Bank Shot (1974)

 "I'm learning how to swim, and I'm coming after you!"

This is... well, it may not be the greatest comedy ever made, but it's a lot of fun. Silly heist films always are, and this one is literally about not just robbing a bank but stealing the entire wheeled edifice. As a high concept basis for a heist film, that's pretty impressive.

And George C. Scott is simply superb as the mildly world-weary and deadpan Walter Ballantine, genius heist planner who gets involved despite his better judgement with this highly unreliable motley crew.

But the film is equally carried by Clifton James as Bulldog Streiger, Ballantine's prison governor nemesis. Oh, and Ballantine's main underling is played by none other than Boss Hogg from The Dukes of Hazzard... 

There are some genuinely laugh out loud moments. This is, essentially, a farce. It's not so much a comedy of one liners as one of circumstance, with Ballantine being very knowing about the sheer existential absurdities of life, as displayed to perfection by the ending. The prison break early on is also a delight. And there are some delightful little clever comedic set pieces towards the end, as the gang are on the run with, yes, the whole bank.

This may be a fairly anonymous little heist comedy, but not every film has to bev the greatest of all time. If a film is entertaining, as this one is, then that's enough.

Superman II (1980)

"Well, geez, Mr. White! That's terrible!"

"That's why they call them 'terrorists', Kent..."

I'll come back to the Richard Donner cut later; this blog post is about the theatrical release credited to Richard Lester; a straightforwardly directed, action-packed and, without comparing it to the other cut, magnificent film with only two drawbacks, both of which are arguably excusable in context.

This is 1980; to produce a superhero film that is both excellent viewing for a wide audience- with romance as well as thrills- and to remain broadly faithful to the spirit of the comics while doing this is  a considerable achievement. Mario Puzo's script (what a writer to get!) respects the characters on their own terms while giving us a truly epic tale of a god who gives up his powers for love and ultimately gives up his chance of happiness for the greater good. We're halfway to the cliche that is a Christ metaphor but it isn't overdone. I'm not sure that Superman's regaining his powers is adequately explained- finding the crystal at the Fortress of Solitude is not really enough- but I suppose we don't have to be splinter anything. More problematic is the reset button at the end, both in narrative terms (it renders the romance between Lois and Clark meaningless after all they've been through and all the weight that was placed upon it) and in terms of the simple fact that the main female character has her freedom of action taken away be a man to the point of altering her memory, which is undoubtedly a kind of violation. Still... it's only 1980.

Christopher Reeve and Margot Kidder are superb as individuals and, just as importantly, together; they carry this film. Terence Stamp is an effective if actually underplayed villain; I would have liked a little more overacting for a part like this. It's surprising to see Clifton James from Live and Let Die here... in Idaho??? Is the state really as southern as its being portrayed here?

All that notwithstanding, though, this is easily the best superhero film up to this point and arguably for many years after. The bar is well and truly set.

Live and Let Die (1973)

"There's no sense in going out half-cocked..."

Well then. It seems there's a possible new candidate for best Bond film so far. Live and Let Die is brilliant, crammed with set piece after set piece, Roger Moore is charismatic and compelling from the word go- he is Bond, straight away- and Yaphet Kotto as Dr Kananga may be the best Bond villain yet. All this and we also get Jane Seymour as a decidedly quirky Bond girl. Where's Q, though?

I'll leave others to decide whether or not the depiction of black Americans and the Carribbean is racist or not (sooo many afros!), but Baron Samedi and the snake are cool, and I love the killings with the coffin that make a great pre-titles sequence. Unlike On Her Majesty's Secret Service, this time we don't see the new James Bond until after the opening titles, dragging out the suspense.

So much cool stuff- alligators, Tee Hee's hand, tarot cards,  boat chase across the Louisiana bayou and a comedy sheriff: this is a very different but very impressive Bond film.

Again, though, why are so many MI6  agents operating in America when, you know, the CIA exists?