March 16, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 17 Tony Curtis is smooth-talker in ‘Sweet Smell of Success’ by Dennis Seuling “Sweet Smell of Success” (The Criterion Collection) is a film that flopped at the box office but has taken on many admirers since its 1957 release. Burt Lancaster stars as J.J. Hunsecker, a powerful newspaper columnist modeled on Walter Winchell. Favorable mention in his column can accelerate a career. A negative piece can be devastating. Hunsecker revels in this power, using it to get the inside dirt before his competitors and enhance his stature. He is also feared. Tony Curtis plays Sidney Falco, who does a lot of the leg work that results in bits that Hunsecker runs. Hunsecker is determined to prevent his sister (Susan Harrison) from marrying Steve Dallas (Martin Milner), a jazz musician, and uses Falco to break up the affair by any means possible. In “All About Eve,” made seven years earlier, the focus was on devious doings in the Broadway theater. In “Sweet Smell of Success,” viewers get a snappy look at a Manhattan media scene when newspaper columnists wielded far greater power than they do today. The dialogue bristles, and both Lancaster and Curtis are in top form. In fact, “Sweet Smell of Success” ranks among Curtis’ three best films (along with “Some Like It Hot” and “The Defiant Ones”). The Bronx accent that plagued him in his early costume dramas is subdued, and his acting rises to the level of the script by Ernest Lehman and Clifford Odets. The classy dialogue flows, with one sharp-edged line after another, the most famous from Hunsecker to Falco: “I’d hate to take a bite out of you. You’re a cookie full of arsenic.” Blu-ray extras include new audio commentary; a profile documentary of director Alexander Mackendrick; a 1973 documentary on cinematographer James Wong Howe; an interview with Neil Gabler, author of a Walter Winchell biography; and a booklet featuring a critical essay, two short stories by Ernest Lehman featuring the characters from the film, and Lehman’s notes about the movie. “The Fighter” (Paramount Home Entertainment) is based on real characters and incidents. Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) is from working class Boston. His mother, Alice (Melissa Leo), serves as his manager, booking smalltime fights. His brother, Dicky (Christian Bale), is a former fighter whose claim to fame is that he once fought Sugar Ray Leonard. After a professional setback, Micky meets Charlene (Amy Adams) at a local bar. Charlene sees that Mickey has potential but is being held back by a family that is using him as chief breadwinner. Charlene motivates Mickey fear even in her grown children. She genuinely loves her kids and does not recognize she is an impediment to their success. Director David O. Russell has made every scene sparkle in this lean, raw portrait of a person trying to find contentment despite overbearing family. The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack contains director commentary, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, and a digital copy. The film is also available in a standard DVD-only edition. “Sharktopus” (Anchor Bay Entertainment) harks back to those low-budget flicks of the 1950s that featured assorted monsters spawned by radioactivity, mad doctors, or the environment gone terribly wild. Genetic scientist Nathan Sands (Eric Roberts) has created an eight-tentacled hybrid of shark and octopus, “S-11,” as the U.S. Navy’s next superweapon. But when its control implants are damaged during a training experiment off the Mexican coast, the beast escapes to Puerto Vallarta to sample the local fare: bikini-clad women, jet-skiers, and college kids on spring break. With the monster now out of control and seemingly invincible, a colorful group comprised of a mercenary, an investigative reporter, and Sands’ biomechanical engineer daughter come together to stop the deadly beast from turning a (continued on Crossword page) Tony Curtis (left) and Burt Lancaster in ‘Sweet Smell of Success.’ to weigh what is best for him against family loyalty. There are two Academy Award-winning performances in “The Fighter.” Bale (Best Supporting Actor) is captivating as Dicky, conveying devotion to his brother, loyalty to family, and infuriating unreliability. Bale manages to elicit sympathy for his character. He conveys Dicky’s gregarious manner and “king of the neighborhood” status. Leo (“Frozen River”) turns in her Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actress performance as Mickey’s mother/manager, who looks as if she will deck you if crossed and instills C ��������������������������������������������� ����������� • O • R • T• I • N • A R I S T O R A N T E Fine Dining For Lunch & Dinner Lunch Starts at $7.00 • Mon-Fri 11:30AM–2:30PM Dinner Starts at $12 • Mon-Thurs 5PM–9:30PM • Fri & Sat 5PM–10PM St. Patrick’s Day Thursday, March 17th Dine & Dance - Live Entertainment St. Patrick’s Day Join us for Corned Beef & Cabbage Call for reservations March 17: Betty Liste Trio March 25: Sounds of Sinatra Private Party Room For Up To 60 People • Call for Reservations - 973-942-1750 ����� � �������� �� ���������������� Corned Beef Brisket & Cabbage ���� ��� ������������������� arge Ch ����������������������������� ������������ �������� 118 Berkshire Ave., Paterson, NJ (Totowa Section) • www.cortinarestaurant.com Killian’s Red Murphy’s Beer Jameson Shots Corned Beef Brisket & Cabbage with Boiled Potatoes ALL YOU CAN EAT ~ $1595 Shepherd’s Pie ~ $1195 Bangers & Mash ~ $1195 �������� ������ St. Patrick’s Day at Kirkers Thursday March 17 th 3-16-11 ester/janine CortinaRestaurant3x3(3-16-11) 3 x 3” Rev2 ������� ���� ���� ��������� ���������� HAPPY HOUR �������������������� ���������� ���������������������� ���������� �������������� ���������� ������������������������ ������������������������������������������������ ������������������������������������������� ���������������������� ������������������ Lunch (12-3): $9.95 Dinner: $13.95 www.kirkers.com • All Major Credit Cards Accepted • Open Mon - Sat • Noon til 11:30 pm Served with Soup or Salad Irish Soda Bread, Potato & Vegetable KIRKERS • 237 Diamond Bridge Ave, Hawthorne, NJ Reservations Call: 973-427-7700