissa Joan Hart plays Yearbook Girl, the senior who wants every senior in school to sign her yearbook. Breckin Meyer and Donald Faison play bickering members of the party band. Not enough? Look out for Freddy Rodriguez, Erik Palladino, Jaime Pressly, Chris Owen (Sherminator from American Pie), Jason Segel, Selma Blair, Clea DuVall, Eric Balfour and even Hollywood veteran Reni Santoni.    

So with all those characters, how does the movie do them all justice in a movie that's just 101 minutes? With a few quick departures, the entire story is contained at the house party. Episodic doesn't begin to describe the storytelling technique. Some dissenters complain about the frenetic pacing that jumps around like a story on steroids. For me, it worked really well. It never focuses on one character for too long, keeping tabs on all the characters and storylines as the party develops. They criss-cross and interact, one character and story affecting each other.

It's a gem of a movie. It's got a style that never tries too hard but does enough to set itself apart from the pack. Character title cards introduce all the main players, giving us an idea in an instant who these people are. The cards are black and white, like a mug shot, and it works well. It's the type of comedic movie where all the characters get a wrap-up comment, a couple sentences appearing on-screen telling us where everyone ends up. Almost a tribute to the 1980s John Hughes comedies, 'Wait' is a gem on its own. Definitely check it out.

Can't Hardly Wait (1998): ***/****

Guns of the Magnificent Seven

Now this may just be me, but George Kennedy doesn't resemble Yul Brynner too much. After two Magnificent Seven movies with Brynner as the star, the third movie starred a new 'Chris' leading a new 7, Kennedy. Of course the posters over at IMDB have to nail this down. So is he the same character? A different man named Chris? Did he undergo extensive plastic surgery? Okay, maybe not that last one, but you get the idea.

Three years removed from Return of the Magnificent Seven comes director Paul Wendkos' take on the popular series, 1969's Guns of the Magnificent Seven. It's a departure from the first two movies with Kennedy, a year removed from his Oscar from Cool Hand Luke, stepping into the saddle. But where 'Return' was basically a rehash of the original classic, 'Guns' gets points for originality both in story and casting. Also, having Elmer Bernstein's score doesn't hurt, especially with some new notes in the music.

Deep in Mexico, a revolutionary leader, Quintero (Fernando Rey) is captured by a sadistic Mexican colonel, Diego (Michael Ansara), who runs a prison that resembles a fortress more than anything else. One of Quintero's most loyal followers, Maximilliano (Reni Santoni) heads north to look for help in getting Quintero out of prison before it's too late. In a border town, Max finds a man named Chris (Kennedy) who's in the process of saving another man, Keno (Monte Markham), from a lynch mob. Chris agrees to help out and assembles a group of specialists to help him in the prison break. They seek help from a local bandit Lobero (Frank Silvera) and his gang -- quite a change of pace since the 1st one, huh? -- but the odds still seem impossible.

The Seven: Kennedy is more than capable of handling the lead role, and while he doesn't look like Brynner at all, he brings the same characteristics to the part; loyal, honest, and always willing to stand up for the downtrodden. As for the other six, this is by far the most unique group when comparing the three sequels. Markham as Keno, the Steve McQueen right hand man role, isn't given a ton to do after his introduction, but as a right hand man, he does what he's supposed to; look cool while helping the leader. Santoni's Max is a youngster with little fighting experience but who wants nothing more than to join the fight.

In adding a black character, Bernie Casey's Cassie, a dynamite expert, the dimension of race is added and even more so with another member of the seven, Slater (Joe Don Baker), a one-armed Confederate gunslinger. Cassie and Slater would seem to have nothing in common, but a friendship develops when they realize how similar they really are. James Whitmore, as solid as ever, plays Levi, an aging knife fighter who's settled down with a family but takes the job for the $. Adding some depth to the character, Levi bonds with Emil (Tony Davis), a young Mexican boy looking for his father. Unfortunately, the 7th member, P.J. (Scott Thomas) receives little development which is a shame because a expert gunfighter/rope thrower dying of tuberculosis has some potential.

The Villain: A definite step up here after Emilio Fernandez's part in 'Return.' Michael Ansara plays Diego to a T. He's a sadistic commandant trying to snuff out the revolution in his district no matter what the cost, especially when it comes to torturing his prisoners. One torture scene midway through the movie shows a creative way to take care of prisoners, bury them in sand up to their throats and then trample and suffocate them with horses walking all around them. Ansara's Diego isn't as developed as much as Calvera or Lorca, but he's just a straight bad guy and sometimes that's all you need.

Some critics said this movie is too slow-going and to be fair, there isn't a ton of action. But really, none of these movies are action-packed. Characters are introduced, we get to know them, and then throw in the action so that when some of the 7 do eventually die, their deaths mean something emotionally. The finale in 'Guns' is on par with the shootout at the end of the original. Finally ready for their assault, Chris leads the 7 and a small group of farmers in an attack on Diego's prison, dubbed the 'Cave of the Rats,' and his 200-man garrison.

It's loud, chaotic and violent, and completely different from the rest of the series. For one, the 7 go on the attack instead of waiting to be attacked against larger numbers. Second, two characters are killed almost at the outset of the battle, and for awhile it looks like the plan might actually fail. Semi-SPOILER I'm convinced Max was supposed to die, he gets absolutely riddled by at least 3 Mexican soldiers, but he's there at the end, apparently just wounded. This would have been the first Mag7 movie to kill 5 of the 7 END OF SPOILER. The attack is a great action sequence from start to finish, and the prison set looks pretty cool too, and even with some other surprises as to who survives and who doesn't to keep you guessing.

A worthy sequel to the original for sure. It does justice in every way while still putting its own spin on a familiar story. Good casting and a strong script that really fleshes out the new members of the Magnificent Seven with a great, action-packed finale. Next up...the finale, The Magnificent Seven Ride!

Guns of the Magnificent Seven <----trailer (1969): ***/**** (Best tagline ever: 7 Against 700; They Just Couldn't Lose!) MASSIVE SPOILERS: Cool fan-made video breaking movie down