tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post3862550403817529036..comments2024-03-03T10:32:45.969-08:00Comments on Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur: Not Polite To StareMr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-14062648178431045182010-11-10T08:48:41.465-08:002010-11-10T08:48:41.465-08:00Finally somebody gives Dickinson her due. One of t...Finally somebody gives Dickinson her due. One of the best and most fascinating screen performances ever. Her face, her expressiveness and her beauty were just riveting for the 30 minutes she was in the movie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-13673754451473076092010-04-13T23:34:11.081-07:002010-04-13T23:34:11.081-07:00Dennis--
Thanks for the amazing comments and I...Dennis--<br /><br />Thanks for the amazing comments and I'm sorry you couldn't be there! Next time I see Phil I'm going to bring up the possibility of more De Palma. <br /><br />It sounds like we're on the same page with BODY DOUBLE. It might be insane as some of the others but maybe it's that there is a degree of self-consciousness in there that keeps me from getting on that train. But I should say that if given the choice right this second I would watch it over THE FURY which I also don't necessarily dislike but I honestly never felt much about that movie at all one way or the other. And I'm in absolute agreement with you in regards to your ultimate statement about the Hitchcock complaint. You pretty much said it all right there. Anyway, thanks again! I'm sure we will be running into each other soon!Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-83684136254816315372010-04-13T13:08:12.205-07:002010-04-13T13:08:12.205-07:00Mr. Peel, I picked a hell of a weekend to go out o...Mr. Peel, I picked a hell of a weekend to go out of town, eh? My excitement at hearing Phil was bringing this to the New Beverly deflated almost instantly when I saw the date. But thank you for a great write-up on one of my favorite De Palma films. I saw it several years ago at LACMA (with <i>Carrie</i>) and came away thinking it was not only a great De Palma film, but a great film period-- and this after having loved it ever since seeing it on opening night during the summer of 1980.<br /><br />De Palma is fascinating to me for many reasons, one of which is that he is not for me a filmmaker who I feel compelled or obligated to love in great generalities, even though it's pretty clear the way he works through similar themes over the course of his career. Something like <i>Body Double</i> is TOO self-conscious and, to my mind, not clearly thought through, whereas something similar like <i>Blow Out</i>, which I think is flawed but brilliant, works despite its lapses (which are minor indeed compared to those in <i>Body Double</i>.) And I don't have a lot of love for something like <i>The Fury</i>, even though despite its pulp paperback origins it comes off as almost pure De Palma. He's maddeningly inconsistent, and it's been since <i>Femme Fatale</i> that I've flat-out adored one of his movies (10 years ago?!). Yet thematically he's still one of the richest filmmakers working. I love Don's description of how <i>Carlito's Way</i> connects up with one of the strongest threads in his films, that powerlessness to intercede in the fate of a loved one. I'm also amazed by how <i>Dressed to Kill</i> expresses the fear underlying our obseesion with sex and its stylish surfaces in a way that still seems delicious and hypercinematic even as it presciently anticipated the deepening of those fears on a mass scale in the decade to come. (The tired Hitchcock complaint is, to my mind, only for those who don't care to look very closely.)<br /><br />Anyway, didn't mean to ramble on. I just wish I coulda been there and been part of this discussion earlier. Nice post! See ya soon, I hope!Dennis Cozzaliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954848938471883431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-58428160981810597262010-04-10T10:59:52.809-07:002010-04-10T10:59:52.809-07:00Fred--
I hadn't quite thought of it that way,...Fred--<br /><br />I hadn't quite thought of it that way, you may have something there. I mean, sure, the Hitchcock thing warrants being mentioned when discussing De Palma but it certainly isn't everything. You also remind me that my DVD of BLOW OUT is close at hand and it makes me want to put it in the player right now. And I've got things I have to get done today...<br /><br />Don--<br /><br />Yes about DRESSED TO KILL. YES. <br /><br />I always felt that SNAKE EYES (flawed as it is) and FEMME FATALE represented some kind of resolution of the powerless observer theme because in those two films the protagonist figures out a way to take action and stop being powerless--Carla Gugino is saved though Nancy Allen (among others) wasn't, Rebecca Romijn prevents that gun from being fired which helps everyone in the end, herself included. That SNAKE EYES didn't work still kind of stings actually, but FEMME FATALE (I'm not sure how I could possibly write a piece on that) feels like two hours of pure joy to me and comes up with a logical, perfect conclusion that often seemed to evade De Palma in his thrillers from SISTERS on.<br /><br />Joe--<br /><br />Thank you very much for that. DRESSED TO KILL really is sich a perfect film for a packed house with an audience willing to go along with it, willing to scream as loud as possible. There may be a few others that I like as much as the three you mentioned but, yeah, THE UNTOUCHABLES is still such a favorite of mine. And, once, again, I'm resisting sitting down to watch BLOW OUT again right now.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-38509738154687400522010-04-09T17:33:35.209-07:002010-04-09T17:33:35.209-07:00Peel,
Oh by George, you've done it again. Se...Peel,<br /><br />Oh by George, you've done it again. Sellar piece.<br /><br />Looks like I'm a little late to this party so I'll keep my comments short.<br /><br />DRESSED TO KILL is my fav dePalma film. Saw it on opening day, with a packed theater, and the audience ate it up. Jumped at all the right places and laughed throughout.<br /><br />dePalma would never make another personal masterpiece like this again - although BLOW OUT comes mighty close - and THE UNTOUCHABLES was his best "director for hire" phase.Joe Martinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11960803506051969149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-37830641947921189862010-04-09T14:32:57.020-07:002010-04-09T14:32:57.020-07:00I think what everyone's getting at is that DRE...I think what everyone's getting at is that DRESSED TO KILL is one of the most movie-ish movies ever -- self-conscious (in a great way), post-modern, and stylized to within an inch of its life.<br /><br />Mike Lippert: I think CARLITO'S WAY does in fact square with De Palma's career-long fixation on the plight of the "powerless observer" (not my term, and about which much has been written). In film after film, characters watch helplessly as the people they care about are subjected to (usually fatal) violence. In CARLITO'S WAY -- SPOILER -- Carlito represents both figures, observer and observed, as he narrates the events which lead inexorably to his own demise.Don Mancinihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16697303770099289489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-10000049061302866082010-04-09T14:27:10.484-07:002010-04-09T14:27:10.484-07:00It is interesting how all of the "DePalma is ...It is interesting how all of the "DePalma is a Hitchcock ripoff" stuff dates back to the 70s, a time when folks were just getting out of the cinemas and into the video stores, so they weren't as aware of Bava, Argento, Antonio and the other Italian masters (not to mention the giallo subgenre). Instead, they fell back on comparing him to Hitchcock. But looking at DePalma's body of work in retrospective, I really don't think the "Hitchcock ripoff" label fits (let alone considering how crassly unfair it is). If you look at Psycho and Frenzy (Hitchcock's two films which could be considered as close to Dressed to Kill), there really is no comparison. All three are enjoyable and have their merits, but the approaches are so markedly different. The dream logic of De Palma never appears in either of Hitchcock's films. Like you pointed out in your review, Dressed to Kill has more in common with the Case of the Bloody Iris or any number of gialli than it does to the cinema of Hitchcock. <br /><br />I wonder if De Palma's decision to title his next film Blowout was to yell at his critics: "Hey idiots! I'm making an homage to Antonioni here, NOT Hitchcock! Now get your heads out of your asses, go to the video store, and rent Blow Up and L'aventurra, as well as anything by Argento, Bava, Sergio Martino, and Lucio Fulci (pre-Zombie), and then come back and try call me a Hitchcock ripoff hack. Or better yet, go kiss my ass!" Well, maybe those weren't De Palma's exact words, but they should have been.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05768886260813823765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-7839363067669493662010-04-09T14:08:57.766-07:002010-04-09T14:08:57.766-07:00Bob--
For some reason when I wrote this piece I j...Bob--<br /><br />For some reason when I wrote this piece I just assumed I'd reference BLOW OUT at some point, maybe because they were only made a year apart, yet it never wound up happening. But I truly do love that film, I think it's quite extraordinary. <br /><br />I had a complicated response to THE BLACK DAHLIA which also began when I saw it opening day (I'll save the story for later), but it's ultimately not all that favorable as well as a big disappointment for anyone who had read the book. Anyway, I'm very gratified that you liked this piece, thank you very much. <br /><br />J.D.--<br /><br />Yes, I really love MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, I just think it's a blast. Actually, I haven't watched it for some time but that's maybe because I went through a long period where I kind of watched it a lot. Sometimes you need to step away from something for a while. But I still think it's terrific. <br /><br />Michael H. --<br /><br />Many thanks for your thoughtful comments although there are probably a few Hitchcocks that I would rank above it. Which is hardly the worst thing you could say about any movie. Hope you'll be able to make it to the next De Palma screening when and if it happens...<br /><br />Chris--<br /><br />See it! See it now! What are you waiting for? As for MISSION TO MARS, well...I've seen that film a grand total of once. On opening night. Probably one of the more violent crowd reactions I've ever witnessed to a film. Maybe someday I'll revisit it but right now I just don't have it in me. Anyway, I'm very glad that you enjoyed the piece so much and now finally want to see it. Enjoy!<br /><br />Richard--<br /><br />What you wrote reminded me of how I felt when I first saw THE UNTOUCHABLES but it also reminds me of how great it can be to remain open to all sorts of films, to want to figure out why they sometimes effect us the way they do. Interestingly, your mention of SCARFACE reminds me that I've never had much to say about it either. I like the film but have never had much inclination in going crazy over it like most of the world always has. Anyway, thank you very much for what you wrote here, it means a great deal to me that you reacted to the piece in such a way. Sometimes I like what I like as well (so naturally sometimes I don't like what I don't like) and in writing something like this I'm really trying to figure out why. Again, many thanks.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-41874223991431857342010-04-09T12:05:03.086-07:002010-04-09T12:05:03.086-07:00Mr. Peel, I found my way to your blog via the New ...Mr. Peel, I found my way to your blog via the New Beverly Facebook link to this post. I unfortunately had to bail out of attending the showing, but I regret doing so. I don't have a circle of companions who share the same love of De Palma movies as I do and for me it's quite difficult only because I do not have an encyclopedic knowledge of films in general to contribute to any real discussion. To put it in a juvenile way, I simply like what I like. And what I also like immensely is reading insights such as yours about some of my favorite films and filmmakers. I feel after reading your post on Dressed to Kill, I know a lot more than I had before about the film and about De Palma as a filmmaker.<br /><br />I actually cannot pinpoint exactly when I became enthralled by De Palma's films. I vaguely remember watching Mission: Impossible in the theaters in 1996 not knowing a thing about De Palma and having the film confuse the hell out of me upon initial viewing. I was just some kid who was into action and horror movies. Yet, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it was The Untouchables, for reasons I'm still not quite sure of, that became the catalyst for my appreciation of De Palma as a filmmaker. As common as this may or may not sound, I really just simply became fascinated by the style of that film. And the more I watched it and soaked in De Palma's style, the more I saw it in the rest of his films when I went back to watching Mission: Impossible, then Blow Out, Body Double, Dressed to Kill, The Fury, and so on and so forth. The same thing happened when I was introduce to David Lynch's vis Twin Peaks, or when I was blown away by Malick's The New World having never seen any prior works by either. These filmmakers have such a distinct style that, as a fan, it's what draws me in and what I expect to see again and again. And when I don't see it, or perhaps it's just incongruent in something like Redacted and to a lesser extent Scarface, I feel a bit unsure of how to interpret them.<br /><br />And as I am starting to ramble uncontrollably here, I should end by saying it is blogs such as yours Mr. Peel that helps casual moviewatchers such as myself bridge this gap of uncertainty. Not to mention it's also a great way to be predisposed to other movies.Richardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-3348490440292543262010-04-09T10:15:21.706-07:002010-04-09T10:15:21.706-07:00Damn, that was a great review, and it pains me to ...Damn, that was a great review, and it pains me to admit that I HAVE YET TO SEE IT.<br /><br />Over the years I'd heard so much about the film - a "friend" spoiled it for me originally - that I felt I knew enough about the movie to skip it and move on to something else. This is the first piece on Dressed to Kill I've read that really makes me want to go and find the movie now, just skip what I'm doing and just dive right in.<br /><br />And since you all have, I'll come out and also defend Body Double, as it was the first De Palma film I'd ever seen, and your first ____ (fill in the blank here) always holds a place in your heart, you know?<br /><br />And Mike - I'm right with you on Mission to Mars (you called in red Planet, which was equally bad but, alas, not the same film) - I wrote about it during Tony's/Cinema Viewfinder's De Palma blogathon and I was shocked at how many people give it a pass.<br /><br />Sorry for the lack of brevity. I'm just getting back to my blog after a self-imposed exile for months and this was such a treat to read!Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13600990166210022027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-49174224319464700372010-04-09T08:36:17.098-07:002010-04-09T08:36:17.098-07:00Peel:
Thanks so much for posting this. I was goin...Peel:<br />Thanks so much for posting this. I was going to hit that screening, but got held up and couldn't make it. Would have been so good to see it with a crowd. As to DTK and whether it's a classic, I think the fact the New Bev showed it to a good house almost 30 years after it came out, answers that question. As for the endless comparison that some folks want to make to Hitchcock. De Palma, like every great artist, has been influenced by works of other artists. FYI, how many filmmakers have 'borrowed' from Eisenstein or Griffith or Welles or Ford. It's silly to only bash De Palma for something all artists do. And I know, without even looking on facebook, that some are going to beat up De Palma for being a woman hater. Yes, and in Transformers, Megan Fox is an inspiration to everyone. The difference now is the girl is dressed in even less clothes than Nancy Allen and doesn't play a prostitute. And yet, the women now in certain movies, don't have jobs at all. Nancy Allen in DTK bought and sold stock and saw a life after her present job. The bottom line is that DTK is a first rate thriller, it's way past anything Hitchcock ever did. That elevator scene alone is something Hitchcock would have loved to have done.Michael H.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-8936808631526160982010-04-09T06:36:14.814-07:002010-04-09T06:36:14.814-07:00Mr. Peel:
Ah, glad to see another MISSION: IMPOSS...Mr. Peel:<br /><br />Ah, glad to see another MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE fan! I love what De Palma did with that film in terms of style and camera movement. It's still, easily, the best film of that franchise and I find myself watching it every once in a while.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-58551846601327966652010-04-08T20:23:12.376-07:002010-04-08T20:23:12.376-07:00This is one your best write ups yet, Mr. Peel. I&#...This is one your best write ups yet, Mr. Peel. I've only seen "Dressed To Kill" once, on DVD, but I liked it quite a bit and I just assumed it was heavily influenced by the Italian giallos. I rediscovered my love for DePalma about a year ago when on a whim I picked up "Blow Out" on DVD. I'd seen it before, but for some reason this time it absolutely knocked me right out (as did each subsequent viewing). It's not only one of DePalma's best, but I think it's one of the all-time great American thrillers. Since then I've been scouting his films on DVD and though "Dress to Kill" is, sadly, out of print, I'll chase it down somewhere on the super human filmic strength of "Blow Out" and this write up. Keep'em coming, Mr. Peel! <br /><br />- Bob<br /><br />Also, I would love to read your take on "The Black Dahlia" which, as huge James Ellroy fan, I saw on the opening Friday & experienced one of my more bitter movie viewing experiences ever. That was a colossal failure of talent & material.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-73952904363323893132010-04-08T15:09:56.057-07:002010-04-08T15:09:56.057-07:00I think I should say that I absolutely do not dism...I think I should say that I absolutely do not dismiss, or even dislike, BODY DOUBLE. But while I willingly go along with the extremes in some of these films there's something I've never quite connected with in BODY DOUBLE that has always caused me to slightly resist it. But I definitely don't dislike it and I've even got the DVD close by, something I can't say for SNAKE EYES which I've always thought was a huge disappointment (and yet, I'd still like to write about it at some point). I do lovelovelove BLOW OUT, THE UNTOUCHABLES and CARLITO'S WAY more than I could possibly express here. And not everyone will agree, but I'm a big MISSION:IMPOSSIBLE fan as well. <br /><br />With De Palma, cinema does drip from every pore, as Colonel Mortimer put it, but Mike Lippert raises the valid question that maybe that in itself doesn't automatically make him a great director. I think there are themes that run through his films (though not, obviously, all of them) which I honestly thought FEMME FATALE was a culmination of. Certainly there's evidence in a few titles that would argue against his greatness--THE BLACK DAHLIA is one of those yet it's the sort of bad film that only someone with his talent could make. Maybe it's unavoidable when he takes the extreme chances (tonally, visually) that he sometimes does and you can't get something as good as FEMME FATALE or DRESSED TO KILL without being willing to dive off those cliffs. All I know is he's directed more than a few films that I completely, unabashedly love which may be enough proof for me. <br /><br />My thanks to you guys for the amazing comments, I really loved reading them.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-34108865526622364992010-04-08T10:00:01.914-07:002010-04-08T10:00:01.914-07:00This was a great examination of a truly De Palma f...This was a great examination of a truly <i>De Palma</i> film, Mr. Peel. It had such a great cast--none more haunting than Angie Dickinson's performance. Every time I watch this one, I can't help but be captivated and heartbroken by her. This one catches you and bounces you off the screen at the same time.<br /><br />I'll admit, too, that I appreciate the director's BODY DOUBLE (though probably not as much as this one). Count me in for the director's best commercial film, THE UNTOUCHABLES, as well. CARLITO'S WAY? One of the best crime dramas of its decade, no question.<br /><br />I've yet to see THE BLACK DAHLIA, and FEMME FATALE is soon to hit my home screen so this great review of yours is so timely. I especially appreciate how DRESSED TO KILL has made an impact upon you, sir. Thanks very much for this.le0pard13https://www.blogger.com/profile/09421175808461787862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-3759787204935706552010-04-08T09:04:00.245-07:002010-04-08T09:04:00.245-07:00Wonderful review, I really wish I made it out to t...Wonderful review, I really wish I made it out to the New Beverly for this, alas, midnight movies and me are not too be. <br /><br />I'm with you, I love this film, and the last time I watched it, I thought to myself I know there's people out there not on De Palma's wavelength but I'd hate to be them (I feel the same way about Tarantino's detractors), cinema just drips from his every pore and is evident in every frame. <br /><br />You should give Body Double another try, I know it's a sticking point for even his most ardent admirers but I find DePalma egging his critics and self referential homages (including the title that callbacks Dressed to Kill's Angie Dickinson) to be hilarious. And the porn shoot piece set to Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" is a pure delight, DePalma's version of a MGM musical number. God damn, he knows how to direct a set piece! <br /><br />And you're right, he needs to do another thriller!Colonel Mortimerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02274200191927739535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-15397095516710892012010-04-08T08:02:49.902-07:002010-04-08T08:02:49.902-07:00Great stuff. Seeing a print of this must've b...Great stuff. Seeing a print of this must've been terrific. As usual you have your ear open for the silliest of movie-movie dialogue and though it's been a few years since I've watched DRESSED TO KILL again I do remember the stuff about watching stocks.<br /><br />I've not done any research, but I also have wondered if De Palma had been watching giallo films, or whether there was just "something in the air." Today everything is on video and references can be copied exactly, but these Italian films couldn't have been easy to see back then. John Carpenter has said he was specifically thinking about Argento when he made HALLOWEEN. Can you imagine De Palma sitting in a Times Square grindhouse watching CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS? What would he have said to whoever he was with afterward? Who had told him to see it?Nicholasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-88966408333321577742010-04-08T07:52:37.419-07:002010-04-08T07:52:37.419-07:00Count me in as defender of BODY DOUBLE also. I nev...Count me in as defender of BODY DOUBLE also. I never understood all the hate for De Palma either. Even is lesser films still have some fantastic camerawork and I would sit through SNAKE EYES any day over a Brett Ratner or McG film.<br /><br />I'm not a huge fan of DRESSED TO KILL but I do respect the craftsmanship on display here. If I had to choose, I would rather watch the aforementioned BODY DOUBLE or BLOW OUT if I wanted to get my De Palma thriller fix.<br /><br />As for fave De Palma film, wow, that's a toughy. If push came to shove, I guess I would say BLOW OUT but I really love THE UNTOUCHABLES. yeah, I know, it's one of his paycheck films but man, it's so damn entertaining. CARLITO'S WAY is pretty awesome, too.<br /><br />And I for one would love to read your thoughts on BLACK DAHLIA. I'm a huge fan of James Ellroy's novel and found the film to be rather disappointing but I have only seen it once and probably need to watch it again.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-76469491296176331232010-04-07T22:15:34.665-07:002010-04-07T22:15:34.665-07:00As always, another excellent review.
I must say,...As always, another excellent review. <br /><br />I must say, my intial reaction to this film was like oh, another Hitchcock spin-off, but you are right, it does seem to go deeper than that and you raise many important points worth consideration. <br /><br />I think the reason de Palma gets so much hate is because of how wildly uneven his career has been. For every Sisters or Blow Out we get a Snake Eyes or a Red Planet (I'm one of those Body Double defenders by the way). I think it's because of that and because of the constant homaging to Hithcock that de Palma is seen as a filmmaker who, more than the other American filmmakers who came of age in this time, never really found a true voice of his own. He always genre hopped, gave the film whatever it needed (sometimes a little more) and then moved on. <br /><br />That being said, it is hard to either track the progression of de Palma over his career as he always seems to be hopping more than growing and also it's hard to see the filmmaker present in the film unless, like you have done here, you look very hard. And even then I still sturggle. My favourite de Palma film is Carlito's Way but I love it for every reason other than that it is a de Palma film because, when compared against his entire body of work, what does that mean? <br /><br />Maybe I'm wrong insomuch as that I haven't put serious accidemic thought into the man's career but does Carlito's Way explore a central theme that has been interwoven into the director's entire career? Does Scarface? The Untouchables? Wise Guys? Bonfire of the Vanities? Dressed to Kill for that matter? <br /><br />With that said, I completely understand the negativity that is shot de Palma's way. What I don't agree with is how it is uninformed, unenlightened and not given much depth or width. The man is a good filmmaker, but I'm not so sure he's much more than that.The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.com