At this point in time, Mike Nichols was a rising star. As you can recall, he directed the hit 1967 film The Graduate. His debut feature put him high on the map of talent and everyone had high expectations for him. People waited with bated breath as his second film, Catch-22 made its way into theaters in June of 1970. I was a big fan of The Graduate, and his second film appealed to me based on the plot and the pedigree of the cast. Unfortunately, I don’t have the greatest news about this picture. I was rather underwhelmed to say the least. As the movie faded to black at the end, I came away with a sense of disappointment. I was disappointed the film didn’t live up to my high hopes. I am not saying the film is completely awful, as there are some genuinely endearing moments, but the picture is underwhelming on the whole.

It’s kind of hard to give a good description of the plot because I felt like the film was just a conglomeration of scenes mashed together. Scenes that failed to form a cohesive narrative. But I will do my best to describe what this film is about. This film is about a military captain named Yossarian (Alan Arkin) who has had enough of fighting on the Mediterranean front in World War Two. In order to get out of the war, he decides to do anything possible to label himself as insane. That includes driving everyone else crazy.

What exactly didn’t I like about this film? Well there were several things. I briefly mentioned the plot structure issues in my previous paragraph. The movie was strung together by a loose thread it felt like and the story barely made sense. That was obvious when it came to the tone of the film. It didn’t know whether to be serious or to be funny. The first half of the film is trying to make you laugh, but suddenly the second half of the film turns into a rather dark drama and I was taken aback at the sudden change of tone. Now after Nichols sickened us with rather graphic war scenes in the second half of the movie, all the sudden we get an ending resembling the tone of the first half. It almost seemed like a ripoff of the ending of The Graduate and almost a cop out. Nichols was attempting to inject laughter in the audience that final scene, but not me. Also I had some issues with the script Buck Henry wrote. He adapted the screenplay from a very popular novel which was deemed unfilmable and that shows in the final product. The screenplay was essentially disjointed.

As for the performances, I did think they were pretty good. Let me say right now that some of the actors here suffer from cases of overacting. Sometimes it was annoying, and other times it was amusing. Firstly, Alan Arkin delivers a delightfully zany performance as Yossarian. It was amusing watching him become a head case to his superiors. His performance introduced him to the eyes of the public. If there is a positive thing to take away from this film, it’s watching Arkin being a crazy man. Jon Voight had a memorable performance as one of the soldiers in the film: Lt. Milo Minderbinder. My favorite scene of the film was his character blowing up his own base. Now that was something I was laughing at. The veterans of the cast are the ones guilty of overacting. I’m looking at you Colonel Cathcart (Martin Balsam) and Brig. General Dreedle (Orson Welles). Although Balsam’s opening scene with Arkin as Arkin is looking for a way to leave is quite funny.

When the film was released, it was not successful both critically and commercially. Critics somewhat warmed up to the film over time, but many had issues with the plot and screenplay like I did. The film was widely ignored perhaps because 1970 was a year war films were popular (or in some cases, anti-war films). This can be labeled as a black comedy dealing with thematic issues of war, but the thing is a movie with a similar tone (and a better movie) MASH was released. Between MASH and Patton, and the ongoing Vietnam War, I don’t think audiences were in the mood for another movie dealing with war even if the theme was decidedly antiwar.

Now there are some good things to like about the film. The performances are fun to watch especially from Alan Arkin. There are scenes that are great ones such as where Voight’s character bombing his own base and General Dreedle sending his own guy to be executed. The aerial sequences are also well-done. But they really don’t make up for the disappointment of the rest of the film.

I had high hopes for Catch-22, but it ultimately did not lead to my expectations. There are major plot and script issues and Nichol’s direction left something to be desired. But this film can be part of his growing pains and he will come to redeem himself with future films. He did make a valiant attempt to make a black comedy about war. He wasn’t able to pull it off as Robert Altman did with MASH. This is not an awful film, but its a rather disappointing film. But hey not all films can be like The Graduate.

My Grade: C-

Who are the Molly Maguires? Well, they are part of some little-known American history and Irish history. To keep things short and simple, they were a secret organization of coal miners in coal-abundant locations such as Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The name came in the 1840s during a tenant protest in Ireland, but the name didn’t stick until the 1860’s. Working conditions were very poor for the miners and worker discrimination was prevalent. Basically this very secret organization formed as a response to these conditions and the lack of reforms. The Molly Maguires often used violence or intimidation tactics mine owners and supervisors. This little-known film, aptly named The Molly Maguires tells the story about this group towards the end, approximately in 1875 when a Pinkerton detective infiltrated the organization. I went to school in a Luzerne County, Pennsylvania where supposedly these organizations existed, so I find it awesome that a movie exists telling a story about a piece of American history that no one knows about.

This is a film that not many people have seen. Whether at the time of release or today. So mark my words when I say this is a truly underrated gem. I really enjoyed the story it told and despite being a Hollywood film, I learned a lot about the subject. The film doesn’t have a large cast, but it features fine work in the lead roles by two magnificent actors: Sean Connery and Richard Harris. The film also possesses strong cinematography work from James Wong Howe. The film is beautifully shot and he somehow makes the rather dreary northeastern Pennsylvania locations seem strikingly beautiful. Also playing an emotional impact on the film is the score by Henry Mancini. Music is important in the film because the opening sequence is fourteen minutes long and we don’t hear any words spoken until the end of those minutes, so music was a substitute for spoken words. There are some very memorable themes in the music and they pack quite an emotional punch.

Martin Ritt directs a film that takes occurs towards the demise of the Molly Maguires. The leader of this secret organization is named Jack Kehoe (Sean Connery), and his intentions are good ones. He and his and of Irish-American miners fight against the oppressive mine owners for reforms but the owners are not very cooperative. They hire a Pinkerton detective named James McParland (Richard Harris) who is assigned to go undercover as a member of the Maguires and infiltrate their secret society, but McParland must hope he truly knows what side he is on.

The film doesn’t feature a big cast despite it’s rather high eleven million dollar budget (very expensive by 1970’s standards). But it does have two huge movie stars in Connery and Harris. Despite this being somewhat of a small film, they deliver amazing performances. Connery is one of the greatest actors ever to live and he brought his A-game here as the violent, charismatic leader of the Maguires. Harris, on the other hand, plays a soft-spoken detective who successfully undermines the organization and he essentially sacrifices his dignity and personality to bring the members of the organization to justice. Connery and Harris have excellent chemistry together. One of my favorite scenes with the two is in one of the final scenes in the prison cell. Just seeing the two square off under different circumstances was just great to watch.

The Molly Maguires is a criminally underseen movie, so you guys should see it whenever possible. It’s a piece about a secret organization that plays a pivotal role in the beginning of labor unions as we know them today. If you think treatment at jobs today are bad, just watch the film to see how bad they were in the 1860’s and 1870’s. I don’t condone the actions of the Molly Maguires, but I understand where they were coming from and why they used violence to help make their lives better. Anyhow, this is a very good movie and an underrated one too. It has fine acting, a great musical score, good direction, and beautiful cinematography. One final fact before I conclude the review is that some of the scenes were filmed in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania-about ten minutes away where I went to school.

My Grade: A

“Now, I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.”

For those who know a little history, you would know who General George S. Patton is. You would know that he is served in World War Two as one of the top American generals on the European battlefront. He was a very smart man, but also an eccentric man. His eccentric manners is what took him away from taking part of D-Day. But there is no denying the influence he had on the war. Without his leadership, who knows how the war would have turned out. In 1970, a movie about his life came out and it was well-received by nearly everyone who has seen it. The movie was worked on by close associates of Patton, such as General Omar Bradley. An interesting fact is the producers of the film contacted the Patton family for information…..only a day after Patton’s widow was laid to rest so it’s a sad matter-of-fact that the producers didn’t get any help from Patton’s family. I remember vividly looking forward to this movie, and luckily I can join the crowd of people who adored this film.

From the moment I see George C. Scott walking onstage as Patton to deliver his iconic speech in front of a sprawling American flag, I knew this was going to be a great movie. Every scene is captivating especially when Scott is in it, but the opening scene is the greatest, most powerful scene in the movie. The above quote I featured is part of the speech and immediately you can tell what kind of man Patton was. Patton was a man who took no crap from anybody and was a man who dearly loved his country. He spoke with such colorful language (although that idea was exaggerated in the film) and he had a way to make those words count. He was a man of perfection. You can see that during a scene where he slaps a soldier for being in a hospital for depression instead of battle injuries. That caused him a fall from grace, but you can see the man Patton was. The movie does an exemplary job in making Patton a lifelike character on the big screen.

This isn’t your typical birth-to-death biography. This is a biography that covers Patton during the wartime years. The movie makes a point in showing what a fine general he was and how he positively contributed to the war, but it did not hold back on showing him as an eccentric man. The scenes where he drags his very scared puppy around everywhere he goes is just one of those examples. The film begins with his conquests in Libya as he drives German general Rommel out of the country. Then we see a downfall of his due to his big mouth and incident where he slaps the soldier. Then we see a comeback as Patton commands the Allies on the European front mowing down Germans left and right as they move closer to Berlin.

The main actor in the film, of course, is George C. Scott who delivers a splendid performance as Patton. In fact, this may be the best performance of Scott’s long career and he had a wonderful career. The performance works on various levels. Scott is an onscreen presence to be reckoned with and he follows the oldest rule in the acting handbook-to become the character. I felt I was watching Patton the entire time, despite the mannerisms of Scott. But also you can draw parallels between the two men. Scott is seen as a recluse in Hollywood because he was so eccentric. He had the extreme talent, but his personality made him like an outcast. It was a foregone conclusion he was going to win the Oscar for Best Actor (and he did), but the question was if he was going to personally accept the award. He did not stating he did not like the Academy or acting competitions in general. Scott and Patton would have been great blood brothers. Casting Scott to play Patton is one of cinema’s greatest casting decisions ever. Scott delivered such a powerful performance. The other main performance was Karl Malden who delivers an admirable performance as General Omar Bradley, the man who gave Patton a second chance in the war.

Patton is a long film as it clocks in nearly three hours long and Scott is in nearly every frame, but it works very much thanks to Scott’s layered performance enhancing upon Patton’s theatricality. The guy who possesses such bravery also loves to hear himself speak during his long-winded speeches. The movie has many speeches, but they are worthy of your attention. The guy gives such a commanding presence and I got the goosebumps during that opening scene. The movie sees the war the way Patton saw it and it’s an exhilarating experience.

The direction is also a highlight of the film. Franklin J. Schaffner is known for taking on ambitious projects and this may have been his most ambitious project he may have ever tackled. It’s fun to see directors rise to the challenge and Schaffner took a mighty challenge here and won. Also a noticeable presence was the score by Jerry Goldsmith. He created such a patriotic score with the help of a pipe organ. Everytime I think of Patton himself, the main theme becomes stuck in my head and that is a good thing. 1970 was a good year for war films. M.A.S.H and now Patton are must-see war films from that year. The former film was a spoof on the dangers of war, but the latter is about a man who dedicated his life to winning the war his style. And his style is very interesting to watch. A man who won’t back down from anything. Because of George S. Patton, the Allies won the war.

My Grade: A

I must admit that the disaster movie genre is one of my favorite genres or more specifically subgenres. When looked at on a whole, this particular genre hasn’t been well-received by critics. Regular people (myself included) eat these kind of spectacles up and we love them. Which plays a part in the commercial success of this genre. After all, who doesn’t want to see earthquakes or towering infernos or alien attacks, etc. The 1970’s gave birth to this kind of movie and if you would want to single out any particular movie that began this new wave, it’s 1970’s Airport. The goal of these kind of movies is to make sure the audience have fun. Personally, I had a very fun time watching the film so Airport does its most important job.

When originally released, the film was met was respectable reviews. It was something that was never seen before on the big screen, but modern critics panned the movie despite praising its influence. The story itself is attention-grabbing. I became interested in a plot that calls for a severe snowstorm causing havoc at an airport. But the way the story is told is told in such ludicrous detail. I mean you really need to stretch your imagination because some plot points can become downright preposterous. Which I guess adds to its campy tone. The movie itself is not taken too seriously so you’ll have the chance to not think because if you think too much, you’ll easily notice flaw after flaw and that will take from the campy, fun tone of the movie.

George Seaton directs a film about a busy airport that is stricken because of a blizzard. The runways are shut down because of the snow and all flights are canceled. But more problems arise when a bomb-damaged plane needs to make an emergency landing if anyone on board that plane is going to live. The manager of the Lincoln Airport, Mel Bakersfield (Burt Lancaster) has his hands full trying to combat the weather, his personnel, and his personal life if people are going to be saved this night.

Critics may hold no true love for these kind of films, but I am always amazed on the casts they can muster. It’s only fair that the granddaddy of all disaster films would have a wonderful cast. It’s ironic because the main star, Lancaster later called this film “a piece of junk.” All the performances are fine in the film, but I feel maybe they could have had fun (some did though). For such a campy atmosphere, some people took their roles way too seriously. Anyhow, Lancaster does a great job as Mel and Dean Martin does a good job as the pilot of the damaged plane, Vernon Demerest. The one big standout of the film is Helen Hayes, who plays a 70-year-old stowaway. She was an absolute hoot to watch trying to get her way into a free airplane ticket. Her performance is a must see. Also throwing in a ridiculous over-the-top performance is Van Heflin, the man who had the bomb in the briefcase. The way he shakes, sweats, etc, his overacting is plenty of stupid fun and Maureen Stapleton as his wife who decided to apologize to everyone in the airport for her husband’s actions.

I am astounded a film like this would be nominated for an Oscar. Well my friends, guess what? Airport was nominated for ten Oscars!? I’m still surprised very much how such a campy film would achieve that feat. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with the film, but it is a kind of genre the Academy never paid much attention to. Hayes did win for her supporting turn  (and rightfully so). It also was nominated for Oscars for a bunch of technical work such as sound and editing, which was all well-done.

Airport is campy, over-the-top, and quite predictable……but I had a blast watching the film. There is no denying how influential the film was as it proved people do want to see these kind of actioners. I was hooked from start to finish as I rooted for Mel to be a hero and save the people on the plane. The movie is quite suspenseful at times, but quite funny in others. The plot had issues and I didn’t like the personal life of Mel’s. That section got in the way of the main story at times. I didn’t love this film, but I had a blast and enjoyed it very much so.

My Grade: B+

Now my fellow readers, we have moved into a new decade of film- a very memorable decade because many influential movies were introduced to the public. Many of these movies had something to say. This is my first review from the 1970’s-the review of M.A.S.H which is about staying sane in the heat of war. The film came out when things were going downhill in Vietnam. People hated the involvement in the Vietnam War, but this movie was so successful despite the setting in 1951 during the Korean War. How could it be so successful? Well it was a funny and subversive movie and it was unlike any war picture people have seen. The adventures of Hawkeye Pierce and Duke Forrest stayed in the minds of many Americans and later on, it inspired a very popular television series off the title name. As for me, I found some moments to be uproariously hilarious, but I found other moments to be somewhat dull.

The movie had somewhat of a problematic production largely due to the tension between the director and his cast. Robert Altman, who would turn out to be one of America’s most influential directors, was new to the world of film. He filmed in the movie in an unconventional way, and it bothered the cast so much that rumors say that actors Donald Sutherland and Elliot Gould were trying to get the director fired. The director has been known to turn down projects because of lack of quality, so he wanted to make the films the way he wanted to make them. This film was different and it raised the eyebrows of the studio, 20th Century Fox. The film lacked a central narrative and it tells the story in somewhat of an episodic way, which was rarely seen those days. The studio believed they had a disaster on their hands, but luckily they were wrong.

Altman’s film takes place in November of 1951. The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is ready to be surprised when Captain Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland) and Captain Duke Forrest arrive (Tom Skerritt.) Their duo of merry surgeons are joined by Trapper John McIntyre (Elliot Gould). They were all great surgeons, but terrible soldiers (in a good, funny way.) They deal with the effects of war by pretending they don’t care. They use comedy in their lives to set their minds on other things that affects the camp in one way or the other. They pull of stunts such as getting rid of the really stupid Major Burns (Robert Duvall) after his “public” affair with “Hot Lips” O’Houlihan (Sally Kellerman). They help the camp dentist commit suicide (which actually is the best scene of the movie in my book.)

It took me awhile to warm up to them, but I liked the performances of the film. The characters are rather interesting. When not in the surgeon room operating, they run around the camp making fun of other people. But they show a contrast when in the operating room. They are covered in blood, and they look so realistic performing such operations like sawing off a leg or closing up arteries and using such words related to their medical profession. Seeing the contrast between the two sides was very interesting. It shows they are serious when it comes to their job of saving lives, but in general are just goofballs. Donald Sutherland does a great job as the leader of the gang and Elliot Gould and Tom Skerritt likewise turn in good, fun performances. I also found Robert Duvall’s brief performance as the idiotic Major Burns was a hoot to watch.

The music in the film is also memorable. I liked the song that played at the beginning of the movie, “Suicide Is Painless,” which was written by a 15-year-old apparently. But that song would become the main theme song for the television series. It continued the trend of using pop ballads in feature films introduced several years previously, but it’s a song that I found very enjoyable.

So just remember, the film uses dark comedy in the face of war. This movie may not be for everybody. I really didn’t care much to see it at first because the tone turned me off, but it’s not a bad little film. The scene where they are helping the dentist commit suicide is a classic scene. The scene reminded me of the classic Leonardo Da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper.” If you saw the film, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. In the beginning, where they are giving hell to Major Burns was also very entertaining. I couldn’t stop laughing when they got Major Burns and Hot Lips making love over the camp’s loudspeakers. Just a brilliant scene. Also the use of those very loudspeakers were a main part of the story, and a plot novice according to Altman. These random (but often funny) loudspeaker announcements helped connect the “episodes” in the film.

I had some issues with the film. I liked the loudspeaker announcements, but I felt it gave the film a choppy look and that it wasn’t edited that well. Also, the final act of the film is focused on a football game against a general. The football game itself was well-done, but I felt it ruined the tone of the film. It didn’t fit with the first two-thirds of the movie. The game was meant to be funny, but the funny references are what only true football fans will get. I like the sport, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan so some of these references went over my head.

That being said, I rather enjoyed M.A.S.H. It is a different kind of war movie and I applaud the efforts of Robert Altman to bring his vision to screen. He didn’t even use the screenplay written by Ring Lardner Jr. which actually went on to win an Oscar for best adapted screenplay.  It was nominated for four Oscars including Picture and Director. The performances are genuinely funny because of the characters and the situations they get themselves into. The movie took a bold move in portraying the story and it worked out. It shows there can be lightness during dark times. But the dark comedy, while very hilarious at times can be a little offensive. It is a good movie, and I can respect the kind of film it wanted to be.

My Grade: B