DIGGING FOR CINEMATIC GOLD AT DOLLAR TREE

 

For collectors of DVDs and Blu-rays, Dollar Tree has become a popular source for picking up mostly obscure titles as blind buys. Like many of my fellow collectors, I admit to having a serious addiction to wandering into this somewhat quirky retail giant and digging through the boxes of cheap movies that are invariably piled on top of each other. The new supplies usually show up in stores once a month. Anyone who shares this addiction knows that most of the titles turn out to be worth much less than a dollar. But it's also possible to find some very pleasant surprises, and even an occasional classic. Last week I went into one of my four local Dollar Trees for no discernible reason and ended up walking out with a stack of movies. Happens all the time. Clearly an intervention is needed. But this time I picked up some very cool items, along with a couple of duds.

ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (1986)

Directed by Juno Temple. Starring Eddie O'Connell, Patsy Kensit, David Bowie, James Fox, and Ray Davies.

This is a title I've heard of but had never seen. What a terrific film! It's a highly stylized look at London in the late 1950's when the youth culture was beginning to gain importance. It also deals with some of the racial strife in the city. It's kind of an English WEST SIDE STORY in some ways, but not as dark and dramatic until near the end of the film. It also reminded me of the 2021 English film LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, which showed a dreamlike vision of the London of the 1960's. Lots of good music, some of it written by David Bowie, who is excellent in his supporting role. He's very charismatic when he sings and dances. Too bad he didn't make a lot more films.

BAD INFLUENCE (1990) 

Directed by Curtis Hanson. Starring Rob Lowe and James Spader.

This is a top-notch psychological thriller that managed to escape my radar until now. Spader plays a financial analyst named Michael, an uptight, unassertive guy who finds his life frustrating. He's engaged to a beautiful woman but doesn't seem to love her and can't find the guts to break the engagement. Out of nowhere comes this guy named Alex (Lowe) into his life. He's self-confident, aggressive and energetic, everything Michael isn't. As their friendship grows, and Michael begins following Alex's advice, his life appears to be changing for the better. Then things start to get weird and out of control. When Michael tries to break off the friendship, he learns how dangerous Alex really is. A great film that held my attention throughout. It gets a little bloody toward the end, but there's a lot of genuine excitement as well as good chemistry between the two stars.

DARK ENCOUNTER (2019)

Directed by Carl Strathie. Starring Laura Fraser, Mel Raido, and Sid Phoenix.

A large percentage of the movies that wind up at Dollar Tree are horror and science fiction titles. Some of them turn out to be just OK, and most of them are terrible. DARK ENCOUNTER was another pleasant surprise. I never heard of the director or anyone in the cast, but this is a well-acted, intense little film. The theme is somewhat familiar. A family living in a remote area is suffering because of the mysterious disappearance of their preadolescent daughter one year ago. As they gather with friends and relatives to mark the anniversary of the sad occurrence, some very strange things start happening. They start to find evidence of extraterrestrial involvement. But just when you think you know where the story is leading, it makes a sharp turn into something entirely unexpected. This is an excellent combination of science fiction and heartbreaking human drama. The special effects are well done but are not overdone, thankfully. The best things about the film are the believable dialogue and the interactions between the characters. Recommended.

HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS (2014)

Directed by Peter Chelsom.

Starring Simon Pegg, Toni Collette, Rosamund Pike, and Christopher Plummer.

This is an English film and another one that I'd never heard of. I decided to buy it for the cast of familiar actors. Toni Collette is always worth watching. It turned out to be another very positive experience. Simon Pegg plays Hector, a successful psychiatrist with a lovely live-in girlfriend. He's a man who seemingly has everything. But he becomes frustrated by not being able to provide happiness for his patients and becomes obsessed with trying to define exactly what happiness is. So, he goes off on a quest to find that definition. His search takes him to China, Africa, and eventually to Los Angeles to reunite with an old flame. The action is very funny, although the movie has its darker moments as well. Very enjoyable.

NICHOLAS NICKLEBY (2002)

Directed by Douglas McGrath.

Starring Jamie Bell, Anne Hathaway, Charlie Hunnam, Nathan Lane, and Christopher Plummer.

I've never read the novel by Charles Dickens or seen any other screen adaptations. This is a beautifully filmed, very sensitive movie that certainly qualifies as an important "find" from the bins at Dollar Tree. Jamie Bell plays Nicholas, a young man of modest birth who, upon the death of his father, goes to London with his mother and sister to seek the aid of his uncle, played by Plummer. He finds himself and his family at the mercy of a cold, corrupt, selfish relative. He is sent away to teach at a remote school for boys and learns the meaning of cruelty. Escaping from that situation, Nicholas eventually finds his way to having control over his life and coming to the aid of his mother and sister. Gorgeous English locations and excellent performances, especially by Mr. Plummer, make this a rewarding watch.

ONE MAN'S HERO (1998)

Directed by Lance Hool.

Starring Tom Berenger and Patrick Bergin.

This beautifully photographed film is trying hard to be an epic, and almost succeeds. Based on a true story, it tells of the St. Patrick Brigade, a group of Irish soldiers who end up fighting for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. These immigrants had been promised American citizenship if they joined the U.S. Army. But they find them selves suffering cruel discrimination for their Catholic beliefs. After Seargent John Riley (Berenger) leads them to freedom across the Mexican border, they agree to take up arms against the Americans, risking their lives if caught and tried for treason. The film is very straightforward in its approach and filled with exciting action sequences. Tom Berenger gives one of the best performances of his career.

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK (2000)

Directed by Joan Chen.

Starring Richard Gere, Winona Ryder, and Elaine Stritch.

These last two films were much less satisfying. AUTUMN IN NEW YORK gives us an unlikely romance between an older man and a much younger woman. Nothing terribly original there. But it gets even worse. The man, played by Gere, is a successful restaurant owner and a career womanizer. The young woman in the equation is waif-like Winona Ryder, who we soon learn only has a short time to live. And there you have it. Will the womanizing Gere, whose good looks and cheeky grin have gotten him any woman he's ever wanted, fall deeply in love with vapid twenty-something Ryder and do whatever he can to save her life? You betcha. The problem I had with this movie, besides the cliche-ridden plot, is my dislike of Winona Ryder. Nothing personal, but the woman can't act. The film wants us to be overwhelmed with emotion every time the camera moves in for a closeup of her blank face. Sorry, Winona. It's just not happening for me. The film does have gorgeous New York City locations. And Richard Gere and Elaine Stritch are always good to watch. Beyond that, very little is memorable.

MARY (2019)

Directed by Michael Goi.

Starring Gary Oldman and Emily Mortimer.

And now for the worst of the lot. This is a by-the-numbers horror flick that has all the originality of a Bowery Boys quickie in the late 1950's. It has the standard plotline of a family (husband, wife, two adorable daughters) finding themselves trapped in a dark, frightening dwelling inhabited by evil spirits. The only detail that's different from most such horror films is that the dwelling isn't an old, creepy house. Instead, it's an old, creepy boat. So, Mr. Goldman buys himself a boat to start a business and takes his family along on the initial voyage. Terrible things begin to happen. Turns out this boat has quite the macabre history. But, naturally, the folks find this out way too late, when they and the malevolent boat are stuck out in the middle of nowhere. The movie has the required number of jump scares to please the adrenaline junkies. And the cinematography is quite good. Beyond that, forget it. 

And there you have the results of my latest adventure at Dollar Tree. If any of these titles interest you, I'm sure you'll be able to find them buried in the boxes at your local store. However, be forewarned. Their basic price has gone from $1.00 to $1.25. That might make you a little more discriminating.