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MOVIE GUIDE: Y
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942, Michael Curtiz)
James Cagney is loads of fun as songwriter/entrepreneur George M. Cohan, but the movie is annoyingly overzealous, self-serious (despite warm comedy throughout), and much too long. See it for Cagney and file it away. (B-)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / MENTIONED: AFI rundown / new AFI list
Yellowbeard (1983, Mel Damski)
Just... don't watch it, okay? (D+)
Yellow Submarine (1968, George Dunning)
Highly unconventional animated masterpiece, its dark satire offset by a haze of whimsy and the emotionally wrenching use of Beatles songs for shattering musical sequences. Highlights include "Eleanor Rigby," "Nowhere Man," and the tremendous "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," a scene that turns an OK song into a kaleidoscope of romance. (A+)
REVIEW / DVD review / MENTIONED: all the lonely people / about review / Charlie & the Chocolate Factory prerelease rant 1 / animation rant / Fantasia review / buttons / Watership Down review / Wuzzon
Yojimbo (1961, Akira Kurosawa)
Playful, fun, daring film from Kurosawa about conniving samurai is an enormously enjoyable hybrid of action film, western, and comedy, and served as the inspiration for A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS. I know SEVEN SAMURAI is better but I still would rather watch this. (B+)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated
Young and Innocent (1937, Alfred Hitchcock)
Hitchcock's stab at Capra-world, his naive characters escaping the hopeless claustrophobia of SABOTAGE... though the ambience of the old country is darker than ever. Outstanding special effects, streamlined storytelling, and great entertainment in the vein of the director's follow-up, THE LADY VANISHES. (A)
RELATED: Jamaica Inn comments / MENTIONED: War of the Worlds review / Goodfellas review
Young Doctors in Love (1982, Garry Marshall)
Trashy soft porn that was good enough for a thirty-second trailer but not good enough to actually sit through. (D)
Young Einstein (1988, Yahoo Serious)
Overwhelmingly likable Serious epic has amusingly senseless story, an enthusiastic lead performance, and great music. It's also a bit gross, but that's all right. (B+)
Young Frankenstein (1974, Mel Brooks)
Nobody will ever make a movie like this again; its manic energy approaches the level of a peak-period Warner Bros. cartoon, except, of course, much dirtier. If one were to make a list of the funniest sequences ever to appear on film, this movie would have a small monopoly. (A+)
Mel Brooks Collection DVD review
Your Friends and Neighbors (1998, Neil LaBute)
LaBute's obnoxious characters have petty arguments, with Catherine Keener and Ben Stiller hitting all the sour notes properly. It's well-written, but what's the freaking point? All that aside, one scene in a steam bath is wholly remarkable; try to catch it and change the channel. (C-)
REVIEW / LISTED: rated / worst of year
Y Tu Mama Tambien (2002, Alfonso Cuaron)
What every other coming of age film wants to be, Cuaron's Mexican opus is honest, witty, and overloaded with sumptuous detail. This more or less seals him as one of the most impressive young filmmakers working today. Be sure to see the complete version, not the messy R-rated cut. (A)
RELATED: Great Expectations review / Children of Men review / MENTIONED: Adaptation review / gummy bear / Jules & Jim review / gummy bear again / The Science of Sleep review
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