Tag: George Memmoli

Rocky – Five Star Favorites

Rocky is a 1976 movie directed by John G. Avildsen.

WHAT HAPPENS?

An aging club boxer gets a chance to prove himself against the heavyweight champion of the world.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Rocky is a beautiful American story about determination, pride and loneliness.

THE ACTORS

Sylvester Stallone stars in the lead role as Rocky Balboa, an aging, down on his luck club boxer. Stallone takes what could be a limited, cartoonish role and infuses the character with a unique earnestness. Physically, Stallone is born for the role – his unique face and slurred speech resemble a hardened prize fighter.

Talia Shire is terrific as Adrian, the meek, painfully shy pet shop worker who falls for Rocky. Her lack of confidence is intense, as she continually hides her face – never making eye contact. She ducks behind bird cages and scurries away when Rocky approaches. Her character later emerges as Rocky’s support system – her voice and self-esteem grow as the movie progresses.

The cast is rounded out by Burt Young and Burgess Meredith. Young is spectacular as the moody, alcoholic Pauly. His emotional breakdowns are stinging – he viciously snaps on his sister Adrian, then collapses in tears. Still, there is a lovable quality to Pauly – Young plays up the comic aspects of the character. Meredith is great as the crusty, cynical Mickey. He plays the character with absolutely no filter – he coldly dismisses Rocky before offering to later train him. It’s a complicated, tarnished relationship.

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Phantom of the Paradise – Five Star Favorites

Phantom of the Paradise is a 1974 movie directed by Brian De Palma.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A disfigured composer trades his soul to an evil record producer to have his music heard.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Phantom of the Paradise is an eclectic, campy, bizarre, brilliant and beautiful work of art.

THE ACTORS

Paul Williams stars as the enigmatic record producer Swan, who is searching to find “a new sound” to open his rock theatre, The Paradise. Williams is a smarmy, manipulative creation – an ode to rock n’ roll Machiavellian power brokers. He easily discards as human collateral the pop sensations he creates. Yet, there’s a goofy vulnerability underlying his character – Williams lustfully grins as the Phantom’s murderous rampage causes a ratings sensation.

William Finley plays the Phantom, largely to comic effect. It’s a campy, physically ludicrous character in a movie that never takes itself too seriously. Finley contorts his awkward body into cramped, dystopian hallways and fires comic-shaped lightning bolts from among the rafters of Swan’s theatre.

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American Boy

American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince is a 1978 documentary directed by Martin Scorsese.

American Boy is an extended interview with Steven Prince, who tells a variety of stories that involve his history of drug abuse. Scorsese alternates Prince’s stories with clips of his childhood to illustrate the path his life has taken.

Here’s your one-line synopsis of American Boy: Steven Prince has led a dangerous, fascinating life – much of it while high on heroin.

Prince has worked as a stagehand, gas station attendant and road manager for Neil Diamond. Along the way, he gets into acting – where he’s probably best known for playing Easy Andy, the gun salesman in Scorcese’s Taxi Driver.

The premise of American Boy is simple. Scorsese and a small crew set up at actor George Memmoli’s house and await Prince. Memmoli perfectly sets the expectations by suggesting: “how can you tell a Steven Prince story in two minutes?”

Prince emerges and is wrestled to the ground by the burly Memmoli – then the stories begin. There’s a story about a Silverback Gorilla in an apartment, caricatures of his family and getting a boat captain drunk, before the mood changes as Prince talks about a kid electrocuting himself during a performance.

Scorsese proceeds to ask the first of many questions regarding drugs. Prince recounts the first time he tried crystal meth, as a carpenter injected him. “How much did you take?” “As much as he gave me.” Scorsese and his crew are delighted with Prince’s tales and there’s a sense Prince is feeding off the energy.

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