Reviews
Shaking the Tree (1990)
Amateur production
I admit the only reason I got this movie was the presence of Courteney Cox and, once again, I'm surprised at how bad her early movies really were. It's a good thing she lucked into "Friends," because her choices for film roles were atrocious. I suppose I can't be too hard on her this time, since she only has a tiny part in this self-consciously earnest coming-of-age movie set in bleak Chicago. The first thing that strikes a sour note is the concept, four young men coming to terms with adulthood in an urban environment, quite obviously a ripoff of 'Diner', a much better film from eight years earlier. This movie was made in 1990 but not released until 1992 - a hint of what a turkey it was. The problem is the writing is so poor and the main characters have so little in common, one can't sympathize with them or even see why they would hang out together. Check the credits for the writers and you won't be surprised to see they hadn't written anything before or since. Courteney is little more than a pudgy and very pregnant wife whose husband is cheating on her -- talk about being miscast! The storylines for the four guys seem cliched and lack any real depth. By the time the smarmy conclusion comes, you just don't care.
Into the Night (1985)
What were they thinking?
This is one of those movies where you shake your head and ask how could such a talented group of people get together and make such a horrible piece of crap.
The script is lousy, the story has no logic, the scenes have no flow, the dialogue is wooden, and the whole thing plays like an amateurish B-movie. Is it really surprising that the writer Ron Koslow hasn't done anything significant since? As for the director, John Landis, I can only guess that an inflated reputation and backers with too much money and too little experience combined to unleash this atrocity on us. The story, such as it is, seems to center around the search for some stolen gems hunted by some Iranian bad guys. Jeff Goldblum, in his trademark understated style tries to play it sincerely but there are times when he looks positively embarrassed by his part. I suppose the only reason people bother to watch this anymore is the presence of the young Michelle Pfeiffer and her very brief nude scene.
Some film students might want to study this one as a lesson in how not to do it but the rest of us will pass, thankyou.
Frogs for Snakes (1998)
Not Bad, Myrna
I actually like this movie. I can see how some people might find it pretentious but those people are just not buying into the concept. It's kind of a campy send-up of Tarantino-ish films substituting a motley group of sleazy actors for just plain sleaze-balls. Instead of long monologues by inane lowlifes about pop culture (a la Pulp Fiction) you get more articulate and literary monologues culled from films, sometimes done with some style and finesse, other times done just for unintentional self-parody, by a colorful group of actors/gangsters. As with any parody, there are times when the characterizations seem over-the-top but mostly I found them clever and funny. To the film's credit, it doesn't take itself too seriously, simply drawing a parallel between the actor's process and the process of the gangster getting into character for the gruesome deeds they do. Barbara Hershey plays the lead character trying to `get out of the life' and out of acting. She is not the most charismatic actress but she does have her moments even if there are times it seems her character's disaffection for her world fails to hold our sympathies. Robbie Coltrane never quite seems convincing as the thick-accented Eastern European gang leader and aspiring impresario. However, Lisa Marie as Myrna is wonderful as the incredibly hot if not-so-talented actress and there are other fine performances from others in the film. The ending is schmaltzy but for the most part the film is quite entertaining.