Reviews

I just heard Michael J Weldon of Psychotronic Video talk about this on a podcast interview. It reminded me of the first time I saw this on television ( sometime in the 1960's I guess) on the late night Friday Chiller show. The woman burning herself, her hair catching fire, etc. was really terrifying. The film is kind of a B-Movie horror-noir with the oily continental Jacques Begerac performing that Hypnotic Eye thing and causing all manner of mayhem and mutilation. Then there was the wonderful Allison Hayes just 2 years past The Attack of the 5o Foot Woman giving another great performance and of course, my favorite, Merry Andrews from TV's How to Marry a Millionaire. They just don't make them like this anymore. A campy horror classic!

You know what I loved about this film ? That both Hack and Brooks wore glasses. In 1978, that was a breakthrough! Remember all the film fatales that wore specks and then when they removed them were deemed beautiful ? Or even the ones like Dorothy Malone in The Big Sleep and many others that had to remove them when they wanted to impress the guy ? Well today lots of girls wear glasses; it's a style thing and I would bet that no one under the age of 25 understands the importance of facial lenses in film. In the old days it just did not happen that a romance could develop between two four-eyes ( or eight eyes in this case) But it did in this film and THAT single thing is what makes it great.

I have loved this movies for years and wish it were on DVD. Ryan O'Neal gives his career best performance as the amateur thief who decides that this way of life is more exciting than what he did before. The Houston location is interesting and the capers themselves are hair-raising. The addition of the chess motif and the relationship between Warren Oates and O'Neal was almost touching. The ending makes you see how much the O'Neal character liked the detective played by Oates.The film also contains one of my favorite lines of dialog as well. When Bissett asks O'Neal what it is like to rob a house, he answers :" It's like a heart attack with a lot of fear thrown in"

I wish this fantastic film were available on DVD. I own the VHS and find it more compelling with each viewing. Rosalind Chao and Chris Cooper ( who later went on to win an Academy Award) give topnotch performances and make me believe in the power of love and redemption. Their slowly building relationship in a hostile world and its low-key but very powerful denouement is a textbook in fine acting.The historical period has been covered before but never from the point of view of a Chinese immigrant woman. Lalu's courage, strength and intelligence as well as her sensuous exotic beauty are inspirational. As Charlie, Cooper gives a fine portrayal of a decent if flawed man who triumphs in the end. A real classic!

Many comments have been made about the accent, the subject matter, the script, etc. I want to talk about the "character" DiCaprio plays. It is not just the accent ( excellent) but the attitude he has and the subtle way he conveys his feelings. The way he refers to his former commander as "sir" even when he is being used and the story he tells to Jennifer Connelly of losing his parents punctuated by the half sad/half joking " Boo-hoo huh?"are two examples of acting that going beyond mimicking and gets to the heart of this very complex character. His conflicted feelings of wanting the blood diamond but recognizing the horrors of his situation ( "TIF - This is Africa") is very engaging. I cannot praise his performance too highly. It is masterful!

The Christmas Truce of 1914 has always intrigued me. At a time like today when an event like this is almost unimaginable, it is wonderful to see a film that reminds us of a time when humanity could trump ideology. Joyeux Noel effortlessly shows that Germans, Scots and French could lay aside their war for a short time and celebrate the things they had in common instead of those that divided them. The three commanders were the embodiment of the kind of officer everyone hopes exists - intelligent, courageous, loyal to their men, flexible, kind, and generous. The film shows us that the front line soldier sometimes has a greater understanding of the world than the majors, nobility and clergy who are ultimately the power figures. There are many scenes that stand out but the one where Sprinks walks across the snowy No Man's Land carrying a candled Christmas tree singing Adeste Fideles will stay with me forever. The film drips with irony from the threat that the Bishop gives about "killing the Germans now or later" to the prescient scene of the German Jewish commander in a boxcar being sent to his death to the fate of the opera singers. A truly outstanding film.

As a second feature in 1965, this arrived with little fanfare and was probably dismissed by most viewers. Since it was a discarded pilot for a series called " The Black Cloak'' that was never picked up, the studio probably figured they could a make a buck or two on it. But then when people saw it they realized that like the 1966 Chamber of Horrors ( which had some similar plot elements) , this was a little masterpiece of moody economical horror. Mark Richmond and Leslie Nielsen are terrific as the villain and hero. The creepy black and white photography is atmospheric and the tone is one of dread and impending doom. I saw this once in the theater 41 years ago and I would love to see it again. Why not release this on DVD ?

I started watching "Nearly Departed" because of Eric Idle and I must admit he was good in it. My absolute favorite scene is when he is trying to help Granpa ( I believe) pass his drivers test by gymnastically spelling the letters on the eye examine with his body. It was superb physical comedy! Of course his verbal comedy was good as well. My biggest problem with the series was the family being haunted. They were very "sitcommy" and boring. I know the ghosts needed protagonists but it may have been better if they had been a bit more winning with flaws rather than very flawed with few ( if any) winning traits. I always wished this had lasted or that Eric were given another comedy but sadly it never happened.

I saw this on TV years ago and was very impressed and needless to say the recent DVD release got me really excited. I am pleased to say LUST FOR GOLD lives up to my memory. The first thing that struck me was the film noir aspects of LFG - the flashback structure, the first person narration, the anti-heroes of the flashback story and those dark shadows and sinister characters. I have always loved Ida Lupino and what a great femme fa-tale she makes - cold, greedy and obsessed with "lust for gold". Glen Ford is at his most villainous and gruff - although his German accent comes and goes.Gig Young is the perfect scorned husband patsy. There are surprises galore like the abrupt ending of the flashback and the parallel "natural" threat that is a warning to the modern day hero and the undoing of the villain. Coming a year before WINCHESTER 73, LFG is one of the earliest noir westerns ( like Blood on the Moon and Pursued) and has a cast of noirish actors fulfilling their doomed roles. A real classic!

I find it very amusing to note some of the criticisms of RENT. They vary from being taken aback when the characters burst into song to the incongruity of seeing a musical in natural locations. Even worse is the observation that singing on the gritty streets on NYC is very off-putting. There is only one thing wrong with these criticisms and that is that they apply equally to what many consider the greatest film musical of all time WEST SIDE STORY. Hey, it is set in NYC, in gritty locations and the characters not only burst into song but do "ballet-like" dancing in the streets. These are the conventions of musicals and when they transfer to the screen they are able to be set in real and not "stagey" location. RENT is in the grand tradition of WEST SIDE STORY and it is an excellent and worthy successor.

Since they had to use the Fear Flasher and the Horror Horn to sell this failed TV pilot, one might make the incorrect assumption that this is a bad film. In fact, it is excellent within its limitations. Patrick O'Neal is superb as Jason - suave, cunning, a devil with the ladies, cruel and absolutely insane. His story is told in a very interesting fragmented style. We know little about him when he is first arrested but as Draco and his associates track him down we learn much. The subject matter and milieu are a bit seamy for television which is why this was released theatrically at first. I never saw it there though I passed a theater where it was playing. For years I had seen it only in black and white. Recently I saw a color TV print and it looks great. O"Neal is a wonderful Vincent Price stand-in with Cesare Danova, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Phillip Bourneuf,Jeanette Nolan and Jose Rene Ruiz ( as Tun Tun) doing great work. Laura Devon has the best line. As she tries to clumsily describe Jason she suddenly bursts out " What am I thinking ? He is the easiest man in the world to identify. He only has one hand!"

I starting watching COLD CASE while in a hotel room at a conference. When I returned home I found that my wife had also begin watching the very same episode. So we started making it our regular Sunday viewing. It is in a word - fantastic! The mood, the music, the actors, the back stories and the weird plots draw you in each week. In addition they work in themes that are important but they never beat you over the head with them. So far i have seen stories on the ease of getting guns and how they harm society, child abuse, pedophiles, and racism. But I never feel I am being preached to. The episode about the little boy sold into sexual slavery by his uncle and the tragic way this evil pedophile ruined his and others lives will stay with me forever. It was very heartbreaking. The opening credits and the great music by ES Posthumus ( as well as the songs that set the time, place and mood throughout the episodes) are eerie and evocative and just wonderful. I love this show.

I loved Laurence Harvey in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. This is also a good performance. The spy stuff and his relationship with the character played by Tom Courtenay are interesting. Also interesting is the young Peter Cook in a "straight" role ( well sort of). Harvey brought such an air of sadness and despair to this kind of role ( much like his doomed brainwashed pawn in MC). I recall a scene where he is asked about his mother's death ( I believe) and he cannot remember how he felt. The life and emotion were drained out of him to create the perfect double agent. This kind of film was popular in the 60's as an antidote to James Bond and his clones. Others include THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD and THE DEADLY AFFAIR. The great Anthony Mann started this film and was replaced by Harvey when Mann died.

The hype for this film is incredible! I love this sort of story and count Winged Migration as one of my favorite and often-viewed films. I am afraid Penguins is not in that league. There are many reasons from the uninvolved narration to the leaden pace. But mainly the story is interesting without being engaging. I found my mind wandering and I wanted something to happen. The lugubrious pacing and repetition along with the questionable interpretation of the penguins motives - love, sacrifice, etc. made me wish the 80 minutes had sped by faster. So much of the "premise" was destroyed by clearly visible contradictions. The males/females love the chicks but do nothing to protect them from predators, abandon them before they are grown, etc. Okay, it is nature and I cannot expect sentimentality but then the "premise" of the love story is contradicted. I can only marvel at what happens, be glad someone filmed it and be puzzled by the inefficiency and risk involved in perpetuating the species. I also wonder if some of the underwater scenes were digital representations. I cannot prove it but some of it looked a little fake. I loved the penguins but this film did not do them justice.

This was my first IMAX film and I later bought it on DVD. I am surprised how critical some are of this film. It is fantastic. I have never seen the earth this way and the revelations that the film makes clear about drought and ecological damage are brought home in the visuals. But more than that, the film lets the audience revel in the planet we call home as seen from outside. It is a truly humbling experience to see the vast oceans and continents and to put the whole planet in perspective. I admit that it loses something on a smaller screen but it is still great. On IMAX it is a spectacular event and one I will never forget. I still think and talk about it more than 15 years after I first saw it.

This IMAX short film tells the story of following the Blue Nile from Ethiopia to Egypt. It is also the story of past civilizations and how they prospered or suffered because of nature and their own short-sightedness or desperation. Along the way the members of the expedition see kindness and joy in places of conflict like The Sudan. Fear , danger and menace are everywhere from crocodiles to murderous bandits. The team consisting of several men and two women are geologists, archaeologists, reporters and adventurers. A cancer survivor and a "city guy" are part of the group. They face grueling challenges and flirt with danger, disease and death. Through it all they maintain a positive attitude and a real empathy for the people of the Nile and the past civilizations that both cared for and exploited the resources of this river. This is a fantastic, exciting and visually stunning film. It is full of hope and foreboding. It is amazing and inspiring.

This is one of Janet Margolin's best performances and I am reminded of how I miss seeing her in films. She certainly plays a complex character here. Her metamorphosis in one scene in particular is dramatic. Reuniting her with John Glover was great too. Even though they shared no real scenes in Annie Hall, I remember them both in that and was pleased to see each in Last Embrace. Glover is still going strong. The plot of this Hitchcockian thriller is multidimensional and fresh. I think Demme ( not one of my favorites) did a great job and the famous finale at Niagara Falls is reminiscent of NIAGARA without really aping it. This is the film that made want to ride the Maid of the Mist. And the one I always remember when I miss Janet Margolin.

I watched this as part of a cheap DVD set I bought at the supermarket for $6.99. It also included an Audie Murphy film, a Dale Robertson film and a Guy Madison film. All were westerns from the late 40's to early 70's. I really liked Shoot Out. I think that comparing it to True Grit because of some commonalities of cast/crew/producer and ( vaguely) theme is unfair. The relationship between John Wayne and Kim Darby was very different than the growing affection and dependence between Dawn Lyn's delightful Decky and Peck's tough but tender Clay. The way Peck and Lyn become father and daughter whether they actually were or not is touching. I like the way the little girl is very self-sufficient at one moment and kind of lost the next. And she seemed like a kid in many ways too; not a miniature adult. In addition, Robert F. Lyons was terrific as the psycho villain. He was cocky, stupid, pathetic, cruel, greedy and just mean. The ending where the tables are turned on him is brilliant and inventive and probably not what viewers expected. I also like Peck's final line after the final " shoot out" - " Fetch the law" Funny and brilliant.

Some readers seem to think Morgan Fairchild was wrong as Irene Adler ( Norton) but I think she was just right. Irene is an American and she is supposed to be a looker and a flamboyant actress. Morgan has those qualities in spades. Despite age differences ( which may have existed in the original story too), I think Lee and Fairchild have a chemistry. The rest of the plot was also not bad. MacNee is a little too goofy as Watson. I prefer the more dignified portrayals of John Mills, David Burke, Edward Hardwicke and even Colin Blakely. MacNee is too much in the Nigel Bruce mold. I wish that more "Golden Years" stories about Holmes had been made. As it is we must content ourselves with this one and "Victoria Falls". The mix of real characters with the fictional was very "Ragtime". Lee was outstanding as Holmes

The wait is over! This great film Lost for so many years except on TV Has finally been released On DVD The recent article in Vanity Fair Plus renewed interested in Julie and Jim Finally won the day! Hooray! I hope that everyone gets a chance to see this film. Do not be put off by B and W . Do not wait for the colorized version. Enjoy it in its monochromatic splendor. Try to remember the time period in which it was made and don't be too harsh on its possible datedness. I think you will be pleased to discover that it was worth the wait. Besides James Garner and Julie Andrews did I mention the fabulous James Coburn, Melvyn Douglas and a stellar British cast ( Joyce Grenfel for example).

I saw American Werewolf in London after I saw American Werewolf in Paris. The first film was definitely not as good. AWL seems very dated and David Naughton is not great in the lead. I will grant some of it is funny and it is not without merit, but AWP is so much better - great looking, good performances by Scott, Delpy and Bowen. A real creepy villain and some terrific special effects add to the fun. I think the characters are so much more winning than in AWL and although some may argue with the happy ending, I think it made sense. Too bad they did not try to establish the link between the two films better. The ghostly mother was obviously supposed to be Jenny Agutter but it was never made explicit.

Otherwise I loved this film.

In 1957 there was a short-lived series called " The Gray Ghost" based on the exploits of John Singleton Mosby. It starred Todd Andrews. In that series Mosby was pretty heroic and was never ranked at anything less than a Major. After seeing Ken Burns' CIVIL WAR, I learned more about Mosby. While he was not a major figure in the war, he did become a footnote in history. The series was a juvenile adventure made during the era of the television western. It was among the many, many shows I watched as a kid both network and syndicated. I remember it being on Fridays but if it was syndicated it could have played at various times. It was never my favorite and I was unaware until recently of the existence of the film where Jack Ging played Mosby.

I really liked Vincent Walsh as the lead. He was very convincing in both the family-oriented scenes and the action stuff. The impending tragedy and the mundane actions that led to it were well-played and very gripping. It was nice to see a number of veteran Canadian actors like Lynne Griffin and Graham Green in large and small roles. I also thought the subplot about German saboteurs was both nicely diverting and added to the suspense. While Canadian productions can never hope to compete with Hollywood for budget and special effects, they can provide a Canadian "feel" to a project and "Shattered City" does that very well.

When I saw this in the early seventies on TV ( in black and white), I was very impressed. First the "hero" is a Russian spy and is played by Lorne Greene. From the beginning we are on his side even though we sort of know he is doomed. He is retired and does not want another assignment but is pressured into this undercover , double agent task. What he does not not know is how bizarre it will turn out and that along the way he will find a late in life romance with an Englishwoman double agent. The mystery is great, the supporting cast from Patrick Newell to James Donald to Anthony Quayle to Hrry Andrews is first rate. I found the film entertaining , refreshing and even quite poignant. The romance between Rachel Roberts and Lorne Greene brought a tear to my eye.