Davo123's Reviews

The Early Bird (1965)

27 May 2002

'The Early Bird' just has to be THE Norman Wisdom film. From the marvellous opening sequence, to the finale, there is not a single dull moment. Of all of his films, this has to be his most popular.

Norman plays a milkman for a local town dairy, his boss is the laid-back Mr. Grimsdale, superbly played by Edward Chapman. However, a large corporate dairy starts to muscle in on their patch, and Norman is soon pitted against a sneaky and unscrupulous Austin (Bryan Pringle). The laughs are soon flowing thick and fast as war develops.

In many ways this film symbolises the changing times of the '60s when the pace of life speeded up, aptly summarised by the quote 'You can't impede the wheels of progress' from the film. As always, Norman manages to save the day, and dispense his particular brand of common sense. In this film, though, his victory is more by default than judgement.

The film contains many classic moments, the sick horse, the apples, the 'shootout', the golf, the fire, and many more.

Finally, I have often wondered if Benny Hill got his inspiration for 'Ernie' from this film?

Definitely **** out of *****

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On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Not to be under-rated!!

29 June 2001

OHMSS is, in my humble opinion, one of the best Bond films ever. Not *the* best, but one of the best.

This seems to be the most controversial of the Bond films, mainly because of George Lazenby. OK so he's not Sean Connery, but credit where credits due, he gives a decent performance as Bond, despite being an inexperienced actor.

As a Bond film this has all the right ingredients; good fight scenes, plenty of beautiful girls, believable villains, great locations, and some of the best skiing scenes in any JB film. It is also relatively free of both gadgets and cliches which mar many a later film.

The plot is sharp and logical, and doesn't have the over-the-top absurdity that, again, characterises the later films.

Overall, this is a cracking film, and well worth a couple of hours of anyone's time.

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The Wildcats of St. Trinian's (1980)

A truly charmless film.

15 May 2001

'Wildcats' is the fifth, last, and easily the worst of the St. Trinians films. Made after a fourteen year gap, it attempts to bring the series up to date, but the results just look too forced.

The plot of the film is simple; the pupils wish to form a trade union in order to demand luxuries from the government. As a premise this could have really worked, and had some good possibilities. But the film just blunders along aimlessly, with a poorly thought out plot, poor dialogue, and wooden characters.

This film lacks the attributes that made its predecessors so successful; in 'Wildcats' the girls seem to lack the confidence, and resourcefulness that has always characterized the classic St.Trinian pupil. The other characters have also been over exaggerated; particularly 'Flash Harry'!! What were the film makers thinking of? why destroy his credibility with that silly hat and satchel?

Overall, I don't recommend this film, there are much better ones to see. 2/10

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Das Boot (1981)

What a film!!

12 September 2000

I first saw 'Das Boot` over a decade ago, when it was shown as a mini series. Even then, as a teenager, I was hooked on war films.

'Das Boot' is one of the few WW2 films that does not portray the Germans as stereotyped fanatics. Indeed on watching the film, it is impossible not to see them as the enemy, but as a crew of ordinary men who are scared, and fear death as much as anyone.

The film really manages to portray what it must have been like on a U-boat; the claustrophobia, the tedious monotony, the exhiliaration of an attack, and the inevitable payback that follows.

The film was made by Germans, but does not seek to glorify the war or Nazi-ism, indeed there is a definite undercurrent of cynicism within the film, reflected in the attitude of the Captain towards the Hitler Youth crew member.

The opening title says it all, as a U-boat crew member, you have a 25% chance of survival.

For shear realism 'Das Boot' is a must see for anyone.

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Blake's 7 (1978–1981)

A low budget classic!!

10 September 2000

Blakes 7 was launched in 1978 by the BBC, and in the aftermath of 'Star Wars'. I remember eagerly awaiting Thursday evenings when the adventures of Blake and his crew would enthrall me.

The premise of the series was simple; Blake and his band, prisoners of the evil federation, manage to gain control of a powerful alien spaceship, and become freedom fighters.

The series was very low budget, reflected in the poor quality of the sets (spot the egg boxes sprayed silver!!), but the characters were real (despite the occasional wooden acting), and the storylines were first class.

What helped to make the series a success was the perfect chemistry between the cast. There was the fiery passion of Blake, the cold logical Avon, the laid back Villa to name a few. Their Arch enemy, Servalan, was ruthlessly ambitious, and assisted by the focussed and determined Travis.

I would give this series 9/10.

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Press for Time (1966)

A Norman Classic!!

9 September 2000

'Press For Time' is easily my favorite Norman Wisdom film; it has everything, plenty of humour, slapstick, a great cast, and a really catchy soundtrack.

Norman Wisdom plays three roles in this film, he plays the hero Norman Shields, his ex-suffragette mother, and his ancient grandfather (who also happens to be the Prime Minister of Great Britain!!!). It is a shame that the latter two only appear briefly during the first few minutes of the film.

Shields is a happy newspaper vendor in London, but a constant source of embarassment to his grandfather who, by pulling strings, gets him relocated to the West Country as a junior reporter. Once there Shields leaves a trail of havoc behind him in typical Norman Wisdom style.

As in most Wisdom films, the plot is superficial, and serves only as a vehicle for madcap humour. This film is certainly no exception. Memorable scenes include the council meeting, the house opening ceremony, the bus chase, and the beauty pageant. All are Wisdom at his very best!!

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Holiday on the Buses (1973)

An acquired taste!!

30 August 2000

'Holiday On the Buses' has got to be the epitome of British comedy of the '70s. It has all the ingredients: sexual innuendo, outrageous mis-understandings and a little slapstick thrown in for good measure.

The film itself is the third 'Buses' film, and generally is no better or worse than its predecessors. People tend to either love it or hate it. It is worth noting that most sitcoms don't usually translate to the big screen, this is one of the few exceptions.

The premise of the film is simple: A bus driver and conductor (Stan and Jack) are sacked, but find employment at a holiday camp as the crew of the camp bus. The film has no plot as such, but generally consists of Stan And Jack getting into a series of scrapes with the help of Stan's family who are holidaying at the camp.Add their old adversary, in the shape of Blakey (their ex-inspector, and now in charge of camp security) and the picture is complete.

There are many funny moments in the film, including the 'detour', as well as the paint and the excellent exploding toilet!!

the film never really manages to get out of third gear, but is an interesting look at holiday camp life as it never really was!!! Overall 6 /10

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George & Mildred (1976–1979)

An exception to 70s sitcoms!!

27 August 2000

British television sitcoms of the '70s have acquired a reputation for being shallow and purile, and 'George and Mildred' is often cited as a supreme example of this.

Nothing could be further from the truth, this sitcom really worked. There was real chemistry between the characters, and while the plots were shallow there was a great deal of comedy present.

Developed as a spin-off from 'Man About The House', it centres around a working class couple (George and Mildred) who move into a middle class neighbourhood. Mildred (Yootha Joyce) is determined to overcome her lowly roots, whilst George (Brian Murphy) is working class and proud of it!!

Their new neighbours are the Fourmiles, Geoffrey is a out-and-out snob, but his wife, Ann, is down to Earth. They have a young son, Tristram.

Most of the comedy revolves around the antics of George antagonising Geoffrey, whilst their respective wives try desperately to maintain tranquility.

The concept of neighbour / class conflict is the mainstay of many a sitcom, but seldom works as well as this. The chemistry between the characters is perfect, especially George and Mildred, I think that the sitcom would probably have failed with anyone else playing these parts.

The success of this sitcom lead to a film version in 1980, but the film never really captured the vital spark that made the television series such a hit.

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The African Queen (1951)

Very funny, sometimes very moving.

27 August 2000

Warning: Spoilers

The African Queen is without doubt one of the best films ever made, due mainly to the unique chemistry between the characters. (possible spoilers ahead folks!!)

Charlie Ulnut (Humphrey Bogart) is the captain of a clapped out riverboat (The African Queen), and makes his living carrying mail and supplies to the local mine and villages. He likes his gin, and is content with his idyllic life.

Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn)is a middle-aged English spinster who has spent her entire life following in the footsteps of her brother (Robert Morley). When he volunteered to become a missionary preacher in Africa, she went too. Rose is very prim and strait-laced, and has never experienced life.

The two are thrown together when, in 1914, German troops overrun the preachers village and cause his death. Charlie, out of pity, takes her under his wing; but Rose's Grief becomes anger directed towards the Germans, and the unwilling Charlie has no choice but to cooperate in a plot to sink the German cruiser 'Louisa' on a downstream lake.

On their journey down the river, these two complete opposites form a bond which ultimately turns to love. Together they face and overcome many hazards such as white water, German snipers, and the leeches (ugh!!). All this and the knowledge that once they start, there is no going back!!!

There are many memorable scenes including the one where Charlie wakes with a hangover, only to find Rose disposing of his entire stock of gin!! his expression is unforgettable! Another classic moment is when Charlie tries to enter Rose's sleeping quarters; the outraged Rose thinks he is making a pass at her, but all he wants is to get out of the rain!!

Along with these are several poignant scenes; the one where the preacher has succumbed to delirium, just after the German attack, is particular moving, and one cannot help but feel pity for this poor man. Another is when Charlie emerges from the river covered in leeches; his repulsion is very real, and he knows he has to go back in again

One scene, however, that struck me as being a little contrived was the scene where they have just survived the rapids, and their love surfaces for the first time. Their kiss is supposed to be spontaneous, but you can clearly see Charlie makes several unsuccessful attempts first.

The film is also memorable for the magnificent scenery of the African jungle and the wildlife. This film definitely scores a 9/10.

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U-571 (2000)

Routine action flick.. good but not great

4 June 2000

As an avid fan of submarine films, I had been eagerly awaiting the release of 'U-571', in the event though, I was to be dissappointed. I was already aware of the historical innaccuracy of the plot; it being the British and NOT the Americans that captured the Enigma machine, a fact that the film only acknowledges during the end credits- definitely too little too late!!

The film itself starts out with the premise that the much sought enigma machine is at last within reach, and a mission to retrieve it is hastily conceived. For the first half hour or so, the plot has a flavour of 'The Hunt for Red October', with the daring mission under way. After a plot twist (anticipated from the simple fact that the film still has over an hour to run!!) the film becomes reminiscent of a sub-based 'Memphis Belle'.

The acting performances are unusually wooden, I was particularly disappointed with Bill Paxton, who is capable of much more. A notable exception being Harvey Keitel, who delivers a great performance as the chief. The effects were adequate, but not outstanding, the depth charge effects when the boat was visibly shaken were the most memorable. I did notice a few possible historical innaccuracies that I will have to check out (Did the German Navy have ASDIC in 1942??), but apart from those the film was generally watchable, although I would rather reccommend 'Das Boot' (1981).

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The Bulldog Breed (1960)

Interesting, but not one of his best.

3 May 2000

'The Bulldog Breed' is one of my favourite Norman Wisdom films, but not one of his best.It is interesting because of the space flight angle, and the film certainly captures the mood of the era.

In many respects this is a sad film; Puckle is portrayed as a rather tragic character, who never really finds his niche.The whole films carries a slight air of depression about it, which is not helped by the melancholy music score.

There are several funny scenes, notably the 'man overboard' scene, the diving lesson, and the mountain climbing episode. In all of these though, the comedy is diluted by the overall gloom of the film.

A hidden gem in the film are the brief, uncredited, appearances of Michael Caine and Oliver Reed in the cinema foyer scene.

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