Reviews

A nice picture indeed. It is an epic western, powerful and straightforward at the same time, a fine adaptation of a Saturday Evening Post Novel located at Portland area, Oregon, in 1856. It has got a good casting including Hoagy Carmichael playing his own songs (one of them, Buttermilk Sky, became a big hit). The colored photography in Technicolor is wonderful. An authentic gift for the eyes. The Skinner's music is excellent, the natural stage beautiful, the action grand. It tell us about the pioneer fight between themselves and against the Indian. If you like western movies, do not miss this one. If you do not, here is a good chance to start knowing healthy and amusing movies. If you declare yourself satisfied with it, as I hope, I do recommend another Jacques Tourneur western, Wichita (1955), with Joel McCrea and Vera Miles. You will be not disappointed. 7/10

This movie picture, awarded with eleven Oscar, is not worth much. It is a low example of Roman pictures at Hollywood worse way. It means that they spend a lot of money but there are not talent at all inside the product. The responsible was a man like once solid and talented William Wyler, an film-maker with a long and proven experience. American cinema must be grateful to him (The Westerner, Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, The Collector), but not for this picture. This Ben-Hur is a very long subject index of Roman cinema common places (sometimes even becomes involuntarily hilarious and childish). The best sequence -the chariots race- could be made by any craftsman less prestigious than Wyler. Of course I do prefer Quo Vadis (1951) or Italian Roman movies like Teodora Slave Empress (1953). Less money, more interesting result. Everything is colossal at this Ben-Hur (there are another one dumb) including the story written by Gore Vidal and some more people. A conscious Vidal prefer stay uncredited.

Please, do not mix movies. This "A bout de souffle" is the genuine one. It was made in 1960 and become the New Wave emblematic film. It is not only for intellectual people. It is quite fun, even there are not any more boys and girls talking so artfully like the protagonist (nor in France). It has got Bogart and black American cinema influence. But at the beginning of the sixties the dialogue and the action show here was breaking and provocative. Like the movie pretends to be.

It was directed by J.L. Godard, written by F. Truffaut and play by Jean Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg. The own Godard makes a part as a police informer. Film-maker J.P. Melville plays another role. It was shot in Paris. It is famous but amusing. See it without prejudge and will enjoy it. But I notice the best of the movie is Jean Seberg (a ten for her). May be I will change my mind, but I still like it.

Solid western directed in magisterial way, in the best genre tradition, by prestigious King Vidor. You can said the topic of the experienced cowboy teaching to a newcomer results very common at movies western. But Man Without Star is some more. This excellent movie picture tell us about the rivalry between two land´s possession different conceptions and about men´s maladjustment to new society rules. Everything is good at Man Without Star: the story (Borden Chase), the casting (Douglas, Trevor, Boone...), the song (Frankie Laine), and, of course, the production. Many director told us stories in western, but a few ones so efficaciously and with so easy manner like King Vidor at this picture. Because things results easier when you are expert. The same story was years later (also starring by Douglas) the Lonely Are The Brave starting point.

Rural drama quite mellow, but well done, helped by a good casting. Betty Field at maybe her best performance at movies pictures; John Wayne at his first film in color after the grandiose The Stagecoach; Harry Carey in the Priest; Beulah Bondi at one of her characteristic works playing an embittered woman; the very used by master John Ford, War Bond. And, last but not least, an splendid photography in wonderful Technicolor. I though it was a western and I find instead a strange community making whisky clandestinely at Ozark Mountains Region, Arkansas,who remind me some people I meet in a trip to North of England, near Kyle of Lochals, very reluctant to contact with foreigns. I like the 80% of the film, that was made with conviction, professionalism and care by excellent craftsman Henry Hathaway. It is is a bite too much melodramatic and out of date, but interesting. I give it an seven.

I watched this movie three times at different ages of my life and always did enjoy it very much indeed. This Can-Can is an authentic explosion of joie de vivre, like Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly musical, but in French way. And a Jean Renoir nice tribute to his time, his friends, lovers, music and dances. It is at same time a show business chronicle of that age, full of affection and French mood. It is too a clear tribute to the Impressionism (people who likes impressionistic painters will like this picture). It is particularly a tribute to Toulouse-Lautrec and, of course, to Jean Renoir father, Pierre-Auguste. You will find hear a trustworthy and splendid colored recreation of some Renoir master work. Excellent casting, scenery, sound-effects and music. Even it tell us about the creation of Parisian Moulin Rouge, obviously it is a fiction story (and not very original by the way, as it fall down in the very well know moral that the show must go on). But the Jean Renoir production is great.

I hear about this film but never have watched. Now, at last, I could see the final 20 minutes (the Spanish television channel I captured it do not use to announce previously nothing more than the movies show at the afternoon) and I enjoy it. I can realize very well the reputation of this modest but entertaining movie B series, a clear predecessor of more sophisticated creatures at sci-fi cinema. I can remember that Marilyn Monroe likes this tender creature -Richard Carlson is very worse- as she says to Tom Ewell at a sequence of The Seven Year Itch. I can imagine that the Black Lagoon Creature, a amphibious fish fallen in love for Julie Adams, must be very horrible by his time (1954) and that Julie Adams looks very erotic in her shorts pants. Today all that is very ingenuous. Customary to very unpleasant and realist creatures movies with tremendous and expensive special effects -who hide very often the lack of authentic talent-, you will find charming this movie. But don't forget that is a classic of the sci-fi. Watch it!

This motorcycle raiders movie must be one of the less illustrious piece of work of clever and prolific director and producer Roger Corman. I saw the film years ago but I did not can remember anything. Because there is nothing to remind on it. That is a poor story and Corman did not wanted any complications at all by making a social portrait of the young people era. Only it is funny the presence of some popular entertainer people from that time. Fonda, who was right at Robert Rossen' 'Lilith' some years before, came back later ('Easy Rider') in 1969 with another performance of a motorcycle boy . And really I do not why. The sixties wild angels motorcycle have got probably very few attribute like shows the motorcycle raiders at this movie. Any way Corman must get a lot of money with the film, as he used to do. And he still use.