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Reviews
The Walking Dead: No Way Out (2016)
Mystery
Great episode. Just one question; where did Daryl get the gun to kill the motorcyclists. The motorcyclist is on the ground, dead, next to his own gun. How does Darryl get a gun from the rear of an oil tanker?
A Sound of Thunder (2005)
Awful
I first read "A Sound of Thunder" during the early 50's when comic books were being banned for contributing to juvenile delinquency. I was an avid EC fan and came across this short story by Ray Bradbury with artwork by either Frank Frazetta or Al Williamson or both, (They sometimes worked together.) It was the fantastic art that drew me to the story. I had never heard of Bradbury, though the people at EC claimed that he was their favorite SciFi contributer. I wasn't impressed with the story but was crazy about the artwork. Anyway, "A Sound of Thunder" comes to TV (HBO) and,of course,I tuned in. I figured with Edward Burns and Ben Kingsley it was worth a look-see. Gee, it was a disappointment to say the least and an insult to Ray Bradbury. Stephen King was next, with his novel "The Butterfly Effect" that I have yet to read (It's my understanding that it's an extended version of Bradbury's short story.) However, don't spoil yourself by seeing this horrendous movie.
D.O.A. (1949)
An Original Film Noir
Frank Bigelow (Edmond O'Brien) is dead. He's a walking dead man. It seems he has been given a slow-acting poison for which there is no antidote and given perhaps a week of life. There is nothing science, doctors or anyone else can do to save him. Bigelow decides to discover who, where, when and why this is all happening to him. There is a scene where Bigelow, exhausted from running from the nightmare of his inevitable and unavoidable death, stops at a kiosk, where magazines and newspapers are being sold. In the rack is the magazine LIFE. This is in no way a perfectly made film. It was made on the cheap and some of the acting is simply awful, but the story line and momentum of the film cannot be ignored. Neither can Dimitri Tiomkin's unforgettable score be overlooked. So, too, Neville Brand, (in his movie acting debut,) as Chester, a sadistic thug. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a truly original film noir.
Scarface (1932)
The Shame of the Nation
This film is the pits. The absolute bottom. The only film that I would call worse would be the remake with Al Pacino, "Scarface". Supposedly based on the gangster Al Capone, this trash is nothing more than a mixed bag of pointless, violent mayhem. It has little to do with the way the mob really works instead it uses excessive violence with the staccato of a machine gun to pass for what was profit-making gangsterism in the 20's. I have always enjoyed HH's films, but this one is a loser all around. It distorts so much of the truth that the characters become unrecognizable. If that's not enough, they insert a suggestive incestuous subplot. Somewhere I read that Al Capone loved this movie. I don't believe it. Anyone sincerely interested in the life of Al Capone should read several outstanding bios of the racketeer ("Capone" by Kobler, "Mr. Capone" by Schoeberg, "Capone, the Man and the Era" by Bergreen and many others) The only shame about this film is the film itself.
Jungle Jim (1948)
Very good for laughs
Overweight and over-the-hill Weissmuller attempts to cash in on his Tarzan fame with this nonsense. Silly and unbelievable from the opening credits to the finish, this turkey is good only for laughs. The film, supposedly filmed in Africa, has native Africans with skin white as snow. The usual phoniness follows with jungle errors galore. (Indian elephants in Africa, leopards in a jungle!, Hawaiian outfits for the women, etc.) Let's not forget the hackneyed story line of newcomers searching for the "lost treasure." This movie is perfect relief for those suffering with insomnia. Perhaps some of the stock footage will keep you awake but as for the rest, it makes "Tarzan, (that crazy white man") look like "Citizen Kane."
Land of the Pharaohs (1955)
The Hollywood Version
I saw this film upon its initial release and at the time was fascinated by the mystery of Egypt and its secrets. So who really did build the pyramids? Was it Hebrew slaves, space aliens, or maybe Lybian convicts? In this film it's the Greeks! A Greek a be precise because, according to the writers of this film, the Egyptians were not smart enough to engineer such a feat. What this film doesn't tell us is that, at the time the Pyramids were being built, the Greeks were still living in Greek caves. They were a step up from Neanderthals. At any rate, the film is really worth a look because of the performers and that beautiful Tiomkin score.
Al Capone (1959)
Just the "facts, mam."
I first saw this film during its initial release in 1959. I found it fascinating and it led to my interest in gangsters. It was many years later that I began to not just see movie gangsters but to read about them. Al Capone was my first read and that is where the problems began for me with this movie. Most of this film is based on fact, though over-the-top, and acted very well, especially Steiger's performance. My beef is with the portrayal of Al Capone's wife, played by Faye Spain. Capone's real wife, Mary Coughlin, called Mae by everyone, was a loving wife and mother. Almost everything in this film's portrayal of Capone's "wife" is false. Mae loved her husband, his philandering notwithstanding. She remained a faithful and loving wife until his death. The makers of this film, in their zeal to show Capone as an evil person, go too far.
Tarzan and the Leopard Woman (1946)
Good for kids over 50
Here we go again. Ol' Tarz is just as dumb as can be in this entry of the series though he's in pretty good shape. Jane is on hand and is in better shape, as well as the kid, Boy, and of course, to guarantee laughter, is Cheeta, the chimp. This episode would be fun for kids about thirty years ago (pre-computers) but not for today's little hipsters. This reel is not even good for laughs but is good for bringing back memories of how naive we youngsters were. There is one sour note in this Tarzan feature. In darkest Africa the natives are oddly all white. It's bad enough that Tarzan and his family don't even have a tan but , come on, the indigenous natives? The old gag about the natives calling Tarzan "that crazy white man" hold true here along with one line about "monkey business." All in all, clean entertainment that the kids won't like.