All in Cinematters

Murder on the Orient Express: Film Review

Murder on the Orient Express: Film Review

Mark Robinson
Cinematters

There has been a lot of bellyaching out there over the remake of Murder on the Orient Express, based on the 1934 Agatha Christie novel and gloriously filmed in 1974 with a cast of the highest pedigree, including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Anthony Perkins, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Vanessa Redgrave, Jacqueline Bisset, John Gielgud, and Michael York.  The film follows Detective Hercule Poirot as he takes a trip aboard the titular luxury train only to encounter the mysterious murder of one of the train’s passengers. With such a top-notch cast and a fascinating story for its premise, the original film was a visual feast and one of Hollywood’s finer whodunits. The remake is a surprisingly well done, elegant and sumptuous to look at, directed with the eye of a true artist, and possessing some nifty performances that could give the original cast a run for their money. 

Hello Again – Film Review

Hello Again – Film Review

Mark Robinson
Cinematters, Music That Makes Me Dance

Musical theatre fans are simultaneously excited and circumspect when a stage musical is adapted for the screen. For every expertly transitioned musical such as My Fair Lady, West Side Story, and The Music Man, there is a Mame, Man of La Mancha, or Rent reminding us that musicals are a tricky medium to rethink through the camera’s lens. Another musical has made the leap from stage to screen. Michael John LaChiusa’s spare and compact 1994 musical Hello Again is set to hit theatres on November 8, 2017. Though the results are decidedly mixed, the film is a commendable adaptation of a stage show that probably was better left on the stage where its inherent theatricality is better served.

Send in the Clown: A Review of the film IT

Send in the Clown: A Review of the film IT

Mark Robinson
Cinematters

Well, here is the good news. If you are looking for a moderately frightening film with a killer clown and almost zero character development, then the screen adaptation of Stephen King’s mammoth novel IT will certainly achieve the chill factor that you seek. If, however, you are a fan of the thrilling book, revel in its themes and carefully constructed characters, and truly hoped for a film that could capture the essence of King’s tome, you will have to look elsewhere. This film has too much clowning around and not much by way of substance.

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