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MOVIE GUIDE: I

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932, Mervyn LeRoy)
Les Miserables for the Depression. Paul Muni, an idealistic chap trying to make his fortune, is wrongly imprisoned. His escape sends him on a lengthy, seemingly permanent journey. LeRoy's film is startlingly prescient; it makes one feel as if the time it documents so brilliantly is happening right now. The experience of seeing it today feels like it must duplicate exactly that of seeing it in 1932. That, my friends, is the mark of great artistry. (A)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / best of year / MENTIONED: Sullivan's Travels review / Bicycle Thief review / Sin City review / Cool Hand Luke review
The Ice Storm (1997, Ang Lee)
Funny, shocking, and beautiful, this moody tale of recovering hippies, their sex drive, and their alienated children is among the best films ever made about what keeps (or doesn't keep) families tied together, and one would be hard pressed to name a better one about the universal nature of sex. Wonderful cast topped by Kevin Kline and Joan Allen as an increasingly distant couple. This one gets better every time, and perhaps the best mark of director Lee's expertise is how much he makes you feel the chills in the storm of the title. (A+)
REVIEW / DVD & comments / RELATED: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon review / MENTIONED: Happiness review / 1000th post
I Confess (1953, Alfred Hitchcock)
One of Hitchcock's most relentlessly bleak films, I CONFESS concerns Montgomery Clift as a Catholic priest to whom a murder is confessed. When he is himself framed for the murder, he's put in an unenviable position of choice between his life and his priesthood. Throw in Anne Baxter (brilliant and nuanced) as a long-lost love interest and you have a guaranteed winner. But while this is a technical masterpiece, it is dark to the point of oppression, and one of the most difficult Hitchcock films to watch (even THE WRONG MAN has more of a sense of fun, and the many films in his oeuvre which are even darker, such as SABOTAGE and FRENZY, all balance the light and terror with greater ease) perhaps because it is the only one that is basically humorless. Nevertheless, quite startling. (A-)
REVIEW / MENTIONED: Warners Hitchcock DVD box announcement / Cape Fear review / A Place in the Sun review
Idiocracy (2006, Mike Judge)
The breakneck pacing is a bit much, some of the special effects are horrible, and one yearns to see the original longer cut, but this is another perceptive, scathing, impressively humanist comedy from Judge, one of the best artists in the country today. Luke Wilson gets stuck in the future after a cryogenic experiment, lands in a world where everyone is stupid. Fearless and biting. (A-)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / MENTIONED: summer movie preview / watching Beavis & Butt-Head
I'll Do Anything (1994, James L. Brooks)
Brooks filmed this weird dramedy about Nick Nolte and an obnoxious little girl as a musical, with songs by Prince. I'll do anything to see that, because it sounds so much better than the disjointed, flaccid misfire this turned out to be. (C-)
MENTIONED: Starting Over review
The Illusionist (2006, Neil Burger)
Edward Norton. Anything beyond those two words expended in discourse on this movie is a waste of energy, so again: Edward Norton. (B)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / movies seen in 2006 / MENTIONED: summer movie preview / top ten of week / The Prestige review

I Love You, I Love You Not (1996, Billy Hopkins)
It belongs in the National Film Registry because Claire Danes makes out with herself in a mirror in it. Yes, I like Claire Danes a good deal. Anyway, ditch the rest. (C-)

I Love You to Death (1990, Lawrence Kasdan)
Keanu Reeves -- back when he knew he couldn't act, and took advantage of it -- offers the comedic highlight of this amusing film about a restauranteur whose wife attempts to murder him. Kevin Kline and Tracey Ullman are quite good; the film is inconsequential, but still enjoyable. (B)

Imagine: John Lennon (1988, Andrew Solt)
Insightful but sometimes overbaked documentary about Lennon's life and passions features a couple of riveting sequences rarely seen elsewhere, such as the infamous Al Capp confrontation. As cinema, it's not much, but for Lennon's fans, it will be a treasure. (B+)
DVD announcement
In & Out (1997, Frank Oz)
Kevin Kline again! This time as a groom-to-be who may or may not suddenly be learning that he is gay. Slow at first, but increasingly charming and layered, and surprisingly subtle for a '90s film of this subject matter. (A-)

An Inconvenient Truth (2006, Davis Guggenheim)
Al Gore puts on one hell of a show for this PowerPoint thingy he does illustrating the threat of global warming. Gore's contribution to this brief documentary is engaging, sobering, and powerful. But the film itself doesn't look bound to have much of a shelf life. It's appropriately dry, but is only really fascinating when it sticks to science; examinations of Gore's career are less meaningful and far less interesting, not to mention noticably uncinematic. (B)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / MENTIONED: Wuzzon / typeface discussion
The Incredible Journey (1963, Fletcher Markle)
Low-key family fare about three pets making the trek across Canada to find their owners. Superior to the remake, HOMEWARD BOUND (also from Disney), for so many reasons, most notably the lack of wisecracks. (B)

The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964, Arthur Lubin)
Don Knotts is -- never mind, you won't believe me if I tell you. (C-)

The Incredibles (2004, Brad Bird)
Fusion of the world's greatest animation studio -- Pixar -- with one of the world's greatest animation directors -- Bird -- with a story that can't lose, a comedy/fantasy about a family of superheroes alienated upon being forced to give up their identities. As passionate a plea against conformity as has ever come out of Hollywood, this daring, provocative, head-spinning masterpiece is not only the best animated feature made in the U.S. to date, and I do mean that, it's also the best action film, one of the best character studies, and easily the best superhero movie. It is to cartoons what CITIZEN KANE was to sound films. I hope we build on it, but if we don't, the damage is already done; no one ever again can deny what cartoons are capable of. (A+)
REVIEW / my quest to buy DVD / pre-release comments / predictions / reaction / Nietsztchean subtext of? / rant about animation and family entertainment & the oscars / Brad Bird & animation / bottled water deal at Target / bring back Plastic Man / LISTED: rated / best DVDs of year / RELATED: Pixar/Disney negotiations / Jerry Beck on Pixar / Cars reaction / Cars review / Cars DVD / Ratatouille reaction / Ratatouille review / MENTIONED: NYT Polar Express review / dismal Polar Express numbers / scary cartoons / Stephen King's top 10 / Cars teaser / Danny Boyle's 'Millions' & top grossers of 2004 / golden globes / Sideways review / WDT: On the Front Lines / H2G2 review / Sleeping Beauty & Life Aquatic DVDs / Batman Begins review / job interview day / Fantastic Four comment / movie summaries / Corpse Bride review / Michael Barrier / Chicken Little comments / clip show + year in movies / Twilight Zone S4 DVD review / oscars / Million Dollar Baby review / Twilight Zone CG / summer movie preview / 1000th post / Watership Down review
Independence Day (1996, Roland Emmerich)
Did you ever ride the school bus? Did the kid behind you ever, for no reason whatsoever, stand up and start slamming you on the head? Strangely enough, this movie has the same exact effect on me, and I'm not saying that to be cute, it's really true. Some movies give me a migraine every time I see them. E.T. is another one. But this is the worst of all. I think when you suddenly find yourself this distant from all humanity and forgiveness, immersed in relentless noise and CGI FX, you just get cast off to such an extent and feel lost. And that is why I hate this movie. Plus, it sucks. (D+)
scary movies & impressionable youth
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989, Steven Spielberg)
Maybe I'm the only one who thinks so, but I vote this as the best film of the Indy trilogy -- its action setpieces are the tightest, the humor is the smartest, and the characters actually seem to breathe and exist a little bit. And then, of course, there's Sean Connery, in one of his best roles ever as the commanding father of the professor. Delightful from start to end. (A)
RELATED: Saving Private Ryan review
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984, Steven Spielberg)
Don't let anyone tell you this is unwatchable; it's hardly a chore for anybody who loves the other two films, and it is fun to watch the director go out on a limb with nutty ideas like the musical opening, but taken on its own it really is one obnoxious blockbuster -- overbearing, hyperactive, surprisingly mean-spirited, and often dull. And the raft scene... come on. (C)

The Indian in the Cupboard (1995, Frank Oz)
Let's get this straight: The book by Lynne Reid Banks is, frankly, nothing special. The goofy sequel is even worse. The third book is fun but, again, unremarkable. However, the final book in the series, The Mystery of the Cupboard, is an unqualified masterpiece, one of the best children's books of the '90s. If only for that reason, it's a shame the Frank Oz film of the original is so safe and sanitized and boring; we'll never get all the way to number four. (C+)

Infinity (1996, Matthew Broderick)
Broderick -- as a physicist at work on the Manhattan Project -- does well for himself in his first film as director, all told; it's the overbearing script that hurts the movie. Fun to see at least once, anyway, with some great visual ingredients. (B-)

Inherit the Wind (1960, Stanley Kramer)
Spencer Tracy is phenomenal as a lawyer who takes the journey to a small town in which the teaching of evolution is being challenged, and the school biology instructor jailed as a heathen. Unfortunately still relevant, this courtroom powerhouse still carries the ability to shock, though its final concession to religion is a bit of a copout. (A-)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / best of year
Innerspace (1987, Joe Dante)
Someone let Dante into the toy store again, and now poor Dennis Quaid is trapped in Martin Short's body. An unfunny waste of time that goes on for a couple of centuries. (D+)

Interiors (1978, Woody Allen)
Dreamlike, intelligent and yet seemingly unfinished (and surprisingly humorless) drama from Woody Allen (his first) about three sisters (again?) and their reaction to their parents' divorce and the entrance of a free-spirited new stepmother into their lives. Staged and structured in a wonderfully surreal manner, with a truly disarming dance sequence adding to the surprises, but it's all just a little too serious, y'know? (B+)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / RELATED: Alice review / Purple Rose of Cairo review / Broadway Danny Rose review / Match Point review / Melinda & Melinda review / September review / MENTIONED: Sullivan's Travels review
Intermezzo (1939, Gregory Ratoff)
Ingrid Bergman's first American movie. Very short. Cool violin sex scene. Otherwise, nothing noteworthy. (B-)
REVIEW / addendum to review / LISTED: rated / MENTIONED: Portrait of Jennie review / Before Sunrise + Before Sunset review
Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994, Neil Jordan)
Trashy, beautifully shot adaptation of Anne Rice's worthwhile (but also trashy) novel features a clueless Tom Cruise and a startlingly good Brad Pitt as bloodsuckers making the best of their 200-year existence. MARTIN is sadder, Browning's DRACULA is scarier and sexier, both are funnier. But this movie is quite fun to watch, thanks to vivid production design and Jordan's eye for the weird and wonderful. (B+)

In the Company of Men (1997, Neil LaBute)
Perfect maverick filmmaking, this disturbing, discomforting film tells the story of a couple of disaffected angry young men who decide to woo a young (and handicapped!) lady and dump her, just for the hell of it. The rare independent film that is as challenging as indies were generally reputed to be by the overexcited '90s press, this is starkly funny and creepy. Aaron Eckhart is unforgettable. (A)
RELATED: Your Friends and Neighbors review
In the Heat of the Night (1967, Norman Jewison)
Cop Sidney Poitier spends a few off-duty days in the beautiful Southern U.S., where racists attack him with big pieces of scrap metal, local asshole Rod Steiger sneers at him, a local Aryan botanist makes snide botany remarks to his face, all while there's a totally uninteresting murder to solve. If you still care by the second half-hour, you are a saint and should immediately submit an application to Pope Asshole or whatever his name is. (C)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / MENTIONED: new AFI list
Intolerance (1916, D.W. Griffith)
It cries out and begs to be seen, filed away, consulted occasionally, and never watched start to finish again. Some choice moments, plenty of innovation (for whatever that's worth, which is very little), and a nice Wall. Passionately revered by people too polite to pretend they like BIRTH OF A NATION, too pretentious to realize how little Griffith truly matters today. (B)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / RELATED: Birth of a Nation review / MENTIONED: City Lights short review / new AFI list
Into the Night (1985, John Landis)
This is John Landis' idea of playful cinema, which translates to the fascinating act of putting a bunch of his peers -- for no apparent reason -- in a movie about Jeff Goldblum cavorting around with Michelle Pfeiffer. Did people actually go and see this? Is it some kind of Catholic guilt thing? Is John Landis Catholic, even? (C-)

I.Q. (1994, Fred Schepisi)
Amazing what separates movies that have ideas from those that don't; watch this side by side with THE HUDSUCKER PROXY someday. Meg Ryan is annoying, as she tends to be, as woman who gets hooked up thanks to Albert Einstein. Some find this cute. Some find that dog in AS GOOD AS IT GETS cute, too. I was forced to watch this in math class once. (D+)

The Iron Giant (1999, Brad Bird)
Bird's debut feature -- and the final hand-drawn film from Warner Bros. Feature Animation -- is one of the great first-time home runs of the decade. Bird's pastiche of Frankenstein, McCarthyism, and beat mythology makes for a lovely, exciting night at the movies... and it's worlds better than anything the Disney studio has produced since Walt died. Bird's compositions are excellent, his storytelling abilities and understanding of hero worship stunning, calling back to his brilliant use of Krusty on The Simpsons and ahead to his masterful THE INCREDIBLES. And the CG animation of the giant is breathtaking, but then, most everything in the film is. (A)
RELATED: Ratatouille review / MENTIONED: Brad Bird rant from IMDB board / Pixar stuff / Great Expectations review / 2005 movie preview / Dumbo review / summer movie preview
I Shot Andy Warhol (1996, Mary Harron)
Lili Taylor is fun in this sly, strange biopic of Scum Manifesto author Valerie Solonas and her attempted assassination of Warhol. A comparison of Harron's recreation of the period and Oliver Stone's reveals how a spirited desire to tell a story (even if that story is unsatisfying, even unfinished) wins over ridiculous attention to petty details. Yo La Tengo appear as the Velvet Underground! (B)
2006 movie preview
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998, Danny Cannon)
How can you hate a movie with this title? Well, it's just that bad. I have no real line of comparison, my culturally illiterate ass having not seen the original (and I know my Southport brothers are ashamed to read that). But anyway, I still know this is routine boring slasher junk. (D+)

It Happened One Night (1934, Frank Capra)
The only romantic comedy that matters. Clark Gable trails heriess Claudette Colbert across the country as she hides from the marriage she doesn't want. This delightful film hasn't aged a bit. Capra knows how to affirm existence itself. (A+)
very short review / DVD review / RELATED: Frank Capra Jr. lecture attended / Mr. Smith Goes to Washington review / 1000th post
It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)
People talk about longing for the simpler time when movies like this were being made, but there's nothing simple about this, and the notion of Capra as sentimental sap is urban (rural?) myth. This is a film about contemplating suicide; it's healthy, cynical, sharp-edged, funny, and even angry, and that's why it is ultimately so moving. Jimmy Stewart is one of the biggest reasons, of course; he could probably sell damn near anything. (A)
RELATED: Frank Capra Jr. lecture attended / Mr. Smith Goes to Washington review / MENTIONED: seasonal programming / black bars / note on Used Cars DVD / Anatomy of a Murder DVD
I Vitelloni (1953, Federico Fellini)
Fellini's debut is a beautiful, quietly powerful portrait of Italian youths that scores over and over again with intelligence and awe-inspiring visual emotion until its half-baked climax. Clearly a key influence on THE 400 BLOWS, which does it one better by keeping up the pace until the final second, but this is still a kind of masterpiece, and as much as it may idealize life at twenty, it never feels like a lie. (A)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / best of year / RELATED: La Strada review / La Dolce Vita review / MENTIONED: Truffaut short 'Les Mistons' / Cinema Paradiso review
I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978, Robert Zemeckis)
Zemeckis' stunning first film as director, this is a suitably insane, life-affirming document of six teenagers doing everything they can to see the Beatles play at the Ed Sullivan theater on February 9, 1964. As notable for its joyously unrestrained characterization (and realism) as for its relentless pacing, frequently unbearably funny script (cowritten by Bob Gale), and the best use of Beatles music on screen to date (check out the "Money" and "Love Me Do" sequences). If you haven't seen this yet, go! Now! It's one of the best forgotten flops in film history. (A+)
REVIEW / plea for DVD release / DVD announcement! / MENTIONED: Beatles Capitol Albums V. 1 / Dawn of the Dead DVD review / A Hard Day's Night review / Wendie Jo Sperber RIP / The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit DVD

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