Reviews

"Journey to the Center of the Earth" was produced at the height of studio dominance in the film business. 20th Century Fox would soon be nearly bankrupt from the red ink of "Cleopatra" (later saved by the success of "The Longest Day" and "The Sound of Music"). Consequently, every department contributed tons of production value and I would say the matching of studio sets with actual locations in Carlsbad Caverns was pretty flawless. Like a lot of fantasy adventure films of the 1950s and 1960s (ie. Jason and the Argonauts, The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and The Wonders of Aladdin), "Journey to the Center of the Earth" focuses firmly on the characters and the special effects support the performances. Today, sadly, so much effort and time is spent in designing the special effects that the human characters suffer and become clichés (with the exception recently of Tobey Maguire's wonderful "Spiderman" and the recent "Superman"). Those of us who grew up in the 1950s, think of this film fondly as a perfect Saturday matinée entertainment. I can still remember sucking on my giant cherry lollipop, flipping popcorn boxes against the screen and enjoying that very ominous Bernard Herrmann musical score. For a singer, Pat Boone plays drama and adventure quite well and even looks good with his shirt off. Arlene Dahl is sexy in her tight bodice and Peter Ronson also performs well considering he had zero acting experience. James Mason's Professor Lindenbrook ties it all together nicely - it was probably his most physical role ever. And, of course there was Gertrude, who, unfortunately, probably ended up on someone's plate, rather than be retired to the Motion Picture Home for old ducks. Kai aye professor, indeed.

Just rented this on Netflix because a friend had recommended it. It's not your typical...well anything. It's part horror, part comedy, part Marx Brothers, Coen Brothers, John Waters. And it's pretty good, especially if you like zany off the wall stuff. In many ways, it's groundbreaking...foreshadowing the confluence of horror and comedy that's so popular now (i.e. Scary Movie). Vic Dunlop is a stand up comedy legend, having worked the stages of NY and LA and having taught many of today's hot shot comedians. It's really interesting to see him in an earlier incarnation on screen rather than onstage. Worth a look, especially for fans of wacky comedies and movies that are just different.

I just saw When Do We Eat at the Wine Country Film Festival in Sonoma, CA. I am a screenwriter and producer and programmer for several film festivals. This was one of the most surprising, engaging and transcendent indie films I've ever seen -- and it's a madcap comedy to boot -- think "Flirting with Disaster" on steroids. Resonant characters, compelling story, spiritual substance and many, many laughs.

Great for viewers of any religion but Jews will hold it dear because it's such an intimate, funny and honest portrayal of a Jewish family, Jewish beliefs and dis-beliefs. Highly recommended.