Author: Ken Hanke

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Hell’s Angels

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 9, 2012October 9, 2012

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Hell’s Angels (1930) was the most expensive film of its time ($3.8 million) and an event picture like no other. Howard Hughes — in typically obsessive fashion — was determined that this would be the last word in aviation spectacle, and indeed the last word in spectacle, period. Naturally, this meant he took so long […]

Frankenweenie

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 9, 2012October 9, 2012

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The Story: Tim Burton returns to one of his early short films for the basis of this animated tale of a young boy who brings his dead dog back to life after the fashion of Dr. Frankenstein. The Lowdown: Beautifully crafted animated film that plays to all of Burton's strengths and none of his weaknesses.…

I Was Born, But…

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 9, 2012October 9, 2012

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In Brief: Simple, but engaging early Ozu film resembles nothing so much as a 90-minute Japanese variation on an Our Gang comedy. It makes a few rather bitter observations about the social hierarchy in Japan, but its most successful and appealing quality stems from the snapshot it provides of 1932 Japan.

Taken 2

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 9, 2012October 9, 2012

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The Story: Ex-CIA agent Bryan Mills and his family are targeted by the father of one of the kidnappers Mills killed when rescuing his daughter in the first movie. The Lowdown: Pointless and terminally dumb actioner with occasional moments of unintended humor.

Lifeforce

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 9, 2012October 9, 2012

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In Brief: A race of space vampires (who travel about in some kind of giant seedpod inside Halley's Comet) end up making their way across England, sucking the lifeforce out of their victims — apparently to power their seedpod. As looney as it sounds, and something of a mess, despite Tobe Hooper's best efforts and…

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 9, 2012October 9, 2012

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The Story: A transformative year in the life a troubled introvert and his coming of age with the help of some new friends. The Lowdown: Splendidly entertaining and involving film that is both funny and surprisingly perceptive. See this one.

Cranky Hanke’s Weekly Reeler October 10-16: Perks of Seven Sinister Wallflower Psychopaths

Posted on October 9, 2012April 6, 2014 by Ken Hanke

It’s a busy week at the movies. Not only are there six movies—well, five real movies and a curiosity—opening, but there’s QFest at the Fine Arts more than doubling the number. With that in mind, let’s jump right into the fray and see what’s out there.

Hotel Transylvania

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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The Story: Overprotective Dracula tries to keep his daughter from the outside world with predictable results. The Lowdown: Harmless animated fluff that neither excites, nor offends in its blandness.

Last Holiday

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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In Brief: Alec Guinness' first star vehicle finds him playing an unassuming salesman of agricultural equipment who is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Emptying his bank account — and decked out in exquisitely tailored secondhand clothes — he heads off to a posh resort hotel to enjoy the "high life" before he dies. To his…

Looper

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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The Story: In the future hired assassins are paid to eliminate people from an even more distant future -- even if the target happens to be an assassin's future self. The Lowdown: An involving, first-rate and extremely intelligent science fiction film that works on every level, though I confess to finding it slightly less compelling…

The Face at the Window

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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In Brief: The classic barnstorming melodrama The Face at the Window makes for what is probably the best of Tod Slaughter's horror output. Who is Tod Slaughter? He was England's answer to both Karloff and Lugosi — an enjoyably shameless ham who positively reveled in both his transparent, mustache-twirling villainy and his unabashed lechery. There…

The Aviator

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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In Brief: Martin Scorsese's epic (in the best sense) and sprawling biographical film on Howard Hughes is probably his least successful 21st century film, but that doesn't keep it from being pretty darn fascinating in its own right. And it's certainly brilliantly made by a master filmmaker. Whether it's as emotionally involving as it should…

Olympia

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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In Brief: Leni Riefenstahl's massive — and massively impressive — documentary on the 1936 Olympic games held in the Berlin of the Nazi era is amazing in itself, but perhaps is even more important as a fascinating time capsule.

Gen Silent

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on October 2, 2012October 2, 2012

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In Brief: Powerful and powerfully moving film about the plight of aging LGBT people and the discrimination — and even abuse — they face in finding health care in their declining years. This is a film that needs to be seen.

Cranky Hanke’s Weekly Reeler October 3-9: Perfect Frankenweenie Pitch Taken

Posted on October 2, 2012April 6, 2014 by Ken Hanke

It’s a light week at the movies. Stranger still, it’s a week with absolutely no art titles. Yes, we’re strictly mainstream this week, though I suppose one of openers could be said to be of the cult variety.

The Blue Bird

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

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In Brief: This very odd film bombed when it came out in 1940 — although it was Shirley Temple's consolation prize for not being loaned to MGM for The Wizard of Oz While it's a mixed bag, it has numerous good things in it and is consistently interesting with beautiful production values. But be warned,…

House at the End of the Street

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

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The Story: A mother and daughter move in next door to a house where a pair of murders were committed — but the house still harbors a dark secret. The Lowdown: Fitfully stylish, but utterly silly, never scary and, finally, rather boring.

Lonesome

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

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In Brief: Could it be that the best film of 2012 is from 1928? It's just possible that the best movie you're likely to see this year is Paul Fejos' Lonesome, and, yes, it was made 84 years ago. This touching, charming movie consists— at least in cold print — of little more than two…

2 Days in New York

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

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The Story: A New York couple's world is turned upside down by a visit from her French relatives, who show up with an unexpected ex-boyfriend in tow. The Lowdown: Julie Delpy's follow-up to her 2 Days in Paris is both funnier, more likable and more inventive than the original. And Chris Rock finally gets a…

Horror Island / Man Made Monster

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

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In Brief: A pair of early 1940s Universal horrors from director George Waggner, Horror Island is more of a fun mystery set in an old dark castle that benefits from atmosphere and a perfect cast (not to mention the Hans J. Salter score), while Man Made Monster is a first-rate little horror film that proved…

The Color of Pomegranates

Reviewed by Ken Hanke on September 25, 2012September 25, 2012

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In Brief: Sergei Parajanov's highly-acclaimed arty and poetic biography of an Armenian troubadour is so far removed from the norms of narrative film that it's beyond questions of good and bad. Its often striking and evocative tableaux either resonate with the viewer or they don't. I can't say they work for me.

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