Shameless Self Expression

Long-time married couple Sydney Pollack and Judy Davis (who was Oscar-nominated here) announce that they are splitting, which shocks their friends Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. Then Woody and Mia start having marital woes of their own, with Woody’s wandering eye fixing on one of his young students (Juliette Lewis) and Mia being pursued by charming Liam Neeson. Lysette Anthony turns up as the object of Pollack’s desire.   I’ve enjoyed rather few Woody Allen films ( “Annie Hall” , “Deconstructing Harry” , “Alice” , “Broadway Danny Rose” , and “Blue Jasmine” among the good ones), and this 1992 talkfest is certainly not one of them. I say this with the full knowledge that I love the 120 minute screaming match “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” , but I don’t understand how anyone could be interested in watching this constant chatter and ugliness. The conversations are endless, there’s no room to follow along with them because no one seems to stop to take a breath.   Sydney Po...

After a nuclear apocalypse has devastated much of Earth and rendered it radioactive, there is a valley that has been protected by lead-bearing mountains. Among the protected is survivalist and former Navy commander Paul Birch, who lives with his daughter Lori Nelson and their stockpiled supplies. A few other characters turn up at Birch’s doorstep seeking refuge. They include a hoodlum (Mike Connors) and his stripper gal (Adele Jurgens), a uranium mining specialist (Richard Denning), and an elderly prospector (Raymond Hatton). Birch very reluctantly lets them in and that’s when the trouble starts as one of the survivors (Jonathan Haze) has been contaminated and is turning into something monstrous and menacing.   One of the earlier sci-fi directorial efforts from late director Roger Corman ( “A Bucket of Blood” , “It Conquered the World” , “The Intruder” , “Tomb of Ligeia” ), this 1955 low-budgeter is one of several Corman-directed films that frankly deserves to be talked about m...