Saved by Samuel L. Jackson

1 comment September 17th, 2008

Samuel L. Jackson and Ruby Dee in a scene from the 1991 movie JUNGLE FEVER.

Samuel L. Jackson stars in LAKEVIEW TERRACE, which opens in theaters this weekend. I’ve only seen the trailer, so I have no idea if the movie is any good or not, but I do know one thing: It’s good to see Jackson playing an imposing figure once again. In TERRACE, he plays a mean cop, and judging by the trailer, he makes the most the character’s nasty streak.

The reason I’m posting this today is that last night, while dozing off on the couch, I happened to stumble across Spike Lee’s 1991 film, JUNGLE FEVER. I saw it in the theater during its initial release, and remember thinking it was a pretty solid drama, with the usual ham-handed moments from Spike. Watching it again last night, those ham-handed moments pretty much doomed the entire movie. I could barely make out the story of the interracial romance between Wesley Snipes and Annabella Sciorra over the film’s social posturing, speeches-as-dialogue script and noodling jazz score.

What saved JUNGLE FEVER was Samuel Jackson. In one of his first big roles, Jackson played Snipes’ crack addict brother, and he’s so compelling you wish the movie was about him and not wishy washy Wesley. Whenever he’s onscreen, Jackson is electrifying, whether it’s bumming money from his well-to-do brother or threatening his holier-than-thou dad (the late Ossie Davis). He’s funny, charming, pathetic, desperate and dangerous. But, unlike the rest of the movie, he’s never boring. Too bad he didn’t nab a Best Supporting Actor nomination, because he definitely deserved one.

(Playing his fellow crackhead, by the way, was a very young — and virtually unrecognizable — Halle Berry).  

Viewing tip: GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE

2 comments September 17th, 2008

One of the strangest — and most entertaining — political movies ever made airs tonight at 11 on Turner Classic movies. It’s not on DVD, so if you want to catch it — and you really should — set your DVR now.

GABRIEL is the story of Judson C. Hammond (the late, great Walter Huston) a political hack who gets elected to the highest office in the land. During his first days in office, Pres. Hammond smashes his car while joy riding and winds up in a coma. While out of it, he’s visited by — well, by something that the movie never quite makes clear. The title suggests it’s an angel, but frankly, the guy might just be losing his mind. But the cause doesn’t really matter — what matters is the startling effect it has on Hammond, his presidency and the world.

Hammond awakens suddenly, possessed with a fervor he’s never had before. He unites protesting WWI veterans in an “army of the unemployed,” executes gangsters by firing squad and threatens the other nations of the world to act peacefully — or else. GABRIEL OVER THE WHITE HOUSE is a twisted fantasy about what a president could accomplish if he didn’t have to worry about the Constitution, Congress, the Supreme Court or the will of the American people. Financed by William Randolph Hearst (who knew a little something about power) and produced just before FDR took office, it’s a fascinating, fast-paced look at how desperate the country was in the early days of the Great Depression.

By the way, if you happen to miss tonight’s showing, GABRIEL airs again on TCM at 5 a.m. Oct. 11 and 2:15 p.m. Nov. 25.