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Reviews
Young Frankenstein (1974)
40 years on, still hysterical
Hard to believe that forty years have gone by.
Mel Brooks' masterpiece still works perfectly, even after countless viewings. We all know each gag by heart, yet still laugh ourselves stupid.
Usually I am not a great fan of dubbed versions, preferring the original for humour, interpretation, pathos etc. But this is a notable exception: most agree that the Italian-dubbed version is even more comical than the original. The "Where wolves - Werewolves" gag is even more demented in the Italian "Lupu ululà - castellu ululì", and in general the translator has made such a superb work, that (being bilingual) I can hardly make my mind which version I prefer.
Threads (1984)
Not the "scare of your life" but food for thought
I did not have the opportunity to watch this film in August 1985 when it was broadcast in Italy; on that night I was out somewhere, but I remember my mother telling me about it. Mum was not the type to be easily scared, but she seemed impressed.
More than twenty years later I stumbled in the film again and watched it. I also read several of the reviews on IMDb.
On one side I wonder what kind of people might be "scared forever" by this film. All right, it is not like watching Dumbo, but I can think of several other films far more "scary" than this. And this is not a film you want to watch for its scary values. Go watch the Texas Chainsaw if you wish.
I also disagree with those who blow this film airily off, saying that it is unrealistic, that certainly the consequences of a nuclear war would be severe but etc. etc. To such people I would like to mention one of the best known quotations from Albert Einstein, namely, "I do not know how the Third World War will be fought, but I can tell you what they will use in the Fourth — rocks!".
And to me, this film lives Einstein's quotation down to its bitter end. This is not war; it is not even a world war. It is nuclear world war, an atom-bomb free-for-all the effects of which are largely unpredictable. "Threads" stages a hypothesis, and to me it appears rather realistic. Some other reviewer brushed off with impatience the idea that young people would not be able to survive without their iPods and cellphones. The filmmakers' point is that humanity — or whatever minor part is left thereof — will be left without the barest necessities, let alone iPods. We lead our lives in peaceful calm, knowing that if we should be sick we could go to hospital and have it fixed. What if suddenly the hospitals get flooded by hundreds of thousands at the same time, and there are no drugs, no electricity, no water, no tools?
"Threads" pulls hard on the strings of emotions; but the scenario it depicts is not unlikely. Cold War madness is thankfully gone, but we've still got countries amassing nuclear warheads, or looking forward to it. The scenario offered by "Threads" is still somewhat to be reckoned with.