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tt0093144 | Hansel and Gretel | Hansel and Gretel are the young children of a poor woodcutter. When a great famine settles over the land, the woodcutter's second, abusive wife decides to take the children into the woods and leave them there to fend for themselves, so that she and her husband do not starve to death, because the kids eat too much. The woodcutter opposes the plan but finally, and reluctantly, submits to his wife's scheme. They were unaware that in the children's bedroom, Hansel and Gretel have overheard them. After the parents have gone to bed, Hansel sneaks out of the house and gathers as many white pebbles as he can, then returns to his room, reassuring Gretel that God will not forsake them.
The next day, the family walk deep into the woods and Hansel lays a trail of white pebbles. After their parents abandon them, the children wait for the moon to rise and then they followed the pebbles back home. They return home safely, much to their stepmother's rage. Once again provisions become scarce and the stepmother angrily orders her husband to take the children further into the woods and leave them there to die. Hansel and Gretel attempt to gather more pebbles, but find the doors locked and find it impossible to escape.
The following morning, the family treks into the woods. Hansel takes a slice of bread and leaves a trail of bread crumbs for them to follow home. However, after they are once again abandoned, they find that the birds have eaten the crumbs and they are lost in the woods. After days of wandering, they follow a beautiful white bird to a clearing in the woods, and discover a large cottage built of gingerbread, cakes, candy and with window panes of clear sugar. Hungry and tired, the children begin to eat the rooftop of the house, when the door opens and a "very old woman" emerges and lures the children inside, with the promise of soft beds and delicious food and a hot bath. They do this without knowing the fact that their hostess is a bloodthirsty Hag who waylays children to cook and eat them.
The next morning, the hag cleans the cage in the garden out from her previous captive. Then she throws Hansel into the cage and forces Gretel into becoming her slave. The hag feeds Hansel regularly to fatten him up, after three weeks Hansel gets nice and fat. On the final night she mutters to her self that he will be good to eat. The next day the witch prepares the oven for Hansel, but decides she is hungry enough to eat Gretel, too. She coaxes Gretel to the open oven and prods her to lean over in front of it to see if the fire is hot enough. Gretel, sensing the hag's intent, pretends she does not understand what she means. Infuriated, the hag demonstrates, and Gretel instantly shoves the hag into the oven, slams and bolts the door shut, leaving "The ungodly creature to be burned to ashes", screaming in pain until she dies. Gretel frees Hansel from the cage and the pair discover a vase full of treasure and precious stones. Putting the jewels into their clothing, the children set off for home. A duck ferries them across an expanse of water and at home they find only their father; his wife died from an unknown cause. Their father had spent all his days lamenting the loss of his children, and is delighted to see them safe and sound. With the hag's wealth, they all live happily ever after. | fantasy | train | wikipedia | Best Fairytale Brought To Screen.
I first saw this movie in 1988 and recently in 2002 I wished I could watch it again.
Fourteen years on, I still remember this film.Everyone plays their part well.
It is a fantastic story which can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
The songs are great, the scenery is lovely and when you see the witch's house and garden, I think you'll agree that they are excellent.I don't need to go into detail about the story.
We all know it unless we've been living in a cave for years.
Even though you know what the film's conclusion is going to be before you see it, it doesn't detract from the enjoyment.Check this movie out.
However, you'll have a hard time doing that because I haven't spotted it on TV, cable or at a video store since I first saw it.
Perhaps someone will release it onto DVD one day..
"Hansel And Gretel" is the best 'movie tale' Cannon Films produced.
This version of the story is taken from the Hunperdinck opera, but its's still a recognizable rendition.
The cast is fine, Hugh Pollard as Hansel, Nicola Stapleton as Gretel, David Warner and Emily Richard as the parents.
But the REAL treat here is Cloris Leachman, as Grizelda, the Witch.
This veteran actress is simply terrific, whether coaxing the children inside her gingerbread house, or threatening them with death.
She also sings well, something she has rarely done in films.
The production is tasteful, as are the new songs, adapted from the opera.
A bit tense at times for young kids, "Hansel And Gretel" is nevertheless, a classic!.
A Good Version!.
Ok, I own 300 movies of my own and I am 14!
So what does that tell you?
I have seen a lot of versions of Hansel and Gretel, but I must say that I like this one a lot.
It is different from the everyday story that you hear.
That is what makes it interesting.
I like this a lot.
I think that the actors/actresses did their parts very well!!
This is a movie that is good for the whole family to see!!
A Great Adaption of the Classic Tale!.
This is another of the beautiful Cannon Movie Tales,that aired on the Disney Channel starting in the late 80's and on ito mid-90's.This one is beautifully photographed.The songs are adapted from the opera so they are not new but are still beautiful.I saw this at about 7:00 on a Friday night on The Disney Channel.I fell in love with it and could not find it anywhere.Luckely,Amazon had a copy.It has not lost its charm.Cloris Leachman is the most evil witch ever filmed.She gave me the creeps.This film is ideal for family viewing.Little children will be frightened so make shure you are there for a person to lean on..
"It's an EVIL forest.".
Being a lover of '80s cinema, as well as an appreciator of all things Cannon and Golan-Globus, I was happily surprised to discover that Cannon had made a series of movies about fairy tales that I was unaware of.
I managed to get my hands on this one, my first of hopefully many Cannon Movie Tales.
The story is the simple one of Hansel and Gretel, padded out enough to make a movie.It starts with the worst family ever.
The mom sits at home bitching while the wussy dad (David Warner) lets himself be pushed around and underpaid for the wood he cuts without putting up a fight.
The two kids are deeply stupid, singing and dancing around like morons who have no understanding of how messed up their situation is.
Maybe this is some subtle propaganda for helping the underprivileged and mentally challenged.
The mom gets mad at the kids and sends them off into the woods.
Soon the dad returns home having finally sacked up and gotten his money.
But now the kids are lost and come upon the candy house of a witch named Griselda (a barely recognizable Cloris Leachman in a nice makeup job).
Once the kids get lost, the story gets good.
There are spooky woods, creepy gingerbread statues, and a scary witch.
It's quite a bit of fun and a nice change of pace from today's over-polished kids films.Despite this being from Cannon, there are no guns anywhere.
Nor is there any machismo or heaving bosoms.
There are some terrible songs and an often sad story told in the most upbeat manner possible.
Also, the most unsettling happy ending ever.
It's a good time, though.
I will definitely seek out more Cannon Movie Tales and recommend you do the same..
Brilliant film.
I watched this film when I was about 6 or 7 and absolutely loved it.
I used to rent it along with two other films from the same company, Puss in Boots and Snow White.
When I was about 11 the video shop closed down and since then I have been searching for this film.
I can still remember the words to the songs and I am now 21!
Finally I have found a copy of it and cannot wait til I get it.
I'm sure my son will enjoy it as much now as I did then.
It is well recommended for children of all ages, although some children may find the witch a little frightening, it just depends on the child.
It is a hard film to find but I would recommend looking for it and the other titles I mentioned earlier, it will be a well loved film for children and for adults!.
Great Movie.
I think this is a great movie from the Cannon Theatre...
but you might want to keep it away from extremely young kids.
it scared me so badly that even today, at 19, I have to fast forward through scenes.
There are things that just scar you ...
ya know?
Grizelda the Witch was more terrifying than the Witch of the West in "Wizard of Oz".
All around, a very good farie tale, but not my favorite out of the series..
Creepy!.
I remember this being on the Disney Channel in the late 80's and mid 90's.
It is the most terrifying version of the story that you will ever see.
Based on the Brothers Grimm story, it follows two children named Hansel(Hugh Pollard) and Gretel(Nicola Stapelton).
Theyb are sent out into the forest to pick berries and they stray from the "safe" woods and enter the forbidden North Woods were they meet a witch named Griselda (Cloris Leachman).
They think they have found shelter, but have really landed in the liar of an evil witch who likes to eat children.The opening is not faithful to the Brothers Grimm story, but it is forgivable, because of the terrifying last half, Cloris Leachman's performance, Nicola and Hugh as the two children, and some nice sets and music numbers.Keep this one away from children under age 7..
The best Cannon Movie Tale?
The best Cannon Movie Tale?
Yes. The Cannon Movie Tales adaptations of famous fairy tales is an interesting little series, and while there are some faring better than others and a few that are less than brilliant, others are well done and charming.
Hansel and Gretel is one of the finer examples of the latter, and gets my vote as the best of the series.It's not without its flaws, all of the films in the series do, some bigger and more serious than others.
The low-budget does show in the less than inspiring and too-fancy-dress-like costumes and the witch's death underwhelms, instead of being nail-biting like in the story the way it's done here causes some unintentional humour.Visually, however, on the most part Hansel and Gretel is actually one of the better-looking Cannon Movie Tales films.
It's lovingly photographed and has charming, colourful settings and a fantastically realised Witch's House, its delicious to look at, but at the same time quite nightmarish, design being one of the standout set designs of the Cannon Movie Tales films.
The songs, adapted from Humperdinck's wonderful opera, are simply lovely and are beautifully adapted, with the best performed being Sugar and Spice and the most effective melodically being A Fairy Song.
The script is filled with fun and charm, and also with a real sense of dread in the second half, while the story adaptation-wise follows the Grimm story fairly closely while expanding on some parts, though actually it's closer to the story of the opera.The storytelling is whimsical and charming, while also witty and poignant, the Witch and her scenes also effectively induces nightmares without distorting the tone (the Witch scenes are quite dark) and are pretty tastefully handled.
The film's nicely directed, and the performances are solid with the standout being Cloris Leachman as the Witch.
Her make-up is excellent, and Leachman clearly has a ball without over-compensating too much and is genuinely frightening.
Hugh Pollard and Nicola Stapleton are appealing as Hansel and Gretel and David Warner does bring a touching degree to a character who could easily have been portrayed as an idiot going by how he was written.Overall, a winner from the Cannon Movie Tales series and my vote for their best.
9/10 Bethany Cox. The best fairy tale movie ever!.
okay, this movie is freaking awesome!
It's like the best movie ever.
I watched it everyday for a week.
The story-line is captivating, I laughed and cried.
My favorite character was the father, he was funny and smart.
I especially liked the song "raise your hands" and I even sing along with my little brother.
I like the scene in the town because it was very realistic, the bakers son and the guy who dances with the children made me smile.
It made me wish I was in the fairy tale.
The witch was also a very good actress, she was scary and very angry sometimes.
People should make more movies as exciting as this one!
If you want to see the best movie in the world, you will watch Hansel and Gretel!.
This is a wonderful adaptation.
I have not seen all of the Cannon Movie Tales but so far I like this one best.
This fairy tale was always interesting as a kid because of the house made of cookies and candy.
Which kid would not love to find that!
The candy house really came across as real so well done on the makers there.
The story is pretty true adaptation but more elaborated.
I'm glad they didn't make the mother so cold as in the original tale where she didn't seem to care about them.
Nicola Stapleton was a nice little Snow White and plays the role of Gretl eagerly well but so does Hansel.
But the real star is the evil witch, she is so ugly and scary, really I wouldn't want to be trapped in that house with her even not as adult.
And all that sugary food shown it makes you want to have pie and cake for real!
I think the movie found the perfect balance between scary (the witch) and sweet (thanks to the songs)..
Who's nibbling at my little house?.
When I was a child,"Hansel And Gretel" used to scare me to death,particularly the bone the unfortunate boy showed to the witch.The Grimm brothers ' widely known fairy tale has undergone some changes and,as far as the parents are concerned ,for the best.David Warner portrays a meek woodcutter who seems a little under her wife 's (Emily Richard)thumb who has sometimes cruel words -but the fairy tales are often cruel- when she tells her children going to bed that they should not awake .The fairy tale revolves round a familiar topic: the fear of starving ,which was not only in fairy tales ("Tom Thumb " is another example ,which shows analogies with "H and G" :the candies ,cannibalism).In this food shortage ,all is temptation:on a small scale ,the baker's shop,and on a larger one,the witch's house.But too much pastry and sweets makes you sick.The second part is ,IMHO,less successful: the children remain true to form ,but I do think that Cloris Leachman overacts and makes her character more ludicrous than really scary .Enough is enough!The same can be said of the final "fireworks".All and all ,it is an enjoyable show for the whole family.Two very interesting variations on the same theme (strictly for adults and teenagers): "Whoever slew Auntie Roo?"(1971) Curtis Harrington."Les Amants Criminels " (1999) François Ozon..
Hansel-H, And-A, Gretel-G.
Kinda Creepy Huh?.
we used to make that analogy of the Hansel and Gretel name when we were kids.
for some reason that really scared my female cousin and she seemed to particularly hate that fairy tale always after hearing that.
i kind of understood because the analogy gave me the creeps too.
although not as much as it seemed to give her.the whole Hasel and Gretel tale really is a whole lot of jeepers creepers.
it's pretty morbid stuff.
after all it has a very vengeful sense of morality.
personally i don't support capital punishment or revenge, the Testament does advise turning the other cheek, but i suppose the witch here is pretty homicidal and carnivorous and doesn't elicit much sympathy.
especially the manicky, greedy way she is portrayed at the hands of Cloris Leachman who does it so fiendishly well.everything about this delightful Cannon MovieTale is, shall we say, (ahem),well done.
although nothing is ever overdone or over-baked.
it's all cooked to delicious perfection.Englebert Humperdink's children's opera has been done successfully, but not in live action movie form.
even though Cannon films made their MovieTales on humble budgets, the films looked good and felt like movies, not filmed stage plays like many other fairy tale theaters.
fans of Cannon MovieTales also know that their fairy tales are also largely underrated and not often given the attention or credit they so richly deserve.this particular version of the fairy tale opera is worth something just for Cloris Leachman's outstanding performance as the witch.
she is very amusing but she is also rather frightening too.
it's also nice to see MovieTale star Nicola Stapleton (Snow White) here as well.aside from the obviously politically incorrect message of "witch burning", which is pretty morbid, but a inherent problem in the original telling if you want to be accurate, this film is probably more cultured and refined than a lot of the mindless junk that is usually tossed at kids these days in the movies and on television.this is a good film for kids on a whole but there actually might be some risk of scaring really small children.
heck, the movie scared me when i first saw it in the late 80's and i was like, almost thirty. |
tt0023737 | Ace of Aces | When the United States enters World War I, Nancy Adams (Elizabeth Allen) becomes a Red Cross nurse, while her fiancé, Rex "Rocky" Thorne (Richard Dix), registered as a conscientious objector, pursues his sculpting career. She mocks his pacifism and accuses him of cowardice. Thorne, in retaliation for her rejection and determined to prove his bravery, enlists and trains to become a fighter pilot. As part of the American Expeditionary Forces, he is, at first, a hesitant combat pilot until he encounters his first enemy aircraft and shoots it down. Renouncing his past, Thorne becomes completely committed to the war in the air, vowing to become the "ace-of-aces".
While on furlough in Paris, Thorne, now the leading ace, runs into his former love, who is a nurse on the front lines. She has been impacted by her experiences and torn by guilt, agrees to spend the night with her former fiancé. Returning to his squadron, Thorne suffers a head wound in a skirmish and as he reaches his base, he shoots down a German cadet on a mercy mission to drop a note over the airfield, telling the squadron of the whereabouts of one of their downed airmen.
Thorne lands in the hospital, next to the German cadet who is dying, and gives in to the young man's pleas for a drink, giving him some wine, knowing it will speed his death. When he recuperates, unable to bear his guilt for killing an innocent flyer, Thorne asks to be relieved from combat to become an instructor. Before leaving his squadron, the realization that a young pilot has bettered his record of victories, leads him to one last mission, albeit unauthorized. Encountering the new German fighter aircraft that are the match for his fighter, he prepares to close in for a "kill", but sees the face of the German cadet that he had needlessly shot down, and is unable to fire. In the fight, Thorne is wounded and crashes, but lives to return home and marry his sweetheart. | melodrama | train | wikipedia | this movie dares to be different and makes an excellent point.
This movie, along with the similar EAGLE AND THE HAWK and ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, is an excellent anti-war film made during the 1930s.
Well, Richard Dix plays a pacifist who only reluctantly agrees to go to war.
However, once he becomes a fighter pilot and gets a taste for blood, his personality changes dramatically.
Gone is the decent soul who had once longed to become a famous sculptor and in its place was a man who lived to kill--enjoying every minute of it!
While this certainly isn't true of everyone who goes to war, the notion that personalities can dramatically change thanks to the carnage is an excellent point to make indeed..
Potent Anti-War Polemic.
A mild-mannered sculptor who hates war becomes the ACE OF ACES in World War One.Although nearly forgotten for decades, this powerful little anti-war film packs a punch as it focuses on the young men of an American flying squadron stationed in France.
Cynical & flippant, they know the odds are against them surviving the war and they each deal with that knowledge in their own way.Richard Dix, an excellent actor who has become undeservedly obscure, gives a powerful performance as a pilot embittered by war's savagery yet delighting in his ability to kill.
Lovely Elizabeth Allan portrays the weary front-line nurse, once Dix's fiancée, who brings some humanity back into his life.Ralph Bellamy plays Dix's no-nonsense superior officer; Theodore Newton does well as Dix's barracks mate.
Movie mavens will recognize an uncredited Grady Sutton as an excited house guest.RKO has given the film fine production values, with the flying sequences especially well mounted.
The movie is marred slightly by the ending, which is rather unbelievable considering the moments leading up to it.
Considering the era it was made this film was very well made.
Of all the fluff that came out of Hollywood I'm sure this was a pleasant change of pace for moviegoers of the day and is still worth watching some 70 + years later.War and especially combat change a man and usually not for the better for a long time if not for life.
This movie went into the dark corners of these human transformations.
Great acting, writing, and directing was put into this effort.Richard Dix was well chosen for the lead of this film as the role called for a tough character in this lead role of fighter pilot ace.
Although Mr. Dix is not as well known in film history as Gable or Bogart he was very popular back in the 30's and 40's and a leading man.
If you get the chance to see this movie, please seize the opportunity to view some real Hollywood history..
Rocky and Nancy, couple in love, when War is declared (WWI, in spite of their early 30s clothing).
Rocky (played by Richard Dix) compares soldiers to lemmings "trying to reach a goal that doesn't exist" - Nancy (Elizabeth Allan) thinks her man is "yellow" as she pushes him into going to battle.
Next thing you know, Rocky has joined an Aero Squadron and is encamped in a barracks full of nicknamed comrades and a menagerie of "mascots" not limited to a goat, pig, chimp, parrot, and Rocky's personal mascot, a cute little lion cub (actually, he looked sort of like a leopard to me).
Rocky starts out fighting his morals against shooting another man - but not for long, it seems, as Rocky gets pretty darn aggressive amazingly quickly - the war has completely gone to his head as Rocky turns into the fighting ace of all aces!This film is a bit hit or miss - parts of it are good, other parts are quite slow-moving and boring.
Richard Dix gives a somewhat hammy performance and there are some pretty fake looking kisses between the two leads, a real lack of chemistry there, I would say.
BUT - there is some interesting photography in the air battle scenes, and a few other interesting scenes here and there, especially notable is a scene where Dix is confronted by one of the German soldiers he shot down, now on his death bed.
A Taste For War. Ace Of Aces casts Richard Dix as a sculptor who is determined just not to get
involved in the war even after the USA enters.
and when his own girlfriend Elizabeth Allan shames him into it he joins the Army
and gets into the new Army Air Corps.Once he's involved Dix discovers he has a taste for war and gets real good at
up by the media and is soon like Eddie Rickenbacker, the Ace Of Aces.
Elizabeth Allan does not like what she sees when she visits the front doing war
work.Dix gives a fine performance, one of the best I've seen in his talkie period.
good use is made of the combat footage.
Still it's effectively added in.Kudos also go to Ralph Bellamy as Dix's immediate superior who doesn't like
Blood in the Air. Idealistic young sculptor Richard Dix (as Rex "Rocky" Thorne) decides not to enlist when President Woodrow Wilson calls for US soldiers to enter the Great War (aka World War I).
A pacifist, Mr. Dix explains, "I just don't like the idea of killing my fellow man." His pretty Boston fiancée Elizabeth Allan (as Nancy Adams) calls Dix a coward and joins the war effort as a nurse.
Suddenly ashamed, Dix enlists as a fighter pilot.
On his first day with the squadron, in France, Dix is sent out on a mission.
At first he is unable to kill his fellow man.
But, when shot at, Dix turns into the Germans' worst nightmare, killing them at breakneck speed.
Soon, Dix holds the record for the most kills...During the heat of battle, Dix and Ms. Allan find their views on war have evolved...This is a fine 1930s (anti-) war film, with exciting airborne battle scenes.
In the leading role, Dix seems miscast, however.
Many older men enlisted in both World Wars, but he appears too old for the role.
The script might have been altered to include some mention of him getting a late start in marriage and claiming to be "too old for war." Even then, the part probably should have been played by a more delicate actor.
His first scene, introducing Dix to the squadron, is so good you can almost hear director J Walter Ruben yell, "Cut, print!" Yes, he nailed it.****** Ace of Aces (1933-10-20) J.
Walter Ruben ~ Richard Dix, Elizabeth Allan, Theodore Newton, Ralph Bellamy.
A Richard Dix Ace. I never liked Richard Dix very much.
Any other film I've seen in him seems to show him off as a hammy, middle-aged actor just going through the paces.
This WW I story about a pacifist artist who joins up and become a bloodthirsty killer under the guise of being a flying "ace" seems like the kind of role he needed.
In a way it's similar to the role of Yancy in Cimarron, but minus the "Wahoos" he lets out sporadically in that film.
Plus in Cimarron Dix pales in comparison to the great performance turned in by Irene Dunne.
In Ace of Aces, Dix is the star.
Elizabeth Allan is the girl friend, Ralph Bellamy the commanding officer, Theodore Newton the best friend, Nella Walker the socialite, and the Stroud twins (Claude and Clarence) play fellow flyers.
Not a great film by any means, but a solid story certainly helps.
First, you have to buy Richard Dix as an upper-crust sculptor and pacifist named "Rocky." Then you have to accept that after one dogfight he turns into a cold-blooded killing machine.
The aerial combat scenes are well done with an excellent use of miniatures, but they aren't in the same league as the ones in "Wings," "Hell's Angels" or "The Dawn Patrol." The squadron banter has a realistic feel to it unlike any of the other dialogue in the film.
Dix's rapid changes in personality are given no real reason and make hash of his character and anything profound the film is trying to say.
Obviously modeled after "Journey's End" and all the other anti-war plays of the time, "Ace Of Aces" ends up making a travesty of both pacifism and soldiering..
Strong Screenplay Somberly Takes An Anti-War Stance.
An Anti-War Movie that is Filled with Dread.
The Brooding, Sensitive Richard Dix Plays a Pacifist Goaded into Entering WWI with the rest of the Lemmings by His Cute Girlfriend (Elizabeth Allan).
Once there He is Propelled into a Flying Killing Machine.He becomes and Ace of Aces as His near Psychotic Exploits are Turned when He is Forced to Confront His Death Talley by an Unarmed Kid He Shoots Down and Nearly Kills.
After this He Snaps back to His Senses and All is Well, sort of.This has some Pre-Code Violence (suicide and a bloody face mashing) among its Sexual Take on a Relinquished Virginity brought on by the Uncertainty of War. Some of the Dialog has a Bite and it makes it Clear in its Anti-War Sentiments.Above Average in Theme and Wit, this will most likely Disappoint those Seeking Aerial Dogfights and Rah-Rah Action.
"Ace of Aces" was deliberately acted by Richard Dix while the role of Elizabeth Allen remains unclear.
But she did attempt to convey the entire picture of a girlfriend during World War I who sees it as being a true requirement.
Thus this is a suppressed movie.
It's known that the British sent about 300 conscientious objectors to the firing squad during World War I.
No one on the allied side in the movie, set of course in a flying squadron base, has any idea what World War I is about.
You're not going to find from the movie whether the U.S. entering it helped anything.
So assuming the movie's value is the precise degree of disparity between Richard Dix and Elizabeth Allen, it is noteworthy that his character, Rocky Thorne, has the same last name as a major freeway exit adjacent to Fort Lewis, Washington.
This is a film that uses the truncated running times of the early 30's to its advantage.
While it's a rule of thumb in film-making to slowly develop characters, Ace of Aces, perhaps because it's a programmer and simply doesn't have the time, skips the usual intermediate stages -- you know, like introspection.
Characters here go from pacifism to bloodthirsty insanity in the time it takes to cut from one scene to the next.Richard Dix is a sculptor who is accosted in his studio one day by "girlfriend" Elizabeth Allen, who, in the space of about three seconds, threatens to break up with him if he doesn't give up his fancies about art and get his head blown off in WWI ( and there is the tantalizing suggestion that she is sexually unsatisfied with him and is using the war as an opportunity to slake her lust.
Meanwhile we get lots of superimposed heraldic animal heads, dragons, lions, falcons and such layered on top of the soldiers in their bunker, leering, grimacing beasts of war that give the film a haunting medieval flavor.
When the soldiers talk to each other, the tone is unlike any other war film -- we aren't meant to reflect poignantly on their impending deaths or get to know them as individuals so that we're caught up in their fates.
Instead their conversation is fairly eloquent-sounding ( a lot of these guys are swanky Brits ) yet subtly drained of meaning so that we hear their witty, boastful words almost as the squawks, barks and roars of barnyard animals.
Not one character is sympathetic.This is a film whose transitions are so abrupt that the end result comes close to something like Kleist's play The Prince of Homburg, a jagged, neurotic ride through an insanely arbitrary world.
When Dix and Allen get together at the end and fall in each other's arms again, you feel sick..
War redefines a pacifist..
J. Walter Ruben directs this air combat movie based on Bird Of Prey by John Monk Saunders.
Some of the aerial scenes are actually borrowed from Howard Hughes's HELL'S ANGELS(1930).
By no means ACE OF ACE'S is no masterpiece, but very worthy of your time.
Richard Dix plays Rex Thorne, a sculptor who registers as a conscientious objector at the outbreak of WWI.
He thinks nothing more of being shy of taking up arms and going to war.
His sweetheart Nancy(Elizabeth Allen)sees him differently.
She sees him as a coward and shames him into joining the Army as a fighter pilot.
Soon Thorne does an about face and unlikely becomes reckless and ruthless and one of the most prolific flying aces.
At the same time, Nancy has joined the Red Cross as a nurse and is appalled at the transformation of her 'Rocky' now a arrogant hero of the skies.
The apt list of players includes: Ralph Bellamy, Frank Conroy, Theodore Newton, and James Cagney's look-alike brother William Cagney.
Look for this one on Turner Classic Movies..
It's 1918 and the war is being waged on the battlefields of France -- and over those battlefields too.
Richard Dix wants no part of it.
However, his girl friend, the cute and saucy Elizabeth Allen, shames him into enlisting, and he becomes a fighter pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corpe and is sent overseas, where he is soon joined by Allen as a nurse.
In his first combat mission, he flies as part of the squadron, manages to get on the six o'clock position of a "Heinie" but can't bring himself to pull the trigger on his machine guns.
His superior officer, Ralph Bellamy, chews him out.On a later flight, after watching a friend being shot down, he become animated and scores his first "kill." And, actually, he feels pretty good about when he thinks it over.
(Historically, Eddie Rickenbacker was the highest scoring American ace with 26 aerial victories.) By now, Dix has begun to enjoy his job and has a sneaky tactic whereby he leaves the squadron and pulls up into a position that puts his airplane between the enemy and the sun, thus blinding the Heinies to his attack.
In World War II, we accused the Japanese of being sneaky for doing the same thing.
(You can ignore that gloss if you want.) Meanwhile, his commanding officer, Ralph Bellamy, is getting furious.
In not playing with the team, Dix has lessened its strength by one airplane, and all for his own self aggrandizement.
But does Dix do it?
Dix tells him to shut up but learns from a nurse that the patient can't drink anything because he's been shot through the stomach and is dying.
While listening to the wounded boy Dix is stunned to learn that this is the Heinie pilot he'd just shot down, only a cadet with few hours flying time.
Chagrin time for Dix. He accepts Bellamy's offer of an instructor's job back in the states but when taunted by some of his squadron mates, he decides to regress and go back to killing.The only problem is that once in the air, again at a Heinie's six, he can't bring himself to pull the trigger.
He and his cute and saucy girl friend are finally together, hugging each other decorously among the wildflowers and dreaming of a home and four children.It's an anti-war movie from 1933, with World War I safely behind the audience.
Nobody's performance stands out especially, nor does anyone's performance torpedo the movie.
Just about everyone who is downed does a nose dive into the earth but -- this being 1933 -- there are not yet bouquets of exploding fireballs with each mishap.The moral evolution of Dix's character is kind of interesting and I rather enjoyed it for all its primitive techniques.
I liked it too because it SHOWS us how to dislike war without a single sermon being preached.
Not that I mind the pep talks that show up so often in movies about war but they're usually so unoriginal, so filled with clichés.
It's not often we hear anything like "when the blast of war blows in our ears, then imitate the action of the tiger.".
Potential SPOILER.OK, so it's not a great movie.
For it's time, it was probably considered pretty damn good but some movies, and this is just my humble opinion, just don't hold up over time.
Albert Fin....sorry, Richard Dix was a pretty OK actor, as one other reviewer put it, a bit hammy, but over all, for the 30s, not bad but I have to admit, his maniacal killer stuff was the stuff that modern film considers parody.
His obsession with the kill (a guy who was very much a pacifist) was maybe a tad overdone.
I'd LOVE to see this movie remade with a more gradual change in the character instead of almost immediately, though you can see how getting MAD can change a person's outlook.I'm not sure if that was really a spoiler, but I'll click the box to be on the safe side.Mr. Finney...DAMMNIT, Mr. Dix plays crazy well, I'll give him that, campy, hammy, but well and as I said, almost funny.
I find it sad that almost every war movie made up until the 1960s seemed to find a need for a love story.
...because there is never a defining moment where protagonist "Rocky" goes from pacifism to being a war monger.
What pushed him to join the US Air Corps in the first place?
Dix character strikes me as psychotic; he kills without mercy, then is utterly ruined as a combat pilot after seeing one dying German Faehnrich (officer cadet.) Nearly twenty guys in his squadron die in the air, men he was comrade with.
Bad writing attempts to be Hemingway-esque, comes off sounding like War Department training film diologue.
A good rainy day WWI film. |
tt0112800 | Dao | In 1967, a pregnant woman is attacked by a vampire while giving birth. Doctors are able to save her baby, but the woman dies of infection.
Thirty-one years later, the child has become the vampire hunter Blade. He raids a rave club owned by the vampire Deacon Frost. Police take one of the vampires to the hospital, where he feeds on hematologist Karen Jenson and escapes. Blade takes Karen to a safe house where she is treated by his old friend Abraham Whistler. Whistler explains that he and Blade have been waging a secret war against vampires using weapons based on their elemental weaknesses, such as sunlight and silver. As Karen is now "marked" by the bite of a vampire, both he and Blade tell her to leave the city.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of vampire elders, Frost, the leader of a faction of younger vampires, is rebuked for trying to incite war between vampires and humans. As Frost and his kind were not born as vampires and are therefore not pure-bloods, they are considered socially inferior. In response, Frost has one of the elders executed and strips the others of their authority.
Upon returning to her apartment, Karen is attacked by a policeman, who is a "familiar", a human slave controlled by a vampire. Blade subdues the familiar and uses information from him to locate an archive of vampire history. Later, at the hideout, Blade injects himself with a special serum that prevents him from succumbing to his desire to drink blood, which would ultimately turn him into a vampire. However, the serum is beginning to lose its effectiveness due to overuse.
While experimenting with the anticoagulant EDTA as a possible replacement, Karen discovers that it explodes when combined with vampire blood. She manages to synthesize a vaccine that can cure the infected, but learns that it will not work on a human-vampire hybrid like Blade. Frost and his men attack the hideout, infect Whistler, and abduct Karen. When Blade returns, he helps Whistler commit suicide and arms himself with special syringes filled with EDTA.
When Blade attempts to rescue Karen from Frost's penthouse, he is subdued and taken to the Temple of Eternal Night, where Frost plans to perform the summoning ritual for La Magra, the vampire blood god. Blade is drained of his blood, but Karen allows him to drink from her, triggering his vampirism. Frost completes the ritual and obtains the powers of La Magra. Blade kills all of Frost's minions, including his mother, and confronts him. During their fight, Blade injects Frost with all of the syringes, causing his body to explode.
Karen offers to help Blade cure himself, but he asks her to create a new serum instead. In a brief epilogue, Blade kills a group of Russian vampires. | cult | train | wikipedia | The final action sequence, including Hung Yan-Yan, is now a legend in Kung-fu movies, just like the duel between Jet Li and Donnie Yen in Once Upon A Time in China 2...
the editing and camera-work seems to have influenced gladiator, with choppy nasty hits.the plot is rudimentary, something about sword-makers, evil bald men who probably eat little children and have swords with more gadgets than 4 James bond movies, and two badass friends who kick said guys bald ass.
The paradoxical, inadvertent and sometimes very futile violence in the film breeding and producing another violence (e.g. On's revenge for his dead father (where's no redemption) or those exposed little kids watching the bloody fight between that monk and bandits, which is if you think about it enormously provocative vestige of how the world must be so cruel when even a monk has become such a violent beast who then will only manifest that little hint of his smile at those small kids as some kind of a symbol of an inspiration for them - which is very morally inverted).
Very common thing in our world is also an involuntary or unconscious act that only brings about another killing and death to others - examples: Ding On inadvertently kills the prostitute Iron Head brought to himself, Ling's father is in fact responsible for a lot of hurt to come when he told Ding On the truth about his father.
Chiu Man Cheuk's Ding On initially was against the revenge (mind you the scene after the monk is dead) but Iron Head was all for it who also inadvertently divulged the place where they are from to bandits which would lead to another killing at the end at the Foundry, and etc..
The film even mentions things like buying and selling and at the same time showing the dog approaching some chunk of meat planted right in the big bear jaggy trap which ultimately kills him, the scenes like this are only exaggerated just to give us an idea and feeling of how hard it is to make it through in this world but Tsui Hark de-facto made it clear enough when increased or leveled up the whole hardness of the life in this film and showed us the way how to survive which systematically should be only motivating and inspiring for the viewers of this film.
Not Ding On or Iron Head, it was in fact Ling all along who's the most important character (not so strange that the whole film is also off her point of view) as she was also the only one left at the end of the movie still feeling the love for other people but as we see it's late because there's already no one to return her love.
What is so paradoxical is that everyone (save for her) in the film was actually neglecting the most important and powerful weapon for this violent world "love", what they were doing was absolutely futile, fruitless, nothing for anyone things which means they ended up as individuals with the complete lack of affection and love for anyone and by this ended up only producing another ceaseless violence that would lead only to downfall of the whole mankind, there was no end to this.
Based on the old-school kung-fu classic The One-Armed Swordsman, The Blade tells the story of a young man adopted by a renowned blacksmith, who discovers that his true father was killed by superstitiously powerful bandit named Lung, "who it is said can fly!".When he impulsively goes out seeking revenge, he runs afoul of a gang of desert scum and loses his right arm in the encounter.
With half a sword, half a technique, and still one arm short of a pair, he returns to his old home to confront both his past and the man who murdered his father.A simple tale of vengeful perseverance here gets a nihilistic gritty art-house treatment.
Even when characters are performing incredible feats, you find yourself thinking "So this is what kung-fu fighting was really like." Although Chiu Cheuk and villainous Xiong Xin Xin can certainly deliver spectacular physical displays (as seen in Hark's later Once Upon A Time in China films), in The Blade the camera and editing take the lead.
While some reviewers tend to forget the "cinema" part of "martial arts cinema", and complain that much of the action is concealed by the breakneck editing and moving camera, there is still an impressive amount of wushu on display in this film, and the frenzied cutting serves to heighten the excitement and the abilities of the performers, even without implied supernatural powers or gratuitous wire stunts.
Tsui Hark's Dao aka The Blade (Hong Kong, 1995) is an updating of the old one armed swordsman legend that also has been depicted earlier in the history of Hong Kong cinema.
The film turned out to be among the best Hong Kong cinema miracles from the nineties I've seen so far.Vincent Zhao Wen Zhuo aka Chiu Man Cheuk is Ting On and Moses Chan Ho is Iron Head and they're both very loyal to their master, an old monk who has teched them during their young lives.
Soon a violent murder takes place, a hand gets chopped off and revenge comes to mind, but none of the characters seem to care or think about their emotions but only to go after their insticts which in this case are mostly about violence and getting even.
What follows is more or less (usually more) amazing imagery and bits of sword fighting from this unique film maker of East.The film depicts people without the willing or ability to express their emotions and that's why many of the reviews seem to dislike the film telling the characters are very cold and inhuman.
The visuals here are quite amazing and this belongs alongside Ringo Lam's Burning Paradise (1994) and Billy Chung's The Assassin (1993) to the Hong Kong's hyper dark martial art films that never are as near as "light" and also humorous as some Once Upon a Time in China (1991) for instance or other box office hits.
Hardly any mainstream audience will like films like Dao because they lack almost every possible entertaining or pleasant element that can be found in Hong Kong martial arts films.
The film is very dark and haunting especially when the guy has lost his arm and is training in agony in the misty and menacing house with hysterical female (this character is also very bad and should not have been so noisy and really brainless all the time) taking care of him.
The action is so incredible it again makes me wonder how they edit their films like this.
This end fight is like the mind blowingly incredible finale in John Woo's A Better Tomorrow 2, choreographed by the great Ching Siu Tung: both of these finales get so over the top and (thus) separated from the rest of the film that it gets even surreal and thus makes the film's own world look even more impressive and striking and hammers the message and images to the viewer's head.
The blood sprayed in these both cases is much more than just results of blade cutting flesh as it all depicts things from our main characters and their values much more effectively and graphically (to say the least) than words likely could.
The finale in Dao is among the most jaw dropping scenes from any Hong Kong film of all time and once again these makers have shown their talent and capacity.
Since there are no any real heros, no good characters and not too much sunshine in Dao, it is easy to expect that sadly this kind of film won't appeal to masses but considering that it starts to look even more valuable that films like these get still made despite that fact.Dao also lacks all the possible stupid bits of dialogue that often can be found in Hong Kong films.
Details like these tell much more about the characters than any fastly and badly written unnatural words ever could.Dao is a stunning experience even with its flaws and if they were corrected and fixed, this film would really be a masterpiece and maybe perfect of its kind.
Now it definitely is a masterpiece of its maker, Tsui Hark, and it has the kind of potential and power that keeps on reminding the admirers of Eastern cinema of what makes these films so unique, precious and overwhelming.
In reality of this bleak world Tsui Hark showing us the way how to survive and at the same time there's searching for non-existent love and harmony (almost i'd say the lost paradise), it is so far away from a usual action film, it's more about a wicked human behaviour and feelings, very interesting demonstration of a corrupt world wherein is not a way of escape.
Though not a revolutionary landmark film of the high caliber of "Seven Swords", yet, this masterpiece is another proof (with many more - Chinese Feast, Don't Play With Fire, Peking Opera Blues, Green Snake, Butterfly Murders, Once Upon A Time In China, Seven Swords, Legend Of Zu) that an innovator and revolutionary perfectionist "Tsui Hark" rightfully belongs to the same league of such greats like H.Hawks, O.Welles, A.Kurosawa, F.Truffaut, S.Leone, S.Fuller, J.L.Godard, R.Polanski.
Yes, it's another HK movie with great demonstrations of martial arts -with swords and blood-, heroism and revenge.
Tsui Hark puts unusual sadness in his movie and a strong sexual atmosphere : Valerie Chow is really amazing as a crazy prostitute and Chiu Man Chek is much sexier and a better actor than Jet Li or Chow-Yun Fat. Between the efficiency of Tai-Chi and the melancholy of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Tsui Hark had the guts to do an "arty" martial-arts flick in a time when Hong Kong's cinemas were filled with boring street dramas and uninspired movies made by temporary Wong Kar-wai wannabes.
Obviously inspired by the critical success of "CHUNGKING EXPRESS", Tsui Hark (like many other directors of that time) tried to do a film for a thinking audience.
This movie was the one of the first true martial artist films I have seen.
I have to suppose that the camera was speeded up, but it wasn't obvious except that a person should be breathing harder than they were if they were actually moving as fast as it looked they were.I liked the realistic "gritty" aspects of the lifestyle of the characters that was portrayed in this film.
I mean, cutting off the arm of the main character isn't enough, there happens and has happened a lot more to him that forms him and leads up to his decision of seeking revenge, which is also aimed at multiple different people.
The action and fight sequences themselves are of course also greatly choreographed, as you would expect from a genre movie such as this one.
The great thing about this film (and the sort of thing that upsets people who like seeing martial arts fights where you can see every kick and every punch) is that most of the fighting is just blurs of motion punctuated by shouting and clashing blades.
This is what I love in HK fantasies: fight scenes that are so incomprehensible you're left going: huh?Tsui Hark's best example is Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain, where the viewer has to actually fill in the blanks for themselves.
It's edited in such a way that that the film we see feels like only a portion of the story.
It's hard to think of a more effective way of setting up a backstory, and gives new life to that tired old cliche, the revenge story.So that's all good.
Unfortunately, in his first confrontation with the murderer, a tattooed character that looks like he jumped from the pages of a comic book, our hero is brutally beaten and loses an arm.
Although some of the action could be seen as a little far fetched (and story-wise the film is really melodrama), the persistent realism of the film really sinks in and swinging around chain weapons seems like a really dangerous thing to do.
Tsui Hark is a great director and action seemed to be his "thing".
"Dao" was a good movie, even though the story gets maybe a little bit too boring in the middle of the film.
I was not disappointed watching 'Dao' ('The Blade'), a dark movie with great visuals.
We see how he loses his limb, how he trains in martial art and will seek that revenge.Like I said this is a dark movie, with dark themes as well.
I like these kind of sequences when they have a certain effect for the movie, and here I think it was the right choice.
I'd heard many good things about this movie and having enjoyed much of Tsui Hark's work before, was looking forward to a masterpiece, especially seeing as it's a remake of the Shaw Brother's Classic, One Armed Swordsman, but ultimately I was quite disappointed.
The initial ambush where On loses his arm is riveting, as bandits seemingly fly out the woodwork and numerous hidden bear traps snap shut on limbs and the later fight sequences such as On defending his adopted home or the bandit assault on the sword foundry are packed to the rafters with flashing blades and high body-counts, blood spattering everywhere.However, what lets it all down is the narrative component and the overall impression I got was that Tsui Hark came up with the idea for several sword fighting showpieces, then tacked the storyline on as an afterthought.
What makes this worse is that the film spends way too much time focusing on the female narrator, a girl in love with both On and his co-worker Iron Head.
Throw in some flimsy philosophical musings (she's constantly going on about the war in her heart) and she becomes a very unsympathetic character, each time her voice over crops up you can't help but looking at the running time and hoping she finishes soon so we can get back to more about sword fighting and revenge.It's not a bad film, but far below the standard that I had hoped for.
Although Hark Tsui seems to be a productive man in the Hong Kong movie business - he has acted, produced, written and directed really a lot of movies - I can't say that I've heard of him before.
as long as they contribute to the story."Dao" or "The Blade" as it is called in English, starts with telling how the daughter of the master of a saber factory is in love with two men that work for her father.
All he wants is to find the evil Kung-Fu master who is said to be able to fly and who has brutally murdered his father...Like I said before, I'm very new to the genre, but it's already obvious to me that there must be some different styles in these movies.
THE BLADE is a well-regarded Tsui Hark martial arts flick that was envisaged as a remake of the Wang Yu Shaw Brothers classic, THE ONE-ARMED SWORDSMAN.
It's very familiar to fans of 1990s Hong Kong cinema, full of dark and moodily-lit scenes, hysterical characters and a predominance of action over storyline.That's not to say that the plotting isn't interesting: this film resembles a western in that much of the action is limited to arid desert villages where gangs of bandits roam and kill at will.
Chiu Man Cheuk (THE BLACK SHEEP AFFAIR) is the eponymous hero, a man driven into exile by the machinations of a frustrated girl who finds himself compelled to avenge the death of his father.I'm no great fan of Hark as a director, because sometimes his films feel bitty and all over the place, and his editing is a little too sloppy for my liking.
Tsui Hark's re-imagining of Chang Cheh's 1967 Dubei dao (The One-Armed Swordsman), is (in the words of Subway Cinema curators) "a psycho-tronic phantasmagoria full of scars and tattoos, mutilation, amputation, sexual frustration, and sharp, heavy chunks of steel splitting muscle and breaking bones" - but most of all a story of love and kindness in a world that may be damaged beyond redemption.Original Music by Ying-Wah Wong (as Raymond Wong) and Wai Lap Wu is fantastic.
The fight scenes are impressive, of course, as Tsui's directing power is still at its peak.A good film for those interested in smarter WU XIA films but not in the mood to tackle Ashes of Time.
Its main problem lies in Hark's decision to film everything in a close up, rapid editing, music video style that makes the action incomprehensible 90% of the time and just plain irratating.
Blade is a Hong Kong movie directed by Hsui Hark.
It starts with the narration of a woman who talks like the two young men at the sword factory, On and Iron Head, will end up contesting for her hand in marriage.
This is Tsui Hark's best film.
Every time I watch my copy I am still blown away by how good it is but at the same time, how bad my copy is hurts.Ah well, about the film itself: It is narrated by Ling, the daughter of a master sword smith.
Yes it IS a remake of The One Armed Swordsman, but Tsui Hark makes it HIS.
With 'The Blade' I think Hark Tsui did a great and remarkable remake of Cheh Chang's One-armed Swordsman 1967, telling us the story in a more darker way with a surrealist technique.
Although there are many additional side stories in the movie, yet Hark Tsui managed to maintain the real story of the one armed swordsman.
With harsh and darks scenes all foggy and bloody fighting, The Blade is a must watch film for those who love Wu Xia..
What I saw was one of the worst displays of movie making I've ever seen.I can't help but feel like the director want to have every muscle guy in Hong Kong in this movie. |
tt0062292 | The Sorcerers | Dr. Marcus Monserrat (Boris Karloff) is an elderly practitioner of medical hypnosis. He lives with his wife Estelle Monserrat (Catherine Lacey). He has invented a device which would allow him to control and feel another person's experience using the power of hypnosis. They decide any youngster will do as their test subject. Dr. Marcus Monserrat selects and invites Mike Roscoe (Ian Ogilvy) to his house, with an offer of a 'new experience'. He uses the device on Mike and the procedure is successful. He and Estelle can feel everything Mike feels and can also control Mike.
After the procedure, they decide to send Mike away to conduct the experiment over distance. Mike returns to the club where his girlfriend, Nicole (Elizabeth Ercy) is waiting for him. Mike takes Nicole to his apartment and they swim in the pool. Marcus and Estelle are able to experience everything Mike feels. While Marcus wants to publish his work, Estelle wants to make up for lost time and to experience new things. She convinces a reluctant Marcus to continue on with their arrangement with Mike.
Next day, Estelle sees a fur jacket in a store and convinces Marcus to use Mike to steal the jacket. Marcus reluctantly agrees on the condition that they will not do it again. While Mike is at Nicole's apartment Estelle and Marcus make Mike steal the jacket. Mike leaves without informing Nicole, who decides to go a night club with Alan (Victor Henry). Mike successfully steals the jacket despite a cop getting involved.
Estelle realizes that they could do anything they want without any consequences. Estelle wants to experience the thrill of speed. So Estelle and Marcus make Mike borrow Alan's bike and ride very fast with Nicole on the pillion seat. When Alan confronts Mike, Estelle makes Mike assault him and his boss, Ron(Alf Joint). Estelle enjoys the experience but Marcus is shocked. He tries to prevent the fight but Estelle's mind turns out to be stronger. When Marcus confronts Estelle, Estelle assaults Marcus and destroys the experimental device, thereby preventing Marcus from reversing the experiment.
Mike blanks out every time Estelle and Marcus control him. A confused Mike visits his friend Audrey (Susan George), but Estelle makes Mike kill her. Mike then goes to the night club and hooks up with a pop-singer, Laura (Sally Sheridan). Alan and Nicole see Mike taking Laura out of the night club. The couple are dropped off by a taxi in a deserted street where Mike orders Laura to sing. When she fails to follow his instruction, he kills her too.
The following day, Alan tells Nicole he believes Mike might have killed the girls. Alan wants to inform the Police but Nicole convinces him to talk to Mike first. The police track Mike with help of the taxi driver. Alan and Nicole confront Mike about Laura but Mike does not remember anything. Under the influence of Estelle, Mike attacks Alan again and escapes in a car. Police investigators track Mike down and in the ensuing chase, Marcus interferes with Estelle's control. Mike's car crashes and catches fire. Back at the apartment, Estelle and Marcus are both dead due to burn injuries. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0036676 | Buckaroo Bugs | The film is set in a small town of the "San Fernando Alley" (San Fernando Valley). According to the narration, "Our story begins when the West was young, and early pioneers settled down to never more roam, and made the San Fernando Alley their home." Despite its Western setting, the short makes references to World War II rationing. A pretend train robbery, lists as "valuable cargo": butter, gasoline, sugar, shoes, and tires – all of them items for which there was a shortage in the War due to rationing. The short also has Bugs stealing all the carrots from a victory garden, which is another World War II reference.
Unlike in most shorts, Bugs Bunny serves as an antagonist. In the cartoon, he plays a carrot thief called the Masked Marauder, whom Brooklyn's "Red Hot Ryder" (a parody of Red Ryder) must bring to justice. The cartoon portrays Red Hot Ryder as a dimwit who cannot distinguish Bugs Bunny from the Masked Marauder, and his good-natured slowness is consistently mocked: When Bugs Bunny as the Masked Marauder threatens to shoot Red Hot Ryder, saying, "Stick 'em up, or I'll blow your brains out," the latter treats it like a choice, replying, "Well, now, that's mighty neighborly of you." In the end, Red Hot Ryder catches on, but is unable to catch the Masked Marauder. Bugs tricks him into jumping into the Grand Canyon, and when underground Red Hot Ryder finally figures out that Bugs is the Masked Marauder. Bugs pops up from beneath the ground with a lit candle and says "That's right! That's right! You win the $64 question!" (a reference to the "big prize" on the famous radio quiz show Take It or Leave It). He then kisses him and blows out the candle. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | Red...
Buckaroo Bugs is a thoroughly entertaining Bugs Bunny cartoon.
My only problem was that Red while he is voiced brilliantly and has some nice juicy dialogue comes off weak and silly as a character.
Buckaroo Bugs is entertaining for primarily a rootin' tootin' performance from my favourite rabbit(or wabbit as Elmer would say) if there ever was one.
Bugs is well supported by some rapid razor sharp dialogue, wonderful visual gags, great animation and a corker of a score with the William Tell Overture played to perfect use.
What can I say about this truly talented guy?
I know I keep going on about him, but he does deserve credit for bringing these truly wonderful toon characters to life and and being funny in the process.
Overall, near-perfect as a cartoon, that is lots of fun.
9/10 Bethany Cox. Bugs Bunny's first Looney Tunes appearance comes with a Western.
Looney Tunes has made a big hit featuring Bugs Bunny in groundbreaking Buckaroo Bugs.
After Bosko and Buddy(the classics from 1930s') Looney Tunes gains acceleration with Bugs; within more vivacious, more musical, more compositional series.Bugs has innovations for himself: For the first time, he plays a cowboy, a thief,i.e. a villain character; though he plays more Bugs Bunnily than before, eats more carrots and makes more jokes than usual.
He's well known as a carrot thief in an old west town.
Hence a cowboy named Red Hot Ryder goes after him.
Bugs feigns ignorance to different characters such as a newsboy and a postman, but never reveals his true identity till Red's horse realizes him.
It's both funny and dully that the horse is more brainy than the cowboy who rides it.Impersonating a horse is surely a good idea, but mainly there is more bleakness than the appealing facts.
William Tell overture has used nicely to introduce the larger-than-life cowboy character at the beginning; yet in a matter of minutes this mood becomes very placid.
Some more action sequences could have been used to boost it, like in the episodes with Yosemite Sam.Bugs Bunny's first Western fails to find(or create) the right cartoon character to accompany him.
Our eyes were looking for Yosemite Sam; for Bugs needs better challenges.
Red is weak but Bugs carries the cartoon really well.
However one such town is ravaged by the Masked Marauder, a thief who robs the gardens of their carrots.
One man is called in to stop the thief the Red Hot Ryder.
However will he be enough to stop Bugs?The weakness in this cartoon is the normal one in average Bugs cartoons lack of a really good foil, in fact Bugs himself describes Red Hot Ryder as `a fugitive from the funny papers'.
However despite the slightly dopey sidekick, Bugs doing his usual stuff is more than enough to make the cartoon funny.
He totally confuses Red and it is very funny to watch.Red is OK but he isn't up to the standard of the other cowboy character (who I expected to be in this) and all he does is be a bit silly and dopey.
It speaks volumes that I actually laughed more at his horse than I did at his antics.
Bugs is on good form though and he keeps everything moving really well.Overall this is further proof that Bugs is best with a strong sidekick but that he can make a cartoon work even without one.
Very funny short with Bugs' usual wit and attitude..
Another Great Bob Clampett Cartoon!.
This cartoon -- directed by the great Bob Clampett -- is one of the best Bugs Bunny cartoons ever (IMO).
In the "Western" storyline, our favorite hare is the Masked Marauder, stealing carrots from Victory Gardens (they had those in the Wild Wild West?!??) and being pursued by the not-so-bright Red Hot Rider (his horse is smarter than he is!).
Bugs, as he does with Elmer, then proceeds to have fun tripping up this adversary.
This classic cartoon dates from Clampett's -- and Warner's -- golden age of the 1940's, a time in which the wildly hilarious "Warner Style" reached it's peak.
This one is a must for any Bugs Bunny fan..
"How long will this fair-weather fiend, the Masked Marauder, be allowed to roam at will, dragging in the mud the name of justice and decency?!?".
Funny Bugs Bunny short, directed by Bob Clampett, that marked Bugs' official Looney Tunes debut.
He had appeared up until this point as part of the Merrie Melodies series.
It's also notable for being the final cartoon with an on-screen credit for Leon Schlesinger, who had sold his studio to Warner Bros.
It's a great cartoon with lots of wackiness and references to pop culture and topical events of the time, common traits of Bob Clampett's work.
It's a western spoof with Bugs as a carrot thief called the Masked Marauder being pursued by "Brooklyn's famous fighting cowboy," Red Hot Ryder.
Red Hot Ryder is a dimwit, of course, and Bugs outsmarts him at every turn.
Many funny gags and lines, beautiful animation, and exciting music are what makes this one great.
It's fun to watch Bugs in the earlier cartoons when he was more aggressive and, frankly, mean..
Good Setup, But 'Red Hot Ryder' Is Too Stupid.
The big question in this story: "How long will this fair-weather fiend, the Masked Marauder, be allowed to roam at will, dragging in the mud the name of justice and decency?"The answer: "Brooklyn's famous fighting cowboy, riding to right this wrong, rides 'Red Hot Ryder'!!"Wow, those corny and ultra-dramatic lines are uttered to set up this Bugs Bunny Looney Tunes effort from 1944.
Unfortunately, it might have been the high point of the cartoon.Bugs was his normal cocky and humorous self but "Red Ryder" was so stupid-sounding he was annoying and not decidedly not funny.
He sounded more like the "Lenny" (of Mice and Men") dopey characters that were in a few other Looney Tunes.
I would prefer to see Bugs up against someone of equal intelligence, but that is rarely shown.
Hearing "Which way did he go" Which way did he go?" a half dozen times in this retarded-sounding voice is more irritating than it is funny.The beginning of this nine-minute cartoon was very good and the whole thing looked promising until "Red Hot Ryder" showed up.
After that, there wasn't much to laugh about..
Another racy Clampett cartoonie!!!.
In this one, "The Masked Marauder" (Bugs Bunny) robs the "hero" Red Hot Ryder with a big magnet, taking his money, his bullets, and even the fillings in his teeth!!!
He also takes his belt buckle and Red Hot is left standing there naked with but a leaf to cover his...ahem!!!Clampett is one for pushing the envelope, but man, it's funny!!!
If you need a great belly laugh, look to Clampett and Avery!!!.
Rootin' Tootin' Bugs.....
Rootin' Tootin' Bugs.....
The roughest, toughest hombre to come out of the West...with the longest ears, to boot."Buckaroo Bugs" shows Bugs as the typical anti-hero who tangles with cowboy "hero" Red Hot Ryder (who has a nose to rival Bugs' ears) who, in turn, seeks out the Masked Marauder after he steals a town's carrots from their victory garden (hmmm...wonder who that could be?).Of course, Bugs gets involved and repeatedly humiliates old Red Hot (twice with a magnet and once with a Western Bunions telegram).
But what can you say about a hero whose bravest -and smartest- feature is his horse?Chuck Jones gets in some pretty racy visual jokes for a cartoon and Mel Blanc makes Bugs' wiseacre potshots and Red Hot Ryder's naivete-bordering-on-stupidity all the funnier.Ten stars for "Buckaroo Bugs".
I Wouldn't Want to Be Around Bugs.
Bugs is particularly cruel in this one.
The Red Hot Ryder is a dolt and is one a mission which is valid.
When our rabbit gets his hands on him, the lights go out quickly.
Bugs is the master of every situation but he uses his superiority for basic cruelty.
Interesting use of his talents as he torments this poor guy..
Adam and Bugs.
Yes, it's just one scene, but it's always amazing what they sneaked into these cartoons (hell, Porky Pig walked around half naked).
Bob Clampett's "Buckaroo Bugs" casts Bugs Bunny as an Old West bandit pursued by witless lawman Red Hot Ryder.
Guess who always comes out on top!
I have to admit that I really only know about 1940s westerns through spoofs like this one, as westerns are one of my least favorite movie genres.
Heck, I usually know parodies ("Airplane!" and "Weird Al" Yankovic's songs) before knowing the original; sometimes I see the parody without evening knowing that it spoofs something (often I see something on "The Simpsons", and then find out a few years later that it spoofed something).
I can't tell you how many times when I was little that I watched Warner Bros.
cartoons and naively laughed at them, only to later find out that they were parodies of movies or radio shows (which made them funnier).But anyway, this is a hilarious cartoon.
Another masterpiece from Bob Clampett..
Someone is stealing carrots from a victory garden, it's Bugs Bunny!
and it's up to Red hot rider to stop him!.
One of the best bugs bunny cartoons of all time!
Hardcore fans of looney tunes know that all the major directors at Warner bros.
had a slightly different take on Bugs, and this is the best example of Bob Clampett's take on bugs.
Bob's was Warner bro's "looniest" animator and he made bugs more screwy and more mischievous than the other cartoonist.
In several of his cartoons bugs was the instigator, while the other cartoonist generally made bugs a victim who fought back.
In this cartoon bugs is flat out the villain/antagonist and his nemesis, Red hot rider, is actually the hero/protagonist.
But the great thing about this cartoon is even as the bad guy bugs still comes off as likable and you still root for him to win.
I like the setting of the wild west where bugs is like billy the kid and red hot is a dumb Pat Garret.
I love the over dramatic opening, it's a great parody on western movies.
I love the woman saying "he pinched me!" in the opening, one of the best openings ever!
that ends with the hilarious intro for Red hot.
I love Red Hot Rider!
he is one of the best enemies Bugs ever faced, and I wish Bob or someone else would of brought him back to face bugs some more times.
Red hot might be the only person dumber then Elmer Fudd!
I love how "cartoony" this is and Bob always has the best gags.
I also love the lack of logic in this cartoon, like when bugs robs red hot twice.
The first time bugs uses a magnet to take all his medals and golds causing his pants to drop, showing his women's bloomers but the 2nd time bugs uses a magnet to rob him of the same stuff he took from him before(how did he get his stuff back after bugs robed him the 1st time?) causing his pants to drop and this time he has no bloomers, just a leaf to cover his privates.
There's no logic here just pure wacky humor.
I love when red hot dosen't realize that he's riding a piece of wood not his horse and his horse waits patiently for him to realize it.
I love the way in which bugs is playing red hot, pretending to help him locate the outlaw while at the same time robbing him and playing tricks on him, with red hot being too stupid to realize it's the same person.
Kind of a take on how Elmer would tells bugs he's hunting wabbits and bugs pretending he dosen't know what a rabbit looks like.
I also like the clever way in which bugs gets red hot to jump over cliffs until he jumps into the grand canyon, that could of fooled even a smart person.
I love the reaction of the horse when he sees he's falling into the grand canyon and then desperately tries to get back on the cliff.
Only at the end bugs reveals to red hot that he's the outlaw known as the mask marauder.
The animation's great and lively.
The gags are great, this is what you call laugh out loud funny.
I like the western music by Carl Starling and Mel Blanc's voice as bugs and red hot.
A bugs bunny classic!.
Riding to right the wrong!.
The Masked Marauder has stolen an entire supply of carrots from the townspeople's victory garden!
Who is the Masked Marauder, you ask?
Why, it's "Buckaroo Bugs"!
And who will stop this pesky wabbit?!
Red Hot Ryder, that's who!
Right.) Highlights from this cartoon: Upon his initial appearance (to the accompaniment of the famous William Tell Overture), Red Hot Ryder tries desperately to whoa his horse, but to no avail, until he whips out a gigantic club.
Later on, he thinks he's riding his horse until he discovers he's merely riding a hitch rail, and the audience discovers that the horse has fingers.
AND, with the generous aid of Carl Stalling's music score, Bugs applies a horseshoe magnet to Ryder's bullets, badge, coins, belt buckle, etc.Directed by Bob Clampett, "Buckaroo Bugs" is one of the wildest, funniest Bugs Bunny cartoons ever made.
Is it any wonder that Bugs unashamedly laughs at the extremely dopey Red Hot Ryder when he first sees him?
This cartoon can be found on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 5 Disc 3, featuring two additional audio commentaries.
One is a scholarly commentary by animation historian Michael Barrier, and the other one just elicits a lot of hysterical laughter..
In one of the best baseball cartoons of all time .
. BUCKEROO BUGS fully encapsulates ALL the whys and wherefores of the climactic day in the Chase for the 2016 Second American League Wildcard Slot.
The opening narrator represents the always histrionic Fox Megacorp, which hates America's "Motor City" with a vengeance (since the United Auto Workers Union spawned a critically-thinking U.S. Middle Class at odds with Fox's Ultimate Goal to create a Nation of Burger Flippers dumb enough to swallow Fox's Alternate Universe programming).
Knowing that the 2016 Tigers' Achilles Heels are day games, as well as Saturday contests (their record would top the Cubs IF they only played Sunday through Friday NIGHTS), Fox forces Detroit to switch the Saturday, Sept.
24 game from a 7:10 PM start to 1:05 PM (rubbing salt in the wound by depriving fans of their contracted Saturday Night Fireworks with this last minute switch).
Did I happen to mention that the Tigers ALWAYS play their worse during National Broadcasts (since the gullible Mr. Burns made a thoroughly discredited pack of lies about Tiger icon Ty Cobb the centerpiece of his 139-hour BASEBALL television documentary), and this one made it clear that it's Magglio Ordonez Day, to "honor" Mr. Cartoon Hair for his place in Tiger History on the 10th Anniversary of Detroit's shocking 2006 World Series Defeat?
That was the Series in which all the brainy pundits said that they had "the Tigers in THREE," St. Louis was supposedly so outmatched.
With Ordonez batting about .090, it was the Cards in five.Getting back to BUCKAROO BUGS, the "Red Hot Ryder" character--representing the Tigers--enters astride the momentum of a runaway horse (symbolizing the Tigers' five-game winning streak through Sept.
23, which has allowed them to clamber over the Orioles into Wildcard Number Two).
What does Red Hot do?
He bludgeons his horse (remember, that's the Tigers' momentum) with a BALL BAT 2:26 into BUCKAROO BUGS!
This is the always prophetic Looney Tuners' way of summing up how the Tigers would pound out 14 hits in the first eight innings Sept.
Bugs Bunny emerges from his dugout in a whirl of dust 11 seconds later, at 2:37, representing Detroit's competition on National TV, the defending World Champion Kansas City Royals.
Held to a paltry six hits through eight, KC is down to its VERY LAST STRIKE against Major League Baseball's current CAREER SAVES LEADER, "K-Rod." But since Francisco Rodriguez' "fast ball" has slowed over the years to about 20 MPH (mocked by Bugs when he dresses up as a gray-bearded "Western Bunions" telegraph "boy"), it's not hard to see that the Tigers' Emperor has no clothes, to anyone who cares to look.If anything, the Bugs Bunny of BUCKEROO BUGS could be classified as a voyeur, he loves to look so much.
He taunts the geriatric Tigers by stripping them--in the guise of K-Rod--down to their barest undies THREE TIMES here!
(The first and third times Red Hot Ryder is depicted in frilly white panties with pink polka dots; for his second denuding, K-Rod is pictured first in a white diaper, then just a fig leaf.) Proving he should have been put out to pasture years ago, like the 10-fingered (!) horse Red Ryder rode in on (BUCKAROO BUGS also uses the glue factory cliché concerning K-Rod), Rodriguez has the WORST OUTING OF HIS CAREER just when the Whole World Is Watching (thanks to Fox), and when the top-dollar-paying Tigers need him the most!
K-Rod enters the Ninth with a 4-2 lead, and the Tigers are behind 7-4 when he leaves six hours (could it really have been that long?) later--AFTER ONLY GETTING TWO OUTS!!
(Naturally, the shell-shocked Detroiters make their three outs in the Bottom of the Ninth as quickly as they can, despite having notched hits in each of the previous eight innings!) After enjoying this Clown Act on their clubhouse TV's, the Orioles have no problem in PERMANENTLY reclaiming their rightful lock on the Playoffs by easily winning THEIR game Sept.
I still can't get over how the Looney Tuners so aptly put the Tombstone on Detroit's 2016 season by having Red Hot Ryder jump his washed-up K-Rod 10-fingered nag into America's Grand Canyon! |
tt1440180 | Goethe! | At the University of Strasbourg in 1772, young Johann Wolfgang Goethe fails his doctoral examination in law and, despite wishing to be a poet, is sent by his father to work in the Reichskammergericht, the imperial law court in the small town of Wetzlar. Set to read old files by his grim chief Kestner, he is befriended by another junior, Wilhelm Jerusalem, who takes him to a dance.
There he sees Lotte Buff, daughter of a widower living in an old manor house outside the town, where she looks after her seven younger siblings. Developing a closer friendship with the attractive and lively young woman, one day he encounters her on a country road. A sudden rain storm forces the two to seek shelter in a ruined castle, where they make love.
Meanwhile Kestner has been negotiating with her father, who is delighted to see his impoverished family helped by the marriage of his eldest girl to a distinguished lawyer. Though not in the least charmed by Kestner, for the sake of the family Lotte reluctantly agrees he may woo her. Unaware of her relationship with Goethe and without mentioning her name, Kestner asks him to be best man. Goethe agrees heartily, and even suggests some good phrases he could use in his wooing.
Accepting Kestner out of duty, Lotte writes to Goethe to tell him their affair is at an end. Before he gets the letter, he sets out for her house with a present, only to find her engagement party in full swing. Returning despondent to his lodgings, he then sees his room-mate Jerusalem blow his brains out in despair over his hopeless love for a married woman. After briefly contemplating suicide himself, he returns to work and publicly insults Kestner, who demands a duel. Given first shot he misses, whereupon Kestner fires wide and has him arrested for illegal duelling.
In jail, Goethe turns these events into a story he calls The Sorrows of Young Werther and sends the manuscript to Lotte as a farewell gift. She sees its qualities and, without telling him, takes it to a publisher. Once Goethe is released from prison, his father takes him home to Frankfurt, where the book has become a sensation and the young author a celebrity. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0141996 | Wolfman | In 1891, Ben Talbot is killed by a fierce creature in the Blackmoor woods. Gwen Conliffe, Ben's fiancée, has contacted his brother Lawrence, a Shakespearean actor, saying that Ben disappeared. Lawrence returns to his family's estate in Blackmoor where he has an uneasy reunion with his estranged father, Sir John. Lawrence discovers Ben's mutilated body kept in a slaughterhouse. At the local pub, Lawrence overhears the locals discussing the killing. Many blame Gypsies who are camped outside the town, while another patron claims there was a similar murder several decades earlier and a werewolf was the suspected killer. He has flashbacks as he tours his family's home where his mother, Solana, committed suicide when he was a boy. Lawrence saw his father standing over her dead body; afterwards he was sent to an insane asylum in London suffering from delusions.
Lawrence visits the Gypsies during a full moon. The local townspeople raid the camp to confiscate a dancing bear they believe is the killer, but a werewolf attacks the camp and bites Lawrence before being chased away by local hunters. A Gypsy woman named Maleva sutures his neck wounds, but her daughter insists the now cursed Lawrence should be killed before he destroys other lives. Maleva refuses, saying he is still a man and that only a loved one can release him.
Lawrence recovers unnaturally quickly, and develops heightened vitality and senses. His father's servant Singh shows Lawrence a set of silver bullets and implies that something monstrous is loose in Blackmoor. Inspector Aberline arrives to investigate the recent killings, and suspects Lawrence is responsible based on his mental history and portrayals of mentally-ill characters. Lawrence sends Gwen away to London for her own safety. He follows his father to his mother's crypt, where Sir John locks himself in a room alone as he gives a cryptic warning to Lawrence. Lawrence then undergoes a painful transformation into the Wolfman before running off into the woods and killing the hunters stationed there.
Aberline and the police arrest the now human Lawrence. Taken to the same asylum he was committed to as a child, Lawrence is subjected to torturous treatments by Dr. Hoenneger. Sir John visits Lawrence and explains that many years before while hunting in India, he was bitten by a feral boy infected with lycanthropy. Lawrence realizes his father, as a werewolf, killed his mother and his brother. Knowing that Lawrence would never be believed, he confesses before leaving his son at the asylum permanently.
Dr. Hoenneger conducts an evening lecture with Lawrence as a case study and assures Lawrence that he is only a werewolf in his imagination, seeking to prove it by putting him on display during the full moon. As moonlight streams through the window, Lawrence transforms into the Wolfman and goes on a rampage throughout the lecture hall and London, with Aberline in pursuit. The next day, the now-human Lawrence visits Gwen's antique shop for help. They realize they are falling in love and share a passionate kiss. Aberline arrives and searches the shop, but Lawrence has already escaped to Blackmoor.
Lawrence arrives at Talbot Hall and finds Singh's mutilated body. He loads a gun with Singh's silver bullets, but when he attempts to shoot his father, he learns that Sir John had removed the powder from the cartridges years ago. The Talbots fight, transforming into werewolves when the full moon rises and setting Talbot Hall on fire. Lawrence kills his father as Gwen and Aberline arrive. Aberline attempts to shoot the Wolfman, but Gwen disrupts the shot. Attempting to physically contront Lawrence, Aberline is bitten.
The Wolfman pursues Gwen and traps her above a gorge. She pleads with Lawrence, whose consciousness recognizes her. As he hesitates, the hunters approach, distracting the Wolfman long enough for Gwen to shoot him. Lawrence reverts to human form, thanks Gwen for setting him free and dies in her arms. Aberline arrives with the hunters, but as he looks at the moon, he realizes his inevitable fate. As Talbot Hall burns, a howl is heard in the distance. | revenge, cult, murder | train | wikipedia | Well, it looks like there's another contender here for the "so bad it's good" category.
This is a werewolf movie that was made towards the end of a very long dry spell, after the glory days of Universal's "Wolf Man" series, and before the year 1981 brought us several great werewolf movies ("American Werewolf", "The Howling" and "Wolfen").A man returns to his home town when his uncle dies (or, or more accurately, is murdered -- as we know from the first scene).
However, the look of the film is quite cool, and clearly it's inspired by the "Hammer Studios" productions, in which everything looks kind of like a set but has a very creepy feel to it.The cast are generally pretty laughable.
Seriously, there's no excuse for acting this bad -- hell, I've seen much better actors in local theatrical productions.
The leading man has zero charisma, and even less acting ability, as clearly he was cast simply for his 'Wolf Man' appearance.
This leads to some pretty hilarious scenes, for example when he delivers sentences along the lines of "Doctor, my grandmother told me that my father was a werewolf and a priest stabbed him in the heart with a silver dagger", in a complete monotone with a straight face and absolutely no emotion, you just can't help but laugh.
He doesn't get a whole lot of help from the supporting male cast, but most of the female members actually seem quite competent actresses.
Not that it helps much.On the other hand, there is a sub-culture of people out there who will really enjoy this movie.
If you're one of those people that collects Edward D Wood Jr's movies, or if your idea of a good time is to stay in and laugh your way through "Manos: Hands of Fate", odds are you'll really appreciate much of the badness in this movie.It's bad.
I was around when this movie was made and yes it is rough and amateurish, but it was fun to make and people have to start somewhere.
The lead was a tool salesman with boatloads of money who decided to become an actor and that may have something to do with his lack of acting ability.
I enjoyed the movie for its genre, homage to the older horror films and its familiarity to me..
Earl Wolfman Owensby..
After the death of his Father Colin Glasgow(Earl Owensby)finds out that his father and grandfather were cursed and that they were werewolves.
And now Colin discovers that he also has the curse and he is a werewolf too and he must stop a Satanic Reverend who put the curse on him and his family."Wolfman" by Worth Keeter is a pretty abysmal horror flick.The action is slow and there is very little violence and absolutely no nudity.The script is strikingly generic and the appearances of titular werewolf as well as werewolf attacks are rare.Still the film has plenty of likable southern charm and a bit of Gothic mood.A generous 6 out of 10..
Earl is a low-key and likable actor, the storyline is basic and takes some care in introducing the characters before going into the Wolfman scenes.
It must be me but every time I watch it I think it's set in Olde England, until the Sheriff shows up and I realize it's set in the US.
It's not going to terrify anyone but few horror films do any more which is why plot and character is important.
Simplicity, the kind of film I'd make if I had a little money.
Earl Owensby is a guy who made a fortune with films aimed at the drive in circuits in the south.
He parlayed that into some big budget films before it all going wrong when he built a studio that was the site of the under water filming of The Abyss.
Before his semi leap to the big time Owensby produced and starred in a number of action and horror films that pretty much only played south of the Mason Dixon Line.
Until Wolfman I had never seen one of his films.
The plot of the film has a miscast Owensby returning home when he is told that his father has died.
Actually his father didn't die until his scheming relatives were certain that he was on his way home, at which time they killed him so that the werewolf curse would pass on to Owensby.
Filmed with models and (somewhat) obvious sets the film looks cheap but serviceable.
Owensby isn't a bad actor as such but he is so low key as to be almost invisible.
It doesn't help that the pacing is so slack as to be near catatonic with there being a good chance you'll nod off before the wolfman (of the Lon Chaney variety) shows up.
So bad it's, well not really good, but....
Look, give Earl Owensby some credit...
the guy's a tool salesman, had a movie dream and is living it.
This mish mash has Earl (with his Elvis like accent) playing a Colin, a guy who comes back to his hometown in 1910 and becomes sort of a werewolf.
There is something compelling about Owensby's movies because it looks like the kind of thing that you or I'd do if we had some rough film stock, a couple of cameras and a weekend to shoot a flick.
His wooden acting skills, monotone delivery and silly dialogue ruin any chance this film had.
On the plus side though, the musical accents are quite effective and some of the shots are set up pretty well.
There are far to many continuity mistakes, but Owensby does know a little bit about film making and sets up his shots pretty well.
There is, at least, a genesis of what a film should be about here, and Earl clearly enjoys what he's doing.
As far as EO Studios in North Carolina, it would appear that it is an adequate film making venture and has been used by some "A" list pictures, including "The Abyss", where the many of the underwater scenes were filmed.
The highlights are ruined by bad acting and script problems however.
Owensby's films are unintentionally good in enough areas to keep it going along as a low-budget time filler.
Owensby does know his way around a camera..
Just A Little Bit Better Than It's Rating.
The film is just a little bit better than it's rating.
The acting is not good - but I have seen much worse.
as far as the Wolfman himself goes, he looks quite a bit like Paul Naschy's werewolf.
The special effects are pretty good for a B-film of the time era.
AND I love the fact they took themselves (their roles) and the film itself seriously - this is not a tongue-in-cheek horror.
They were creating a werewolf film in the late 70's on a small budget - and I think they did a good job with it.This is a film you just kick back and enjoy - it's not a "thought provoking" film nor is it an award winning film..
it's just a film that surrounds a family curse of a Wolfman - just have fun watching the movie.BTW I wish I could find this movie in a film pack: 10, 20, 50 or 100.6.5/10.
if you rent this movie, do it solely for a laugh, as it is one of theeee worst flicks i have ever seen.
look for a story set in the civil war era, where you use a kerosine lamp at night but when colin goes into the toolshed, he turns on a lightbulb!!!!
also look for the main actors to be dressed in period attire except the village mob who are all dressed in somewhat current fashions.
Dustbin dwellers: Bad horror films with no redeeming values..
Wolfman (1979) is a terrible movie with no redeeming values what so ever.
I have seen them all (and I have too) and this one has to be one of THE worst werewolf themed movies I have ever seen.
The actors, the storyline, the props, special effects and the sets are atrocious.
A long-absent relative of a cursed family returns home, only to find that he has been chosen by the others to carry the burden of their ancient curse...lycanthropy.There is a certain naive charm to Earl Owesby's movies...they are schlock, no question, but the obvious earnestness put into them is...uh...cute?
That said, WOLFMAN is an altogether watchable piece of poo, and manages to come out at least *looking* like something better than it is...a fairly well shot little horror film with very little attention payed to the details of the Victorian setting in which it takes place.
The primary characters are attired in late 19th century costume, but peripheral characters have a laughable "come as you are, but try to look kinda Victorian" style.Not scary, and not really good-bad, but mildy amusing despite itself.
Worst acting in film history.
Unfortunately, in this case, it is because I have never seen a movie quite this bad (and I have suffered through losers like Mountaintop Motel Massacre).
Usually it is the script and direction that make a movie this bad.
But I have truly never seen acting as bad as in this movie -- I have seen better performances in grade school plays.
Earl Owensby is laughably bad -- he is the worst in a cast that is comprised of truly terrible actors.
The only positive thing I will say about this experience is that it is so bad it is almost worth renting with some friends for an unintentional comedy..
Wolfman (1979) ** (out of 4)After the death of his father, Colin Glasgow (Earl Owensby) returns to the family estate where he begins to learn some dark secrets about his father.
And, finally, there's the fact that he's now turning into a werewolf and killing the locals.WOLFMAN is a somewhat notorious film but then again everything Owensby did was somewhat legendary or notorious.
This film was obviously inspired by the Universal series with Lon Chaney and while it's not a good movie it's certainly a rather interesting one to watch.I say that because the film is a bit too long for its own good and some of the performances aren't that good.
All of this stuff would be true but there's still some charm about the picture.It has a very regional feel to it and I must say that the old time setting actually works and looks much more believable than you'd see out of your typical Andy Milligan picture.
Like Milligan this film like the costume period setting and it looks real at least.
I'd also argue that Owensby wasn't a great actor but he does have a certain charm here that leaps off the screen and makes you like his character and performance.Finally, WOLFMAN does at least succeed whenever the actual werewolf is on the screen.
The make-up effects are quite good with a strong resemblance to the Paul Naschy films of the era.
Again, there are a lot of warts here but at the same time this is a somewhat interesting take on the familiar story..
Last of the time lapse effects-filled werewolf films..
Colin Glasgow, a businessman, arrives back in his old hometown when his father passes away, only to find that the man's will prohibits him from leaving for at least a month.
But that is not the least of it – his cousins & an evil devil-worshipping priest have maintained a curse over the family's male members, turning them into werewolves.
As Colin tries to uncover the mystery over the curse, he slowly becomes a werewolf.Worth Keeter has made a name for himself, directing many episodes of the inexplicably popular 1990s television craze Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.
He also made a number of slick but really poorly written genre films such as Last Lives & the rather offensive Memorial Day. Wolfman was Keeter's first film & true to form features many of the same qualities that made his later works such laugh riots.Wolfman is basically a werewolf film done in the old school time-lapse & yak hair face masks that were pioneered back when the werewolf film was a new thing.
But the time that the film was made was ready to usher in a whole new breed of transformation effects that were introduced in films such as THE HOWLING & An American Werewolf in London – effects that would make the type of stuff shown here obsolete.Wolfman also suffers from a lack of narrative drive – indeed for a horror film, the film doesn't go very far with its premise (or more to the point, doesn't get much mileage from its central idea).
The film is stuck in the mystery angle that would ironically mar many later Howling sequels.
There are also the little things that suggest a mediocre production – the microphone on star Earl Owensby's coat making a tearing sound when he reaches over to kiss his co-star & several slight anachronisms to be seen in the background.
Despite being the last film to feature the old type of transformation effects, Wolfman does a fair job in this area & the climax is reasonable for this type of film.
If nothing else, Wolfman does a slightly better job of making a werewolf mystery than some of the crass Howling sequels..
I can just barely remember being taken to this movie as a 5 year old child in '79.
My parents were going out on the town and were leaving me with an Aunt (who enjoyed horror movies evidently).
She took me and my older cousin to see this movie and exposed me to my first taste of horror cinema.
I haven't seen this movie since that night (I'm now 29) but since it has now come to DVD, I might have to check it out, just for kicks.
Even though the reviews of this movie are awful, it truly scared the hell out of a five year old kid back in '79..
This has got to be the worst movie that i have ever seen in my life!
the cheapness of the set is only outweighed by horrible acting.
I normally like even the worst z movie, but this gave new meaning to low budget production.
The special effects could have been better.
The scenes where the wolf man transformation happens makes the special effects of Plan Nine From Outer Space look like the Matrix Reloaded.
the Brentwood 10 for horror set over all is a good deal, but movies like WOLFMAN and MEMORIAL VALLEY MASSACRE should have never been filmed period..
Hairiest horror film I have seen.
It is remarkable that Earl Owensby has made as many b- grade low budget action films as he has.
Having said this - the only thing right about Wolfman is the casting.
Earl Owensby has remarkable amounts of body hair.
The actors in this film really look their parts, even if only a couple of them actually bother to play their parts.
Ed Grady looks like a Satan worshiping minister, Sid Rancer looks like a doctor, and Earl really looks like a wolfman, even without the carpet of monochrome brown hair applied to his face and hands during most of the action sequences.Though Owensby has occasional flashes of acting in this film, the only person who manages to consistently carry her role is Kristina Reynolds.
Unfortunately two Owensby films were enough for her, and she appears to have left the career after "Living Legend: The King of Rock and Roll" (also produced and starring Owensby).
Amazingly, one of the absolute worst performances in the film was achieved by Ed Grady - the reverend - in his first role.
Grady has gone on to make several very good appearances in better films such as The Notebook.If you've read one of my b-movie reviews before, you know that I reserve single star ratings for big budget Hollywood atrocities and give out 2s and 3s for very bad b movies which are ultimately harmless and sometimes quite funny.
The only thing truly painful about Wolfman is the soundtrack, but since the only thing you will lose by muting this film is the dialog, you do have an option.Wolfman gets a 3 because it does have a couple of things going for it.
This film was Worth Keeter's first directoral and writing effort.
The plot, set in the late 19th century (despite a couple of anachronisms like Earl telling Kristina "I'll call ya." after he breaks a date with her), and the sets and costuming are cheap, but not too badly done.
The storyline is original, if not particularly engaging (how many wolfman films qualify as "engaging" anyway?
- I can only think of two).Earl plays a young man whose father- apparently a werewolf - has died.
He also finds that he has inherited a family curse, but this fact, which is central to the entire plot, is not clearly exposed until surprisingly late in the film.
Then, of course, things start to go horribly wrong.To his credit, Keeter paced this film such that the actual wolfman plot does not really become the main focus until after the characters are developed (though poorly because of the lack of acting talent).
Unfortunately, by the time the wolfman aspect of the film really becomes the main theme, I had already fallen asleep four times (the fifth nod-off occurred during the chase scene at the end).
Note that I am an insomniac, and I sleep about 4.5 hours on any given night.Keeter has, not surprisingly, developed a career in bad to average action films, and has recently started making good cartoons and video games.
He is one of the few people whose career survived an Earl Owensby film, however.Far from the worst film ever made, but really only recommended for b- horror movie fans. |
tt0060037 | Underdog | In the Capital City Town Hall, a beagle on the police bomb squad sets off a false alarm. After being shunned by his fellow police canines, the beagle leaves in shame and is abducted off the street by Cad, who takes him to Simon Barsinister's lab. Bitter his proposal for genetic experimentation was declined, Simon plans to prove the mayor wrong by testing his new serum on the beagle. Underdog escapes and runs amok in the lab, causing a fire and becoming exposed to various chemicals, which modify his DNA and give him superpowers.
After his escape, the beagle avoids an encounter with a Rottweiler named Riff Raff and his lackeys. Dan Unger strikes the beagle with his car, but, thanks to the serum, the beagle is unharmed. Dan takes him home and names him Shoeshine after the dog licks his shoes. Dan's son, Jack, becomes jealous of Shoeshine's attention. Dan retired from the police to spend more time with Jack after his wife's death but still seems busy. Jack leaves for school and Dan for work, leaving Shoeshine at the house alone, where he, still unaware of his new powers, accidentally makes a very large mess. After coming home, Jack complains as he cleans up, and Shoeshine shocks both of them by claiming it was an accident. Jack initially runs away, but after they reach a park, Jack and Shoeshine talk and bond over their respective attraction to Molly and Polly, Jack's friend and her dog. After the girls leave, Jack and Shoeshine test his powers.
When Molly and Polly are mugged, Shoeshine rushes to their aid, discovering he can fly. After discreetly rescuing them, Shoeshine returns home with Jack, making Jack promise to never reveal his powers. Cad shows up at the door with posters of Shoeshine, but Jack fools him into leaving just before Dan comes home to discover the mess. Meanwhile, Simon and Cad find a new lair beneath the city, then plan a robbery to fund rebuilding Simon's lab. Seeing Cad's heist on the news, Jack convinces Shoeshine to intervene. Shoeshine disguises himself and saves the hostages, but Cad escapes. Shoeshine adopts the alias Underdog and becomes the city's resident superhero, donning a red sweater and blue cape as his disguise.
Simon repeatedly fails to recreate his serum and sends Cad to obtain a sample of Shoeshine's DNA. Shoeshine is rebuffed by Polly but gets a date with her as Underdog. Cad fails to capture Underdog but obtains his collar, which contains Underdog's name and address. Barsinister and Cad kidnap Dan and force him to call Shoeshine for help. Shoeshine and Jack attempt a rescue, but Barsinister uses both Jack and Dan as hostages to convince Shoeshine to give up his DNA. Barsinister synthesizes Underdog's superpowers into pills, forces Shoeshine to take a power-nullifying antidote pill, and feeds the super pills to three trained German Shepherds. He and Cad leave the family trapped in the sewers, but Dan's police experience allows him to free everyone. They pursue Barsinister with a hypodermic filled with the antidote.
At the city hall, Barsinister takes the mayor hostage and instructs Cad to attach a bomb rigged with a mind control serum to the roof; Molly and Polly follow Cad. Shoeshine smells the bomb and, conquering his self-doubt, enters the building despite having lost his powers. During a scuffle with Barsinister, Shoeshine accidentally rips open Barsinister's pocket and swallows a pill. With his powers restored, Shoeshine temporarily incapacitates the German Shepherds after he hears Molly and Polly cry for help, but Barsinister eats a pill and distracts Shoeshine by tossing a Frisbee. When the German Shepherds recover, Shoeshine convinces them to turn on Barsinister, who has not treated them well. While they restrain Barsinister, Shoeshine disarms the bomb, saving Molly and Polly. Dan injects Barsinister with the antidote, and Shoeshine, dressed now as Underdog, buries the bomb in the park. He is caught in the explosion and thought dead, but a mournful crowd is overjoyed when he revives. Dan is reinstated as a police officer, Barsinister and Cad go to jail, and Shoeshine returns to protecting Capital City as Underdog. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0846694 | God of War II | === Setting ===
As with its predecessor, God of War II is set in an alternate version of ancient Greece, populated by the Olympian Gods, Titans, heroes, and other beings of Greek mythology. With the exception of flashbacks, the events are set between those of the games Betrayal (2007) and God of War III (2010). Several locations are explored, including a real world setting in the ancient city of Rhodes, and several fictional locations, including a brief scene in the Underworld, the Lair of Typhon, the Island of Creation and its locales, Tartarus, and a brief scene of Mount Olympus.
Rhodes, its skyline dominated by the massive statue, the Colossus of Rhodes, is a war-torn city under assault by Kratos, the God of War, and his Spartan army. The Lair of Typhon, hidden in an unknown location, is a snow-topped mountain and prison of the Titans Typhon and Prometheus. The Island of Creation is a vast island located at the edge of the world and home to the Sisters of Fate. The island is host to deadly traps, puzzles, and monsters. On the outskirts of the island are the Steeds of Time, and on the island itself are the Temples of Lakhesis and Atropos, and the Bog of the Forgotten, which hides the Gorgon Euryale and is the site of Jason of the Argonauts' last battle. Beyond the Bog are the Lowlands and the Great Chasm: a huge divide that blocks the way to the Palace of the Fates. At the base of the Chasm is the realm of Tartarus—prison of the Titan Atlas, condemned to hold the world on his shoulders. The Temple of the Fates is also filled with traps and monsters, while the final battle occurs on Mount Olympus, home to the gods.
=== Characters ===
The protagonist of the game is Kratos (voiced by Terrence C. Carson), a Spartan warrior who became the God of War after killing the former, Ares. Other characters include Athena (Carole Ruggier), the Goddess of Wisdom; Zeus (Corey Burton), the King of the Gods and the main antagonist; several Titans—including Gaia (Linda Hunt), Atlas (Michael Clarke Duncan), Prometheus (Alan Oppenheimer), Typhon (Fred Tatasciore), and Cronos (Lloyd Sherr)—heroes Theseus (Paul Eiding) and Perseus (Harry Hamlin); the insane Icarus (Bob Joles); the Gorgon Euryale (Jennifer Martin); an undead version of the Barbarian King (Bob Joles); and the Sisters of Fate—Lakhesis (Leigh-Allyn Baker), Atropos (Debi Mae West), and Clotho (Susan Silo). Minor characters include the boat captain (Keith Ferguson) and a loyal Spartan soldier (Josh Keaton; credited as the Last Spartan). Kratos' wife Lysandra, their daughter Calliope, and the Titan Rhea appear in flashbacks. The gods Hades and Poseidon appear in flashbacks of the Great War, and in the final cutscene alongside Zeus, Helios, and Hermes on Olympus.
=== Plot ===
Kratos, the new God of War, is still haunted by nightmares of his past and is shunned by the other gods for his destructive ways. Ignoring Athena's warnings, Kratos joins the Spartan army in an attack on Rhodes, during which a giant eagle suddenly drains him of his powers and animates the Colossus of Rhodes. While battling the statue, Zeus offers Kratos the Blade of Olympus in order to defeat it, requiring Kratos to infuse the blade with the remainder of his godly power. Although now human, Kratos defeats the Colossus but is mortally wounded. The eagle reveals itself to have been Zeus all along, who states he was forced to intervene as Athena refused to do so. Zeus then grants Kratos a final opportunity to be loyal to the gods, but Kratos refuses. Zeus kills him with the blade and destroys the Spartan army.
Kratos is slowly dragged to the Underworld but is saved by the Titan Gaia. Gaia tells Kratos that she once raised the young Zeus, who eventually betrayed the Titans as vengeance for the cruelty inflicted on his siblings by Zeus' father, Cronos. She instructs Kratos to find the "Sisters of Fate", who can alter time, prevent his death, and allow him his revenge on Zeus. With the aid of Pegasus, Kratos finds the lair of Gaia's brother Typhon. Imprisoned under a mountain, Typhon is angered at the intrusion and traps Pegasus, forcing Kratos to explore on foot. Kratos encounters the Titan Prometheus, who is chained in mortal form and tortured at Zeus' directive for giving fire to mankind. Prometheus begs to be released from his torment, so Kratos confronts Typhon to steal his magical bow. He blinds the massive Titan with it to escape and then uses it to free Prometheus, who falls into a fire and dies, finally free of eternal torture. The Immolation releases the power of the Titans which Kratos absorbs, using it to free Pegasus and then fly to the Island of Creation.
Just before reaching the island, Kratos fights and kills Theseus to awaken the gigantic stone Steeds of Time—a gift to the Sisters of Fate from Cronos in an attempt to change his own fate—which grants Kratos access to the island. There, Kratos encounters and defeats several foes, some of whom-themselves are also seeking the Sisters of Fate, including an undead version of his old foe the Barbarian King, the Gorgon Euryale, Perseus, and Icarus. He eventually encounters the imprisoned Titan Atlas, who initially resents Kratos for his current predicament. After Kratos explains his intent, Atlas reveals that Gaia and the other Titans also seek revenge on Zeus for their defeat in the Great War. Atlas also reveals that the Blade of Olympus is the key to defeating Zeus and helps Kratos to reach the "Palace of the Fates".
After evading traps and defeating more enemies, including the Kraken, Kratos encounters an unseen foe, revealed to be a loyal Spartan soldier also in search of the Sisters. Before he dies, the soldier informs Kratos that Zeus has destroyed Sparta in Kratos' absence. Outraged, Kratos is further motivated and frees a phoenix, riding the creature to the Sisters' stronghold where he confronts two, Lakhesis and Atropos. After they refuse his request to alter time, Kratos battles them. During this, the Sisters try to change the outcome of Kratos' battle with Ares, but Kratos kills them both, then confronts the remaining Sister, Clotho. He kills her using her own traps, and acquires the "Loom of Fate" in order to return to the point at which Zeus betrayed him.
Kratos surprises Zeus, seizes the Blade of Olympus, and finally incapacitates him. Athena intervenes and implores Kratos to stop, as by killing Zeus, he will destroy Olympus. Kratos ignores her and tries to kill Zeus, but Athena sacrifices herself by impaling herself upon the blade, granting Zeus escape. Before she dies, Athena reveals that Kratos is actually Zeus' son. Zeus was afraid Kratos would usurp him, just as Zeus had usurped his own father, Cronos. Kratos declares that the rule of the gods is at an end, then travels back in time and rescues the Titans just before their defeat in the Great War. He returns with the Titans to the present, and the gods watch as their former foes climb Mount Olympus. Kratos, standing on the back of Gaia, declares that he has brought the destruction of Olympus, setting up the events of God of War III. | violence | train | wikipedia | Well, if there's anything that comes close, it's this game.
I'm a huge fan of the first game, and as a seasoned gamer I can honestly say that the first level of the first game and the battle with the Hydra is one of my most memorable gaming experiences.
The moment where Kratos is climbing the rope ladder on his way to take on the last (and easily biggest) Hydra head as the music beats out a score that is on par with some of John Williams' creations and as you climb you follow the neck going up...
The scene was set perfectly, and the action throughout the rest of the game never let up.
You'd think nothing can get more epic than the cinematic brilliance of God of War. Needless to say, I couldn't wait for number 2.
Most certainly.Kratos is an evil guy.
Never during this game will you be saying 'yeah right, he could never beat that', Kratos is a guy who is tirelessly fueled by being wronged and getting revenge at any cost.
How can one man (former God, granted) take down the divinely-animated and superpowered Colossus of Rhodes?
This is what makes him one of the most fun characters to play in any video game, ever.
Each time you battle something, anything, in the game, from the smallest foe to the hugest behemoth, you know you're getting your money's worth.
Just like the first game, almost every battle will end in a violent, totally brutal cinematic as Kratos dispatches anything that dares challenge him in the most horrible way you can think of, and it's these sequences that give the game its greatest strength.
All the spectacular moves from the first game are here, with some entertaining new weapons and awesome new Godly powers thrown in, and all can be upgraded to make them more versatile and powerful, and the good thing is, they are all useful and fun.
On the harder difficulty settings the game can become quite tactical, especially during the boss fights, as each one is fought in several stages until you finally wear the boss down and the final cinematic onslaught can begin.
Victory can come down to what power you use, and when, along with how you manage your power meters, which is very refreshing in a pure action game like this.
Sure you can use the same moves over and over, and the trusty Athena's Blades are probably still the most useful weapon in the game, but hopefully you'll find this won't get you as far as you'd think and also, where's the fun?
If you have the means, this is definitely what you want the game to be running on.
Each slash and swing of the blades and earth shaking crash and thump are spot-on, and the utterly impressive music score effortlessly complements the action and the epic scale of the game.
Graphics are top notch, much more polished than the first game (can you believe it?), and really show what the PS2 can do.
this is cinematic gaming at its best.
I know I keep using that word - cinematic, but that's the best word to describe the game in it's entirety.
Kratos himself moves with much more fluidity than the first game.
This game definitely would not look out of place on the PS2's bigger brother as it stands at the moment, and that's really saying something.
You can run the game on a PS3 and while this does give the graphics a noticeable boost, especially on a HD TV, the differences are negligible and the game still looked ridiculously awesome running with my PS2 and my 80cm curved-screen (yes, not even flat-screen) CRT TEAC.
A bigger screen definitely helps, and with a game as epic as this, it's definitely a case of the bigger the better.As with the first, the game's creators' passion for making such a memorable game really shines through, as does their passion for the classical mythology on which the game is based, and yes, I'm a big fan of that too.
You can tell they loved every second of making this game, and they should be very proud of their achievement.
Kratos only knows what they're gonna do with the power of the PS3 to work with for the third instalment, though while after playing through and seeing the end of this game you might (like me) be shouting 'BRING ON THE THIRD", let's hope they take their time to make something even more special.
After what they've done with this game on the now pre-generation PS2, it definitely should be..
God of War could be my favorite game of all-time.
It had non-stop action, blood, gore, nudity, a sex-game, a great story, amazing graphics, neat puzzles....I can go on and on about how great this game is.
Well, the highly anticipated sequel has come out, and man oh man, this baby does not disappoint.Kratos is getting a little power hungry and the higher-ups are not liking this one bit, especially the big man himself, Zeus.
Zeus demands Kratos to stop his actions, but unfortunately for Zeus, Kratos is a little stubborn.
Zeus then takes actions into his own hands and leaves Kratos fighting for his life.
From this moment on the violence kicks into extremely high gear....scratch that, for the reason there was a epic boss battle just moments prior.
Well what follows after Zeus and Kratos have this little showdown is one of the most beautiful, barbaric, action bloodfests I've ever played.
You got the blood, you got the boobs, you got the puzzles, you got the story, the graphics, the screaming, the bosses, the torture, the....whoa.I really didn't find any drawbacks with this game.
If I were to complain about anything, I'd complain about there wasn't enough of the Hi-Res Cinematics...especially in the boob department.
But that's just because I'm an impatient panzy who's broken around a half a dozen controllers.God of War II is easily one of the best games on the PS2 or on any console.
If you're looking for a great action game look no further.
If you're into action games like Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden, Rygar or just a lover of great games like Shadow of the Colussus, Gears of War, Castlevanias....this game will definitely make you one happy little gamer.
And if you enjoyed God of War, there is no reason why you shouldn't be playing this baby.
From the moment this masterpiece begins, it is the most cinematic adventure ever captured in the medium of video gaming.
God of War II, the follow-up to the hit action game, follows the anti-hero Kratos on his journey from godhood back to mortality.
After being stripped of his godly powers and forced to watch his armies reduced to dust at the start of the adventure, Kratos makes it his mission to do the unthinkable - kill Zeus.From there, Kratos embarks on an unbelievable adventure that sees him battling a living colossus from the inside-out, ending up with Atlas at the bottom of the Earth, and eventually twisting the very fabric of time in an attempt to achieve his bloody goals.
Every other scene is a mini artistic masterpiece come-to-life, with some of the most jaw dropping visuals ever created in any medium.
You simply cannot beat God of War II in terms of story, visuals, gameplay, and all-around fun.
Games simply do not get much better than this..
Kratos returns....
A very long time to wait (2 years) and there we have God of War II !!!
GOW I is one of the best PS2 games and this second part is even better: more action, more slashing, more weapons,...
First the pros: - The voice acting is just fantastic (TC Carson - Kratos, Linda Hunt - Narrator, Gaia, Corey Burton - Zeus,...), - The environments are again beautiful (Rhodes, Typhon Mountain, Isle of Creation,...) - The game play (no explanation needed) - The soundtrack (speaks for itself) the cons: - the storyline wasn't bad but I liked the first game more, Kratos seeking revenge for what Ares did to his wife and child and hoping the gods would forgive his past.
- the additional weapons: 3 new weapons: the blade of Olympus (Strong weapons but difficult to wield and you can only upgrade it in bonus play), The barbarian Hammer (Powerful yet to slow for me) and the Spear of Destiny (Something in between the previous 2 weapons)Overall: Your PS2 collection isn't complete without this masterpiece 9,5/10.
God of war 2 is an truly astonishing game that excels in all areas and easily stakes its claim as the PS2's last great piece of software, it really is an awe inspiring gaming experience.Continuing the bloody adventures of kratos, God of war 2 expands and improves on everything that made the first game such a classic.
The play time is longer, the graphics are better, the combat is more visceral , the plot is more epic -it will make you want to play until you loose the feeling in your hands!
The games ONLY problem is the same one that plagued its predecessor: bad replay value .
Just like in god of war, you have to complete the game again in an incredibly difficult "titan mode" to gain all of God of war 2's extra goodies.
The game is so damn good that you'll find your self attempting to complete the game again in titan mode but there's a good chance that it will just prove to be too hard and prevent you from getting full value from the game.
Hopefully things will improve with the next game.Bad replay problems aside, God of war 2 is an essential title- its a thrilling , exhilarating game that will surprise , excite and even scare you at times!
Bring on God of war 3.......
any one who ever says a bad thing about this games needs to be eating ...no really ...
this game, holy crap, is the greatest thing since the first one ..and it was the greatest game i have ever played ...
same basics as the first one so they didn't screw up the mechanics (thankfully) same great look in scenery, characters, and the general over all feel of game play is great.
it combines all aspects of good gaming...
they are good but not so complex and boring like some games named resident evil ...
where yo u spend 5 minutes killing 5 zombies then another 3 hours solving one puzzle to do it all over again ...in this game you don't need "3 pieces of the painting to unlock the heart door to get the square key to .." instead you need to pound this guys face into a book so he can traslate his own scrafice to the fates so you can fight giant demonic sea monsters ...lol....
your doing so much all the time its keeps you to busy to be bored ...and thats the point of a video game ....
and honestly if they make the movie it ad better be done by the exact same people as the game and they need full controll other wise it will be the same crap thats been falling out of the now "poop shoot" cinima super cloner known as Hollywood, big visuals and nothing else .....so we can only hope (4), vocalist - GOD IN A MACHINE.
As a first-timer, I've never really played a God of War game before.
I absolutely enjoyed every last aspect of the gameplay down to the plot line, as well as the character development.
Nothing is extensively flawed, which is a nice touch for a change, and I'm already experiencing the bitter seduction of God of War III....At times, especially after beating the games, I feel rather drawn to the plot line.
Either way, this makes this incredible sequel an instant smash.
I hope to see where the plot goes when I fight my way through Mount Olympus in the next installment..
Now Kratos wishes to exact revenge upon Zeus..
Yes, Kratos is back and he is the God of War. At least for a couple of minutes into the game he is.
Well this turns out to be a trick by the king of the gods himself, Zeus and Kratos is killed.
However, this is only the beginning, with the aid of Gaia one of the titans Kratos begins a search for the sisters of fate in a quest to undo the betrayal by Zeus and to kill Zeus.
You get to go through more levels this time as there is less backtracking than there normally is in a game like this.
Then you get to see other characters from Greek mythology and you normally get to see Kratos rip them apart in very unpleasant ways.
There are a couple of good boss fights in this one, most you have to figure some trick to defeat them.
At one point when I was fighting the Kraken I just could not figure out why it was not dying, then I figured out the trick necessary to kill him.
The fighting is pretty much the same as the first game, but then if it is not broke do not fix it.
Though as with the first game they give you extra weapons, but the default blades are still the best.
The game is not perfect though, there are one to many timing puzzles that drove me crazy, and the game is once again on the short side.
Still, it is nice to play a game that is not tailored to the online crowd and I am hoping that God of War III is also just a very grand single player adventure..
best god of war game.
After defeating Ares in the first game of God of War 2, the new god of war Kratos is punished for a mistake, and then he swears to kill Zeus.
God of War 2 has the Wilhelm scream.
There is another Wilhelm scream when Kratos attacks a young Spartan off the walkway.
Other games and movies that have the Wilhelm Scream are Tropic Thunder, The Command, Ninja Assassin, A Man Apart, Star Wars, The Beast Within, Don't forget 174 titles of the Wilhelm scream congrats, Plot keywords: Wilhelm Scream, Action adventure, Fantasy, Kraken..
God of War II is a must for any gamer with an interest in either a)brawling, b)Greek mythology, c)brutality, and doesn't mind a puzzle around every corner.
The story is rather epic in scope, with Kratos having even bigger fish to fry this time around, ranging across the mythology spectrum from Perseus(played ironically by Harry Hamlin) to Zeus himself.
Each boss fight lives up to expectations, and the game has a cliffhanger that is done right; it doesn't let you feel cheated, only excited for whats to come.
It helps that the way Kratos dispatches his foes manages to redefine what brutality in video games is all about; many memorable finishes, it almost makes you wonder if they came up with how each encounter and demise would play out before even writing the story itself.
The puzzles are rather numerous, and managed to stump me each time in the silliest of ways(I'm stupid).
This game definitely pushes the ps2 to the limit without a hitch, providing plenty of locales to gawk at.
About as subtle as a kick in the balls by a clown, god of war 2 is an excellent entry in the franchise; a game that will satisfy that craving to punch someone, along with amazing you with its brutality and spectacle..
An excellent Kratos adventure, just like the other games.
As a warning, I took a point off for the ludicrously difficult Titan mode.
GoW 2, as well as the entire GoW series, is fantastic, a thrill to play from start to finish.
First off, the story is the starting point of an adventure that will determine the fate of Olympus itself, revolving around the protagonist's (Kratos) thirst for vengeance.
Saved from death by Gaia, Mother of Earth, he must go to the Sisters of Fate to return to when Zeus (the villain) betrayed and killed him.
What could be a better plot for the second installment of the GoW series?
From the city of Rhodes and the mountain of Typhon to the grand Palace of Fates and the Titan Atlas, the worlds of this game are truly magnificent.
The boss battles are equally brilliant.
My favorites so far have been the Colossus, Kraken, Euryale the Gorgon, the Sisters of Fate and Perseus.
And of course, Kratos himself is as great as ever.
His personality makes him one of my favorite video game characters of all time..
Actually, I don't think it does contain a spoiler, but I wasn't sure if this would qualify as a non-spoiler review.This was the first game of its kind that I have ever played.
The game that contains the kind of things that make you nuts and play it over and over again.
The best game of 2007, except for maybe Gears of War, and definitely the best game ever to grace the PlayStation 2.
The game play is incredible.
The gore is a little over the top, but fun part is just slashing them, giving a kind of guilty pleasure.
Neither have boss battles or platforming.
My God!
And it contains some of the biggest boss fights I have ever played.
You're just going to have to play this yourself.) The fights are nuts, you fight some ridiculously fun ones, all of in which you do some of the goriest, most violent things imaginable.
And you actually do them.However, while this game is superior in game play, it is inferior in character development.
Kratos is a jerk in this, whereas in the first game, you want him to finish his bloody quest.
The story is cool though.You must play this. |
tt0068428 | The Cross and the Switchblade | The film is based on the true story of David Wilkerson (Pat Boone), a small-town preacher who gets caught in the shadows of a crime-ridden neighborhood in New York City. He encounters the Mau Maus, a gang led by Nicky Cruz (Erik Estrada), and David brings a message of hope to the angry youths. Guided by the street-wise Little Bo (Jo-Ann Robinson), David quickly learns about the neighborhood and how to approach the cynical juveniles. David came to New York City from a Pittsburgh suburb with little money, and is put up in a small street chapel owned by a pastor with a loving family who supports David in his work and offers to help with food and shelter. Cruz at first dismisses Wilkerson as a joke, then as a conspiracy to break up the Mau Maus, serving to only intensify his desire to be rid of the "preacher man". Nicky's girlfriend Rosa prostitutes in order to support her heroin addiction, and later begs David to help her sober her drug habits. David realistically does not think Rosa can handle her heroin problem without medical attention, but agrees to allow the pastor and his wife to have Rosa live with them and stand vigil as she goes through difficult withdrawals. After Rosa is sober, she tries to convince Nicky that David comes to them out of love, but Nicky becomes more and more frustrated. When David tries an attempt to reach out to all gang members in the area through a revival, the pastor convince the NYPD not to survey the area in order to have the gangs think they are left alone. Nicky agrees with Big Cat, the leader of the rival Bishops, that they should rumble at the revival since no one would expect that. However, during David's sermon, his message that no one can be labeled and Christ's death on the Cross reaches Nicky, and he stands up to Big Cat who is ready to attack David. The film concludes by saying that in the question of the Cross and the Switchblade, the Cross proved stronger.
Nicky Cruz would go on to become an ordained minister, preaching the gospel due to the initial efforts of David Wilkerson. In the end they start a center called Teen Challenge to support teens. | christian film | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0097123 | Crimes and Misdemeanors | The story follows two main characters: Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau), a successful ophthalmologist, and Clifford Stern (Woody Allen), a small-time documentary filmmaker.
Judah, a respectable family man, is having an affair with flight attendant Dolores Paley (Anjelica Huston). After it becomes clear to her that Judah will not end his marriage, Dolores, scorned, threatens to inform his wife of their affair. Dolores's letter to Miriam is intercepted and destroyed by Judah, but she sustains the pressure on him with threats of revelation. She is also aware of some questionable financial deals Judah has made, which adds to his stress. He confides in a patient, Ben (Sam Waterston), a rabbi who is rapidly losing his eyesight. Ben advises openness and honesty between Judah and his wife, but Judah does not wish to imperil his marriage. Desperate, Judah turns to his brother, Jack (Jerry Orbach), who hires a hitman to kill Dolores. Before her corpse is discovered, Judah retrieves letters and other items from her apartment (where he sees her bloody corpse) in order to cover his tracks. Stricken with guilt, Judah turns to the religious teachings he had rejected, believing for the first time that a just God is watching him and passing judgment.
Cliff, meanwhile, has been hired by his pompous brother-in-law, Lester (Alan Alda), a successful television producer, to make a documentary celebrating Lester's life and work. Cliff grows to despise him. While filming and mocking the subject, Cliff falls in love with Lester's associate producer, Halley Reed (Mia Farrow). Despondent over his failing marriage to Lester's sister Wendy (Joanna Gleason), he woos Halley, showing her footage from his ongoing documentary about Prof. Louis Levy (psychologist Martin S. Bergmann), a renowned philosopher. He makes sure Halley is aware that he is shooting Lester's documentary merely for the money so he can finish his more meaningful project with Levy.
Cliff's dislike for Lester becomes evident during the first screening of the film. It juxtaposes footage of Lester with clownish poses of Benito Mussolini addressing a throng of supporters from a balcony. It also shows Lester yelling at his employees and clumsily making a pass at an attractive young actress. Cliff learns that Professor Levy, whom he had been profiling on the strength of his celebration of life, has committed suicide, leaving a curt note, "I've gone out the window." When Halley visits to comfort him, he makes a pass at her, which she gently rebuffs, telling him she isn't ready for another romance.
Adding to Cliff's burdens, Halley leaves for London, where Lester is offering her a producing job; when she returns several months later, Cliff is astounded to discover that she and Lester are engaged. Hearing that Lester sent Halley white roses "round the clock, for days" while they were in London, Cliff is crestfallen as he realizes he is incapable of that kind of ostentatious display. His last romantic gesture to Halley had been a love letter which, he admits with humor, he had mostly plagiarized from James Joyce.
In the final scene, Judah and Cliff meet by happenstance at the wedding of the daughter of rabbi Ben, who is Cliff's brother-in-law and Judah's patient. Judah has worked through his guilt and is enjoying life once more; the murder had been blamed on a drifter with a criminal record. He draws Cliff into a supposedly hypothetical discussion that draws upon his moral quandary. Judah says that with time, any crisis will pass; but Cliff morosely claims instead that one is forever fated to bear one's burdens for "crimes and misdemeanors". Judah cheerfully leaves the wedding party with his wife, and Cliff is left sitting alone, dejected. Ben the rabbi, who is now blind, shares a dance with his daughter while the voice of Prof. Levy is heard, saying that the universe is a dark and indifferent place which human beings fill with love, in the hope that it will give the void a meaning. | realism, murder, flashback, satire, philosophical, romantic | train | wikipedia | This is a lesson that Woody's character, Cliff, doesn't even fully grasp at the end of the film, but Allen gives us the insight, even though what Hally reveals about Lester goes against what we've seen of him.Crimes and Misdemeanors is certainly not for all tastes.
How much was Allen able to meditate on life, death, God, religion, morality, crimes and the responsibility, love and lust, happiness and the price one pays for it, and among those eternal subjects - how much fun it is to skip work or school and to sneak to the movies.
It would be a simplistic and narrow-minded view of this film to say that it was simply about adultery because it is really far more complex than that, and essentially a film about all varieties of human nature and relationships, and one could even argue- the relationship between reality and film as explored through the lens of genre- romantic comedy, Film-Noir, and documentary, and what parts of this film are- satire."Crimes and Misdemeanors" is one of Allen's best scripts.
This film practically defines the 'tragicomedy' sub-genre, with neither overpowering the other and much of the humor is dark humor originating in tragedy, something that is acknowledged by Allen through the character of Lester (played to perfection by Alan Alda), who comments that comedy is nothing more than "tragedy plus time".
This is an expertly-written movie."Crimes and Misdemeanors" is the culmination of a decade of consistently brilliant, evocative, original, and fascinating films from Woody Allen, whose 80's output I would personally consider to be his best.
Martin Landau, a successful doctor, contemplates murdering a former mistress who threatens his easy life while Woody Allen, an unsuccessful filmmaker, contemplates having an extramarital affair.
Any movie that contains these three great actors will be a pleasure to watch.The second plot concerns Cliff Stern (Woody) who's married to Wendy (Joanna Gleason) but is in love with Halley (Mia Farrow).
Because Ben is a rabbi, Judah confides in him about the love triangle in which he finds himself.Allen is a brilliant writer and director, and his strengths are in getting dialog right and carefully portraying the milieu in which his characters live and work.
With the subject matter and how the comedy and seriousness is blended Crimes and Misdemeanours is one of Allen's most ambitious, and along with the likes of Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Husbands and Wives and Manhattan it's one of his best too.
But the acting honours go to Alan Alda and especially Martin Landau, Alda plays an absolute weasel to perfection while Landau gives a performance that has not only only been matched by his Bela Lugosi in Tim Burton's Ed Wood but also one of the greatest performances of any Woody Allen film.
It essentially involves two plots, one about crimes (murder that goes unpunished) and the other about misdemeanors (involving Woody's character as a decent person who is inevitably a loser in such a world, and Alan Alda in one of his best roles as a memorable pompous villain with unforgettably mocked line "if it bends it's funny, if it breaks, it is't not funny").
Crimes and Misdemeanors is, to me, Woody Allen's greatest film and he's made a lot of great ones.
At times leading its story with a dramatic seriousness and other times with a sharp humor, Woody Allen divides this film in two segments (serious/funny), often intertwining both stories with one common theme: the worst blindness of all, of the one who doesn't want to see.The stories: ophthalmologist Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) is living the life of his dreams with a perfect family, a great job and being a respectable man but there's one thing bothering this man: his mistress, the flight attendant Dolores (Anjelica Huston) got tired of being on the second plan of his life and she wants to live with Judah, without caring about his family and reputation as an honored citizen.
On a less serious take there's the story of Clifford (Woody Allen), an filmmaker in a low point of his career trying to make the project of his life when he's approached by his brother-in-law Lester (Alan Alda), a guy he despises with all of his force, to make an documentary about him.
No, he's jeopardizing everything in trade of some adventurous love affair he doesn't know how to end it; his mistress can't see he's never gonna leave his family and risk his reputation for her, therefore, she's blinded as well; the filmmaker had its vision of reality obscured by failing to notice that life isn't like movies where showing your deeply affects to someone might be returned, no matter how much he tries to conquer the woman of his dreams, she'll always turn her back on him, preferring his egocentric rival on business; Halley is blind for not seeing how much Clifford loves her, instead concentrating her thoughts on Lester; the latter is blind to his own egocentrism, refusing to be seen as someone cynical, unfunny and not so bright, he's too focused on himself although he pays a certain attention to Halley; and at last we have a real blind person but this one seems to see more than any of this character altogether.
Conclusion: with the exception of Ben, all of them can see (physically) but they refuse to do so (spiritually/morally) and at the end they're caught in their own silly entrapment."Crimes and Misdemeanors" is an exceptional story about life consequences, love, human relations at its good and bad times, guilt, the things which determines failure and success on everything, and the often mentioned blindness of all kinds, particularly the worst kind of it.
Please, see this movie and at least you'll remain with the taste of: "Am I right about the meaning of living?".Probably the second history with Allen character and his former real life wife could be deeper or with more details, but many things are treated in the movie that, at the end, leave you with different thoughts in your head, and that's probably why the movie is ageless and material for any philosophical discussion.Don't miss it.
The many (humorous and serious) ways in which Woody Allen wrestles with this question is what makes "Crimes and Misdemeanours" so beautiful and endearing.I could go on and on about this movie which is so dear to me, but I want to end with a quote from the brilliant Professor Louis Levy who survived the concentration camps in World War II.
If you only think of Woody Allen movies as comedies, rent Crimes and Misdemeanors.
Woody was nominated for Best Director and Original Screenplay at the 1990 Oscars, rewarded for this bold change of pace in his films.Martin Landau is married to Claire Bloom, but he's having an affair with Anjelica Huston.
The 1989 feature of Woody Allen grapples with morality, serious questioning of religion, and the idea of damnation through exploring the life of an ophthalmologist who carried on an affair with a woman who threatened to tell his wife about his misdeeds.
In the other moral story of the film the audience meets Cliff (Woody Allen) a man who is living in a marriage that's seemed to have lost its spark, in the bedroom anyway.
Crimes and Misdemeanors is another Woody Allen film I don't hear talked about nearly enough as one of his best, and in a way I'm happy to keep stumbling upon these surprises..
An ophthalmologist (Martin Landau)'s mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated by another woman.Allen excels when he takes philosophy, theology and other intellectual pursuits and blends hem with his love of cinema and classical music.
Another Woody Allen delight, a diptych of two moral conundrums, Laudau, a well-off ophthalmologist who ultimately gets away with the murder of his badgering mistress (Huston), meanwhile a frustrated documentary filmmaker (Allen) flunks to win his love interest (Farrow) over a pretentious showbiz magnate (Alda).For Laudau's story, one can easily sniff out the comparability of Allen's later London-based MATCH POINT (2005, 7/10), the other women are merely dispensable in favor of wealth, social status and ostensibly stable matrimony.
As for Allen's romantic entwinement with Farrow and his doomed marriage, it brims with casual wisecracks and addicted cinema-goings, but the scene-stealer is Alda, whose character is blatantly based on the late writer Larry Gelbart, utters bon mots like, comedy is tragedy plus time; or if it bends, it's funny, if it breaks, it isn't.
Still, the incredibly rich performances from a well-chosen group of actors strengthen the film, including Woody as the filmmaker, Alan Alda as his egomaniacal film subject and brother-in-law, Mia Farrow, Martin Landau (in the film's best turn), Anjelica Huston, Caroline Aaron and Jerry Orbach.
Of course many people will not give Woody Allen films a chance and will just assume he was trying to be funny but failed, or trying for a crime story but failed but then those people will just stick to multiplex action movies and rarely wander into the work of other American filmmakers (god forbid any non-US work).
Larry Gopnik was a born-schmuck but Judah Rosenthal, the central figure of Woody Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors", played by a wonderful Martin Landau, is the quintessential 'Serious' man.He's an eye doctor in his late fifties or early sixties, married to a loving wife (Claire Bloom) with grown children, living in three acres in Connecticut, and he's an established figure of the Jewish community.
Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors ranks with the very best of his work in the 1980s, as it provides serious subject matter for its audience without being (overall) preachy, and acts as a terrific precursor to other Woody films (ie Deconstructing Harry, Melinda & Melinda, and Match Point to an extent).
Other actors like Jerry Orbach, and Caroline Aaron (in one of the funniest scenes describing a date), are also great supporting players.If maybe the film isn't a flat out masterpiece, it might be because it leaves things a little too 'this is how it is' at the end, despite the good points made in the narration.
Released in 1989, Crimes and Misdemeanors asked the question posed by many a philosopher: Can you live with yourself after committing a murder or will the shame gradually eat away your soul?The man at the centre of the story, Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau), seems to have it all.
Jack has a simple answer: He will hire someone to murder Dolores and Judah won't have to lift a finger.While all of this is going on, struggling documentary filmmaker Cliff Stern (Allen) is thrown a gig by his brother-in-law - the obnoxious, self-obsessed sitcom writer Lester (Alan Alda) - and meets cute associate producer Halley Reed (Mia Farrow) on the job.
The storyline with Judah is surely the emphasis of the film (Allen himself has even admitted that he wished he hadn't written the story with his character), but I think these insightful moments with Cliff add a lot more weight to everything going on with Judah.I always find myself having a hard time caring about adulterers and that was true at the beginning of this film, but as Judah was fleshed out more I found myself caring for him in an interesting way.
Ophthalmologist Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) has been having an affair for some years, but is now considering having his mistress murdered, while filmmaker Cliff Stern (Allen) is trying to have an affair.Yeah, that sounds like something that would appear in a Woody Allen movie, but he does an OK job with it here.
Woody Allen didn't have to include the love affair between him and Mia Farrow, but it does lighten the movie, even though it doesn't end to well for his character.
Another point Woody Allen makes using the character, Lester, is that comedy is murder plus time.
Crimes and Misdemeanors is probably the most stable and focused Woody Allen film I have yet to see, but definitely the most thought-provoking and philosophical, questioning its viewer if they could potentially go on to live with themselves if they, theoretically, "got away with murder?" Allen takes the camera and the pen to write a film that cleanly intertwines two stories heavily built on moral and ethically questionable situations, with one character committing infidelity with his mistress, and another trying to stay afloat with life never giving him a reasonable break.The first man we are introduced to is the respected, successful ophthalmologist named Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) who has a marriage of twenty-five years on one hand and a stable affair going on the other.
We take a look at how his family believed in a vividly detailed flashback late in the film, showing the issue of morality and punishment coming up at a conversation over dinner, with Jack's similar attitude in play.Crimes and Misdemeanors is blackly funny, richly detailed, smartly and deeply written, and functions as a terrific entry in Allen's never-ending filmography.
This is a hard slice of life, and it takes a capable director to give us this sort of blunt, honest realism in a film.Starring: Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Anjelica Huston, Mia Farrow, Alan Alda, Jerry Orbach, and Joanna Gleason.
In this film, he brings the two elements together, creating two similar story lines that come together and paint a viciously sardonic, dark and mostly realistic portrayal of life as a human being.In the tragic plot, Martin Landau is brilliant as Judah, a well-respected and successful ophthalmologist whose life is threatened by his volatile mistress (Angelica Huston) and considers the ultimate and worst option.
"Crimes and Misdemeanors" follows two main characters: Judah Rosenthal (Landau), a successful ophthalmologist, and Cliff Stern (Allen), a struggling documentary filmmaker.
There isn't that much comedy in this film, but what little there is of it works well and is funny (Allen's repulsed reaction to what happens to his sister, and some funny lines from Woody which are among his better ones).
"Crimes and Misdemeanors" is probably Woody Allen's darkest film, or at least it was until his British crime thriller duo of "Match Point" and "Cassandra's Dream" from the last couple of years.In fact, "Match Point" borrows heavily from "Crimes" and both borrow from Dreiser's "An American Tragedy." Martin Landau plays a prominent doctor who pays to have his unhinged mistress (Anjelica Huston) bumped off when she threatens to make things unpleasant for him and his accepted social standing as an upright citizen.
In a parallel story, Woody Allen plays a man in an unhappy marriage who is making a documentary for a regular T.V. show about a pompous T.V. exec (Alan Alda) while falling for one of the show's producers (Mia Farrow).
Loosely connected main narratives elegantly associate, one of a serious, cold-blooded crime with Martin Landau's beloved opthalmologist and family man Judah Rosenthal at the center, another of everyday indiscretions, rejection and romantic envy between Woody Allen's struggling documentarian Clifford and Alan Alda's insufferable TV producer Lester, together with the trouble of lofty moral aim.
More truly means less to really good performers like Martin Landau, Alan Alda, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Woody Allen.
Allen's character admires the philosophy professor who theorizes this; this while discussing another subject as Alan Alda absconds with his female interest; and a distant relative (very well done by Martin Landau) has his ex-mistress executed by his estranged brother (Jerry Orbach).Brilliant, strange and real, for those who watch film and not reality TV.
There are two stories in this movie.In one story Martin Landau plays Judah Rosenthal, who has had an affair with Dolores (Anjelica Huston) for years.Now she threatens to tell everything to his wife Miriam (Claire Bloom), if he won't marry her.His brother Jack (Jerry Orbach) suggests he could get rid of her.With a little cash he'd get him killed and the problem would be gone.Judah has to struggle with a moral dilemma;could he live with that on his conscience?
In the other story Woody Allen plays documentary maker Clifford Stern who has to make a movie about his brother-in-law, a big TV producer Lester (Alan Alda).He despises the guy and does the whole thing for money.Clifford is married to Wendy (Joanna Gleason) but that doesn't stop him from having feelings for Halley Reed (Mia Farrow), with whom he's working on the film.Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) is a brilliant movie, a true masterpiece.He makes both of those stories really interesting.Martin Landau is a true legend and in this movie his acting is really superb.Allen is being Allen and does it with his own classy way, as always.The whole cast does their job with dignity.Allen is also the master in the use of music.The jazz pieces and Schubert are all in the right places.I found many absolutely brilliant scenes in this movie.One fascinating scene is the one where Judah goes to his childhood home.There he watches his family talking about God and all those religious matters.He even participates in the conversation.It's really fascinating to listen to the professor Louis Levy's (Martin S.
"Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989): This is, without a doubt, one of Woody Allen's most significant films.
Crimes and Misdemeanors may be Woody Allen's best film.
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) **** Martin Landau, Woody Allen, Mia Farrow, Anjelica Huston, Claire Bloom, Alan Alda, Sam Waterston, Joanna Gleason, Jerry Orbach, Caroline Aaron.
Easily Woody's masterpiece of comedy and drama: parallel stories perfectly meld and share similar themes; beloved philanthropic optometrist Judah (Best Supporting Actor nominee Landau in a tricky role deftly portrayed) faces a moral dilemma involving his angry mistress (Huston) and industrious filmmaker Cliff (Allen) forced to film a documentary on his loathsome, successful tv producer brother-in-law (Alda in a painfully funny change of venue perf) who he ultimately compares to Mussolini(!) Superb screenplay and direction by the Woodman (nominated for both categories) that ultimately show the human condition for all it's worth. |
tt1063336 | The Perfect Assistant | The movie begins with the hiring of Rachel Partson (Josie Davis) as an administrative assistant at Wescott Public Relations. She is a nice girl, but starts to obsess over her boss David Wescott (Chris Potter). She finds out he has a wife who is dying and a daughter.
His wife soon dies, due to an injection Rachel gives her. Then Rachel gives a stomach bug to David's business partner, Judith (Rachel Hunter), allowing her to go to New York with David.
Rachel asks her cousin Nora, to watch her house while she is in New York. Nora's computer crashes so she uses Rachel's, who returns from New York and is angry to discover this. Nora confronts her, but Rachel kills her by pushing her down the stairs. Judith and co-worker Wally tell their suspicions of Rachel to David, who later fires her.
Rachel thinks he only fired her so he can date her without being an employee. She shows up at David's house, who tells her he doesn't love her. When he throws a dinner party for the employees who secured a deal with a major company. Rachel shows up, threatens David with a gun and takes everyone hostage. Rachel unloads her anger onto them and shoots Judith. The police arrive and arrest Rachel.
The film ends with Rachel writing a letter to David that says she looks forward to seeing him. She is shown to be in jail. | murder, home movie | train | wikipedia | Perpetually perky and seemingly psycho Josie Davis (as Rachel Partson) works as a secretary for attractive executive Chris Potter (as David Wescott).
"Actually, I'm his executive assistant," she corrects.
Once tragically orphaned, and displaying a compulsive use of anti-bacterial hand lotion, Ms. Davis is extremely devoted to Mr. Potter.
She wants to take the place of his hospitalized wife and be a mother to cute little Veronique Natale Szalankiewicz (as Isabelle).
Suspicious co-stars like Rachel Hunter (as Judith) and Jason Harper (as Wally) provide fun watching but, compared to several similarly-titled "The Perfect
" cable-ready TV movies, "The Perfect Assistant" is tragically slow.**** The Perfect Assistant (2008) Douglas Jackson ~ Josie Davis, Chris Potter, Rachel Hunter, Jason Harper.
Although the leading lady played by Josie Davis was a bit over the wall, she still brought that evil doings expected in these "perfect" films on LMN.
I loved it when she didn't get what she wanted.
I thought monitors were for keeping tabs on patients, yet no one came to the rescue when the lady's monitor went crazy.
I also liked Chris Potter from QUEER AS FOLK fame.
Natural in his acting and believable with a difficult role.
Rachel Hunter brought a likable maturity to the fold.
Weak spots were Sophie Gendron, with her Novocaine lips and Deborah Pollitt as the plain Jane weird sister.
All in all, thanks to Davis, Potter and Hunter it wasn't that bad..
Ugh. This movie was terrible.
The lead character Josie Davis was about a C- throughout the entire time.
There was not one scene in which I found her believable or even interesting.
And as soon as I saw Sophie Gendron walk on the screen, I groaned.
Having suffered through a movie with her once before, I was hoping her role would be very brief.
Ms. Gendron is badly in need of a coach, or perhaps another profession.While these two roles were desperately in need of recasting, Chris Potter was absolutely fantastic.
He was completely believable and his contribution kept me from giving this movie fewer stars.I also enjoyed Judith Manion, and think she did a great job.
She and Chris Potter completely outshone the others.However, this movie is not worth the two hours it took to watch to the end.
The Perfect Assistant.
Having watched more than my share of Lifetime movies, I am constantly surprised at the creative ways the filmmakers switch things up.
There is a format that these movies follow and it must be challenging to consistently find ways to keep them fresh--and more importantly, with this channel, entertaining.I think part of the reason why The Perfect Assistant was so enjoyable is that it features a collective of actors who work pretty consistently in these movies, and much like a basketball team that has played together for a long time, they have a fun time with what they are doing.
While the user above pointed out Sophie's performance I have to say I completely disagree.
If they were recasting Dallas, she'd fit right in.I've enjoyed a few movies she and some of the other cast have been in for Lifetime, and part of that enjoyment is seeing what type of character they'll be playing this time around.
But in a cable TV movie, each of these roles is a part of the plot machinery that must move the story forward.
So watching what choices fine actors like Ms. Gendron and Mr. Potter make with these roles is part of the delicious fun of watching the films.If you are a fan of puzzle movies, or cable drama thrills, than The Perfect Assistant is certainly going to be very satisfying.
If not, then you might want to watch something else..
Extremely boring movie: The the story is "seen before" - all the script is like written to morons.
Few good looking faces (but not future stars), some intrigues, a stupid husband and stupid doctors not questioning the curious death of a "getting better" patient.
At the end, it seems to me as the movie has been made in "give me something to sell" way.
There are many enough and good enough new novels to make a movie on them, or even many enough interesting news and stories from all over the world.
I can't believe I watched the whole thing.
For fans of any kind of thriller or suspense films, or any kind of drama, you are going to be seriously disappointed with this one.
We have all seen the "trusted assistant is nutty stalker" movie a hundred times, so we expect something different when a new version is foisted on us.
Every single second of this movie was predictable, from the start to the finish.
I will remark that Chris Potter was one of the few good things about this movie.
I really don't know what his agent was thinking when they got him mixed up in this mess.
He needs to fire that person ASAP..
Josie Davis is Hot. I got to see this film a few times on on the Movie Network and I really enjoyed every second of the film which featured two stars Joesie davis & Chris Potter who as some of you may remember him from Kung-Fu (Peter Caine) The Legend Continues & Queer As Folk (Dr. David Cameron) I had met Chris a few times back in the early 2000's down at club called Blues On Belair and he is also a great musician.
Josie Davis I remember her from Y&R playing the original Grace Turner who had a love interest for Nick Newman.
Anyway the most outstanding of the two goes to Josie who played Rachel a assistant to David Wescott (Potter) who is going through the lost of his wife and she simply want Wescott to be with her but unfortunately he simply doesn't feel like having affair with Rachel would not heal his lost to his wife.
So Rachel would go to lengths to be more closer to David so she can have him to herself.
This is the best I seen Josie in and she looks even more beautiful now..
If you haven't seen it already, avail yourself of the opportunity to see "The Perfect Assistant" on Lifetime.
This movie combines an excellent cast with a taut and fast-paced script.
Josie Davis is sparkling in this movie, and Rachel Hunter gives a solid performance.
And Chris Potter's tender, nuanced performance as David Wescott may well garner an Emmy.
Potter has established himself as one of the premier leading men in Lifetime TV movies.
With this film, director Douglas Jackson has established himself as a leader in made-for-TV suspense.
Under his able direction, the actors turn in brilliant performances and Christine Conradt's script translates beautifully onto the screen.
I can say confidently that this is the best Lifetime movie I've seen in years.
I love this kind of movie!!!!!!.
I actually really enjoyed this movie...and Sophie Gendron is a great actress!
She is fantastic in both of these films.
(Actually DEMONS FROM HER PAST is one of my favorite Lifetime films to date).I also thought Josie Davis's character in TPA was very believable.
I haven't seen her on screen in awhile and thought she played a great psycho.I watch a lot of Lifetime movies...and this was actually one of the better ones.Check it out...see for yourself..
At the start of the movie, my finger was hovering over the off button for at least the first twenty minutes.
But something in my mind stopped me from depressing the button.The story starts out with David Prescott's (Potter) wife Carol (Marcil) being rushed to the hospital.
David contacts his personal assistant, Rachel (Davis), to bring her up to speed and to cancel and rearrange meetings until his wife is better.
However, Rachel isn't as stable as she appears.
She sees David as one of the good men and is truly upset to hear about his wife.
She asks how their daughter, Isabelle (Szalankiewicz) is coping.
It's this growth and the path it leads her down that makes this movie watchable.
It gives the story twists and turns that show the workings of a broken mind.
how far will she go in what she believes to be true love?I believe that had this been given to a stronger cast and director it would have been a fantastic thought-provoking and chilling film.
However, what we get is an entertaining and easily watchable afternoon TV movie.Though the direction is pretty standard for this style of flick more powerful atmosphere and tension were called for to add strength to the project.
For me, the worst thing about the film was the acting.
Especially from Josie Davis who is a little too over the top with her characterisation - less definitely would have been more.
However, it's not a constant thing as there are times when she's spot on with her portrayal.
okay, so I actually know people like this so she conveys a realistic character, however, with Josie Davis' performance it makes Pollitt's idiosyncrasies more than a little irritating.
One annoying character per film is enough.Since this film surprised me I would recommend it to all psychological thriller fans, though you have to stay with it for the full effect - it's a potboiler..
the perfect assistant review.
I have already commented on this film at great lengths- The perfect assistant- and it was never printed on your comments page, and I followed all the required rules -------- so don 't waste my time.
I saw this film several times, it is a good film, but it had too many loopholes, parts of the plot of the story made no sense at all- for instance , how on earth can a woman walk into a hospital, kill someone and walk out without anyone seeing her.
And David Wescott must have been a very STUPID man to say the least, as he failed to see how deeply in love his assistant was with him- then he takes her to NY on a business, trip, plies her with champagne sweet words of praise plus a gift of a watch, overwhelmed she gives him a big hug an kiss on the mouth, he turns on her immediately, won't accept an apology or explanation from her- oh come on.
Josie's portrayal of Rachel is riveting.
Those ice chip eyes, maniacal grin and posh attitude all combine to produce a character who, since she's only doing what she feels in her heart (albeit a black heart), works better than a cardboard, intentional villain.Rachel loves her boss ~ well ..
she yearns to POSSESS her boss and his daughter, Isabelle.
There are some roadblocks: the sick wife who is 'getting better', the colleague who treats Rachel as - hey!
imagine this: a secretary, and the fact that David, while he acknowledges Rachel's unfailing devotion to 'the company' (seriously?), has no personal affection for her other than gratitude.Then we have Nora.
Nora is Rachel's cousin.
She's weird and chirpy, has trouble with boundaries, and is nosy to boot, but otherwise is just a plain-Jane who wishes Rachel were more like a friend than an obligatory housemate.
I think Rachel is unthinkably snobbish where Nora is concerned, and Nora's concern is that Rachel's obsession with David causes the most conflict.
The tragic fall downstairs garners nothing more than a faked anguish as Rachel calls paramedics.
Here we see the utter void where anybody but David occupies Rachel's brain & heart.
David is her skin, and she will not be separated from him.
This can't happen." (shakes head as she ponders Mrs. Wescott's recuperation).David himself is understandably distracted or I think he would have clued in sooner to the cloying, effusive attention.
It took a terribly inappropriate come-on to wake him up, then David was swift to deal with the problem as kindly and cleanly as possible, but she's been so invested and tethered to him to have deluded herself; when he fires her, Rachel concludes (after initially seeming to grasp reality) that he wants to date her without being improper.Showing up at David's house with a huge stuffie for Isabelle, Rachel admits to David that she loves him and thinks he let her go to set a good example at work, but that he can love her since his wife is gone.
He is livid at this point: not only has Rachel completely ignored every word he said, she intruded on his sanctity and insinuated herself in his daughter's life.
Now that he has seen what Rachel's been up to all this time, he clearly wants nothing to do with her ever again: she is no longer welcome in his life......
Rachel ain't havin' that..
Good Movie!.
Josie Davis does a fantastic job in this as "Rachel", an assistant who is obsessed with her boss.
Even though she is crazy as a loon, there are aspects about her character that are quite likable.
She's got more than one side to her, unlike some of the nuttier one-dimensional lifetime villains I've seen.
Sophie Gendron's character as the meddling, goody-goody aunt, Mary-Beth, was annoying.
I thought she was a horrible snob and cannot figure out why she is praised as a good person in this movie.
When she first meets Rachel, she snidely says "Oh yes, you're the Secretary.".
Rachel corrects her and says, "Actually, I'm an Executive Assistant" and Mary Beth just smirks at her in a really condescending way.
Sophie is much more likable in other lifetime movies IMO.
Rachel Hunter's acting as Judith was boring and plastic.
However, I thought the boss (Chris Potter) was perfectly cast and did a superb job in his role.
His acting is real and very believable..
I chose an 8 rating out of ten even though I enjoyed the movie intensely because the lead male character did not do as I would have done and "go for it", the young and smoking sexy hot and very beautiful Executive Assistant.
Bearing in mind that no one knew Rachel assisted her boss's wife on her way "out the door" so to speak.
She would never allow another man in her bed or betray my love to her nor let another woman move in on her territory because as she so aptly said in the movie "She can't live without me." And her actions backed up her words.
Josie Davis executed her seductive role so well I could literally taste her sweet and succulent womanhood in my mouth.
I wanted her sooooo bad.
Which is why through out the movie I could not fathom why David could not figure out she wanted him, and when he finally did realize it how on earth could he resist her charms, her beauty, her passionate desires.
Rachel would surely give him a night he would not soon forget.
And he would definitely know beyond doubt that she belonged to him, only him, and no other man could swoop in and take her away from him because she was crazy beyond reason about him.
I would surely have maximized the benefits to that truth about Rachel both in and out of bed.
Knowing I could never sleep with another woman again because Rachel would surely put her, and possibly me, in a permanent sleep (a by-product of insane obsession).
I also rated the movie an 8 because I did not feel it perpetuated reality.
If the events of this movie happened in real life he would give way to her advances and she would surely rock his world in ways he had never dreamed possible.
I would have loved to see an R-rated version of this movie..
****SPOILERS****Obsession is a bitch and administrative assistant Rachel Partson, Josie Davis, learns that the hard way in her trying to win over her boss David Wescott, Chris Potter, after she found out that his wife Carol played as a corpse not a real life human being by Jennifer Marcil, in a non-speaking role, was suffering from a food or drug induced stroke.
Seeing her big chance Rachel sneaks into the emergency ward without anyone there bothering to notice her, they may well have been on their coffee brake, and pops a needly in her arm causing an air bubble to end up killing her.Now working to get David to fall in love with her Rachael gets very friendly with his 10 year old daughter Isabella, Veronique-Natale Szalankiewice, as well as makes sure that he wins the very lucrative Price Account by sabotaging David's rival for it, by blackmailing him, Grady Bransen,Ian M.
Still as hard as Rachael tries to get David to fall in love and marry her she falls flat on both her a** as well as face.
David you see is still in love and loyal to his dear departed wife Carol the very woman that Rachael murdered to be have him hook up with her.***SPOILERS*** David now realizing that he has a nut-Rachael-on his hands fires her just to keep her out of his hair which is a lot for a man his-in his middle 40's- age as well as life but it backfires badly on him.
Rachael not taking the hint, that David doesn't love her, feel that being fired will make things much easier for him to marry her by her just being a stranger not an employee of his: You go figure that one out!
This insanity on Rachael's part came to a bitter end with her crashing a party that David is throwing for his employees and gunning down but not killing his new assistant Mary-Beth, Sophie Gendron, in the wild free for all.
Rachael convicted of murder not just of Carol but her live in roommate Nora, Deborah Pollitt, who was about to expose her wild fantasies to both the police as well as David.
That as well as assault with intent to kill Rachael will have lots of time behind bars to reflect on the insanities that she had inflicted on those around her. |
tt1172186 | Ang lihim ni Antonio | Antonio (Kenji Garcia) is a curious fifteen-year-old boy who is beginning to come to terms with his own sexuality. Although his straight best friend, Mike (Jiro Manio), has been supportive of his coming out, his first sexual conquest has led to the destruction of his friendship with his other best buddy, Nathan (Ferdinand Zandro Salonga).
Antonio’s exploration of his identity unfolds as his family begins to break up. His altruistic mother, Tere (Shamaine Buencamino) is in complete denial that his father has already abandoned them.
Antonio temporarily shares his room with his uncle Jonbert (Josh Ivan Morales). He sexually touches his uncle while the latter is sleeping. The next day Jonbert tells Antonio that he noticed what Antonio did, and enjoyed it. From then on they regularly masturbate each other and have oral sex. However, one day Jonbert wants to anally penetrate Antonio, and rapes him when he declines. His mother arrives and kills Jonbert. | murder | train | wikipedia | An interesting look at adolescence and sexuality.. 'Ang Lihim Ni Antonio' (Antonio's Secret) deals with the sexual curiosities and explorations of an teenage boy, who is just coming to terms with his sexuality. It gives us an interesting glimpse into what goes on in his mind, as well as what his mother and and close friend think about it.The story is well-structured and focused. The hand-held camera movement really makes us a part of Antonio's life, and makes the sex scenes appear so real. The movie has few of the most erotic and well-shot sex scenes involving adolescent homosexuality; they not only seem so genuine and real, they are acted with such finesse that we almost feel guilty to be witnessing their private moments.Except the stabbing scene (which isn't believably carried out), all scenes are well-acted, especially the rape scene.The mother's character is well-explored as well, and Shamaine Buencamino gives a commendable performance. The conversations between Antonio and his friend, and Antonio and his mother are quite interesting.Overall, the film gives us an interesting look at adolescence and sexuality.. Good film but intense ending. In essence, this film was good. It tells the coming of age story of a 15 year old Antonio who's discovering his sexual identity. At first, I thought it was boring with lots and lots of conversations. But as the story progresses, we are not only delved into his relationship with his mother but also his friends and community, in which he was involved as part of a choir for the Christmas carol.We also see how Antonio's relationship with his uncle, Jonbert, soon became an incestuous one. The climax of the film grew even more intense with two simultaneous occurrence going on at the same time...One, Tere (Antonio's mother) discovered the secret marriage of her husband in Dubai. The other was the rape scene in which Jonbert (Antonio's uncle) forced anal sex on to the 15-year old. I believe this latter scene was the most intense throughout as we could see Antonio's torment during the rape.As a result of the two occurrences collided, Anotnio's mother got home just in time to save her son by stabbing Jonbert thus killing him in the process.At the end of the film, audiences would be left with a feeling of disturbed emotions as Antonio and his mother were escorted by the authorities.Overall, I'd say this was a pretty good Filipino film so far that I've seen. |
tt0068421 | The Cowboys | When his ranch hands abandon him to join a gold rush, aging rancher Wil Andersen (John Wayne) is forced to find replacement drovers for his upcoming 400-mile (640 km) long cattle drive. He rides into deserted Bozeman, Montana. There, Anse Peterson (Slim Pickens) suggests using local schoolboys. Andersen visits the school but departs unconvinced. The next morning, a group of the boys show up at Andersen's ranch to volunteer for the drive. Andersen tests the boys' ability to stay on a bucking horse. As the boys successfully take turns, Cimarron (A Martinez), another young man slightly older than the others, rides up. After successfully subduing and riding the test horse, Cimarron gets into a fight with Slim (Robert Carradine), the oldest of the boys. Andersen, though impressed by Cimarron's abilities, has misgivings because of his angry nature and sends him away. Andersen reluctantly decides to hire the boys.
While Andersen and the boys prepare for the cattle drive, a group of mysterious men led by "Long Hair" Asa Watts (Bruce Dern) show up asking for work. Andersen catches Watts in a lie about his past, and refuses to hire them. Jebediah "Jeb" Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne), a Black camp cook arrives with a chuck wagon, making Anderson's trail crew complete.
Under Andersen's continued tutelage, the boys learn to rope, brand and herd the cattle and horses. Much to Andersen's concern, Cimarron follows the drive from afar. However, while crossing a river, Slim slips off his horse and, unable to swim, starts to drown. Although Slim is saved by Cimarron, Andersen berates one of the boys for his stuttering problem which nearly caused Slim's death. The stuttering boy swears at Andersen repeatedly, losing his stutter in the process. Satisfied, Andersen decides to let Cimarron stay. During another episode, the boys steal Nightlinger's whiskey and drink it, all of them getting severely drunk. Afterwards, one of the boys, Charlie, falls off his horse and is trampled to death by the herd. Slowly, the boys learn under Andersen's tutelage and become rather good cowhands, impressing both Andersen and Nightlinger.
Soon after, Mr. Nightlinger's chuck wagon throws a wheel. As the cowboys continue to drive the herd, Mr. Nightlinger stays behind to fix the wagon. The rustlers led by Watts begin paralleling the herd, and that night, surprise Andersen and the cowboys in their camp. Watts announces his intention to steal the herd and taunts the boys, but Andersen intervenes and tells Watts it's between the two of them. A brutal fistfight then begins between Andersen and Watts in which Andersen ultimately gains the upper hand. An infuriated Watts grabs a gun, shoots the unarmed Andersen multiple times, and steals the herd.
The following day, Nightlinger catches up to the group to find the boys tending to the dying Andersen. Before succumbing to his wounds, Andersen tells the boys how proud he is of all of them, that every man wants his children to be better than he was, and that they have become so. Following Andersen's burial and on a prearranged signal, the boys overpower and bind Nightlinger, seizing the weapons stored in his chuck wagon and vowing to re-take the herd and finish the trail drive. When the group catches up to the herd and the rustlers, Nightlinger offers to help the boys make a plan to overcome the outlaws. Using ruses, trickery, and ambush, the boys kill the rustlers to a man, including Watts, who is tangled in a horse's harness. Cimarron shoots a gun in the air that spooks the horse and carries Watts to his death.
After the boys complete the drive to Belle Fourche and sell the cattle, they use some of the proceeds to pay a stonemason to carve a marker with Andersen's name and the legend "Beloved Husband and Father," in clear reference to the position that Andersen had earned in their lives. They place the marker in the approximate location of Andersen's grave and head for home. | realism, revenge, cult, murder | train | wikipedia | The Cowboys is directed by Mark Rydell and adapted from the novel written by William Dale Jennings; who co-writes the screenplay with Irving Ravetch & Harriet Frank Jr. It stars John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern and Colleen Dewhurst.
It's a journey of some distinction, for Wil, the boys and the villains who lurk on the edges of the frame.If ever there was a John Wayne picture that was in need of serious critical reevaluation, both as a measure of his acting ability-and quality in film narrative, then The Cowboys is the one.
The complaints come from not enough screen time for Colleen Dewhurst, who playing a bordello madame positively threatens to send the film's rating thru the roof (and the male viewers temperature's), while the running time is simply too long-too episodic-and quite frankly, unnecessary.The Cowboys is not a perceived John Wayne macho based fantasy movie, it has meaning, depth, bravery and a first class performance from the Duke himself.
In this movie, that works wonderfully well.He plays Wil Anderson, a man in his 60s with little else he can do but hire a classroom of boys to help with a cattle drive.
Wil Anderson (John Wayne), a 60 year old cattle rancher is ready to herd his stock to Belle Fouche, but "gold fever" has struck the able-bodied men in his community, so Anderson is left with three choices: Herd the cattle alone; fore-go until next year and leave himself and his wife pauperized; or whip 11 boys from ages 9 through 15 into ridin', ropin' and ranchin' cattle-hands to get his livestock to market.
And as the youngsters become men, Wil Anderson, in his own rough and awkward way, is able to become the father he failed to achieve with his own sons.There is a quaint and delicately restrained scene involving two of the boys stumbling upon a traveling troupe of prostitutes, headed up by Kate, an older Madam seamlessly played by the late, great Colleen Dewhurst.
Wil Andersen (John Wayne) is an aging rancher who traveled 30 miles that day and didn't find a single hand that could throw in with him
Anse Petersen (Slim Pickens) suggests to his best friend to hire local teenagers as cowboys for his 400-mile cattle drive
So, in the morning the children came very early to put in for the job
Obviously, nobody of them has been on a cattle drive
For a cook, Wil hires a black man, Jedediah Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne), who asked to be paid $125 knowing he should be got flooded out, stampeded out, frozen out or scalped by wild Red Indians
However, a group of rustlers led by Asa Watts (Bruce Dern), the man with the long hair, came looking for work
But they were lying
They were after Andersen's 1,500 head of cattle
One day, Andersen knew that Watts and his gang have been paralleling him for the herd
He also knew as soon as it's dark they'll be coming in
He doesn't know how rough they'll get
But right now they think they're one man and a bunch of kids
When Jedediah falls behind with a broken wheel on the chuck wagon, Asa makes his move for the herd, engaging Wil in vicious fight
There is a funny scene when two of the children meet on the trail a traveling bordello madam led by Colleen Dewhurst
And a touching scene where all the boys steal a whiskey bottle and have a little party, discussing the various attributes of their cooker, and his pretty independent character
Filled with exciting adventure, gentle amusement, visually stunning photography, but most importantly how to want to see these children growing up so quickly, "The Cowboys" stands simply as one of John Wayne's best Westerns.
"The Cowboys" gives a solid performance by John Wayne, with excellent support from Roscoe Lee Browne and especially Bruce Dern.John Wayne plays his role well as the aging rancher who needs to get his herd on the trail and has trouble finding help.
When the film gets under way, the boys make you think you are in for a relatively smooth ride, but some of the later scenes get pretty intense.Browne has the somewhat trite role of a wisdom-dispensing African-American, but he does have some good lines that he does well with.
Whereas many films today might downplay the issue of his skin color, "The Cowboys" has fairly realistic reactions from a variety of people to a black man working in the West.Bruce Dern comes off as one of the creepiest bad guys in a Western.
He has an especially frightening confrontation with one of the boys, and a wild-eyed showdown with John Wayne that really cements him as one of the worst bad guys ever played in a Western.The story is pretty much by the book, with only one big surprise in a fight near the end.
John Wayne led many a cattle drive, but there's something especially satisfying about this final turn on the trail, alongside ten young boys for what turns out to be a hardnosed yet winning salute to the Duke's legacy of manly comportment."It's not how you're buried, it's how they remember you," Wayne's Wil Andersen tells one of his charges, the half-breed Cimarron (A Martinez), and "The Cowboys" is a two-hour rumination on that theme, of how Andersen, a man whose hard-bitten ways cost him two sons, finds a sort of redemption with these boys who come to help him take his cattle 400 miles to Belle Fourche while the only menfolk are either off panning for gold or else aiming to get their fortune in seedier ways.John Wayne in his post-Oscar years didn't have much to prove, and many of his movies from that time play today as little more than agreeable trips to the well.
I can't figure it out." Seen through that prism, everything Andersen does with his young cowboys makes a lot of sense, right down to the famously grim finale with Bruce Dern, whose memorable "Long Hair" is one of the great Wayne-movie villains.But there's a lot of joy in "The Cowboys", too.
Hard as it is to imagine "The Cowboys" without Wayne, it's harder to imagine it without Roscoe Lee Browne, whose every utterance has a quality of burnished bronze.Director Mark Rydell finds the right tempo and look for his film, aided by John Williams' stirring score and Robert Surtees' camera work.
Despite the long time we spend with them, many of the Cowboys themselves lack for individuality, an exception being Robert Carradine, who plays Slim the de facto leader of the kids, and is the real-life son of Wayne's "Stagecoach" co-star John Carradine."The Cowboys" wasn't Wayne's swansong, yet it's a stirring valedictory effort all the same, a chance to see an enduring screen legend at his late and glorious apex, showing a new generation, and generations yet unborn, a thing or two about getting it done..
As the pre-teenaged boys in New Mexico Territory fight off grownup cattle rustlers under the tutelage of rancher Wil (John Wayne who strides the flick like a dinosaur) and his helper Jebediah Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne) .
With Wil Andersen and ranch-hand Mr. Nightlinger as father figures , as they wet-nursing an entire crew of sub-teenagers on a cattle drive , as the boys learn to become men through hard work , discipline and the usual Western battles with robbers .Nice and agreeable western with a great cast and a sensational John Wayne against his nemesis magnificently played by Bruce Dern in one of his meatiest roles as the villain .
Wayne unmistakeably a legendary figure of the West and by that time he would go playing good Westerns , as he triumphantly survived his own era with titles as ¨True grit¨ in which he won an Academy Award ,¨Big Jake¨, ¨Train robbers¨ , ¨Rooster Cogburn¨ , his last film ¨The Shootist¨, and ,of course , this ¨The cowboys ¨ .
The interaction between the rancher, the boys, the cook (excellently played by Roscoe Lee Brown) and the villains all fit together well and quite believable.This is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
One such occurrence is early in the film when Will Anderson explains the struggle between two bulls in the cattle herd.This is a well done movie topped off with a great John Williams score.
this is a terrific John Wayne western epic.it's the story of Wil Andersen(John Wayne)and the 11 school age boys he ends up hiring for a 400 mile cattle drive.it seems the cattle drivers he was going to use,left for green pasture.well,actually the chance for gold.anyway,Andersen and the boys encounter danger,excitement and adventure along the way.once again,i'm struck by the screen presence Wayne has,though i shouldn't be.this is Wayne in his mid sixties and he still commands the screen.i've seen a few of Wayne's westerns and have enjoyed each one so far.this movie is about 135 minutes,but i was glued to the screen the whole time.for me,The Cowboys is easily a 9/10.
John Wayne plays the role of rancher Wil Anderson, Rosco Lee Browne plays the role of the chuck wagon cook and Bruce Dern plays the role as the ex con Asa Watts.
John Wayne was in many good movies and this film has to rank up there with the best of them.I can remember seeing this epic on the big screen and felt like I was being swept back to a different time in the history of the of our country and realizing how difficult things could be in that time.
With no better options, he reluctantly hires boys from the local schoolhouse (including Robert Carradine in his screen debut), and an experienced, worldly-wise cook named Nightlinger (played to perfection by Roscoe Lee Browne) joins the cattle drive--the first black man the boys have ever seen.
THE COWBOYS is a terrific western with a twist--the "boys" are indeed boys, teen-aged lads fresh out of a country schoolhouse but able to serve as the cowboys JOHN WAYNE needs to drive a herd of cattle 400 miles away to market.
Wayne seems to be in the same position he was facing in RED RIVER, wherein finding the right cowboys for the long cattle drive was the main focus of the story.There's plenty of scenic splendor in vivid Technicolor, a rousing western score by John Williams, and the cast of youngsters all give solidly natural performances under Mark Rydell's direction.Outstanding work by ROSCOE LEE BROWNE as the black cook on the chuck wagon who knows how to deal with a bunch of rambunctious boys, and with an instinct for knowing when not to trust them with mischief.
He plays a key role in the story and he's terrific.Plenty of other good character roles are filled by BRUCE DERN, as the principal villain whose sadistic scene with a young boy is enough to curl your hair, and COLLEEN DEWHURST as the wise madame on the road with her girls.The story hooked me from the start, kept me interested all the way through and only veered into tougher territory during the last forty minutes or so with the brutal showdown between Wayne and Dern.
The odd idea to use kids instead the real cowboys no make sense at all,even if you didn't have these men ready to do a long journey,the premise is dangerous and didn't pay a single death whose will happen along the trip,the way that the teenagers are about to do is more than they really could delivery,so the movie didn't get the target to real life,a kid's life for a few dollars didn't seems a fair trade...but if you forget all this stupid idea the movie could be an easy entertainment for all....a singular performance of old and good Roscoe Lee Browne and some boys.Resume:First watch: 1992 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.
Latter day John Wayne western,an unofficial reworking of the vastly superior RED RIVER(1948)only this time with a strong juvenile flavour.The basic story of Wayne recruiting naive schoolboys for an arduous Cattle Drive never really rings true,but it is pleasantly photographed and decently acted by Wayne,his 'cowboys',and most especially Roscoe Lee Browne.Browne's suave and witty countenance is easily the film's highlight,though Wayne's performance is almost as good.Off-screen,the two actors were poles apart politically(Wayne a right-wing hawk,Browne a left-leaning-liberal),but relations apparently were surprisingly cordial when the cameras weren't running,and this is evident in the fine chemistry between them on-screen.There is some effective comedy relief,but several points mitigate against the film.One is as mentioned,the plot;Bruce Dern,as he sometimes tended to do,goes somewhat over the top as the cowardly and sadistic villain Longhair,and several scenes have a dubious and queasy ambiance about them,especially involving a troupe of prostitutes (led by Colleen Dewhurst)and a finale which strains credulity to absolute snapping point,and is morally very questionable.Also,there's a nice character part for reliable Westerner Slim Pickens;his scenes with the Duke are very enjoyable,but they are all too brief and his role in the film is far too short.Still,also despite the presence of too much sentiment(evident as well in Wayne's CAHILL US MARSHAL the following year,inevitable with the inclusion of schoolboys),the Duke's sheer star quality carries it through;watch out for his visit to his son's graves for a superb piece of acting,not done with any speech but entirely with facial expressions;this touching scene is possibly the best moment in the film..
Sorry to momentarily diverge off the film at hand, but you too might be tempted, while watching THE COWBOYS, to believe John Wayne had suddenly 'discovered' how to act because the whole production is built around his acknowledgment of old age; don't you buy it.
Certainly not his first, second or even third choice but Will is left to recruit the young "whipper-snappers." Now Will must teach the boys the job of being a "cowboy." The boys become men after many hard struggles along the drive especially bought on by rustler Asa Watts.John Wayne is excellent as Will Andersen.
It's a realistic tale of an aging rancher (John Wayne) who must bring a herd of cattle 400 miles through rough western territory to a town called Bellfush and all of his cowhands that worked for him have deserted him in pursuit of gold.
Then there's trouble when a group of bad men (led by Bruce Dern, in one of the most sadistic villain roles since Henry Fonda's performance in "Once Upon A Time In The West) see the perfect opportunity to make themselves rich by trying to steal the cattle from just "an old man and 11 little boys".
Released in 1972 and directed by Mark Rydell, "The Cowboys" stars John Wayne as an aging rancher who is forced to hire pubescent drovers for a 400-mile cattle drive from Bozeman, Montana, to Belle Fourche, South Dakota, after his ranch hands abandon him for a gold rush.
John Wayne plays a rancher in desperate need of cowboys for a cattle drive after his men quit to try their luck at mining gold.
The story is gullible but entertaining with a very good script and fine acting by all the actors especially the boys.Bruce Dern is chilling as the villain.The outdoor shooting is superb and the music lends to it.I have seen many of Wayne's movies and though his political leanings are evident there is something about his presence that appeals to common sense and being a MAN..
"The Cowboys" is an exception to this rule, however, as the acting of John Wayne, Bruce Dern, and the adolescent cast make this gritty Western stand the test of time.For a basic plot summary, "The Cowboys" sees rancher Wil Andersen (Wayne) deserted by his ranch hands just days before a big scheduled cattle drive.
He, the boys, and the cook Jebediah Nightlinger (Roscoe Lee Browne) have to face obstacles including bandits led by Long Hair (Bruce Dern).It's late in the Duke's career, but he still has his swagger.
The Kids Are Alright.***** The Cowboys (1/13/72) Mark Rydell ~ John Wayne, Roscoe Lee Browne, Bruce Dern, Robert Carradine.
But where as THE CULPEPPER CATTLE CO deconstructs myths THE COWBOYS is very much the traditional clichéd western with a lot of wish fufillment thrown in John Wayne plays The Duke and this time his name is Wil Anderson .
Movies about cattle drives are not my cup of tea, and this one is not exactly packed with exciting incidents, but nobody can deny that John Wayne is very good in it, and that Bruce Dern makes a pretty creepy villain.
In this film, a group of 14 year old boys are lead on a cross country cattle drive by THE DUKE, who is looking more than a little long in the saddle.
In THE COWBOYS, based on a popular novel, John Wayne plays aging rancher Wil Anderson who is forced to hire a group of youngsters to get his cattle to market.
The cast is so perfect and their acting is superb from the Cowboys themselves (many first time actors), support from Slim Pickens, Colleen Dewhurst and particularly Roscoe Lee Brown, one of the vilest villains ever in Bruce Dern and of course John Wayne in probably his best role ever.
As a result, the film manages to take a very simple idea and make it work--though some might be appalled at the film's ultimate message about guns and death and all that (though I sure thought it was pretty cool).Overall, it's a good later John Wayne flick, thanks to some excellent supporting performances by Roscoe Lee Browne and Bruce Dern---as well as the kids.
With rancher Wil Andersen's (John Wayne) hired hands going for the gold, he breaks down and hires a passel of young school kids to make a cattle drive.
The Cowboys is very well directed and produced, with two fantastic performances by John Wayne and Roscoe Lee Brown, along with some genuinely appealing kids. |
tt0026683 | Marihuana | Burma is a confused girl who likes to party. One day she meets some strangers in a bar who invite her and her group to a party. She goes to the party with her friends, they all drink alcohol, only the girls at the party smoke marijuana unknowingly, and keep on laughing. Burma and her boyfriend have sex on the beach while her friends go skinny-dipping.
One of the girls drowns at the skinny-dipping party and the rest of the friends must keep the details of the party a secret. When Burma tells her boyfriend she is pregnant (from their beach encounter), she pressures him to marry her. He says everything will be fine and turns to the strangers who threw the party for a job to support his family-to-be. The stranger gives him a job unloading smuggled drugs from a secret shipment to the docks. The police find out about this shipment, chase the smugglers, and shoot and kill Burma's boyfriend.
After Burma finds out about this news, she runs away from home, is forced to give her child up for adoption, and becomes a drug dealer. Burma moves on to harder drugs injecting heroin into herself. In the film's ending, Burma hatches a plan to kidnap and ransom her sister's adopted daughter for $50,000, but she later finds out that the child is, in fact, her own. | violence | train | wikipedia | Beating the more famous "Reefer Madness" into the theaters by all of about 15 minutes, "Marihuana" is yet another morality play whose producer tries to pass off a warning about the evils of marijuana use as an excuse for the picture's real reason for being: a nude swim scene (shot so darkly that the participants can barely even be seen).
A group of the oldest-looking teenagers you've ever seen (and don't you just love movies with teenagers being played by actors old enough to be the PARENTS of teenagers) fall in with the wrong crowd, and soon there's a drowning, a shooting, an unwanted pregnancy, a kidnapping (of a child you just know was supposed to be the next Shirley Temple, at least in the minds of her parents), and an ending that has to be seen to be disbelieved.
They giggle uncontrollably, engage in nude skinny-dipping (mild female nudity), sex and it all leads to a drowning, alcoholism, heroin addiction, kidnapping, pregnancy and death.
It moves quickly (only 57 minutes), there were actually some pretty clever directorial touches and Harley Wood was pretty good in her lead role.
This is a bad movie that purports to be an educational film designed to warn America about the menace of marijuana use.
Such films as CHILD BRIDE, MAD YOUTH, REEFER MADNESS and SEX MADNESS were all schlocky trash that skirted past the boards because they were supposedly educational.
Many will no doubt watch this film because they are hoping for a similar film to REEFER MADNESS (one of the most laughably bad anti-drug films of all time).
While it isn't quite as dopey and unintentionally funny, MARIJUANA is probably a worse film when it comes to being exploitational all in the name of educating our parents.
While on drugs, the characters don't madly play the piano or run amok quite as much as they do in REEFER MADNESS--but they DO run amok in the most ridiculous manner.
This film would probably receive an R-rating today if shown in the theaters because of the nudity--and this must have been VERY shocking to audiences of the day.
Dwain Esper, the man who makes Ed Wood look like Orson Wells, came out with this movie around 1935 or so.
(Judging by the clothing, I'd say it was filmed about a year earlier.) Films like this were made perporting to show the evils of the world but instead showcased rough acting, stilted writing, sparce sets, bad lighting, static camerawork and starlets lifting their skirts and disrobing in doctors offices.
More money was spent and more creative energy invested into hyping the films when they played in rural towns with a public eager to see any film that would show them skin and insanity to take the edge off their boring lives.Harlene Wood gives an uneaven proformance as Burma Roberts, the central character.
The other actors, all complete unknowns both then and now, lend even worse acting to their roles as cops, drug addicts, gangsters and teenage girls who look like thirty-five-year-old stag film actresses.
It's amusing, fairly inventive at times (that scene with the drunk spilling his beer at the beginning), and the scene with the girls stripping down and running around on the beach is still hard to beleave (it's certainly not arousing in the least bit, though).
**SPOILERS** One of the many exploitation movies made in the 1930's about weed pot or marijuana the film "Marihuana" is mostly about a sibling rivalry between two young sisters Berma and Eline who come from one of the towns most upright and blue blood families.
One Saturday evening after having a wienie roast on the beach the roast turns deadly when one of the girls Joann, Berma's best friend, who was drunk and butt naked runs into the ocean and drowns.
Meanwhile back at the beach house the rest of the girls at the party undress and run naked out on the beach skinny dipping into the cold waters with their boyfriends, fully dressed, chasing them.
Alone and by themselves both Dick and Berma has a sexual tryst which later results in Berma getting pregnant.With the news of Joann's tragic death the local pot dealer Tony Sentello tells the young people at the party, who looked like they were in their early twenties at the least, to keep their mouths shut if they don't want to be taken away from their parents and put into a local orphanage.
Dick wanting to get married to Berma and give their expecting child a proper name as well as a family gets a job working for Tony as a drug runner.
On Dick's first day on the job he's shot and killed by the police as he picked up some pot from Tony's sidekick Nickie Romero, who's a dead ringer for actor Andy Garcia,on the waterfront.
The very day that Dick was shot and killed Eline and Morgan were happily married at the town church.Giving her baby up for adoption Berma went to work with Tony and Nickie in their pot selling racket and later even went into selling the hard stuff, heroin, which she herself soon got addicted to.
Leaving an apartment house after selling some heroin to a desperate woman, who gave up her engagement ring for the dope, Berma sees her Sister Elaine with her husband Morgan and their little girl Gloria.
Berma gets this idea to kidnap Gloria and hold her for a ransom of $50,000.00 from her rich parents knowing that both Eline and Morgan wouldn't want this to become public with the person responsible for the kidnapping being a close family member.
Going to get in touch with Morgan to get the ransom money Berma get the startling news from her brother-in-law that Gloria is not his and Eline's real child but she was adopted from an underground baby selling mill and she's really Berma's child that she gave up for adoption some three years ago.In a state of shock and emotionally destroyed Berma realizes that the one thing that she had over her hated sister Eline, a child of her own, she unwittingly gave away to her.Going back to the apartment hideout where her partners in crime, Tony & Nickie, were holding her daughter Gloria hostage Berma gives herself a "hot Load" injection in her leg.
The budget was so low that the producers used classical music clips instead of a real soundtrack, so the dangers of dope are underscored by Strauss, Liszt, and others.This is just a nasty little low-budget exploitation film, using the dope scare as an excuse to titillate the audience..
So is the moral of the 1936 exploitation film "Marihuana".
:) I enjoyed watching Burma (Harlene Wood) go from happy go lucky teenager -to pregnant misfit- to "Blondie" the drug dealer, all in less than an hour!A fun little film and certainly a time capsule of days long past!
An Innocent young woman is seduced into pot parties,a wedlock baby, and eventually, into pushing drugs for a professional ring.Naturally, no one expects artistry from these exploitation flicks.
Instead, Dwain Esper's mid-1930's production has more peek-a-boo than usual, with a lot of nude scampering and uplifted skirts.Surprisingly, however, it's a better movie than at least I expected.
Except for the exaggerated pot party, it plays pretty much like a standard Hollywood cheapie of the time.
Actress Wood does a good job going from innocent fun-loving teen to hardened drug pusher.
At the same time, director Esper adds some nice unexpected touches, such as Burma's descent reflected in her choice of shoes, a bad guy joining the innocence of the little girl, plus the final symbolic shot of the door closing.
Much better than the more famous "Reefer Madness" - naive teenagers smoke marihuana, attend a beach party and take off their clothes.
One girl drowns at a beach party and shorty afterwards the leading character discovers that she is pregnant...most likely having gotten that way at one of the pot parties her new "friends" (insert dope dealer here) have generously provided for one and all.Her boyfriend vows to take care of her and get a job.
Its also a pretty accurate take on the drug culture...I know, I've been there.Its really not a silly film at all but a pretty stark example of the hell that your life will become if the party doesn't end in a timely fashion.
One of several anti-marijuana/drug propaganda films of the 1930's with over- reactive screen narratives, over-dramatized screen-writing and acting...that is completely inaccurate in the depiction of marijuana usage.Over-excessive to the point, in light of what is known about marijuana today and effects upon the average marijuana user, it's almost comedic by today's standards and realistic knowledge of this drug.Burma, an 'innocent' but unhappy youth clashes at home and hangs out with a 'wild' crowd..to the point the laughing makes my head ache with high- pitched, giggling, silly girls.
Her response is to become a hotshot dealer herself....leading to deeper crime (with an ironic twist to boot) & yes, another tragedy.Way over-the-top, inaccurate, but entertaining to watch and thus what is known as a 'cult classic' in today's world.
The Other One. A young woman slowly becomes a dope pusher.Most people have heard of "Reefer Madness".
But if you wanted to see another film that was anti-marijuana in 1936, look no further than "Marihuana", which (not surprisingly) was made by some of the same people.This film is not the cult classic of its step-brother, and with good reason.
In fact, the film is not even really about marijuana so much as a drinking party gone wrong and the bad choices made after the fact..
All of the films are for adults only - I think it gave the adults something to watch and maybe even get curious enough to try, and I'm sure the kids saw this advertised somewhere and became more curious about the drugs - especially since the films were adult only (talk about peeking teen interest!).I just watched Reefer Madness (1936) and The Pace That Kills (1935) earlier -- the last thing I wanted to watch or see was this movie...
but hey it came in the same Mill Creek 50-pack, Midnight Movie Madness.I am NOT interested in these types of films...
Badly acted, slowly paced propaganda film....
1st watched 1/7/2007 - 2 out of 10(Dir-Dwain Esper): Badly acted, slowly paced propaganda film on the horrors of marihuana and drugs and they're effect of life.
This movie is not quite as over-the-top as "Reefer Madness" but the theme is basically the same -- don't get involved with marihuana, it will ruin your life.
This movie adds heroin and alcohol use, skinny-dipping(which definitely puts this film under the Adult status for back then), kidnapping, drowning and gangster connections to the mix.
It pretty much over exaggerates how marijuana (or marihuana) can ruin lives and cause kids to do all sorts of lewd things.
This film came at a time when the federal government was looking for something else to blame the problems of the country on, so they picked marijuana.
Also, this film plays like a bad version of Stella Dallas when Burma has to give up her daughter to give her a better life.
Marihuana (1936) BOMB (out of 4) Silly exploitation film in the same boat as Reefer Madness.
Director Esper is the same man who previously brought up Maniac and he would go on to do Sex Madness so he was an expert at this type of film but this movie is pretty much awful from start to finish and sadly it doesn't deliver too many laughs.
I advise all concerned citizens to watch it twice and show it to their friends and teen-age children.A delightful film, the nude midnight bathing scene is worth the price of admission You really have to feel sorry for the lead character, Burma.
Her friend dies drowning, her boyfriend gets shot, she gives up the baby she wants to keep (I'm not sure why), and when she kidnaps her sister's kid for ransom, it turns out to be her own child.
Marihuana is a far better movie than the more well known Reefer Madness.
Dwain Esper was bringing his A-game this time around.The film follows a young woman gulled into attending marijuana party.
What follows is a descent into crime and degeneracy.Marihuana succeeds on a number of levels, with a far more compelling story and better acting than its counterpart.
Although both films were labeled "Adults only" in their time, Marihuana actually delivers with some nudity and graphic (for its time) violence.
Just on the level of exploitation, it does better.Furthermore, the film is reasonably well acted.
For example, the drug dealers, while falling into ethnic stereotypes, actually come across as more human than the hardened protagonist or her family.
In a scene involving a kidnapping, they actually try to make the child happy, while the child's "upright" family refuse to pay her ransom because she's adopted.
For the first 10 minutes of this film about the "dangers" of pot- smoking, we see a group of fun-loving white kids in a tavern, getting drunk.
A justifiably angry Burma storms out of the car and starts to walk home, but soon gets back in and snuggles up to her smug, entitled, pussy-grabber of a Dick.The next night, Burma and company discover "giggle weed," the smoking of which causes them to make out with strange men at a party, then strip naked and go swimming in the ocean, laughing uproariously the whole time.
Desperate for a job to support his soon-to-be family, Dick goes to work for the local crime boss as a marihuana dealer and is shot to death on his first run.
After that, things pretty much go to hell for Burma.Made the same year as the much better-known REEFER MADNESS, but without half its camp value, MARIHUANA takes a darker turn in which smoking a joint or two leads to sexual promiscuity, alcoholism, heroin addiction, unwanted pregnancy, and ultimately a gun battle with the cops.
Just about everyone's heard of the film "Reefer Madness", but back in the Thirties there was a whole slew of these 'educational' drug flicks - "The Marijuana Menace", "She Shoulda' Said No", "Cocaine Fiends", and this one - "Marihuana".
Sometimes you know, it takes a little longer.The hook for this flick without question is the unrestricted nudity by the giggle girls who take it all off and go for a midnight swim at the beach.
In this case, teenager Burma Roberts (Harley Wood) smokes a joint, gets pregnant, suffers her best friend's death by drowning, gets married, gives up her baby for adoption, starts dealing dope and eventually gets hooked on heroin herself.
One guess who that adopted daughter really is.Well the opening narrative states that this story was drawn from an 'actual case history', and if it was, fine, but I get the impression that all of these exploitation flicks were made on the fly without too much thought to get in the way.
Notorious exploitation film producer Dwain Esper of "Sex Madness" infamy helmed this anti-marihuana propaganda epic with a modicum of finesse.
Indeed, grass emerges as a gateway drug in "Marihuana," but this low-budget melodrama lacks the campy quality of "Reefer Madness." Although both films pontificate about the perils of getting high, "Marihuana" adopts a more straightforward approach, and the consequences of abusing this drug proves far more dangerous for our heroine.
What sets "Marihuana" apart from other drugs-ploitation drivel is one scene where a group of delirious dames disrobe after toking, scramble down to the beach at night, and go for a swim.
Our heroine receives the shock of her life when she learns more about his sister's child."Marihuana" opens with this cautionary preamble.
"Why can't I have one of my very own." Her mom asks about her homework and Burma lies that she has finished it.Later, at the party, the guys guzzle alcohol while the gals fire up some marijuana cigarettes.
As it turns out, one of the girls who went skinny-dipping party--Joan Marsh--swims out too far and dies.
During the film's finale, Burma concocts a scheme to abduct her sister's adopted daughter for $50,000.
Somewhat "shocking" for a film of this era, it has sex, nudity, unwanted pregnancy, and alcohol/drug abuse.
Marihuana or: How I Learned to Start Worrying and Hate the Drug.
Later I bought the book "Film Posters: Exploitation", a very recommended series of books by the way, and the poster of Marihuana not only appears inside it, with the information and stuff, but also illustrates the back cover of it.
When the protagonist girl smokes marihuana and after that she laughs to the camera a couple of times is when the beginning of the end is.
We watch the consequences and I'm pretty much agreed with user planktonrules about the things that happen once on drugs, about the naked ladies running in the beach.
Coming back to those consequences in short, that girl ends as a drug dealer after her boyfriend gets killed during his first job for the same man who gave the drugs to his friends and girlfriend and who will be the boss of his girlfriend.
A film that goes straight to its point, during only one hour we watch many consequences of the use of drugs like some deaths.
A film that took advantage of the times and wanted to give its damn message, and with a title like that, is a film to make us laugh.
We really can have fun with this cult film and in its own craziness (ridiculousness) I wanted more crazy (ridiculous) stuff like that scene of the pay of the kidnapping.
So is like they don't f****** care about the little girl who lives with them and who thinks they are her parents!!!!!
And that mentioned "strong" message ends with the fact that our drug dealer protagonist kidnapped the little girl who was the daughter of her sister but actually the little girl was her daughter. |
tt1712064 | BioShock Infinite | === Setting ===
BioShock Infinite is set in 1912 and takes place in a fictional steampunk city-state called "Columbia"—named in homage to the female personification of the United States—which is suspended in the air through a combination of giant blimps, balloons, reactors, propellers, and "quantum levitation." The city of Columbia was founded by self-proclaimed prophet Zachary Hale Comstock, who used his connections in Congress to have the American government build it. The government intended Columbia to serve as a floating world's fair and as a display to the rest of the world of the success of American exceptionalism. The city was launched to much fanfare and publicity at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, and was later dispatched to distant shores, travelling from continent to continent.
Initially seen as the pride of the United States, tensions eventually rose between Columbia and the American government. In 1901, against the government's wishes, Columbia brutally and violently put an end to the Boxer Rebellion in Peking. This event revealed the floating city as a heavily armed aerial battleship, capable of unleashing devastation across the world. The American government subsequently demanded Columbia's return to sovereign soil, and, in response, Columbia seceded from the United States and disappeared into the clouds, its location soon lost to everyone else. Free from outside influence, Comstock now had complete control over the city, transforming it from a floating world's fair to a theocratic police state.
Under Comstock's rule, Columbia became a militant pseudo-Christian utopian society that worshiped him as a divine prophetic figure and the Founding Fathers of the United States as religious icons. Despite Columbia's apparent utopian exteriors, it is soon revealed to be a hidden dystopia. Institutional racism and elitism are widespread in the city, with white supremacy of the upper and middle classes heavily enforced by the government as law. Despite the drive for racial purity in Columbia, people of minority races are purposely brought into the city to exploit as a source of cheap labor. They are the underclass of Columbia, and commonly serve as indentured servants. As a result of this subjugation, minorities are largely relegated to menial and hard labor with no obvious opportunity for upward mobility. Racial segregation is also heavily enforced within the city, to the point where interracial couples face the risk of a public stoning.
By the time of the game's events, racial tensions have risen to the point where Columbia is on the verge of revolution, instigated by the insurgent "Vox Populi" against the government institutions and the counter-revolutionary "Founders". The Founders, led by Comstock, are the prevailing political faction in the city, and are the rulers of Columbia. The city's ruling class, they are the racist ultra-nationalists who seek to keep Columbia's privileges purely for White American citizens while denying the same right to foreigners. The Vox Populi (Latin for "Voice of the People"), led by Daisy Fitzroy, are a rag-tag anarchist-communist resistance group who fight to give the rights of Columbian citizenship to people of all races and religions. However, years of bitter struggle have driven them to fight the opposition more out of blind hatred, resulting in more violent and brutal methods.
In addition to the internal strife, Columbia is ravaged by "Tears" in the fabric of space-time. Being the result of past scientific experiments, these Tears reveal alternate universes, and allow for interaction with them. While most Columbian citizens regard these Tears as mere curiosity, some individuals have exploited the insight offered by them to create radically new weapons and technologies, while several others have replicated futuristic music and songs heard from the Tears, bringing anachronistic elements into the Columbia of 1912.
As with BioShock and BioShock 2, the player is able to locate audio logs—Voxophones—and film projectors—Kinetoscopes—that will expand on the history and nature of Columbia beyond those events occurring within the game. Though the game takes place before the events of the previous two BioShock games (occurring in 1960 for BioShock and in 1968 for BioShock 2), the question of whether Infinite occurs within this same timeline remains unanswered.
=== Characters ===
The player controls protagonist Booker DeWitt (Troy Baker), a disgraced member of the Pinkerton National Detective Agency emotionally scarred from the acts of violence he committed at the Battle of Wounded Knee. Faced with mounting gambling debts, he is sent to Columbia to rescue Elizabeth (Courtnee Draper), a young woman imprisoned there since childhood, who has the ability to open Tears. Her confinement has been maintained by Songbird, a large, robotic bird-like creature who has been both her friend and her warden, and which has been programmed to feel betrayal should Elizabeth attempt to escape.
"Father" Zachary Hale Comstock (Kiff VandenHeuvel), the main antagonist, is the founder of Columbia and the leader of the elite Founders who rule the city. Revered as "the Prophet" in Columbia, Comstock has maintained his power in the city through a powerful cult of personality based on Christianity and the Founding Fathers of the United States. The Founders are opposed by the Vox Populi, led by Daisy Fitzroy (Kimberly Brooks). Initially the servant housemaid for Comstock's house, Fitzroy fled after she was framed by Comstock for the murder of his wife. Shortly after her escape, she formed the Vox Populi and became its leader due to her hatred of the Founders' ways.
Robert (Oliver Vaquer) and Rosalind Lutece (Jennifer Hale) are two mysterious individuals that direct Booker to Columbia and appear throughout his travels. Though they appear as twins, they are revealed to be the same person but from two different realities, having managed to figure out how to communicate and subsequently cross through realities. Rosalind is shown to be the one behind the technological wonders that keep Columbia afloat.
=== Plot ===
In July 1912, Booker DeWitt is taken by Robert and Rosalind Lutece to an island lighthouse off the coast of Maine. Told to "bring us the girl and wipe away the debt," Booker enters the lighthouse, which doubles as a rocket silo and transports him to Columbia.
Booker is soon pursued by the city authority when he is found bearing a scar of the letters "AD," matching the description of the foretold "False Shepherd" who will corrupt Elizabeth and overthrow Columbia. Freeing Elizabeth from her tower, Booker narrowly evades her captor, Songbird. Reaching an airship, Booker promises to take Elizabeth to Paris; when she realizes they are going to New York City to wipe away Booker's debt, a tearful Elizabeth knocks him out. Booker awakens to find the airship under the control of Daisy Fitzroy, who offers to return the ship if Booker helps her arm the Vox Populi.
Booker and Elizabeth join forces to secure weapons from a local gunsmith. However, several twists of fate result in Elizabeth having to overlay the contents of various Tears onto the present reality. Ultimately, they land in a world where Booker is a martyr of the Vox Populi whose "sacrifice" sparked open warfare between the two factions. Fitzroy, convinced that the non-dead Booker is "either an impostor, or a ghost," turns her forces against him. With Booker's help, Elizabeth kills Fitzroy to prevent her from executing a Founder boy.
As they attempt to leave by airship, Songbird attacks the duo and they crash back to Columbia. Continuing onwards, they unravel a conspiracy behind the city's founding: Zachary Hale Comstock had the Lutece twins construct a "Siphon" device to inhibit Elizabeth's powers; Elizabeth is Comstock's adopted daughter, whom he plans to groom into taking over after his death; and Comstock plotted to kill his wife and the Luteces to hide the truth. After Elizabeth is captured by Songbird, Booker pursues her, but ends up in an abandoned facility with snow on the ground despite the month being July; it transpires that he is in 1984, and has been brought there by the Elizabeth of that time. Booker did not stop Songbird, the elderly Elizabeth suffered decades of torture and brainwashing, becoming Comstock's tool and waging war on the world. Old Elizabeth tells Booker how to control Songbird and returns him to 1912.
Back in his timeline, Booker rescues Elizabeth, and the pair pursue Comstock to his airship. Comstock demands that Booker explain Elizabeth's past to her and the two begin to argue; an enraged Booker smashes the back of Comstock's skull in on a baptismal font before drowning him. Booker denies knowledge about Elizabeth's missing little finger, but she asserts that he has simply forgotten. Controlling Songbird, the pair fend off a Vox Populi attack, before ordering Songbird to destroy the Siphon. As Songbird turns on Booker again, Elizabeth's powers fully awaken, allowing her to open a Tear and transport them to the underwater city of Rapture. Booker and Elizabeth materialize inside the city, from where they see Songbird crushed outside by the water pressure.
Elizabeth takes Booker to the surface lighthouse, explaining there are countless alternate lighthouses and versions of Booker and Elizabeth; they are within one of infinite possible realities dependent on their choices. She shows that on October 8, 1893, Robert Lutece approached Booker on behalf of Comstock, requesting that he "give us the girl and wipe away the debt," referring to Booker's infant daughter, Anna DeWitt – Booker's "AD" branding. Booker reluctantly agreed, but soon gave chase; Comstock barely escaped through a Tear, and its closing severed Anna's finger. Comstock then raised Anna as his own daughter, Elizabeth; her severed finger, which caused her to exist in two realities simultaneously, is the source of her ability to create Tears. Robert Lutece, angry at Comstock's actions, convinced Rosalind to help him bring Booker to the reality where Columbia exists to rescue Elizabeth. It is also revealed that Booker in fact willingly agreed to come to Columbia to save his daughter, but the mental strain of crossing dimensions caused him to rewrite his own memories such that he combined giving Anna away with his attempt to secure Elizabeth.
Elizabeth explains that Comstock will always remain alive in alternate universes, as the Luteces have enlisted the Bookers of numerous different universes to try to end the cycle. As stopping Comstock requires intervening in his birth, Elizabeth takes Booker back in time to a baptism he attended, in the hope of atoning for the sins he committed at Wounded Knee; she explains that, while Booker changed his mind, some Bookers accepted the baptism and were reborn as "Zachary Comstock." Comstock, later aware of his connection to Booker and sterility from overusing the Lutece Tear machine, abducted Anna to provide a biological heir for Columbia. Booker, by now joined by other universe Elizabeths at the baptism, allows them to drown him at the moment of his baptismal choice, thus preventing Comstock's existence. One by one, the Elizabeths begin to disappear, the screen cutting to black on the last.
In a post-credits scene, a Booker awakens in his apartment on October 8, 1893. He calls out for Anna and opens the door to her room before the screen cuts to black. | alternate history, sci-fi | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0089679 | The New Kids | Abby McWilliams (Lori Loughlin) and her brother Loren McWilliams (Shannon Presby) are a pair of teenagers.
When their parents Mac (Tom Atkins) and Mary Beth (Jean de Baer) are killed in an accident, and it's decided that Abby and Loren will live in the small town of Glenby, Florida with their uncle Charlie (Eddie Jones) and aunt Fay (Lucy Martin), who own a gas station and a small amusement park, both of which are on Charlie and Fay's property.
Loren and Abby do not have much trouble making friends at the high school in Glenby. Loren starts dating Karen (Paige Lyn Price), who is the daughter of the local sheriff (Court Miller), while Abby starts dating a guy named Mark (Eric Stoltz).
Loren feels uncomfortable when he sees a guy with blond hair harassing Abby one day at school in the cafeteria. Mark tells Loren and Abby that the blond haired guy is Eddie Dutra (James Spader), a drug-addicted teenager whose henchmen are Gideon (John Philbin), Moonie (David H. MacDonald), Gordo (Theron Montgomery), and Joe Bob (Vince Grant).
Dutra thinks Abby is very attractive, and that's why he wants to get his hands on her. Loren helps Abby keep Dutra at a distance, and Dutra does not like that at all.
Dutra and his gang start retaliating against Loren for keeping them away from Abby. Dutra's retaliations keep getting more and more vicious until Dutra forces a showdown at the amusement park by kidnapping Abby.
Charlie is severely injured by Dutra. Gordo is killed by a vicious dog, and Dutra kills the dog. Loren causes Moonie to be thrown to his death from the Ferris wheel, then Loren causes Joe Bob to be electrocuted above the bumper car ride, then Loren uses the roller coaster to decapitate Gideon.
Dutra then fires a shot at Abby, who flees to the parking lot of the gas station, where Dutra hits her with the gun. Dutra then grabs a nozzle from one of the gas pumps and lights it up to be used as a flame thrower. Loren grabs Dutra, and Loren and Dutra struggle over the nozzle. Dutra dies when Loren forces the nozzle to Dutra's face, setting Dutra on fire.
On the next day, the newspaper headline reads: Bloodbath at Funland—Five die as dope crazed vandals terrorize amusement park. Charlie survives his injuries, and the park is reopened after it is repaired. As Abby, Loren and his girlfriend, Karen, drive away in a car, Joe Bob's little brother looks on in a threatening state. | revenge, murder | train | wikipedia | Cunningham (the man behind such films like 'Friday the 13th', 'A Stranger Is Watching ' and 'Deepstar Six') takes a stab at a routine (but gutsy) revenge/vigilante thriller set in the good ol' south of Florida with a group of feuding teenagers at the core.
The plot is familiar in structure, but the bold dialogues and sweaty developments make it rather amusing.Loren and Abby are brother and sister, who go to live with their uncle Charlie in a small town in Florida, after the death of their parents.
A brother and sister (Shannon Presby and Lori Loughlin) lose their parents in a tragic accident, and are sent to live with relatives in Florida.
The New Kids is probably best for fans of the cast or anyone satisfied by mediocre teen 80s movies.
This is one of those movies about a bunch of psychotic weirdos trying to do as much damage as possible to two innocent victims, leaving you to wonder what the heck these kids did to push the antagonists so far over the edge.Here, our innocent victims are Abby (Lori Laughlin) and Loren (Shannon Presby).
After their parents died, the brother and sister go to live in an amusement park (how awesome is that?) where their relatives (surrogate parent-types) live and work.The psychos are led by Eddie Dutra (James Spader) a sadistic albino, and his gang of merry men (one of which is the excellent John Philbin who 80s fans will remember as 'Turtle' from the surf adventure, North Shore).
Cunningham ("Friday the 13th") offers an original variation of both the revenge thriller and vigilante action movie, since it has ordinary common high school teenagers in the lead roles.
Following the sudden death of their beloved parents in an accident, athletic siblings Loren and Abby McWilliams move to Florida to help restore their uncle's ramshackle amusement park.
Brother and sister Loren (Shannon Presby) and Abby (Lori Loughlin) find their lives turned upside down when their parents are killed in a car crash.
Naturally, they become the target of the local bullies led by Eddie Dutra (James Spader, with bleach blonde hair, horrific shirts and ridiculous accent).
The film ends with the ridiculous coda of the Uncle's theme park thriving because of the shootout that happened there and a younger sibling of those offering a stare that can only mean THE NEW KIDS II.
And that list definitely has The New Kids in there somewhere.The story revolves around a brother and sister who are trying to live their lives with their Uncle in Florida after the tragic deaths of their parents.
THE NEW KIDS is top-of-the-line moviemaking with a gleefully sleazy gloss.Cunningham, director of the first FRIDAY THE 13TH and the godawful DEEP STAR SIX, really does himself proud in this Southern-set rape/revenge thriller.Two kids, whose parents have died, start a new life at their uncle and aunt's luridly low rent carnival.Lori Laughlin, who plays one of the kids, becomes the target of sociopathic Dutra (James Spader in his best perf ever) and his gang of disgusting miscreants because she's so damn delicious looking.
It is extremely well directed and acted and moves at a peppy clip.You really do care about the characters and the film's Lalo Schifrin score nails the drama like a whore to a floorboard,The carnival setting is a doozy and a triumph of production design; and the film's final scene has a black, perverse feel to it that had me nodding with approval.A classic, and I'm not going to follow that with "of it's genre" because I'm tired of reviewers singling out films like this as less noteworthy because they're nasty.Nope, a classic piece of cinema in anybody's book and titled STRIKING BACK in some markets..
The New Kids is a likable eighties movie from veteran horror director/producer Sean S.
The great, young cast is fun to watch, including Eric Stoltz (Killing Zoe) and James Spader (Wolf), who is hilarious and evil at the same time as the crazy redneck, Dutra.
"The New Kids" is about average for this kind of film: competently if not stylishly made, routinely written, reasonably rousing for its big finish, and full of characters whom you can either like or loathe.
Cunningham, who despite efforts like this will always be best known as the original "Friday the 13th" guy, does a decent job, working from a script by future director Stephen Gyllenhaal (who also happens to be the father of Jake and Maggie G.).
Certainly there is some capable production design present here, as well as a good music score by the always reliable Lalo Schifrin.Lori Loughlin ('Full House') and Shannon Presby (making his only feature film appearance here) play Abby and Loren MacWilliams, two nice, ordinary teens who end up living with their uncle Charlie (Eddie Jones, 'Lois & Clark') and Aunt Fay (Lucy Martin, "Cops and Robbers") in Florida.
Things escalate until a bloody showdown at the amusement park that uncle Charlie operates.Cunningham does work with a pretty good cast here, also including Eric Stoltz as nice guy Mark, John Philbin ("The Return of the Living Dead"), the great (and too briefly seen) Tom Atkins ("Night of the Creeps") as Abby and Lorens' dad, Brad Sullivan ("The Untouchables") as Colonel Jenkins, and John D.
Following the tragic death of their marine father (Atkins) the surviving son and daughter go to live with the Uncle and Aunt out on an amusement park, out in the country.
A group of bullies led by Eddie Dutra (Spader) in one of his best performances, have been terrorising the town's folk, on a daily basis.
When rejected by Loughlin who'd rather date the clean cut Stoltz, again in a very nice boy role, Spader takes it not ever so lightly, so begins a nightmare of terror and games for the new kids, who are finally forced to strike back, as enough becomes enough.
There's an irony to him and the park burning down at the end, just check out Grandview U.S.A. Spader plays bad well, if seeing him in the current The Blacklist is any indication, where I'd call it a solid confirmation, The Blacklist, being the acting pinnacle of his career.
The catalyst of the movie, of course being Spader's rejection, it was interesting to see how far he would personally take it, and when the new kids returned fire, it's a much gladdened moment.
The New Kids a.k.a Striking Back isn't good or great, but a thrilling good time or one flick to kill 90 minutes of revenge loving viewing, where the onus really falls on the weight of the performers who do deliver good acting..
Somewhere out there, there is a guy named "Shannon Presby" who can tell his family and friends that he was top-billed over Spader in a movie.
The New Kids is the story of a couple of army brats who have to move in with relatives in rural Florida after their parents are killed in the first couple minutes of the film.
The amusement park is used as the location for the final showdown between the gang and the new kids, but it just isn't utilized all that well.
Teenage orphans Abby (Lori Loughlin) and Loren (Shannon Presby) go to live with their aunt and uncle in Florida, who run a combination gas station and amusement park.
Abby attracts the attention of scumbag Eddie Dutra (James Spader) and his redneck buddies.
Now it's a life or death showdown vs the rednecks.Not a horror movie like the poster implies but an action-thriller that sadly has nothing to do with New Kids on the Block.
At their new school, the girl, Abby, soon gets harrased by a gang of redneck bullies, led by James Spader, who want her to date them, but won't take no for an answer.
"the new kids" is quite possibly the greatest movie ever filmed.
There is senseless violence and gore, and james spader's character Dutra is the greatest performence in movie history.
The New Kids starts off in teen drama mode, with brother and sister Loren and Abby (Shannon Presby and Lori Loughlin) going to stay with their uncle and aunt in Florida after both of their parents are killed in a car crash.
At their new school, the siblings run into trouble with a gang of redneck thugs led by drug dealing sociopath Dutra (James Spader at his most loathsome), but hold their own having been brought up to be tough as nails by their army colonel father (Tom Atkins).
Pretty blonde Karen (Paige Lyn Price) and ginger nice guy Mark (Eric Stoltz) are suitably impressed.Unfortunately for the kids, matters slowly escalate, until Dutra and his cronies eventually abduct Abby and hold her and her uncle captive at his ramshackle amusement park.
This part of the film makes great use of its fun-land setting, with Loren sending one gang member to his death from a ferris wheel, electrocuting another on the dodgems, and crushing one guy's head with a roller-coaster car.
"The New Kids" is a mid-Eighties exploitation thriller directed by the man who helmed the first "Friday the 13th" movie, Sean S.
Cunningham, and starring James Spader and Eric Stoltz, both in minor roles.
Almost immediately they discover that this town has a problem with gang violence, centred in the high school.The titular "New Kids" are played by Lori Loughlin, from the classic Eighties teen flick "Secret Admirer" and the awful sitcom "Full House", and some guy called Shannon Presby, who never went on to much else after this overlooked movie.
It seems obvious pretty early on that Spader or Stoltz should have played his role.After introducing themselves as bullies on the first day of school, we see the gang playing target practice in the woods with jars full of urine, and making a bet that they can "pop the new girl's cherry".
Rebuffed like "Dutra" (Spader), he spits on the screen of the microfiche reader Loughlin was wearing.The gang attack the New Kids' barn with their pick up truck, and you get the impression the movie is just going to turn into a succession of increasingly aggressive attacks on them by the gang, until a big showdown, when the gang will lose (obviously).While repairing the barn, this Shannon Presby guy is approached by an attractive blonde classmate who has been giving him the eye.
She climbs up the ladder with him and is almost as aggressive in her affection as the two guys that hit on Loughlin.The movie takes a surprising, homoerotic turn when Presby sneaks into Dutra (James Spader)'s house at night time and threatens him with a knife.
Nothing we have seen from Presby's character so far hinted at all that he would be capable of this - it makes you wonder who the real bad guy in the movie is.
This is actually worse than what Dutra's gang have done to the New Kids.This is just further proof that Spader should have played the lead.
They just seem like typical school bullies.The ending does feature one creative scene, a pit bull trained to go for blood finding its target, but the movie avoids graphic violence.Overall, "The New Kids" isn't interesting enough to recommend..
Lori Loughlin is as beautiful as ever in this film (She was 18-19 at the time, and three years after this release she was cast on Full House.
Military brats Abby McWilliams (Lori Loughlin) and her brother Loren (Shannon Presby) have to move in with their aunt and uncle after their hero dad is killed with their mom in a car crash.
Then local thug leader platinum blonde Eddie Dutra (James Spader) comes sniffing around.
James Spader is pretty good as the bad guy although his blonde hair is so crazy.
This action packed classic features early performances by James Spader and Lori Loughlin, before Full House was put on the map.
The New Kids is a story about two young teens, a brother and a sister, who get up early every morning to stay fit with their father, a military family man who has earned his respect.
It doesn't take long at all before the kids become the target of a ruthless punk named Dutra ( James Spader.) Dutra makes unwanted advances on Abby, played by Lori Loughlin.
) The New Kids is a treat for horror fans, it has in depth character performances, some great violent scenes, and a great story line plot.
Weird and financially irresponsible, but nice folks.At school the siblings are literally tormented at every possible moment by a gang of redneck bullies led by James Spader.
All because they're the new kids.There's never really a scene where the family contacts the police and is denied help because Spader is the mayor's son or something like that.
This made me feel less sorry for the family as the bullies could have gone to jail for these very serious crimes.The acting and production quality are average but there's nothing special, interesting, or entertaining about 'The New Kids' leave it alone.The only reason this film is even mentioned online today is that to die hard James Spader fans it's a classic.
While I can see a Spader fan being amused for 5 minutes at him playing a redneck it hardly justifies a 90 minute bad movie..
I wont give the plot away but basically weirdo leader Eddie sets his sites on pretty Abby who turns him down as nicely as possible but i guess this guy does not take rejection lightly so basically a battle is waged against Abby and her brother by the weird gang of rednecks...in the mix there is an amusement park getting fixed up and animals getting slaughtered.
I had first seen the new kids back when it was released although not a horror film,it is more like death wish,Sean Cunningham who did the original Friday the 13th back in 1980,really did a great job with producing this thriller about two teens who go to live with their aunt and uncle down in Florida.at a low rent theme park called Santa's fun land.well the move is not a pleasant one,the teens Lori and Shannon run into a unpleasant gang of teens led by creepy dutra played by the very talented James Spader following his break through performance in 1985's tuff turf.great performances by all.i thought the new kids was a very thrilling b-movie with a great cast.Eric stoltz is also on hand as a friendly teen who is there to help.well the new kids is a great 80's b movie that you will not forget.Spader deserved an award for this creepy performance.10 out of 10.
The New Kids (1985) is a rural horror film about two teens (Loren Loughlin and Shannon Presby) who have two move to the country when their parents (Tom Atkins and Jean De Baer) die in a horrible auto accident.
Eric Stoltze co-stars as a local youth who befriends the siblings and the ever shady James Spader co-stars as Eddie Dutra the leader of a "youth" group who makes life hard for the kids.
Too find out you'll just have to watch Sean Cunningham's The New Kids, a new kind of terror from the makers of Friday THE 13TH.Highly recommended.P.S. When will this come out on D.V.D.?.
Abby(Lori Loughlin)and Loren McWilliams(Shannon Presby)are two teenagers who have just lost their parents in a terrible car accident.Their Uncle Charlie decides invites brother and sister to his splendid amusement park in South Florida.Abby attracts the attention of the psychotic Eddie Dutra (James Spader)and his gang of redneck hooligans.Two siblings are harassed and bullied by vicious thugs,but this is only the beginning..."The New Kids" by Sean "Friday the 13th" Cunningham is an enjoyable and quite violent revenge thriller with few gruesome scenes and plenty of exciting action.I particularly enjoyed James Spader's performance as drug dealing Eddie.The final scenes of "The New Kids" are jaw-droppingly awesome.8 butchered rabbits out of 10..
In The New Kids, a brother and a sister lose their parents in a car accident, so they move down to Florida with their aunt and uncle who run a little junkyard looking amusement park.
Lori Loughlin's character Abby is one of the protagonists of the film, yet she's totally static and seems barely phased by the death of her parents or the psychopathic actions of James Spader's character, Dutra and his gang of goons.
Abby's brother Loren, played by Shannon Presby is a little more "dynamic" in his delivery, but he's made out to be like an unrealistic poster boy; well combed and always in control of the situation.
Lester's CLASS OF 1984 but it's not for lack of trying.Army brats Lori Loughlin and Shannon Presby go to live with their aunt and uncle in Florida.
The New Kids, like the hero of STRAW DOGS, finally realize that it's time to fight back or die, to kill or be killed.
As others have stated, Shannon Presby and Lori Loughlin play brother and sister, orphaned by the death of their parents in a car accident, who go to Florida to live with their dads brother and his wife.
When they start high school there, James Spader and his little gang of Southern rednecks start bullying them, especially when Lori rejects their advances.
It's Sean Cunningham's (Friday the 13th) 1985 opus, The New Kids.No offense to our friends from Horror and Sons, but Florida is the most frightening state in the nation.
Just ask Abby (Loughlin) and Loren McWilliams (Shannon Presby, who quit acting after this movie).
No, I don't think that gas pumps work that way, either.Becca woke up and came downstairs to watch some of my late night viewing of The New Kids and said, "This is one of those movies where they just show you stuff that happens to people and it's all horrible.
Who would even like this kind of movie?" That's probably the best summation I can think of, but I also loved James Spader in this and it confirms my theory: no one can be that good at being a lunatic without being a lunatic. |
tt0039404 | Fun & Fancy Free | === Bongo ===
Jiminy Cricket first appears inside a large plant in a large house, exploring and singing "I'm a Happy-go-Lucky Fellow", until he happens to stumble upon a doll, a teddy bear, and a record player with some records, one of which is Bongo, a musical romance story narrated by actress Dinah Shore. Jiminy decides to set up the record player to play the story of Bongo. The story follows the adventures of a circus bear named Bongo who wishes he could live freely in the wild. Bongo is raised in captivity and is praised for his performances, but is poorly treated once he is off stage. As such, while traveling by a circus train his natural instincts urge him to break free. As soon as he escapes and enters a forest, a day passes before his idealistic assessment of his new living situation has been emotionally shattered and he experiences some hard conditions. The next morning however, he meets a female bear named Lulubelle. The two fall in love, until Bongo immediately faces a romantic rival in the brutish, enormously-shaped bear named Lumpjaw. Bongo fails to interpret Lulubelle slapping him as a sign of affection and when she accidentally slaps Lumpjaw, he claims her for himself, forcing all other bears into a celebration for the "happy" new couple. Bongo comes to understand the meaning of slapping one another among wild bears and returns to challenge Lumpjaw. He manages to outwit Lumpjaw for much of their fight until the two fall into a river and go over a waterfall. While Lumpjaw is swept away and dies, Bongo's hat saves him from falling down and he finally can claim Lulubelle as his mate.
Bongo later aired as an individual episode on a 1955 episode of Walt Disney's anthology TV series with new introductory segments, which used Jiminy Cricket's narration and singing replacing Dinah Shore's. The short was released separately in 1989 in the Walt Disney Mini-Classics line.
=== Mickey and the Beanstalk ===
This segment is narrated by Edgar Bergen in live-action sequences, who, with the help of his ventriloquist dummies Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd, tells the tale to child actress Luana Patten at her birthday party. The short later aired as an individual episode on a 1963 episode of Walt Disney's anthology TV series with new introductory segments. Ludwig Von Drake (voiced by Paul Frees) replaces Edgar Bergen as the narrator in the 1963 version, for which he has a Bootle-Beetle companion named Herman (replacing the sassy comments of Edgar Bergen's ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy). A second version of the short was produced replacing Bergen with narration by Sterling Holloway, as a stand-alone short in such venues as the 1980s TV show, Good Morning, Mickey!. This short was one of many featured in Donald Duck's 50th Birthday. A third version of Mickey and the Beanstalk was on the Disney television show "The Mouse Factory", which aired from 1972 to 1974. This version starred Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop. The Ludwig Von Drake version of Mickey and the Beanstalk was released separately in 1987 in the Walt Disney Mini-Classics line. This version was then re-released in 1994, as part of Disney Favorite Stories collection. In 2004, the theatrical version of Mickey and the Beanstalk was released as a bonus feature on the Walt Disney Treasures set Mickey Mouse In Living Color, Volume Two. The TV version, featuring Ludwig Von Drake narrating, is available as part of the Disney Animation Collection (Volume 1).
A jovial countryside land called Happy Valley, kept alive at all times by a singing harp, is suddenly plagued by a severe drought and falls into turmoil and depression after the harp is stolen from the castle by a mysterious assailant (and also nicknamed "Gruesome Gulch"). The residents are driven into poverty and forced to leave in order to avoid death by starvation. Eventually, only three residents are left: Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The trio have but just one loaf of bread and a single solitary bean to eat. One particular night, Mickey is forced to cut the bread into slices so ridiculously paper-thin that you could see right through them. Donald, driven to insanity by starvation, attempts to kill their pet cow with an axe, but is stopped by the combined efforts of Mickey and Goofy. Mickey then decides to sell the cow for money to buy food.
Goofy and Donald are excited about eating again and begin to sing about delicious dishes until Mickey comes back and reveals that he traded their beloved bovine for a container of beans, which he claims to be magical. An enraged Donald, thinking that Mickey had been tricked, furiously throws the beans down the floor and they fall through a hole. However, it turns out that the beans are truly magical after all as later that night, the light of a full moon causes a beanstalk to sprout from under the house and lift it far up into the sky.
The next morning, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy climb the gigantic beanstalk and enter a magical kingdom of enormous scope, where they appear to be tiny creatures compared to their surroundings. They eventually make their way to a huge castle, where they help themselves to a sumptuous feast. There they stumble across the harp locked in a small box, as she explains that she was kidnapped by a "wicked giant". Sure enough, just then, a giant named Willie emerges from the shadows, grunting angrily but then suddenly breaking into a happy song ("Fee Fi Fo Fum") and bouncing a ball about while demonstrating rather amazing powers like flight, invisibility, and shapeshifting.
As Willie prepares to eat lunch, he accidentally catches Mickey in his sandwich. Mickey sneezes when Willie pours pepper and tries to run away, but Willie catches him. Mickey plays palm reader and gains the childish giant's trust. Willie offers to show off his powers, and Mickey, spotting a nearby fly-swatter, asks him to change into a fly. However, Willie suggests turning into a pink bunny instead, and as he does he sees Mickey, Donald, and Goofy with the fly-swatter. Angry, Willie captures Mickey, Donald, and Goofy and locks them in the harp's chest so as to keep them from pulling any more tricks.
In order to escape, Mickey must find the key and rescue his friends, and does so with the help of the singing golden harp, who begins singing Willie to sleep. Mickey almost alerts Willie to his presence by sneezing after falling into a box of powder in Willie's pocket, but the same powder makes Willie sneeze and he loses sight of Mickey. Mickey frees his friends and they make a break for it with the harp. However, Willie wakes up from his sleep and spots them, giving chase all the way to the beanstalk. Mickey stalls him long enough for Donald and Goofy to reach the bottom and begin sawing the beanstalk. Mickey arrives just in time to finish the job of cutting down the beanstalk, and Willie, who was climbing down, falls to his apparent death.
Back in the narrator's home, the narrator (be it Ludwig Von Drake or Edgar Bergen) finishes his story and cheers up his companion (be it Herman or Mortimer Snerd), who was crying for Willie. Just as the narrator says that Willie is a fictional character and not real, Willie himself appears, alive and well, tearing the roof off the narrator's house. Willie inquires about Mickey's whereabouts, but the narrator faints in shock while the companion tells Willie goodnight. Before the scene closes, Willie notices The Brown Derby restaurant and picks up the building searching for any sign of Mickey and since the restaurant looks like a hat, places it on his head, and stomps off with the HOLLYWOOD lights blinking in the background. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0022694 | Das blaue Licht | A soldier has been discharged from the king's service because of his wounds. The soldier leaves the castle and, as night falls, he requires somewhere to stay. Encountering the home of a witch, he asks her for lodging. The witch agrees on condition that he spade her garden the next day. This takes so long that he must stay another night, and in return she asks him to chop her wood. Once again, he must stay another night.
The following day, she requests that he go into a well and retrieve her blue light for her. He is in the process of doing so, but realizes he is being tricked and will be trapped in the well as soon as he gives it to her. He keeps the light for himself, not knowing what it is, but she leaves him in the well. He decides to smoke one last time and lights his pipe with the blue light. A dwarf comes to grant him whatever he wishes. He first asks to be led out of the well, then for the witch to be taken to jail and hanged.
The soldier is still upset about the king, so he asks that the dwarf bring the princess so he may sleep with her, just to anger the king. When she wakes up, the princess tells her mother of her strange "dream", which the queen believes could have actually happened. She has the princess fill her pocket with peas and put a little hole in it so that if she actually is carried away they will be able to follow the path.
The dwarf, however, notices, and spreads peas all over the city so that the peas lead to everywhere and cannot pin it on the soldier. The next night, she plans on hiding her shoe in the home to which she is taken. The dwarf warns against this to the soldier, but he does not heed it. The next day, the princess's shoe is found in his quarters and he is taken to jail. He sends his friend to get the blue light and as his final request asks for a last smoke of his pipe. The dwarf appears and kills the henchmen; the soldier also demands the king's life, but spares him after he begs for mercy. The soldier marries the princess and takes the throne. | tragedy | train | wikipedia | Leni Riefenstahl, soon to become notorious as Hitler's favorite director, made her directorial debut with this vivid and beautiful film.
It tells the tale of a mysterious blue light on top of a mountain that lures young men to their deaths.
Riefenstahl certainly knew how to film and light faces (including her own), a talent that would later enhance her propaganda films for the Nazis.
Leni Riefenstahl's directorial debut (she had been a widely recognised and praised dancer in the 20's and gone on to be one of the most well known silent movie stars, working with Arnold Fanck and G W Pabst on a series of mountain films).
Here she shows that magnificent eye exciting visuals probably attainted while shooting up in the mountains with Fanck, and which would go on to make Triumph of the Will the most stunning, famous propaganda film of all time, and Olympia, her film of the 1936 Berlin Olympics the single most famous (and incredible visually) sports documentary of all time.In The Blue Light you will find some of the most stunning visuals in early sound cinema, a gorgeous score and the magnetic, sensual screen presence of Leni herself in the lead role of Junta, the outcast who lives among the crystals in a mountain high above a fairytale village.
It is a delight to watch, and one of the great treasures of early sound cinema, in my opinion (though the best things in it have more in common with the dancelike visual grace of the silent screen, than the stagey, wordy early talkies from Hollywood)..
First off, I'd like to point out that the silent and "sound" versions are the same movie (same images from start to end), except that the intertitles have been removed from the "sound" version and voices dubbed in (sorta like what they did with Chaplin's The Gold Rush in 1942, except that here the conversion works fine instead of being hellishly awful).
`The Blue Light' tells the story of a small mining village lying in the shadow of an unusual mountain.
During every full moon a blue light issues from the peak, causing young men in the village to take leave of their senses and attempt to climb the mountain in the middle of the night.
This always ends in death for one of the village men.Junta, a young woman who lives in the hills outside the village, is the only person who has mastered the cliffs, and because of this she is an outcast.
One day a stranger arrives in the village, and this man becomes entranced not with the blue light but with Junta.
Eventually, he follows her up the peak and discovers the mountain's mystery, which Junta has so far kept to herself.
A minor catastrophe ensues, signaling simultaneously the doom of Junta and of the modern imagination.It seems uncomfortably ironic that the film was both directed by and stars--as Junta--Leni Riefenstahl, the woman who would later become known as `Hitler's filmmaker,' responsible for some of the most notorious Nazi propaganda films.
Nevertheless, `The Blue Light' remains a remarkable achievement for its operatic tone and imagery and for the brilliant mountain climbing sequences.
Junta's final scene is especially striking, ending in a sequence which blends compelling symbolism with poetic cinematography--a moment worthy of Jean Cocteau.In his autobiography, author Robert Aickman noted `The Blue Light' as his favorite film.
He called it a `fable of the post-machine world and of the nature of love.' Elsewhere Aickman wrote: `Dr. Freud established that only a small part, perhaps one-tenth, of the human mental and emotional organisation is conscious.
Our main response to this discovery has been to reject the nine-tenths unconscious more completely and more systematically than before.' Junta is one of those rare figures who is in tune with the enigmatic blue light of the unconscious self and open, as well, to that vital emotional reaction to natural beauty.
It is this that makes Junta worth more than a hundred villages filled with greedy mountain-tamers.
Perhaps it is no great mystery that a German film like `The Blue Light' should be made as Hitler gained power; insightful expressions of the human soul have always erupted in the most unlikely of times and with the dream thieves following close behind..
Visually stunning mountain film!!!.
`Das blaue Licht' (The Blue Light) tells the legend of Junta, a strange woman living in the Alpine heights above a Tyrolean village, who has privileged access to a cave of crystals.
On full-moon nights a blue light emanates from this secret grotto, luring young men from the valley to seek out the force of the radiant beam.
The towns-people arm themselves with tools and climb to the cave, plundering the valuable crystals and celebrating their new found fortune.Riefenstahl's film -(fantasy) sanctifies nature and reflects a fascination with beauty and harmony.
The photography of this picture is visually stunning, and Riefenstahl's masculine beauty and physical abilities make her the perfect choice for the role of Junta.
`Das blaue Licht' is one of the last great Weimar films and a must see' not only for movie buffs..
But beware of the silent version!This film was made in a sound and a silent version, as there were some theaters at the time that were still not equipped for sound.
There are superb quality short excerpts from the film in The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl.Leni Riefenstahl passed away yesterday at the age of 101.
At the age of 100, she was still scuba diving!She may have been the greatest motion picture director of all time, but she was forbidden from making motion pictures for over half a century, an incalculable loss to the art of film.
I hope that they issue restored versions of her movies now, particularly my favorite, "The Blue Light", a fairy tale set in the Alps, a movie that she - a young girl then - wrote, directed, and starred in!Note: I previously posted part of this commentary a couple of years ago (see below), but it was posted as "Anonymous" for some reason..
Being a reflection of light and shadow it can never be the real thing of course, it is merely the mirror that holds the image - which is contrary to a lot of the myth that we have glorified around cinema as the thing in itself.
It's a pain in the ass to watch these, because you know the filmmaker doesn't mean what he sees.But sometimes, in capable hands, they reflect truly: meaning of course not that they portray the world truly, as it truly is, if we could ever get two people in the same room to agree on their experience of that room, but exactly by dint of being reflections cast from lights inside, and so like a dream is always true even as it is essentially unreal, or like the old tribal ceremonies around the world were from an outside perspective merely the primitive imitation of a scene from familiar life, but from inside the dance allowed the participant, exactly by the token of his willing submission in the shared soul, to sink himself in the level behind the familiar narrative and there purify himself with just the images; in just the same way film can penetrate beneath the dream or ceremony, by substituting for it, and purify with a glimpse of how images, life itself, are stirred into being.It is a real joy to be able to watch these films; what they offer is akin to the experience of ecstacy, introspection from outside the self.
Every fullmoon mysterious lights glint from the top and the men climb the rock to discover.
But there's a woman in all this, an outcast, a pariah exactly because she can freely venture where they can't, who knows the secret pathway.The mystery is of course simple, as the man who climbs her soul to discover in turn comes to know; crystals that reflect that same moonlight seen from below.
So the source of so much allure and sacrifice was merely the reflected light from the real thing that was plainly visible above their heads the whole time; and which they shied away from in fear as an evil portent of their own impotence and disaster.
Oh, eventually they're allowed to get their hands on the coveted treasure, which now as well as before reflects truly upon them.But the woman, Leni Riefenstahl, casts a longer shadow in all of this, whose soul the treasure is snatched from to satisfy the social good.
She illuminates deeper for this - twice herself in the film, as both actress and filmmaker - because we know now that she was surrounding herself with real darkness at the time.
Her face when she discovers the crystals plucked from her cave, a mask of so much anguish and heartbreak, and then imagine how many real nights she must have spent huddled behind that mask for the rest of her life following WWII.Of course for her, the character, it was always the beauty of the thing that stirred the heart.
Beauty that makes the body stir from sleep and by some intuitive pull is drawn to climb the steep rock - and the discovery of the path, no doubt, was also intuitive - for a fleeting glimpse of what?But of course emptiness in full bloom.
Wonderful bloom.I suggest you see this with the sound muted - it's poorly integrated inside the film - and music of your choice like you would watch a silent.
Anyone interested in film will find their way here, but I am supposing you need to steel yourself.You may come because you know what this woman invented in terms of composition of the interframe.
I place her above Eisenstein for both effect and importance.You may come because you are interested in how film can actually change instead of merely reflect the world.
It can, it does.Or you may simply come because you are fascinated by the woman, a dancer, celebrant of the body, an Arian ideal, sexually active for 75 years including with top Nazis.
And with some extraordinarily blunt acting.("Sir Arne's Treasure" of a dozen years earlier did all these things with natural skill, and they work.)But what you will get is some astonishing composition, even in this her very first film as director.
Every time she is set in the mountain, it is done with such lightness that we cannot avoid feeling visited by the supernatural.
More, it was accompanied by a parallel awe at the pull of the story, the story that I know ends badly and possibly always will, but we follow it.I suppose that a slight, a very slight adjustment in this woman's makeup would have made a profound difference for several billions of people, and I further suppose that had she been trained slightly differently in dance that adjustment, that introspection would have been implanted.
This film was made in a sound and a silent version, as there were some theaters at the time that were still not equipped for sound.
The sound version is a hauntingly beautiful film.
The sound version is a hauntingly beautiful film.
There are superb quality short excerpts from the film in The Wonderful Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl..
Unlike the previous reviewer, I have an excellent print of "The Blue Light" that Leni Riefenstahl sent to me a few years ago.
"Triumph of the Will" and "Olympia" are stunning documentaries but "The Blue Light" and "Tiefland" are outstanding movies and a tribute to the greatest female film director ever..
This film has to be the answer.Here we have a genius of composition and visual rhythm, in her first attempt, which guesses everything that would come.What would this goddess (in several meanings) be thinking, when she embraced this adventure?
At the same time, we have a story about a "special" woman.
That's the prophecy, this story, written by Riefenstahl, which is a story even inside the film, a book with her photo on the cover!
This woman changed more than the history of cinema, she did more than to enlarge the possibilities of visual contemplation and, consequently, beauty concepts.
In this film we have her, linking the sacred mountain and the city, linking two worlds.
The woman, climbing the mountain, the power of contrast.
Junta, under the effect of the full moon, exhales sensuality, which works still today (when we are totally addicted to images that aim at sensuality).
Note how the sweater reveals the shoulder, a provocation no doubt, a desire to place the body at the centre, and to enhance Man in relation with Nature.In this metaphorical mythology, Germanic and Nordic, see how the symbols are materialized, and shot.
The composition of the shots of mountain climbing and specially, of Vigo getting into the sacred crystal area is genius, the set of a potential Valhala, and the expression of Junta as she finds out about the intrusion reveals everything.This film still obeys too much to the codes of silent film.
Anyway, the sound in this film is uncomfortably placed, and dialogue does little more than directly replace the inter titles of the silent.
Further to my previous comment, I have now purchased and watched the video and would like to say how disappointed I was to find that so much of the original film has been lost, e.g. the shot in which the moonlight catches the crystals in the cave and the blue light shines out from Monte Cristallo.
WARNING.....SLIGHT SPOILER!!!!Leni Riefenstahl is fantastic in this film, which she directed, wrote, and starred in.
This movie is generally considered to be a German 'mountain film', to which Refenstahl generally takes a great deal of influence from, though it came out significantly later than most of the films from that genre, such as `The White Hell of Piz Palu' (Die Weiße Hölle vom Piz Palü) or `Storm Over Mont Blanc' (Stürme über dem Mont Blanc) both of which Riefenstahl herself starred in.This is a movie about nature and modern man's disrespect for it.
Vigo, an urban citizen who comes to a village in the mountains, meets Junta (Riefenstahl), an outcast believed by most of the villagers to be a witch.
Vigo discovers that Junta is the only person known to have climbed the mountain to the cave where a 'blue light' shines on every full moon.
The light, which is believed by the villagers to hypnotize young men, is blamed for the countless deaths of the villagers who attempt to climb the mountain only to fall to their deaths.
When Vigo discovers Junta and followers her to the cave, he realizes that the 'light' comes from millions of valuable jewels that lie in the walls of the mountain.
Although by this point Vigo has formed a romantic relationship with Junta, instead of keeping the jewels a secret and thus, sacred (as Junta does) he decides to tell the villagers, who rape the mountain of its riches and become wealthy.
The outcast Junta gets nothing, and is devastated because the light which once glimmered from the mountain is now gone.Vito is constantly portrayed as a `Goethe type' - the 19th century archetype intellectual, and we know that he is used to symbolize the higher echelon of German society.
She is filmed much like an animal of sorts...wearing rags, hunched over, and constantly running from villagers who want to stone her to death.
Riefenstahl stars in and directs this artsy film.
This is an interesting film in that a sound version (in German with English subtitles) and a silent version on the same disk.
However, like so many of the films that were made in sound and silent versions, the sound version has mostly the same scenes with only a few sound scenes inserted—so it really plays much like the silent version—especially since the sound system they used seemed primitive and the sound seemed like it was tacked on later.The film stars the infamous Leni Riefenstahl—a woman far more famous the documentaries she directed than for the earlier films in which she starred.
This is one of her earlier films when she was seen as one of Germany's preeminent actresses—and a woman whose speciality were films involving mountain climbing!
I've seen about a dozen of her films and nearly ALL of them have mountains in them—and often lots and lots of ice and snow!
Like these other films, the actress risks her life climbing about in the Alps (much of it barefooted or in sandals) and you have to respect her willingness to go all-out for this film.Riefenstahl plays Junta—a strange woman who loves climbing about in the moonlight—a task the men and boys of the alpine village cannot do.
Later, when an outsider becomes fascinated with her and follows her on one of her mountain treks he learns a secret
a secret that will ultimately destroy the woman he has come to love.This film is clearly not an ordinary film.
The cinematography is luminous and quite beautiful (and almost like Ansel Adams pictures come to life).
If you aren't, then it will be very tough going—mostly because it is so strange and because it does not have a particularly conventional narrative.By the way, if you get a chance, see the amazing and very long documentary on Riefenstahl ("The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl").
"Das blaue Licht" or "The Blue Light" is a German black-and-white film from over 80 years ago.
Writer, director and lead actress is Leni Riefenstahl and this film is one of the main reasons that brought Riefenstahl the adoration of Adolf Hitler, who made her his number-1 propaganda documentary filmmaker for years to come.
Riefenstahl plays a woman, dishonored by society, who lives in the mountains.
However, when the main character, Junta, finally warms up to a man courting her, she is about to face the most severe form of betrayal.The reason is that this is not only a film about love and interhuman relationships, but also about trust and a huge treasure.
As solid as Riefenstahl's and Béla Balázs' work behind the camera is, I am not too sure if casting the filmmaker for the main character was a good choice here. |
tt0033872 | Man from Montana | As described in a film magazine, Warren Summers (Peil) and his wife (Lamb) along with their pretty relative Meta Cooper (Rich) go to the town of Green Water to purchase the Bumble Bee mine, which is owned by Duke Fairley (Hart) and Dad Petzel (Berrell). While Duke is out of town Dad sells the mine, receiving worthless stock for it. Duke then heads east to find the swindlers and to see Meta again. Meanwhile, Dad and the boys work an abandoned mine called "The Worm" and strike it rich. Unable to get in touch with Duke, they head east to give him the good news. They end up at the New York docks where they are shanghaied. Duke accompanies Meta across the state line so that she can deliver some stocks for Summers, and Duke is then arrested for taking a girl out of state. Returning to New York, Duke marries Meta which angers Summers and his gang. They kidnap Meta and tell Duke to meet them at a certain hour on the docks and bring a large sum of money to exchange for Meta. Duke goes to the docks but is shanghaied and put on the same boat as Dad and the boys. When they recover, they tell each other of their troubles, and then convince the seamen to take them back to shore. Duke arrives in time to rescue Meta from her crafty relatives, which are then turned over to the law. | comedy | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0039750 | Ramrod | Connie Dickason (Veronica Lake) is the strong-willed daughter of a ranch owner (Charles Ruggles), who is under the control of powerful local cattleman Frank Ivey (Preston Foster), a man her father once wanted Connie to marry. Connie instead takes up with a sheep rancher who is run out of town by Ivey. She inherits the man's land.
The conniving and manipulative Connie persuades ranch hand Dave Nash (Joel McCrea) to be her "ramrod," or ranch foreman. He recruits an old pal, Bill Schell (Don DeFore), who bends the law to his own purposes now and then but is fiercely loyal to Dave, to come help him run the ranch and fend off the ruthless Ivey.
Rose Leland (Arleen Whelan) is in love with Dave and he feels great affection toward her. Connie seduces both Dave and Bill to do her bidding, however. She even persuades Bill to stampede her own cattle, without Dave's knowledge, just so Ivey will appear guilty to the law. Sheriff Jim Crew (Donald Crisp) goes to arrest Ivey and is shot down in cold blood. Dave is ambushed by a couple of Ivey's men. He kills one of them, Red Cates (Lloyd Bridges), but is badly wounded. Bill hides him, but Connie carelessly exposes their hideout. Bill volunteers to distract Ivey and his men while Dave turns to Rose for shelter. Ivey hunts down Bill in the mountains and shoots him in the back.
Dave has had enough. He confronts Ivey in the street, armed with only a shotgun, but beats him to the draw. Connie is delighted. At last, she has her land and her man. Dave, though, wants nothing more to do with her, returning to Rose's arms. | revenge, murder | train | wikipedia | Veronica Lake in her memoirs said that Joel McCrea was one of the kindest, most decent men she ever knew or worked with.
Foster's taken a shine to Ruggles daughter Veronica Lake, but she can't stand the sight of him.
When Foster bullies her fiancé out of town, Lake wants vengeance.She's got her own piece of land now and hires Joel McCrea to run it for her.
The range war starts, but Lake thinks McCrea is too soft in his approach.
A windfall for the coroner.As always Joel McCrea is the moral centerpiece of the film, he's once again the gallant western hero.
DeFore who was usually the hero's best friend and a jovial kind of guy, is a violence prone sort of fellow, who Lake manipulates among others.
And it is hard to believe that Charlie Ruggles ever played anyone as serious on film before or since.
Our image of him is usually the henpecked husband opposite Mary Boland from the Thirties.This film is significant for Lake because she married Director Andre DeToth.
DeToth claims to have been married seven times, but only three are listed on his page at IMDb. It was not a happy union, but DeToth did get a good performance out of his bride.Ramrod may be one of the earliest examples of an adult western.
It's that quality that this complex Western turns on, and fortunately Veronica Lake delivers in spades.
There's the reliable Joel McCrea as the good guy, the commanding Donald Crisp as the sheriff, and Don De Fore in a sly role as McCrea's buddy, showing both an easy grin and a tricky set of values.Usually it's two patriarchal land barons who feud over territory.
It's the tiny Lake and bad guy Preston Foster who are duking it out, both fair and foul.
What makes this Western more interesting than most is that Lake and DeFore fit somewhere between the poles of good-guy bad-guy.
It's clear he's bumping against Production Code strictures on what can be shown and what can't.Ramrod is an underrated Western with an adult story-line.
I do want to mention some things that caught me off guard, in a very good way, from the moment the film began.
In reality, we've come in in the middle, not of the film, but of the characters' lives, and the filmmakers allow us to figure out what's going on much as a stranger arriving in town would have to figure out what this drama is that's occurring around him.
For de Toth, Harlan's camera moves almost constantly, innumerable dolly shots (far more than in a typical film of this day) both reveal and obfuscate the settings in such a way as to keep the viewer always a little off-balance as to where the action is moving next.
Joel McCrea is a familiar figure in Western leading roles, but here he's both a reformed drunk and so soft-spoken and comparatively passive as to be almost the antithesis of what we expect.
Veronica Lake gets one soft scene with her hair down and almost peekabooing, but for the rest of the film it's up tight on her head, and she's up tight in the role.
And the best piece of off-beat casting in the film is light comedian Don DeFore as the rascally, promiscuous, and deadly Bill, a gunman with a seductive smile and the grim good humor that one both fears and wants to protect.
There have been bad good-guys like Bill in scores of Westerns before and since, but few with the charisma and style that Don DeFore brings to this one.
All in all, I was amazed by the complexity and shades of gray in this film, which I completely expected to be just another good old shoot-em-up.
Contrary to previous reviews of Ramrod, de Toth's film is much more interesting than a "simple cattle vs.
This is a typical femme fatale archetype taken straight from film noir (realistically, the character derives from hard-boiled pulp literature which Luke Short fused with his western story).
Connie's strength of character is atypical of the western genre at this stage, and her strength seems to come from the relative weakness of the film's hero, played by Joel McCrea; who seems to lack the strong sense of moral certainty that the typical westerner was founded upon.
Along with Raoul Walsh's Pursued (1947), and Robert Wise's Blood on the Moon (1948), Ramrod stands as one of the few hybrids between film noir and the western.
Crucially though, the western genre before this stage was a particularly optimistic one; look at Stagecoach (John Ford, 1939), Dodge City (Michael Curtiz, 1939), or even My Darling Clementine (Ford again, 1946); the three films I mentioned beforehand, including Ramrod, all offer instances of pessimistic worldviews, and morally ambiguous characters and situations, even though they all end with the hero getting the girl and riding into a westward sunset..
This was a surprisingly brutal western, more like a film noir from the late 1940s, with rough characters who shot first and thought later.Among those with the rough attitudes was the female lead, Veronica Lake, who was nearing the end of her short career.
The good guys were played by Joel McCrea and Donald Crisp.Almost everyone in this film gets shot or killed.
Despite her good looks, I can see why she never made it to stardom.I like black-and-white but this was film that would have looked better in some nice Technicolor with the great mountain scenery that was featured..
Veronica Lake is Connie, a woman who has seen all her life her weak father being dominated by Frank Ivey (Preston Foster).
It is a shame that the character of Connie could be not more elaborated, but that would have meant a much longer film.
Lake is great as Connie, she is the star of the film.
A very good western, a bit hard to follow at the beginning..
This 1947 western in black and white could have been just another mediocre Joel McCrea piece of sagebrush like the dozens of Randolph Scott movies I've watched.
For me this was Joel McCrea's best film that I've seen yet, or certainly as good as Guns in the Afternoon (aka Ride the High Country) in which he teamed with Randolph Scott which always gets outstanding reviews.
What was surprising was the performance of the diminutive Veronica Lake of the iconic hair style, although you only get a glimpse near the beginning of it.
Here (married to director Andre De Toth during the making of the movie) she gives a steely performance of some skill, using her sexual allure to persuade men around her to do things according to her will, and very convincing she can be.
Don DeFore an actor I've not seen before, impresses as a friend to help McCrea when he's in trouble and I'm surprised with all the movies I've seen that he somehow escaped me.
The great Donald Crisp, Charlie Ruggles, Ray Teal and Lloyd Bridges all appear in convincing roles.
Being something of a cowboy-junkie and a die-hard fan of Westerns from the 1940s and 50s, I can usually tolerate and excuse a lot of repetitiveness, inconsistencies and flaws in the story lines of these movies, providing, of course, that the direction is strong and that the principle characters appeal to my sense of masculinity and what I believe to be the true "Code of the West".But, with that said, I found Ramrod (which was an unfitting/dumb title) played too much like a "Harlequin Romance" Chick Flick and, due to that, it nearly put me off to sleep with its dull-edged drama and drag-along action.Not only was there some very serious miscasting in this picture (especially that of Veronica Lake, who was more suited for glamor roles in fluffy comedies), but, it also appeared to me that most of the actors were sleepwalking their way through their parts, clearly showing no sign of life or conviction in what they were doing.Mind you, Ramrod certainly did contain some very impressive camera-work in a number of scenes, especially when the action (or lack of it) was taking place out in the beautiful, wide-open country of Utah.Ramrod's far too predictable story was basically the umpteenth re-telling of the same, old tale regarding an intense conflict that's escalating out of control between the powerful cattlemen and the struggling sheep ranchers.
In order to generate some much-needed excitement into Ramrod's snail-paced story, a token barn-burning was even thrown into the mundane mix, for good measure.All-in-all - You can be sure that if actress Veronica Lake hadn't been married to Ramrod's director Andre De Toth at the time, then, she, most likely, would've never, ever been considered for the part of Connie Dickason in a million years.Also - When it came to the likes of Veronica Lake and her co-star Joel McCrae, not only was the chemistry going absolutely nowhere between these 2, but, her tiny, petite stature of only 4' 11" was greatly contrasted by his hefty, towering height of 6' 3".When these two incompatible actors were photographed standing together, Lake looked like a literal midget next to McCrae - And, this, in turn, rendered Lake's already unsubstantial character as being even more insignificant than it already was to begin with..
Charlie Ruggles and Don De Fore do well with their mainly dramatic characters and Veronica Lake (under direction from her husband) is surprisingly ruthless (don't think I was ready for any of this first time round) Interesting Director, Andre' De Toth and his remarkable Director of Photography: Russel Harlan (who's worked on such a vast range of varied topics) create several mesmerizing 'story without words' type situations throughout.
Joel McCrea is marvellous to watch, as one of the most believable righteous men to grace the screen (no doubt about it, the world needs more).Luke Short (real name Frederick Glidden) creates realistic characters and gives them situations to match.
Joel McCrea (the ramrod) 1s the honest cowpoke who comes out of his drunken stupor after losing his family to find his own way.
But his costar, Veronica Lake as Connie Dickason, steals the film as a strong-willed butch-type, who goes against the wishes of her rancher father Ben Dickason (Charles Ruggles) and refuses to marry his choice--the evil Frank Ivey (Preston Foster) and goes for a sheep man.
Evidently, she wants someone she can whip.Well, somehow sheep boy skedaddles out of town and leaves his sheep ranch to his fiancée, who proceeds to fight daddy and Ivey.This is NOT a misogynist Bond movie!
It is a western done by a Hungarian director, which had an interesting script with a lot more than you usually see in a cowboy movie..
Feuding landowners have always been a popular subject matter for the old-school B-movie westerns, and on face value Andre De Toth's Ramrod appears to be cut from very familiar material.
The presence of co-stars Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake no doubt attracted punters charmed six years earlier by their performances in Preston Sturges' masterpiece Sullivan's Travels, and they would be forgiven if they thought they were in for some light-hearted white hat vs.
Based on a story by legendary Western author Luke Short, this is a tough, twisty horse opera that pushes its characters into morally murky territory, sharing more in common with the film noir genre than the tropes of a western.As the film opens, we are already at the boiling point of a conflict between powerful ranch owner Frank Ivey (Preston Foster) and sheepherder Walt Shipley (Ian MacDonald).
Caught in the middle of the feud is Connie Dickason (Lake), the beautiful and headstrong daughter of rancher Ben (Charles Ruggles).
Her father wants Connie to marry Ivey, but she detests his bullying, violent manner and prefers to marry Walt instead.
As it turns out, Walt doesn't have the stomach for a fight and flees town, leaving his Circle 66 ranch to Connie.
Rather than caving to Ivey's demands for the land, Connie hires the stoic Dave Nash (McCrea) as her 'ramrod', or foreman, who feels indebted to Walt for taking him in when he was at his lowest.
He hires the free-spirited Bill Schell (Don DeFore) as back-up, but as Ivey and his gang employ increasingly brutal methods and Connie loses patience with Dave's restraint, alliances are forged and broken as the conflict spirals out of control.Despite the magic they made together working with Sturges, I've never been particularly fond of either McCrea or Lake as actors.
The story is complicated enough to hold your interest for the duration, with supporting characters emerging to play a more important role that you were expecting, and revealing hidden layers that provide plenty of twists and turns.
Indeed, Ramrod would be pretty pedestrian if Dave's methods proved to be the only way, and as his grip on the situation loosens when the back-stabbing and dirty dealings start to play out, the film heads into pure film noir territory.
McCrea is good as the 'old cowhand' that eventually does the right thing.
Joel McRea (Dave) is asked by Veronica Lake (Connie) to protect her sheep-grazing land from town bully Preston Foster (Ivey) who wants it for his cattle.
The Ramrod referred to is McRea as Lake Veronica's central tough guy.
Uh-oh, complications
.looks like Lake is moving in on McRea as well.The cast are all good but unfortunately the film is chronically dull.
Having recently been blown away by director de Toth's 1959 film 'Day of the Outlaw', encouraged even to try and read his (vaguely) autobiographical, 'Fragments', I was stunned at how uninteresting or involving this is.
Terrible start, where there would appear to be a missing scene or that we have come in halfway through and find ourselves playing catch-up just to discover what is going on.
The story, as eventually revealed, is really not much at all and to make matters worse, Joel McCrea seems even less interested that us and gives a particularly stiff and flat performance.
As for the much anticipated Veronica Lake - oh dear, was husband de Both intentionally trying to make her look drab and unattractive?
Having only seen her in three films opposite Alan Ladd, whose comparatively small stature made him an ideal screen partner, it was surprising to see the 6' 3" Joel McCrea positively tower above her.
Nevertheless, Lake doesn't let her petite size get in the way of a solid performance, and, indeed, her character is surprisingly malevolent.
Borrowing a leaf from the femme fatales of the film noir style, which was in full swing by the late 1940s, Lake's Connie Dickason is a feisty customer, a pugnacious ranch-woman whose determination to upset the balance of power in her small western town turns her as nasty as the male oppressors whom she so despises.
Yet Connie remains a moderately sympathetic character.If one considers 'Ramrod' as one of the first film noir/westerns, then Connie is the ill-fated hero who knowingly chooses a path of dishonesty, and is condemned by it.
McCrea's Dave Nash, on the other hand, represents the Western side of the story, a washed-up cowboy who, against all odds, chooses the path of nobility, pursuing justice strictly through honourable (and legal) channels.
This blending of genres yields the film an interesting thematic tone, I think, though the story itself is so familiar that there are few surprises to be had along the way.
While it starred Joel McCrea (who made quite a few nice westerns), the rest of the cast was just bizarre--so bizarre you almost think that the studio deliberately picked the worst possible actors for the film!
First, the petulant and very strong-willed woman of the west is played by Miss Peek-a-boo herself, Veronica Lake.
Not only is she too small for such a role, but she still sports a variation on her fashion-setting 1940s hair--which looked totally out of place in the old West Second, her father was played by, of all people, Charlie Ruggles!
And, finally, Don Defore (Mr. B from "Hazel") was cast as a bad-man--a guy who liked to shoot first and ask questions....well, never!
As for the plot, it is quite different--and considering they made a billion or more westerns, this is a very good thing!
The film begins with Ruggles magnanimously having his daughter's fiancé beaten up and chased out of town.
Too bad that the virtuous Joel McCrea is working for her and is pulled right into the middle of this mess.
I wasn't sure fond of this film, however, because of its odd-ball plot--the odd-ball casting that made the characters tough to believe.
Not really a feminist flick, more of a film noir western.
Veronica Lake, as Connie, is the head-strong daughter of rancher Ben Dickason(Charles Ruggles), who refuses to do her father's bidding, in marrying their prosperous neighboring rancher, Frank Ivey((Preston Foster), as Ivey would like.
Thus, her short-term solvency looks bleak at film's end.
In this vendetta-riddled story, Ivey was a bad guy in that he ordered the burning of Connie's ranch house, to spite her rejection of him, thus beginning the vendetta.
In turn, McCrea shot Ives in a street standoff, because he had killed Bill, and the sheriff, and because McCrea had shot the man falsely accused of shooting the sheriff.Looked at from a feminist perspective, we can compare Veronica's role with that of Betty Hutton and Doris Day, in the early '50s musical comedies "Annie Get Your Gun" and "Calamity Jane", respectively, as well as Doris in "The Ballad of Josie", from the late '60s.
In the present film, Veronica wanted to show that she could wrangle a ranch out of someone other than Ives, and make it work, although she relied on males to do the dirty work.
Hence, she is a different type of feminist example compared to the other ladies.Of course, McCrea and Veronica had worked together previously in the acclaimed "Sullivan's Travels".See it in B&W at YouTube. |
tt0108207 | Splitting Heirs | The film centres on the aristocratic family of the Dukes of Bournemouth (England), upon which misfortune has fallen throughout history, leading its members to believe the family is cursed. The most recent heir, Thomas Henry Butterfly Rainbow Peace, was left in a restaurant as an infant in the 1960s; by the time his parents remembered him, he had disappeared. Meanwhile, in the 1990s Tommy Patel has grown up in an Asian/Indian family in Southall, never doubting his ethnicity despite being taller than anyone else in the house, fair-haired, blue-eyed, light-skinned—and not liking curry. From the family corner shop he commutes to the City where he works for the Bournemouth family's stockbroking firm, handling multimillion-pound deals.
Tommy is given the job of acting as host to the visiting American representative of the firm, Henry Bullock, who turns out to be the son of the head of the firm, the present Duke. They become friends and the friendship survives Henry becoming the new Duke when his father dies. Circumstantial evidence shows that the true Bournemouth heir is actually Tommy; we see a series of family portraits each of which captures something of Tommy's facial characteristics, and his Indian mother tells him the story of his adoption. He consults the lawyer who dealt with his adoption, Raoul P. Shadgrind, who says Tommy has no hope of proving his claim, but plants the idea of him obtaining his rightful place in the family by getting Henry out of the way; Shadgrind himself then engineers a variety of 'accidents' in the belief that he will share in the spoils as Tommy's partner. The delightfully-complicated love interest comes with Tommy's and Henry's (shared at the same time) lover, later the new Duchess and their (shared at different times) mother, the dowager Duchess. As befits a classical comedy of errors, the final resolution of everyone's doubts and misconceptions leaves everyone living "happily ever after - "well, for a bit, at least..."
The setting for the Duke's stately home in the latter part of the film is Longleat. | comedy | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0905968 | Black Dahlia | On January 15, 1947, LAPD Detectives Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert and Lee Blanchard investigate the murder and dismemberment of Elizabeth Short, soon dubbed "The Black Dahlia" by the press. Bucky learns that Elizabeth was an aspiring actress who appeared in a pornographic film. Through his investigation, Bucky learns that Elizabeth liked to hang out with lesbians. He goes to a lesbian nightclub and meets Madeleine Linscott, who looks very much like Elizabeth. Madeleine, who comes from a prominent family, tells Bucky that she was 'very close' with Elizabeth but asks him to keep her name out of the papers. In exchange for his silence, she promises him sexual favors. Continuing his relationship with Madeleine, Bucky meets her wealthy parents, Emmett and Ramona.
Bucky's partner, Lee, also becomes obsessed with Elizabeth's murder. Lee's obsession leads him to become erratic and abusive towards his long-time girlfriend Kay Lake, who is also one of Bucky's close friends. After Lee and Bucky have a nasty argument about a previous case, Bucky goes to Lee and Kay's to apologize, only to learn from Kay that Lee was responding to a tip about a recently released convict, Bobby DeWitt. Bucky goes to the location and gets into an altercation with DeWitt in the atrium of the building. DeWitt is gunned down by Lee, standing on the stairs across the atrium. Bucky sees a man sneak up behind Lee, and wrap a rope around Lee's neck. Lee fights back while Bucky, paralyzed with shock, watches from across the atrium as a second shadowy figure steps out and slits Lee's throat. Lee and the man holding the rope fall over the railing to their deaths several floors below. It is then that Bucky is helped by Millard and Morrie Friedman, a friend of Lee's whom Bucky saw with Lee at the New Year's party in 1946.
Dealing with the grief of losing Lee propels Bucky and Kay into a sexual encounter. The next morning, Bucky finds money from a bank robbery hidden in Lee and Kay's bathroom. Kay reveals that she had been DeWitt's girlfriend, that DeWitt had mistreated her, and that DeWitt had done the bank robbery; stealing a large sum of money from one of "Bugsy" Siegel's nightclubs. Lee had rescued Kay and stolen DeWitt's bank robbery money. Lee needed to kill DeWitt now that he was out of prison; leading to the encounter that resulted in Lee's death. Bucky leaves, furious with Lee and Kay for their actions and lies. He returns to Madeleine's family mansion and continues his intense relationship with her. Kay is furious when she discovers the relationship, especially with the fact that Madeleine bears a striking resemblance to the same girl Lee obsessed over before he was killed, and leaves the scene.
Watching an old movie one night, Bucky notices that a bedroom scene matches the set in Elizabeth's pornographic film. The credits at the end of the film includes the statement "Special Thanks to Emmett Linscott", Madeleine's father. Bucky's search for answers leads him to an incomplete housing project that Madeleine's father had started just below the Hollywoodland sign. In one of the empty houses, Bucky recognizes the set that was used to film Elizabeth's pornographic movie. In a barn on the property, Bucky finds where Elizabeth was killed and her body butchered, as well as a drawing of a man with a Glasgow smile. The drawing resembles a painting in Madeleine's family home and matches the disfiguring smile carved into Elizabeth's face during her murder.
Bucky confronts Madeleine and her father in their home, accusing them of murdering Elizabeth. Madeleine's mother Ramona reveals that she was the one to kill Elizabeth, who looked so much like Madeleine. She confesses first that Madeleine was not fathered by Emmett but rather by his best friend, George. She further reveals that George had been on set when Elizabeth's pornographic film was made, becoming infatuated with her. Finally, she felt that Elizabeth looked too much like Madeleine, was bothered that George was going to have sex with someone who looked like his own daughter, and decided to kill Elizabeth first. Upon finishing her confession, Ramona kills herself.
A few days later, remembering something Lee had said during the investigation, Bucky visits Madeleine's sister Martha with some questions. He learns that Lee knew about the lesbian relationship between Madeleine and Elizabeth and was blackmailing Madeleine's father to keep it secret. Bucky finds Madeleine at a seedy motel, and she admits to being the one who slit Lee's throat. Although she insists that Bucky wants to have sex with her rather than kill her, he tells her she is wrong and shoots her dead. Bucky goes to Kay's house. Kay tells him to come in and closes the door. | violence, murder, romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0385307 | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Several weeks after the events of the first film, FBI agent Gracie Hart (Sandra Bullock) has become a celebrity after she infiltrated the beauty pageant on her last assignment. Her fame resulted in her cover being blown while she is trying to prevent a bank heist.
To capitalize on her publicity, the FBI decide to make Gracie the new "face" of the FBI; She is hurt after being dumped by her boyfriend, fellow Agent Eric Matthews (who gets relocated to Miami), agrees to the reassignment.
When FBI Agent Sam Muller gets relocated to New York City from Chicago, Hart immediately despises her. Eventually, the FBI makes Muller Harts bodyguard to Mullers disgust.
Ten months later, she begins appearing on morning television such as Live with Regis and Kelly, The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Food Channel giving out fashion advice and promoting her book.
However, when her friends Miss United States Cheryl Fraser (Heather Burns) and Stan Fields (William Shatner) are kidnapped in Las Vegas, Hart goes undercover to try to rescue then accompanied by Muller, her bodyguard. This puts her at odds with the FBI, as they are unwilling to lose their mascot and are unsure if she's still up to the tasks.
Cheryl and Stan get moved by the kidnappers to the ship at the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino which they plan to blow up. Soon afterwards, Hart, Muller and Joel (Diedrich Bader) arrive at the Oasis Drag club where they end up singing Tina Turner and then find out from a Dolly Parton contestant where they are being held and its upto both Hart and Muller to save the day once more. | violence, humor, satire, comedy | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0049593 | Pardners | Masked raiders led by Sam Hollis attack the "K" Ranch, where owner Wade Kingsley and partner Slim Mosley bravely defend their property after Matilda Kingsley and infant son Wade Jr. safely return east to New York, her hometown. Wade and Slim (played by Martin and Lewis) are murdered, but vow before they die that their sons someday will avenge them.
Many years later, the wealthy Matilda receives a visit from her niece Carol and cowboy Slim Mosley, Jr. (Dean Martin again), who has come to New York City to compete in a rodeo. They intend to use Slim's earnings to buy a prized bull called Cuddles and take him back west to replenish the K Ranch's stock.
Sweet but inept Wade, Jr. (Jerry Lewis again) has always wanted to be a cowboy. He goes to the rodeo, where his bungling interference costs Slim first prize. To make amends, Wade buys the bull for Slim and accompanies them back west by train.
After a while, Slim warms up to Wade and agrees to become partners, like their dads. Out west, to keep townsfolk from mocking the tenderfoot, Slim decides to introduce Wade to one and all as "Killer Jones," a tough hombre. Due to his heroic actions in stopping a runaway stagecoach, with Slim performing the actual heroics, Wade ends up being elected sheriff, impressing dance hall girl Dolly Riley.
Ranch hand Pete Rio is secretly working with banker Dan Hollis, who is every bit as corrupt as his father was. Dan's got his eyes on the K Ranch so he can sell the land to the government, which wants to build a dam. Dan tries proposing marriage to Carol, but she rejects him, so he announces that the bank will begin foreclosure proceedings against the ranch.
In disguise, Wade infiltrates the gang of masked raiders. He is caught and bound to a chair, strapped to sticks of dynamite, and when Slim comes to his rescue, Dan Hollis knocks him cold. All seems lost until the boys manage a last-second escape. Dan is dealt with accordingly, after which the pardners and their romantic partners celebrate their success. | violence, murder, comic | train | wikipedia | Martin and Lewis are seen as old men in the beginning of the film.They are these ranch partners who are brutally murdered.Their sons ought to revenge for their death.In 1910 their sons are fully grown men, at least Martin's character Slim Mosely Jr. is.Lewis' Wade Kingsley Jr. is a rich momma's boy.But together they head back for the old west where they meet a gang of outlaws called "masked raiders".Norman Taurog is the director and Sidney Sheldon is behind the screenplay of Pardners (1956).It's a western comedy that stars the comedy team Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.Actually this was the second last picture they made together before their break-up.The collaboration between them still works even though this isn't the best picture they did together.But still pretty funny.Just watch Jerry Lewis learn how to be a real cowboy.And how he's in the saloon acting tougher than he actually is.The rest of the cast does good job, too.Lori Nelson plays Carol Kingsley.Agnes Moorehead is Mrs.Matilda Kingsley.Jeff Morrow plays Pete Rio and John Baragrey is Dan/Sam Hollis.Lon Chaney Jr. is Whitey.Lee Van Cleef plays Gus while Jack Elam is Pete.I became an admirer of Jerry Lewis movies, with and without Dean 10 years ago.They showed all these great and funny movies during the summer that made me laugh.Lewis and Martin worked great together.Just like Laurel and Hardy did, or Hope and Crosby and the Marx brothers.What ever happened to great comedy teams?.
This is a great Martin and Lewis Comedy from 1956, which is the same year that they broke up as a Comedic Duo, and this film "Pardners," was the second to their last that was made.
Jerry's father and Dean's father were the best of friends, and died together in the hopes of saving their land.
Dean has some great singing numbers in this film, and Jerry's special brand of physical comedy is very effective in a number of saloon fight scenes.
RIDE ALONG WITH THESE TWO COMEDIC COWBOY LEGENDS - 8 out of 10 ratingI love Jerry Lewis films so when I popped in this DVD which is classified as a Western/Comedy I was hoping to see a film that may provide a few chuckles.
Much to my surprise for a picture that was released almost 60 years ago the picture quality was in pristine Technicolor, the tandem of Martin and Lewis and a strong supporting cast that included Agnes Moorehead kept me entertained throughout the film from beginning to end.Lost in the production values of today's films is that combination of a simple but effective plot, the bantering between the two co- stars Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, the slapstick comedy of the King of Comedy of the 1950's and 1960's Jerry Lewis, and the film also threw in a few cowboy songs that were sung by swooner Dean Martin.
Heck even Jerry and Dean sung a few numbers together.I keep hearing that life was much simpler back in the 1950's than it is now 60 years later.
It has a simple plot with great comedy relief and a few light songs to go along with the cowboy's journey.
The two old cowboys from the late 1800's played by Dean Martin and Lewis die together at the hands of an evil desperado but leave behind their sons (also played by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) who 25 years later in the early 1900's join forces together once again to take down the evil banker who also happens to be the son of the rustler who killed their daddies 25 years earlier.Jerry Lewis plays the bumbling heir apparent to mom's (Agnes Moorehead) industrial revolution fortune who runs away to reunite with real life cowpoke Dean Martin to save the ranch that Jerry's and Dean's daddies died trying to save many years ago.
I urge families to sit back and relax with a bowl of popcorn and just enjoy this comedy western classic.I give the film a strong 8 out of 10 rating.
Pardners is the 15th of the 16 feature length pictures that Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis made together.
It'a a reworking of the 1936 Bing Crosby film, Rhythm On The Range, which just like this remake was directed by Norman Taurog.
Plot sees the comedy duo playing sons of one time wild west partners.
Brought together by accident 25 years later, the boys head out west and get into all sorts of scrapes; with Jerry even becoming sheriff!
It was inevitable that Martin & Lewis would end up out west playing cowboys since all the comedy duos do it.
On the list of their collaborations Pardners probably sits some where in the middle, it's a safe mix of songs and buffoonery, with pretty girls represented by Jackie Loughery & Lori Nelson.
The Wind!" "Buckskin Beauty" and "Pardners," (music by Jimmy Van Heusen, lyrics by Sammy Cahn).Safe & colourful comedy fare for fans of the successful duo.
Considering when this was released, Pardners was an ironic title for this Martin & Lewis picture.
After years of just seeing parts of this Martin & Lewis movie, I finally watched the whole thing on YouTube.
As you can discern from the title, Dean & Jerry are in the old west.
Then, as their sons with the mother of Lewis (Agnes Moorehead) raising him back in New York to marry some Amazon woman but that son will have none of it.
Still, Jerry's as funny as he can be doing what he does here and Dean seems quite comfortable in his first of many times he would wear cowboy duds.
P.S. Despite the team mentioning at the end they plan to stay together in movies for years, by the time this was released in August of '56, they had already done their last performance in tandem the previous month.
I'd heard a lot of great things about the comedy pairing of Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin.
I'd seen Jerry Lewis in some other films before this (such as "The Nutty Professor" and "Rock-A-Bye-Baby") where he didn't really stand out as being a comedy legend, if anything he just seemed really annoying at points.However I wasn't going to let that get in the way of enjoying what I had heard was a great double act.But...
this movie kind of sucked.The most important thing that a comedy needs is to be funny, and unfortunately this doesn't quite hit the right mark.
Jerry Lewis screaming and whining in that voice of his gets irritating after a while, and pairing him with the rather subdued and (in my opinion anyway) boring Dean Martin doesn't help as there's no one around to rein him in.The story of this film feels like it was thought up five minuted before shooting began.
However I will give the writers some credit as they did try to add a little twist to it, but ultimately it doesn't work because you don't really care about what's happening.There's also this weird thing about an inter-generational family war which means that Dean Martin's character (a cowboy) and Jerry Lewis' character (a spoiled socialite who has always dreamed of being a cowboy) have to team up to stop the bad guys who are...
Either way, it was unnecessary and pointless and only served to waste time.Overall, this movie was a pretty big disappointment, but it wasn't completely awful.
Fun Martin & Lewis Film.
Pardners (1956)*** (out of 4)Our film starts off with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis playing Slim Moseley and Wade Kingsley who die protecting their ranch.
(Martin) stays out West where he eventually tries to save the ranch and he goes out East to track down Wade, Jr.
Wade, wanting to become a cowboy, follows Moseley out West and soon they are going up against a crooked gang who wants their land.I really wasn't sure what to expect from PARDNERS but it turned out to be one of the better Martin & Lewis movies even if it does borrow quite heavily from their film THAT'S MY BOY.
This film here benefits greatly from the beautiful Technicolor plus the fact that the two leads are surrounding by a very good supporting cast.
Plus, you can't help but enjoy seeing Martin in his first Western and especially when you consider the great things he did for the genre after the duo's split.As far as this film goes, Martin & Lewis were just built for the Western setting and both of them do a very good job here.
This character seemed like a legit one and I thought Lewis did a very good job.
Martin was perfect here as he gets some very good numbers throughout the picture including the title track, which is done with Lewis on a good Western set.The supporting cast includes fun performances from Lori Nelson, Jackie Loughery, Agnes Moorehead, Jeff Morrow, Lee Van Cleef and Lon Chaney in a small role.
The film has a lot of funny moments here including one very good sequence where Martin is having to fill in for Lewis during a fight while making sure the weak one gets the credit for it.
As I said, the Technicolor here looks terrific and I liked how the film played well as not only a comedy but also a Western..
1956's "Pardners" showed how the partnership of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis was not only fraying at the edges, it was beginning to crumble, with only "Hollywood or Bust" ahead before they finally split.
Here they finally turn to a Western spoof, and gather together an impressive cast of veteran heavies, such as Lon Chaney, Bob Steele, Lee Van Cleef, Douglas Spencer, and Jack Elam (relegated to a single line), all of whom are grievously wasted with virtually nothing to do but watch the gyrations of the tiresome Jerry Lewis.
A straight prologue depicting the demise of Dean and Jerry certainly sets a grim tone for the dreary remainder, as poor Dean has to try to save Jerry's hide whenever he gets into trouble, eventually made sheriff by the main bad guy, out to steal the heroine's ranch by marrying her as a last straw.
By the time the duo arrive out west to the ranch where their fathers died the picture is already half over, though not soon enough for this viewer.
The plot is quite simple: Dean Martin is the rodeo riding, singing cowboy, and foreman of a ranch.
Jerry Lewis is a rich kid who wants to become a real cowboy, and hence he becomes the clumsy (unwanted) sidekick of Dean Martin.
Oh, and for good measure there's some bad guys trying to take over the ranch, as well...If you expect "Cat Balou", don't watch this.
Also, the characters are just as simple as Stan and Ollie, just as loveable if you're a kid.As adult, I'd recommend to grab a "Cat Balou" tape instead, for a good classic western comedy..
This is the second to last film starring Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis--and so the title does seem a bit ironic!
The film begins with Dean and Jerry's fathers (played by them with powdered hair) dying in a shoot out with baddies.
One was a capable and manly cowboy (Martin) and the other a pampered mama's boy (Lewis) and they grow up not knowing each other.
However, when Martin meets with his old partner's widow (Agnes Moorehead) to try to get money for a prize bull, she refuses but her son (Lewis) decides to go west with Martin and learn to be a real he-man.
The rest of the film consists of Jerry acting wimpy and very goofy (perhaps too much so at times) and Martin being exasperated but loyal to his new friend who makes everyone (including Jerry) think he's a lot more rugged and brave than he really is.If you think about it, this plot is basically "That's My Boy" (an earlier and better Martin & Lewis film) all over again.
And, as a result of so much screen time for Jerry, Martin is mostly relegated to the background--and you can see how films like this ultimately pushed them to their dissolving their pardner-ship.By the way, this film also bears a strong similarity to the Bob Hope films "The Paleface" and "Son of Paleface".
Like every other comedy team, even the decidedly city-fied Martin & Lewis eventually had to put on chaps and kick up the sawdust.
And like most of these mergers of western and comedy teams, it doesn't generate much entertainment.
The ending tag of the film has Martin & Lewis speaking directly to the audience---pleading with their fans to keep coming to their movies (obviously the world knowing at the time that the pair were practically falling apart).
No matter: They only made one more movie after this junk, the equally second-rate 'Hollywood or Bust' (in which Martin no longer looks bored but actually angry)..
It was always interesting to me how the writers at Paramount managed to rework some of the plots of their old classics to fit Martin and Lewis.
In this next to last film Pardners, it's taken from the old Bing Crosby classic Rhythm On The Range.
They even managed to get the old director of Bing's film Norman Taurog to direct.Dean and Jerry are the sons of a pair of ranchers who were both killed in a range war.
Dean's parents stayed west, but Agnes Moorehead as Jerry's mom, went East, made a ton of money and raised Jerry as the tenderest tenderfoot ever.
He meets up with Jerry who 'helps' him out in his usual manner.Most of Rhythm on the Range involved Bing Crosby on the journey back west with Cuddles the bull and Frances Farmer where some romance develops.
Jerry's cousin Lori Nelson does this for Dean.
In fact according to the Nick Tosches biography on Dean Martin, the interest was off the screen as well.Jerry doesn't do too bad in this film either.
By that time Jerry's been made the sheriff and he's gotten the ire roused of one particular bad guy Jeff Morrow who thinks of Loughrey as his own.
Not without the usual broad comedic gags that are a Martin and Lewis specialty.Bing made out miles better in his film than Dino did in the song department.
In fact I'm An Old Cowhand would have been a great comic duet for both Dino and Jerry.Still the accent was on comedy rather than romance in Pardners and that is what Martin and Lewis do best..
This Martin & Lewis film is beautiful in full-color Vista-Vision!
It's set in the Old West, where Dean is managing a ranch and Jerry wants to be a cowboy...like their fathers, who were pals in the Old West at the same ranch.
Of course, in the old days and the new days there's a villain attempting to take over the ranch, and it's up to the boys to save the day.Dean has several great songs here.
The Wind!" is probably one of his best recordings during the Capitol years, and "Me 'n You 'n the Moon" is a very nice up-temp love song.
For Jerry there's "Buckskin Beauty", and for the boys together there's the title song...which is very nice, though ironic since this film was playing in theaters just about the time the duo had split up.
In terms of supporting actors, Agnes Moorehead is good as Jerry's mother, and Lori Nelson fine as Dean's love interest (though this is not big speaking part).
There are a number of familiar faces among the cowboys -- Jeff Morrow, Lon Chaney, Jr., Lee Van Cleef, Jack Elam, and Bob Steele.Incidentally, if you have a chance to watch "The Caddy" and "Pardners" in succession -- which I did yesterday and today -- wow, what a difference in Dean's body language and facial expressions.
You don't see that in "Pardners".All in all, a rather pleasant effort, and in my view one of the better of the Martin & Lewis pics..
It is one of the Best ones that Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin ever did.
It's about the west back when your great great great grandfathers were ranchers, and these two Lewis & Martin are so funny in this one.
Lewis & Martin are great in this one.
It's about Lewis trying to get away from a thug, and in doing so ends up posing as a teenager and going to the school that Martin is a teacher at...
A brilliant movie with Lewis & Martin.
I honestly thought at the beginning, Lewis and Martin were gonna look like old bucks throughout the whole movie but when they were suppose to be killed, I actually nearly cried.
However it wasn't the case after all because the old bucks were meant to be their father's and they just suddenly changed into their regular selves.I really loved the scenes of the old West, it does take you right back in time when cowboy movies were increasingly popular in the 50's and 60s.
This movie is such a gem, I honestly loved Lewis and Martin teaming up on this one!.
Pardners is a comedy set in the western.
The story starts in the old west when Slim and Wade is forced to defend, well not before they finish their checkers game ,their ranch and families from masked raiders.
The two don't meet until 25 years later, Slim is a capable foreman at the ranch but Wade is just a big kid ruled by his dictator (and successful businesswoman) mother.
Can Slim save the ranch and the accident prone Wade from himself?Supposed to be funny, a comedy based on the incompetent Wade, who can't help trip over himself.
The character of Wade is too over the top, too clumsy and frankly too stupid to be any fun.The tandem of Martin and Lewis certainly performed as they was directed to, but the character Wade is just too ridiculous.
And the tempo killing singing, mostly Dean's, even though beautiful, isn't helping. |
tt2061604 | Casey Jones | At the hockey rink, Casey's coach berates him again for body checking another player. His cousin, Sid then calls him a benchwarmer, causing Casey to hit him in the face with his hockey stick out of anger. The coach then kicks Casey off of the team. On his way home, Casey tosses all of his hockey stuff, except for his stick, away and then spots a boy spray-painting graffiti on his building. Casey chases the boy away and then heads to his house and asks his mom if he can stay with her for a while. When she accepts, Casey tries to fix the sink, but he ends up breaking it, causing it to rain in the kitchen.
That night, while cleaning the graffiti off of his building, the graffiti boy and his gang, The Purple Dragons, arrive and brutally beat him. Casey then crawls back into his house and falls asleep on the kitchen floor after he puts the tooth they knocked out back into his head. When he wakes up, his mom berates him for constantly getting into trouble. Casey tells her he got jumped, causing her to say that she's decided to sell the building and head back to Northampton. Casey promises to fix everything.
Over the next week, Casey starts training by lifting weights, jogging, hitting a punching bag, and smashing stuff at the local dump with his hockey stick while April O'Neil does a news report on the Lower East Side, a part of the city ruled by the Purple Dragons and other street gangs. After he finishes training, Casey makes himself a new hockey mask. That night, when Casey spots the Purple Dragons mugging a woman, he viciously attacks them until all of them except one are knocked unconscious. He beats the last one unconscious with a golf club and heads out into the city, where he spots two thugs breaking into a car. He swoops down and beats one of the thugs unconscious and then breaks the other's legs, but before he can finish him off, a man in a trench coat takes his bat. Casey takes out another weapon to finish the goon off when the coated man stops him again. Casey attacks the interloper, who is revealed to be a mutant turtle named Michelangelo. The two then fight, with Michelangelo gaining the upper hand. Michelangelo then lectures him for brutally beating thugs to death.
Mikey then tries to leave, when he's suddenly attacked by the Foot Clan. Casey and Mikey then team up to fight the ninjas, but when one of them scratches his mask, Casey takes out a sledgehammer and uses it to defeat the rest of the ninjas. Casey starts beating the last ninja standing when his mask comes off, revealing him to be Sid. Casey reveals himself to Sid, who tells him that they're only after Mikey, but Casey refuses to leave Mikey behind. Suddenly, Krang and more Foot ninjas arrive and surround Mikey and Casey. Sid then knocks Casey unconscious with Casey's own cricket bat. Mikey knocks Sid out and fights Krang and the ninjas off. Mikey takes Casey back to his lair in the sewers, where he's introduced to Leonardo, Raphael, and Donatello. April reports about Casey saving the woman.
Some time later, some goons steal a pizza from a pizza delivery boy and take it to an alley. One of the goons suggests they move somewhere else because he's scared of running into Casey Jones, but another goon assures him that Casey is just a myth. Casey shows up in some new armor and knocks the goons unconscious. Casey notices the strange toppings on the pizza and takes it back to the sewer lair where he gives it to the turtles. Casey assures the turtles that he went easy on the thugs. | violence | train | wikipedia | As a child of the late 80's/ early 90's I grew up watching the ninja turtles cartoon every week and became obsessed.
As I'm sure with most people I couldn't get enough.
Got the video game, action figures and of course the live action movies.
If you really like the movies and like the darker take of the comics then this short is an amazing complement to it.
It adds so much o the turtles mythos.
Just a chance to see Casey jones get pushed over the edge and take back his neighborhood back by force is amazing!
It really reminded me of an old school revenge movie, but in the turtles universe.
The other great thing is you also see a few people from the t.m.n.t. universe make cameos.Really wish this was the direction they were going instead of the Michael Bay crap that is coming out.
Kudos to all involved.
I saw this movie for free online on the official website and had to own it and proudly put it in my collection..
Casey Jones: The Psycopath.
I typically stay away from shorts from unknown directors, but being a long time TMNT fan I decided to give this one a shot.
Let me first start off by saying that it's obviously low budget, but this doesn't mean it's low in quality.
The acting (sans Michelangelo) is forced and bad, though the lead tends to do a much better job when he puts the mask on.
The script was dry and didn't have much substance to it.
However, the director was able to convey a bit of a darker side to Casey Jones.The fight scenes weren't bad, though Casey is most certainly violent.
There are a couple of scenes I found myself no longer rooting for him and instead seeing a vigilante that was really no better than the people he was protecting society from.
I'd check it out if you have 30 minutes, I think with a bigger budget and better actors, this director could go far with this idea..
Amazing.
The moment I heard there was a Casey Jones fan film, I rushed to find it.
The website itself is an eye-catcher, designed to totally give a gritty feel.
And the film, what can I say.
I was in awe at every moment.
I feel like the makers took the characters from the comics and movies I grew up loving and brought them to life in the best way possible!
Once Jones is an established character, you almost feel bad for the villains he's going to run into.
The actors brought such personality to the characters, and totally embody everything you know and love about them.
I could spend hours filling this up with flattering comments.
I'll just say that if you're a fan of the characters, and feel like you've been let down by some of the other adaptations, then this is the one for you.
It makes a fanboy feel proud that work like this can exist.
They got a fan out of me, and will out of you too when you watch it.
I'll even say this is one of the best fan films I've ever seen.
Simply incredible.
And very kick ass!
I very much hope to see more from these guys in the future!.
4 thumbs up what that movies dope wish it was longer.
this movie was good it reminds me of the black and white comics before the cartoon dark gritty i think the actor playing casey jones capture who casey joens was perfectly i really hope the director and the cast get credit for doing a great job wow lol i though it was right on point i like the color the acting the fighting the cameos it looked like the director knew his tmnt good job!!!!
make another one I don't want to spoil it but this is a greatfan made movie i wouldn't have called it that till i saw online fan made regardless its great.
Adds Nothing to the Story or Character of Casey Jones.
This was lame.
It was almost a shot for shot remake of the original TMNT.It adds nothing to the story or character of Casey Jones.
The only difference is that he is allowed to be more violent.
The scenes are all the same as seen in the movie, even most of the lines are repeated word for word.It's a low-budget do over that's even cheesier than original film.They tried to give a more realistic view of a violent vigilante, but all they did was add a bit more blood.
They added nothing to the character and nothing to the story..
Proving That Fans Can Put Hollywood to Shame.
Criminals of the lower east side, your days are numbered.
If fan films can provide an audience with this much quality, then Hollywood should consider its days equally numbered.
Blending both the gritty traditional style of Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book with the more playful 1980s animated series, this short fan film finds a fitting medium to tell Casey's origin.
Not unlike The Punisher (or even the original comics versions of the Turtles themselves), Casey is a man without mercy in a place where the law has turned its back.
The 1980s animated series made him a farcical Clint Eastwood.
The original live movies branded him a neutered Turtle sidekick.
The 2003 animated series gave him more edge but still held back.
Here, Casey is completely unbridled as the anti-hero he was meant to be.
He will make you cheer, but he won't shy away from making you cringe as well.
This short film is loaded with action and pays perhaps the most honorable tribute to the Turtles.
It isn't a Turtles story for your kids, but it is the perfect treat for any adult who grew up in the late 80s when the Turtles were at the height of popular culture.
The return of Robbie Rist, the original live action voice of Michelangelo, is a rare treat for a fan film.
The darker tone of the film makes Michelangelo a better fit than Raphael as Casey's first Turtle encounter, and their exchange reminds me of a classic Drunken Master teaching session.Superbly edited, exceptionally performed, and visually realistic, this is by far one of the most well-made fan films I have seen, second only perhaps to Batman: Dead End. Casey Jones looks like a big-budget feature without being one, and it delivers more in 35 minutes than most feature films today can muster in 2 and 1/2 hours.
If you are a fan of the Turtles...
If you are a fan of the Turtles...
or even a non-fan looking for a little action...
then by all means give this film a look if you have the chance..
casey jones uncensored.
this is an epic short movie, hilarion banks has brought to the screen an edgy true to life brutal casey jones.
I stumbled onto this movie by mistake but i tell you it was a happy accident because it blew me away!!!!
Hollywood should be ashamed because they don't bring out movies this good any more but i do hear that saw 17 is coming out originality anyone???
if you haven't seen this movie see it and if you have watch it again thank you polaris and hilarion banks for capturing the essence of a great casey jones.
and for turtles fans you might even see a turtle or two!!!!!thank you for casey jones!!!!!.
The new vigilante in town.
"Casey Jones" is an American 35-minute live action short film from 2011, so this one is already over 5 years old and it is among the most known career efforts by writer and director Polaris Banks.
His brother Hilarion plays the title character, a young man whose bloody encounter with a group of sprayer punks turns him (after recovery) into a vigilante fighting crimes on the streets at night.
So there is almost a bit of a Batman reference here.
But actually, the short plays in the universe of other really famous animal-related characters and it was a bit surprising to realize that way after halfway into the movie.
But it was all done good.
the visual side is convincing and all the characters, especially the non-humans ones look pretty good.
And story-wise, it was also a fairly good watch.
the film breathes new life into old successful formulas.
I liked it and there is certainly some cult potential to this one.
It's the level you want to achieve when you make a fan film really.
And you don't even need famous big name actors if your creative approach is a success in most other fields like this one here.
I thought it was an entertaining little film, even with over half a million clicks on Youtube still very much underseen and also underappreciated I guess.
There were moments when i was actually close to giving this one a 4 out of 5 really.
It is inspired, creative and fun to watch dellivering on both the comedic and dramatic front.
Make this one a little more known and go see it.
i give it a thumbs-up without hesitation.
Very much worth watching.
Shame they never followed up on it really with the ending looking in a way as if there was more to come.
But who knows maybe there will be more.
For a man in his mid-20s, this is certainly an achievement that even many film greats only could have dreamt of when they were that age.
Makes me curious about what Banks (also a voice actor in here by the way) has in story for us the coming years.
until then, watch this one here.
You won't regret it unless you really dislike the genre..
so the pizza guy....
if you'd like a review.
i thought the movie was decent for a low budget short.
however i think the violent portrayal of casey jones went a bit past comical into deranged.
and i just watched hostel 3.i know this meeting was already done in a turtles movie.
but this shows just a little bit more of how crazy casey jones can be.also..
the pizza delivery was from 'ninja pizza' i think a spoof on ninja burger.
an online hamburger delivery service provided by ninja.if that is the case, i think the director deserves some credit for tossing that in there."Guaranteed delivery in 30 minutes or less, or we commit Seppuku!"classic. |
tt0078488 | Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? | Natasha "Nat" O'Brien (Jacqueline Bisset) is a celebrated pastry chef invited to London to assist in preparing a state dinner for the Queen, organized by culinary critic Maximillian "Max" Vandeveer (Robert Morley). Natasha's ex-husband, Robert "Robby" Ross (George Segal), is a fast food entrepreneur ("the Taco King") serving the "everyman" consumer while she caters to the affluent. Max is the "calamitously fat" grand gourmand publisher of a gourmet magazine Epicurious and is patron of several famous European chefs, each renowned for a signature dish. When Natasha arrives, Max is gloating over his latest issue, featuring "the world's most fabulous meal," which highlights the culinary masterpieces of his favorite chefs. However, Max's health is failing from an addiction to those chefs' specialties. After completing the meal at Buckingham Palace, Natasha has a one-night fling with chef Louis Kohner (Jean-Pierre Cassel) whose speciality is baked pigeon in crust. The next morning, Natasha finds Louis dead in a 450° oven. After being questioned by Inspector Blodgett (Frank Windsor), Natasha and Robby depart for Venice, where Natasha is wooed by another chef, Fausto Zoppi (Stefano Satta Flores), whose speciality is a lobster dish. However, when turning up for their date at his kitchen, Natasha finds Zoppi dead in a tank of lobsters. After more questioning, this time by Venice police, Natasha receives a call from Robby to come to Paris to help prevent one member of a group of French chefs from being murdered. When they arrive, they hold a meeting discussing how Louis and Zoppi were killed and what to do next. Later that night, after a phone call from Max (who learns from Beecham (Madge Ryan) that Natasha is no longer in Venice, but in Paris staying with Robby), Natasha puts together what Louis and Zoppi had in common-- both made a dish featured in the aforementioned magazine article. It is now known that the next to be killed will be Jean-Claude Moulineau (Philippe Noiret), whose speciality is pressed duck. The disturbing fact is that Natasha will be the last to be killed, her speciality being a cake known as "Le' Bombe Richelieu." Robby tries to calm Natasha down by suspecting Max as the killer, with the motive that he was the one who selected Natasha, Louis, Fausto and Jean-Claude to be in the magazine, but Natasha believes the killer is really Auguste Grandvilliers (Jean Rochefort), with the motive that he was left off the list; however, when they attempt to call Moulineau to warn him, instead they receive a phone call from Grandvilliers that someone is at his restaurant. When they arrive, Robby and Natasha find Grandvilliers on a meat hook in the freezer, still alive. Meanwhile, Robby and Natasha begin falling in love again. The next morning, after being questioned by police, Natasha and Robby learn from Inspector Doyle (Tim Barlow) that Moulineau was killed after being pushed headfirst into a duck-press. Back in London, Natasha is set to be a guest on A Moveable Feast. Robby initially decides to stay with her to keep her safe. However, Robby and Natasha learn from Max that Blodgett called Beecham to inform her that Grandvilliers confessed to the murders, so Robby can head to Brussels. As he is heading to the airport, he's watching Natasha on TV and realizes that the cake that Natasha is set to light-- the cake Robby poked three holes into like a bowling ball-- was switched and now has a bomb inside it. He calls Blodgett to confront him about Grandvilliers' confession, only to learn no one confessed. That's when Robby once again suspects Max is the killer. He arrives at the TV studio and rescues her just in time, as 30-45 seconds later, the cake explodes on-air. In the end, the killer turns out to be not Max, as Robby suspected, but Beecham, Max's dedicated assistant whose motive was to kill the chefs in a vain attempt to keep Max on his severe diet by removing the focus of his addiction. In the final scene, Robby and Natasha get remarried. | murder | train | wikipedia | sheer comic delight from beginning to end.
This one is going to make it to the roster of all-time great comedies.
Its sheer classiness and the elegant level of its wit on both the verbal and visual level - so different from the crassness and vulgarity of much American comedy (the more so in recent years) - made me suspect an English touch, and sure enough, the Canadian-born director, Ted Kotcheff, made his career in the UK.
Jacqueline Bissett is a delight to the eye and George Segal makes a charmingly roguish screen presence; they work wonderfully off each other.
But Robert Morley - perfectly cast - runs away with the whole movie with his acerbically comic portrayal of the gourmet-cum-gourmand Max. The wonderfully funny food references throughout, and the gorgeous cinematography of European locales put the icing on this comic eclair.
And, just for good measure, first-time viewers will have a devil of a time trying to decide just who is killing the great chefs of Europe.
A must-see for connoisseurs of literate comedy..
A Meal of Murder.
"Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" offers up a tasty recipe, combining mystery with laughs.
This movie is peppered with colorful characters, such as Max, the snobbish English gourmand magazine editor, Robbie, the brash American fast food magnate, and a host of eccentric chefs.
And you also get a feast for the eyes, with colorful views of London, Paris and Venice, and lush images of haute cuisine.
This movie is satisfying, and perhaps will leave you hungry for more!.
Cooking up a delightful comedy murder mystery..
This is one of those often overlooked comedy gems, which people miss probably because of the title.
George Segal is a riot as the entrepreneur ex-husband of Pastry Chef Jacquline Bisset, who is chasing her around Europe to get her to be the Spokes person for his latest Food chain of restaurants called "H-Dumpty" Bisset's character is one of four chefs being honored by being invited to create part of a fabulous meal for the Queen of England, set up by a very Obese Robert Morley, as the acerbic and insulting Editor-in-chief and Publisher of a first class gourmet magazine.
But after the great dinner someone starts bumping off the four chefs in the manner of their own specialties.
The suspects include Segal and other envious chefs not invited to participate in the historic event.
Bisset becomes rather concerned when she realizes that she is the last name on the list.
From there the mayhem and madcap comedy ensues.
This is one of those rare comedies that doesn't become dated and stale over time.
The European air of this film keeps the pacing smooth and interesting and fortunately George Segal doesn't try to take over the picture.
Robert Morley is fantastic in a tour de force performance as the world's largest and greatest food snob-a total snot who lives very moment filled with food, dry wit and sarcasm.
The food looks great and one should definitely have snacks handy when indulging in this fine film.
I should note that this fine comedy can often be difficult to locate for viewing in the USA and I have never seen a sharp DVD print -- still this film will make you smile and laugh and is well worth seeking out..
The movie is a murder mystery and not a fashion show.
The mystery is the thing.Some of the greatest Chef's of England and the Continent are being murdered all around and no one knows why.
But everyone certainly knows how for all of them, whoops, wont tell more don't want to spoil any second of this movie.
But yep this is a real serious murder mystery alright!
The fun is in the timing, these are some of the best actors of the times.
They are all consummate actors, ACTING and creating the characters we either grow to love, hate, loath or find funny as hell.
BUT no matter how we react to them, they do what great actors do, they make the viewers really believe in them.The comedy and the black humor are a mix of Keystone Cops and Burns and Alan craziness.
Take it for the fun it is and enjoy the movie with friends.
A party is in order for this one, good wine, cheeses, fancy deserts and a little sinister fun..
I dimly remembered this culinary comedy from the late 70s withoutmuch affection, until a friend decided to bring along a video to beshown after a Thanksgiving dinner last year.
It's a great idea.
Stuffyourself and then take a movie break before dessert.
Thisis an adorable movie, and I don't know why it didn't strike me thatway the first time around.Maybe it was the horrible and dated costumes designed forJacqueline Bissett.
She looks like a cheap Vegas dancer here.
George Segal doesn't escape either, wearing jeans looking like hewas poured into them and cowboy hats, he looks like the sweetJewish boy he is, playing in Daddy's clothing.
The heart of the movie is the wonderful Robert Morely, who plays agleefully glutinous gourmand and food editor who between bitesinsults just about anyone coming towards him.
Morely is a total delight as the misanthropicepicurian monster.
The mystery isn't much of a mystery, and the chemistry betweenBissett and Segal doesn't appear to be setting off many sparks.
But you can waste your time on far worse things than this modestdelight, filmed all over Europe.
The food looks great, and oh thatnasty Morely!.
Feasting any way you look at it.
I noted that the only award recognition that Who Is Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe was from the Golden Globes with nominations for Jacqueline Bisset as Best Actess and Robert Morley as Best Supporting Actor.
That was a mistake because this film is totally dominated by Robert Morley giving him a great role to chew on literally.During the Sixties and Seventies Robert Morley became an international symbol of the United Kingdom with his commercials for British Airways and his promise that 'we'll take very good care of you' made to the world.
I have no doubt that the films he appeared in and some of them were dreadful got a bit more revenue at the box office with Morley's appearances.
But this film is far from dreadful.In fact if you like Robert Morley this film is a treat for his fans everywhere.
In this black comedy Morley plays a food critic who has the first requisite of being a food critic, he loves to eat.
But along with all that good eating comes some health problems and his doctor says he has to go on a diet or else.Right after that several of the chefs around Europe whose dish specialties have become Morley's favorites start dying in some very bizarre ways.
On the list is Jacqueline Bisset whose specialty is pastries as desserts and there is a special method of dispatch earmarked for her.
Never fear Jackie has a protector in George Segal who is restaurateur/tycoon and coincidentally happens to be once married to Bisset.
Can Segal figure it out, can the police figure it out, can he save the last of the great chefs?For all that you must watch the film.
But I guarantee that the laughs are there, the European photographed scenery is great, and Robert Morley is in top form.
For his fans especially, this film is a must.
A funny farce, failed by poor DVD product..
I loved this delightful farce, when it came out in the theaters, decades ago.
Segal, Bisset, and Morley, are a joy to watch.
The disc is not letterbox, nor closed captioned, there is NO Menu, and looks no better than a VSH tape.
The story is filled with fine foods, kitchen antics, and rapid fire funnies.
It was filmed on location all over Europe.
The grizzly murders,are shocking.
The many characters are played broadly, but then this a comedy.
Well worth your time..
Barely-inspired black comedy scrapes by on some snappy dialogue....
Famous European chefs are being bumped off in macabre ways; an American fast-food entrepreneur and his dessert-chef ex-wife try to find out who the killer is before she becomes the next target.
Screenwriter Peter Stone, working from the novel "Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" by Ivan and Nan Lyons, gets in some good repartee between the former marrieds, even though George Segal is only half-present (and at times resembles a waxworks figure) and Jacqueline Bisset lugs around some of the ugliest coats imaginable.
The supporting cast is under-used, and a midsection excursion to Venice (where Bisset interviews one of those pinching, flirty Italians) really drags its feet--not helped by the poor cinematography and the drab presentation.
The whole film is overcast and chilly, with exteriors that look crummy, however Stone's wit occasionally comes through and he does provide a satisfying final twist.
What murders?.
Everything I've read about this movie says someone is bumping off chefs.
I must've watched a different movie.
I sat through about half an hour of utterly unfunny nonsense and no one got bumped off (although, I wish they had), and finally my wife and I voted to turn it off.
So I have to confess that I never got to the part most of the other reviewers evidently found so funny and wonderful.
This is a shame, because I've always been a big fan of Robert Morley, so I really had high hopes.
But even Robert Morley was boring in the thirty minutes of this movie that I saw.
I've never liked George Segal and was hoping he'd be a chef and would get bumped off, but no such luck.
And what was the point of that girl who put together the bizarre food sculpture?
Was she one of the iced (ha ha) chefs?
So, with apologies to all of you who absolutely loved this movie, I regret to say it didn't even make a decent appetizer.
One of my favorite movies.
I saw "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" in its original run in U.S. theaters.
I was nine years old, but my mother used to drag me to any movie she wanted to see whether it was "child-friendly" or not.
I loved this movie then and have enjoyed every repeat viewing since.
It's a stylish, frothy romantic comedy with a little bit of murder mystery (nothing that will tax your brain), sumptuous gourmet meals and elegant locales, and bitingly witty dialogue --mostly from the incredibly funny Robert Morley.
The film revolves around two ex-spouses: world-renowed pastry chef Natasha (Bisset) and crass, wealthy fast food tycoon Robby (Segal), who re-unite to try to solve the caper when top chefs are knocked off around the capitals of Europe.
They travel from London to Venice to Paris and back again, encountering an array of melodramatic, egotistical and hilarious chefs along the way, played by well-known European character actors (Philippe Noiret, Jean-Pierre Cassel, etc.).
Bisset's clothes, designed by Donfeld, don't date very well, but it was the '70s.
She looks gorgeous nonetheless.
The lighting in this film is perfume-ad soft.
Some of the scenes where the chefs, especially Bisset, prepare their specialties make you want to jump through the screen.
At nine, I never knew food could look like that!
This movie is a few decades old, but retains its glamour and wit.
Look for a very young Nigel Havers in a minor part early on..
I love this movie and I loved it when I first saw it come out back in 1978.
It has dated well and I am amazed - astounded if you will - by the lack of love a film like this has received on here.
Sure it has mostly good reviews, but it(at this point in time) has only 10 reviews.
That is all a film like this with an incredibly witty script, a couple A-listers like George Segal and beautiful Jacqueline Bisset, a catchy musical score by Henry Mancini, artful comedic direction by Ted Kotcheff, and a Tour-De-Force performance by Robert Morley - alone reason enough to see this film.
All the previous reasons I listed make this film a whole lot of fun.
Kotcheff has skills and creates a solid mystery amidst some pretty funny situations and even more importantly really witty dialog.
There are a couple of scenes(okay, the food fight scene near the beginning of the film) that are a little too over-the-top, but how about the zippy repartee between Segal and Bisset(did I mention how absolutely gorgeous she is?) What about the wonderful character acting by the likes of Jean-Pierre Cassel and one of the dead chefs or that of Phillipe Noiret or Madge Ryan or Jean Rochefort or even some small character parts like those played by Gigi Proietti as an Italia detective, Frank Windsor as an irritable Scotland Yard inspector, Peter Sallis and an irritable French chef, Joss Ackland as a snooty chef working for the queen, or John Le Mesurier as a doctor to Max, the obese, gluttonous, selfish gourmand whose magazine published an article about the world's most fabulous meal.
This meal and its quartet of chefs become targets for a killer out to kill the great chefs of Europe in the style of their own expertise.
The mystery part created by Ivan and Nan Lyons is wonderfully weaved and wonderfully written for this film and its great performances are all pulled together by the wit it generates.
And most of that wit is carried on the gargantuan shoulders of Robert Morley as max who utters lines with perfection.
I can watch this film again and again if for no other reason than to see/hear Morley's performance.
Morley is a treat to see as he makes himself even more huge in a larger -than-life role as Max. Just listen to that speech he gives in the doctor's office about every fold of his fat being a brush-stroke and every chin a concerto.
Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?
is a fun, exciting film mixing comedy with class..
"Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" is a True Delight!.
Without the well-fed likes of Robert Morley as an elephantine gourmet, "First Blood" director Ted Kotcheff's "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe," a lively whodunit with class, wouldn't be half as much fun.
Morley commands attention throughout with his witty dialogue and his snobbishly insouciant sense of over-refinement.Early in the movie, Max (Robert Morley of "When Eight Bells Toll") grimaces when his physician advises him to diet or die!
Instead of shock, Max registers a pained look of indignation on his cherub's face that is genuinely funny.
"I am precisely what I am," Max explains, "because I have eaten my way to the top." As the title implies, the plot concerns a menu of murdered chefs and other unjust desserts, all of which are deliciously served up.
When several chefs are found cooked in their own cuisines, dessert chef Natasha (Jacqueline Bisset of "Bullitt" in an array of chic attire) learns that her fellow bakers were dispatched the way you would dine.
This means she's the next to die, but not if her fast foods expert and ex-husband, Robby (George Segal of "Where's Poppa?") can help matters.Robby and Natasha set off to solve the mystery on cooked corpses that leads them across Europe.
The action is set against the scenic cities of London, Paris, and Venice, all of which lenser John Alcott has filmed in bright but somber colors that prove a visual feast for the eyes.Kudos are in order for Canadian helmer Ted Kotcheff.
Although several ghastly murders occur, he keeps the gore off-screen and leaves it to your imagination.
He also keeps the mystery unreeling at a breathless pace, building up a full head of suspense along the way as the murderer closes in for the big kill.The entire cast here is in fine comic form, and their timing and dialogue delivery are impeccable.
Overall, "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe" is a very stylish exercise in serio-comic murder mysteries a la Agatha Christie..
Delightfully offbeat comedy-mystery.
This is one of those films that grow on you gradually.
In the first 20 minutes or so, it is a straight comedy and it feels rather forced; Robert Morley may be ideally cast as the obese and pompous food critic, but his pomposity comes dangerously close to obnoxiousness.
The film starts to get better when the mystery elements are introduced, and the comedy becomes more satirical (the French top chefs welcome their own murders if they will prove that they were the best of their profession!); the offbeat mix of genres ultimately works, perhaps because it IS so offbeat - it pushes you a little out of your comfort zone.
George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset share a wonderfully quirky chemistry - neither of them is particularly likable as a character individually, but somehow they make a very likable couple!
This is perhaps the first time I've seen the classy Bisset do comedy, and she gives more snap to some of her lines than there is on paper (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's one of her own favorite performances, because it relies only minimally on her looks).
At the end, even Morley's character becomes sort of endearing.
Oh, and another great score by Henry - "Pink Panther" - Mancini.
A funny little comedy,which does not equal "theater of blood" ,which also featured Robert Morley (and his two puppy doggies).But there's a lot of fun guaranteed for all,and no misogyny,cause they included a woman (Jacqueline Bisset and her delicious "Bombe Richelieu" ) Best scene:Bisset,after a night in bed with Jean -Pierre Cassel wakes up and says: " It smells good!What are you cooking?" ,and ,horrified, realizes that it's her lover who simmers in the oven.Excellent international cast,including two French luminaries Jean Rochefort and the late Philippe Noiret and George Segal,and great filming on, location,particularly Venice. |
tt0425601 | Trailer Park Boys: The Movie | Julian (John Paul Tremblay) plans to steal money from an automated teller machine (ATM). He gets his two best friends, Ricky (Robb Wells) and Bubbles (Mike Smith) to help him succeed in the operation and get rich. However, the plan does not go accordingly and they are chased by the police. Bubbles runs off and is spared by the cops while Ricky and Julian are arrested and get sent to jail for an 18-month term.
Donny, (Gerry Dee), the jail instructor, kicks Ricky and Julian out of jail 26 days early in order to prevent Ricky from playing goalie for a rival team, giving Donny and his team a chance to win an upcoming jail street hockey tournament. Ricky and Julian are picked up by Bubbles and Ricky's father, Ray (Barrie Dunn) and brought back to Sunnyvale Trailer Park, only to be greeted by the trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey (John Dunsworth) and his shirtless, cheeseburger-loving assistant, Randy (Patrick Roach).
Ricky decides to get back with his girlfriend Lucy (Lucy DeCoutere) and become a better father to his daughter, Trinity. However, Ricky learns from Lucy's friend Sarah (Sarah Dunsworth) that Lucy has a new job at a strip club and she also got new breast implants and her boss, Sonny (Hugh Dillon)(the owner of the club) is a dangerous man. After leaving the strip club, the boys decide to do "The Big Dirty", a crime that will allow them to retire from their criminal lives.
Julian and his new girlfriend, Wanda (Nichole Hiltz), go to the movies on their first date. While waiting in the snack line, Julian sees a money machine filled with change and believes he has found the "Big Dirty" and informs Ricky and Bubbles of the plan.
Ricky returns to the strip club and discovers that Lucy and Sonny have had sex twenty-eight times, enraging Ricky and forcing him to leave. As a party at J-Roc (Jonathan Torrens)'s trailer ensues back at the park, Ricky listens to April Wine as Lucy arrives and says that it was a lie and she only had sex with Sonny five or six times. Ricky proposes to Lucy at J-Roc's party and she says yes, she then proceeds to get drunk and flash the entire crowd at the party.
Lahey, in the area to post a condemned notice, destroys Bubbles' shed and lies to trailer park owner Barb Lahey (Shelley Thompson) that Ricky, Julian and Bubbles' lot fees are three months unpaid and after police intervene in a scuffle they accept they must vacate in thirty days. To keep themselves in Sunnyvale, the boys decide to do the Big Dirty at the movie theatre, but things go wrong when Julian's cohorts Cory (Cory Bowles) and Trevor (Michael Jackson) pull the fire alarm. Rick and Julian succeed in escaping, and take the money from the machine accomplishing their mission.
At Ricky and Lucy's wedding, Sonny confronts them both with a handgun and shoots at Ricky's car causing the money to fall out through the bullet holes in the trunk. Police Officers George Green and Ted Johnston arrest Sonny and Wanda and leave, but Lahey sees the money falling out of the car and tries to chase the boys to capture them. Lahey and Randy flip their car and the cops crash into Ricky's car, causing the money to fly out.
In court Ricky demands Lahey should use a breathalyzer to see if Lahey is drunk or not and prove his testimony worthless. Lahey is revealed to be drunk and the boys are proclaimed innocent by the judge. The prosecutor also remarks that since there is no evidence of the money having been taken illegally, he grants that the money will be returned to the boys. A victorious Ricky tells off Lahey but this causes the prosecutor threatens to put Ricky in jail for a week for his foul behaviour. Ricky then asks Lucy and Trinity if they mind that he returns to jail for a short time, which they approve, leading Rick to tell off the entire court and he is arrested and sentenced to one week in jail, allowing him to play in the hockey tournament along with Cory and Trevor. The team succeeds in winning and beating Donny's team, and Cory and Trevor become the highlight of the prison after "pantsing" Donny in front of everyone, embarrassing him and gaining them popularity among the other prisoners. | cult, comedy, humor | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0326101 | Seinto Seiya: Saishu Seisen no Senshi-tachi | The story focuses on an orphan named Seiya who was forced to go to the Sanctuary in Greece to obtain the Bronze Cloth of the Pegasus constellation, a protective armor worn by the Greek goddess Athena's 88 warriors known as Saints. Upon awakening his Cosmos, the power of the Saints which is an inner spiritual essence originated in the Big Bang, Seiya quickly becomes the Pegasus Saint and returns to Japan to find his older sister. Because his sister disappeared the same day Seiya went to the Sanctuary, Saori Kido, the granddaughter of Mitsumasa Kido (the person who sent all the orphans to train) makes a deal with him to go to fight in a tournament called the Galaxian Wars. In this tournament, all the orphans who survived and became Bronze Saints must fight to win the most powerful Cloth: The Sagittarius Gold Cloth. If Seiya goes to compete there and wins, Saori would start a search to find Seiya's sister.
The tournament is interrupted by the revengeful Phoenix Bronze Saint, Ikki, who wishes to eliminate track from the people who forced him undergo his training. He steals parts from the Sagittarius Cloth and eventually fights against the remaining Bronze Saints: Seiya, Shun (Ikki's brother), Shiryū, and Hyōga, to complete it. Upon Ikki's defeat, the Bronze Saints are attacked by the Silver Saints sent by the Sanctuary's Pope to eliminate them. When they remain victorious, the Bronze Saints learn that Saori is Athena's reincarnation and that the Pope once tried to kill her as a baby. The Sagittarius Gold Saint Aiolos saved Saori but was killed shortly afterwards and gave Saori to her adopted grandfather, Mitsumasa Kido. Deciding to join forces with Saori, the Bronze Saints go to the Sanctuary to defeat the Pope, but upon their arrival, Saori is severely wounded by a gold arrow from a Silver Saint. Believing the Pope may be able to heal her, the Bronze Saints go to find him. To do so, they have to go through 12 temples, each one guarded by one Gold Saint (the most powerful Saints of Athena). Following several battles, Seiya gets to the Pope's temple and learns that he is the Gold Saint Gemini Saga, who in his madness killed the real Pope to obtain more power. With help from his friends' Cosmos, Seiya is able to knock out Saga and use the shield from Athena's statue to heal Saori. Shortly afterwards, Saga, having come to his senses, commits suicide as a self-punishment.
In the second story arc, the Greek god Poseidon reincarnates within the body of Julian Solo, the heir to a rich and powerful family, who follows his will of flooding the Earth. Saori goes to his Temple, where Julian offers her to reduce the flooding by absorbing the water inside the Oceans' Central Pillar. Following Saori, Seiya, Hyōga, Shun and Shiryū go to Poseidon's underwater Temple and are confronted by his underlings, the Marines. As Seiya, Hyōga, and Shiryū make their way to Julian, Ikki learns that the mastermind behind this war is Saga's twin, Gemini Kanon, who is manipulating Poseidon. During the final battle, Poseidon's spirit awakes within Julian and manages to defeat his opponents. Saved by the Saints from the Pillar, Saori seals Poseidon's soul within her amphora.
The third and last arc follows how Hades, the Underworld god, is freed from his seal and revives the deceased Gold Saints and the Pope Aries Shion, and alongside some of his 108 Specters, sends them to the Sanctuary to kill Athena. The remaining Gold Saints serving Athena are able to subdue the enemies, but Saori then commits suicide. This act is instead meant to directly send her to the Underworld to face Hades, and the Bronze Saints follow her. Shion reveals that the revived Gold Saints' true intentions were of giving Saori her own Cloth, and gives it to Seiya's group before dying once again. In the Underworld, as the Saints fight Hades' Specters, Shun is possessed by Hades. Saori reaches Hades and expels his soul from Shun's body. Hades then takes Saori to Elysium, and the five Bronze Saints follow them. In the final fight against Hades and his two followers, Hypnos and Thanatos, the Saints gain the strongest God Cloths and use them to aid Saori in defeating Hades. However, Seiya also sacrifices himself by receiving one of Hades' attacks, and the Saints return to Earth with his body. | violence | train | wikipedia | Fallen Angels Versus Saints. This was the fourth Saint Seiya movie, and for a long time (Before the Hades Chapter got animated) was the last done about this anime.Like the other three previous Saint Seiya movies, this has a very interesting premise, introducing some new elements to the story: The use of motifs related to Christianity (Instead of Greek or Norse myths) certainly had lots of potential to exploit...I mean, the idea of the seeing the beloved characters from one my favorites childhood series fighting against Lucifer and his fallen angels sounded as something too awesome for words.Too bad that final the result wasn't so awesome as it sounded or as it could have been: This movie follows exactly the same formula used in the previous three movies, being predictable and clichéd, with almost nothing of character development.The participation of the Golden Saints on this movie was way too short and disappointing. Some old enemies reappear briefly in this movie, but instead of showing their characteristic personalities, they are reduced to be one-dimensional villains who laugh a lot.What could have been an epic story ends being something bland and forgettable. Sure, the animation and the designs were good (And the music was beautiful) but those virtues aren't enough to compensate the many flaws that this movie has. |
tt0047795 | Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy | Two Americans, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who are stranded in Cairo, Egypt, happens to overhear Dr. Gustav Zoomer (Kurt Katch) discussing the mummy Klaris, the guardian of the Tomb of Princess Ara. Apparently the mummy has a sacred medallion that shows where the treasure of Princess Ara can be found. The Followers of Klaris, led by Semu (Richard Deacon), overhear the conversation along with Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor), a businesswoman interested in stealing the treasure of Princess Ara.
Abbott and Costello go to the doctor's house to apply for the position to accompany the mummy back to America. However, two of Semu's men, Iben (Mel Welles) and Hetsut (Richard Karlan), murder the doctor and steal the mummy just before Abbott and Costello arrive. The medallion has been left behind, though, and is found by Abbott and Costello, who attempt to sell it. Rontru offers them $100, but Abbott suspects it is worth much more and asks for $5,000, which Rontru agrees to pay. She tells them to meet her at the Cairo Café, where Abbott and Costello learn from a waiter that the medallion is cursed. They frantically try to give it to one another (the Slipping the Mickey routine from The Naughty Nineties), until it winds up in Costello's hamburger and he swallows it. Rontru arrives and drags them to a doctor's office to get a look at the medallion under a fluoroscope. However, she cannot read the medallion's inscribed instructions, which are in hieroglyphics. Semu arrives, claiming to be an archaeologist, and offers to guide them all to the tomb. Meanwhile, Semu's followers have returned life to Klaris.
They arrive at the tomb, where Costello learns of Semu's plans to murder them all. Rontru captures Semu, and one of her men, Charlie (Michael Ansara), disguises himself as a mummy and enters the temple. Abbott follows suit by disguising himself as a mummy, and he and Costello rescue Semu. Eventually all three mummies are in the same place at the same time, and the dynamite that Rontru intends to use to dig up the treasure detonates, killing Klaris and revealing the treasure. Abbott and Costello convince Semu to turn the temple into a nightclub to preserve the legend of Klaris and the three criminals who wanted to steal the treasure are presumably arrested. | cult, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0077532 | FM | QSKY radio station manager/program director Jeff Dugan (Michael Brandon) builds a large fan base by assembling a group of charismatic DJ personalities playing popular rock and roll. He soon finds that corporate management expects Jeff to use the station's position atop the ratings to sell more advertising time. (Jeff Dugan is based loosely on Mike Herrington, the program director of Los Angeles radio station KMET while writer Sacks was working there.)
The conflict grows until sales manager Regis Lamar (Tom Tarpey) presents him with the chance to advertise for the U.S. Army using a series of cheesy radio ads. When Jeff refuses to endorse the contract, Regis takes the issue to upper management. Jeff is then ordered to run the ads as provided by the Army and on the schedule specified in the advertising contract. Rather than comply, Jeff quits his job.
All of the remaining DJs decide to take control of the station in a sort of lock-in/sit-in/protest. They get listeners to gather in the street outside the station as a sort of protest while the DJs play music without any commercials.
Jeff Dugan wakes up to hear the DJs take control of the station. The crowd is already present when he arrives at the station. The DJs lift him up to the second storey with a fire hose as they have already barricaded the front doors.
The lock-in lasts only until the police get an injunction to remove the staff. A tow truck rips off the front doors and the police enter the building. The DJs battle back using a fire hose and throwing tapes and other office objects at the police.
The battle is resolved when Jeff Dugan finds himself fighting a policeman outside on an overhang. Jeff saves the policeman from falling off and decides that fighting is the wrong thing to do. He calms the crowd and announces that the DJs are coming out.
Unknown to him, the company owner, Carl Billings (Norman Lloyd), has watched from the crowd as the events unfolded. He insists that the DJs stay in the station, fires his management staff responsible for the advertising conflict, and then joins the DJs inside the station. | satire | train | wikipedia | Turn Your Radio On. It may not be a cinematic masterpiece, but the 1978 movie FM has something going for it as, admittedly in its dated late 1970s way, it somehow foresaw the corporate turn that the radio media would take in years to come.
In essence, this is the classic rock response to the disco onslaught of Saturday NIGHT FEVER.Michael Brandon is Jeff Dugan, the program director at QSKY radio in Los Angeles who oversees an on-air staff of wild and crazy disc jockeys (Alex Karras; Cleavon Little; Eileen Brennan; Cassie Yates; Martin Mull) that, through playing what the L.A. populace wants to hear and with limited commercial interruptions, has made the radio station Number One in the second largest media market in the nation.
Maybe the idea that a radio station's staff would rail against corporate interference sounds a bit daft, but the notion that a big conglomerate (Clear Channel, for example) would turn a radio station into one big box in which the music is only the filler between attempts to part listeners from their hard-earned money isn't so easy to laugh at anymore.FM has a lot going for it.
And for another, that wall-to-wall soundtrack of what we now call classic rock is enhanced by actual concert footage of Jimmy Buffett and Linda Ronstadt.
And Linda, normally a very stage-shy performer, asserts herself boldly on searing renditions of "Tumbling Dice" and "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me", then pays a heartfelt tribute to Elvis by doing the King's 1956 classic "Love Me Tender."I can't help but give FM a rating of "7" because it reminds one of what the radio was like before corporate interference and MTV began to slowly corrupt and destroy it, and because it is an interesting time capsule of life in Los Angeles at the end of the 1970s..
The background music is just right and the concert appearances of Jimmy Buffett and Linda Ronstadt add to the late 1970s atmosphere.
Despite what other reviews have stated, Tom Petty does NOT appear in concert, he's being interviewed at the radio station.
Despite this, the movie is quite charming and for me, poignant, because it manages to capture something about the now-departed era when rock music and FM radio were a cultural force to be reckoned with.
In a time when music listeners are far more likely to be isolated in their iPod headphones, it's somewhat painful to realize what has been lost in music in terms of the communal listening experience that a locally-run, idiosyncratic radio station provided.
When the plot briefly passes through the Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard --- now as lost to the ages as the library at Alexandria --- you are confronted with the fact that the entire culture of rock n' roll that many of us grew up with at the center of our lives -- radio, record stores, and arena concerts -- is essentially a thing of the past.
Even though this isn't a great movie, it does a great job of taking you back in time to that era.The soundtrack is pretty middle of the road, but it's good to hear songs that the years have ground into mush briefly re-contextualized into their natural habitat.
I can't think of a better way to hear a lot of late 70's radio fodder ("Baby Come Back"; Billy Joel) than within the confines of this movie..
A film with a great soundtrack of the late 70's rock era although it belies the lyrics from the title song where Steely Dan sings about setting the mood for getting it on with a girl with funk and reggae because there is no funk or reggae in the movie.
The film has a simple premise in the radio station staff rebels over the commercialization of what is a commercialized business to begin with.
This is not a public or college station but regular commercial station but they take on the corporate world in a strike against the stations plans to be top 40 rock rather than free-form album rock with non-stop music and enlist their listeners help in their fight against the man.
It does feature a great soundtrack in music by Steely Dan, The Eagles, Boston, Steve Miller, Boz Scaggs, Tom Petty, Bob Seger, Joe Walsh, The Doobie Brothers, Queen, Billy Joel, Walter Egan, Foreigner, Reo Speedwagon, and concert footage of Jimmy Buffett and Linda Ronstadt.
It debuted on screens in the spring of 1978 and is a great snapshot and soundtrack of the late 70's rock radio.
Great film, only if you like flicks about Radio.
The characters in this movie remind me of many of my fellow co-works, on many levels.The film's plot centers on Station Manager and Morning Man Jeff Dugan.
This movie includes a good musical soundtrack, with bits of songs that were big in the 70's.
"FM" was excellent and reflected a wild time in radio, when there was some pretty weird music out there and some great ones too!.
As someone who works in "the business", I did notice that FM has its share of inaccuracies and things that don't quite work...big whoop...do not let those deter you from enjoying a movie that has been underrated and under-appreciated...with a cast that works well together and a killer soundtrack, FM tracks the musings of a station in LA that takes its music and its audience seriously...without commercial interruption...Michael Brandon is superb as the hero, Jeff Dugan...
Martin Mull is great as an over-the-top DJ, Eric Swan...Eileen Brennan as Mother, the late Cleavon Little as the Prince of Darkness, and Cassie Yates as Laura Coe make up an air staff that I would love to work with...the bad guys are Albert Driscoll, a company exec who doesn't understand anything beyond the bottom line, Regis Lamar, a "flunky" salesman who is doing what he's being told- even though he tries to understand what the radio people are doing, and Michael J Carlyle, a greasy radio exec not unlike a few in radio...and all through the movie, the fact that it is fun to work in radio is very evident...one note...Alex Karras as the Cowboy is a little bit of miscasting...not sure why he was put in there other than his character was in the book...but overall the quality and flow is excellent...and, as its catchphrase goes, "no static at all"...for those of you who are historians of radio, you will love the dual mikes they use at QSKY...brings back the memories...you're probably going to have to find the movie online somewhere, since it's unusual to locate it in a rental store, but it is a nice addition to a library...and try to find a brand new copy...WITH the poster!.
This movie is the story of one LA FM station, they play cool music, promote cool concerts and take over the station when things go wrong for them.
It's hard to want to recommend this movie, if you are interested in the time and the music back then, definately go see this.
While it's true that, as others have stated in previous user comments, it's a pleasant comedy and others who have worked in radio like I did have said it reminds them of people they worked with (as it did for me), I feel that this movie was an important statement about the direction rock radio was taking in the mid to late 70's.
Good concert footage of Jimmy Buffet and Linda Ronstadt give a sense of what live concerts were at the time.
Martin Mull is a hoot as the egotistical and somewhat child like disc jockey Eric Swan and the great Eileen Brennan makes a lot out of her small part as the world weary DJ Mother.
The Movie can be a bit slow in places, but it chillingly fore tells the coming doom of radio under corporate control, over commercialization, and the stripping of the Jocks influence and power.
Nice musical performances from Linda Ronstadt who was actually played on Rock Radio then, and Jimmy Buffett.
F.M. to me, accurately depicts the internal situations and wrangles of a radio station - called Q-SKY in this instance - during the late 1970s, in a tongue-in-cheek way.
Especially good is Michael Brandon as the maverick new station boss, who's almost late for his first day at work.
Along with other members of the cast like Cassie Yates, James Keach, Martin Mull, and the late Cleavon Little as The Prince, it's quite clear that they are all performing with their tongues firmly lodged into their collective cheeks.The soundtrack is very impressive, and I'm someone who doesn't really like rock.
Linda Rondstadt (not my cup of tea) appears at one funny point in the film, in which the station 'illegally' broadcasts her in concert.
But best of all is the music played in the background, which includes artists like Michael MacDonald, The Doobie Brothers, and Fleetwood Mac. Steely Dan's title track also helps to set up the pace and tone of the film.Ultimately however, the idyllic atmosphere of the station is about to change, as some of the DJ's become dissillusioned with what they are doing, and interference from the station owner and managers causes all the employees to stage a revolt.
I remember one station had what was called side Sunday, where they would play one entire side about 4-7 songs from an album, uninterrupted.This movie catches that spirit of the fight for the soul of radio.
Eileen Brennan is especially good as the burnt out and weary mother character.I guess the real sad ending is that the force of the spirit of radio may win the battle but, in the long run they lose the war, the number crunchers win out and destroy the that goose that lays the golden egg..
No Static at All. This movie, and its soundtrack is the history of late 70's classic rock 101.
And behind the music portrayed a Los Angles radio station with a band of misfits, and its eccentric station manager who wanted to run the station with a college style and no commercials.
All I can say, is that it is such an accurate portrayal of the pre-Clear Channel debauchery-that which illustrates all that was a good and simple way of music life, and what we were fortunate enough to live, breath, be molded by, and experience during radio privatization (long since gone).
The music is wonderful, the characters are over-the-top groovy, funky cuteness incarnate, and Martin Mull, as I remember, is overtaken with lust as he nails a gal with some interesting pigmentation issues in the control room.It's all so much silly, military-industrial complex-bashing nonsense with Michael Brandon running a purist, anti-profit rock station in LA, fending off corporate bigwigs, Army sponsors, and a rival station that has .
It's full of lovers of pure music, cartoon-like baddies, and cameos by Jimmy Buffett, REO Speedwagon, and a dazzling Linda Ronstadt, who belts out "Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me" at a simulcast-concert (making the speakers on your TV cry out in ecstasy).FM is ridiculous twaddle, but it's my decade .
As it turns out, this movie inspired me as a 15 year old to get into the radio business.
I've even owned a couple of stations myself along the way, and I've made a pretty good living in radio markets of all sizes.As you can imagine, my perceptions of Jeff Dugan and his devoted crew have changed somewhat over the years...and now, to me, what they're railing about in this movie as the "evils of commercialism" just aren't all that "evil" after all.
No one who's spent more than a couple of days in a professional radio station could possibly escape that fact.The movie is full of little mistakes that lead me to believe that perhaps the screenwriters really didn't know too much about radio.
If you want to be transported back to a time when the worst problem you had was over-commercialization on your favorite radio station, then sit back and enjoy.I just wish that, as good as this soundtrack was, they'd re-release this film on DVD.
I didn't particularly find the wacky DJs charming, while the live concert scenes with Tom Petty, Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffett aren't anything special (they have nothing to do with the story, anyway).
One of the best "radio" movies of all time.
I enjoyed all of the concert footage in the film (mostly Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffet), but the comedy wasn't good, and the story was just plain awful.You've probably already read the synopsis so I'll spare you the details.
In fact, WKRP (which was being created at the same time as the movie FM) made much better comedy from virtually the same raw material.As for the premise, I found it patently hypocritical that FM station employees would be so offended at the idea of commercializing their station with ads, when that's in fact exactly what they do for a living.
In fact, I think it's a great deal for the radio audience; we get to sample the songs, and even fall in love with them before we decide to buy the recording.But the holier-than-thou attitude displayed in this movie is very disappointing.
At one point in the film, Tom Petty (whom I love) is brought into the booth to be interviewed by the DJ while they play tracks from his latest album, "Damn the Torpedoes." Meanwhile, the station manager is trying his hardest to prevent commercials from airing on "his" radio station.I wanted to shout, "Hey, dude!
There's a commercial for Tom Petty's album playing on your station right now!
Nice flick from the late seventies; watch for great songs from Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffett.
Jeff (Michael Brandon) is the manager for a very popular radio station in Los Angeles.
For his part, Jeff pulls off quite a feat by airing a Linda Ronstadt concert live which was sponsored by a different radio station!
The live performance by Tom Petty is unmemorable, and Linda Ronstadt, well, um...she was pretty to look at.The soundtrack, which was a major selling point for the film at the time, is loaded down with 70's smarm from "artists" like Billy Joel and the Buckingham/Nicks version of Fleetwood Mac. The fashions and hairstyles are hilarious and embarrassing.
If you were there and want to reminisce, or, if you wanna see what it was like during a time when 'the people' REALLY controlled the airwaves, FM is the movie for you.Plus...
you can't beat the music and the performances by artists and stars of the era.IF YOU LIKE ROCK 'N ROLL and YOU BELIEVE THAT IT WILL LIVE ON FOREVER, then, "FM" IS THE MOVIE FOR YOU!.
It did not seem to drag in the concert portions as much; in fact, it seemed like a much shorter movie than I remembered all around.Then it dawned on me that I hadn't seen a few of the scenes I was anticipating...so I started trying to figure out what I must have seen several years back.
And if they thought they had problems with tight corporate control THEN...they never anticipated what radio would become in thirty more years after that movie was made.
In a technical sense, radio wasn't even like the movie depicts at the time it was made (1978).
For the next twenty minutes, through a handing-off of various turns at the mic - as we meet each disc jockey working at the little-guy radio station playing wall-to-wall music - the good times continue to roll.
The cool, down-to-earth boss (Michael Brandon), also a DJ, fights to keep the airwaves commercial free, providing the dream radio station "for the people".The neverending (airwave) tunes are great, the live performances pretty good, and the eclectic cast of disc jockeys are decent enough - including Martin Mull, Cleavon Little, Cassie Yates, Alex Karras and Eileen Brennan - but the initial spontaneous fun (reminiscent of CAR WASH) is soon marred by a story involving villainous corporate goons forcing Army commercials on the station, turning a laidback character-study into typical underdog vs big business fare...
I just watched FM for the first time in almost 29 years, and while I certainly can't say it's a bad movie, there surely is a reason I hadn't revisited it since The Jimmy Carter Era. It just doesn't entertain like a movie should.The main story with Michael Brandon as a "stick-to-your-guns" radio station GM was OK, but other than the scene with the dope-smokin' army pitchmen, there weren't many attempts at laughter.
And this sure looks like it's presented as a comedy.Alongside a low-key Eileen Brennan's smoky voiced hippy DJ and Alex Karras' woefully miscast "country rebel", there was no way I could believe these were the main jocks at the top-rated rock station in LA.
For one, the music selected for the soundtrack (save of course for the great Steely Dan title track) is middle of the road white man's rock...Ronstadt, Buffett, etc.
Now if this was an FM rock station that was playing the REAL groundbreaking music of the 70's; like say...
I mean, for the movie itself, the acting is just OK for what sounded like a pretty lackluster script, but the message just gets lost in the commercial bent of the soundtrack.
I think what this movie tried to do and ultimately failed at, celebrating the independent spirit while having a good time with the music you love, was done correctly in both "Dazed and Confused" and "Almost Famous".And, yes, while there are a lot of commercial songs from the 70's in both films as well, those soundtracks to those movies work better in terms of connecting with the character arcs and the overall plot, as opposed to just offering a backdrop of...
Just as in the late 1970s, your best bet is still to tune in to your local college radio station. |
tt2023690 | Sightseers | Chris (Steve Oram) is a caravan fan and aspiring writer who takes his girlfriend Tina (Alice Lowe) on a road trip, much to the chagrin of Tina's mother (Eileen Davies), who has never forgiven Tina for the death of their dog "Poppy". At their first stop, the National Tramway Museum), Chris confronts a man (Tony Way) who is littering, and the man refuses to pick up his rubbish. When they get back to their car, Chris runs him over and kills him. Chris claims that the death was an accident, but smirks after the impact, unseen by Tina. Chris tells Tina that she is his muse.
They meet Janice (Monica Dolan, Ian Jonathan Aris) and their dog Banjo (who resembles Poppy) at a caravan park and Janice reveals that Ian is a published writer, something that makes Chris jealous. The next morning Ian goes for a walk. Chris follows him, hits him in the head with a rock, steals his camera and pushes him off a cliff. Tina takes Banjo with them as they go. Tina finds photos of Ian and Janice on the camera and confronts Chris, who confesses to Ian's murder. Tina accepts this. During a walk through a National Trust park, Banjo defecates on the ground and a tourist (Richard Lumsden) tells Tina to clear up the mess. Chris arrives and encourages Tina to claim that the man tried to rape her. A row ensues, and Chris beats him to death.
At the next caravan park, Chris meets Martin (Richard Glover), an engineer who is testing a mini-caravan that can be attached to the back of a bicycle. During a meal in a restaurant, Tina goes to the bathroom. When she returns, she finds Chris kissing the bride from the hen party at a nearby table as part of a bachelorette dare. Upset, Tina follows the bride outside and kills her by pushing her down a steep hill onto some rocks, observed by Chris. The next morning, instead of visiting a local tourist attraction, Chris says he is helping Martin make some modifications to his caravan. They argue, and Tina drives off alone. Upset, she calls her mother and is about to confess to the murders, when her mother hangs up. Later that night, Tina tries to seduce Chris by talking about their complicity in the murders, but he rejects her.
Chris wakes up to find Tina has left him sleeping in the caravan and is speeding down the highway. He calls her and tells her to pull over. Tina notices a jogger and runs him over. Chris is upset with her chaotic approach to the murders, believing himself to be justified in his choice of victims, and argue before hiding the body at the side of the road. They drive to a mountain, where they set up camp with the Ribblehead Viaduct in sight, the final destination on their holiday. When a hailstorm forces them back inside the caravan, Chris falls asleep and Tina looks at his notebook, finding a drawing of her and Chris standing on the viaduct, about to jump.
Martin arrives, with Banjo in the mini-caravan. While Chris is outside, Tina tries to seduce Martin, who is made uncomfortable by her advances and rejects her. When Chris returns, she tells him that Martin propositioned her in a particularly implausible and repulsive manner. Martin returns to his mini-caravan, and Chris and Tina have a fight over whether the dog should be called by the name "Poppy" or "Banjo". Upset, Tina pushes Martin's mini-caravan off the cliff, with him still in it. She re-enters their caravan and tells Chris that the problem is over. He runs outside, and finds Martin's dead body. He insults Tina and they fight, which ends in them having sex.
Chris sets the caravan on fire and kisses Tina. They run to the Ribblehead Viaduct and climb to the top, holding hands. Chris asks Tina if she enjoyed the holiday and she says it was brilliant. He apologises for insulting her and asks if she really wants to kill herself. Just as Chris steps off the viaduct, Tina lets go of his hand, watching as he falls to the ground and dies. Tina stares at her hand as the screen cuts to black. | comedy, satire, murder | train | wikipedia | Ben Wheatley provides one of the year's darkest and funniest comedies in this tale of true love, caravans and dead bodies.Ever since her terrier Poppy died in a bizarre knitting accident, Tina (Darkplace's Alice Lowe) has lived a sheltered life with her mother.
Wheatley shows directorial flair, but reigns it in from his previous work Kill List, leading to a much tighter film, with a concentration on the biting wit of the script.Sightseers, overall, plays out like a cross between Bonnie & Clyde and In Bruges, leading to a perfect pitch-black comedy that's not for the faint hearted..
Described by some as a "dark comedy", I would say that the only thing possibly darker than Wheatley's sense of humor would be the center of a black hole."Sightseers" tells the story of a frumpy British couple off on 'holiday' (as they say,) the problems that come up on such trips, and the unique way they choose to solve them.
I was glad that booking this hilarious black comedy at the Melbourne International Film Festival was so worth it.The story is centered around an odd couple; Chris (Steve Oram); who takes his girlfriend Tina (Alice Lowe) around the British towns of rural England for inspiration for a book he's writing, However their circumstances take unusual turns until things go horribly wrong.I may of heard about director Ben Weatley's earlier films' but haven't caught up yet.
This film however show he's a skilled filmmaker able to bring a promising film like this to viewers of adult comedy.Sightseers is woefully original, full of witty dialouge, charming characters and some of the best British Black Humour I have seen in a long time if not ever.
It's going to satisfy a minority audience, but those few who do relish the thought of another dark, very dark, British comedy are going to absolutely delight in it.Falling somewhere between Dexter and The League of Gentlemen (and if you don't know it, try Big Woman out for size – a Desert Island Disc if I'm ever invited on), Sightseers is a road movie about an odd couple with all manner of demons swirling around their minds.
More than that, it's a standout film for the year and, though not quite on the humour plane of The Guard, it's the funniest film I've seen this year so far and has marked out Wheatley's follow up, A Field in England, as a film to look forward to in 2013.After yesterday's battle with First Great Western trains and the threat of dark happenings in the company of caravanners, I think I'm going to stick to my car in future.For more reviews from The Squiss subscribe to my blog at www.thesquiss.co.ukLike the Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/RpitOG.
I was so disappointed with this, I love black comedy's but this was terrible the only reason I watched it was because at the time it had a 7.1 score, I don't know how it got that, poor unoriginal story that's been overdone, unlikable characters and its not funny, without a doubt an epic fail, it's one of those films you get the feeling it was either release it to try and make money but add a bad movie to your name or can it and take the losses.
If you enjoy watching freaks acting like freaks then fair dues you will probably like it but if you are looking for a good black comedy you will be seriously disappointed, I couldn't believe this was from the dude who done Shaun of the dead ( its a bit of a disgrace to mention it on the advert/cover for this film/freak show) one of those films that's so bad it makes me angry i wasted my time watching it lol.
how any1 has given this anything over a 2 amazes me, and even more so it disgusts me that the producers even bother to make such utter crap..its even more annoying that IMDb makes you wright 10 lines before you can leave any comments for future readers to see, if it wasn't bad enough i wasted 88minutes of my life watching this rubbish its even worse having to write this, just to warn any fellow black comedy movie lovers, you've been warned...
Alice Lowe's Tina is, in particularly, a completely grotesque and near-unwatchable creation.Worth watching for the beautiful scenery, then - I'm the kind of guy who loves the kind of holiday undertaken by the characters here - and a few amusing scenes spaced out here and there, but a lesser beast in contrast to Wheatley's DOWN TERRACE and KILL LIST..
Tonight, in a Q&A following a screening of the movie, director Ben Wheatley, when asked how a movie like this, with such wanton killing and gore could be called a comedy, defended the movie by admitting that he found humor in movies such as Taxi and Apocalypse Now. If smashed up faces and blood squirting out of a severed neck are your brand of humor, you will love the Sightseers.
After only two films - cul-de-sac gangster comedy Down Terrace and the horror mindf*ck Kill List - British filmmaker Ben Wheatley has quickly developed a remarkable talent for taking well-versed sardonic British humour and subjecting it to abuse under the weight of grim story lines.
A dysfunctional rom-com road movie, it makes you squirm and swoon in equal measure.Celebrating their three month anniversary, aspiring novelist Chris (Steve Oram) takes his dimwitted girlfriend Tina (Alice Lowe) away on a lovely caravanning holiday across rainy, pastoral England.
Some couples play scrabble, Tina and Chris kill people.Whilst Ben Wheatley and regular DP Laurie Rose certainly have creative license on the look and macabre tone of the film, a great deal of Sightseers depth, and even heart, naturally emerges from the collaboration between lead players Oram and Lowe.
If you fell asleep after watching a double bill of Mike Leigh's Nuts in May and Terrence Malick's Badlands, you might wake up with the idea for Sightseers, the latest film from Ben Wheatley, acclaimed director of Down Terrace and Kill List.
Alice Lowe and Steve Oram play Tina and Chris, a couple who head out on a caravan tour of Yorkshire's Peak District, taking in such points of interest as the Crich Tramway Museum, Ribblehead Viaduct and the Keswick Pencil Museum.
When the none-too-bright Tina finally cottons onto the fact that Chris has murdered at least two people since their sightseeing holiday began, she faces a stark choice between returning alone to her overbearing mother, or continuing to accompany her barmy boyfriend on his murderous spree – the option of shopping him to the authorities apparently not occurring to her.Sightseers was dreamed up by Lowe and Oram as a logical extension of characters they have played on stage for several years, and as a work of character observation, Tina and Chris feel as real as any created by Mike Leigh, using a similar kind of improvisational character workshopping with his repertoire of actors.
Horror fans will no doubt delight in the bloody direction Wheatley's black comedy takes, laughing with glee as each new murder is carried out and excused, in increasingly episodic fashion, with diminishing returns, until an ending is suddenly decided upon, seemingly for no better reason than the feature-length clock has run out.
Yet, like the best of them (or certainly in this case, the worst) it will doubtless gain a cult following among some or other dispossessed section of society that would find brutal, sadistic murder funny.It's the kind of thing that makes you want to shake your fist, raging at where funds from the British Film Industry are heading.
Not much to say really,i'm normally big fun of English comedy but this was just awful.Boring dialogs.Average acting.No humor at all.Especially not "laugh out loud" that you gonna see on the cover of DVD box.Please save yourself precious time and sleep or something,anything really but DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE.BTW there should be 0 in the ratings cause there are movies who deserved it largely.I have to say that this isn't the only comedy i've seen lately that wasn't funny at all.Maybe its new trend to make not funny comedies or something.Wouldn't know but i start to miss properly funny English movies..
5th time of watching this dark moody comedy just brilliant movie,, the 2 main characters are fantastic and the mother tops it off, great British comedy at its best!!!!.
There's the germ of a good idea behind 'Sightseers' – a very ordinary (and somewhat repressed) English couple (who could be extra from a Mike Leigh movie) go on a caravanning holiday across England – and end up becoming serial killers.
Without giving anything away, the ending was lazy on the writers' part and made almost no sense.All in all though, I would recommend this film to anyone who gets British humour and likes quirky, dark comedy..
Though, really, she just murders anyone who crosses her, or whoever might arbitrarily be in the vicinity when she gets upset.Like she did before him, though, Chris eventually comes around to accept Tina's new-found tendencies toward murder.But it becomes ultimately clear that Tina has taken the upper hand when she discovers Chris' deepest, darkest fantasies- inevitably leading to the conclusion of the film.Sightseers is another brilliant black comedy-horror concoction from the twisted mind of Ben Wheatley- who is proving himself to be one of the most exciting new director's out there (especially after his $30,000 masterpiece- A Field In England).
i read all the great reviews for this film and went on to rent it out, what a disappointment, i watched it with my wife ,who is a big horror fan, we didn't like it, or even get it, the two main characters were unlikeable, even the numerous sex scenes didn't keep our interest,it was offensive at time, without spoiling it, if thats possible it was like a comedy show skit that went on too long.i think the film would have been much better without the murders, just as a drama, i like murder and horror films, but these were meaningless.i wouldn't recommend this film to anybody, and i quite liked 'sex lives of the potato men'.
A follow-up to the unrelentingly grim Kill List, Sightseers is another social-realist slant on an existing genre, this time the whimsical road movie.PM David Cameron might want a British film industry that churns out pseudo-Hollywood blockbusters, but as a nation glamour isn't our creative currency - we're at our best when examining the inherent crapness of things.
Even Bond has to slum it with a wireless these days.Chris and Tina (played by comedians Steve Oram and Alice Lowe, who also wrote the film) are Bonnie and Clyde and Withnail and I, roaming the British countryside, visiting pencil museums and tram museums, violently murdering litterbugs and Daily Mail readers.
The movie is genuinely hilarious in parts with some very British and very dark humour, perfect for those who loved classics like Shaun of the Dead.The two main characters, Tina and Chris, complement each other perfectly and there is a natural on-screen chemistry between the two.
Two middle aged British tourists discover a mutual passion for murder after accidentally running over a fellow sightseer with their caravan in this black comedy filmed on location in the (ironically) beautiful English countryside.
Alice Lowe and Steve Oram (who wrote the script together) are excellent are the murderous couple in question and the film takes some sharp stabs at British pretension with the couple saying things such as "he's not a person; he's a Daily Mail reader" after disposing of those who annoy them in various ways.
'Sightseers' on the other hand, follows couple Chris and Tina (played by real life couple Steve Oram and Alice Lowe) who decide to embark on a caravanning holiday across the countryside' "an erotic odyssey" is what they call it.
However, since Wheatley has said that it takes place in the same world as his previous two films, it's unsurprising that there is a dark twist to the plot – Chris and Tina kill people.'Sightseers' is one of those black comedies that strike the perfect balance between the laughs and the shocks.
They both deliver great performances in the film with effortless chemistry, feeling like real people, whether they're casually strolling through a museum or bashing someone's head in.Despite being a terrific film, 'Sightseers' is most definitely not for everyone – the couple are oddly likable, but the script (written by Oram and Lowe) goes to no effort to make us sympathise with them; their actions are never anything but horrible, but while the depictions of the violence may been too much for more squeamish viewers, it's nowhere near as graphic as 'Kill List'.
such as his homicidal psychosis: Chris deals with litter-louts and jerks with brutal efficiency, making him a dangerously exciting partner for Tina and an anti-hero of sorts for frustrated, stoic Brits, for whom complaining is a concept almost as abhorrent as bashing in someone's brains with a rock.Directed by Ben Wheatley (whose previous film Kill List left me disappointed with its derivative Wicker Man-style twist) and often compared to Mike Leigh's Nuts in May, Sightseers was about as high up on my 'must see' list as the Crich National Tramway Museum; however, following a recommendation by a friend whose opinion is mostly reliable, I decided to give it it a whirl anyway and was surprised by how much I enjoyed the film's dark and demented sense of humour.Much of the film's success is undoubtedly down to faultless central performances from stars Lowe and Oram, who share excellent chemistry and superb comic timing (and make everything sound even funnier with their excellent Black Country accents), but I also believe that Wheatley is improving both as a storyteller and an artist: Sightseers flows far better than Kill List and sees the director experimenting with his visual style.
Sightseers is the new film from director Ben Wheatley who last year terrified everyone with the chilling Kill List.This time around the hard edge of horror remains but it has been softened by writers, and co-stars, Alice Lowe and Steve Oram as an extension of characters they have played onstage for several years.The brilliant tagline essentially tells you all you need to know about the plot – 'a ginger man and an angry woman embark on an erotic caravan odyssey' – although that leaves out the minor detail that is the spate of murders they commit along the way.Up until the first gory death, Sightseers is a sweet holiday tale as Tina and Chris set off against the wishes of Tina's suspicious mother.And it's to the films great credit that it maintains that charm throughout the horrors that follow.Black humour is notoriously difficult to perfect but the mixture of laugh out loud moments and audible gasps that the film induces is perfectly handled...
a film not to be advised.The remarkable Steve Oram (Chris) and Alice Lowe (Tina) set aside their camping clobber and are off on dark gory holiday to the west of Yorkshire.
Well acted, from the same stable as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead (Producer, Edgar Wright) but without the comedy genius of Simon Pegg, it was sort of hard to watch and more cringeworthy than comic.The actors, Steve Oram (Chris) and Alice Lowe (Tina) play a new couple who on their first holiday away find that there is a moral flexibility, and homicidal tendencies in both of them.
Sightseers is a British black comedy horror film about a couple in a newly found relationship that, evolves when they take a caravan holiday together.
sightseers is a film about a new couple called Tina(Alice Lowe)and Chris(Steve oram)who has only been together for 3 months and take a trip around England in a caravan.
this film was not the sort I would normally watch but I did end up enjoying it because it takes the weird British caravanning holiday and turn it into a dark comedy.
Can I just say that this is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time, having see Ben Wheatley's previous offering Kill List which I enjoyed up until the last 10 minutes, I was hoping for something a bit more flowing and understated.I was not disappointed, the 2 main characters played by Steve Oram and Alice Lowe were superb, Steve's character Chris is incredibly ordered and anything that veers from his 'normality' clearly drives him beyond reason, Alice's Tina is a little powder keg, who's character develops beautifully from downtrodden daughter to homicidal maniac without her heart skipping a beat, you can sense the tension and a perverse sexual energy bubbling under her dowdy surface.The 2 lover's go on their 1st holiday together in Chris's caravan, touring such delights as the blue John Caverns and the Crich Tramway museum, meeting normal, believable characters along the way, you cannot help but feel sorry for some of these who in various situations manage to cross the seemingly dull ordinary midlands couple, yet you also can't really dislike the 2 main players either, genuinely funny without trying and deadpan deliveries make this a joyous British film with laugh out loud moments aplenty.The matriarchal character played by Eileen Davies although not on screen much steals the show, I defy anybody not to laugh at her on screen antics.All the people the touring lover's come across are underplayed and believable, anybody who has been to places such as the site's shown in this movie will relate with the characters in this movie.Overall, any fans Black Comedy will love this, beautifully shot in gorgeous British Countryside with strong likable leads and bit players, the ending was also a lot better than Kill List:).
Sightseers is a dark, surreal, extraordinary and gory film directed by Ben Wheatley and was written by the 2 main actors in the film Alice Lowe and Steve Oram who play Tina and Chris.
On the way Chris finds motives to kill people and Tina seems to enjoy doing it too.This film was meant to be a comedy, Personally I thought it was really boring and slow. |
tt1396208 | Action Replayy | The story focuses on Kishen (Akshay Kumar), a well-to-do businessman, who is unhappily married to Mala (Aishwarya Rai). They have young son, Bunty (Aditya Roy Kapoor), who does not want to get married because of the loveless relationship between his parents. Bunty's girlfriend, Tanya (Sudeepa Singh), keeps proposing to him but he always rejects. She takes Bunty to her grandfather, Anthony Gonsalves (Randhir Kapoor), who happens to be a scientist and he is working on a time machine. Anthony asks Bunty why he refuses to get married. Bunty says that he is scared of marriage because his parents seem so unhappy with theirs.
On their 35th anniversary, Kishen and Mala get in an argument because of her friend Kundan (Rannvijay Singh). Kundan used to tease Kishen and tries to repeat it after all these days. Mala doesn't stop him, moreover laughs over Kishen along with her friends. This leads to a fight between Kishen and Mala and it goes too far that they decide to get a divorce. When Bunty hears this, he runs to Anthony's lab to use the time machine and go back in time, so that he can make his parents fall in love. Without Anthony's supervision, Bunty enters the time machine and goes back to a time before his parents got married. He finds his grandfather's house, where he sees Kishen. Bunty realises that the younger Kishen was an unattractive, weak and socially awkward youth where as younger Mala was attractive as well as spirited. Mala keeps making fun of Kishen. Bunty makes Kishen over into a 'cool dude' with the help of money he borrowed from younger Anthony. Mala's friend Mona (Neha Dhupia) falls in love with Bunty.
Bunty creates a plan to help Mala realise her love for Kishen. Meanwhile, Kundan also falls for Mala, making things more complicated. Bunty tells Kishen to ignore Mala, while she is becoming friendlier towards him. The plan succeeds in awakening Mala's feelings and she confesses her love for Kishen. She tells Mona about her feelings. However, Kishen and Mala's parents are against love marriages and, therefore, do not accept their relationship. So the lovers, helped by Bunty, decide to elope. Kundan takes Mala's mother Bholi Devi (Kirron Kher) and servant Bhikhu (Rajpal Yadav), along with Kishen's father Rai Bahadur (Om Puri), to chase the love birds. At the end of the chase, Kishen slaps Kundan for his bad behaviour. Their parents accept Kishen and Mala's relationship. Mona proposes to Bunty but he tells her that he loves another woman, who is waiting for him. Bunty then uses the time machine to return to the future. As expected, his parents are deeply in love with each other. But, unexpectedly, Mona and Kundan are also married to each other. Bunty then takes Tanya aside, proposes to her, and she accepts happily. | romantic | train | wikipedia | The creative team behind this movie have taken the Back to the Future theme and have obviously had a lot of fun making this Bollywood version - expect plenty of 70's throwbacks with quirky costumes, hairstyles and moustaches, wacky comedy ably performed by the seasoned cast, and of course this being Bollywood a decent soundtrack - there some good songs.I cannot see why this has been slated as a 'flop' - it brims with so much fun, laughter, and wackiness of time travel!
It just shows you have to make up your mind and not always follow the crowd, especially when they turn a dud of a movie like 'I hate luv stories' into a hit.I recommend this to anyone, so go check it out!.
Vipul Shah's 'Action Replayy' is an entertaining film, that worked for Me. I still wonder why were critics so harsh to this flick, and why did the audience reject it outright?
'Action Replayy' entertains, especially in the second hour, which is superb.
The art direction deserves a mention as well, as it truly brings back the era of the 70's.Performance-Wise: Akshay Kumar is Fantastic.
Rannvijay Singh is least impressive.On the whole, 'Action Replayy' surely deserves a watch, as it offers some genuinely entertaining moments, that remain with you.
For me this was the best comedy of 2010, better than Goolmal or No Problem or any other movie from earlier this year.
I feel that I'm being quite generous on my rating of 7/10, as I was expecting a lot from Action Replayy and it did not live up to those standards.
With Akshay Kumar playing a lead role, I was expecting gut-bursting laughs, and thankfully, that has fulfilled it's promise.
Rannvijay Singh as Kundanlal was irksome and brings out a lot of the comedy in the movie - he was a great villain.
And there is even another fresh face playing Bunty's love interest Tanya.I loathed the "time machine" scenes because they were done with about the effort of a five-year old.
Action Replayy is a flawed film, with it's plot (or lack of) being the main letdown, but I still wouldn't say this film is not worth watching.
This is good for a lazy evening in, but don't watch this expecting a great cinematic experience, because it's not that sort of film.
The movie was alright, nothing great.Akshay Kumar was very good as always, he is always 1st class in a comic role.Aishwarya Rai B was looking amazing in all the 60s costumes and hair, acting was very good from her too.But the film overall was not worth it, i mean it is worth watching once and they should be for the great performance from both Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai B.Music was decent, nothing great.My review on Action Replayy: 5/10.
Bollywood directors are experimenting in a rather harmless manner nowadays, and Action Replayy is the result of such an attempt from Vipul Shah, who entertained us with Namastey London and disappointed us with London Dreams in the previous years.
A lot of questions of plagiarism come along with the subject of travelling through time, but I never felt any resemblance with any other movie, this is original work, IMO.
There are many flaws in the movie, but still it is enjoyable, with an interesting screenplay and good performances.
There are lot of entertaining moments throughout the film, some of them are very good.
Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan are good, so as Rannvijay Singh, Om Puri, Kirron Kher, Neha Dhupia, Rajpal Yadav etc.
May be editor's mistake!!On the whole, it is a good movie, definitely worth a watch..
I started watching this movie without little to no expectations.
it started adding fun, comedy, nice one liners and super acting by everybody...whoever watched movie with great expectations thinking it will be a next big sci-fi hit, they were either sleepy heads or crazy in mind...
I loved this movie.Although the concept of the time machine may not have been digested by many viewers i thought it was unique.
Unfortunately, i have noticed that movies like chandni chowk and action repplay had bad editing.
Action Replayy wasn't all that bad a film.
The actor playing the protagonist did a good job, but I think it would have been better and more interesting if a more established star had his role in a film that is on such a grand scale with such huge stars.
Great movie for Akshay Kumar after long time.
The movie is completely great with combination of songs, music, sensible comedy, smart romance and drama.
People were expecting Akshay to do some different roles but this movie is recommended for that in different genre of comedy.
Akshay has done superb acting since Bhool Bhulaiya and Ashwariya Rai has got amazing role after long time.
Great job by Vipul Shah, Akshay Kumar, Ashwariya Rai and Aditya Roy Kapoor..
After watching loads of good, bad and ugly movies, I always think to write reviews on them.
Well I am starting with this film"Action Replayy"The moment I watched the trailer of this film, I instantly knew that it must be a bad rip off from Robert Zememkis' 1985 film, "Back to the Future".
I was totally wrong, hope to watch a good Hindi film is still a hope here.
The story is about Siddharth Roy Kapoor, who is playing Akshay Kumar's son, is going back in 70's to change his parent's bad relationship in a small time machine (Again that machine is a pirated version of Simon Well's "The Time Machine").
After doing loads of bad films, with Action Replayy", Akshay Kumar again proved that he is still the king of bad films.
With same acting style, same devil like laugh and same comedies, Akshay has still maintained his (bad) continuity.
Awesome comedy, great script and good songs.
It has a very good script, supported by great acting by Akshay Kumar and a good performance by Aishwarya Rai. The songs were really good, i especially loved the song dedicated to the couple and the sing-off.Akshay Kumar has come a long was as an actor.
The combination of his comic timing and the great script makes this film hilarious.
But when i saw the movie what i think its Akshay Kumar one of best performance.
i really loved the movie and i think that Aditya Roy Kapoor acting is better than Ranbir Kapoor and he is the future best actor.
ACTION REPLAYY is better than Dabangg , Rajneeti , Housefull , Khatta Meetha , Once Upon a Time in Mubai and Golmaal 3.I will give this movie 10 out of 10.
ACTION REPLAYY looks 100 times better than Golmaal 3.And the guys from Bollywood Hungama and other movie rating company been recess to Aksahy Kumar because they gave this movie really low rating but on Facebook and other social networking sites peoples are swearing on guys from movie rating companies because this movie has to be 4.5 out 5 because they say its best movie of 2010 year so far and this movies got really good good comments on social networking websites..
The film by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, based on the 1994 Gujarati play Action Replay, reminds you of Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future, only that the narrative isn't as tightly woven, and the time travel element and danger kept to a bare minimum, other than being a plot device to bring Bunty (Aditiya Roy Kapoor) back to March 1975 before his parents Kishen aka Kitchen Kumar the hotel restaurateur (Akshay Kumar) and Mala (Ash) got married.
And hasty is probably the word most apt in putting aside logistics such as clothing and money, in how a boy from the 21st century doesn't stick out like a sore thumb, and conveniently too goes back to the future in what turned out to be yet a hasty wrap up of the film that does the emotional core of Bunty great disservice in his about turn and attitudes toward marriage.Thankfully things start to pick up in the second half where the Kishen undergoes a major exterior makeover to woo the girl of his manipulated dreams, and becomes that suave lady killer, although always shaking on the inside once his game is over, which lead to numerous opportunities for mirth which does get tired after a while, despite great comedic timing by Akshay Kumar, spouting what I suspect would probably be a popular catch phrase amongst the younger crowd when they emerge from the theatres.
There never was a real threat experienced in a way despite competition from Kundan who can sing in two voices, because the time travel paradox doesn't seem to kick in on Bunty each time Kishen and Mala seem to drift emotionally further apart which would have threatened his existence.Action Replayy marks the reigning Queen of Bollywood's third release (out of four) this year with the likes of Raavan starring opposite her real life husband and Endhiran with Superstar Rajnikanth, and her role here is quite unlike those that I've seen before, since her Mala is mostly displaying negative traits at least for the beginning of the film, before succumbing back to a vulnerable, wistful lass who thinks Kishen does not like her for her meanness displayed earlier.
Great movie - kind of relief from Akshay's usual grind.
In my opinion one of good movies of Akshay.
I don't know why Akshay Kumar is still making comedy movies.
pplz GOD replayy the time i watched this movie.
i went to watch this movie with great expectation because i am very fond of sci fictions and watched BACK TO FUTURE so was keen to watch Hindi version of it..
The next irritating thing was akshay kumar with his old repetitive style of acting(comedy which doesn't make you laugh now).
The only good thing about the movie was the new actor aditya kumar roy.
Where akshay's son goes back to 30yrs back & makes their parents fall in love.Akshay acting(AWFUL), Aishwarya (over acting), Aditya Roy Kapoor (he gotta know the meanin of acting first).Please skip this stupid movie & don't even think of even watching it even in DVD at home.This is most ever FLOP & third class movie which has no sense..
The Diwali of 2010 witnessed two movies Action Replayy and Golmaal 3.
Action Replayy,directed by Vipul Shah is a bland remake of Back To The Future.
Action Replayy tries very hard to entertain but unfortunately it fails big time.Main reason is its dull script.The Om Puri and Kirron Kher saga is so boring.Instead of being comedy it ends up being tragedy.
Performance wise-Akshay Kumar,its high time you leave comedy genre in Bollywood and start doing some action movies.Aishwarya Rai,for the first time looks and acts bad.Aditya is the saving grace.Neha Dhupia,Rndhir Kapoor,Om Puri,Kirron Kher and Rajpal Yadav are wasted.Rannvijay Singh is stupid.Overall Action Replayy is tacky.Bad. Even the repeat telecast of Akshay's MASTER CHEF on TV is more entertaining than this tacky rip-off..
Akshay Kumar and Vipul Shah returning together with a time travel comedy on the Big Diwali weekend sounded great and exciting for every Bollywood fan.
But sadly, once again the HIT machine fails to deliver and the actor ditches his every die-hard admirer with a simply awful movie which keeps hanging between different genres of Fiction, Adventure, Comedy and Science Fiction.
In fact ACTION REPLAYY forced me to think that whether Akshay ever watches the rushes of the movies he is working in and discusses the product in the making with his director?
The thought came to my mind because after consistently giving weak and bad movies in the past, Akshay repeatedly commits the same mistake again and returns with a thoroughly unlikable film which is even less entertaining than his miserable duds, Chandni Chowk to China and Blue.First of all, nobody can say that it's an Original Story Plot as the writers take all their inputs from the Classic English Trilogy "BACK TO THE FUTURE (Part I-III)" and they cannot deny it in any way.
And further talking about this inspirational angle, ACTION REPLAYY can be easily rated as "One of the most destructive rip-offs or inspired movies made in the history of Indian Cinema".
In straight words ACTION REPLAYY brutally murders the interesting plot taken from BTTF and completely ruins the idea with a highly amateurish, silly and boring kind of product which stands not even close to the 'B' of BACK TO THE FUTURE Series.Frankly speaking, How can you seriously enjoy a movie made on the Time- Travel subject in which the director does not even care to explain you anything about the concept and only shows a professor and his weird machine which can take you back to the past years just like a Local BEST or DTC Bus going towards your home street.
That was really the most silly thought put in by the writers with a very poor visual imagination and creativity.Although made with good production values and eye-catching colourful backgrounds ACTION REPLAYY fails to make an impression mainly because it is neither a good science fiction nor a fine emotional drama.
Aishwarya does look beautiful in those well worked upon dresses but on the entertainment quotient the entire cast performs over the top and fails miserably.
Only Aditya Roy Kapur as the time travelling son of Akshay and Aishwarya leaves an impact and the boy would certainly get more work after this, that's for sure.Pritam as the music-man once again remixes some old hit punjabi phrases in "Zor Ka Jhatka" and also gets his inspiration from a "Bombay Rockers" Song.
However I felt the background music by Salim-Sulaiman more enjoyable than the entire musical soundtrack.Overall, ACTION REPLAYY is a bad attempt made on the subject of time travel with a small pinch of love.
But ACTION REPLAYY remains one of the most under- worked and lifeless inspired movies of the current times.In short, even the repeat telecast of Akshay's MASTER CHEF T.V. Serial will entertain you more than this tacky rip off.
I just finished watching action replay, and i have not given a very good rating.
In my opinion, this movie was dull and predictable of what was to happen in the movie, the performance of Akshay Kumar was great as he played a loser, the costume worn in the movie matched the theme of the movie.
Ranvijay Singh:: Should have watched a few more yesteryear villains (likes of Ranjeet/ Prem Chopra) to create a believable character.Randhir Kapoor:: As a mad scientist, he was OK in his job.Neha Dhupia:: Hardly any meat in the role.Om Puri & Kiron Kher:: Completely wasted.Rajpal Yadav:: A few good one-liners but predominantly irritating character.The entire team should be lauded for keeping the diversion alive in the media circles that "Action Replay" was a copy of "Benjamin Button" while they were cooking a blatant plagiarised "Back to the future" behind the closed doors.
Action Replayy-a decent film.
Action Replay is a film which has properly used all the elements of a real entertainer.
Although Akshay's look is disappointing,the rest of the things are cool.The story,music,comedy and of course,Akshay's look(which becomes good later on)!The performances were very good.The music and the filming in Eastman color has also given us all a 70's experience.Akki says the dialogue Awaaz Neeche!Very well.The music is accordingly placed and there are hardly any clichés in the film,the direction is good.On the whole,watch Action Replay if you like entertainment packages,especially the light hearted ones.A nice movie overall!.
its never looking like 70's days.art direction is too much craftymusic has no direct relation with the movie's objective.in short, its again a bolywood biggies congress to make audience wasting their TIME n some good bucks....
We have Aishwarya Rai and Akshay Kumar as a parents of Bunty played by Aditya Roy Kapoor.
The story goes like this....There is boy(Aditya)who don't want to marry because he thinks that he will end up as his parents.
Also several scenes are too childish and bizarre and get irritatingDirection by Vipul Shah is bad,however his imagination should be applauded Music is okay, Jor Ka Jhatka was famous those days but the songs do interrupt, Camera-work is fab, the 70s era is well recreatedAkshay Kumar tries to look the part and does justice, he is superb as the bucket teeth simpleton and also later as the stylish guy Aishwarya Rai tends to overdo it Aditya Roy Kapoor who debutted in London Dreams got an imp role and does a good job Om Puri,Kirron Kher are given half baked roles, Rajpal Yadav is wasted, Ranvijay Singh fails, Neha Dhupia is average, Randhir Kapoor is okay.
Action Replayy is a quite entertaining film but it was tagged to "Sci-Fi".
This entire film full of humor but for those who expect a science fiction traveling back to the past and making changes that reflect in the future, will be disappointed.
He then travels back to the past and the big part of the movie starts.
60s-70s environment shown in the film is beautiful and Akshay and Aishwarya are doing their regular superb performance to recreate those characters' past with a good sense of humor.
well actually i don't blame the cast .....it is wholly the writer ,d screen play n director who r to be blamed...not a sci-fi at all...i can see why Indian cinema is going nowhere..though there r very good movies too...but that too thousand in one...
Remind u its all from the master piece Robert Zemeckis "back to the future" trilogy..though it tells u in the beginning it is based on some authors play "action replayy"..
I tried watching Action Replayy for about 30 min..den thought that it may turn out some good at d end...den i continued watching it till the end resulting in total loss of my worthwhile 2hr n 15 min ...plus felt like a loser like akshay kumar in the movie coz of watching it. |
tt0489235 | My Name Is Bruce | In the mining town of Gold Lick, Oregon, Jeff (Taylor Sharpe), a young fan of B movie actor Bruce Campbell, and his friend Clayton (Logan Martin) go out to a cemetery to meet two girls, Big Debbie (Ariel Badenhop) and Little Debbie (Ali Akay). Jeff removes a medallion off the mausoleum, unleashing the Chinese god of the dead, Guan Di (James Peck), who kills Clayton and the Debbies while Jeff flees.
Meanwhile, Bruce Campbell is finishing filming for the fictional Cave Alien II, and is promised a birthday surprise from his agent, Mills Toddner (Ted Raimi). Bruce meets Jeff, who kidnaps Campbell and takes him to Gold Lick in hopes that his hero can save the town from Guan Di. Upon arrival, Bruce assumes it's his birthday surprise from Mills, and thinks it's all a movie, despite a lack of cameras and a script, and agrees to "help". He learns about Guan-Di in the town's hall and during a dinner party, Bruce gets on the good side of Jeff's mother, Kelly (Grace Thorsen), who had initially been irritated by Bruce's behavior.
After gearing up at Gold Lick's gun shop, Bruce and many citizens of Gold Lick go out into the woods to take on Guan Di, which Bruce still thinks is part of a movie. Bruce then finds out that it's all real and flees Gold Lick, angering the townspeople, disappointing Kelly and upsetting Jeff. As part of a running gag, an Italian painter (also played by Ted Raimi) constantly repaints the population sign every time someone dies, including himself. Bruce returns to his caravan to find that everyone, including his own dog, hates him a lot. He has a restraining order placed upon him by his ex-wife, Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), and finds that his "surprise birthday present" from Mills was just a singing prostitute named Kasey (Janelle Farber). Bruce is then called by Jeff, who informs him that he's going to take on Guan Di alone in spite of Bruce's retreat.
Kasey takes Bruce back to Gold Lick, where he is treated with contempt and tries to reconcile with Kelly. To rescue Jeff, they both drive to the old cemetery, in which they set up dynamite at the mausoleum and try to lure Guan Di inside with one of Jeff's cardboard cut-outs of Bruce, which Guan Di doesn't fall for. After kissing Kelly, Bruce decides to sacrifice himself (with bean curd playing a significant role in luring Guan Di) and the dynamite is blown up. He emerges from the debris alive, and hangs the medallion back onto the mausoleum wall to ease the spirit. Guan Di then also comes back to life, and at the very last minute, it turns out the whole scenario was a movie. Bruce argues with Ted Raimi about the cliched ending and turns it into a happy ending, which involves Bruce and Kelly married, living in a nice house with their son, Jeff, who is accepted into Harvard University. After the movie ends, Bruce asks "What could be a better ending than that?", after which Guan Di appears and attacks Bruce. | cult, gothic | train | wikipedia | Before and after the show, Bruce talked a bit about how making a film in one's hometown, how great it was for him to "be able make a film and sleep in his own bed for the first time in 10 years" and that you don't need a big Hollywood studio and a big blockbuster budget to make a good movie everyone can enjoy.
Bruce takes no mercy in making fun of himself - in this film, he's a washed up, boozing, C-movie actor, who's just finalized his divorce, making horrible alien movie sequels while treating his devoted fans like crap (the scene where he kicks a fan in a wheelchair down a hill - PRICELESS - but just one of many)!
I'll have to check out a clean version to be sure.In conclusion, if you're a Bruce Campbell fan, you're going to see this movie regardless of what you read here; however, I'll save you the anxiety and say you won't be disappointed in the least.
Bruce Campbell is called to Gold Lick to fight the evil Chinese war god Guan-di after one of his biggest fans, Jeff, awakens the demon and mistakenly believes that Bruce would know how to fight such creatures.
Campbell accepts, but only because he believes the entire thing to be a movie shoot.Not surprisingly, there is going to be two groups of people for this film: the die-hard Campbell fans who love it, and the others.
The plot is basically what it says---a town of goobers kidnaps Bruce Campbell & pins their hopes of defeating the monster thats killing off the town members using all his B-Movie beast killing knowledge etc....Bruce thinks it's a big joke...till the Bean Curd hits the fan!!
Dumbs**t teenagers, whom are messing around in a graveyard built for Chinese people who mined gold in the town of Gold Lick, Oregon, unleash the Chinese war deity, Guan Di.The film then cuts to Bruce on the set of his latest movie, Cave Alien 2.
I was not completed--lots of special effects were missing, the soundtrack was said to be not final, so the soundtrack (including dialogue) was not polished.Having said all of that, and based on the reaction of the small army of Bruce Campbell fans in attendance, this is clearly a movie that every Ash fan will want to see.
I decided that I was going to go into My Name is Bruce and rate it solely on how good it is rather than based on the fact that Bruce Campbell is in it; and overall I certainly wasn't disappointed; as My Name is Bruce is a thoroughly entertaining and hilarious comedy horror that is sure to delight anyone that is willing to enjoy the movie for what it is (or for the fact that Bruce Campbell is in it).
Obviously the story has no depth at all; but it just wouldn't be proper to criticise it for things like that, and overall I have to admit that I really liked this film a lot and I'm sure that my fellow Bruce Campbell/Low budget horror fans will too..
So, we have (in)famous B-movie actor Bruce Campbell playing a parody of his real-life self who gets recruited despite himself to stop a real Chinese demon in a small hick town by people who believe he's a real hero.
Maybe it was the expectations that killed it for me, after all, I have been waiting for a full year to see it, but I did not think it was terribly funny.The plot centers around Bruce Campbell and his failed life: busted marriage, bad movies, career plummeting and, above all, being a complete jerk.
The movie IS bad, the effects ARE cheesy, he continues to be a jerk that one can't relate to much, the jokes get worse and worse and in the end, the grand finale is pretty lame.Bottom line: If you are a die hard fan of Campbell, you will probably "get it", but I really doubt many people will be amused by the movie..
From my summary it is obvious that i feel let down by this movie and by it,s creator Bruce Campbell.Lack of money can be blamed for many things such as bad effects,bad acting and bad props,but there is no excuse for such a poor script.The fact that in the spoof sci fi movie he is doing Bruce acts better than he does in the rest of the movie shows what a pile of horse droppings this film is.As a Bruce Campbell fan who has liked the majority of his work from Evil Dead to Xena,i have to say he has let his fans down with poor poor effort.If he has made half has much money has i suspect from this movie from DVD sales,and has half as much integrity as i hope he has he will plow the money into another much better movie that will deserve to have his name in the title..
After seeing Bubba-Ho-Tep I soon found out that he has real acting talent though it is not so evident in this film that parodies Campbell's life(a fictionalized one) and his career and his fan base I might add.
It is a fun movie and really nothing else than a chance to see Campbell give his fans what they want to see - him mugging his way through each and every scene, interacting with the other actors in some real funny dialog, and plot scenarios that at least incorporate some of the Campbell mythos if you will.
The film had the entire audience laughing til it hurt throughout.Bruce Campbell takes on the Chinese God of Bean Curd, Quan-Di, in an epic battle of good versus evil with Ted Raimi appearing as multiple characters.The acting is pretty good throughout and the jokes will leave you rolling in the aisle.
Two teenagers, one a hardcore Bruce Campbell fan meet up with two girls in a nearby graveyard and when one inadvertently unleashes the evil spirit ,Guan-Di, that proceeds to terrorize the nearby hillbilly town, there is only one guy whom the townsfolk think can save the day: Bruce Campbell (playing a caricature of himself).
As a big fan of Bruce Campbell, I enjoyed this film and found myself having goofy fun with it.
Hell it might even win over some new converts.My Grade: B+ DVD Extras: Commentary by Director/Producer/actor Bruce Campbell & Producer Mike Richardson; an hour long Making-of documentary; 2 minutes of awkward moments with 'Kif'; around 4 minutes of Bruce on various topics; a fake trailer for Cavealien 2; a Maiking of Cavealien 2; 2 and a half minute interview with 'Kif'; 3 galleries (Poster art, Props art, & Photo); 2 deleted scenes; "My Name is Bruce" trailer; and trailers for Keith & Palo Alto 20 Easter Eggs: On the main menu, go down to special features and press left for a thought bubble over Bruce's head for a clip of Bruce laughing about the extras, and highlight the tag on the gun for Bruce blowing his nose, Now go to set-up options and highlight the i-pod device for a short scene of a conversation with a cardboard cut-out of Bruce, the chainsaw for an extremely short clip of Bruce in the kitchen & the I in Ichin for 'how the temperature is perfect'; Go to the first page of the 'sepecial features' menu & highlight the glasses for Bruce watching a tree being cut down & highlight the camera lens for a deleted scene; now onto the second page, highlight the alien's eyes for talk about editing the Making-of documentary; On the third page highlight Bruce's shirt for Bruce goofing around, & finally on the forth page highlight the hat for Ellen Sandweiss wanting more acting gigsAlso with a BIG thank you & shout out to 'Peacock-15' who informed me "If you scroll to the last page of the bonus features and hit the right arrow until the icon disappears, then hit enter, it brings up a poster for the movie.
Egomaniac and arrogant (if this was the true life Bruce, and he was scheduled for a fourth cameo in Spider-Man 4 – I vow not to see that film, although after the disappointing Spidey3
) Campbell, playing himself, is called into action after a fan lives in a small town with a Chinese cursed history, blah blah, he learns to be a hero, yada yada, you get the drift.
Hoping for the intelligent and good-natured satirical humor of Campbell's books "Chins" and "Make Love", what I got instead was a rather crude and mostly unremarkable parody of modern low budget horror films.The biggest problem, I believe, lies in the way that the Bruce Campbell character is so ridiculously exaggerated as a raging egomaniac and out-of-control alcoholic.
Failing to accept the main character as being a real but comically fictionalized version of the actual Bruce Campbell means that the fundamental premise of the film is completely wasted.A Bruce Campbell fan with the proper attitude can still have a great time watching this movie.
Hm, well...).At the end of the day, this is another Bruce Campbell-vehicle saved by the presence of his charismatic leading actor, and even if the story makes no sense, the movie is still better than your average Campbell-flick (hell, I even liked it better than "Bubba Ho-tep").
Who the hell would go see a movie "directed by Bruce Campbell" after watching this waste of time?I don't know exactly who these Bruce Cambell fans are that gave this thing a good review but it doesn't seem possible that anyone would ever do that.
I hate to say it but it looks like the worst film with Bruce Campbell and he made it himself so he has no one to blame.The plot is ridiculous and I don't see how they could go about ripping off the Evil Dead to this extent with outlandish nods to Raimi's characters.
Bruce's decision to continue being in bad movies like this is almost as bad as the idea to remake the evil dead but I guess even sam raimi isn't beyond bastardizing a genre that helped make him famous for a quick buck - look at the ghost house releases - nuff said..
Perhaps he is too old, perhaps it is a lack of directing experience, perhaps it is the short running time resulting in a rushed story, but all I know is that the film may disappoint if you set your expectations too high.Bruce Campbell plays himself; a selfish, mild mannered B-movie star who hates his career.
But, for those of you who don't know, Bruce 'the chin' Campbell is primarily-known for his B-movie films and the 'Evil Dead' franchise in particular.
Since I last watched it I've also invested my time into Bruce's current project – the TV series 'Ash vs The Evil Dead.' I can't help but notice how some of the early episodes actually recycle a few jokes and situations, but that's really for a review of the TV series (which I also recommend you watch if you like your horror gory and cheeky!).So, as I first said, what you have here is a film with a real niche audience.
It's a cheap and cheerful outing which sees Campbell travelling to a hick town, where he must do battle with an ancient Chinese demon with a penchant for decapitating innocent townsfolk.Whether you enjoy this film or not depends on how much you like the star and how well you know his persona.
What is obvious is that Campbell has a great sense of humour and is willing to laugh at himself all the while.Fans will spot many familiar faces from the past (including THE EVIL DEAD's Ellen Sandweiss, INTRUDER's Dan Hicks and the ubiquitous Ted Raimi) and references to earlier movies from Campbell's career.
Had they approached this the same way Bob Sagat makes fun of "himself" in Entourage it would have been true comedy gold.The movie was a disappointment for me, I got all the jokes since I am a die-hard Campbell fan yet they still flat, but I still say hail to the King!.
Quite silly at times but with lots of laugh, you would probably have to be a fan of Bruce Campbell or at least horror movies to enjoy this too its full potential, i'm not sure if it would be everyone cup of tea.
Meanwhile, Bruce Campbell is finishing low-budget film Cave Alien 2 when he is kidnapped from his trailer by Jeff, who takes him to Goldlick to help fight off Guan-Di. Thinking it's a birthday present from his hapless agent Mills (Ted Raimi), he plays along and tries it on with Jeff's mother Kelly (Grace Thorsen), until, that is, he realises the killer is real.I really wanted to like this movie.
I'm a huge fan of Campbell and the Evil Dead (1981-1992) films, and it's an interesting idea to have the actor playing a fictionalised version of himself in a horror setting, a genre he is certainly no stranger to.
Reading some other reviews on IMDb by fellow Bruce Campbell fans, it would seem other people actually like this film.
In order to create a buffer between himself and these over-adoring followers, the star has carefully developed a reputation for being somewhat brusque when face-to-face with his devotees—requests to say 'Give me some sugar, baby' are apparently met with short shrift—and this affected animosity has since become part of the Campbell legend.In post-modern horror/comedy My Name Is Bruce, Campbell portrays himself as a highly exaggerated caricature of this obnoxious alter-ego—a wise-cracking, sexist, hard drinking jerk, quick with the quips, fast with the fillies, and mean to those who worship his every move; in the right hands, this knowingly silly slice of self-mockery could have been a lot of fun, but the wildly uneven script delivers only a few genuine laughs and zero scares (the film's demon about as frightening as your average Scooby Doo monster), while Campbell's routine direction displays little of the visual flair that one might expect from someone who has worked so closely with Sam Raimi in the past.Campbell does manage to deliver a reasonable smattering of gore, with heads lopped off left, right and centre, but that other prerequisite of any self-respecting B-movie—gratuitous female nudity—sadly goes unfulfilled, a shame because leading actress Grace Thorsen possesses a rack as fine and as mighty as Bruce's legendary chin..
The plot of "My Name Is Bruce" is fairly simple:a group of teenagers has accidentally unleashed an ancient Chinese demon named Guan-Di.The demon is killing citizens of a small town named Gold Lick.The premise of "My Name Is Bruce" is certainly fantastic:Bruce Campbell is mistaken for his on screen "Evil Dead" persona and forced into battle with a real demon.The film offers plenty of comedy and clever in-jokes,but it fails to generate any tension.Chinese creature Guan-Di is completely flat and unmenacing and his inevitable confrontation with Bruce is simply laughable.The cinematography is mediocre and the film looks cheap.Still if you are fan of Bruce Campbell you can't miss it.This guy truly is a charming horror star.6 out of 10..
I just wonder how the number one Bruce Campbell fan I know in real life would like this bit of comedy/horror.
Sure, it is more comedy than horror, but it was funny throughout.Bruce place a real trailer-trash, hard-drinking, obnoxious B-movie actor (Is her like that in real life?), and we all know what is going to happen when his number one fan Jeff (Taylor Sharpe) kidnaps him to save the town from Guan-Di.He immediately hit on Jeff's mom, Kelly (Grace Thorsen), who has the equipment to make it big in horror films.
On one wasted night, a die hard young fan of his tracks him down to his trail and takes him against his will to his home town- where they believe he's really the character he plays in his Evil Dead movies and will help them stop a demonic creature that is terrorizing them.Self parody films are quite popular at the moment, with subtle references in various new comedy films to outright mickey takes of certain individuals like this.
Just watched My Name Is Bruce.First things first, you have to be a serious Campbell fan to both 'get' and enjoy this movie.
I'm not trying to be sarcastic, that's just the way I feel.The movie itself was an okay parody, and Campbell obviously had a great deal of fun playing his "real" self.
I'm almost 30 years old and still a die hard fan of the Evil Dead films and there are all kinds of unflattering words for guys like me, but here the cheese level is just a little too thick for me.Bruce plays himself, as you know.
If you've seen the Evil Dead movie series or like Bruce Campbell even a little bit, then this one's for you.
Here Bruce Campbell plays himself who is nothing like his heroic and badass Evil Dead character Ash, instead he's a yellow-bellied couch potato coward who is a big wimp when a small town need his help to fight a monster for real.
It would have given the Campbell fans something to laugh at---Bruce reciting some of his old Evil Dead lines as Ash---"This is my boomstick"---that was what was advertised on the description of the movie, but that was not the end product.
For me that thinks his more classic movies like Evil Dead and Army of Darkness are fun to watch but don't consider myself a fan, it is not that great.
Adapted from a comic book by Dark Horse Comics, this R rated film sees B-List Movie actor Bruce Campbell being mistaken for a real-like monster hunter and forced to fight a real Chinese monster, Guan-Di in a small town in Oregon.
Overall: if you're a Bruce Campbell fan, you're going to see this movie regardless of what you read here; however, I'll save you the time and say it did has that pure id gonzo that keeps the spirit of 1980s grindhouse film mostly alive. |
tt0044166 | The Unknown Man | Defense attorney Dwight Bradley Masen (Walter Pidgeon) is successful in seeking the acquittal of a young man, Rudi Walchek (Keefe Brasselle), accused of knifing to death the 19-year-old son of a local locksmith, but when Rudi lets a comment slip after the trial, Masen realizes he has defended a guilty man. Masen discovers that Rudi is also a member of a syndicate extorting money from the scared merchants in the locksmith's neighborhood. After unearthing new evidence, Masen tries to convince the D.A. (Barry Sullivan) to retry the case, but the latter refuses on grounds of double jeopardy.
Masen discovers that the head of the citizens' crime commission is also involved in the syndicate. In a rage Masen kills Layford (Eduard Franz), but the murder is pinned on Rudi. Despite sensing a higher justice at work, Masen feels obliged to defend Rudi once again. This time Rudi is found guilty. Masen confesses to the D.A. that he is the culprit, but the D.A. feels justice has been served and refuses to reopen the case. Masen makes one final visit to Rudi in prison, confesses, gives him the murder weapon and turns his back to Rudi to await his fate. | intrigue, murder | train | wikipedia | Conscience of the beholder.
I've seen this film criticized with the statement, "If you can get past the moralizing..." That misses the point.
Moralizing is in the conscience of the beholder, as it were.
This is a decent film with a standard murder mystery, but with a distinct twist that surfaces midway through.
The resolution leaves the viewer wondering, "What would I have done in this position?" And I have to believe that's exactly what the filmmaker intended.
To that end, and to the end of entertaining the audience, the film succeeds.
I also like the way that the violence is never on stage, but just off camera.
We know what has just happened; it's just not served up in front of us, then rubbed in our faces, as it would be today with contemporary blood and gore dressing.
Besides, the violence is not the point.
The point is the protagonist's moral dilemma, which is cleverly, albeit disturbingly, resolved..
The Pidgeon's a gonna ..........!.
An excellent film on all counts, and especially on the side of the script.
The little I have seen of Walter Pidgeon has convinced me that this man must have been in his time a great and imposing actor !
You are kept on tenterhooks throughout the film right up till the end.
In addition, Pidgeon's voice was magnificent and deep, you just don't hear voices like that now.
Unfortunately not available on video anywhere like so many of the great old films.
Let us hope this situation will be remedied in the coming years !.
Courtroom drama with Walter Pidgeon at the helm.
Walter Pidgeon is Braley Mason, a civil attorney who takes on a criminal case in "The Unknown Man," a 1951 film also starring Ann Harding, Barry Sullivan, Keefe Braselle, and Richard Anderson.
A great believer in justice, Pidgeon accepts a pro bono case defending a young man, Rudi Walchek (Braselle) accused of murder and gets him acquitted.
Shortly afterward, he realizes that the man is guilty and was extorting protection money from his victim as well as other shopkeepers in the neighborhood.
He is advised by the DA (Sullivan) that Rudi is small change, that to wipe out the organized crime, one has to find the top man.
Mason finds the top man, and is faced with a dilemma."The Unknown Man" is a small, black and white film that manages to hold the viewer's interest with its various plot twists, though the plot is somewhat contrived.
It's really the story of a good man seeking his god, justice, and what he is willing to do in order to attain it.
And that's the most contrived part of all.
I suppose there was a time before O.J., the Menendez Brothers, etc., etc., when people believed in justice and the integrity of attorneys.
For this viewer anyway, those days are long over.Walter Pidgeon does an excellent job -- his handsome, elegant demeanor and declamatory voice show us a successful, confident man but also a deeply caring one.
Pidgeon had a magnificent career spanning 60 years but never really rose to superstardom.
He was a solid actor who could play just about anything and did.
It may be because by the time he was getting leads, he was well into his thirties and missed being a matinée idol; or it could be he lacked that certain something; or that he was typed early on as second lead to a big female star like Greer Garson.
Hard to say.
He gives an honest and touching performance here.Very good movie with good performances..
Sullivan Does His Best To Save It. MGM made some excellent film noir.
People are surprised but it turned out some excellent and very dark ones, notably "The People Against O'Hara." This bears certain plot similarities to that Spencer Tracy movie.
However, it is unfortunately not a very good MGM noir.Walter Pigeon, not one of my favorite actors, turns in a decent performance.
Ann Harding, who could be exasperatingly grand in her 1930s RKO starring vehicles, has a small part as his wife.
She's fine, though.Keefe Brasselle as the young hotshot Pigeon defends is not up to the task.
He doesn't ring remotely true as a sleazy kid on the take for whatever he can get and loving what he does get.Barry Sullivan is one of the staples of the best of noir, however, and he is in his usual fine form as the district attorney who goes up against Pigeon in court.
The movie, which seems to have needed it, has a voice-over narration by Sullivan.
(I say it may have needed it because he speaks right over characters we see moving their mouths and acting out scenes.) It's rather predictable.
Pigeon's Biblical recitation is interesting and casts the movie in a light that suggests it could have been much better than it is..
A good premise but carried out indifferently..
Walter Pidgeon plays an attorney who is persuaded to defend a man accused of murder.
This is odd, as Pidgeon is NOT a defense attorney but is still a well-respected lawyer.
When he is able to obtain a not guilty verdict, he is horrified to find that the man was guilty after all--and he'd been suckered into using his good name to get the acquittal.Later, when Pidgeon is talking about this case with a friend, he tells the guy that the murderer is part a larger organized crime scheme.
And, in a twist, the friend turns out to be the leader of this mob--and rubs it in Pidgeon's face.
In a fit of anger, Pidgeon kills the man and frames his client in the process.So far, this is great.
I like the idea of a lawyer acting on what is morally right and committing a murder.
However, from this point on, Pidgeon's character just muddles his way through the film--doing a really goofy job in the process.
Although he set up the murderer to take the rap for the second killing and he knows that the guy is a hardened killer, he inexplicably agrees to defend him once again!
And, instead of doing a sane job, he just kind of muddles about and casts much of the suspicion on himself!
What is going on here?!
Pidgeon's character changes his motivation so often, you'd swear he had Multiple Personality Disorder!
As a result of this very weak character, the film ultimately fails--despite starting off with such a wonderful premise.Overall, an interesting time passer that really doesn't make a lot of sense.
Too bad..
Unlikely Walter Pidgeon stars in ironic courtroom noir.
Prominent attorney Walter Pidgeon takes a murder case pro bono, wins an acquittal and discovers that his client (Keefe Braselle) was not only guilty but part of an extortion ring reaching to the highest eschelons of the city.
Panged by his own complicity, he undertakes an investigation, stumbles onto the identity of the "unknown man" who heads the syndicate, and murders him.The ironies engage when Braselle is charged with this second murder and Pidgeon must defend him by pointing to the existence of another "unknown man" -- himself.
Though somewhat short of urban grit and long on rhetoric, the Unknown Man belongs to the noir cycle less by style or structure than by its acknowledgement of the pervasive corruption of American municipal politics that came to light in the postwar years..
Too Tricky for Its Own Good.
Those early scenes between DA Sullivan and attorney Pidgeon are beautifully played.
Note how subtly a competitive sense is conveyed, along with professional respect and perhaps mild dislike.
So when Pidgeon decides to take Wallchek's (Braselle) case and challenge the DA, we understand why.
Pidgeon is excellent throughout.
His resonant voice and dignified bearing suggest that Old Testament worship of the law that drives Brad's character.
Ditto Sullivan's first-rate performance.
Nonetheless, his DA takes a more pragmatic view of the law, one that's importantly tempered by reality.Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't measure up.
Crime dramas whether noir or procedure were simply not MGM's strong suit.
LB Mayer's philosophy was escapism and celebrity stars, and not even new production chief Dore Schary's background at gritty RKO could modify the entrenched tradition.
Director Thorpe was one of Mayer's favorites because of his ability to complete projects under-budget.
Unfortunately, that style-less efficiency is on bland display here as the scenes unfold in strictly mechanical fashion.
Crucially, there are no visual (noirish) counterparts to Pidgeon's moral dilemma.
Then too, the screenplay apes fashion of the day by needlessly involving a "Mr. Big" as the invisible mastermind behind crime in the city.
Thus, what starts out as a very real legal dilemma—exonerating a guilty man and what to do about it—evolves into a contrived storyline, not helped by a highly contrived climax in the prison cell.
That compelling premise really does deserve a more thoughtful, less tricky, development than what it gets here.
Then too, once you think about it, I'm not sure how well the scales of justice actually balance, contrary to what the final scene appears to imply.
Anyway, two fine performances are largely wasted in what another reviewer aptly calls a minor film..
Set up for failure.
Hopelessly hamstrung by the requirements of the Production Code, The Unknown Man is a rather nasty piece of filmmaking, when you come down to it.
Walter Pidgeon is fine as the defense lawyer who mistakenly frees a young killer, played with fresh faced ineptitude by Keefe Braselle, but the machinations set into motion by Pidgeon's fatal encounter with the slimy Crime Commission bigwig, played brilliantly by Eduard Franz, are hopelessly unrealistic.
That leads some to conclude this is an entry in the noir cycle, but it plays more like a police procedural, with police captain Barry Sullivan successfully sniffing out the truth.
Besides Franz and Pidgeon, the acting highlights are provided by Konstantin Shayne as an elderly shopkeeper victimized by shakedown men.
Ultimately, though, The Unknown Man is a lesson in Old Testament justice, with murderers and their victims filling in as Sunday School sermon illustrations.
If you can get over the moralizing, however, this is a decent minor picture..
Cosmic justice.
Though there are a few flaws in the creation of this film they are glossed over by the powerful performances in The Unknown Man, particularly by it's star Walter Pidgeon.
Pidgeon plays a top attorney, a kind of Louis D.
Brandeis who takes great pride in loving the law for its own sake.
I've met a couple of attorneys like this in my life and they do exist.
Some even wind up on the Supreme Court, like Brandeis.Pidgeon is like Brandeis, a lawyer who specializes in civil practice.
He's both respected and successful.
When Philip Ober comes to him and asks Pidgeon to take on a criminal case to save an innocent man's life, Pidgeon agrees.His client is young Keefe Brasselle arrested in the murder of a young locksmith.
Pidgeon gets him off.
But later we find out he did the deed and furthermore Brasselle is a young punk who extorts money for organized crime.That sets in motion a chain of events which Pidgeon pushes that in the end bring about a certain cosmic justice which corrects the mistake that man's justice made.
I think if Louis Brandeis had gotten himself involved in a cosmic jackpot the way Pidgeon does it would come out the same.There are also some nice performances by wife Ann Harding, District Attorney Barry Sullivan who narrates the film in flashback, Eduard Franz the head of the Crime Commission, Lewis Stone as (what else) the Judge, and the original victim's father Konstantin Shayne.
There are indeed more than one victim before things are righted.Walter Pidgeon is the type of man they DON'T make lawyer jokes about, they give them awards.
Nicely cast and nicely done film..
Interesting Film Hampered by the Hacks at MGM.
MGM Produced Only a Few Crime or Film Noir Movies that were Above Average.
Their Heart just wasn't in it and didn't Even Try Much Until the Post War Audiences were Paying More Attention to those Reality Based Movies and Rewarded the Grit and Edgy Films with Box Office Success.
The Uppity Studio was Now On Board.
Sort of.They Relegated Second Units and Hack Directors, Less than Premium Actors and Writers and Provided Them All with Low Production Values and Reluctantly Joined in on the Opportunity to Make Money.
Most of Their Efforts were Unsurprisingly Average or Worse.In this Crime Procedural Walter Pidgeon and Barry Sullivan do Their Best to Elevate the Thin Storyline with some Gravitas.
it does Raise this One Slightly Above Average with some Surprising Twists.
But the Production Suffers from a Rushed Schedule.
One Example where the Movie could have An Added Bonus of Realism with a Heart Stopping Scene would be to Film the Death of a Major Character that was Sudden and Powerful Involving a Hit and Run by Truck.
These Pedestrian in a Hurry Movie Makers Chose to let that Action and Drama Occur Offscreen.Overall it is Definitely Worth a Watch for its Story of Corruption and Crime Unfolding in Front of a Good Hearted and Naive Lawyer that Finds His World View Collapsing All Around Him. The Way He Deals with it is Interesting and a Bit Different for this Type of Thing..
Absurd plot; some good acting; not recommended.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes the higher expectations you have for something, the more disappointed you are when those expectations are not achieved.
I had high expectations for this film simply because Walter Pidgeon was a very fine actor, and a role as a lawyer seemed a natural him, particularly at this point in his career (he also played a lawyer in at least one other film -- "These Wilder Years", with Jimmy Cagney).
And, it turns out that Pidgeon's acting here is just fine.
That's not the problem.The problem is a dumb script that couda been a contenda.
Now, the script started out fine.
Young thug is arrested for murder.
A distinguished lawyer -- but not a defense attorney -- reluctantly agrees to take the case.
He gets the thug off, but later realizes that the thug was guilty of that murder and probably of at least one other.
In trying to figure out a way to get the thug convicted on another murder, he learns who the kingpin of corruption is in his city.
And he (Pidgeon) stabs him to death...with the weapon that the young thug used in the first murder!
Well, you know something, that's just too sophomoric a script device!
It ruined the picture.
When the young thug is arrested for the new murder, Pidgeon represents him again since this was a crime for which he was not guilty.
But, the young thug is convicted, and Pidgeon decides he (Pidegeon) must pay the price...and still get the young thug to pay a price for the murder he did commit, but was acquitted of.
So he goes to the thug's jail cell, gives him the weapon used in both murders, confesses to the thug that he was the murderer in the last crime, then turns his back on the thug and the thug stabs him to death...while Pidegon is reading from the Bible.
Thus both murderers pay the price (since the thug will now be convicted of killing Pidgeon).
Oh my god.Would someone really set up a situation that would allow him to be stabbed to death?
Anything is possible, but this is pretty far-fetched.Admittedly, the writers of the screenplay made everything that happens possible, but so unlikely that it ruins the film.Nevertheless, there is some good acting here.
Along with Pidgeon, Ann Harding as his wife puts in a strong performance.
Barry Sullivan, not usually a favorite of mine, does very nicely here as the DA.
Lewis Stone is just perfect as a judge, though some of the dialog he is given is questionable.
Eduard Franz has a small but interesting role as the head of the crime syndicate.
The one misfire, at least in my opinion, was Keefe Brasselle as the young thug (although ironically, there were many stories alleging that Brasselle actually had definite connections to the mafia).I still have a great deal of respect for the long acting career of Walter Pidgeon, but this film proves that not every role he took on was a gem.
Maybe worth a watch one single time..
A Disgraceful Lawyer.
Walter Pigeon plays the part of a truly disgraceful lawyer.
He agrees to represent a defendant in a murder case, thereby assuming a duty of loyalty to his client.
In the course of the trial he succeeds in establishing that the key eyewitness against his client could not reasonably identify his client in view of the poor lighting conditions and, most important, that the witness need eyeglasses which he was not wearing at the time.
Having demonstrated that there is not only lacking evidence establishing guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, but a virtual lack of any evidence of guilt at all, the verdict of acquittal is inevitable.
Indeed, the case should never have even gone to the jury; the judge should have entered judgment for the accused at the close of the prosecution's case.
Upon discovering that his client really did the deed, the lawyer proceeds to assume the defense of the client for a second murder, one that he, the lawyer, committed, not the client, and proceeds to secure a conviction by withholding evidence, i.e., his own testimony that he, not the client, committed the second murder.
He then goes on to provoke the client into killing him by, in effect, taunting him by revealing that he is the one who committed the second murder and getting the client to believe that he is prepared to see the client will be punished for the murder he did not commit.
It is hard to imagine a lawyer betraying his duty of loyalty to his client so blatantly. |
tt0433498 | Kino no tabi | In Kino's Journey, the protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people. She only spends three days and two nights in every town, without exception, on the principle that three days is enough time to learn almost everything important about a place, while leaving time to explore new lands. Kino says in The Land of Visible Pain that this principle is probably a lie, specifically noting "if I stay any longer, I'm afraid I will settle down." The recurring theme of the anime and novels is described by the phrase, "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is [beautiful]." Kino's Journey explores what the anime director Ryūtarō Nakamura described as "a radical sense of 'beauty," and brutality, loneliness, nonsense, oppression and tragedy are often juxtaposed against compassion and a fairy-tale atmosphere.
For protection and hunting, Kino carries a .44 single action revolver (called "the Cannon", based on a Colt M1851) that uses liquid explosives in place of gunpowder and a .22 automatic pistol (named "the Woodsman", based on a Colt Woodsman). Later in Kino's adventures in the novels, Kino also uses a pump action shotgun (based on a Winchester M1897) and a semi-automatic sniper rifle (called "the Flute", based on an Arisaka Type 99 rifle), along with a variety of other tools, including knives. In the anime, Kino is shown to carry no fewer than five knives, including one which can fire .22 bullets from its hilt. Kino is an unusually quick draw and practices every day before dawn.
Technology in this world exists, sometimes to the level of science fiction, although anachronisms are common (for example, the same land that has talking robots also appears to have phonographs, yet simultaneously the world has only begun to develop heavier-than-air flight). The level of technology also varies from country to country. The world is not heavily magical (the only "magical" elements include land that moves, a talking motorcycle, and a talking dog), although it has a certain fairy-tale quality. | alternate reality, philosophical, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0029658 | They Won't Forget | A southern town is rocked by scandal when teenager Mary Clay is murdered on Confederate Memorial Day. A district attorney with political ambitions, Andrew Griffin, sees the crime as way to the Senate if he can find the right scapegoat to be tried for the crime. He seeks out Robert Hale, Mary's teacher at the business school where she was killed. Even though all evidence against Hale is circumstantial, Hale happens to be from New York (Leo Frank was a Southerner from Texas, but he was Jewish and had been raised in New York), and Griffin works with reporter William Brock to create a media frenzy of prejudice and hatred against the teacher. The issue moves from innocence or guilt to the continuing bigotry and suspicion between South and North, especially given the significance of the day of the murder.
The film shows the immense pressures brought to bear on members of the community to help in the conviction - the black janitor who is induced to lie on the stand for fear he himself will be convicted if Hale is found innocent; the juror who is the sole holdout to a guilty verdict; and the barber who is afraid to testify to something he knows because it could exonerate Hale. Michael Gleason, Hale's lawyer, does his best, but Hale is convicted and sentenced to death.
The governor of the state, with the support of his wife, decides to commit political suicide by commuting Hale's death sentence to life imprisonment because the evidence is simply insufficient to send a man to his death. The townsfolk are enraged, and the murdered girl's brothers, who have been threatening all along to take matters into their own hands if Hale is not executed, plot and carry out Hale's abduction and lynching with the help of a vengeful mob.
Afterward, Hale's widow goes to Griffin's office to return a check he had sent her to help her out, telling him he cannot soothe his conscience that way. As he and Brock watch her leave the building, Brock wonders if Hale was guilty. Griffin replies without much concern, "I wonder." | revenge, suspenseful, murder, romantic, melodrama | train | wikipedia | Occasionally the characters give out unmotivated speeches (especially Hale's wife), but the movie is very well-written and acted with Claude Rain chewing the scenery again and again.
Gloria Dickson is very powerful as the defendant's wife, and Claude Rains is magnificent as the politically minded prosecutor, but Allyn Joslyn as the cynical, burnt out reporter steals the show.
South in this gripping courtroom drama helmed by the great Mervyn LeRoy. A dark haired, southern drawled Claude Rains has an actor's field day as D.A Andy Griffin.
He gets it when a Yankee school teacher (Edward Norris) is accused of murdering a high school girl (Fetching Lana Turner in her film debut) Griffin turns the trial into a media circus and a kangaroo court.
Quick-paced film from the late thirties, directed by Mervyn Le Roy, They Won't Forget in an eminently memorable lesson in how gossip, rumor, innuendo and ignorance can get a man lynched.
A hideous crime rocks a Deep South community and those who exploited it know THEY WON'T FORGET the part they played in the shame & violence that ensued.Of all the hard-hitting dramas produced by Warner Brothers Studio in the 1930's, this was one of the most powerful.
An urgent plea against sectarian hatred & mindless violence, the film sweeps the viewer along to its ultimate shattering climax.Claude Rains gives a knock-out performance as the local politician who sees the murder as a chance to sweep him into the State Senate.
Using his considerable vocal talent - even with his somewhat bizarre idea of a Southern accent - Rains steamrollers over nearly everyone else in the cast, deftly showing his character's utter fixation on prosecuting the case.Kudos should also be extended to Edward Norris as the Northern teacher accused of the murder; Lana Turner as the victim; Elisha Cook Jr. as her strangely nervous boyfriend; and especially Clinton Rosemond as the terrified black janitor who discovers the crime.Although Warners is at pains at the outset to deny any connection the story might have with an actual occurrence, the film is roughly based on the notorious 1913 murder of Atlanta factory worker Mary Phagan..
Warner Brothers, known in the 1930s as the socially conscious studio, had a message to flog, and in this case it goes a bit overboard: No character has more than one dimension, and even that excellent actor Claude Rains, as the DA, snarls and rolls his eyes and gesticulates wildly, overdoing the blind ambition bit.
The role of a lifetime for actor Claude Rains, I was impressed by the performance of the actress who plays the wife of the victim of a trial that never should have been.
One of Warner Brothers' `hard-hitting' social comment dramas of the 1930s, They Won't Forget leaves viewers all riled up though, today, maybe less at the judicial process in the Deep South than at Mervyn LeRoy's depiction of it in the movie.
Based not too loosely on the Mary Phagan murder case of 1913, it updates the events to the late Depression and also advances the victim's age (Phagan was 13; here, the victim an unrecognizable Lana Turner, in her debut is a student at a small business college).It's Confederate Memorial Day, April 26, and the college lets out early, unexpectedly for instructor Edward Norris, a Northerner.
In a small Southern town celebrating Confederate Memorial Day, a young woman (Lana Turner) is murdered.
Hale is arrested and tried but the anti-Northern sentiment running through the town guarantees his trial won't be fair.Great role for Claude Rains, who owns every scene he's in as a remorseless politician out to further his career regardless of cost.
The rest of the cast is made up of familiar faces, including Otto Kruger and Elisha Cook, Jr. Loosely based on the real story of Leo Frank, a Jewish man accused of murdering 13 year-old Mary Phagan in Georgia.
While Turner's appearance is brief, she was somewhat memorable here.As always, Claude Rains steals the show as an ambitious attorney, who will use this case as the prosecutor, to further his political career.
Mary Clay, played by Lana Turner (living up to her sweater girl fame) very early in her career is a student at a small southern town's business college.
Another one of those was the Leo Frank case where a Jewish man and a northerner was tried and found guilty of the murder of Mary Phagan in Georgia.
From that case the novel and the film They Won't Forget was constructed with the names and the religion of the defendant changed to protect God knows what.Even with the name changed to a white bread WASP name of Hale, Warner Brothers was taking a chance on losing the southern market with the making of They Won't Forget.
Edward Norris as the outsider, teacher at a small business school in a southern town is a man totally caught in the regional prejudices of a section of the country that is still fighting the War between the states.Norris is accused of murdering young Lana Turner in her breakthrough role as an attractive and saucy young teenager.
Rains portrays a man of frightening ambition and a type we're all too familiar with in real life.Although the Leo Frank case took place in the teen years and this film is set in the contemporary Thirties, things hadn't changed all that much in the south.
Strident but sober Forget is one cynical walk down the road of ambition.On Confederate Decoration Day student Mary Clay (Lana Turner in her memorable debut to movie audiences) is murdered at the holiday emptied school.
The defense strikes back by bringing a hot shot lawyer (Hardy Kruger) from up north to defend the teacher and he soon begins to poke holes in the prosecutions case but it fails to defuse the towns white hot anger.With the Leo Frank case as background and then communist writer Robert Rossen about to embark on a career exposing the corrupt underbelly of American society ( All the King's Men, The Hustler) They Won't Forget pulls no punches in its portrayal of southern yokels doing what they do best in Hollywood films, act irrationally with a strong sense of bias.
Lynching a black would be commonplace but convicting a Yankee of murder might make a man governor and that is just what Griffin has in mind as he enlists the press to help convict.As the power hungry DA Claude Rains goes over the top more than once in a bravura performance that calls for it even if he does at moments find his highly refined British accent wrestling with his southern twang.
They Won't Forget (1937) **** (out of 4) Terrific Warner drama about a school teacher (Edward Norris) from the North who's working in the South when one of his students his murdered.
(Claude Rains), wanting to rise in the political game, charges the teacher with the murder not because of evidence but because the Southerners think he's guilty due to being from the North.
It deals with a miscarriage of justice inspired by a real-life case that was later also treated in the 1988 TV-movie THE MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN (starring Jack Lemmon), which I foolishly never watched despite once owning a copy of!
Anyway, what we have here is a man convicted of murder solely on the strength of circumstantial evidence: he just happens to be a Northerner employed in the South, and the events kick off on the former Confederacy's Memorial Day – when the sentiments for the old life and resentment towards the 'enemy' are most apt to be rekindled!
The fact that it is undercast (nominal star Rains was hardly a big box-office draw, already middle-aged when this emerged, and playing a nasty character into the bargain!) – whether it was done to achieve greater realism or to counter the intrinsic hysteria at its core is debatable (still, a debuting Allyn Joslyn is effective as an unscrupulous reporter, a dark-haired Lana Turner landed her first important role here as the murder victim and Elisha Cook Jr. appears as the latter's unlikely beau) – and also because it came hot on the heels of another superb 'mob justice'-themed effort, namely Fritz Lang's FURY (1936; ironically, an MGM picture); apparently, Lang was even approached to helm this one but declined!
It's a good film and i didn't even recognize that the murdered girl was Lana Turner..
It's a story that still resonates because it feeds into the ambitions of raising stars in politics, as they tend to associate themselves with the kind of yellow journalism that will do everything to ruin lives and in this case send an innocent man to his death.Sadly, Mr. Leroy chose to direct the film telling his actors to emote, as he obviously had no way to reining some of the performances.
An excellent actor like Claude Rains' account of his character, the evil D.A., Andy Griffin, goes for histrionics, instead of having him play the part as a sly and suave man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Have liked and respected various films of the always competent Mervyn LeRoy, especially 'Random Harvest', 'Waterloo Bridge' and 'Gold Diggers of 1933', and have always found Claude Rains a fine actor.While maybe not quite one of the all-time greats or as great as the above, 'They Won't Forget' is a powerful and not easy to forget film that deserves far more credit and exposure.
Have seen quite a number of very good to outstanding films recently and throughout my time as a reviewer here that are criminally underseen and under-appreciated, and it makes me sad to see that treatment when there are far inferior, and in some cases not good, films that make a lot of money and far more accessible in availability regardless of whether they're good or not.Sure, 'They Won't Forget' is not the most visually beautiful, although it is well shot, or evocative film in the world and occasionally the content is hammered home too much, but the film was so searingly powerful and stirred so many emotions in me that they were not major issues and more like nit-picks.LeRoy's direction, as it rightly should be, is no-nonsense and he keeps the storytelling tight and concise.
A lot of memorable scenes, but particularly notable examples are Gloria Dickson's final speech, which gave me chills, and Lana Turner on the side-walk.Have no issues with the acting, helped by the writing and that they have compellingly real characters that don't irritate or feel underdeveloped with clear and understandable motivations.
Edward Norris gives one of the better performances for any defendant in a film courtroom drama for me, and Otto Kruger and Elisha Cook Jr do well against type.
Claude Rains Unrestrained, Over the Top Courtroom Antics is the Film's Weakest Link in an Otherwise Scathing Indictment of America's Ongoing (even today) Battle with Prejudice, Bigotry, Ethnocentrism, and an Overall Stacked and Rigged System on Many Levels.WB Studios Again Solidifies its Place as the Socially Conscious Studio in This Unforgettable Story Based on a Real Life 1913 Event.
This is a fictionalized version of the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan (here called Mary Clay, played by 16 or 17 year old Lana Turner) made 24 years later and before three confessions were made that pointed to the guilt of the black janitor, so at the time of the filming the writers and audience lacked the certainty which we have that a innocent man was lynched.The "what" of title "They Won't Forget" is not the murder, but the fact that the South for four years was a separate country which proudly defended their distinct way of life.
A fictionalized account of the Leo Frank case, who was falsely accused and convicted of the murder of Mary Phagan, and later hanged by a mob.
"They won't forget" is a tragedy.The first pictures show six old confederates veterans who play the part of the antique choir.They 'll come back when the drama is over."They won't forget" works as the mechanism of a clock.It's North versus South,Mother versus Mother, populace versus law ,integrity versus political career...It almost outshines Le Roy's previous masterpieces such as "I'm a fugitive from a chain gang" (both Paul Muni and Edward Norris portray men who cannot adapt themselves to the society they're part of:Muni because he 's just returned from war,Norris because he is one of those hateful Yankees for those southerners .The movie is absorbing from start to finish and contains unforgettable scenes: -The parade ,our memorial day (which has not the same meaning for Hale) -Hale caught up in the system when the cops come to question him.-The black janitor,crying "I didn't do it!I didn't do it!I'm afraid!
.The actor's performance is intense matching Claude Rains' and the rest of the uniformly good cast's .-Joe Turner (Elisha Cook jr) claiming his innocence to Mary's sister ;it's so realistic we can see him sputter!
-the scene when Hale's wife (Gloria Dickson) gets his mother at the station where people are looking forward to watching a sensational trial.Everybody gathers for the feast as they will do in Billy Wilder's "Ace in the hole" (1951)-the beautiful scene between the governor and his wife;this is the only one which leaves some hope about the human race.-the train where we feel an impending threat,hellbound train indeed!-Sybil's final words ,when she curses those who killed her husband ;actually the D.A.was not the only one responsible for the tragedy.The whole town played a part,from a coward barber to a hateful school principal ,from the greedy for scoops journalists to anonymous avengers ."They won't forget" is a must..
So, this cynical clod (so well played by Claude Rains), does nothing to help exonerate the man and encourages the mob mentality that is growing in the town.What I particularly liked about the film is that it never ran from the course it had taken and copped out for a "Hollywood" ending.
Frank was abducted from the local jail-house and taken out in the woods and hung for the murder of 12 year-old Atlanta girl Mary Phagan.The movie goes along the same lines as the real story that it's based on with Leo Frank portrayed as a business professor, not the owner of a pencil factory, from the north named Perry Hale, Edward Norris.
Besides that small change in history the movie nevertheless is a strong incitement of how emotions can easily take over a community and lead to an innocent mans, even though it's never really proved if or not Hale was in fact innocent, unjust conviction and later murder.Hale was seen at the business school where he was a professor and where pretty 16 year-old Mary Clay, Lana Turner, attended and was in fact a bit infatuated with him.
Seeing a chance to make a name for himself, and get elected senator, local D.A Andrew Griffin, Claude Raines, took charge of prosecuting Hale and with the town already strongly prejudice against him, in Hale being an outsider and Yankee to boot, the outcome of the trial was already a forgone conclusion.Hale's trial, and jury, was so prejudice against him that after being convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to the electric chair that Governor Mountford,Paul Everton,felt that he at least should have a new trial, with a change of venue, in order to positively prove his innocence not the angry lynch mob that he faced back in Flodden.Sacrificing his political career Gov. Mountford let his conscience replace his future in politics by commenting Hale's death sentence to life imprisonment.
Sybil threw the check that Griffin gave her back in his face wanting to have nothing more to do with him and the town of Floddon as she walked out of his office and his life as well as town forever.P.S the biggest tragedy besides the tragic lynching of Perry Hale is that the actual murdered, if Hale was in fact innocent, of young Mary Clay was never brought to justice.
A pretty good story of the arrest, conviction, and lynching of a New York teacher (Edward Norris) in the South, blamed for the murder of a young Mary Clay (the braless Lana Turner) of which he may or may not be guilty.
Excellent film based on a true story, although not Claude Rains at this best.
First, it's loosely based on the trial and lynching of Leo Frank after the murder of Mary Phagan back in 1913.
They do a nice job here with the character who appears to be innocent, but who says things and acts in little ways that would lead some people to think he is guilty.Otto Kruger as Michael Gleason Allyn Joslyn, a character actor who usually did nicely in comedy, is here as a reporter, but I wasn't very impressed.Gloria Dickson, who in real life died in a fire after a short career in films, does reasonably nicely as the charged husband's wife.The murdered girl is played by none other than Lana Turner.
Nevertheless, it is an honorable acting performance.Elisabeth Risdon plays the convicted murderer's mother; a very dependable and recognizable character actress.Aside from the murder case itself, an important aspect of the film was that it took place in the South, thus implying that Southerners were bigots (no comment as to whether that's an appropriate observation; you decide).
A key instigator, the reporter Bill Brock (Allyn Joslyn), unscrupulously uses the murder of Mary Clay (Lana Turner), conflating rumors and suspicions about Hale, to stimulate his career.
Based on Ward Greenes novel -"Death In The Deep South" there are several things that make this film outstanding.Claude Rains as DA Andy Griffin is outstanding in pursuit of a murderer of a young woman in a town where the previous 2 murders remain unsolved.
Sure Griffin gets Professor Robert Hale (Edward Norris) convicted, but the film deliberately does not prove beyond any doubt whether or not he is really the killer. |
tt0059246 | Guide | The movie starts with Raju (Dev Anand) being released from jail. Raju was a freelance guide, who earned his living by taking tourists to historic sites. One day, a wealthy and aging archaeologist, Marco (Kishore Sahu) comes to the city with his young wife Rosie (Waheeda Rehman), the daughter of a courtesan. Marco wants to do some research on the caves outside the city and hires Raju as his guide.
While Marco devotes himself to the discovery of the cave, Raju takes Rosie on a tour and appreciates her dancing ability and innocence. He learns about Rosie's background as a daughter of a prostitute and how Rosie has achieved respectability as the wife of Marco but at a terrible cost. She had to give up her passion of dancing since it was unacceptable to Marco. Meanwhile, Rosie tries to commit suicide by consuming poison. Marco, upon learning of the incident, returns from the caves to see Rosie and is furious with Rosie after seeing her alive. He tells her that her act of committing suicide was a drama, otherwise she would have consumed more sleeping pills so that she could really have died. Upon returning to the caves which were discovered, Rosie learns that Marco is spending time and enjoying the company of a native tribal girl. She is enraged at Marco and both indulge in a serious heated discussion, which concludes with Rosie leaving the caves, and she once again wants to end her life.
Raju calms her down by saying that committing suicide is a sin, and that she should live to pursue her dream. She finally says good-bye to the relation of being the wife of Marco. Now she needs support and a home. Raju gives her shelter. Rosie is considered a prostitute by Raju's community (as classical dancing traditionally was prostitutes' work at royal courts), which leads to many problems, including his mother and her brother insisting that Rosie be kicked out. Raju refuses and his mother leaves him. His friend and driver also falls out with him over Rosie. Raju loses his business and the entire town turns against him. Undeterred by these setbacks, Raju helps Rosie embark on a singing and dancing career and Rosie becomes a star. As she rises as a star, Raju becomes dissolute — gambling and drinking. Marco comes back on the scene. Trying to win Rosie back, he brings flowers and has his agent ask Rosie to release some jewelry which is in a safe deposit box. Raju, a bit jealous, does not want Marco to have any contact with Rosie and forges Rosie's name on the release of the jewels. Meanwhile, Rosie and Raju drift apart due to Rosie's incomprehensible behaviour when she tortures Raju by not obliging him a caring hug even and asks him to leave her room else she says she will have to go out. Before this, they also had a discussion about how a man should live when Rosie remembers Marco and tells Raju that Marco was probably correct when he used to say that a man should not live on a woman's earnings.
Raju retorts by saying that she is under a misunderstanding that she has become a star on her own and it was only because of Raju's efforts that she became famous. Later, Rosie learns of the forgery release. Raju is convicted of forgery, resulting in a two-year sentence. Rosie does not understand why Raju indulged in forgery, when he could have easily asked her for money. It was not money, it was the loving fascination for Rosie which urged Raju not to reveal Marco's visit to Rosie so that she doesn't remember him again and to eliminate the probability of Rosie and Marco's togetherness, if at all, there was any little chance. On the day of his release, his mother and Rosie come to pick him up but they are told that he was released six months ago because of his good behaviour.
Meanwhile, upon his release Raju wanders alone. Despair, poverty, rags, hunger, and loneliness engulf him until he finds a wandering group of sadhus (holy men) with whom he spends a night at a derelict temple in a small town.Raju impresses the woman with the logic in taking a husband and she submits, which convinces Bhola that Raju is a swami (holy man). Impressed by this, Bhola spreads the news through the village. Raju is taken as a holy man by the village. Raju assumes the role of village holy man (Swami Ji) and engages in skirmishes with the local pandits.And drama started here. Due to drought Raju was forced to fast for 12 days so that it rains. Meanwhile, his mother, friend and Rosie unite with him and patch things up. In the end it rains but Raju dies. | philosophical | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0036542 | The Wise Quacking Duck | The cartoon begins with Mr. Meek carrying an axe in his hands. He turns to the audience and explains that his wife, Sweetypuss, told him that if he didn't bring home a roast duck for dinner, she would 'cook (his) goose'. The scene cuts to Daffy eating corn while singing "I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair" minding his business. A shadow of Meek is show getting ready to chop off Daffy's head. Then he jumps and shout "Watch it, bub!" directly in his face. After a brief talk to Meek, he flicks his beak at his face and marches to a hay stack. Meek chops the stack various times and on the last chop, he thinks he kills the duck. Daffy fakes his death by squirting ketchup and throwing his feathers around ("You crushed my little head!") This fools Meek by pretending he is beheaded and runs rapidly. Meek feels sad and goes back to his house, where Daffy is seen putting lots of sugar cubes into a cup of coffee. Meek guiltily tells him that he has killed a duck. Daffy cheers up Meek into giving him a cup of coffee and asks how many lumps (of sugar) his wife usually gives him. Meek shows Daffy a 'lump' (a bump on his head), and Daffy hits him on the head (giving him another 'lump') and pours cream on it. Daffy dances on the cakes and pies, singing "Shortening Bread", and Meek immediately recognizes the duck he thought he killed ("Say. That's that Daffy Duck.") Daffy then utters 'YOU AIN'T JUST WHISTLING DIXIE!!!', then throws a pie at him, leading into a war between himself and Meek. Daffy goes into army plane mode, by dropping an egg on Meek as a "Secret Bomb Site." Next, he goes into battle weaponry mode, by making various sounds and smashing household items. After all the fun and games are over, Meek gets mad, which causes the egg to fry on his head. Daffy runs off, but is caught by Meek with a shotgun. He puts it up to Daffy's face and orders him to get in the oven. Daffy goes into his stripper mode and performs a striptease to the tune "It Had to be You." The war continues through some parts of the cartoon, including a fortune teller (referring to Jerry Colonna). Going back to the curve run scene, Meek points his gun to Daffy's face again ("No no. Not twice in a same picture.") Meek blows the feathers off him and throws him in the oven. When he hears Daffy cries he fells guilty and opens the door. The cartoon ends with Daffy bathing himself in gravy ("Say. Now you're cooking with gas.") | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | One of my favourite Daffy Duck cartoons.
I have always loved Looney Tunes and Daffy Duck is a big part of why.
The Wise Quacking Duck is an example of Looney Tunes and Daffy at their finest.
The kissing joke is rather old-fashioned, but that is not enough to spoil the fun.
And fun there is.
The writing is deliciously fresh and witty, again Daffy has the best of it and as ever Mel Blanc delivers them with relish.
The sight gags are just as imaginatively timed and very clever, the striptease especially is genius and the ending is a delight.
Daffy is an absolute hoot, deliciously off-the-wall and manic yet instantly likable.
I find this persona more appealing than the still effective greedy one he's adopt later.
Mr Meek is a good character also and works well with Daffy, if never really coming up to Daffy's level character wise.
The animation is colourful and beautiful to look at, especially the panoramic view at the start and the music and pacing crackle with energy.
So overall, classic Daffy, a must see.
10/10 Bethany Cox. What's With All The Kissing?.
A question before discussing this cartoon: why, in cartoons back then, did these characters like Daffy and Bugs Bunny, always kiss their adversaries on the lips then run away?
Is that supposed to be funny?
Was that a standard gag in those days?
It looks stupid and gets annoying.
Daffy does it a half dozen times here, and Bugs did it frequently.
By the mid 1940s, you stopped seeing it in the cartoons.
I wonder if "Mr. Meek" was a caricature of actor Donald Meek, a good classic-era comedian who looked the part of a small, very timid man.
In this early Daffy Duck cartoon, "Mr. Meek" has to go kill a duck or his wife, "Sweety Puss" will cook HIS goose, or so he says.Of course, who know who first sees first: Daffy, and Daffy is too smart to let this guy chop his head off.
Our favorite cartoon duck puts on a funny act, pretending to have his head chopped off and poor Mr. Meek goes away sobbing.
He's no killer, and Daffy takes advantage of his compassion by beating the man home (how did he know where the man lived?) and tormenting him further at his residence, trashing part of his house, too.
Daffy goes insane, which is what he does best!.
Very fun, amusing and a delight to watch..
This Daffy Duck episode stars the crazy (and luckily not very greedy) Daffy and a weedy, pathetic (pathetic at first and then a bit less later) man who is trying to hunt him, because his wife forced him to (luckily she does not appear in any part of the episode).
The hunter is searching for a duck and he quickly comes across Daffy eating seeds.
Daffy is not to be easily killed however...I enjoyed this episode because Daffy, who is very unconventional and off-the-wall here (entertainingly so), is so good and because of the animation, the plot-line and the man who tries to hunt Daffy.
The humour is also very good, fun and wacky.
It is a bit odd for Looney Tunes humour, but will appeal to a great deal of viewers.
A good deal of the jokes are old fashioned as well (like the kissing one, which I like for some reason, which ccthemovieman pointed out), stuff that would not be made today, for anyone's viewing, which is another highlight to the cartoon.I recommend this to people who enjoy old Looney Tunes and to people who like Daffy Duck, especially when he's CRAZY.
Enjoy "The Wise Quacking Duck"!
The meek shallow habit.
The opening shot in this Clampett cartoon is a beautiful panoramic reveal that gives a real dept to the surroundings.
It introduces us to the Meek farm where the man of the house has been ordered by his wife Sweety Puss to kill a duck for din-dins (or she'll cook his goose, if you know what I mean).
In a scene that seems a bit drawn out (no pun) by today's standards, Meek creeps up on Daffy while his animators take great care animating his shadow.
Then they discards it like Peter Pan's once it has served it's purpose (very convenient).
How's this for useless trivia: this timid character shares the same voice and wife as the Love Bird from Sylvester's debut 'Life with Feathers' (1945).
He does however get to utter that one line that elevates any film to instant greatness: "Wat have I done?" (two conditions: it has to be said earnestly, and variations that are not in the first person don't count).
Daffy shows us how to do a gruesome headless duck routine with the help of a ketchup bottle and a built in turtle neck sweater.
Then he takes the fight into the Meek household giving this poor guy the pie, some tongue, the Daffy drawn on the wall bit and finally the big bang boom razzmatazz routine (it was wartime after all).
At first we think Meek and his Puss must be quite well off, judging by the size of their furniture.
The oven, where a lot of the gags take place, is especially monstrous.
But when you realize Mr. Meek is really not much taller than the average duck, it becomes less impressive.
Daffy sure had a habit of repeating himself in the early days (he even mentions it himself).
In this one he sneaks in the old gag about reading the bumps on your head twice.
At that point the meek can't stands no more and goes all Popeye on him.
Daffy's last stand involves an uncomfortably long strip-tease.
(I am not sure if this was what the G.
I.'s were hoping for).
Meek sure enough falls for it, but then of course we're glad never to find out what his 'Sweety Puss' looks like.5 out of 10.
Cook the goose, and then imitate Barbarella.
Once again, a dimwit unsuccessfully tries to do away with Daffy Duck.
In this case, soft-spoken Mr. Meek has to cook a duck for dinner or his wife will cook his goose (heh, heh).
Some of the gags here have appeared in so many cartoons that I easily predicted them (namely the one about lumps).
But the highlight here is Daffy's striptease; it reminded me of what Jane Fonda did at the beginning of "Barbarella".
If we in the 21st century find that scene wacky, just imagine how it must have looked to moviegoers in 1943!
Anyway, this is a true display of Daffy's talent back when his first name actually described his personality (it was after WWII when he became a sociopath under Chuck Jones's direction).
OK, so we could also be cynical and say that Bob Clampett gave Daffy a too vulnerable rival, and so Daffy didn't have to do all that he could.
Well, I still say that "The Wise Quacking Duck" is a really funny cartoon.
And I don't think that any live-action actor would have dared do that striptease..
A man is forced by his wife to find a duck to cook for dinner and he meets the wild mannered daffy duck..
This is daffy at his daffiest!
Before Chuck Jones changed daffy in the early 50's, he was a crazy heckler and this is probably the best of those cartoons.
This cartoon also proves that Bob Clampett completely owned the crazy daffy duck, other directors did crazy daffy duck cartoons but none of them were as good as this one.
Bob really goes over the top in this one and I like how Bob depicts Mr.Meek(funny name) as a wimpy guy being controlled by his unseen wife and you began to start feeling bad for him as daffy heckles him, even though he's trying to cook daffy!
The animation's great and the gags are hilarious and clever.
Daffy's really bad in here and a little violent too!
Daffy does a mocking, bloody beheading, dresses up like a fortune teller and counts the lumps on Mr. Meek's head(after causing the lumps) and a hilarious strip tease, proving that looney tunes wasn't just for kids.
This is full of manic energy and I love the ending, with daffy in the oven laughing, saying "WHOOO-WHOOO!" A Daffy Duck Classic!.
"Say, now you're cooking with gas!" .
. Daffy Duck exclaims at the close of THE WISE QUACKING DUCK to Hitler look-alike "Mr. Meek," who's just attacked Daffy with a hatchet, shot off all his feathers with a long gun, and shoved the denuded carcass into an oven.
QUACKING came out in 1943, by which time the many Jews in Hollywood had heard about Hitler's "Final Solution" Death Camps through the international grapevine.
Since the American Rich People's Party (ARPP) held enough Congressional seats to block any Humanitarian Response to their philosophical soul mates, the Nazis, by the United States, ships full of Jews were being sent back to the ovens from the "safe havens" of U.S. ports with less Public Outcry than that arising from ONE Black Lives Matter death Today.
The frenetic action of QUACKING, which finds Daffy frequently kissing Mr. Meek and literally morphing into a female human stripper at one point, reflects the Looney Tuners inability to fathom dozens of Unconstitutional ARRP "Red States" politically dominated by Hitler's American enablers, such as Michiganders Henry Ford, Charles Lindbergh, and "Adolph's Radio Priest" (the Rush Limbaugh of his day), Father Charles Edward Coughlin.
Combined with the gas additives exported from Texas to Germany by Prescott Bush, much of the Third Reich Madness originated here in America, QUACKING informs us. |
tt0298491 | Den osynlige | Niklas (Gustaf Skarsgård) is a poet who wants to go to a school to develop his talents, while his mother wants him to follow in his family's footsteps and become something completely different from his dreams. He plans his escape and buys a ticket out of town to go to a special school in England, which he's been saving up for by writing papers for students in the school.
His best friend is getting picked on by the school bully, Annelie (Tuva Novotny), a rather violent young girl who is often neglected. She gets caught stealing and comes to believe that Niklas snitched on her. Her gang beats up Niklas' friend until he lies and says that it was Niklas that told everyone, thinking that Niklas has already gone to England. The gang tracks down Niklas and nearly beats him to death. The next morning Niklas walks out of the forest without a scratch on his body and seems a little unnerved. When he gets to school, everyone is ignoring him and he can't figure out why. He realizes that he is invisible after he throws a book at the wall, and the book stays in its original spot. He can touch and move things, but the second he looks back, the object is back in place. The twist occurs when a bird dies by flying into a window, and Niklas recognizes that he is still alive, but dying in the woods. Annelie finds out that it was actually her boyfriend who snitched on her because she didn't want to give him his part of the stolen things.
Niklas is left helpless as he watches his mother and the police hunt for his body. His friend commits suicide over the event and leaves a letter for his parents and the police, who eventually find Niklas' body, which by this stage is lifeless and on the very edge of death. The film ends with Annelie admitting to the crime, turning herself over to the police and turning off Niklas' life support so that both are free. | murder | train | wikipedia | Great film, instantly a favourite.
Being from Australia, not much news of Swedish films reach our shores.
It looked interesting, so I stuck with it, and I'm glad I did.I absolutely adored this film.
From the outset I found the main actor, Gustaf Skarsgard, very intriguing.
I was surprised to find out this was his first major film role, he handled it perfectly.
Never over the top, never underwhelming, just right.I didn't pick the twist up in this film right away.
The feeling you get when it dawns just drums up the excitement and tempo of the film, when you suddenly realise that yes, there is something at stake here.I also loved the very unHollywood ending.
This film turned all those cliches about - characters you were meant to hate were ones you ended up feeling the most for, and the 'friend' who you usually feel sympathy for ends up doing nothing but drawing out your anger.
It's rare that the real villian of a piece (especially a female one) becomes a sort of hero towards the end, and it can be confusing.
But for me it worked well, and added real dimension to what would have otherwise just been a good film, not a great one.The combination of great acting, real emotion and the eventual twist (or two) it what makes this movie so brilliant for me, and an instant favourite.
Very solid budget film..
I was bored a night several weeks ago, when this movie turned up on a channel when I flicked by.
And am I glad I watched it until the end.
The story is very beautiful, sad, heartbreaking and emotion-gripping at the same time.
It is amazing what the performers and the directors created out of such a small budget.The most amazing part in the movie for me, was still how cunningly you start having good feelings for the villain.
Small, subtle changes and all of a sudden, you feel really sad for the "wrong" character.All in all, a movie worth watching, even for those of you who don't like subtitles, since you can still feel the characters strongly through their voice tones and body language..
Niklas who soon will be graduating high school is a talented writer who dreams are truly fulfilled when he's invited to intend a interview in London where his writing aspirations can be realised, but his mum has no idea about.
When his mum does finds out, Niklas is torn between either staying or leaving, but he finally goes with the latter.
Walking home one night after a party he's set upon by a group thugs from his school, who heavily beat him up and leave him for dead in a ditch.
The next morning he goes off to school on his supposedly last day, but what becomes clear is that no one can see him and he slowly learns that he's a ghost who can only watch on, as the authorities try to figure out what happen to him.Ideas might be running short in Hollywood, but it's not the trend in this Swedish fantasy-drama that's powerfully moving without being overly wretched.
Like fellow users have mentioned the strong aspect about this story is how the cards play out, especially that of certain characters.
You can't help but feel sorry for those ones you think that you'll hate and vice versa.
I've got to take my hat of to the young cast; Gustaf Skarsgard as the very promising Niklas and Tuva Novotny as the hard nosed delinquent Annelie are exceptionally good.
The concept behind the story might not be new, but the cleverly defined presentation was definitely refreshing and it did put out many questions that folded out rather intriguingly and lead to some surprising advancements.
It does start off like your glum (if basic) teen high school fare where you have your good and bad students, but then it breaks the mould when it heads into its fantasy territory, but still it does keep that raw edge.
After the death of Niklas we follow (just like he does when he finds out he can't interfere) the police investigation of his disappearance and we see that of emotional developments; why certain people hide behind images they create and see people learning when its best to let go, which makes the whole experience even more depressingly, down trodden.
Stuck in are some brutally violent and arrestingly intense moments that come from nowhere and give the story some biting attitude mixed in rather well with the wholesomely, heart-felt moments.
The production does feel like a TV movie but these glossy elements are silkily done with great verve in its direction and the films moves along in a rather snappy pace.A emotionally, touching fantasy-drama that's beautifully implemented with excitingly, different results..
One feature that can make or break a movie is the director's ability bring the movie to life, while the other is the actors ability to portray the character in order to bring life to the movie.This story is a mix of both emotion and drama and the greatest quality of any movie is how the director can effectively change the way you may see a character whereby one minute a character can be so hated and despised while the next you may feel a bit of sympathy for them, which in this case is the character Annalie played by Tuva Novotny.Gustaf Skarsgard who plays Niklas is also another actor that also be respected and admired for his strong performance which really brings out the best in this movie.This is the first and probably the only Swedish movie I have seen to date and it was a worth while experience, a highly recommended movie that I think everybody should see..
A film that will touch your heart....
I absolutely adored this movie as well.
I was fortunate to see it when it premiered in Chicago at the Siskel Film Centre.
I had a chance to see it with subtitles since I am still learning Swedish.The imagery that this film gives you will leave a lasting impression.
It is very graphic but that is the pain, the tears, and anger in the film that gives off the imagery.The main actors did such a splendid job that I felt that with such a tough storyline that they wouldn't be able to do it but they performed flawlessly.
This film is a definitely must see!
I managed to get a copy of the DVD but it didn't have English subtitles but actions speak louder than words in this movie.
I've never felt the urge to comment on any film in my life...
although this film moved me in a way that doesn't equate in words.
What appeared as a simple movie, quickly became a masterpiece of dialogue, emotion and acting that as a teenager echoed deeply.
I could relate to its main character and the last 30 mins had me sitting on the edge of my seat and wishing it would be a Hollywood ending!!!
It might not be a movie for everyone, but for me I can say it will have to be one of the best movies I have ever seen and tomorrow I am going straight into town, to search for the DVD..
I am a fan of the film, a fan of the director and a fan of the actors!!
Its rare you find a film that can touch you, but this one did...
A must see if your a fan of a movie with a bit of brains and a lot of ummphf!!.
Swedish film generally remains in stating the obvious and sticking to the conventions of the time, but then there are those rare exceptions, reaching an unforeseen level.
A splendid achievement by the team Bergvall and Sandquist in their first full-length movie.A couple of years ago they got an Academy Awards nomination in the short film category, for 'Victor', also on the grave theme of death.
'Invisible' is based on a novel by the Swedish writer Mats Wahl, a mighty storyteller.This story is indeed mighty.
A high school senior, bound by his mother's high expectations, is beaten up brutally, due to a misunderstanding, by a delinquent girl of his age, and left for dead.
When he comes to school the next day, he finds that everybody ignores him, as if he had become invisible.
Soon, he realizes that he really is.This slight ingredient of the paranormal, makes the story rise to a mythical magnitude, and the film makers, as well as the actors, manage to keep it there, to explore the grand perspectives suddenly appearing.
Still, the very concrete psychological drama continues, and intensifies.It all amounts to one formidably gripping experience, not easily forgotten.
There are, of course, clear links to 'Sixth Sense' and a number of other movies about the mysterious borderland between life and death, and the necessity for our lives to reach some kind of conclusion, some kind of harmony, before passing on.If searching for them, one can find some small weaknesses - like the unnecessary presence of a gun, or the inability of the dialogue to deal with those profound existential questions - but that's easily forgotten in the very touching and beautiful whole of the film, and more so after its uncompromising and magnificent ending..
Never really getting anywhere because the closest I could get to watching it was a YouTube video without subtitles (FYI I don't speak Swedish, which is why a review of this hasn't been submitted earlier), I then was at the end of my rope (tried everything), finally I saw it (not a day went by without me thinking about seeing this).Gustaf Skarsgård's acting is one to be admired.
My reasoning is that I saw him in Evil and this (2 completely different roles) and both of them very convincingly.
But it's not like he was the only person that was convincing, Tuva Novotny was also very good as well...
for a fact I haven't seen a cast this good since Harjunpää ja pahan pappi, that is saying a lot.The movie is actually one of the best foreign films that I have seen (Yes this includes the Bergman movies), it was a very entertaining and moving film from beginning to end (especially "end").
The characters are human in such a way that one minute you hate a character, then the next minute they're liked by the viewer...
The way they do it is incredible.For those whom have seen this and refuse to see the remake I will say something that will shock you with my ratings: Original: 10/10 Remake: 9/10 Yes guys - I think this is a superior movie - but I think the remake is also very good..
One of the best Swedish movies I have ever seen!!!.
The girl acting as a villain in this film is incredible.
From the beginning of the movie, she is hated by everyone.
I hated her, too as I saw her in this film.
She is lovely at the end!!!!
I will remember her name and expect her upcoming films in the future.
By the way, the leading actor is really great, too.
Certainly he is one of the most talented Swedish actor nowaday.
Anyway Osynlige, Den is really a great movie.
Watch this original one and skip the remake..
Mediocre - for a Swedish film.
It could easily have been a youth-related crime drama with the same ideas and elements - but without the invisibility twist.
insensibility, under which conditions etc.) and lead to the fatal, but rather trivial and expected ending.
Apart from Gustaf Skarsgård as the protagonist Niklas, I found the other frequent actors not catchy.
If you would like to see a real masterpiece on related topic, I would recommend Ghost (1990) with Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi Goldberg..
Without revealing too much or nothing at all, let's just say that the theme is a big classic of the fantasy cinema but we are presented here with a completely new twist and it works so wonderfully; with no money the director chose another road and it's amazing; I saw it at the Brussels fantasy film festival and I should have congratulate the director; and to add even more pleasure to the vision of this movie , we don't have a Hollywood-feel-good-everybody is happy ending, thats so good and different!.
Had to come back another time to give something more of an in-depth comment on the movie instead of sounding like someone who can see no wrong with this movie- so here goes.There is a lot that I like about this movie such as the insight of character that the actors portray and, if you haven't seen it and are going to, you will understand me then.I also like how the director has given a new vision into what may be when someone goes into a comatose condition- adding to the fantasy aspect of the movie.
Within this is added to the humour, surrealism and drama- when Nicklas tries to commit suicide as a ghost only to realize that he hasn't been able to pick up the shotgun or when he gets run over by a truck only to realize that nothing has happened (surrealistic humour); when he throws Annelie off the building only to realize that he couldn't possibly touch her and when he finds his own decaying body after a few days of him missing (surrealistic drama) complete with flies buzzing around beginning to feed and nest.The movie shows an exaggeration of nonconstructive high-school relations, but presents it very well- enough to have the audience sitting on the edge of their seat waiting for the next move.The movie has an ending that catches the audience somewhat off-guard and is enough to leave them in tears- very effective.But, even though I am now a fan of this movie, it would have been GREAT to see Gustaf Skarsgård (Nicklas) either naked by himself or showering with another cute guy (the only bad thing about the movie).
;)Overall, this is an exceptional Swedish film that just goes to show that every once in a while, movies from other countries can actually OUTSHINE their American counterparts..
Incredibly Captivating Film.
The only thing I didn't like about watching this movie was missing the first few minutes!!!
I'd found it while I was flicking channels on 03/09/2004 to S.B.S. I HIGHLY recommend this movie for anyone who likes to watch subtitled movies.
The film plot is more of a plus.
I have tried buying this movie even though I don't have a multi region DVD player- just as long as I can own it- The DVD player can wait.
If there is anything I could hope for is that this movie can be made in English so everybody can see it, as long as it is word-for-word and acting is exactly the same.
What would be even better is if the actors of the movie learn English and do the movie all over again so it can be sold mainstream internationally.
This movie is one of a kind..
The best swedish picture ever!!!.
I got to see this film at a the absolute premier..so the directors where there too.
They were nominated for an oscar for best short picture in 2001.
Now they have made there first long film.The movie is mostly about a boy named Nicklas.
But nicklas wants to go his way..but it's like he's invesable(the name of the film is "the inveceble") but he's about to be totaly invecible.
When he gets beat up by the school gangster, a girl, he becomes inviceble.
He's stuck in a state between life and death.
and he tries to find his body.This is a VERY good movie..I think it will be oscar nominated next year.
If you are not swedish speaking and want to see a very goodmovie(that your friends probably never will see) down load or in some way see it.
It's a great movie from start to finish.(if you've managed all my spelling so far, then you can take the time to see the film).
This film was a complete surprise for me.
I expected something nothing like it, rather a normal Swedish film, grey, theatrical dialogue and bad camera, but was I wrong!This film is something very new in Swedish film.
It captures the very best of earlier Swedish films but adds something completely new.
Not seen in films from anywhere to tell the truth.
A kind of magic that sometimes is a component in real life, but seldomly is captured in films.
Of coarse this film also contains a lot that is not to be found in ordinary life, at least not as clear as here...It touches something seldom seen in films, the very essence of reality and consciousness.
And for what reasons?Some things is elegantly left out of the pictures, like questions of good and bad, love and hate.
The are pictured though, but in a way that needs no further explanation.
The film doesn't give any answers, only give rise to many questions...Thomas Hedengran and Tuva Novotny are doing great things in this picture.
Gustaf Skarsgård is okay to, perfectly adequate actually, but the role does not, and should not, give space for larger performances.Highly recommended.First half better than last though.../ino.
This movie is nothing like Friday the 13th.
**Possible spoiler ahead** I had the opportunity to see this movie at a film festival last summer and I was blown away.
The acting was great & the ending heartbreaking, it is by far the best movie I've seen in way too long.
A movie to quickly forget.
The next morning, it is like he is being invisible for everyone.
He soon realizes that he is dead (I guess he watched "ghost" or something) but sticks around to find out why he was killed and whether the crime will be solved.Most of the movie after that is about the aftermath of the killing between the people involved. |
tt0814014 | Apne | An ex-boxer Baldev Choudhary (Dharmendra) has had a stain in his boxing career. He wanted to wash it with his son Angad's (Sunny Deol) success, but times were hard and a financial crunch kept him from achieving this dream. Though Angad pulled through fine, Baldev never forgot who ruined his chance to wash the stain. An opportunity strikes Baldev in the form of a T.V. Show. He trains a local boy to get into this media hyped boxing show, but is ditched for a better coach at the last minute. Baldev's younger son Karan (Bobby Deol) has just launched his first music album. Realising his father is in crises of his life, he gives up his dream of a musical career to get into the game of boxing. Karan wins all through thinking that his victory will bring the two pillars of his family together. After winning within the nation, he wins all over the world. The final match is with the current world heavy champion. The match goes fine, but Karan is tricked and he ends up paralysed in a hospital bed. Baldev, who wanted to wash a stigma is now about to lose his son. He feels like killing himself. When Karan reveals the world heavy champion cheated, Angad decides to get into the game of boxing once more and win the title for his father. Angad steps in and brings the world heavyweight champion belt to India. On the other hand, Karan suffers liver damage and requires a liver to survive. Baldev pleads with the doctors to use his liver, but the doctors reject the idea. However, the operation continues as God hears Baldev's call – a liver is donated to Karan through an unknown donor. In the end, Baldev who was going to give up his life for Karan, is instead alive and happy with his family. | melodrama | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1138482 | Twenty:20 | Retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Viswanathan Menon (Madhu) and his wife (Kaviyoor Ponnamma) come home to celebrate Vishu with his children (Siddique, Vijayaraghavan and Sindhu Menon) and grandchildren, and hopes to spend the remainder of his life in tranquility. The big joint family arrives and prepares to celebrate through the weekend, but plans go awry when Menon's grandson Arun Kumar (Indrajith Sukumaran), a medical student in Bangalore, is accused of murdering a fellow student.
The Superintendent of Police, Antony Punnekkadan (Suresh Gopi), who has a grudge against Menon's children, attempts to take Arun into custody. Arun goes into hiding, but Antony finds him and seizes him from the hideout. The Menon family hires ace criminal lawyer Ramesh Nambiar (Mammootty), who bails Arun out of jail. Vinod Bhaskar (Jayaram), a doctor and Professor of Medicine, wants to testify against Arun but is kidnapped by Karinkal Pappachan (Kalabhavan Mani), a thug hired by Menon's children.
Arun gets murdered and Superintendent Punnekkadan arrests Devan (Mohanlal), a poor trader who happened to be at the scene. Devan's sister (Kavya Madhavan) and his mother (Sukumari) tells Ramesh that Devan is innocent and that he is being framed by Punnekkadan. Ramesh takes the case, proves Devan's innocence in court, and Devan is released. Minutes after the release, Ramesh encounters Devan, who introduces himself as Devaraja Prathapa Varma, a crime boss. It is revealed that Devaraja and his assistants deceived Ramesh into believing that Devaraja was innocent. Devaraja reveals that he is the real killer and that he tricked Ramesh as retribution for saving Arun. Devaraja plans to avenge the brutal murders of his brother Karthik Varma (Dileep), who was killed by Arun and his cousins Mahindran (Manoj K. Jayan) and Ganeshan (Shammi Thilakan).
This triggers a feud between Devaraja and Ramesh. When Devaraja tries to kill the last two relatives involved in the crime, Ramesh sets a trap. Devaraja escapes but is eventually arrested by Superintendent Punnekkadan. Ramesh learns the truth about the murder at the Bangalore Medical College from Vinod Bhaskher (Jayaram), who is a teacher there and close friend of Devaraja's. Ramesh's sister Ashwathy is a student at the Bangalore medical college when she witnesses Arun killing a girl at the school. Arun, along with his two relatives Mahindran and Ganeshan, apprehend Ashwathy, inject her with morphine and Arun rapes her. Aswathy's boyfriend Karthik attempts to save her but he is killed and Aswathy falls into coma.
When Ramesh finds out Devaraja was actually trying to kill the criminals who defiled his sister, he is full of remorse. He remembers when Devaraja warned him that he would regret knowing the truth. Devaraja escapes from police custody with the help of a police officer (Sreenivasan) and he kills Ganeshan. Then Ramesh kills Mahindran and Superintendent Antony kills Arun's father Madhavan (Siddique). The case is abandoned when the Superintendent lets them walk free, knowing that otherwise they would escape anyway. | revenge, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | No doubt, an entertaining sixer!.
Finally the movie came.
Lemme say its good.
Nothing exceptional but its praiseworthy of the movie makers to give important roles to many of the top stars in the movie without affecting the story.
The 5 superstars - Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Jayaram & Dileep come up trumps with their performance although Jayaram seemed to have the weakest role among the 5.
Good songs, nice action sequences and racy scenes impress you about the movie.
Actress Bhavana is glamorous.
Not many top heroines have worn bold clothing like she did for this movie in Malayalam cinema so far.What stops me from giving full rating are some loopholes in the plot here & there.Anyway, don't think too much & just go to watch your fav star.
There's over 50 of 'em to pick from!.
twenty twenty is the movie malayalees have been waiting for !.
This is one of the most memorable movies ever made.
Mammooty and Mohanlal have equal space time to make their fans happy.
Suresh Gopi shines in all scenes and is the best thing about the movie.
Dileep is just OK in a regular role suited for him among the bigger stars.
The action scenes were boring except mohanlal's which is fun for his fans to watch.
Bhavana has nothing much to do except look pretty.
I did not like the songs especially 'O Priya' song,it was just barely OK song.
The song with nayanthara and the younger stars were OK but its lyrics were bad.
Could have been better but it was the biggest collection in malayalam cinema anyways.
It was good that the younger stars were not given screen space because their performance cannot match the trio of Mohanlal,Suresh Gopi,Mammooty..
A little Disappointing......
First of all credit should be given to Dileep and all the members associated with AMMA, in organizing and presenting nearly all the superstars of malayalam industry in one movie.
But the film alone was a let down for me.
First of all the plot could have had a better or even a different theme, rather than just another ordinary crime/action sequence alone.
Also people like Jayaram,Kavya and all them youngsters(Prithviraj,Jayasurya,kunchako etc..) had horribly weak roles.
Now I'm not a big fan of all of them but could have been dealt bit better by director Joshi.
Climax is guessable.So in a way you could say this film would have been a big flop because of its story; but was saved by the charismatic trio of mohanlal,mammooty and suresh gopi(although gopi is not in the same class as M&M!!).
Nevertheless a watchable flick for the young generation viewers and mohanlal fans, but not necessarily one for the oldies..
super.
A retired Supreme Court judge Vishwanathan (Madhu) returns home to Kerala to hear the mortifying news that one of his grandsons Arun (Indrajith) is accused of murdering a classmate in a medical college in Bangalore.Suresh Gopi plays the investigating officer pitted against the defense counsel Mammootty (who had incidentally qualified to be a lawyer in real life).The third side of the tale's triangle is provided by feudal scion Themmady (meaning rowdy) Devan Pratapa Varma (Mohanlal).The events lead to a climax that can be guessed by virtually everyone in the audience.Mohanlal has the easiest time since he plays the cantankerous character with the same verve depicted by him in similar roles in countless films.Having seen Mammootty in several movies as a lawyer, the role itself doesn't come as a surprise.
But, the twists in the tale do the job more than adequately as the star essays his part with skillful, underplayed aplomb.Suresh Gopi as the no-nonsense cop (another role from the star's checkered track record) suits him to the hilt, aided by the script's chiselled dialogue that accentuates his presence.There are enough nerve-racking thrills in the narration as each star tries to outwit the other and the narrative provides the audience enough opportunity to go gaga over their icons.Joshi had earlier cast Mammootty and Mohanlal in offbeat murder mystery "Number 20 Madras Mail" in 1990 with almost equal opportunities.The only flaw of "Twenty 20″ is that its characters are stereotyped all the way.
But it is also the movie's unique selling point because it is an obvious endeavour to exploit the stars' images.Camera work by Sukumar is excellent since each matinée idol has been given flattering shots but everything has been put together without offending the other star(s) in the same frame.Suresh Peters' background score etches the taut screenplay and augments the entertainment.In a nutshell, the film has no wonders and by itself that seems like wonderful news due to its packaging..
Disappointing!- prevails with predictable and dated ridiculousness.
Colossal waste of talent in a single movie.
Does not live up to the hype.
While I appreciate that the proceeds for the movie went to support struggling actors, I was completely disappointed the turn that this predictable movie line took.
With so many skilled actors in the mix, I would have expected more than the standard Joshi fight Boom sound formula around a flimsy story line that has so many open ends.
Mohanlal in his initial appearance as the criminal arrested mistakenly I thought would render the story line into an unpredictable route however when I saw how Mohanlal's character reverted to his stereotypical savari giri giri role, it was a major let down.
The dialogue and twists and turns were predictable.
The fight scenes endlessly boring and the songs were awful.
I am disappointed in Dileep pairing with Joshi as I know that Dileep as an actor has an eye and ear for profound story lines.
Total waste of 2 hours and 44 minutes of time. |
tt0045966 | Knights of the Round Table | === Arthur removes the sword from the anvil ===
With the land in anarchy, warring overlords, Arthur Pendragon (Mel Ferrer) and his half-sister Morgan LeFay (Anne Crawford) meet as arranged by the sorcerer Merlin (Felix Aylmer) to discuss how to end the bloodshed. Morgan maintains that as she is the only legitimate offspring of the late king, the throne belongs to her, but Merlin puts the adversaries to a test to determine England's rightful ruler. Merlin leads them to Excalibur, a sword embedded in an anvil, and says that according to legend, whoever can remove the sword shall be England's true sovereign. Morgan's knight champion Modred (Stanley Baker) tries in vain to extract the sword, but Arthur removes it easily. Modred accuses Merlin of witchcraft, and a hearing is arranged with the Council of Kings at the circle of the stone. After advising Arthur that he must prove himself worthy of the throne by his deeds, Merlin instructs him to return the sword to the stone.
=== Lancelot encounters Elaine, Arthur, Modred and Guinevere ===
Meanwhile, the French knight Lancelot (Robert Taylor) and his men ride toward the circle of stone, hoping to offer their services to Arthur. On the road, Lancelot encounters a young woman named Elaine (Maureen Swanson), who quickly falls in love with him. They are waylaid by Modred's men, and Lancelot bravely does battle with all of them. Arthur arrives and joins in the battle. Lancelot, claiming he needed no help, challenges Arthur, unaware of his identity. After a long, exhausting fight, Lancelot finally asks his opponent's name, and when he learns that it is Arthur, he breaks his sword against a tree and kneels before him. They are joined by Elaine's brother Percival (Gabriel Woolf), who asks to be Arthur's knight errant.
Later, at the circle of stone, Arthur and Modred debate before the Council of Kings. When the crowd turns against Arthur and Lancelot, they are forced to flee, vowing to take the kingdom on the battlefield. Arthur and his men lie low throughout the cruel winter, then launch their attack against Modred's men in the spring. Despite being greatly outnumbered, Arthur's men win and he is crowned the King of England. In the interest of peace, Arthur immediately pardons all his former enemies, but when Lancelot objects to Modred's pardon, the two men angrily part ways.
Following the battle, Lancelot discovers that the lovely Guinevere (Ava Gardner) has been kidnapped and rescues her, unaware that she is Arthur's fiancee. Following Arthur and Guinevere's wedding, the king's joy is complete when Lancelot arrives at Camelot and pledges his allegiance anew. Arthur swears to join the select group of knights at the Round Table and England enjoys a period of peace and prosperity. One day, Percival brings Elaine to court and asks Guinevere to make her a lady-in-waiting.
=== Morgan and Modred plot against Arthur and Lancelot ===
Meanwhile, Morgan and Modred continue to harbor ill feelings against Arthur, and note with interest the growing warmth between Lancelot and Guinevere. Merlin privately warns Guinevere that Modred will attempt to show her suspicion and love of Lancelot. Because of this, Guinevere tells Lancelot she knows of his secret love for her and urges him to marry Elaine. Lancelot proposes to Elaine and asks Arthur to let him go to fight the Picts on the Scottish borders.
One night, Lancelot and Elaine are visited by Percival, who relates how a heavenly vision instructed him to go on a quest for the Holy Grail, the cup from which Christ drank at the Last Supper.
Modred calls a meeting of Arthur's enemies in Scotland and urges them to make peace so that Lancelot will be forced to return to Camelot, where he will eventually be exposed as Guinevere's lover. Word of peace reaches Arthur at Camelot at the same time that Lancelot's infant son Galahad, whose mother, Elaine, died in childbirth, is brought to court with instructions that he be sent to Lancelot's father. Sensing a plot, Merlin argues against bringing Lancelot back to Camelot, but Morgan poisons him, and the knight returns amid great fanfare.
Late one night, jealous after seeing Lancelot kiss another woman (Lady Vivien), Guinevere goes to his rooms, unaware that is being spied on by Morgan and Modred. Lancelot angrily denounces Guinevere's folly in coming to him, and Modred's men soon arrive to arrest them for high treason. Lancelot fights them off and flees with Guinevere.
Lancelot and Guinevere are tried in absentia at the Round Table and declared guilty. Lancelot suddenly walks in and surrenders, and when he confesses his chaste love for Guinevere, Arthur revokes their death sentence. Over Modred's protest, Arthur orders that Guinevere be confined and banishes Lancelot from England.
=== Civil war, death of Arthur and Modred, vision of the Holy Grail ===
Outraged at this show of mercy, Modred succeeds in turning the other knights against Arthur, and civil war returns to the land. Arthur meets with Modred and agrees to his terms for ending the war, which include disbanding the Round Table. When one of Arthur's men draws his sword to kill a snake, however, the battle cry is sounded.
Arthur is mortally wounded, and Lancelot returns from exile to be at his side. With his dying breath, Arthur commands Lancelot to destroy Modred and give Guinevere his love and forgiveness. Lancelot fulfills Arthur's dying wish to hurl Excalibur into a lake. He calls on Guinevere at the convent and conveys Arthur's message, then finally kills Modred after a fierce one-on-one battle.
Lancelot meets Percival at the Round Table and weeps, blaming himself for the noble fellowship's demise. Percival receives another holy vision of the Grail and hears a divine voice telling him that Lancelot's son Galahad will be a worthy knight, and that Lancelot is forgiven and will now know peace. | action, historical fiction | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0070770 | Tales That Witness Madness | In the Clinic link episodes, Dr. Tremayne (Donald Pleasence), a psychiatrist in a modern mental asylum, reveals to colleague Dr. Nicholas (Jack Hawkins) that he has solved four special cases. Tremayne explains the case histories of patients Paul, Timothy, Brian, and Auriol, presenting each in turn to Nicholas:
In Mr. Tiger, Paul (Russell Lewis) is the sensitive and introverted young son of constantly bickering parents Sam (Donald Houston) and Fay Patterson (Georgia Brown). Amid the unhappy domestic situation he befriends an "imaginary" tiger.
In Penny Farthing, antique store owner Timothy (Peter McEnery) stocks a strange portrait of "Uncle Albert" (Frank Forsyth) and a penny farthing bicycle he has inherited from his aunt. In a series of episodes, Uncle Albert compels Timothy to mount the bicycle, and he is transported to an earlier era where he courts Beatrice (Suzy Kendall), who was young Albert's love interest. These travels place Timothy's girlfriend Ann (also Suzy Kendall) in peril.
In Mel, Brian Thompson (Michael Jayston) brings home an old dead tree, which he lovingly calls Mel, mounting it in his modern home as a bizarre piece of found object art. He increasingly shows unusual attention to Mel, angering his jealous wife Bella (Joan Collins).
In Luau, an ambitious literary agent, Auriol Pageant (Kim Novak), lasciviously courts new client Kimo (Michael Petrovich); he shows more interest in her beautiful young daughter Ginny (Mary Tamm). Auriol plans a sumptuous luau for him; when the plans fall through, Kimo's associate Keoki (Leon Lissek) takes over. The luau, as organised by Keoki, is actually a ceremony to assure Kimo's dying mother Malia (Zohra Sehgal) passage to "heaven" by appeasing a Hawaiian god, and a requirement is that he consume the flesh of a virgin: Ginny.
In the Epilogue, Tremayne watches as manifestations of the patients' histories materialise. Nicholas cannot see the manifestations and has Tremayne declared insane, apparently for believing the patients' bizarre accounts. Nicholas enters the patient holding area, and is killed by "Mr. Tiger". | paranormal | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0120401 | The Ugly | The film takes place in an old, worn down insane asylum in Auckland, New Zealand, run by Dr. Marlowe (Roy Ward). Simon Cartwright (Paolo Rotondo), one of his patients, is seeking an appeal from a psychiatrist to get a reevaluation of his mental state. He wants to prove that he’s been cured; Simon is a serial killer that has killed over a dozen different people. He wants a psychiatrist from outside of the asylum to take his case, and he specifically asks for Dr. Karen Shumaker. Dr. Shumaker (Rebecca Hobbs) has recently gained some publicity from winning a case involving another serial killer.
There are two orderlies, Philip and Robert (Paul Glover and Christopher Graham), who are in charge of watching over the insane asylum’s patients. They are always harassing and abusing Simon. In the opening scene they bring him to a visitor’s room and cover the camera up so they can start beating him up. They also spit in his food and are always violent and aggressive with him. When Dr. Shumaker arrives, she argues with Dr. Marlowe about seeing Cartwright; they don’t quite see eye to eye. Marlowe accuses her of only doing it to increase her publicity; however she tells him that it is Simon that has personally asked for her and so she proceeds with the visit. As she is led to the room where Simon is waiting, there is another patient, Marge (Darien Takle) roaming in the hallway outside the room Simon is in. She attacks Dr. Shumaker telling her to watch out for "The Ugly." When Shumaker finally gets to the interview room she and Cartwright begin their session.
Simon does not have a specific type of victim; this is not typical in a serial killer. His kills are random and Dr. Shumaker wants to know why. She asks if he feels any remorse or guilt, but he does not. All he says is that he simply had to kill them. As they talk through their session, the movie shifts to a number of flashbacks. First they delve into Simon's childhood, only to find out that he was bullied as a child and that his mother abused him. As an adolescent, the only person he had ever cared about, Julie (Vanessa Byrnes), was driven away by his mother (Jennifer Ward-Lealand). Simon found out that his father wanted custody of him so he can live a better life because of his wealth, but his horrible mother kept this information from him all this time. In response to this, Simon ends up slashing his mother's throat. He tries to make it look like a robbery took place and burns the house down, but the cops figure out what really happened. Simon is then locked away in an asylum for five years.
Once he is released, he starts killing again. He kills lots of different people; his victims range from men to women, old and young. It seems as though there is no pattern in the way he chooses his victims, that it’s all the same to him. However, we learn of an instance in which he spares the life of a thirteen-year-old deaf girl. He tells Dr. Shumaker that he did not kill the girl because she was different: she was like him. Although he does not have a specific type of victim, Simon does have a signature method of killing. He slashes people’s throats with a large straight razor. He says that it is "the ugly" that makes him kill; it will not leave him alone until he has satisfied its voice. He and Julie got together until one night he murdered her. As Dr. Shumaker delves deeper into his psyche, she discovers that Simon, who claims to be haunted by the voices of his victims telling him to kill, as well as a malignant alternate persona called "The Ugly," may not be so much crazy as he is tortured inside from years of physical and psychological abuse. Simon reveals to have psychic powers.
At the end, Simon kills Philip and Robert, escaped the insane asylum, and he kills Dr. Shumaker. | suspenseful, murder, violence, flashback, psychedelic, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1662626 | Another Life | Through its run, Another Life revolved around the Davidson family - local anchorman Scott Davidson, his wife Terry who works as a nurse (Mary Jean Feton), daughter Lori (Jeannette Larson and later Debbie McLeod), and teenage son Peter (Darrel Campbell). Although they sometimes struggle with their faith, they stick by their principles, show compassion towards their fellow man - most notably next-door neighbour Liz Cummings (Carolyn Lenz) who lives with her alcoholic and adulterous husband Jeff (Tom McGowan) and their daughter Jenny - and eschew revenge to those who have caused them grief.
Charles Carpenter (Randy Kraft) is a wealthy businessman who often attempts to control every situation with his power and influence. He hates the Davidsons, particularly when Scott investigates a crime story involving a mob gang which has connections with Kingsley's upper-crust which includes the Carpenter family. Charles' daughter Miriam Mason (Ginger Burgett) also holds a grudge against the Davidsons, and files an adultery case against daughter Lori who is accused of having an affair with her husband Paul, a lecturer at the local college. Although it was later proved that Lori was innocent, Paul and Miriam get a divorce, with the latter losing custody of their son - although it is often hinted that Paul does have feelings for Lori. Charles would later date Terry Davidson's half-sister, the equally nefarious Nancy Lawson (Nancy Mulvey) who also clashes with the Davidsons and uses her charms to lure wealthy men into relationships with her, but never appears to hold down a steady career.
Russ Weaver (Christopher Roland), a pre-medical student who is about to propose to Lori, finds himself tangled with the drug ring when he is left with a huge debt after paying his girlfriend's medical bills following a serious car accident the couple are involved in. He is also torn between Lori and fellow student Becky Hewitt (Sue Scannell) who is Lori's best friend. Unknown to Lori, Becky slept with Russ after the latter grew frustrated with Lori's refusal to have sex with him due to her beliefs. Lori would later catch the attention of Ben Martin, a handsome but older doctor who attends to Lori after her accident, and this infuriates Russ even after she breaks up with him. Russ's father is later revealed to be Vince Cardello, a member of the mob.
The Davidsons are also close friends of the Redlons, an African-American family which includes the deeply-religious Ione (Edye Byrde) and her son Gene (Eddie Hailey) who is Scott's colleague, and involved in a custody battle with his ex-wife Carla (Elain Graham) over their son Jimmy who is often stuck in the middle; the situation is not helped when Carla puts her singing career before her family. Jimmy is hospitalised following a drug overdose, but refuses to name his dealer. Scott and Gene realise there is a connection between the mob and drug ring and both vow to investigate, leading to their dismissal at work after their TV station receives threats.
Following the Cummings' departure from Kingsley more families are featured, including the Prescotts and the Phillips.
In a nod to how The Secret Storm began its story, Scott and Nora are killed in a car accident on New Year's Eve. | neo noir, violence, cult, flashback, romantic, suspenseful | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0039417 | Germania anno zero | Twelve-year-old Edmund Kohler lives in devastated, post-World War II Berlin with his ailing, bedridden father and his adult siblings, Eva and Karl-Heinz. Eva manages to obtain cigarettes by going out with soldiers of the Allied forces, but she resists her friends' advice to prostitute herself. Karl-Heinz is the older son who fought in the war and is a burden to the struggling family, refusing to register with the police and get a ration card because he is afraid of what would happen if they found out he fought to the bitter end. The Kohlers and others have been assigned to the apartment home of the Rademachers by the housing authority, much to Mr. Rademacher's irritation.
Edmund does what he can for his family, trying to find work and selling a scale for Mr. Rademacher on the black market. By chance, Edmund meets Herr Henning, his former school teacher, who still remains a Nazi at heart. Henning, who exhibits what may be interpreted as a pedophilic interest in Edmund, gives him a recording of Hitler to sell to the occupying soldiers, entrusting him to the more experienced Jo and Christl. Henning gives Edmund 10 marks for his work. Afterward, Edmund tags along as the young man Jo steals 40 marks from a woman by pretending to sell her a bar of soap. Jo gives Edmund some of his stolen potatoes and leaves the inexperienced boy with Christl, whom another member of their gang describes as a mattress that dispenses cigarettes.
After Mr. Kohler takes a turn for the worse, Henning tells Edmund that life is cruel and that the weak should be sacrificed so that the strong can survive. A kindly doctor manages to get Mr. Kohler admitted to a hospital, where he receives much more plentiful and healthy food. This temporarily relieves some of the pressure on his family. When Edmund goes to see his father, the old man bemoans his misery. He tells his son that he has considered suicide but lacks the courage to carry it out. He says that he is a burden and that it would be better if he were dead. Edmund steals some poison while no one is looking.
A few days later, the father is discharged and returns home. Edmund poisons his tea just before police raid the apartment and Karl-Heinz finally turns himself in. The father dies while his elder son is in custody. Everyone assumes the death is due to malnutrition and sickness. When Karl-Heinz returns, he is crushed by the news.
A disturbed Edmund wanders the city. He turns first to Christl, but she is busy with young men and has no time for or interest in a youngster. He goes to Henning and confesses that he did as the schoolteacher had suggested, murdering his father, but Henning protests that he never told the boy to kill anyone. When Edmund tries to join younger children in a street game of football, they reject him. He ascends the ruins of a bombed out building, and watches from a hole in the wall as they take his father's coffin away across the street. Finally, after hearing his sister call for him, he jumps from the building to his death. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0093713 | Pelle erobreren | In the late 1850s, the elderly emigrant Lasse Karlsson and his son Pelle arrive to the Danish island of Bornholm from Skåne County, in southern Sweden. Lasse tells Pelle a better life awaits them in Denmark after the death of Pelle's mother, and seeks work. He immediately finds it difficult to find employment, given his advanced age and Pelle's youth. The most they can find is work at a large farm, where they are generally mistreated by the managers. The managers work under the tyrannical Kongstrup, who has a history of affairs leading to illegitimate children. One of them is Rud, who befriends Pelle and helps him learn Danish. Eventually, Pelle becomes more confident in his work at the farm, and begins going to school, though he is still discriminated against as a foreigner. Pelle also befriends the Swedish worker Erik, constantly harassed for alleged sloth. Erik shares his dream of visiting America, China and "Negroland" with Pelle, to "conquer" the world.
Lasse begins an affair with Mrs. Olsen, who is believed to be a widow since her husband has not returned from a long sea voyage. Pelle consequently faces ridicule at school for being the son of a lecher. Erik is also injured and rendered disabled after attempting to lead a mutiny against management. Mrs. Olsen's husband returns from his voyage, and Lasse is overcome with depression and alcoholism. The two appeal to the Kongstrups for aid against their harassment, with the benign Mrs. Kongstrup offering support, while her husband, who she has castrated for his abuse, is largely silent. Pelle is initially given a promotion, but upon seeing Erik removed from the farm, vows to leave. Lasse at first resolves to go with him, before deciding he is too old to travel, and sends Pelle alone into the world. | tragedy, romantic, murder, atmospheric, sentimental | train | wikipedia | Max von Sydow has probably been given proper recognition for his body of work in Europe, but I don't think we have acknowledged that talent sufficiently in America.This is a superbly made film for which more knowledgeable reviewers than I can make appropriate comments concerning everything from the original story line to the scenic shots covering changing weather and the years of growth of all the characters.My only contribution is this: Where else do you have a male lead role where certain aspects of being a hero are necessary to the role, yet the fact of the story is that the male lead is failing in almost every, public aspect of his life.
At the end they are offered an employment at a large farm, but find the life would present many challenges to them.The acting is very good the young Pelle Hvenegaard who plays the role of Pelle is so good that one can thing that he has a dozen of movies in his carrier and probably that is the reason for which 2 years after the movie is released he wins two award for the Best Young Actor in 1988 at the European Film Awards and for Best Young Actor in a Foreign Film in a Foreign Filmat the young artists awards for his role in Pelle the Conqueror.I watched this movie with constant hope to see happiness in the eyes of Pelle and the moments in which he felt happy was shining like a real diamonds surrounded by the dust of the harsh live he had to deal with.
Although Pelle is often refused friendships from the local Danish boys he shows his good heart befriending a boy who has some physical disability and their friendship through a little odd at times shows that people can find someone to care for , even in the toughest places.Pelle the Conqueror is classic movie and although some may thing that the story gets a bit depressing at times I recommend it to anyone who treasure excellent coming of age movies..
It is an unsparing tale of the life of a Swedish immigrant father and son (Max von Sydow and Pelle Hvenegaard) who have come to Denmark following the death of wife and mother and found work as laborers on a farm in a desolate seaside landscape.
Max von Sydow, a famous actor in his day, is superb as the elderly father of young Pelle but the child's role is also very well acted, and the direction by Bille August who also wrote the screenplay is unobtrusive but sure-handed.
Lessons in Becoming a Man. PELLE THE CONQUEROR may now be twenty-three years old as a film but the power and beauty of this epic masterpiece from Denmark still retain the brilliance of its original 1987 theatrical release.
Based on a four volume novel by Martin Andersen Nexø the screenplay by writer/director Bille August, Per Olov Enquist, and Bjarne Reuter granted takes only a small portion of the original story and that explains why so much of what happens in this 2 1/2 hour film is only vaguely explained, but the end result is a marvelous drama of the relationship of a father (Lassefar, brilliantly realized by the venerable Max von Sydow), who has pride but has not the courage of his convictions, and a son (Pelle, a masterpiece of young acting by Pelle Hvenegaard) who dreams of finding a life better than the bitterly poor existence he shares with the father he loves.
The film takes place in Denmark near the turn of the 19th century over the course of a year and during that time the Pelle encounters peer prejudice from being a Swedish immigrant who has traveled to Denmark for the good life, class distinction between the wealthy landowners and the poverty stricken workers, the double standard of morals of the learned 'role models', death, physical abuse, young love between two lovely people who out of fear drown their infant at birth, the harsh realities of gathering sustenance from laboring the land and the sea, the bonds of true friendship with a bastard child of the land owner, and the disappointment of losing hope of conquering the world by means of accompanying a friend who must remain a vassal for two years who becomes brain damaged in an alteration with the foreman.
In the admirable winner of both the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film, Max von Sydow (in his only Oscar nominated performance) is Lasse, a Swedish middle- aged widower who takes his young son Pelle from impoverished ninetieth century Sweden to Denmark in search and hope of finding a better life.
Many awful things happen through the course of the film--murdered babies, people getting pounded in the head by a large stone, rapes, and Pelle ultimately learns that through all this, his father is a spineless wimp.This movie does seem to illustrate just how tough life was and does a great job of showing the lives of illiterate workers, but it's also a real chore to stick with it.
It tells the story about Pelle and his father whom he calls Lassefar who during the late 1800s travels from Tommelilla in Sweden to the Danish Island of Bornholm with a group of Swedish emigrants in the hopes of a better life and ends up living in a barn at a place called Stengården which is managed by an exploitative boss and his complaisant son.Finely and precisely directed by Danish filmmaker Bille August, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated from multiple viewpoints though mostly from the main character's point of view, draws a tangible and heartrending portrayal of a relationship between a widowed middle-aged man and his adolescent son, a degrading manager and his unruly employee and a young woman and man who's romance is damned and forbidden by the man's father due to their class differences.
While notable for it's naturalistic and distinct milieu depictions, fine production design by production designer Anna Asp, exquisite cinematography by Swedish cinematographer Jörgen Persson and fine costume design by Swedish production designer and costume designer Kicki Illander, this character-driven and narrative-driven story which examines themes like survival, human dignity, friendship, prospects and the human condition, depicts two empathic and interrelated studies of character and contains a good score by Swedish composer Stefan Nilsson.This historic, at times romantic and literary coming-of-age tale which is set in the late 19th century on an Island in the east of Denmark in the Baltic Sea, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, subtle continuity, various characters and the reverent acting performances by Swedish actor Max Von Sydow, Danish actor and writer Pelle Hvenegaard in his debut feature film role, Swedish actor Björn Granath, Danish actress Astrid Villaume (1923-1995) and Danish actor Thure Lindhardt in his second feature film role.
The opening scene in Bille August's "Pelle erobreren" ("Pelle the Conqueror" in English) shows a father and his son moving from their native country to a new one in search of a better life.
There are more than enough characters and plot lines to fill a movie twice its length, with the magnificent Max Von Sydow in a comparatively small but commanding role as Pelle's weak, submissive father.
Actually,August's movie seems closer to "l'albero degli zoccoli":it's a rather static work-not meant pejoratively- which lacks Bertolucci's lyricism and epics.Except for Pelle,and Erik,all are resigned,and day in, day out,we attend the simple and hard life of the farm workers;sometimes it's heart-wrenching,and sometimes it drags on a bit.The most interesting character is the central one,Pelle.He's a very ambiguous one;the title "the conqueror" is thoroughly justified:unlike Erik,he intuitively understands that rebellion is pointless.You've got to know the rules of the game,and the way to the conquest goes through education,therefore school.His relationship with his father (Von Sydow) is not so warm it appears at first sight.Pelle feels humiliated when he sees, through the keyhole ,his father unable to defend himself against his very young boss;it could recall "laddi di biciclette",but in that latter work,the child did not despise his father,in August 's Work,he does.And eventually,he leaves his father alone ,a father whose life was never fulfilled and now would have to die on his own.Under an academic veneer,it's an apology of individual social advancement-as the scene in which Von Sydow marvels at his son's school prowess shows-,and too bad for those who fall by the wayside..
Film Review: "Pelle The Conqueror" (1987)Based on the Danish novel "Pelle Erobreren" from 1910 written by Martin Andersen Nexo (1869-1954) and adapted by Writer/Director Bille August in tedious work unfolding the story of a father, portrayed by heartbreaking fragile actor Max von Sydow as the character of Lasse, and his son Pelle, performed by career-sacrificing actor Pelle Hvenegaard born in 1975, given the title-given character a face to strive through a film that balances the lives of master and slave, poverty and riches on a farming entity at the end of 19th century Danemark, where father & son get lured to in order to survive in a life full of beatings, constant fighting and a few kisses along the way by finding happiness in the tiny little moments where life makes sense.Director Bille August skillfully turns a bible-like script with all its beats, blocking movements and vocal lines already prepared for the indulging cast, led by Swedish actor Max von Sydow born in 1929, who strips his soul in this picture to the raw of an shattered existence of a slowly dying man, who despite alcoholism and constant states of insolvency keeping his head high to lead his son to an existence of an higher society under the banner of embarrassment, bullying torture and ongoing hard-working hands.
So become the strongest scenes in the picture, when the character of Lasse has been invited by Madame Olson to get served with a decent meal after weeks of sleeping in the barn accompanied with a grateful cup of high-quality liquor in order to conclude the visitation with kiss toward a relationship that never fulfills itself and Lasse remains a man broken by life, yet with the relentless drive to present his son Pelle with a better life, which eventually happens for the teenage boy in getting promoted on the farm to a foreworker of employees, who deal with pigs, cows and hens that his dream of immigrating to America burns like a flame in his heart that for the spectator becomes the eternal struggle of survival evident; the impossibilities of being too old as the character of Lasse or too young as in the case of Pelle to confront such a life-changing, root-annihilating endeavor."Pelle The Conqueror" initially premiered in Sweden on December 25th 1987 before conquering the Cannes Film Festival 1988 in its 41st edition under jury president director Etorre Scola (1931-2016), which led to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Feature on March 29 1989, building the counterpart to the fairy-tale like Best Picture Winner "Rain Man" (1988) directed by Barry Levinson, establishing a controversy with international spectator in which world one likes to dive into by reflecting two pictures as mirror for a generation born in the 1980s, where all fundamental conflicts in life result out of the constant complaint of a current situation as between the characters of Raymond & Charlie in "Rain Man", portrayed respectively by actors Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, and the close to mutiny raging foreworkers led by actor Björn Granath (1946-2017) in the role of Erik on the farming estate in "Pelle The Conqueror", which shares further dark secrets of fetus river burials, planting wild strawberries from Sweden on a plain for taste, Cognac-drinking estate owners to kill the pain of a meaningless existence and an extreme bullying attack of whipping nature to stripped child skin, leaving the picture in a mesmerizing state to prevail time itself.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC).
I mean the Scandinavian countries.We all need people like Lassefar, poor but honest and hard-working, and Pelle, smart and willing to change the world for better.Hereby, I invite you to watch Argentinean films, which are getting better every time.
But there is not a bad performance in the movie, and the young actor, Pelle Hvenegaard, is quite convincing, having been literally born to play this part, as in real life he was named after the character in the original novel.
"Pelle the Conqueror", a misnomer, is a tale of a old man and his young son who immigrate from Sweden to Denmark in search of work near the end of the 19th century.
Thankfully, there are films that dare to bring down to earth, so to speak, such a highly-inflated belief(whether on an epic scale, like Gregory Nava's 'El Norte' or on small terms, like Jim Jarmusch's 'Mystery Train')--and August's and Von Trier's cinematic pieces further add a bitter flavor to the sweet taste of success.Of course, the two directors' methodologies in their respective films differ significantly from each other, but the harsh and unapologetic tone undeniably resonates throughout in both.In 'Pelle the Conqueror', August lets the father-and-son immigrant(Max Von Sydow and Pelle Hvenegaard, respectively)struggle through life in a foreign land "other" than America before finally deciding to try their luck once again in "that" land.It's tempting to comfort oneself with the thought that America might just be the long-fantasized wonderland for these hopeful wanderers, but what the father and son have gone through in Denmark makes me want to think otherwise.It may only be the foreboding of things "still" to come.How August depicts old Lasse's and young Pelle's everyday life--and that of the people around them--in the farmland of their work is in the justifiable manner of what is termed as Cinema of Abjection(Mira Nair's 'Salaam, Bombay!
and Vitali Kanevsky's 'Freeze-Die-Come to Life' would be fine examples).Again, how it is to live in utter destitution and decrepitness is presented in its ugliest but, ultimately, truthfully humane form:the fly-infested stable, the body of a lifeless infant in the river, the stolen cow's milk being fed to a hungry cat, the dead teacher in front of his class, the mere appearance of the circus-loving bastard son, the accident-trigerred dumb-like behavior of the farmland's rebellious stablekeeper.It now probably appears to the father and son that dying of hunger in one's native land is no worst off than suffering the brutal conditions of work in a foreign country.But rather than dampening his spirit, it has only fuelled the young Pelle to "look further ahead." But is it for the good?The film ends with a far-angle shot of the young boy approaching the vast sea, determined to "conquer" the Land of Dreams that is America.The very distant camera, the frosty coldness of the surroundings and the indifferent yet uneasy stillness of the sea may only foreshadow the risky possibility that the land-to-be-sought is just as unwelcoming and unfeeling as the land-to-be-left-behind.Meanwhile, the heroine(Björk as Selma)in 'Dancer in the Dark' has already found her means of livelihood in America(in an aluminum factory), working herself to the limits in order to save up the necessary amount needed for her only son's eye operation(even if she herself is in urgent need of one).Things appear to run smoothly, until, of all people, a police-neighbor(David Morse), whom Selma considers as a trustworthy friend, is tempted to do an unimaginable deed(for reasons that are "economic" in nature), further leading to an "involuntary" gruesome act that seals the young mother's fate.The viewers know throughout that a great injustice has been done to Selma.But then, it's to be borne in mind that this was partly "willed" by herself, since she never for once deviated from the true purpose of her saved-up money, which could've been used otherwise to pay for a more competent private lawyer.Mother surely knows best, as they say--to the point of denying herself in favor of others.Thinking further, however, while the American jury that tried Selma's case may be only doing its job, couldn't it have been swayed by mere sentiment?
It didn't help at all that what the embattled mother testified in court was part of her "musical fantasies", incomprehensible in a place that purportedly adheres to strict logic.We can now state that in filtering out the bright promise of America through their respective cinematic lenses, August, on the one hand, focused mainly on the harsh working conditions of a migrant job, in a reflexive manner(as the characters are in Denmark),while Von Trier, on the other, turned his attention primarily on the American jury system and its own interpretation of "justice."I've only seen a couple of the Swedish filmmaker's works(the other one was the later 'The Best Intentions'), but I hope I'm justified in saying that his dramas have a heart for struggling characters, those who are on the crossroads of their lives.While the Danish auteur's audacious cinematics--the kinetic and intrusive hand-held camera, the "unprocessed" cinematography by Robby Müller, an incredible portrayal by a first-time film actress, the "extreme" factor in the narrative--are again in full force in his Cannes Grand Prize-winning piece, though you may sometimes feel that you've already had enough of those in 'Breaking the Waves'(so what would that make of his upcoming 'Dogville'?).It's a curious thing, too, that the key scenes appear to be derived from some early classics:like the one where Selma pathetically provides a semblance of normalcy to her solitary confinement(similar to what Giulio Brogi did in the Taviani bros' 'St. Michael Had A Rooster')and the other where she's in deeply-felt terror as she literally walks with heavy feet toward the death stand(comparable to what Isabelle Huppert movingly displayed by the end of Chabrol's 'Story of Women').Anyway, cinematic derivation is an accepted practice in filmmaking--even with someone as original as Von Trier!.
Life As It Is. At the end of the 19th century, Lasse and Pelle, father and son, cross the sea separating Sweden from Denmark in pursuit of prosperity and happiness.
Max Von Sydow alone is reason enough to watch this movie.Pelle Hvenegaard, who was 13 at the time, also gives an excellent performance. |
tt0045070 | Rancho Notorious | Wyoming ranch hand Vern Haskell is enraged when his fiancee Beth Forbes is abused and murdered during a store robbery. He sets out after the two thieves, first with a posse, then by himself. He finds one of them, Whitey, shot in the back by his partner after a quarrel. Whitey's dying words, "Chuck-a-luck", are the only clue to the second man's identity.
After questioning everyone he meets, Vern finally finds someone who lets slip that a woman named Altar Keane is connected with Chuck-a-luck. When the man realizes that Vern is just fishing for information, Vern is forced to kill him in self-defense. Vern is taken into custody, then released when the dead man is identified as a wanted outlaw. By a stroke of luck, a deputy knows Altar as a saloon singer from his past, though not her current whereabouts.
Vern learns that after Altar quit working for saloon owner Baldy Gunder, she bet her last $20 on his rigged chuck-a-luck game and won a lot of money, with gunslinger Frenchy Fairmont stepping in to help her. In the town of Gunsight, Vern learns that Frenchy is in jail, so he deliberately gets himself arrested.
After they break out, Frenchy takes Vern to the Chuck-a-Luck, a horse ranch near the Mexican border owned by Altar. The ranch is a hideout available to any outlaw who is willing to pay 10% of his ill-gotten gains. Vern finds a bunch of men in residence, but has no idea if the killer is one of them. One does, however, recognize him.
The newcomer quickly catches Altar's eye. One night, Vern notices that Altar is wearing a brooch that he gave to Beth. He sets out to romance Altar to find out who gave it to her. This makes Frenchy very jealous.
Vern is forced to go along on a bank robbery, during which one of the others, Kinch, secretly shoots at him. When he takes Altar her share of the proceeds, she finally informs him that Kinch gave her the jewelry. Vern reveals his true purpose and his disdain for Altar's profession. Altar is shamed, and decides to give it all up. However, before she can leave, a gunfight breaks out between Vern and Frenchy on one side and the rest of the outlaws on the other. Altar is killed protecting Frenchy. Kinch also dies, ending Vern's quest. | murder | train | wikipedia | Best known for his expressionist black & white suspense thrillers, director Fritz Lang brings the same qualities to this Technicolor western.Although she must have been in her fifties when the film was made, Dietrich looks absolutely gorgeous.
The tension leading up to Vern's discovery of the killer's identity is almost unbearable, and Lang makes us wait until the film's last five minutes for the inevitable score-settling gunfight.In a period of film history when westerns were a dime a dozen, this one really stands out as a true classic..
However in keeping his cover, Haskell finds himself drawn into their world more and more.The staples of westerns of the period are all here revenge, Technicolor, songs and romance; however this film opens with a rape (and it is fairly obvious that it was a violent rape) and a nice man who descents into violent anger.
Chuck-a-Luck is a hole in the wall type ranch where men with prices on their heads hide out and are given protection by Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich) and her lover Frenchy Fairmont (Mel Ferrer) for ten percent of the loot brought in my the outlaws.
His best acting was done in a movie that came out just before this one, "The Brave Bulls." But his second best role is as Frenchy in "Rancho Notorious." He fits his part much better than Arthur Kennedy fits his.
This was especially the case when the increasingly European production crews in Hollywood produced their skewed yet affectionate takes on this "most American of genres".Rancho Notorious at first comes across as a "noir" Western, at least if one looks at the Sylvia Richards story and Daniel Taradash screenplay, but it's much more than that.
Although Dietrich is not really known as a Western star, her only other appearance in the genre being Destry Rides Again in 1939, her character in Rancho Notorious seems to be a play upon her old screen persona.
The very worthy Arthur Kennedy is ostensibly the lead player, although it is appropriate he is billed below Dietrich not just because she was a bigger star, but because she really is the heart of this movie.Rancho Notorious is rather a cheap and cheerful offering, with the all the production values of the trashy B-Westerns that this era was full of.
I'm not a Marlene Dietrich fan and don't really see Arthur Kennedy as being charismatic enough to interest her, and am not usually keen on background ballads, but I enjoyed this film from beginning to end.Director Fritz Lang keeps the pace lively and brightens up the generally sombre mood with a couple of light-hearted sequences - first the "horse-race" with saloon girls riding cowboys and then the crooked politicians awaiting their fate in gaol."Variety" Film Guide calls the plot "corny", but it's no more so than many other films of the 1950s, or indeed of any other decade, and it's different to most Westerns of the period.
He ends up at Rancho Notorious, a hideout for outlaws run by Alder Keane, played wonderfully by Marlene Dietrich in one of her most memorable roles.
Also, the name Chuck-a-Luck inspired a lot of laughs in the audience (I was lucky enough to see it at a theater).Overall, though, Rancho Notorious is a great film, quite haunting in its own right.
I especially liked the line (I don't remember it exactly) spoken by a doctor who rattles off a list of a cowboy's injuries and sums up by saying, "So, really, he's pretty dead.""Rancho Notorious" isn't one of the genre's better entries, but see it some time just for its entertainment value..
Fritz Lang's superlative western teeters dangerously on the edge of campness, (it's that infernal 'Legend of Chuck-a-Luck' ballad pounding away on the soundtrack, continually reminding us that this is a tale of 'hate ...
Then, of course, there is that great gay icon Marlene Dietrich, looking extraordinary at fifty one as Altar Keane, boss of the outlaw hideout Chuck-a-Luck where Arthur Kennedy comes seeking the man who killed his girl in a robbery.
In many respects the film is a perfect companion to Nicholas Ray's not dissimilar "Johnny Guitar", made around the same time and both featuring dominant women and weaker men and both dealing explicitly with 'hate, murder and revenge'.This is a very tight piece of work, thematically dense and psychologically astute and directed by Lang in a truly classical style.
Fritz Lang-directed western was plagued with problems (both during the production and after), although Marlene Dietrich--allegedly the cause of most of the on-set turmoil--gives a must-see performance as the notorious Altar Keane ("They even named a railroad car after her!").
Arthur Kennedy is better than usual as the newcomer to Dietrich's brood of happy killers and robbers (he and Marlene have palpable chemistry), but Mel Ferrer is stiff and unsure as suave outlaw Frenchy Fairmont (the cartoonish name doesn't match the actor playing the role).
Thrilling Western of murder , hate and revenge ; being compellingly directed by the great maestro Fritz Lang.
Acceptable Mel Ferrer as Frenchy Fairmont , an outlaw really enamored to Altar and who defends his love .The film displays a brilliant cinematography in rich Technicolor by expert cameraman Hal Mohr who had previously photographed Marlene Dietrich in Arizona (1939) .
Fritz Lang's final western is watchable because of it's strangeness.We start with the nominal hero(Arthur Kennedy)in happy mood with his future wife,who is promptly brutally murdered by two villains,one of whom shoots the other afterwards over an argument over money.Kennedy's thirst for revenge eventually takes him to a ranch run by former showgirl Marlene Dietrich,which is a haven for various killers,bad guys,gunfighters,etc.The man who carried out the brutal killing(Lloyd Gough)is one of the said above,and it takes Kennedy until the film's last few minutes to find out.There are many positive aspects of the film,but as many negative.Lang's moody,Teutonic direction is a major plus here,as are fine performances by Arthur Kennedy and Marlene Dietrich,but others,such as a badly miscast Mel Ferrer,a very dated linking ballad which tends to provoke unintentional derision nowadays,and some highly unconvincing outdoor studio sets made even more so by colour(the film probably would have been more effective in Black and White).One interesting piece of trivia:Lloyd Gough,who plays the brutal killer Kinch,did not receive a credit despite his pivotal role in RANCHO NOTORIOUS.This was because his left-wing politics fell foul of the House Un-American activities Commitee,and RKO boss Howard Hughes.As a result,Gough was blacklisted from Hollywood after this film,and did not appear in another until 15 years later(TONY ROME,1967)..
He winds up at a place known as Chuck-a-Luck, a ranch and front for a criminal hideout that is run by smouldering chanteuse Altar Keane {Marlene Dietrich}.
But problems arise as both Haskell and Frenchy vie for the attentions of Altar and slowly but surely, as Haskell gets closer to his target, it's evident that he is so torn and twisted by revenge he's become as bad as the villains he now aims to bring down.Reference Fritz Lang, love, betrayal and retribution, cloak them in a decidedly feminist sheen and what you get is Rancho Notorious.
Thirteen years after Marlene Dietrich lit up the old west and the town of Bottleneck in particular in Destry Rides Again, she got another chance to play an older, but maybe not so much wiser version of Frenchie as Altar Keane in Rancho Notorious.Apparently at one time Marlene was as notorious a saloon entertainer as Frenchie back in the day.
The place is called Chuck-a-Luck and its known in the western criminal community.Enter Arthur Kennedy who is after the man who raped, robbed, and murdered his fiancé, Gloria Henry.
He's got a line on the guy who did the deed that he's headed for this mysterious place called Chuck-a-Luck.Kennedy joins a pantheon of male Fritz Lang protagonists who get terribly wronged and are seeking vengeance.
He's not a western type by any stretch, but the point is that he is a cut above the usual outlaw bunch at the Marlene hideaway.Rancho Notorious is not a great western, a great Fritz Lang film, and definitely not one of Marlene's better films.
You would think the combination of Lang and Marlene Dietrich would be amazing, but this is my fourth viewing of the film over a 35 year period, and not once was I impressed with this movie.
Once with the gang, however, like EVERYONE in this film he inexplicably falls for the charms of Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich)--a woman who runs sort of a hostel for crooks called 'Chuck-A-Luck'.
This is a severe knock against the film as is the annoying song "Chuck-A-Luck", though otherwise it is well acted, written and directed (by Fritz Lang of all people).
The Story of a Rape and Murder and the inevitable, tireless, revenge rampage is hardly the stuff usually seen with Cowpokes among wide open spaces.The antithesis of aesthetics doesn't always work here and there is some miscasting, most notably Arthur Kennedy who has a great snarl but falls way short in the wooing Scenes, and cannot overcome being blown off the Screen by Marlene Dietrich.
In a small town in the Wyoming, the pacific cowboy Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy) and his beloved fiancée Beth Forbes (Gloria Henry) will get married in eight days, and plan their lives living in a ranch of their own in eight years with many children.
In his journey, Vern learns how to shoot and listens to many stories about the famous Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich), a woman that worked in many cabarets and made a fortune gambling in a Chuck-a-Luck wheel helped by the hit-man Frenchy Fairmont (Mel Ferrer), the fastest trigger in the west.
I am not fan of the genre, but this western directed by Fritz Lang tells a solid and credible story, with characters very well-developed and supported by a magnificent cast leaded by Marlene Dietrich, Arthur Kennedy and Mel Ferrer.
Altar's (Marlene Dietrich) story as it told to Vern is shown in flashbacks in the film.
**SPOILERS** Fritz Lang western circa 1874 about murder and revenge with Vern Haskell, Authur Kennedy, out by himself looking for the killer of his fiancé Beth Forbes (Gloria Henry), who was shot to death in a robbery.
That in the end leads him to the notorious Chuck-O-luck Ranch owned by former saloon singer and dancer Altar Keane, Marlene Dietrich.
The killer gets the jump on Vern first by realizing who he is, by the way he mounts his horse, and that he's at the Chuck-O-Luck Ranch only looking for him and is not a wanted man like the rest of the desperadoes there.
Off-the-wall cowboy film that has a lot of hidden meanings in it, like all of Fritz Langs movies.
In the end after the usual and customary western-style shoot-out with almost everyone in the cast ending up dead it was the two lovers of Altar, Vern & Frenchy, who rode off in the sunset together forgetting their differences about the rivalry that they had over her.The movie had a very irritating and annoying theme song all through it that made it come across more funny then serious.
It's more like a western with an European touch - Fritz Lang's touch (and also Marlene Dietrich touch).
With it being directed by the great Fritz Lang (a director with a great and distinctively Expressionistic visual and directing style, with 'M' and 'Metropolis' being two of the finest examples) and starring Marlene Dietrich (especially fond of her work with Josef von Sternberg and in 'Witness for the Prosecution'), 'Rancho Notorious' had a lot of interest value.
Marlene Dietrich was 51 years old when she appeared in Rancho Notorious and to be playing a sexy saloon singer and the owner of a horse ranch hideout for a bunch of fugitives on the run from the law, why did the producers think she could pull it off?
I'll tell you why this over the hill saloon singer with her strong German accent starred in this offbeat western, it was because the German born director Fritz Lang wanted her to star in it.There is a plot to this western which is a woman is murdered during the execution of a robbery by two gunmen and the husband of the murdered woman is a cowboy named Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy) so he rides out of town in hot pursuit of his wife's killer until he finds him at the hideout horse ranch Chuck-O-Luck run by aged and weathered actress Marlene Dietrich who plays Altar Keane.So there is double crossing, bandits, gunslingers, two gunmen vying for a woman's affection, and a man on a mission to revenge his wife's murder, but there is a also a really bad musical score chiming in throughout this offbeat western, and Marlene Dietrich's heavy German accent was too much of a distraction for me to take this western too seriously.
Fritz Lang broke all the conventional rules of the western when he made Rancho Notorious and he was succesful and made an unique film.
It is a story about the obsession of revenge and how it can make a basically good man like Arthur Kennedy become worse than some outlaws (Marlene Dietrich and Mel Ferrer).
The interesting thing about Fritz Lang's western "Rancho Notorious" (1952) is that it is very interesting.
Lang sets up the story with a goodbye scene between Beth Forbes (Gloria Henry or Mrs. Mitchell to "Dennis the Menace" fans) and her fiancé, cowboy Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy), who gives her a jewel-studded brooch on his way out of town.
Rancho Notorious (1952) *** (out of 4) Offbeat but entertaining Western about a man (Arthur Kennedy) who goes searching for the man who raped and killed his fiancé.
He eventually meets up with an outlaw (Mel Ferrer) who takes him to a notorious, secret ranch ran by Altar Keane (Marlene Dietrich).
Not since JOHNNY GUITAR became a cult classic, has there been an odder western than RANCHO NOTORIOUS with its studio-bound outdoor sets filmed in muted Technicolor and such oddities as: 1) MEL FERRER, who looks cast against type as a fast gunslinger; 2) FRITZ LANG of film noir fame as the director of a mechanical western; 3) MARLENE DIETRICH fatally attracted to ARTHUR KENNEDY, with whom she shares no chemistry whatsoever; 4) GEORGE ("Superman") REEVES looking a bit flabby in a thin bad guy supporting role; 5) A clichéd, banal theme song to establish the "love, hate, revenge" motif of the story; 6) The central role of a tough outlaw (MARLENE DIETRICH) giving rise to comparisons with another cult favorite oddity, JOHNNY GUITAR and Miss JOAN CRAWFORD.To Dietrich's credit, when out of her western garb and gowned in jewels and gown, she looks stunning.
I'll always go out of my way to catch any of Fritz Lang's Hollywood output, even the rare westerns like this and enjoyed this tightly plotted little tragedy of murder hate and revenge as Arthur Kennedy embarks on a vengeance mission against the villain who brutally raped and murdered his fiancée.Unlike say, John Ford or Anthony Mann, two of his western making contemporaries, Lang keeps our focus on the characters and their story so that we rarely get sprawling landscape shots of men (or women) seemingly dwarfed by nature.
Instead we get to peer into a little microcosm world where more down to earth individuals grapple with their emotional urges, usually to the detriment of others around them.Thus, Kennedy's avenging angel holds our attention from first to last and while he gets his revenge by the end, with the help of outlaw gunslinger Frenchy Freemont, played by Mel Ferrer, from whom he improbably learns to become the quickest draw around, the tragedy is compounded by the incidental death of Deitrich's wonderfully-named Altar Keane.Within the confines of 90 short minutes, the characterisations go deeper then than most westerns you'll see helped by conviction acting, especially Kennedy in the lead as another of Lang's "little man" heroes dogged by tragedy who strike back hard against the offending world.
Previously only knowing Lang for his Sci-Fi,Film Noir and late Adventure movies,I excitingly got set to enter Lang's Western metropolis.The plot:Working as a ranch hand, Vern Haskell finds his peaceful life to be left broken when his fiancée Beth Forbes is killed during a robbery.
Locating the main salon where the game is played,Haskell crosses paths with Altar Keane,who along with getting lucky on Chuck-a-Luck,is now wearing some of Forbes jewellery.View on the film:Locked from giving a full crack of the whip by studio owner Howard Hughes taking control of the editing and his relationship with the lead actress being so "frosty" that they ended up not speaking to each other during production,director Fritz Lang & cinematographer Hal Mohr are still able to find a saddle which allows them to enter the Wild West with style,as expertly delivered overlapping images cast an evil under the sun Film Noir atmosphere under the West,with the burning hot sun dimming as Haskell takes another step to finding Forbes killers.
His revenge leads him to Chuck-a-luck, Altar Keane's ranch set up to hide criminals, and he finds more than he bargains for.
Lang does a great job building Altar Keane's character with a series of flashbacks.Arthur Kennedy's lead character, Vern Haskell, abandons a posse and sets out on a solo epic journey to track down the killer/rapist of his fiancé.
Despite an interesting roster of supporting players barely two members of the entire cast - Mel Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy, Frank Ferguson, William Frawley, Jack Elam - are able to look as if they are in the same movie, or care either way.
Fritz Lang directs this film with a 50 year old Dietrich showing how the new 50 looked in 1952.
Produced by the little known Fidelity Pictures and distributed by RKO, it was directed by Fritz Lang, and is beautifully photographed in glorious Technicolor.Small time rancher Vern Haskell (Arthur Kennedy) is engaged to marry Beth Forbes (Gloria Henry). |
tt1578275 | The Dilemma | Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James) are best friends and partners in a small auto design firm. Ronny is in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly) while Nick is married to Geneva (Winona Ryder). The two have recently been given an opportunity to pitch an eco friendly car to Dodge.
While at a botanical gardens planning a way to propose marriage to Beth, Ronny sees Geneva kissing a man named Zip (Channing Tatum). He comes home upset, but lies to Beth about the reason, causing her to worry that the stress of work has caused a recurrence of Ronny's gambling addiction.
Ronny makes up his mind to inform Nick about Geneva's infidelity, but puts it off after Nick expresses stress about their work. He meets with Geneva, who promises that the affair is over and that she will tell Nick as soon as the big project is finished. Ronny subsequently discovers her and Zip continuing their relationship. Geneva then threatens to accuse Ronny of hitting on her and tell Nick about a fling they had had back in college.
Ronny follows Geneva to Zip's house and photographs the two of them together but becomes trapped inside and misses his in-laws' anniversary party. Ronny's increasingly erratic behavior leads his friends to think that he has begun gambling again. They hold an intervention for him but Ronny explains the truth behind his actions and Geneva admits to the affair. Later, Nick and Ronny have their design accepted by Dodge and Ronny proposes to Beth. | bleak, romantic, psychedelic, stupid | train | wikipedia | So a light-hearted buddy flick with Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, and directed by Ron Howard, seemed like just the right change of pace.Unfortunately, the actual film has little resemblance to the film advertised in the trailer.
Sure the comedy scenes are present: Vince gives an acidic toast, Kevin James does his fat-man dance, and Channing Tatum plays an off-center tattooed boy toy with a loaded gun and dead fish.
Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) is Nick Brannen's (Kevin James) best friend from college and partner in their own auto design firm.
The Dilemma is presented as a conflict that Vince Vaughn has when he sees his best friend and business partner's wife having an affair.
Vince had his typically banter and rhetoric in some scenes, but the movie was just too heavy and too over the top with story lines for me to count...or to recommend.I also didn't like Queen L in this...she overacted her scenes and her character just didn't seem to fit in enough to make it worth her paycheck.
How could one go wrong with a cast like Jennifer Connelly, Vince Vaughn, Winona Ryder, Kevin James and Queen Latifah?
or when Ronny catches Geneva (Winona Ryder) cheating on best friend Nick (Kevin James), should he tell him?
For what should be a simple buddy comedy, they added way too many sub-plots and although there were a few laughs, it was mostly boring and not all that funny.By the end, the film settled down a bit more, and we got to concentrate on Ronny and Nick.
"The Dilemma" is the exact sort of film I try to avoid seeing: It bills itself as a comedy, but the laughs are few and far between; I haven't liked Vince Vaughn in anything else except "Swingers"; I don't care for Kevin James or Queen Latifah; and the movie's basically a two-hour commercial for the Dodge Challenger.
Nonetheless, when my friends dragged me to see it, I actually sort of enjoyed the movie.The basic plot of the movie is that best-friends-since-college Ronny and Nick (Vaughn and James) run an engineering firm that is vying to help redesign the engine of the new Dodge Challenger to be more eco-friendly without losing the macho factor.
And finally, there are also the performances by the two female leads: Jennifer Connelly has always been great, going back to her years as a child actor; and Winona Ryder (who I had a crush on in the early '90's and who is as beautiful as ever pushing 40) looks ready for a career comeback in her biggest role since her shoplifting conviction.As an aside, I also want to say that there a couple of scenes with a very subtle political (pro-tea-party) undercurrent that I disagree with.
At times it was quite moving,and I could understand the position Vince Vaugn was in,but then the comedy was "thrown" in and people were expected to laugh...strange film..I have a tip for the cast; Choose your projects more carefully,this film won't enhance your reputation....or your career.I have a tip for Mr Howard; When reviewing the daily rushes,don't be afraid to re-shoot something that doesn't look right to you..If it doesn't look right to you,it won't look right to the paying public.At least 7 people got up and walked out of the viewing I was at,some as early as 15 minutes into it.................
The Dilemma is an entertaining comedy starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.
If you appreciate Vince Vaughn and Kevin James as actors you'll enjoy this film and I did feel they had a great chemistry.
With a cast that involves Vince Vaughn and Kevin James it motivates people to watch it.If you're looking for a comedy and expect to be in hysterics throughout the entire film this probably isn't the greatest one to watch.
Ron Howard has been successful in entertaining me and making good movies, and you can add The Dilemma to a list that also includes Frost/Nixon, A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, Cinderella Man, and Parenthood.
Vaughn stars as Ronny Valentine, who runs a car business with his best friend, Nick (played by Kevin James).
Vaughn gives a hilarious performance where he makes you compassionate in what he is going through.James is great as Nick, and shows that he still as talent as a comedy actor.
James makes you feel bad for him even though he doesn't know what is really going on with Ronny.Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder are both also great as they are Vaughn's and James's female counterparts.
What I like best about Ryder's performance is that she makes Geneva out to be the bad one and is hilarious at threatening Ronny.Overall, this is a fun comedy that continues to be funny as Ronny keeps getting himself into bigger and bigger trouble.
Mitch Hansch/ movieswithmitch.com Ron Howard's "The Dilemma" is a multi-faulted film in search of itself but one that actually has something interesting to say and that's led by a highly charged performance from lead Vince Vaughn.
This film may get a lot of flack for indecisiveness but it's that same trait that fuels Vaughn's complex character's- and forgive me this- dilemma.Ronny Valentine (Vince Vaughn) catches his best friend's wife Geneva, played by Winona Ryder, cheating.
Ronny's habit of lying to solve the problems around him is perfectly summed up by Beth (Jennifer Connelly) his serious girlfriend; "You're not fixing anything, you're just breaking more stuff." One thing director Howard really taps into is the heavy responsibilities that come with having a best friend and how sensitive that relationship can be.
Connelly and Ryder also handle their own weight just fine while Kevin James never reaches any other emotion than anxious and fearful while Queen Latifah's lame sexual metaphor spouting part is all but forgotten.The climax takes place in the usually comedic setting of an intervention that doesn't know how to spilt time between comedy and dark drama.
Kevin James and Vince Vaughn did well in more serious roles, though they were clearly trying to make the film funnier.So don't watch it with high expectations, and look at it as an amusing drama rather than as a comedy.
Oh maybe they paid Ron Howard to do it because he has not had work in a while and you thought he could turn crum into gold?Guys welcome to becoming the new Cuba Gooding Jr's with your careers I see plenty of lame slapstick comedies and B movies in your future unless you start taking yourselves more seriously and picking scripts worthy of your talent.Or maybe this was your peak?I don't even want my money back just the time invested!!
And sure enough, the movie delivered right on the money.The story told in the movie is about the two best friends, Ronny Valentine (played by Vince Vaughn) and Nick Branned (played by Kevin James).
The story is very interesting and compelling, and you really get yourself into the story and situations, so they managed to portray this quite nicely.Aside from Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, the movie also have big names like Jennifer Connelly (playing Beth), Wynona Ryder (playing Geneva) and Queen Latifah (playing Susan Warner) on the list.
These people were superbly cast and were doing really good jobs with their characters, as were Vince Vaughn and Kevin James.
Jennifer Connelly, Vince Vaughn, Wynona Rider, Channing Tatum, Kevin James, and Ron Howard wasted their talents here, shockingly..
This movie had its funny moments and the storyline was fine enough.Vince Vaughn & Kevin James add some great chemistry to this movie, they should make some more movies together but it probably needs to be movies placed more in the comedy genre.In my opinion this movie wasn't at all as bad as people say it is, I actually liked it a bunch.
That is to say, Ronnie Valentine (Vince Vaughn) struggles to tell his best bud, Nick Brannen (Kevin James) that his wife, Geneva (Winona Ryder), is cheating on him.My dilemma is that this is billed as a comedy when the laughs are few and the action is drama-oriented if you judge by the heartache Ronnie goes through trying to decide what to do.
Many will go into this movie expecting a roll on the floor comedy since Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are the leads.
There are a lot of funny moments in this movie that will have you laughing out loud if you like the Vince Vaughn brand of humor of getting under people's skin.Queen Latifah is hilarious in this movie too and was actually a breath of fresh air to make up for Kevin James who was a little more on the serious side in this movie.
Kevin James, who was the 'Best Friend' of Vince Vaughn played his character very well, he's passionate about his work and we see how that effects his marriage.
The film also features Jennifer Connelly, Winona Rider, Kevin James, Queen Latifah, and Channing Tatum, which have all had their fair share of starring roles in movies and they helped make this one worth seeing as well.You won't come away thinking this is the best movie you have ever seen, or that it has a complex story, but it is entertaining and will provide you with a lot of good laughs.
The Dilemma starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James as Ronny and Nick who we see are best friends and business partners whose company is on the verge of a major success.
While wrestling with this, Ronny himself becomes a bit of a liar, keeping from his girlfriend Beth (Jennifer Connelly) all that he's going through and winding up in uncomfortable predicaments because of it.The Dilemma has its moments at times but isn't so much of a comedy than a drama.
We watched it again last night and still thought it was good.The movie is about 2 guys, Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, who are best friends and business partners.
The rest of the movie is about Vince trying to catch her out with funny consequences.The casting is good for this film.
He is so funny in this movie.The story is good, the acting is good and it is directed by Ron Howard who is a legend.I will give this film 7 out of 10.A good comedy with not too much of the romance.
One of them discovers the others' wife is cheating so his "dilemma" is whether to tell his friend what he has discovered.The film is billed as a comedy, but very difficult to find much that is funny in the movie, though it is not so bad as at least I watched it to the end.My main problem with the picture is the two main actors look very similar in facial appearance and for me it was a major annoyance and was confusing.5/10.
Even though I did not like the most recent films from director Ron Howard (with the honourable exception of Frost/Nixon), I keep getting interested in his filmography because I never loose the hope of finding the solid dominion of emotions and balance of humor and drama which distinguished him as an important personality in North American cinema, whose movies fulfilled with the difficult task of raising a lot of money, and at the same time satisfying the professional critics.
I generally like the work from Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, but The Dilemma required genuine character actors, and not comedians whose antics betray the essence itself from every scene.
The film offers some funny moments, and also packs in some good performances....but in totality, the film is half-baked.'The Dilemma' is about Ronny played by Vince Vaughn, and Nick played by Kevin James, two best friends and partners in an auto design firm.
More importantly, it seemed to be right in the wheelhouse of the good, old Ron Howard, the man who directed "Night Shift," "Cocoon," and "Splash." You know, back before he became an "important" filmmaker.I wanted to see this film in the movies, but it disappeared too fast for me to see it there.
Vaughan manage to keep his face strained for the entire movie, you gotta love the combination of Vince Vaughn and Kevin James in that movie, its like Seth Regen with Jonah hill, only with a different aspect of humor (which is obviously much more suitable for adults).the combination of Winonah Ryder and Jennifer Connelly was kinda odd (this i must agree with some of the review's) because one actress is known to act an adventures reporter and one is known to act weird character's (in most films iv seen).
Vaughn's character is bent on protecting his best friend's, Kevin James's, marriage by a thoroughly single minded insistence on James learning of his wife's, Ryder's, infidelity despite the potential consequences, say, like, destroying the marriage perhaps?Time invested here is misspent.
I was wrong...a Vince Vaughn/Kevin James film CAN be bad.
He was skeptical, and I had the utmost confidence that any film starring The King of Queens and Vince Vaughn could not possibly be bad."That's what you said about the movie with Kevin James and Ray Romano!"Ah, yes.
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are best friends who are both in relationships.
The idea for this had so much potential, I think Vince Vaughn can be very funny and that Ron Howard is a talented director but what in the heck were they thinking?!This movie takes a very dark turn even though it was marketed as a silly comedy.
Well Ronny and Nick (i.e. Vaughan and James) you can't act for love nor money - that is what this film is saying loud and clear.I will exclude from the acting blemishes Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, and Channing Tatum who do at least try, but pretty much everybody else was wasted.Although I have given this five I am rapidly feeling the need to reduce it to two to match the pleasure it gave me watching it.
The Dilemma, directed by Ron Howard, doesn't seem like the type of film that Howard is directing these days and it shows that Howard wasn't comfortable with this genre.The film stars the usually funny Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, as well as Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Channing Tatum, Clint Howard and Queen Latifah.Vaughn's character has a lot to do in the film, but the comedic seems don't come off as funny, but rather stupid and dull at times.
¨One would expect that a film starring Kevin James (the King of Queens) and Vince Vaughn would be a hilarious comedy, but The Dilemma takes a very different approach and the movie feels more like a drama than an actual buddy comedy, which is what I was expecting and wish it had been so.
I was hugely disappointed with the film and I'm still trying to classify as to what genre they were aiming for when they wrote this story.Ronny (Vince Vaughn) and Nick (Kevin James) have been best friends ever since their college days, now they've decided to partner together for their own electronic car design business.
Indies have a way of mixing drama and humor and "The Dilemma" could use a lesson or five in making that hybrid work.Vaughn's experience in some independent films and non-traditional comedies actually makes him a good fit for Ronny, someone who we must sympathize with in order to stand watching this movie, which in fact does stay watchable.
THE DILEMMA – TRASH IT ( C- ) Biggest mistake, we think its Vince Vaughn & Kevin James so, it will be a comedy.
The DilemmaIf you ever discover that your best friend's wife is cheating on him, get her to bring your wife along next time, so that you can hangout with your buddy.Unfortunately, the pal privy to the amorality of his chum's chick in this comedy handles the information the wrong way.While scouting the botanical gardens for his pending proposal, Ronny (Vince Vaughn) spots Geneva (Winona Ryder), the wife of his best friend Nick (Kevin James), kissing another man (Channing Tatum).Displeased by this discovery, Ronny begins a campaign to expose Geneva.
Ron Howard back to doing comedies and both Vince Vaughn and Kevin James are funny guys.
The Dilemma is not the film he was hoping for, he takes a huge backseat in terms of screen time and comedy to Vince Vaughn.
I'm a Vince Vaughn fan and this is one of his worst films as well but at least he still does his thing and tries to make it work (and he is pretty funny at times).
The situation that actors Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Jennifer Connelly and Winona Ryder are thrown into with Channing Tatum's home wrecking character Zip is usually very dark in nature, but has a slight comedic twist added to it by Howard.
Ronny (Vince Vaughan) unwittingly witnesses Geneva (Winona Ryder), the wife of his best friend and business partner Nick (Kevin James) having a clandestine romantic encounter with Zip (Channing Tatum).
The story is about two best friends Ronny(Vince Vaughn) and Nick(Kevin James), they have been friends for many years, and are both are the verge on success in business together.
But with all this going on Beth tries to find out what Ronnie is up to and their relationship is going down hill Vince Vaughn & Kevin James are great in their roles as well as Jennifer Connelly.
i would understand why they would consider it a comedy because of Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, and queen latifah are in it.
for example how is Vince Vaughn going to tell his friend Kevin James that his wife is cheating on him, and will they beak up or make up.
The Dilemma is about Vince Vaughn's painful struggle over whether or not to tell his best friend (played by Kevin James) that his best friend's wife (Winona Ryder) is cheating on him.
The Dilemma (2011): Dir: Ron Howard / Cast: Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Channing Tatum: Misfire comedy about relationships. |
tt0108670 | ¡Dispara! | Three disparate travelers, a disillusioned preacher (William Shatner), an unsuccessful prospector (Howard Da Silva), and a larcenous, cynical con man (Edward G. Robinson), meet at a decrepit railroad station in the 1870s Southwest. The prospector and the preacher were witnesses at the memorable rape and murder trial of the notorious bandit Juan Carrasco (Paul Newman). The bandit duped an aristocratic Southerner, Colonel Wakefield (Laurence Harvey), into believing he knew the location of a lost Aztec treasure. The greedy "gentleman" allowed himself to be tied up while Carasco assaulted his wife Nina (Claire Bloom). These events lead to the stabbing of the husband and Carrasco was tried, convicted, and condemned for the crimes.
Everyone's account on the witness stand differed dramatically. Carrasco claimed that Wakefield was tied up with ropes while Nina was assaulted, after which he killed the colonel in a duel. The newlywed wife contends that she was the one who killed her husband because he accused her of leading on Carrasco and causing the rape. The dead man "testifies" through a third witness, an old Indian shaman (Paul Fix), who said that neither of those accounts was true. He insisted that the colonel used a jeweled dagger to commit suicide after the incident.
It turns out that there was a fourth witness, the prospector, one with a completely new view of what actually took place. But can his version be trusted? | cruelty, murder, violence, tragedy, revenge, sadist | train | wikipedia | A Depressing and Heartbreaking Travel to Hell.
In Madrid, the journalist Marcos Vallez (Antonio Banderas) is writing an article about a circus and he schedules an interview for the next day with the lead attraction Anna Meltzer (Francesca Neri) a.k.a. the Amazon Queen Guiditta, who simultaneously rides a horse and sharply shoots in balloons in her performance.
After the interview, they feel attracted for each other and they spend the rest of the day and the night together.
In the morning, Marcos travels to Barcelona to cover a concert and promises to meet Anna on the next day and follow her to hell.
However, three men gang rape Anna during the night after her performance with extreme violence and the disturbed Anna takes her rifle and ammunition to chase the rapists, but with tragic consequences."Dispara!" is a depressing and heartbreaking travel to hell of a sweet character magnificently performed by the extremely beautiful and talented Francesca Neri.
This movie is great but the plot is not simply a revenge of a woman brutally attacked but a very sad, realistic, dark and quite unpleasant drama, reason why it is not among my favorite movies.
The character of Anna Meltzer is very well developed in the beginning; therefore when the rape happens, the viewer is entirely connected feeling empathy for her nice character.
The attitude of Marcos Vallez is despicable, mixing feelings with his profession, telling his suspicious about Anna to his editor without any evidence.
I regret that the DVD released by Brazilian Distributor Spectra Nova is awfully dubbed in English without option to the original language (Spanish).
My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Dispara" ("Shoot").
Violent but decent Carlos Saura film in which a journalist falls for a mysterious equestrian sharpshooter from a circus called Wonderland.
Outrage deals with a journalist from El País newspaper who is assigned to carry out engaging reports .
As Mario Vellez's (Antonio Banderas) last asignment results to be a traveling circus .
Bored and tired with the usual acts , he is intrigued by the beautiful Sharp-shooter called Anna (Francesca Neri , Rosalba Neri's daughter) and asks her for an interview , which leads to passion .
She is an equestrian sharpshooter from a circus called Wonderland , he is a stubborn journalist and both of whom fall in love .
But she finds that primitive savagery exists beneath the most peaceful surface and then occurs a an unhappy happening and things go awry .
This is an interesting story about a traveling circus , a grisly event and subseguent vendetta .
A frightening and violent film reaction to the violence of the 1980s and 1990s ; this is a tale about rape and revenge in Straw Dogs style .
Based on a story : "Spara che ti passa" by expert Giorgio Scerbanenco and screenplay by Carlos Saura himself .
The plot is plain and simple , a circus artist falls in love for a reporter and while he's in Barcelona to cover a concert, three young men assault her , being attacked and raped in her tráiler , then , rather than calling the police Anna decides to take his own retribution , as she seeks a merciless vengeance .
It is paced from point of view Francesca Neri and Antonio Banderas .
Although it relies heavily on the loving relationship between the reporter and the circus artist .
Gorgeous Rosalba Neri gives an enjoyable acting ,she speaks Spanish language blending Italian/Spaniard words .
Banderas is acceptable but he delivers an inferior performance than Neri .
They are well accompanied by a fine support cast , such as : Eulàlia Ramon as Lali Ramón, Carlos Saura's wife , Walter Vidarte ,Coque Malla , Chema Mazo and Achero Mañas .
The movie displays an atmospheric cinematography by prestigious Javier Aguirresarobe , though a perfect remastering being really necessary .
And a sad and atonal musical score by the Oscar Winner and magnificent composer Alberto Iglesias .
Along with adequate production design by the notorious Rafael Palmero .
The motion picture was well directed by Carlos Saura , being the first genre movie from this magnificent filmmaker .
He is a good Spanish movies director.
He began working in cinema in 1959 when he filmed ¨Los Golfos ¨(1962) dealing with juvenile delinquency ,it won Golden Bear in Berlin Festival .
Saura is a well recognized filmmaker both nationally and internationally, and in proof of it he won many prizes among which there are the following ones: Silver Bear in the Berlin Festival for ¨ La Caza or The Chase¨ (1966) his most successful film , and for Peppermint Frappé (1967), in 1967.
Special Jury Awards in Cannes for La Prima Angélica (1974), in 1973, and for Cría Cuervos (1976), in 1975.
Also, the film Mamá Cumple Cien Años (1979) got an Oscar nomination in 1979 as the best foreign film, and it also won the Special Jury Award at the San Sebastian Festival.
In 1990, he won two Goya , The Spanish Oscar , as best adapted screenplay writer and best director.
Saura made some biographic movies as ¨Llanto para un bandido¨, ¨Goya in Burdeos or Bordeaux ¨, ¨Buñuel and la mesa del Rey Salomon¨ , ¨El Dorado¨, and ¨Antonieta¨.
Saura became an expert on Iberian musical adaptations as ¨Carmen , Amor Brujo , Bodas De Sangre or Blood wedding , Sevillanas ,Iberia , Salome, Fado, Flamenco , Tango ¨ and even recently Opera as ¨Io , Don Giovanni.
Very Dreary Film.
Watch only for Neri's Heartbreaking Performance.
The story follows Ana (played wonderfully by the beautiful Francesca Neri) as a sharp shooter performing in the circus.
She falls in love with a journalist named Marcos (Antonio Banderas).
After a brutal rape and several murders later, she finds herself on the run with Marcos chasing after her.The DVD story would have you believe that this is a typical Rape/ Revenge flick where the rape occurs early on and the rest of the film is the woman seeking vengeance.
But the rape doesn't occur until 40 minutes in giving the viewers plenty of time to get to know Ana and like her character.
She looks like Rachel Weisz and is quite impulsive and quirky.
Her character is very likable and you will find her emotionally honest even when she is lying.
This will make watching her downfall a little difficult to bear.You watch Ana fall in love with Marcos, make love with him, and then you see the excitement in her eyes when she runs to her door one fateful night expecting Marcos on the other side.
The gang rape is brutal, but most of the violence (outside of the rape) is implied.
The revenge part takes place very soon after.
The rest of the film is Ana and Marcos trying to reach each other one last time, making several mistakes along the way, and a very climactic reunion at the end.Where the story veers into stupidity, is when Marcos sees the news story of the rapists murders, assumes Ana is the killer without even speaking to her, and then proceeds to rat on her instantly.
That amore'.
Soon after, Ana visits a doctor for her excessive bleeding (ahem, vaginal, due to the "bottle assault"), the doctor immediately calls the police on her the moment Ana leaves the room.
Rape Advocacy, yeah!
And get this
the doctor then goes on the radio giving the victims name and detailing her vaginal wounds!
Ethics?
We don't need no stinking Ethics!Ultimately, this film is incredibly depressing and bleak.
The ending will not make you feel any better about what transpired before hand.
The victim gets no justice and she is punished for being victimized.
A cop even refers to her as "the bitch."Favorite Quote: "I said I'd follow you to Hell, well, here I am," spoken by Marcos to Ana after he finally catches up to her at the end.DVD Extras: Scene Selection and brief Film Facts.
There is an Italian and English dubbed version.
The dubbed version is terrible and takes away from the atmosphere.
Plus, I know what Antonio Banderas sounds like and I can assure you that was not it.Bottom Line: Very dreary film with not much to recommend here except Francesca Neri's great performance.Rating: 6/10Molly Celaschi www.HorrorYearbook.com MySpace.com/HorrorYearbook1980.
An interesting take on vigilante justice.
This film is a fine drama about a woman who gets raped by three men then hunts then down one by one with a cold determination of a professional assassin.
After years of being an equestrian circus performer, Francesca Neri meets Antonio Banderas, a journalist, and romance seems to be in the offing but fate is unkind to them and sets in motion the tragic events of the story.
The pursuit and revenge plot is straightforward with no surprises but the drama really builds when Neri herself becomes the hunted when an all-points alert is issued by Spanish police.
Neri's role of a woman who takes the law into her own hands is one-dimensional but she sells her character well and manages to generate sympathy because of what happened to her.
Neri and Banderas do have a certain chemistry between them and they make the premise work in spite of the unpleasant subject matter..
Antonio Banderas as he really is.
OUTRAGE, or "Dispara!" in Spanish gives us a glimpse of the real Antonio Banderas.
If subtitles get in your way, then you cannot judge this movie, directed by the legendary Carlos Saura.
The female lead is the versatile Francesca Neri ("Live Flesh") who has made some of the most daring European films of the 90's, switching easily from Spanish to Italian in her prolific 15 year or so career.
This trio of great talent delivers a revenge drama/love story worth watching only for the lead actors' performances.
Here you see the real Antonio Banderas, who went back to Spain at the height of his Hollywood crossover, to do what he had always done: ACT, and take a break from the tough guy/action hero/Latin lover Hollywood has made of him.
The real Banderas is a sensitive actor, who actually has played mostly frail, bi/homosexual and mentally-challenged characters.
Though OUTRAGE is not his best performance by any means, it is a rare look into the real actor.
His character in OUTRAGE is possessed by the beauty and talents of a mysterious circus performer (Ms. Neri).
The two start an unusual relationship and after a fateful night's event, both main characters go down a destructive path of revenge.
Check it out.
I bought it from Amazon.com, not to plug them, but because it is available from them at a very good price..
the story of a young circus performer who's brutally attacked by 3 young men and the consequences that follow.
Outrage is a good film with an excellent (as always) performance by Francesca Neri who is the main character in this movie.
Warning: there is a rape scene that can be a bit hard to watch and graphic for some audiences.
Overall it is a very interesting film which shows how the recklessness of 3 young men can affect the lives of others.
It is a love story with a very young looking Antonio Banderas as a newspaper reporter who interviews and falls in love with a circus performer who after a brutal rape by a group of 3 young men, takes it upon herself to avenge the deed.
It had an unexpected ending (at least for me )but I really enjoyed watching this film..
It's hard to catch the nuances (that I hope are there) in a subtitled film.
It's hard to catch the nuances (that I hope are there) in a subtitled film.
Francesca Neri is the star of this film, even though Antonio Banderas is featured on the U.
S. release.
It has an exotic (to me) location, a circus in Madrid.
Neri's character suffers a brutal rape (Not an easy scene to watch) and the rest of the film deals with her method of dealing with the wrong done her, and its unintended consequences..
Shoot to kill.
Marcos, a young reporter, goes to the circus to write about that world in his paper's Sunday supplement.
He is not interested in anything, but as he is leaving, the next act is about to start.
It involves a woman riding a horse and performing tricks; the presentation ends in shooting balloons from the horse while it is moving.
Marcos feels attracted to the beautiful woman.
Marcos is intrigued by the circus performer and returns to interview her, but she begins playing with him, inventing stories.
As he is about to leave, Ana, comes to him and tells her who she really is.
An affair between them ensues.Fate intervenes when three young mechanics come to repair circus equipment and the owner gives them complimentary tickets for the show.
The trio make a racket as they watch Ana perform.
After the show, these three force themselves upon Ana. She is badly hurt and decides to take matters into her own hands.
Since she is a skilled shooter, these young punks don't have a chance when she comes for them.
Ana, who is bleeding badly ends up in a country home where a couple and two small children live.
Marcos is responsible for breaking the impasse between Ana and the police, but he arrived too late to help her.Carlos Saura, a noted director, made some valid contributions to the Spanish cinema.
His earlier pictures had a political and satirical context that he abandoned later on after Franco's death in favor of films that emphasized the dance.
This film will not add anything to his career, or that of Antonio Banderas, who as Marcos, gives a tepid performance.
On the other hand, Francesca Neri, a gifted Italian actress is the best thing in the film.
Her Ana has equal parts of mystery, charm, love and hate, as her determined character decides to deal with her tormentors.The film is titled "Outrage" in English..
"Dispara!": In Spanish, it means "Shoot!".
This DVD, called "Outrage!", is the Spanish film "Dispara!", which means "Shoot!".
I have the original Spanish language VHS, and no English language dubbing can do justice to the original Spanish version.
Why even change the name?
"Shoot!" has so much subtext.
She's a sharpshooter to begin with.
She goes after the men who raped her with her rifle...
It makes sense to call it "Shoot!".
Antonio Banderas - pre-movie star - is so good, here, as an earnest reporter.
He is stuck in the predicament of falling in love with a circus performer who will move on.
The real star is Francesca Neri, the Italian actress who seems to do her own riding and shooting.
Everything about this movie looks authentic, including the brutal rape and murder scenes.
If you are looking for a happy Hollywood ending, go elsewhere.
These characters are doomed from the first "shot".
-Sheshetta |
tt0081218 | Navajeros | José Manuel Gomez Perales alias "El Jaro" is a fifteen year old with a long criminal record that includes among other things: 29 escapes from reformatories and three wounds in confrontations with the police. He visits his older brother in jail, but El Jaro spends most of his time with his three best friends: El Butano, Jhonny and El Chus. The four friends form a dangerous gang who steals handbags, coins from public payphones, cars and motorbikes. They also steal what they can from stores breaking the windows. Without a place to stay, El Jaro settles with Mercedes, nicknamed "La Mexicana", a prostitute twenty years older than him. She provides him with love, sex and a home.
At a cemetery, the meeting place for El jaro and his gang, El Jaro surprises his three criminal pals with a gun he managed to acquire. This allows El Jaro and his pals to escalate their criminal activities. They go to an upscale neighborhood of Madrid where they rob a group of gay men gathered in a party. Meanwhile, a journalist, who reports on juvenile delinquency, chronicles the dire circumstances of unemployment and hopeless of the youths in marginals areas of the city and the links between poverty and criminal activities.
While having ice cream, El Jaro is about to be discovered with his gun hidden in his backpack by two undercover policemen, but he is saved by Mercedes who distract the officers. At a disco with his friends, El Jaro meets La Toñi, Chus' sister. Smitten with her, he invites her for a joyride, but Toñi is more interested in the drugs she consumes than in El Jaro. To find drugs for her, El Jaro goes to El Marques, a drug-dealer who gives him some for sale. El Jaro steals all the drugs, from El marques threatening him with his knife. Back with Mercedes, El Jaro confesses her that he has fallen in love with Toñi, but they continue their affair.
El Jaro and his gang, with Toñi's help, enter a motel and rob all the clients. In one of the rooms, El Jaro discovers his mother, a prostitute, who he has not seen for the last three years since when he ran away at age twelve. Leaving the motel, El Jaro and his gang are pursued by the police but they manage to evade the authorities, fleeing through the roof top to a ballet school in the next building. Lara, a detective, is put in charge by the commissar of police to investigate El Jaro's assault of the motel. They interrogate Jaro's mother.
Looking for drugs in a bar, El Jaro finds El Marques who takes revenge and has one of his men, Kid Marin, a gay bartender, rape El Jaro. El Butano gathers a large group of teenagers, members of fellow gangs, to avenge what happened to El Jaro. They trash the bar and El Jaro stabs Kid Marin in the ass. The large gathering of juvenile delinquents draws the attention of Lara and the commissar, but El jaro refuses to tell what had happened and he is sent to a reformatory from which he promptly escapes. At the reformatory, a psychologist interviews the four friends: El Jaro, El Butano, the son of Gypsies, Jhonny, the son of a fishe salesman and El Chui elmhui who is mostly interested in drugs. The journalist tries to get an interview with El Jaro though the judge in charge of his case, but before he can hear him, El Jaro escapes and he is reunited with Mercedes.
On his next assault, El Jaro and his friends are surprised by the police and while they try to escape El Chus is killed and El Jaro is badly injured in the groin. He awakens in a hospital where Mercedes tells him that he had lost a testicle. After a brief stay in jail, El Jaro is reunited with Mercedes who tells him that Toñi is pregnant. El Jaro wants to have the child but Toñi wants to have an abortion blaming El Jaro for the death of her brother. Mercedes then intercedes with Toñi persuading her to have the baby. Mercedes is truly in love with El Jaro and promises him to take care of him and his soon to be born baby.
Running away with his friends in a stolen vehicle, El Jaro is followed by the police who are tracking four terrorist. In the final confrontation El Jaro and his friends escape while the police and the terrorist kill each other. El Jaro decides to see his mother who is working the streets as a prostitute. His crimes has make him famous in the underworld. Sebas, the local pimp, has a knife fight with El jaro who slashes his face. Jaro's mother goes to help her lover. Toñi, pregnant against her will, grows increasingly bitter. She reproaches El Jaro from living at Mercedes' expense so El Jaro turns to robbery with his friends. At the same time that his son is born, El Jaro is killed from two shots, one to the chest and one to the face. | violence, romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0354899 | La science des rêves | Stéphane Miroux is a man whose vivid dreams and imagination often interfere with his ability to interact with reality. He is coaxed back to his childhood home after his divorced father passes away and his mother, Christine, finds him a job in a calendar printing company in France. His mother implies the position is a creative role, and he prepares colourful drawings, each showing a disaster, for his "disasterology" calendar. However, nobody appreciates his talents and it transpires that his mother had led him on - the real vacancy is for nothing more than mundane typesetting work. While leaving his apartment to go to work one day, Stéphane injures his hand helping his new neighbor move a piano into her apartment. The new neighbor, Stéphanie, invites Stéphane into her apartment (unaware that he lives next door) where her friend Zoé tends to his wound. Stéphane initially forms an attraction to Zoé, though he suspects it is instead Stéphanie who likes him.
Stéphane realizes that Stéphanie, like him, is creative and artistic. They plan a project for use in a short animated film. Following the advice of Guy, Stéphane's sex-obsessed co-worker, Stéphane pretends that he isn't Stéphanie's neighbor, pretending to leave the building when he leaves her apartment. That night, when he is sleepwalking he writes a confusing note to Stéphanie that asks for Zoé's phone number. Stéphane realizes his mistake upon waking and retrieves the letter with a coat hanger, unaware that Stéphanie has already read it.
Surrealistic and naturalistic elements begin to overlap, and the viewer is often uncertain of which portions constitute reality and which are merely dreams. One such sequence, in which Stéphane dreams his hands become absurdly giant, was inspired by a recurring nightmare director Michel Gondry had as a child. As this line gradually becomes more blurred, Stéphane becomes more enamoured with Stéphanie the more he spends time with her and shares his many inventions with her, such as the "one-second time machine," a device that can go either forward or backward in time by only one second. Stéphane's dreams encroach on his waking life as he tries to win Stéphanie's heart and misses time at work. He breaks into her apartment, taking her stuffed toy horse, and implants a mechanism inside of it that will make it gallop. While putting it back into her apartment, Stéphanie arrives and catches him, demanding he leaves and becoming more upset with him. Embarrassed and heartbroken, Stéphane retreats to his own apartment where he receives a call from Stéphanie, who apologizes and thanks him for the gift she discovers: a galloping version of "Golden the Pony Boy," who she reveals was named after Stéphane.
As the months go by, waking and dreaming become even more intermixed. To Stéphane's surprise, the calendar manufacturer accepts his "Disastrology" idea and it becomes a great success. A party is thrown in his honour, but he becomes depressed and begins drinking excessively after he witnesses Stéphanie dancing flirtatiously with another man. The next day, Stéphane and Stéphanie have a confrontation in their hallway when Stéphane announces that he doesn't want to be Stéphanie's friend any longer. Stéphanie becomes very upset, offering Zoé's phone number and reciting Stéphane's note. Stéphane, still unaware that Stéphanie has read the note, assumes that they are connected through "Parallel Synchronized Randomness", a rare phenomenon he has examined in his dreams. Stéphanie offers that they discuss their issues on a date, but on Stéphane's walk to the café to meet her, he has a frightful vision that she isn't there and she doesn't love him after all. He runs back to her apartment and bangs on her door, demanding that she stop torturing him; in actuality, she is indeed waiting for him at the café. Stéphane runs at her door, attempting to break it down, but winds up bashing his head and collapsing in the hall, where his mother eventually finds him bleeding. Tired of waiting, Stéphanie returns home while Stéphane, coaxed by his mother and her friend, decides to move back to Mexico.
Before leaving, Stéphane's mother insists that he say goodbye to Stéphanie. In his attempt to do so, he becomes extremely crass, making sexual and offensive jokes to her, and accusing her of never being able to finish something she starts. However, he reveals that he is truly interested in her because she's different from other people. As his antagonistic behavior pushes her to her breaking point, Stéphanie asks Stéphane to leave but he instead climbs into her bed and yells at her, before spotting two items on her bedside: his one-second time machine, and the finished boat they had planned to use in their animated film. Stéphane falls asleep in Stéphanie's bed. As she checks on him to see why he has become so quiet, she gently strokes his hair. The film closes with Stéphane and Stéphanie riding Golden the Pony Boy across a field before sailing off into the ocean's horizon in her white boat. | psychological, fantasy, cute, alternate reality, flashback, absurd, humor, psychedelic, romantic, home movie | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0320244 | Party Monster | Based on the book Disco Bloodbath, by James St. James, the film opens with Michael Alig as a small-town outcast who lived with his mom before moving to New York. Michael learns the New York party scene from James St. James, who teaches him the "rules of fabulousness", which mostly revolve around attracting as much attention to oneself as possible.
Despite James' warning, Alig hosts a party at The Limelight, a local club owned by Peter Gatien. With Alig as its main attraction, The Limelight soon becomes the hottest club in New York. Alig is named "King of the Club Kids" and goes on a cross country journey in search of more club kids. Alig and James pick up Angel Melendez, Gitsie, and Brooke. Gitsie becomes Michael's latest sidekick although the movie implies the relationship was a little more than platonic. However, after Michael descends further into drug abuse, his life starts to spiral out of control, eventually culminating in his involvement in the murder of Angel. Gitsie and Michael decide to go to rehab but ultimately return to NY with the same drug problems as before causing Michael to lose his job and end up in a motel in New Jersey. James then begins to write his "Great American Novel" published as Disco Bloodbath and later as Party Monster.
"Michael Alig — nightlife legend, party monster, convicted murderer — was released from prison last week after 17 years. In the Nineties, Alig was ringleader of New York City's "Club Kids," and the majordomo for Peter Gatien's nightclub empire (which included Limelight, the Palladium, and the Tunnel). But in 1996, Alig and his friend Robert "Freeze" Riggs argued with a drug dealer named Angel Melendez, killed him and dismembered his body in gruesome fashion before disposing of the corpse in the Hudson River. (The events were dramatized in the 2003 film Party Monster, which starred Macaulay Culkin as Alig.) Post-prison, Alig has returned to New York City to find that the world had changed, but that he was still the subject of media attention and tabloid headlines." | cult, comedy, murder, romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | Party Monster is based on the true story of 80s club kid and promoter, Michael Alig, infamous for his bizarre New York parties and, later, for the brutal murder of a drug dealer.It's adapted from Alig's friend James St James' book Disco Bloodbath by filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, whose earlier documentary about Alig actually inspired St James to write the book.
After a nine-year absence, Macauley Culkin returns to film as cherubic bisexual Alig, who persuades James St James (a camp Seth Green) to teach him the art of infamy.Famous for doing nothing long before reality TV, Alig becomes a manufacturer of celebrity and a promoter, serving up some wild parties, including a Halloween bloodbath, truck rave and kinky hospital party.
Wilson Cruz is enigmatic as wannabe and drug dealer Angel, and Wilmer Valderra is suitably objectified as Alig's beloved beefcake, DJ Keoki.Party Monster suffers from uneven performances and poor direction but despite this, it's fascinating.
Off screen for 9 years and making two excellent eye-popping returns (the sly wry and hilarious SAVED is the other) 23 year old Culkin is nothing more than front and center startling and compelling in this very clever club culture expose of the very real and very cruel pill bunny Michael Alig.
So the film looks good at least.Another issue: they changed so much for this movie from the actual story!
His misfortune (and ultimately opportunity) is meeting up with hick Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin), just off the Big Dog from one of the square states, who will prove to be St. James' very own Eve Harrington.Imagine Bob Hope and Bing Crosby gone gay, their bitchy dynamics holding these buddies together as they prance and stumble down the Rave Road.
(Marilyn Manson as stoned drag queen Christina serves as 'driver' for one of the events, trying to maneuver a big rig in platform heels.) Along the way there are Alig's discarded or disengaged boyfriends (Wilmer Valderrama) and girlfriends (Chloe Sevigny), sexual preference always taking a back seat first to Ecstasy and K, then to crackpipes and snorted heroin.Party Monster derives from St. James' memoir Disco Bloodbath as a result of his plunge into addiction, Alig ends up incarcerated for the murder of his dealer Angel (Wilson Cruz).
Maybe this'll be good." A lot of people say this movie was bad, that it was horribly acted, but I think they just couldn't get past Culkin's shortcomings.
the most important thing to realize and keep in mind throughout watching this film is that michael alig was (is?) incredibly insecure but at the same time incredibly loving.
the most telling line in the movie is delivered by seth green, when speaking to macaulay culkin after the latter's feigned attempt at suicide: "There's not enough love in the whole wide world to satisfy you." party monster the film is incredibly intelligent, as is the book.
The accent didn't add anything to the character and by the end I was left wondering why everybody had loved Michael Alig.Seth Green on the other hand stole the film from right under Culkin's nose.
Marilyn Manson as Alig's first Superstar Christina was perfect, adding to a character not mentioned a lot in the book.All in all an absolutely fabulous film that deserves far far more credit than was given to it.
For the people who saw this film at the time of its release showed us that Macaulay Culkin is no longer a kid.
M.Culkin and Seth Green fit their characters (Michael Alig and James St. James) very well and I couldn't imagine anyone else doing a better job with it.
The Party Monster soundtrack is just as amazing as the film including songs like "Two of Hearts." "New York." and "Overdose." Though the film is hilarious near the end it takes an almost complete 180 and rather then laughing you're more concerned with Michael Aligs growing drug addition and the affect its having on James st James who is throughout the movie, writing his novel, which would later be called "Disco Blood Bath." Party Monster gets fairly gruesome without all of the blood, when it begins reflecting the true colors of the what seemed like a 'glamorous," life style the 'kings' of the club kids led.
Because Party Monster is a true story I think it takes someone who is really interested in the 80s club kid scene and the impact in had on pop culture to really enjoy this film.
I recommend seeing Party Monster the Shockumentry, and other real news clips of the actual events to completely understand the characters, their relationships, the impact they had on underground New York as well as the drugs that came with it.
There are no characters other than the club kids and [the Limelight boss] Gatien, except for an occasional bemused "drearie," and there is very little sense of the time and what else is going on in New York (AIDS, ACT UP, gay activism, erotic clubs, Ed Koch, OutWeek, Republicans in the White House, Musto at the Voice, coked-out Wall Streeters).The real Alig has a very subtle, slightly sardonic, dry and understated personality, which is what makes his flights into fantasy and lunacy so interesting.
Apparently, Mac felt that Alig's dry wit was less interesting than a more theatrical flamboyant queeniness would be, so Mr. Culkin degrades the movie by making Alig an evil faggot, overplaying the character, I guess, so that everybody would be sure that the once-married Mac was only "acting" and by no means gay himself.
no doubt taught you, there is no such thing as "gay" or "straight," only sexual, with the unfortunate majority being repressed away from normal bisexuality until temporarily liberated by mood drugs.]A more secure Mac would have played a more real Michael, and that would have helped the film immeasurably.
Seth Green does well portraying the 'fabulous' James St. James, the tutor of Michael Alig's party ways.
One can argue that the character of Michael Alig goes nowhere, but the script seems to differ.Half the fun of "Party Monster" is just watching the gaudy and out-of-this-world costumes.
The film still fails when capturing the essence of Michael Alig and the club kids.When Seth Green says the line "I'm not addicted to drugs, I'm addicted to glamour!", you should know what the entire movie is about.
Mr. Culkin goes to the big city and meets Green - they go to clubs, take drugs, and become famously fabulous.And, if you go breaking teapots, you know you're gonna fall
The film's opening scenes, with Culkin and Green jockeying for position (meaning the film's lead actor position - expect no wrestling for top with these two) are nicely done.
"Party Monster" was Culkin's first film in several years, and this was considered a brave comeback role - but, see "Saved" (2004) for the real deal.***** Party Monster (1/18/03) Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato ~ Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, Wilmer Valderrama, Wilson Cruz.
Everyone is believable, and there is real emotion to be seen.Its nearly shocking to see the lives of fabulous druggie Club Kids Michael Alig and James St. James.
I found Party Monster a compelling and accurate film portrayal of the New York club scene in the LATE 80's and early 90's (Mr_Vai's comment suggests that this film covers only the 80's, but the costume and music is reminiscent of 1990-93), although somewhat unsatisfying after reading Disco Bloodbath.
Both Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green give excellent performances, portraying the flamboyant, drugged up, and sexed out lives of Michael Alig and James St. James.
Indie film starlet Chloë Sevigny, whose movie career was the result of her being a Club Kid was an exceptional choice for Alig's faux girlfriend and lifelong love.
Macaulay Culkin stars as Michael Alig in this movie about fame, drugs and just being gorgeous!The story starts off "with a bang", as all good stories should, and immediately lets us know that someone is going to die.
When he finally arrives in New York with no cash and no idea he is lucky enough to meet James St. James (Seth Green), the original Club Kid. James shows him the ropes of being famous and fabulous and soon enough Michael is the host of the best parties in town.
Soon enough, Michael is the Party Monster.I really liked this film for its quirkiness, open sexuality and fantastic performances.
The all round style, look and feel of this movie makes you want to get dressed up as a giant green troll and join the Club Kids.
I'd recommend it to lovers of the weird, wacky, gay and drugged up movies.And now for some fantastic quotes from the film:Michael Alig: We don't do, we just are!
actually, i almost thought about knocking verbinski's "the mexican" from its perch as the #1 worst movie i had ever seen and replacing it with "party monster", but i felt so bad for seth green's attempt at salvaging this movie and his character that i placed this film at #2 out of pure pity.
Eventually he became hooked on drugs which led to his downfall and involved murder.There is only one good thing in this film--Seth Green's performance as James St. James, Michael's best friend.
i thought Culkin did a great job at times but there were a few scenes where the break of the spotlight really showed Seth did a wonderful job as well as Marilyn Manson as Christina (can you say accurate?) was that Natasha Lyonne or the real Brooke i couldn't tell!i also hate hate hate when they make a books into motion pictures how much they change things such as Freezes and Michaels scramble for the lost rock before angel comes in that happened to Freeze, James and Mavis NOT Michael and the donut shop scene?
If I had seen "Party Monster" without any context or without having previously seen the real Michael Alig, I'd have thought Macauley Culkin's performance was over the top and far too animated.
The characters and situations in which they find themselves are so exaggerated that you feel they can't bear any relation to real life but, what do you know, this is a true story so everything you see taking place on screen pretty much happened.PARTY MONSTER is a thorough exploration of the New York party scene in the 1990s, in which hedonism and excess were the order of the day.
Seth Green gets the big, showy role, but Macaulay Culkin is inevitably the focus of attention here, looking the same as in his kiddie films but contributing an intense and dark performance.
Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin) is a kid from Indiana who befriends James St. James (Seth Green) in NYC and becomes a big party promoter for Peter Gatien (Dylan McDermott) and his wife (Mia Kirshner) during the 90s.
I didn't think I would enjoy this flick, but viewed it all the way through on streaming NETFLIX last night.I was entirely entertained from beginning to end and felt the movie was so good, perhaps it should be on stage.On the observation side, the two principal characters are gay and the entire flix is about the New York night life, post Andy Worhol New York of the eighties.It did do some things that were so out of place and discrimination directed towards gay people.
I found this film because i searched for Marilyn Manson stuff and i saw here on IMDb that he plays "Christina" in some party movie.
its not that close to the real story as you may think when you watch it but it really gives you a good entry in all the Club Kids Stuff.The music is so perfect for this movie and i really like this kind of music because it's the one you can party best on.End of Story: I bought the special edition, watched it like a 100 times and just fell in love with it, the documentary and the whole scene.Ps: Seth Greens acting is genius.
Party Monster is a movie that manages to both entice me towards the surreal world of the Club Kids and also repel me at the same time.
I borrowed this film on DVD knowing nothing about it except that I use the club scene in London, remembered Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone and am fascinated by New York City.
Macauley's acting was pretty bad, but at the same time I think he did a great job of capturing the essence of shallow, self-absorbed Michael Alig, and the dynamic between these characters was the glue that held the film together.
Party Monster is an enthralling tale of Michael Alig's rise and fall as the "king of the club kids".
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Macaulay Culkin, who never quite managed to securely grasp a hold of his character, Michael Alig.As someone who is familiar with the (real life) case that this movie is based on, I believe that the movie could have been much better.
Little time was spent developing the character of "Angel", the small-time drug dealer Alig murdered, and even less time was spent on the murder itself.Overall, the movies was disappointing, but Marilyn Manson put in a surprisingly good cameo as "Christina", and Wilmer Valderrama (that 70s Show) had a small but well-acted role as well..
For some silly reason, I was actually looking forward to this movie because of my love for "based on true story"s.This film made me wish I had not seen it ever.
I thought Seth Green as James St. James was a brilliant performance and Macauley Culkin's Michael Alig was breathtaking.
I think this is Mac's only great performance....seeing that he's not a little kid anymore, and I love Seth Green because it's so easy for him to take on any type of role.
I really liked the story telling, and the way James St. James (Seth Green) keeps emphasizing that HE is, in fact, the star and Michael is just a wanna-be.On the 20/20 segment, they were really emphasizing that this was the 1st movie Macuaulay Culkin has made in about a decade...
not only that Macaulay Culkin is really good actor and i think a lot of people will say the movie is bad because of him.
I would never have predicted this to be the film in which Mr Culkin makes his return to 'acting' but im glad he chose to as he is great in this role of a gay/bisexual, drug addict.
Overall this film tells a great tale of Michel Alig and the Club Kids and with strong performances from all.
Seth Green as James St. James was delicious, and a more polished over-the-top than Culkin's performance.What makes the story especially great is that it is true.
But i was surprised on how interesting the movie was.Macaulay Culkin does a great job, he's totally weird and strangely funny at some times.
After reading the book Disco Bloodbath by James St. James I decided to watch the movie Party Monster and was surprised by how well the actors did in portraying Michael Alig.Macaulay Caulkin, though some say was annoying, was the best part of this movie.
It makes you grow to feel sorry for him and that he killed Angel Melendez.Seth Green does a wonderful job of playing James St. James, who was the original club kid who took Alig under his wing.
But while directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato start well, they immediately run into a major problem: for all the excitement he may have generated on the New York 1980s club scene, Michael Alig was a deliberately abrasive person--and ultimately PARTY MONSTER manages to contain all the abrasion without enough of the excitement.The cast is generally quite good, with Marilyn Manson, Diana Scarwid, Dylan McDermott, and a host of others scoring memorable turns; Seth Green is also truly remarkable as "Club Kid" James St. James (on whose book the film is based.) But ultimately it is with Macaulay Culkin, former child superstar of HOME ALONE, with which the film sinks or swims.
This movie is based on true events about Michael, a popular club kid in New York.
Michael and a friend end up killing this guy while all drugged up.Seth Green and Mac Culkin were very realistic as a couple of gay club kids.
The film centers around the shocking real life story of Michael Alig, a boy in search of a fabulous lifestyle in New York, he meets James st.
Party Monster is a Hip and a thrill ride from beginning to end with top 80's tunes and a great cast, the fabulous Macaulay Culkin in his movie comeback portrayed the role of Michael outstandingly with a real edge and Seth Green delivers an over the top camp portrayel of James St. James who gives the film comedy but an in-depth insight of what James was really like!
"Party Monster" tells the strange, colorful and tragic story of Michael Alig, the flamboyant, outrageous club kid.
Macauley Caulkin, as murdering Club Kid Guru Michael Alig, acts like a 4th grade retard in a 3rd grade production of Raisin in the Sun. Even the great `actors' in it fall flat in this abysmal sorry excuse of a `film'.
Seth Green is great and so true to character as original Club Kid James St. James the pock-marked aging author (Disco Bloodbath from which the film is based) and best friend of Michael Alig.
I have seen it a total of 22 times ...and i still can't get enough of it ....i would have watched it many more times ...but sadly i do not own the movie....the charters were wonderful ..and the best thing was ...it was mostly true since it was based on the documentary and James St. James's book ...every actor did exceptionally well
.and I love the fact that
Macaulay Culkin, Seth Green, and Marilyn Manson were in the movie
they just added
such a lovely
sensation to an already FaBuLoUs Movie. |
tt0297181 | I Spy | At the Bureau of National Security headquarters, Special Agent Alex Scott is accosted by his rival, Carlos, before being briefed on his next mission. Scott is assigned to recover a stolen fighter, the "Switchblade," plane sold to arms dealer Arnold Gundars. Gundars is sponsoring Middleweight world boxing champion Kelly Robinson's next match and using the event to auction the plane. The agency has contacted Robinson and assigned him to be the civilian cover for Scott's mission. Scott and Robinson travel to Budapest, where Scott plans to penetrate Gundars' compound during a pre-fight party.
Arriving in Budapest, Robinson is kidnapped. During the interrogation Scott bursts in, frees Robinson, and fights the kidnappers before revealing this was a test which Kelly passed by not divulging Scott's identity. At Gundars's party, Robinson replaces Gundars's pen with a duplicate fitted with a tracking device before confronting his European challenger in the party's boxing ring. Scott, posing as a member of Robinson's entourage, uses this as a diversion to enter Gundars' private office and hack his computer. Robinson arrives unexpectedly and trips an alarm. The two are forced to escape and manage to evade their pursuers by hiding in a sewer.
After returning to base, Robinson coaches Scott into winning Agent Rachel Wright by feeding him lines from the song "Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye. Scott succeeds, but is interrupted by movement on the pen tracking device. He tracks Gundars to a bathhouse, which Scott believes is a dead end. Robinson has a hunch that the plane is hidden in the building, leading the two into a fight with Gundars's men. Gundars speeds off in his car, with Wright in pursuit. Wright's car explodes and Scott blames Robinson for her death. The two engage in a public confrontation that leads to Robinson's arrest. Scott convinces the BNS that the operation can continue and tracks Gundars down again.
Robinson reaches the arena just in time for his fight. Scott finds Gundars with terrorists busy fitting the plane with a nuclear missile. Scott takes the men by surprise and forces them to surrender, before being disarmed by Agent Wright, who reveals she is a double agent. Wright tortures Scott for the Switchblade's activation codes. Scott activates the contact lens gadget, allowing Robinson to see the dilemma as he battles his opponent in the ring. Robinson gets knocked down for the first time in his career, but recovers, defeats his opponent, and departs for the bridge. Robinson sets off a firefight which kills many of the terrorists. After Carlos lands in a parachute, Robinson infers that Carlos is also corrupt. When Carlos provokes Kelly, he knocks him out, scattering the terrorists for them to take cover. Robinson takes out the remaining terrorists, while their leader, Zhu Tam, and Gundars are both killed by Wright. After the bomb on the plane is destroyed, Robinson tells Rachel to put the gun down. Wright makes up a lie that the BNS suspected that Carlos was corrupt and says that they pretended to team up with Carlos so they can catch him and uses this to convince the others that she is innocent. The confusion leads to a fight between Scott and Carlos, allowing Wright to escape with Gundars' briefcase. Scott and Robinson attempt to fly the Switchblade away, but it crashes into the river. While in the water, Robinson discovers the nuclear weapon. Scott realizes the mission is a success after all, and Robinson remarks that he will be recognized as a hero.
Later in Monte Carlo, Scott and Robinson track down Agent Wright and place her under arrest. Scott turns up a copy of USA Today and sees a picture of Carlos in a parade with President Bush. Robinson takes this news hard, and refuses to accompany Scott to BNS headquarters for a mission debrief. Scott tells Robinson the agency has perfected a jelly-like substance that will allow its wearer to float through the air. Robinson happily agrees to go, and Scott tells another agent to retrieve some jars of jelly and two parachutes. | violence, comedy | train | wikipedia | The funniest cameo is Gary Cole who plays an Irish spy playing a Cuban he is just so unexpected in his actions that I had to be amused (of course he is helped by Wilson'' reactions to his character).Overall this was kinda overlooked at the UK box office and I think it was because it was very slight and flimsy.
"I Spy" is an action comedy starring Owen Wilson as the opposite of your usual James Bond, and Eddie Murphy as the cocky boxer assigned to help him.
Wilson and Murphy are pretty funny together, but sometimes their constant arguing gets overdone and rather old.Still, the two have good chemistry and you will always be sure to laugh when you put on "I Spy".
Plus, Murphy and Wilson are STILL ARGUING during the action (this is when it gets old!).Entertaining, but a little annoying, I give "I Spy" a 6.5/10..
I always liked Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy, so I thought, in case the movie is worth nothing, I'd still get to see some friendly faces.
The story is secondary to the comedy in this movie, mostly between its two stars - Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.
At times there is a glimpse of great chemistry between his egotistical celebrity and Wilson's downtrodden spy in love.Unfortunately this is a movie that suffers from an identity crisis: Is this a spy thriller with jokes, or is it an all out spoof of the genre?
Because of this the movie falls somewhat uncomfortably between the two, with long periods with no jokes at all followed by hilarious set-pieces.Having said all this, I Spy is still fairly entertaining, and if you're just looking for a film to fill a friday evening you could do a lot worse than to choose this one..
I'd read dreadful reviews, and while I clearly see the bases of the critics' points (I try to only read good critics, critics with useful insights), I must confess I wound up liking the movie.The first 45 minutes or so was pretty lame--- slow, awkward, annoying.
Entertaining, But Murphy's Act Getting Old. This is a re-make of sorts, not from a movie but from a television series that made history when Bill Cosby became the first black actor to star (or co-star) in a regular TV show.
He and Robert Culp played in the show of the same name.Here, Eddie Murphy plays Cosby's role and Owen Wilson takes over Culp's character.
Eddie Murphy is in really good shape and Owen Wilson delivers.It is well made from a comedy point of view, but surprisingly also fairly well made in the action aspect (for a comedy that is).
Owen Wilson plays a good and serious CIA agent , Eddie Murphy plays a humorous and foul mouthed boxer , both join forces to vanquish the evil and nasty person , Malcolm Mc Dowell , who has stolen a supersonic and invisible airplane .
In both cases, however, the Bill Cosby /Eddie Murphy character was a less experienced spy than the Robert Culp /Owen Wilson character .
Eddie Murphy , as always , playing the same role , Owen Wilson and Famke Janssen are rightly .
It mystifies me how somebody can go see something like this, withinvisible planes and boxers as spies and Famke Jannsen as a sex-bombAmazon spy-lady, and expect it to be a serious action movie.
The original show was noteworthy of for three things: first, at a time when the average spy show was flashy with gadgets, super spies and super villains and shot for humor like The Man from Uncle, it portrayed a more dramatic show without gadgets that drew its humor from witty dialogue, second, it was the first prime-time show to have an African-American (Bill Cosby) in a lead role, and 3 it was the series debut of Mr. Cosby.The only things this movie has in common with the series, is the title, the fact that you have a white spy and a black spy working as partners, and the names of the main characters, although I believe they may have switched the names.
Just like our pathetic "director".ps please, if Betty Thomas or her representation reads this email, email me at hazikristof@yahoo.com I work in the film industry on a pretty high level, and would be very interested in talking to you about this movie.
The duo is joined by Famke Janssen.Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy are both great comedic actors.
Eddie Murphy Cool, Famke Janssen Drool, Owen Wilson Fool :-)).
Owen Wilson gives a good, funny support but I find their pairing odd, not to mention Eddie's performance so overshadowed Owen's in most scenes.
how wrong could i be?eddie murphy and owen Wilson bounce off each other as if they were a comedy double act who've been working together for years.
There are some good action scenes and clever spy gadgets, and that's what this movie has going for it.
I usually like Owen Wilson, and only occasionally enjoy Eddie Murphy anymore.
I was thinking just another buddy movie, but the chemistry between the two stars Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson, was dead on.
Considering the lame TV show (I Spy) they had to work with, they did pretty damm well.....Admittedly the sexual healing secene was about as funny as a nosebleed, but apart from that the movie rolled along quite nicely...
This movie is a must see for anyone who enjoys Eddie Murphy or Owen Wilson.
I like Eddie Murphy fine, but Owen Wilson is the one who drew me to the movie.
It had some comedic moments, and Owen Wilson's pairing with Eddie Murphy worked well-enough..
I dont think this film would have worked without owen and eddie but I laughed out loud a lot..
Eddie and Owen make a great duo and they should be rewarded for making a fun and entertaining movie.
Just give me Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy bantering back and forth about women and cock size and I'm happy.The `plot', which I'm told is an integral part of most films, is laughable if not downright s****y.
Hysterical slap-stick comedy and raunchy buddy humor make I Spy a great movie (to rent) and one of the best comedies ever to feature a black man and a white man and Famke Janssen.Come to think of it, though, the `plot' is pretty funny in its own right.
Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson have great chemistry.
Owen Wilson is hilarious in general, and I like Eddie Murphy.
Eddie Murphy was brilliant as Kelly Robinson and the movie was pretty darn funny.
There's one scene in a sewer that drags on a bit and let's Eddie Murphy get a little too silly, but other than that the movie clips right along with steady laughs and good action.
In this movie, Eddie Murphy plays Kelly Robinson to Owen Wilson's Alexander Scott.I Spy: 7/10 + a few bonus points for the cool gadgets..
This movie ain't no James Bond or Spy Kids, but it sure hits the spot for action and comedy from two fine actors today..
Secret Agent Alexander Scott (played by Owen Wilson), must use civilian World Heavyweight boxer Kelly Robinson (played by Eddie Murphy) for cover to find the plane.
I was in a packed theater and everyone was having a good time.The movie has action, drama, and funny comedy.
The acting was good on both Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson's parts!
So-so action-comedy/buddy movie about an ambitious, competent, but equally timid and inept spy who finally gets his big break when he's assigned to a vital mission to try and retrieve a sophisticated, top secret aircraft.
Murphy and Wilson are a likable duo but have little chemistry and are only marginally funny; the film's action scenes are standard and certainly nothing to marvel at, though Janssen adds some life as a sexy undercover agent.
This remake stars Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson as a boxer and spy respectively.Eddie Murphy plays world-famous boxer Kelly Robinson, known for his long-time winning streak and loud antics on - and outside of - the ring.
I thought this would be a mix between `Showtime' and all those other clichéd spy spoofs; even though I think Owen Wilson is a good actor, I didn't have high hopes for any chemistry between him and Murphy.
Just like his best roles in Beverly Hills Cop, he is himself and right at home in this wonderful action film with Owen Wilson who is equally good.
The movie is definitely funny, and Kelly Robinson is by far one of my favorite film characters of all time, but the overall plot is definitely WILD so I can't actually give this anything higher than a six.
I Spy is apparently a buddy action comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.
Continuing my plan to watch every Eddie Murphy movie in order, I come to I Spy (2002)Plot In A Paragraph: A flashy boxer (Murphy) is asked by the POTUS to help a Spy (Owen Wilson) with a secret mission.This could have been great.
Don't the people who make movies know that for action scenes to work, they have got to be really, really good, give us something new or even better, characters we care about , or it's uninteresting.
I have never seen an episode, so I couldn't tell you how that show differs from the film, but the film struck me as redundant and overly shtick-y, even for outlandish actors like Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.
The way I see it, this is an action comedy with 2 charismatic leading actors and a Famke Janssen who looks really sexy.The laughs are coming for the chemistry between the loud mouth arrogant Murphy and the shy yet clever Wilson.
Alex Scott (Owen Wilson) is a mediocre spy, jealous of the better credentialed, better equipped and better-looking around him.When he teams with a (literal) heavyweight, the undisputed boxing World Champion Kelly Robinson (Eddie Murphy), who boasts not only a 57-0 record (often), he also boasts about just about everything else that one man can boast about.The impossible duo try to utilize Robinson's fame and renown to gain access to a top secret US spy plane that has been stolen, using an upcoming Robinson fight in Eastern Europe as cover.
Famke Janssen is also on board as a co-spy and love interest.Fortunately to fast track proceedings the new bout for World Title clinching 58-0 is being hosted by Gunders (Malcolm MacDowell), the very same bad guy that is selling the plane to the highest bidder – he too is using the fight as cover.Being a long time Champion Robinson is used to being fawned over and getting things his way, he lives 'the life'; jewelry, stretch limousines, private jets, referring to himself in the first person constantly, transvestites
(whoops confusing real life and movie life there).
It is a combination that very nearly works, this is Murphy's best film since Bowfinger, and his cockiness and misguided self confidence complements Wilson's 'Wilson-isms'.The ridiculous action is pretty fun, frivolous and forgivable given the chuckles that it elicits, but it must be said that the final 15 minutes are not so successful, and ends the film on a flat note.I-Spy has a couple of genuinely funny scenes, lots of inoffensive action and enough bright colours to keep most amused.
Watching great actors in really bad movies or watching Eddie Murphy's "star" do a painfully slow crash and burn.
his coworkers get all the good stuff ( high dollar epuipment) and he gets junk, and he makes a big deal about it several times in the movie in a funny way.
When I saw this movie trailer I wanted to see this movie so bad it looked so great with all the action with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson, but it wasn't anything like I had planned on seeing with it's horrible story, the villain is horrible we know what is going to happen this villain is going to geet killed or tossed in jail like most villains at least make us hate him.
It was just ok I mean there was so really funny stuff in this movie, but nothing special like 48 hours, Lethal Weapon, and even Hollywood Homicide was better then this trash not saying though Hollywood was good it was not that great to, but way better then this.
Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson were great toghether.
I thought that Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphie were a good choice for this movie.
Eddie Murphy was actually tolerable for the first time since Bowfinger, and Owen Wilson's mumbly humor and dry wit was very effective.
By no means a great film, but an entertaining piece of work that has a relatively decent Murphy performance supplemented by a characteristically hard-working Owen Wilson [Is there anything this guy can't do?] The script could have used some work, but the laughs are there.
Eddie Murphy isn't a great actor, his characters are stereotyped and each of his roles seems equal to himself, but he got a funny and likely personality out the ordinary, because in each of his movie the laughter are safe, and specially if he is served to a good story and directory.
Here the our two heroes must recover a super airplane steal by a con of Budapest, where the boxer champion of the world(Murphy) go for a match, and in his staff there the spy undercover charged to the mission(A good Owen Wilson).
Not much of a plot, but one of the few comedies in which I laughed out loud atleast a dozen times (the last one I remember was Rat Race) The jokes aren't even that good, and sometimes predictable, but the perfect chemistry of Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson more than make up for it.6/10.
This, for me is wrong, as for me this is one of the most entertaining movies I've seen.Eddie Murphy has been perfectly cast for this role, and he made me laugh all the time, especially during the Wilson, Janssen romance scene.Owen Wilson is brillant as the second-rated secret agent, who tries his best with what obsolete equipment he uses, but the first scene in the Artic is best for me.Famke Janssen has to be one of the sexiest female double-agents cast in a movie, and one of the best in hiding who she works for.In my Opinion, this film is one of the most underrated, but most satisfying and funny films of the past decade, and althought it may have it's detractors, this should still be seen by everyone, if not for Mrs Jean Grey herself..
Well this movie is kinda like a slapstick duo of James Bond with high tech gadgets, explosions and stupid lines (well mainly from Eddie Murphy).
Owen Wilson is not exactly the tough man image of being the spy he portrays in this movie but he just about pulls it off (but he runs funny!).
Whoops, this isn't Shrek, it's I spy with Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson.
I have seen Eddie Murphy in way better movies and the same for Owen Wilson.
There are some laughs but not as many as you would expect,and I must agree with others that all the best jokes are in the trailer.The action sequences are pretty odrinary and the beatiful,talented Famke Janssen is largely wasted,unfortunately.This is far from the worst film I've seen but many viewers will find Eddie Murphy irritating to say the least..
* 1/2 out of ****The trailers for I Spy were pretty damn funny, and the movie starred Owen Wilson, a fine comic actor who continues to grow on me with each successive performance.
Undiscriminating twelve-year olds will probably enjoy it, but for most everyone else, this is as routine as spy comedies get.Alex Scott (Owen Wilson) is a spy who's just been handed a new partner, Kelly Robinson (Eddy Murphy), a selfish, hot-headed, motor-mouthed boxer with a quick temper.
While Wilson is relatively likeable and charming, Eddie Murphy is just annoying, spending most of his screen time ranting about this and that, usually lines of dialogue that are unfunny and have absolutely nothing to do with the "plot."Directed by Betty Thomas, it's as if though she never had a firm grasp of the material, trying to put the film together as an action thriller/buddy comedy but never succeeding as either.
The bottom line: Not the best comedy I've seen, but they did the best they could for an Eddie Murphy movie.
Owen Wilson and Eddie Murphy have fine chemistry, but that's no use in such a lame-o piece of crap like this!
I SPY (2002) ** Eddie Murphy, Owen Wilson, Famke Janssen, Malcolm McDowell, Gary Cole.
I thought that Kelly (Eddie Murphy) and Alex (Owen Wilson) were absolutely comical guys.
Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that I hope Eddie Murphy and Owen Wilson make another film together in the future.
Now, in conclusion, I recommend this film to those of you who like Eddie Murphy or Owen Wilson..
"I Spy" is typical Eddie Murphy fare that is just as dumb and annoying as most of his other films.
Jackson should play Kelly Robinson because he is more of an action person than Eddie Murphy.
He can do better than Eddie Murphy in that movie if he should consider for the part of Kelly Robinson.
Jackson did not know anything about being interested in the movie because I thought he would play a great Kelly Robinson only more aggressive and tough talking action person.
Eddie Murphy is not a good Kelly Robinson because he is more of a comedian than an action person.
Eddie Murphy should stick to comedy movies all the time and not action movies.
Without a doubt, if Eddie Murphy were not in this movie it would be a total failure.The movie barely held its own with the plot, the action, and Owen Wilson. |
tt1890375 | Crawlspace | The plot of this film was very similar to the novel written by Lieberman, (the teleplay, written by Ernest Kinoy, was also based on the novel).
Albert Graves, (Arthur Kennedy), and his wife Alice, (Teresa Wright), have just moved from the city to this small country town for Albert to recuperate after suffering from a heart attack.
The elderly couple finds that they are having trouble with their furnace in their basement. Upon the discovery, they call for a repairman to come out and take a look at the furnace. The local repair company sends a boy by the name of Richard Atlec, (Tom Happer), to the house. The couple seems to take an interest in Richard so they invite him to stay for dinner.
A few days later, Arthur awakens to hear noise coming from under the house. To Arthur's shock and bewilderment, he finds that the boy, Richard, has taken residence in the crawlspace of the house. Arthur and Alice, who have been longing for a child of their own for years so they decide to take Richard in and, more or less, raise him. But Richard refuses to sleep in the house, only wanting go sleep in the crawlspace. But even after being warned about Richard after the local sheriff, Sheriff Birge, (Eugene Roche) stops by to tell the couple about his suspicions about the boy, the couple still develop a close bond with the boy.
Sheriff Birge's suspicions come true after Richard begins acting violently towards the Graves and the town. Richard even resorts to crime. One of his violent outbursts was smashing up a section of the town's local store.
The movie finally ends with the death of Richard and Albert suffering from another heart attack. | paranormal, violence, psychological, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | With the latest film from Australia Crawlspace it takes on the more strange and unknown in regards to strange experiments.
Could this be one of those that delivers something special or is it just another in a long line of failed attempts to a difficult genre.Crawlspace follows a group of elite soldiers sent to infiltrate and extract a science team from an underground military compound.
The overall film of the movie plays like Aliens with the soldiers running through various tunnels hunting and being hunted around every corner.
As it stands though the rest of the film still works well, but does manage to get a bit convoluted at times trying to twist and turn things for a more creative direction.
This never makes the film hard to understand, just doesn't always make a lot of sense in why they are doing it.Overall this is a pretty decent action science fiction film.
There is plenty of action and complexity to the story to keep things entertaining, but given the addition to more of the cool creature they delivered early on this movie could have been so much better.
If you are a fan of films like Aliens, then you may want to give Crawlspace a chance..
This movie wont make it to the Oscar but by its own right is good entertainment; I know that because while watching some boring movies I tend to do something else or my mind wander away, this one kept me on my seat to the end..
The score for Crawlspace stands at 4.8 at the time of writing which is ridiculously low for such a competent, not to mention fun, piece of film making.
Premise - a military team is sent in to an underground complex ("Australia's version of Area 51" one character notes) with the mission of eliminating a group of escaped prisoners and saving the scientists.
The similarities to Aliens are evident at every turn, from the way the military team interacts with one another (much like James Cameron's colonial marines), to the motion trackers and a lead protagonist who bears more than an uncanny resemblance to Michael Biehn.
Sure it rips of Aliens, but it rips it off well and if like me you've been waiting for over 25 years for a film that had that Aliens vibe going for it then you will love this.There's another layer to Crawlspace too though - a pretty intriguing psychological mystery plot woven through that hides just enough answers to keep your interest.
But, like all good old school movies, it doesn't try to get too clever and the end is obvious but deeply entertaining including a couple of kiss-off lines that I said right along with the actors and then grinned my head off.I dunno, I suppose kids these days want something different from movies than we did in my generation.
When I go into a sci fi horror movie about soldiers vs underground monsters, all I really want is some gore, some action, and some entertainment and Crawlspace delivered on all accounts.
Will the soldiers succeed in their assignment?"Crawlspace" is a claustrophobic movie with a promising idea, good acting but poor beginning and conclusion.
This is an Australian Sci-Fi/Horror movie that has elements of Alien, Species and Scanners.
Set in the Australian equivalent to Area 51 known as Pine Gap it involves a team of elite soldiers being sent in to see why the compound has come under attack, and to save the scientists still there.
Although the story has been done before it takes a few different sub-plots from other films and melds them together making it an original movie in some ways.
I also enjoyed the several classic science fiction movies homages like James Cameron's "Aliens", Roger Donaldson's "Species", the Resident Evil games and even Steve Barker's "Outpost" if you want, and some others.
Nevertheless I think it is a good film for those hardcore science fiction fans that are always searching for new productions..
A team of elite commandos are sent into a top secret military base with instructions to rescue the scientists who are apparently under attack from escaped prisoners.
Everything from Aliens and Scanners to Event Horizon are greased in to maintain a viable interest factor, a shame because the low budget is never an issue as the debut director shows a keen eye for atmosphere setting.The facility that the characters find themselves in, as they fight for survival, is splendidly awash with a futuristic metallic sheen.
Why?It blatantly rips off all manner of well known American science-fiction/action films that have gone before, and then relies on cheap tricks and lazy writing to shove the 'story' along,While the camera work was high quality, and in camera special effects very impressive, the laugh out loud dialog negated these credible efforts time and time again.The color by numbers plot is insulting to any movie goer, and seemed to follow a genre rules book instead of creating anything of substance.I am assuming with a blonde leading actress (in tank top naturally) and enough blood and bullets, Justin Dix was hoping we wouldn't notice the lack of depth to the story.Yes we do like blonde's, bullets, and blood, but the audience still has a brain.Dix would be best to learn his craft deeply before attempting another film, Crawlspace is simply to shallow..
A special forces unit, sent to infiltrate Pine Gap Australia's top secret underground military compound, comes under attack from unknown forces.Terrible effects, little use of science fiction in the plot, and just your average sort of experience makes this a typical lower budget action film.
A pretty good and fairly entertaining movie worth watching most definitely!.
Although this movie may have borrowed a bit heavily from a few better made sci-fi films, (and you can pick and choose as you see fit where hints of 'Aliens', 'Scanners', 'Resident Evil', and 'Doom' is sprinkled in throughout), this film still manages to thoroughly entertain throughout the length of the film and even provide a fairly decent, "Hmmm, I definitely wasn't expecting that" conclusion at the end of the film.
Usually, if a sci-fi movie doesn't begin to deliver a believable plot, good character acting, and more importantly, strong, well thought out dialogue within the first 15-30 minutes of the film, I tend to find other things to do while watching many movies, i.e., multi-task, if I just don't turn off the movie entirely or watch something else altogether, but this movie did manage to keep my attention focused from beginning to end, .
even though there were a couple of times where I had to pause, rewind, and playback just to make sure I didn't miss an important scene or clue in the movie, but overall a fairly good and entertaining movie!.
So we watched Crawlspace this morning and while it's not as bad as some movies I have seen( like Amber Alert ) , it was no where near any good either.
Unfortunately it is a very common process to copy a successful movie and repeat it's formula over and over again, let's face it as long as people keep paying for mediocrity; then directors will keep pumping them out.First time director Justin Dix then, I assume, knows formula and cliché sell well.
Very few people are looking for a good scare that time of year.Maybe because they're already shivering from the cold, perhaps
or maybe it's just that there's no mental association with winter and virtually any form of thrilling excitement.
Another case of Could Have Been So Much Better, here, I'm afraid.Without a seemingly real beginning, the audience is thrown into the action not caring much for anyone or having any real concept of the environment, its trappings or the perils within, only to instead wonder what happened to the rest of the so-called "elite" unit that is suddenly just four bikers and a former spy.I'd like to think that 20 minutes from the beginning were sacrificed due to budget restraints meaning that the film was either spat out as is, or left forever incomplete, but others reviewing this may prefer to cuss the writer-director, who did show moments of a brighter future (if given more money).Yes, the film does feature a hot blonde who can actually act, and the former spy is a decent-enough character to maintain interest, so as it progresses, the film does prove to be somewhat rewarding, but that lack of seeing the elite unit go through the entrance of the compound to give us an idea of how cramped and isolated it really is, of seeing the rest of them wiped out to amp' up our fear for the few surviving on the lower, more dangerous levels, really takes a viewer out of the film before giving one much chance to get into it, and that is a shame..
The premise of Pine Gap suddenly being out of communication together with a group of special elite tactical soldiers to investigate and rescue the resident scientists -sounds great.
We learned also that he formed an "incredible" team of film makers around him to create this Crawlspace.From the very start the tone is set when we see the briefing of a soldier team in an airplane on their way to the research facility in question.
I know it is not customary to challenge military orders within a briefing, but this is too easy, too black&white and thus not very believable.The first scene within the facility follows a woman with a brace band showing Eve as her name (with orange pants, hence a "prisoner").
This is the first hint that something very peculiar is going on.The story line deteriorates soon after this, when impossible things start happening (like an over-sized gorilla suddenly turning up), combined with testosterone driven actions by the military without a proper plan how these actions can advance their mission.
Yet by the end, this sci fi/horror movie has a solid punch by the end even though its not to most people's liking.
Though if one reflects on horror movies, their twists don't always conform to the popular American storyline.The strong points in this movie sort of reminds me of the atmospheric mood of Alien (1979), the plot and character development of Splice (2010) or the horror movie 1408 (2007) including their endings.
To this movie's strongest credit, the foundational sci fi concept at its core is developed in a way that takes it concept further than many or most of the sci fi/horror movie of its kind, advancing the premise to a new level which most movies never obtain.Of coarse the flaws in this movie almost become detracting, such as the incongruity of the purported monster until one factors in the mind twisting element like that found in the fascinating sci fi/horror thriller Galaxy of Terror (1981).
The most upsetting element of this movie is the tortured character manipulation of one of the scientists, the sidekick, to some extent even the protagonist and his relationship to his wife's purported character some of which seem more designed to conform to a plot outline that didn't necessarily have to flow in the fashion it did as Aliens (1986) or even espionage thriller The Numbers Station (2013) or horror flick The Cell (2000) did so well.
Nevertheless, the outcome has some merit, albeit in its own twisted way sort of like THX-1138 (1971) but perhaps in reverse or Brazil (1985).So with all its flaws, this movie moves the quality of storytelling up a bar, something so hard to do these days.
This is a very well done grade B film in the tradition of well crafted, unpretentious projects by people who don't mind making a good movie while they are at it.
'CRAWLSPACE': Two Stars (Out of Five)An ultra-low budget Australian sci-fi/horror flick about a team of special forces soldiers sent in to a secret military compound underground to rescue a group of scientists there.
The movie is one of those 'wannabe' sci-fi monster flicks that you can tell is heavily influenced by bigger and better films.
A special forces team is sent in to a secret military compound underground (known as Pine Gap) to find and rescue a team of scientists there.
The movie is really just a much smaller-scale and much lower budget 'wannabe' 'ALIENS' film (one of my all time favorite movies).
I like that the other reviews on IMDb don't talk too much about the plot, I watched this film tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I was happy to not know too much beforehand.
The references to other movies are fair enough, but I think there's a bit of a trend to describe films as "This movie" meets "That movie", and sometimes that's fair enough: but I think this film stands on its own merits.I liked the characters, I liked the plot, I like the pace of the story; I like the idea of the movie; I like the special effects.
This looks like a direct to disc movie release and its not got much going for it.
I think the Pine Gap secret facility reference in the film is gratuitous since there actually is such a place and its a communications base in real life Australia.
We're told by the writing at the beginning of 'Crawlspace' that all contact with a top secret Australian military base has been lost (don't you just hate it when that happens?) and now, the only thing left to do is send in a platoon of gruff, rough-and-ready soldiers (think that squad of 'Colonial Marines' from 'Aliens') armed with motion trackers (think those 'motion trackers' the Colonial Marines used in 'Aliens') to see what's gone wrong.Of course Aliens had about an hour of screen time before the Marines arrived.
Then, while doing so, we're treated to some 'first person' shots showing our heroes' gun barrels that make you feel like you're playing Doom while some of the lines the characters speak are directly lifted from Aliens (in particular the scene where the Colonial Marines first get attacked under the Cooling Towers and their motion trackers are going crazy).So, what's waiting for our Aussie Colonial Marines?
But then the whole film turns into something more like Scanners.There's a couple of nice twists in the tale that you might not see coming.
All in all this film is too average to be that memorable, which is a shame, because Australia is gaining quite a nice reputation for coming up with films that are a little bit different to Hollywood's output.Watch if you really want to (or have scratched your Aliens DVD and can't be bothered to buy a new one just yet)..
The facility is on high alert, security teams are shooting anything in sight.The military unit runs into this girl and it turns out that the commander knows the girl--it's his wife who he thought was dead.
People confined in a "crawlspace" rarely make for an entertaining movie.
And people going mad and hallucinating also makes for terrible movies.
The script is rich and shows depth, far more than most sci-fi/action/horror movies.
Starts off interesting with a bunch of soldiers sent to a top secret underground compound to extract the lead science team but quickly falls apart as the story unravels into a series of dull twists and loses the viewers interest long before the finale.
When I saw him first I thought he looked like a guy who should be in a biker bar than an elite military unit, as the film progressed it annoyed me even more, surely an elite soldier should be ripped fit and young but this guy is so out of shape he can barely crawl through a vent.
Her character was annoying though especially for the latter half of movie.2: There was a big gorilla type monster chasing our heroes early on leading me to believe more was to come, how wrong I was.Overall : like an average Stargate episode if Stargate had gore..
I am huge fan of the Horror/Sci-Fi/Military genre that takes the viewer into the darker recesses of our imagination and pits science against the occult.
Thus after coming across this film during a google search for the like, I wasted little time ordering a copy - it looked that good.The first turn off for me while viewing 'Crawlspace' was the commandos receiving the order to kill all prisoners of the facility on sight.
Maybe that form of acting is popular 'down under' I cannot say.In short, I wanted to like the film.
But the best part of the movie hands down was Peta Sergeant's screen time - but not her acting.
The beginning of the movie starts right off the bat with action and big things happening, there was certainly no 20-30 start-up scene that lays the whole backstory.
Not that this is a bad approach, it is just confusing to figure out what is going on and why each little thing matters towards the end of the movie.
There are a couple events in this movie that don't make perfect sense for a while and I think that is why many people call this movie just like "Aliens" or similar to resident evil.
Other than the beginning, where they have beeping motion trackers, the movie quickly goes away from seeming like "Aliens".
(the movie is called Crawlspace so it is all in tight spaces which "Aliens" does a lot of as well..)There is are a few odd sci-fi aspects to this movie that made me give it a 7, along with it's confusing beginning.
The twists in the plot the come out over time are really entertaining.
After watching the movie you start to think about the beginning and now knowing what you just learned, could probably go back and make perfect sense of it all.
Yes, the movie did have some elements of Aliens (you could tell the actors were trying to recreate that kind of energy with the soldiers charging in) and Scanners (which I loved). |
tt3084798 | Changelings | === Opening sequence ===
A swing set from the Dream World is featured in the forest.
=== Event chronology ===
The Enchanted Forest events take place some time after "Lacey", and before Belle is banished from Rumplestiltskin's castle in "Skin Deep". The Dream World events take place after "The Savior". The Storybrooke events take place after "I'll Be Your Mirror"
=== In the Characters' Past ===
At Rumplestiltskin's castle, Belle is stunned to see Rumplestiltskin bring a child back with him, but as she asks questions, he makes her stop before he leaves again. While reading "Her Handsome Hero" Belle calms the baby down as she plots to track down the parents. Belle enters his secret room and deciphers a scroll with an incantation, but Rumple finds her, locks Belle in the room and disappears with the baby. She is then rescued by The Blue Fairy, who enlists Belle to save the child before he can use it as a way to seek revenge on The Black Fairy, who, like Rumple, is known to take children.
That night in the forest, with the incantation, Rumple summons the Black Fairy and throws squid ink on her to paralyze her. When she warns him that the squid ink won't hold her for long, he tells her that his ability to kill her with his Dagger would compel her to stay. He questions her about abandoning babies, and why she abandoned her own child, and she suddenly realizes that the baby he is referring to was Rumplestiltskin himself, as it turns out that he is her son. Though shocked, she recovers and tells him that she abandoned him because "sometimes, you have to choose power over love." Moments later, Belle shows up to rescue the baby, and the Black Fairy overcomes the effects of the squid ink, and leaves Rumplestiltskin guessing about why she really abandoned him. Afterward, Belle returns the baby to a couple, revealed to be Jack and Jill, as Rumplestiltskin watches, observing the happiness of a family that he never had.
=== In Storybrooke ===
In the present day at an undisclosed location, Gold chases down and captured a nun, and the Evil Queen has shown up to witness what he planned to do to her, as she is aware of his hatred towards fairies. As Gold reminds the Evil Queen that she is supposed to kill Zelena on his behalf, he proceeds to toss magical dust on the fairy, causing her to age immediately, which he wants to serve as a message to the fairies. This has Belle more worried after seeing the aged nun and knowing that he'll use everything to take their child away. While doing research on how to stop Gold, Belle comes across a "Manual on Defeating Dark One" book and as she opens it; a red string appears on the floor that matches the page on the book and she followed it to her son, who tells her the answer was in front of her, and suddenly wakes up on top of the book, realizing that she was dreaming while researching for the answer.
In the meantime, Jasmine tells Snow that she is nervous about the lamp, assuming that a genie's magic could help her find Agrabah but fears what the genie will want in return. She decides to summon the genie anyway, but when she rubs the lamp, all that comes out are two cuffs, implying that the genie was freed. Aladdin then puts the cuffs on, turning himself into a genie instead. Around the same time, the Evil Queen confronted Zelena and is ready to kill her, but is stopped by Regina, who not only takes the heart away from her other half, but tells her that Gold is using her. Regina allowed the The Evil Queen to get away for now as she is aware that her heart has a dark hole inside of her. Even after saving Zelena's life, Regina, still upset over Robin's death, can't forgive her, while The Evil Queen confronted Gold, and the partnership dissolves between them.
The book that Belle slept on captures the attention of Hook as the book is written in Squid ink, and suggests that he and Emma take care of the situation. When they arrived to the Pawn Shop, Hook provoked Gold's anger to allow Emma to use the ink on him. However, just as they were searching the shop, Emma's visions resurfaced and her hand started to shake again, and when they checked on Gold, he disappeared, ready to confront Belle with the aging dust, telling her that he thinks their son may be the only person who could ever love him and is willing to do anything to steal their child from her. However, Gold started having second thoughts after Belle tells him that she might also lose him forever.
At Granny's, Belle, Emma, and Hook have a conversation. As Emma tells Hook that a new vision involving her death has appeared, Belle drops her mug on the ground, revealing that the tea she was drinking was a spell, which causes her pregnancy to accelerate and she goes into labor. As Emma and the fairies help Belle deliver, she finds herself again in the dream world talking to her son, who gives his mother a message, “you know what you must do." As Belle successfully delivers the baby, she asked Mother Superior to make a request to be his fairy godmother and to take him far away from Storybrooke, where he will be safe from Gold. Belle then named her son; Gideon in honor of her favorite book hero before Mother Superior sends the child away. When Gold, who was prevented to enter by a protection spell placed on the nunnery by Emma and the Fairies until the baby was delivered, arrived to see his son, he became furious with her as she refused to tell him what his name was and where he went, but vows to find him.
When Gold returns to his shop, the Evil Queen is waiting and tells him that she was responsible placing the spell in Belle’s tea that resulted in her pregnancy to accelerate. The Evil Queen tells Gold that he just “made an enemy” of her, but he countered that she is merely a pawn in his game and vows to get even, but not before she leaves with a message about the way "Fairies make great mothers" (now that she knows about The Black Fairy being Gold's mother), then he throws everything to the ground. Finally, after Hook tells her that Regina reversed the aging spell on the nun, Emma tells Hook that she feels stronger than ever, ready to confront her vision, returned to the shop, where she finds the sword that will kill her in her vision and takes it. | paranormal, dark | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0285958 | Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat | Yash Sabharwal (Sunil Shetty) is an enterprising billionaire who excels in business strategy. He is smitten by the brilliant and lovely Isha Nair (Keerti Reddy). She is a smart medical student and her idealism leads her to Scotland for advance research. Yash sends her away by giving her a scholarship. Before she leaves, Yash hires Gaurav Saxena (Arjun Rampal) to go to Scotland with her and, using his magic, make Isha fall in love with Yash.
In Scotland, Taj Bharadwaj (Aftab Shivdasani), an endearing and loveable guy, falls badly for Isha. Born and brought up in a royal luxury, Taj is a perfect NRI gentleman. He has only one problem — whether his father Lord Bharadwaj (Dalip Tahil) would agree with him or not. When Gaurav comes into the life of Isha, Isha falls in love with him and Gaurav falls in love with her. When Yash finds out about this, he tells Gaurav to go and break Isha's heart, so she would come back to him. Gaurav uses Maya Dhillon (Monica Bedi) by starting a fake affair with her and sleeps with her. Taj discovers it and informs Isha. When Isha sees Gaurav and Maya together, she starts hating him. Gaurav is awarded with £1 billion by Yash for getting out of Isha's life and opening the ways for him.
Gaurav opens a bank account but is unaware that the bank is owned by the Bharadwaj family and Taj runs it. Taj is shocked when he learns that a humble guy like Gaurav is opening an account of £1 billion. Taj asks Gaurav about it. Gaurav informs him that he has sold his soul to the devil. Gaurav starts to realise that he cannot live without Isha as he was really in love with her. He returns the money to Yash, informs Maya that he never loved her, and it was just a part of his plan. He informs Maya that he is going back to India and that he is in love with Isha. Maya meets Isha and tells her that Gaurav seriously loved her but sacrificed his love for Yash. Isha forgives Gaurav and still loves him.
However, Isha's parents have fixed her engagement with Taj and Isha has to agree to make her parents happy. Isha's friend Rubaina Alam (Isha Koppikar) invites Yash to the engagement. Yash refuses to attend. Rubaina insults him, tells him that he is responsible for the trouble, and he must attend. Yash decides to break Taj and Isha's engagement. On the other hand, Gaurav appears at Isha's engagement in the room where Isha is preparing. Gaurav informs her that he has always loved her but it is the end and she has to forget about him and think about Taj. Gaurav tells her that she must not tell anyone about their love and continue her life.
Lord Bharadwaj sees Gaurav and asks him about why has he come. Gaurav tries to escape with his and Isha's pictures but Taj stops him. The situation becomes worse and the pictures fall on the floor. Lord Bharadwaj sees the pictures and tries to shoot Gaurav but Yash appears and saves Gaurav. He tells everyone that he deserves to be killed and not Gaurav because he has used Gaurav and Isha and has broken their love. Isha's parents ask her who she really loves. Gaurav tells her to focus on what he has said. Isha starts crying and tells everyone that she is engaging with Taj with her own will and is not being forced by anyone. However, her mood tells that she is not saying this intentionally. Lord Bharadwaj tells Isha's parents not to force her and ask her about her real choice. Isha tells her parents that she loves Gaurav. Isha and Gaurav's engagement is fixed.
As a result, Gaurav is the one who succeeds in his true love. Yash and Taj fail, but Gaurav fixes Taj's engagement with Maya and Yash's mother fixes his engagement with Rubaina. Therefore, all three pairs start living happily. Gaurav's love for Isha wins in the end. | romantic | train | wikipedia | Arjun Rampal shines on his debut!!!. I have not been an avid Indian cinema movie goer, but upon seeing this movie, i seriously consider seeing more. Indian movies carry the stigma of all being the same and that is pretty much true, but this movie is one that you have to see and i guarantee that you will love it as much as i did.The plot is basic, the love triangle and the quest for your soulmate. the acting is decent and the beautiful male specimen that Arjun Rampal is adds a definite sparkle!!! The soundtrack is excellent as well, so all in all, this is a must see for any indian movie buff.. Love ! Love ! Love !. Pyar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001) is a flop movie which I had seen in theatre with my wife (in the Aakash cinema of Kota) on 05.08.2001. It is by no means any great movie but I liked it. This movie struck a chord in my heart with its romantic and emotional appeal and despite flaws, I found it quite entertaining.Pyar Ishq Aur Mohabbat are the three words containing the same meaning, i.e., love. It's a love story of a different nature in which a girl is loved by three different males. That girl is Isha (Kirti Reddy) who gets scholarship to go to Scotland for higher education in the line of medicine but the businessman sponsoring that scholarship is smitten by her charms and gets willing to marry her. He is Yash Sabbarwal (Sunil Shetty). Isha refuses his proposal. However she accepts the scholarship and moves to Scotland to live with her father's friend – Lord Inder Bhardwaaj (Dalip Tahil), his wife (Priya Tendulkar) and their son – Taaj (Aftaab Shivdaasaani) who is a bank officer. There she happens to meet Dr. Aalam (Raza Muraad) and his daughter – Rubeena (Isha Koppikar) becomes her friend. Taaj also becomes Isha's good friend and starts loving her in his heart.Here in India, Yash stumbles upon a smart and ambitious youth – Gaurav Saxena (Arjun Raampaal) who is a part time model. Yash makes him agree to work for him for a generous fees with the assignment being to make a path from Isha's heart to Yash's heart. Gaurav also moves to Scotland paying no attention to the advice of his sincere friend and well-wisher – Maaya (Monica Bedi). Gaurav wins Isha's heart very shortly (and quite smoothly) and then for the sake of Yash, breaks it as well. However in between, he is also won over by the innocent love of Isha. With the chain of events moving swiftly, Maaya also happens to be there when after coming to know of the real game-plan of Yash and Gaurav, Isha gets ready to marry Taaj. Coming to know of Gaurav's love for Isha, she alongwith Rubeena, sets everything right for Gaurav and Isha. And the director of this movie rewards her in the form of her marriage with Taaj.This unusual and intricate love story which actually is a cluster of many love stories has been made by Rajeev Rai who was then better known for his action-thrillers like Tridev, Vishwaatma and Mohra. He could not make a memorable movie but this movie is not bad either. Perhaps the public was expecting something else (and much better) from him and due to the letting down of the public, it flopped on the box office. Else, the movie is quite interesting and there is little boredom except in the ending reels. The thing that I liked most is the romance exasperated in the movie between the characters of Gaurav and Isha. This romance alongwith the tricks and mannerisms of Gaurav to woo Isha is pretty impressive. The scene in which Gaurav poses as a flower-seller and explains to her as to which particular rose is to be given to whom and for what purpose, is one of the best scenes. Different twists in the narrative are aptly placed though most of them are hackneyed. Still I feel that the script-writers deserves a pat on their back because they have really taxed their minds especially for the events taking place in the first half.The dialogues are one more plus point of this movie. 'Zyaada Change Rakhne Se Aadmi Change Ho Jaata Hai' (a person may change if he keeps excessive change, i.e., coins) is an example. In a very impressive scene of Gaurav and Taaj in Taaj's bank where Gaurav comes to open an account and deposit the cheque given by Yash, Taaj asks Gaurav what he has sold to get this much money and Gaurav replies – 'Aatma' (the soul). This is another example.Cinematography is brilliant and production value is quite high, proportionate to the repute of the banner of Rajeev Rai's father – Gulshan Rai. The scenes of Scotland are a treat to watch. The length of the movie is on the higher side. Performances are good. However Kirti Reddy is no Helen of Troy to evoke rivalries in males for the sake of her beauty. Hence she appears to be miscast. The best performer is undoubtedly debutante Arjun Raampaal. This model-turned-actor has done exceedingly well and he is the USP of this movie. He is able to leave his mark in his entry scene itself which contains the song – Apni Yaadon Ko Chhod Na Jaana. And thereafter his character only remains the heart and soul of the movie with himself giving his best shot in every frame of it. This is the first released movie of Isha Koppikar also and she has also done admirably as the naughty and talkative Rubeena. Sunil Shetty, Aftaab Shivdaasaani, Dalip Tahil, Priya Tendulkar, Raza Muraad and Harish Patel (as Hansu Bhai, the Gujju P.A. of Yash Sabbarwal) are perfect in their respective roles.Viju Shah's music has two good songs – the title track and Apni Yaadon Ko Chhod Na Jaana. However the absence of chartbuster songs is one thing that seems to have gone against this movie.Pyar Ishq Aur Mohabbat badly flopped on the box office. However I recommend it because it appealed to me. May be because I am highly romantic. All the same, I feel that if watched with low expectation, this movie won't disappoint a first time watcher and will entertain him for two and a half hours.. Arjun's confident debut. Rajiv Rai the maker of great action and suspense films like MOHRA, TRIDEV, GUPT returned with a disaster love story Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat which reminds us of THERE's Something About Mary(1998) strangely it's a serious film unlike the original(the same film was remade 4 years later with DHP) The film starts with Sunil Shetty falling in love with Kirti Reddy but when she refuses he pays Arjun to fall for her and cheat her and then enters Aftab Shivdasani sadly the film hardly excites the viewer, The film seems overburdened with several characters, some few scenes are well handled like Arjun-Kirti scenes but there are few The climax for instance is handled so poorly and filmy Direction by Rajiv Rai is weak Music by his regular Viju Shah is decent, Apni Yaadon ko, Jab Tujhe Maine and Main Bewafa are superbArjun Rampal made his debut with this film(as MOKSHA released later) and he stole the show, rarely it happens that newcomers steal the thunder from senior actors, Arjun handles his role very well and his voice too won him great adulation Sadly his career took long time to take off Kirti Reddy was a non actress Aftab Shivdasani is decent in his role while Suneil reprises his Dhadkan act but this one lacks the touch Amongst rest Dalip Tahil is good while Raza Murad, Monica Bedi(yes she is there) and Isha Koppikar are average. Arjun Rampal's almost perfect first film!. Okay before I begin let me share with you as few stereotypes that you will see within the film: 1. The NRI rich dude living in an unbelievable castle abroad with tons of White servants at his every beck and call. 2. The pretty girl whom all the boys love 3. The premise of marrying within your caste, race and whatever else. 4. The cutest guy always wins 5. passing off other countries as India, just to mention a few. I hated the forced ending which is usually the case in most badly made Bollywood flicks. Nevertheless, Arjun Rampal shines here in his film debut as a model/con artist who is hired by Suniel Shetty's character to help him win over the girl (played by Kirty Reddy) he loves. Shetty's character hired Rampal based on a performance he sees of Rampal at a wedding, where Rampal pretended to be the lover of a woman getting married to cause a scandal at the wedding. It worked because the groom's family fled from the wedding and the bride was free to marry the man she truly loved. Aftab Shivdasani plays the son of a NRI tycoon living in Scotland, who becomes host to Reddy's character when she wins a scholarship to go study abroad. Shetty's character fell in love with her, when he saw her while representing his company (the sponsors of the scholarship) at her school. That's the premise, now go watch the film, and don't miss Rampal's wedding crasher bit. :-D |
tt0047679 | Witness to Murder | Cheryl Draper (Barbara Stanwyck), while looking out her bedroom window, witnesses a young woman being strangled to death. The woman reports the killing to the police, but when the man named Albert Richter (George Sanders) notices detectives arriving downstairs, he moves the body. When the police show up to his door, Richter acts nonchalant, and when no body is found, the police are convinced that the woman saw something in her dreams.
The next day, the man puts the woman's body in a trunk and leaves to disposes of the body. While he is out, Draper notices that the man's apartment is for rent and is given a tour by the building manager (Dick Elliott). She finds torn drapery (which Richter dubiously re-ripped in front of the police) and a pair of women's earrings. Richter returns and sees Draper drive away to the police department with the earrings. He preemptively phones the police and Draper is then accused of robbery. The two confront each other at the police station, but Richter opts not to press charges. However, the scene leaves Police Lt. Lawrence Mathews (Gary Merrill) suspicious.
Mathews goes to Draper's apartment and tells her that Richter is an ex-Nazi who had been "denazified" and is now an unsuccessful author who is marrying a wealthy heiress. The two meet again when the body of an unidentified woman is found in a park. Draper comes off as conspiratorial and Mathews believes she is pretending and obsessing about the case—he believes she is telling the truth that she saw something, but does not think what she saw was reality. She is forcibly admitted to an insane asylum after Richter surreptitiously types threatening messages from Draper to him to frame her as crazy and a threat to his safety.
While Draper is away, Mathews and a fellow policeman go to the apartment building of the deceased woman to see if anyone there recognizes Richter—no one does, and the police have no case. After Draper is released, Richter is at her home and confesses that he killed the girl because she was insignificant to him and he did not want his future wealth to be threatened. However, because she is officially labeled insane by the police and has no credibility, he does not fear admitting anything to her.
Richter later returns to her home with a purported suicide note wherein Draper says she will kill herself, and he tries to push her out of her window. Just as he is about to throw her out, a policewoman buzzes at the door and Draper flees. She is pursued by Richter, as well as the police, who think she is suicidal. Draper runs up a high-rise that is under construction, and gets to the tops and is cornered by Richter. He pushes her off the tower, but there are a few construction planks below the precipice onto which she falls and is saved. Mathews arrives and Richter attempts to push him off as well, but after a brief struggle, it is Richter who falls to his death. Mathews rescues Draper and the police now come to believe her story. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0077788 | KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park | The film opens at Magic Mountain, where Melissa (Deborah Ryan) and her boyfriend Sam (Terry Lester) are enjoying a day at the amusement park. Sam, a park employee, disappears early in the film while investigating the laboratory of Abner Devereaux, who is the park's head engineer and the creator of a series of lifelike cybernetic creatures on display throughout the park. It is subsequently revealed that Sam has been transformed by Devereaux into a mindless cyborg through the use of a tiny mind-control device attached to Sam's neck.
Devereaux's increasingly erratic behavior is a cause of concern for Calvin Richards (Carmine Caridi), the owner of the amusement park. Faced with a budget crunch, Richards decides to channel money away from Devereaux's projects in order to pay for a Kiss concert. Richards explains to Devereaux that the concert will generate much-needed revenue, but Devereaux is livid. Later, three punks (dressed like members of a biker gang) sabotage one of the rides, placing a group of riders in danger. Richards blames Devereaux for the incident and fires him. Devereaux swears revenge upon Richards, the park, and Kiss, all of whom he blames for his misfortune.
When Kiss arrives for their show, Devereaux first attempts to discredit them by unleashing a robotic Gene Simmons, which proceeds to damage buildings in the park and to injure a security guard. The next day, Kiss is questioned by Richards and some security guards, but no action is taken. His first plan having failed, Devereaux attempts to sabotage the scheduled Kiss concert. He manages to neutralize Kiss' abilities and imprison them in his underground laboratory. Finally, he sends the fake Kiss onstage, where they perform a version of "Hotter than Hell" (called "Rip and Destroy") with altered lyrics meant to incite the crowd to riot. The real Kiss manage to escape from Devereaux and fly to the stage for a final battle with their robotic doppelgängers. After the real Kiss dispatches the fake version, the concert continues and the crisis is averted.
After the show, Kiss, Melissa, and Richards converge on Devereaux's lab and attempt to convince Devereaux to release Sam from his control. But when his chair is spun around, Devereaux has newly-white hair and a frozen expression on his face. It is unknown if Devereaux is now dead, or has slipped into a state of catatonia. The group is despondent, but Stanley stumbles upon the mind control device on Sam's neck and removes it. Sam returns to normal, with no memory of what had happened. Richards laments about Devereaux by saying, "He created Kiss to destroy Kiss...and he lost." The movie ends with Richards beneath the stands. | cult, psychedelic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0105616 | Tom and Jerry: The Movie | While moving house with their owners, Tom and Jerry get into a chase, and Tom nails Jerry inside his mousehole with floorboards, and is pleased to have kept the mouse from coming with him, but misses the moving van and is forced to stay in the house after angering a nearby bulldog. The house is demolished the next morning with Tom going back inside to rescue Jerry, leaving them both homeless. Wandering through the city, they meet a dog, Puggsy, and his flea friend, Frankie, who try to persuade them to be friends. While finding food from some nearby bins for a feast, Puggsy and Frankie are captured by two dogcatchers, while Tom and Jerry end up in a tussle with some alley cats. They escape after Jerry fools them into falling into the sewer.
They then cross paths with a twelve-year-old girl, Robyn Starling, who has run away from home. She tells them that since her mother died in childbirth and her father was apparently killed in a recent avalanche, she has been living with her evil guardian, "Aunt" Pristine Figg, her scheming lawyer and boyfriend, Lickboot, and her overweight skateboarding dog, Ferdinand, but ran away after Figg threw Robyn's locket out of the window. Despite Robyn's misgivings, Tom and Jerry persuade her to return home and they are taken in as pets. Tom and Jerry, however, end up in a massive food fight with Ferdinand, and stumble across a telegram confirming that Robyn's father is still alive which Figg hides from Robyn. Figg sends them to an animal shelter run by Dr. Applecheek, who turns out to be a cruel animal kidnapper, and the true employer of the two dogcatchers who caught Puggsy. Reuniting with Puggsy and Frankie in the cells, Tom and Jerry tell them all that has happened, then stage an escape and free all of Applecheek's captured animals, among them Droopy, and rush to tell Robyn the news. Elated, Robyn becomes determined to find her father in Tibet and they escape the city on a raft in the river, but the raft is struck by a ship and they end up separated. Figg places a $1 million bounty on Robyn without even planning to give that kind of money, while Mr. Starling is alerted of his daughter's situation and rushes back to America to find her.
Robyn is found by Captain Kiddie, the owner of a failing amusement park, and he houses her until seeing an ad for the reward on a milk cardboard with the help of his parrot puppet Squawk, upon which he traps Robyn on the ferris wheel and contacts Figg. Tom and Jerry also find Robyn and they flee in a paddle boat as Figg, Lickboot, Applecheek and the dogcatchers arrive. A long chase ensues, in which the dogcatchers end up trapped in the ferris wheel and Kiddie and Applecheek are left stranded in the river. Following the river, Tom, Jerry and Robyn arrive at Robyn's summer cabin (Build by her father), but Figg, Lickboot, and Ferdinand have arrived first. In the ensuing scuffle, a lantern is knocked over and the cabin is set on fire. As Figg, Lickboot, and Ferdinand end up stuck on Robyn's boat which goes off out of control, Tom and Jerry manage to get Robyn to the roof just as Mr. Starling arrives in his helicopter. Robyn is saved, but Mr. Starling is unable to reach Tom and Jerry in time before the cabin collapses. They only barely survive and are reunited with Robyn.
In the aftermath, Robyn takes Tom and Jerry in as her pets. Just when it appears that they have found friendship, old habits die hard and the duo resume their antics. The film closes as Tom chases Jerry once again. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | Tom and Jerry then meet an eight-year old girl named Robyn Starling, whose mother died of pneumonia when she was a baby and is left behind with her horrid and evil guardian Aunt Figg when her dad goes away to Tibet.
I'm still a teenager right now, so around the time Tom and Jerry the Movie was released, I was around 5 or 6.The wonderful melodies and songs in that movie are still haunting to me ( in a good way) to this day.
I love Robyn's song "I miss you" and every time I hear it I feel like crying because it makes me think of my dad and how sad I would be if he wasn't there.I loved every character in the movie.
Tom and Jerry may be a short cartoon that likes playing dirty tricks on each other, but this film really expanded on that and I don't think there was any other script that could have made it better.Who cares if none of the grown ups liked this movie?
I recently showed it to my nieces and nephews and just hearing the laughter that comes out of them lightens me up.An advice to those who has never seen this film and is watching it for the first time: Set aside what you think should be a Tom and Jerry movie!
It probably seemed like a good idea, (much emphasis on 'seemed' there), however the makers seemed to have missed the point entirely of what Tom and Jerry is all about, I'll break it down for you, first off, they talk, if they ever talked to each other in the animated shorts, it would either be as a joke or to convey a scene or maybe sing, but here, they talk.
This sort of departure doesn't work for two cartoon characters who were all about fighting, PLUS it happened before in 1975, when a TV Series called The Tom & Jerry Show, where they were friends, (apparantly to comply with TV rules on violence!!
Tom and Jerry Become friends for the first time ever and must team up to rescue a girl in peril from an evil woman and her band of idiot bad guys.This is a good film, a good Story behind it.
The songs aren't quite as bad as people say they are, though cheesy nonetheless, and the jokes feel a little dry if you've been watching Tom and Jerry all your life, but it passes.The plot's alright, but nothing special.
This Film Roman production however made too many missteps in an attempt to be different, and instead became an underwhelming experience.Tom and Jerry: The Movie marked the cat and mouse's first and only theatrically released film; made at a time when American traditional animation was rebounding from stagnation, experiencing a classical revival that lasted for most of the 1990s.
Although the movie has some highlights with its 2D art and music score by Henry Mancini, they are largely overshadowed by poor choices in the script and direction, along with many unnecessary and unmemorable songs.Tom and Jerry begin their movie in a suburban home not unlike the ones where they would wreck havoc in the original shorts.
The musical numbers (for which virtually every character has one) further stretches the story which is too thin to last 84 minutes.The biggest problem however comes later, when the movie introduces Tom and Jerry to a girl named Robyn Starling, and a plot that seems heavily inspired by Disney's The Rescuers.
Once the main plot resolves itself, Tom and Jerry return to their traditional antics, and you wonder why they couldn't have been more like themselves in a shorter running time (as they later would be in direct-to-DVD movies).
Instead they were made into supporting characters in their self titled movie, to support a musical buddy comedy, with a plot too reminiscent of a better developed plot from an older Disney title.Tom and Jerry: The Movie has not affected the cat and mouse duo in the long run however, as their continued success on DVD and television has left the 1992 movie as more of a footnote in an otherwise dynamic career, which will likely continue for many years to come..
The surmounting lists of objections to "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" have been understandably consistent: the famous cartoon cat and mouse actually start talking, they go on good behavior, do not chase each other around with every makeshift club or projectile known, and most of the narrative consists not of what we usually get from them in a seven or eight-minute cartoon.
So I'm marginally grateful they tried something new.The opening ten minutes of "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" effectively capture the charm of the long-running cartoon shorts, utilizing silent humor and cartoon violence to a gut-splitting max.
Instead, they end up playing second-fiddle, disappearing for obnoxiously long stretches of time, and the little girl, Robyn (though sweetly voiced by the talented Anndi McAfee) is a complete bore.As a result, the story becomes insufferably slow starting around the thirty-minute mark.What I could not stand at all in this movie—the one thing I thought could not work in the least bit—were the songs.
With amazing sound effects, those silent cartoon characters made me laugh throughout the rest of the episodes they were in.When I heard that Hollywood made a film about it that I've recently seen in the 1990s, my family got a DVD of it and I watched, betting that it was gonna be good.Boy was I wrong.After viewing it, I was so disgusted at how this movie ruined a once great cartoon classic by pointing a few things that were wrong.The story has nothing to do with Tom and Jerry, the characters were boring (I mean, Aunt Figg?!
The Animation in the film well some of it is good work but the rest is pretty much like watching a coloring book come to life.The music in the film is not even really convincing to sell the story.Even the story itself isn't all it crack up to be it just pretty much this film was made just to get some money and from what I learned it wasn't even a box office success.So pretty much stay away from this film if you love Tom and Jerry you will avoid this film.I give Tom and Jerry: The Movie a 2 out of 10.
This movie is certainly not a continuation of the short cartoons for different reasons pointed out by many people here (such as Tom and Jerry talking, their unusual attitude towards each other which arguably lacks the original essence etc...) but it is a very good cartoon itself standing alone.
And I don't mean simply saying whether or not it appealed to you but really vicious, I spit on your grave, rip your beating heart out of their chest, damn you forever to the pits of oblivion for failing to live up to my happy expectations...Seriously get over it.I remember this film from when I was a kid and while admittedly its nothing spectacular, its an enjoyable, funny movie that most kids will love(because lets remember it is a kids film.) Heres a little info on some of the "controversial" aspects of the film.Tom & Jerry talk - Seriously I don't see what the big deal is, the voices chosen for these two characters are suitable and funny more so than their various speaking voices in the old cartoons (thats right people they did speak in the cartoon.) Its really the highlight of the film as you'd expect.Tom & Jerry sing - Why not?
Tom & Jerry don't fight - In fact they become friends 'sort of' which isn't such a bad message to convey when you think about it, and really at least give the filmmakers some props for trying to do something new with the material.So the point is just get over yourself and enjoy it.PS.
Tom and Jerry don't do those things, well in the old ones, they did say some words, but had better voices, and the chase sequences of the game of cat and mouse were very much missing, there were only a few, but weren't all that brilliant.
Ho man what was I thinking watching this film as a kid and Yes I saw this films at day care center it was an old VHS tape that we watch afternoon at day care I just really hated how a great show got this poor made movie that makes no sense and why do Tom and Jerry talk I don't care about their actors the story is about Tom and Jerry helping this girl find her dad and one of her family members with this lazy dog on a skate bored which she is the bad guy of this film but I did not really care for her it was wasting time and money and this movie has to be one of the worst films but not worst movie ever this movie has nothing to do with the show what so ever its pointless charmless unfunny cheesy film that ruined a good show this was the started of the down hill to the Tom and Jerry TV series so please don't make sequel to this awful film they don't need it by the way I wish the movie could of been better and be more about Tom and Jerry the movie was just waste of time I don't care about the low budget but it was a box office flop I got to say the only good thing was the songs and the soundtrack 2 out of 10..
When I originally heard that there was to be a Tom & Jerry feature film, I was more than a little worried...After all, when you look at feature length films adapted from short-subjects (animated or otherwise) the law of averages dictates that, on the whole, they are not that good (with few honourable exceptions).However, when the film was in the early stages of production, the BBC series on animation "Stay Tuned" got a sneak preview, and my spirits lightened.The rough footage looked pretty good, the animation was high quality, and even though I was apprehensive about our fave cat and mouse being able to speak, I felt able to give the makers the benefit of the doubt.Hey, I could even say I was actually looking forward to it.Oh, how foolish I was...Now, can anyone explain to me why film-makers, when revisiting classic characters and situations, seem insistent on removing all the things which made the formula a success to begin with?
However, it then ignores any and everything that made Tom and Jerry a success in the first place, having the characters talk and teaming up rather than being nemesis's, the first ten minutes of this film should have been the whole thing.
What frustrates me the most about this movie is that the whole thing would make perfect sense without Tom and Jerry, all of their dialogue and actions serve as no development to the plot of a young girl trying to escape from her evil aunt and find her father.
Uninspired in literally every sense, Tom and Jerry: The Movie will still probably be a lot of fun for children, but adults with childlike sensibilities like myself should stick to the original cartoons.
OK I watch Tom and Jerry the movie at first it was just some not funny slapstick humor I thought to myself maybe there will be more humorous stuff once the movie goes on until this happens "I'm Tom" "I'm Jerry" *Spit water all over the place* WHAT THE HECK DID TOM AND JERRY MY FAVORITE SILENT DUO JUST TALK I can't believe this is happening we got from trying to find a home then met a dog and a flea and now we go to some orphan story now come on this is not like Tom and Jerry I know it's horrible just horrible how there's too many song no slapstick what so ever and how there's no humor that much in this story and plus the plot is so confusing and it won't make sense unless you see the cartoon for yourself just GOD WHAT AN TERRIBLE MOVIE..
Scooby-Doo, Inspector Gadget, The Flintstones, Fat Albert, Thunderbirds, Thomas & Friends.These are just some of the many beloved shows from our childhood that those greedy maniacs at Hollywood have butchered and turned them into soulless cinematic drivel of the highest order...Whenever it's being turned into bug eyed, dead looking CG maniacs that look more right at home in a local asylum, to completely ignoring everything what made the original so great in favour of making a quick buck, none of these poor poor shows were sacred.Yet out of all of these classic childhood shows, I think the entire population can agree that our dear cat and mouse team Tom & Jerry had it the worst.Literally some right winged idiot either at Miramax, Turner or Film Roman had the bright idea of breaking a golden rule in Animation and that rule was "Thou shall not make Tom & Jerry talk." Those maniacs, they went ahead and broke it.
And what we got was the most painful and quite shocking 84 minutes in the history of animation.To see these two animated icons talk and become friends with each other should not be considered fun, it's heartbreaking to say the least.The song they sing "Friends To The End" is enough to make even the most avid Tom & Jerry fan cry in their sleep.But these fools decided to go the extra mile and make a film....
that isn't even focused on Tom & Jerry at all.Aunt Figg, Lickboot (with his memorable Money quote and for some odd reason I like), Captain Kiddie are some of the characters they meet...
and quite frankly (besides Lickboot) none of these so called "characters" are likable in any sense of the word.And so off Tom & Jerry go to save a little girl (they even go the extra mile and rip off the Rescuers just to tick Uncle Walt of) and they sing a whole ton of crap songs, talk and talk and do a whole bunch of other things and I DON'T CARE, drinking bleach would be a far more enjoyable option than ever seeing something as joyless at this again.Forget The Smurfs, forget Rocky & Bullwinkle, forget Thunderbirds and forget even those crap Chipmunk films, this is the ultimate middle finger to a beloved cartoon...And it's not even a live action or CG film.Thank god no one ever dared to try do something like this again.PS: The fact that Joseph Barbera acts as "Creative Consultant" and the fact he was alright with seeing his beloved show get destroyed in front of his eyes kinda bugs me a bit....
The film lacks the wit and the fast pacing of the short "Tom and Jerry" cartoons; the songs are poor and mostly unnecessary, and the predictable, rarely interesting story just meanders along.
Not to mention the fact that the orphan's father (who by the way, she cried and sung about for around 5 minutes) looked suspiciously like Indiana Jones..Don't watch it, unless you really want to watch a happy little film about an orphan who isn't really an orphan finding her long lost father, along with the help of the ruined, washed out characters from one of the most classic cartoon series of all time..
Tom and Jerry must save a girl from her evil aunt.Most people think the film's biggest weakness is allowing the main characters to talk.
Tom and Jerry still have their likability, Robyn is a very charming character, and the animation is serviceable on the most part, but shoddy in other places.However, there are a number of things that make this film disappointing.
But after the promising start, as soon as the other major characters are introduced, the movie degenerates into a musical with the now-talking duo relegated to the role of background supporting characters and turned into firm friends- the main plot, as it turns out, has very little to do with Tom and Jerry.
Well sadly, the result was terrible.This movie starts out like a regular Tom & Jerry short, but then we are introduced to a dog named Pugsy and his flea who are best friends despite being creatures that usually hate each other.
Jerry sounds like a little kid, but in the shorts, on the rare occasions where he'd sing or speak he had a typical high-pitched rodent voice.Later they meet an orphan girl named Robyn who is searching for her father who is believed to be dead by most people.
This movie is my favorite because it is Tom and Jerry, and everyone else is acting like complete crybabies saying the film was bad, that needs to stop now because it is making me cry.
Things start like a typical T&J cartoon but there are some one-time changes for this special occasion: Tom and Jerry talk and put their differences aside to help a little girl.
That is just one of the many ways this movie ruins Tom and Jerry.It's a musical and the songs all sound like a five year old write these songs.
It's as if the people who wrote this had never seen a Tom and Jerry cartoon, or it was written by some stupid, ignorant, politically correct soccer moms who hated the idea of seeing their children watch two animals beat the living crap out of each other.Now I know what some of you are thinking "Huh?!" well the thing is there is virtually no slapstick ANYWHERE in this movie.
Tom and Jerry talking can be very jarring to some, and i'm not going to lie their voices take some time to get used too, but i can guarantee that you will enjoy watching this movie.
when you think of the great tom an jerry, you think slapstick cartoon violence, little to no voices and good humor....this movie had none of those at all. |
tt0051083 | Time Limit | Army Colonel William Edwards (Richard Widmark) is investigating the case of Major Harry Cargill (Richard Basehart), accused of collaborating with the enemy while he and his unit were held captive in a North Korean prisoner of war camp. Cargill willingly admits his guilt and brings forth evidence that proves that he signed a germ-warfare confession and broadcast anti-American speeches over the radio, seemingly an act of treason.
It seems to be an open-and-shut case, were it not for Cargill's inexplicable refusal to defend himself. Arousing further suspicion is the fact that his collaboration immediately followed the deaths of two of his soldiers, and the unit's survivors all recite an identical, rehearsed account of those deaths. Edwards' commander, General Connors (Carl Benton Reid), has a strong personal interest—his son, Captain Joe Connors (Yale Wexler), was one of those who died—and presses Edwards to recommend a court-martial, but Edwards delves into the mystery, refusing to accept the facile explanations.
In the end, the shocking truth comes out. Lieutenant George Miller (Rip Torn) reveals that after Lieutenant Harvey (Manning Ross) was killed trying to escape, the rest of the men discovered that, under torture, Captain Connors had betrayed him. Over Cargill's strong objections, they decided to execute Connors. Drawing the short straw, Miller had to strangle him. Subsequently, their captor, Colonel Kim (Khigh Dhiegh), gave Cargill an ultimatum: give in, or all his men would be executed. He agreed to collaborate with the enemy to save their lives.
General Connors calls his son a traitor. Cargill argues, stating that there must be a time limit on being a hero. He denounces the Uniform Code of Military Justice espoused by General Connors for demanding too much from soldiers, but the general reminds him that while Cargill anguished over the lives and families of 16 men, that many commanders had to anguish over the effect of their orders on the lives and families of thousands.
Edwards agrees with General Connors that although Cargill acted out of a humane selflessness, Cargill's judgment was flawed. He recommends that all charges be dropped, but warns Cargill that there will be a court-martial. Edwards himself will defend Cargill. Maybe they won't come up with all the answers, Edwards tells him, but "they'll know we asked the questions." | violence, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0052751 | Donald in Mathmagic Land | === Entrance ===
Donald Duck, holding a hunting rifle, passes through a doorway to find that he has entered Mathmagic Land. This "mighty strange" fantasy land contains trees with square roots, a stream flowing with numbers, and a walking pencil that plays tic-tac-toe. A geometric bird recites (almost perfectly) the first 15 digits of pi. Donald soon hears the voice of the "True Spirit of Adventure" (Paul Frees), who will guide him on his journey through "the wonderland of mathematics".
=== Pythagoras and music ===
Donald is initially not interested in exploring Mathmagic Land, believing that math is for "eggheads". When "Mr. Spirit" suggests a connection between math and music, Donald is intrigued. First, Donald discovers the relationships between octaves and string length which develop the musical scale of today. Next, Donald finds himself in ancient Greece, where Pythagoras and his contemporaries are discovering these same relationships. Pythagoras (on the harp), a flute player, and a double bass player hold a "jam session" which Donald joins after a few moments using a vase as a bongo drum. Pythagoras' music is, as the Spirit explains, the basis of today's music, and that music would not exist without "eggheads". The segment ends with a sequence of live action musicians playing both jazz and classical music and Pythagoras' pals fading away.
=== Pentagram, golden section, and golden rectangle ===
After shaking hands with Pythagoras, who then vanishes, Donald finds on his hand a pentagram, the symbol of the secret Pythagorean society. The Spirit then shows Donald how the mysterious golden section appears in the pentagram. Next, the pentagram is shown to contain the pattern for constructing golden rectangles many times over. According to the Spirit, the golden rectangle has influenced both ancient and modern cultures in many ways. Many have speculated that the pentagram used by the Pythagoreanism society is allegory to the secret society commonly known as the Illuminati while the pentagram has been compared to either an Eye of Providence or a satanic symbol, this symbol has questioned Disney's motives in child programs.
=== Architecture and art ===
Donald learns how the golden rectangle appears in many ancient buildings, such as the Parthenon and the Notre Dame cathedral. Paintings such as the Mona Lisa and various sculptures such as the Venus de Milo contain several golden rectangles. The use of the golden rectangle is found in modern architecture, such as the United Nations building in New York City. Modern painters have also rediscovered the magic of the golden rectangles.
=== Human body and nature ===
The Spirit shows Donald how the golden rectangle and pentagram are related to the human body and nature, respectively. The human body contains the "ideal proportions" of the golden section; Donald, overinterpreting the Spirit's advice, tries to make his own body fit such a proportion, but his efforts are to no avail; he ends up "all pent up in a pentagon". The pentagram and pentagon are then shown to be found in many flowers and animals, such as the petunia, the star jasmine, the starfish, the waxflower, and with the help of the inside of a nautilus shell, the Spirit explains that the magic proportions of the golden section are often found in the spirals of nature's designs, quoting Pythagoras: "Everything is arranged according to number and mathematical shape".
=== Games ===
Donald learns that mathematics applies not only to nature, architecture, and music, but also to games that are played on geometrical surfaces, including chess, baseball, football, basketball, hopscotch, and three-cushion billiards. Donald even volunteers the game Tiddlywinks, but the Spirit does not pursue this option. Themes of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass are scattered throughout the chess scene; Carroll himself was both a writer and a mathematician. The extended billiards scene, which features a non-speaking live actor, shows the calculations involved in the game's "diamond system", and Donald finally learns how to do the calculations, spectacularly hitting ten cushions in a single shot.
=== Mental exercises ===
The Spirit then asks Donald to play a mental game, but he finds Donald's mind to be too cluttered with "Antiquated Ideas", "Bungling", "False Concepts", "Superstitions", and "Confusion". After some mental house-cleaning, Donald plays with a circle and a triangle in his mind, he spins them to make them respectively into a sphere and a cone, and then he discovers useful inventions such as the wheel, train, magnifying glass, drill, spring, propeller, and telescope.
=== Infinity and the future ===
Donald discovers that pentagrams can be drawn inside each other indefinitely. Therefore, numbers provide an avenue to consider the infinite. The Spirit states that scientific knowledge and technological advances are unlimited, and the key to unlocking the doors of the future is mathematics. By the end of the film, Donald understands and appreciates the value of mathematics. The film closes with a quote from Galileo: "Mathematics is the alphabet with which God has written the universe". | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | I'm going to claim this is relevant for two reasons: one, that this cartoon is based upon some deep and beautiful mathematics; that this material can open up into deeper study for any student, from junior high to postgraduate.
Even as an adult, I still find it entertaining, but would be something I would give to any kid I cared about to expose him to the art behind math.
Considering I was never in the same school district twice in a row, it was fascinating to see what grade level each district thought it was for.It gives a clear and understandable approach to the question of "What is math (arithmatic) good for anyway?" Fun, musically diverse, and perhaps a bit silly, it stands the test of time.
Paul Frees' outstanding narration allows the youngers to enjoy the fun of the movie, and the olders to understand the concepts.It also explained how to calculate a bank shot on a billiard (or pool) table using the spots.
I am not going to say that this is Donald's absolute best, being a fan of his, as there are so many cartoons of his that are real gems, but Donald in Mathmagic Land has been a personal favourite of mine for a while now.
But what I do love about Donald in Mathmagic Land is that it is different, it is unique, it is educational for kids and it is really enjoyable.
In fact it actually makes maths fun, and I do confess maths was one of my least favourite subjects at school, for example I never got my head completely around algebra.
Even if there are minor flaws with the story and ending there is so much that compensates.There is some stunning art work that is somewhat inventive, and I think it has held up well over 40+ years, there is a fun music score, there are some funny moments such as Donald's quibbling with the omniscient narrator and there is outstanding vocal work from Paul Frees and Clarence "Ducky" Nash.
Overall, if you love Disney and you love Donald Duck, plus if you want something educational even if you don't like the subject, just put Donald in Mathmagic Land on.
This animated documentary was an excellent combination of entertainment and education and is a real feather in Disney's cap.
Donald in Mathmagicland is the Alice in Wonderland of educational cartoons.
If you're into some strong story telling, this is not for you, but if you want an entertaining and educational Disney flick, than this one is for you.Donald Duck is transported to Mathmagicland.
In this land, various happenings in normal life are explained through math, and an ominous voice talks to Donald, voiced by Paul Frees.
Donald learns how instrument strings are mathematically designed, and how the game of chess in a math process, how the game of pool can be mathematically calculated, and much more.This is not much of a story.
The scene where they teach how to calculate pool is the most interesting in the movie, and the mixture of live action pool and Donald Duck looks excellent, and is a nice throwback to techniques used in Donald's earlier picture "The Three Caballeros".Paul Frees is an excellent narrator, and Donald Duck is the perfect character to send to this inexplicable math land.
The animation is great, and this educational Disney film is brilliantly animated and very informative.My rating: *** 1/2 out of ****.
In this one, Donald Duck with his whiny squawk and lack of discipline, bemoans the "fact" that he finds mathematics boring.
But in steps the disembodied voice of Paul Frees (Boris Badenov) who leads Donald to Mathmagicland where he can see all the benefits of learning about numbers and geometric concepts.
In a strange and gloomy place, a giant shadow breaks into the darkness, a reassuring presence: it's our old friend Donald Duck, with a shotgun and a safari hat, seems like he's ready for a wilderness trip.
This is Paul Frees, the narrator of this glorious journey in the world of Mathematics.But Donald is immediately turned off; this is eggheads' stuff, which shows the lucidity of the writers regarding the reception the film would get, especially among schools' pupils.
This is one of the greatest lessons of "Donald in Mathmagic Land", math is everywhere, and those who don't feel too hot about it might underestimate how daily exposed their line of works is to numbers and geometry.So, Donald couldn't have been more wrong, and without asking for permission, the voice takes him to Ancient Greece, when Pythagoras invented music through a simple use of divisions applied to a string, obtaining a different sound depending on the portion you plunk, the genesis of the scale of music we're all familiar with.
Then the film transitions from Pythagoras to the pentagram, the sign of recognition he used with his disciples, a form that contains great applications in Arts and architecture.
The film turns to a more playful tone, with a few insights on the use of math in games, sport and geometric forms in the real world.
Finally, the conclusion acknowledges that math hasn't revealed all their secrets, and the boundlessness of human mind might welcome new discoveries.Indeed, while I was checking on Youtube comments, I was fascinated by the way everyone seems to have a story with "Donald in Mathmagic Land".
Some had their first encounter with the film from a school (old-school) projector, others had it in a low quality VHS, a few vaguely remember a weird Donald Duck cartoon full of geometric forms, documentary footage and some stuff about music and games.
They were overwhelmed by a nostalgic feeling when finally rediscovering the short film on a device that relies on binary programming, math again, and for such a magical (nostalgia-inducing) feeling
mathmagic, indeed.Still, I read some comments on IMDb complaining that the film failed to deliver its premise and betrayed a sort of intellectual pretension from Disney studios.
Well, I don't think of any cartoon that took the same challenge after this one, and the film is so didactic and pedagogical that it's very likely to raise an interest on math, so what's the problem?
And speaking of my personal experience, although I had this film recorded at the age of 8 (it was the Disney Channel and the program was always closing with a longer feature), as I was growing up, my passion for mathematics grew and so did my interest for this short.I was not just good at math, math made me curious and playful.
There was something fascinating in that flawless universe where certitudes were absolute, a world of real application, yet all made of abstractions, the greatest challenge human intelligence ever had, one that shaped our universe, our history in its most appealing forms: nature, music, sports, beauty and progress.
Esthetically, the film finds the perfect pedagogical note, swinging back and forth between real-life footage, cartoons, and schematic explanations.
I didn't notice it back then, because I didn't much care for the times of release, but now in 2016, I can't help but feel a weird sadness watching these images, because they were meant as contemporary illustrations, but now, the movie itself has become a past relic of its own present, dated because it ended before the greatest revolution mathematics would provide: computer's binary programs with all their 0 and 1.But to his credit, the narrator tells us that the applications of math are infinite, you can't confine them in a chamber or a limited space, let alone a short cartoon, only the mind is boundless enough to contain all the possible knowledge.
The film is much aware on that, and therefore closes on this note with this great quote from Galileo: "Mathematics is the alphabet with which God has written the universe".
So, as long as there will be a universe, there will be this universal language, and people from all over the world enriching our civilization on the field of Arts and Sciences.And with his limited screen-time, Walt Disney studios wrote the greatest tribute to mathematics, a marvel of edutainment that certainly encouraged many vocations, as sure as eggheads are eggheads..
A Walt Disney DONALD DUCK Cartoon.While looking for true adventure, DONALD IN MATHMAGIC LAND learns a great deal about the vital importance of mathematics in the Universe.Loosely based on Lewis Carroll's ALICE books, this short film uses fun & fancy to teach some pertinent facts about the wonder of mathematics.
The voice of Paul Frees as the Spirit of Adventure makes a fine counterpoint to Clarence Nash's vocalization of the Duck.Walt Disney (1901-1966) was always intrigued by pictures & drawings.
Back in Kansas City, along with artist Ub Iwerks, Walt developed a primitive animation studio that provided animated commercials and tiny cartoons for the local movie theaters.
Mickey's feisty, naughty behavior had captured millions of fans, but he was soon to be joined by other animated companions: temperamental Donald Duck, intellectually-challenged Goofy and energetic Pluto.
If I'd seen this as a kid, I probably wouldn't have flunked geometry in high school.
It may have a cute, animated Donald Duck on the cover.
What is most impressive about this IMPORTANT piece of entertainment is the ability to converge entertainment with education to create something children, high school students, and professional mathematicians alike see the value of this excellent little film.
This is good old fashioned egghead mathematics in the most joyful, silly, absorbing way possible.
It is a marvel.If you are a math teacher, PLEASE buy a DVD copy of this and show it annually to your classes, no matter what grade - 1st-12th -- even university-level would find it invigorating.
My 19yo son was an honors math student through high school.
Great for use in schools...but otherwise it's a bit of a bore..
"Donald in Mathmagic Land" is the sort of cartoon that math teachers have been showing their students for years.
It's a case of bait and switch, as important scientific and mathematics concepts of contained here...and it looks like fun since it stars Donald Duck.
While this does make the material more palatable, it still is a well made but rather dry film.When it all begins, Donald wanders into an odd land where there are lots of numbers and symbols.
Suddenly, the narrator (Paul Frees*) begins talking about Pythagoras and geometry.
Donald, inexplicably, finds this all very fascinating and this isn't completely surprising as the concepts are explained in ways that normal folks could understand--such as the use of geometry in games such as football and billiards.
By the end of the film, Donald has been thoroughly convinced how swell math is and the viewer, hopefully, is still awake.I am a bit cynical about this one.
But it's STILL a relatively dry topic and kids hoping to see Donald up to his usual antics will no doubt feel a bit let down by it all.
Not a bad film at all...and one that was nominated for an Oscar, by the way.*Frees is also the voice of the narrator in Disney's Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and Disneyworld.
Donald Duck (and the audience) is given a tour of how mathematics have changed the world and impact our everyday life.
It's a cute cartoon (with a few live-action scenes), and I'd love to give it 10 stars - the only reason I rate it a bit lower is that this film doesn't seem to have a good target audience.
The math discussed is far beyond the comprehension of the child who would normally watch Disney cartoons, and it's too childish for someone old enough to know what the various concepts are.
Having said that, this is an admirable and creative way to demonstrate how math is relevant to children who might otherwise despise the subject and it was fun and humorous.
When I was a freshmen student at the start of high school in 1967 my math teacher brought this film to class to wake up the lethargy and the lack of interest for math in the class.
Everybody laughed when he was setting up the projector since it was a cartoon with Donald Duck.
That film breathed new life and interest into the world of mathematics for all of us in that class.
Our teacher was a great instructor and I guess he had similar experiences with that film in his other classes as well.
That film woke up an interest in me that stayed with me through high school and college and even now to this day.
This is a magically educational cartoon short starring Donald Duck where he delves into an adventure of numbers, points and charts in showing us how mathematics works in real life and how math can sometimes be magical.I have seen this short a number of times in elementary and middle schools, particularly during the time when math is taught.
Though it is not the typical funny cartoon where we see Donald and his misadventures, this short is actually pretty neat and engaging, showing us how shapes, charts, numbers and math gadgets work in a clever way, utilizing that special Disney touch.
The animation is vibrant and brilliantly done and it is fun seeing Donald take on a more unique role in getting kids to learn, while retaining his lovably frustrated personality.
Overall, a pretty good cartoon that can both be fun and educational.Grade B.
This interesting failure shows us how Disney, never content with being an entertainer and businessman, had intellectual pretensions--sometimes magnificently realized (as in Fantasia), rather less well here.I say this as a great fan of this puzzling but lovable attempted documentary in cartoon form.
The pool table sequence goes on for far too long, and contains very little actual math (the same could be said of the whole movie).
And there is always Donald, our favorite everyman, who learns that math isn't just for eggheads, after all..
...he or she could put on Donald in Mathmagic land, an entertaining and trippy cartoon with as much educational value as a "duck and cover" nuclear safety filmstrip.The entirety of the educational content is:Geometry is a branch of math;
At one point, to prove that the Golden Rectangle has influenced art, the movie shows famous paintings with a bunch of half-empty rectangles drawn over them seemingly at random.To convince fifth-graders that math is indeed super-cool, the movie links it to all of the things young people like best, such as the Parthenon, classical music, and competitive billiards.This is a fun case study in the sleight of hand involved in smuggling advertising into schools.
Don't get me wrong, there are some Disney films that I like, but to be honest I didn't dig Mickey Mouse and Co.
A good case in point is "Donald in Mathmagic Land." Growing up, I saw it every year and enjoyed it more and more.Donald isn't a math fan.
A voice tells and shows him that math is an integral part of our life (Chess, Billards and Shapes).
You have your typical Disney humor in it, but it teaches you a valuable lesson: no matter what someone tells you, math IS important in every aspect of our lives and that you can never escape it.It's a great way to get your kids to understand the magic of math..
There's More To Math Than Two Times Two. One of the greatest films of all time.
well, maybe one of the greatest educational films of all time.
Disney could always make educational films fun and entertaining, and next to his 'Man in Space' series, this is his best.
only problem is, this is so entertaining you just kick back and watch the cool retro animation and forget to take in the math lesson.Donald Duck quacks,squeaks and squawks his adorable little self through a succession of colorfully presented math lessons ending with a quote from Galileo that's intended to inspire awe and make us ponder the universe.
Oh, why didn't I use this educational math film before?
This cartoon is much too great, for one thing, it used the cantakerous Donald Duck and the seemingly "bored" math to mix together, so, it made more fun and great knowledge that everybody, even the adults, will approved it, too bad, why didn't I use this before?This film used lots of math knowledge, like golden ratio and golden rectangle, Pi, full of laughs and fun, I did like the episode when Donald try to fix himeslf in a golden rectangle shape, but to no avail, bad luck!
It simply proved that Donald weren't perfect, too.Pythagoras in the film also great, gags and maths, together created a wonderful educational film for Disney and Donald Duck himself, for sure, it seens like Disney staff have different creative ideas, too!
Especially put Donald Duck inside, and at last, with the help of The True Spirit of Adventure, Donald finally understood have math great are, and me too!I learned a lot from this film.
Overall, it's one of the best Disney and educational film I ever seen..
Disney on mathematics.
"Donald in Mathmagic Land" is a 27-minute short film which explores basic mathematic references in everyday life.
27 minutes may be long for cartoons from that era, but it's really short given the fact that there were no less than 4 directors and 3 writers working on it.
I am sort of interested in maths and I've always liked Donald, but still somehow I did not find this one particularly interesting or funny.
Then again I am not really big on Disney's works who take themselves seriously as an educational movie.
Another mathematics meets cartoon idea won the Oscar, namely "The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics": if you enjoyed Donald's take here, you may want to check that one out as well.
This one here is already over 55 years old and yet it is far from being one of the early Donald cartoons. |
tt0052033 | Orders to Kill | A young American bomber pilot Gene Summers (Paul Massie) is selected by Maj. Kimball (John Crawford) to go on a mission to Nazi-occupied Paris and there kill a man believed to be a double agent working in the French Resistance. He is picked because of his fluency in French and military experience. Summers receives rigorous training by his handler Maj. MacMahon (Eddie Albert) and a British Naval Commander (James Robertson Justice). Summers is enthusiastic, and remembers all of the information he needs by setting his instructions to melodies of childhood songs.
Arriving in France, Summers meets his contact, Leonie (Irene Worth), a seamstress working for the Resistance. Leonie gives Summers more information about the man he is to assassinate. Upon meeting Marcel Lafitte (Leslie French), the man he is to kill, Summers has second thoughts. Lafitte is a gentle henpecked husband, who dotes on his cat "Mimieux." Summers begins to feel that the man may not be guilty.
Summers runs back to Leonie who rebukes him for his foolish error in weakening his mission and returning to her, a dangerous combination. Leonie points out to Summers that he dropped hundreds of bombs on people while he was a pilot. Summers protests, as he understands the difference between killing a lot of people and one person up close. "When I dropped bombs I wasn't there at the other end." Leonie apologizes for her curt behavior and explains to him that her son was killed in the War.
His confidence regained, Summers prepared to kill Lafitte. Summers first cracks a blunt object over the man's head, but the killing is botched. Lafitte is not dead, and, turning over to look directly up into the eyes of the young man, asks him, "Why?" Summers kills Lafitte with a pair of scissors. In a panic, Summers steals money off Lafitte's table to make the scene look like a robbery.
Narrowly escaping the Gestapo, Summers hides the money in a cemetery, and tries to contact Leonie, but it is too late. The Nazis have captured her. Racked with guilt, Summers goes off into the night, not to be heard of again.
Several months later, after Paris has been liberated, Maj. MacMahon is giving the newly promoted Colonel Kimball a tour of the now liberated Paris and informs Colonel Kimball that Summers is in a military hospital. After the assassination, Summers became a drunkard, using the money he stole from Lafitte to pay for his addiction. Summers finds out that Leonie was killed by the Nazis after her capture and at first, the Major and the Colonel try to convince him that Lafitte was guilty. However, Summers learns from MacMahon that Lafitte was innocent after all.
In the final scene of the film, Summers leaves the hospital and for the first time, visits Lafitte's wife and daughter, who are now impoverished. Unable to tell them the truth, Summers tells them both that Lafitte was one of their best agents in the Resistance, and offers them the small compensation of his own back pay. | murder | train | wikipedia | A powerful movie with tremendous moral dilemmas & lessons to be contemplated.
This World War II movie has a realistic well written script, good acting and presents the viewer with a powerful moral dilemma to contemplate about war.
This is a quietly gripping movie about a man ordered to kill a traitor in wartime France.
The protagonist bonds with his quarry and his family and agonizes over following his orders to kill.
To find out whether he kills the man and whether he is guilty or innocent you'll need to see this..
This remarkable little film contains some excellent performances, the best of all coming from Irene Worth (Leonie, Paul's contact in occupied Paris), and from Leslie French as the suspected informer Lafitte.
The musical score too is noteworthy, particularly when it picks up a nursery tune used by Paul to commit details of his mission to memory and amplifies it to emphasise the horrible consequences.
The script and handling of Paul's doubts (brushed aside by Worth) and finally the completion of his mission are unforgettable.
It should be noted that this is one of the best scripts from the film critic Paul Dehn - he also made a notable contribution to Jack Clayton's fine film "The Innocents"..
Two great actresses, Lillian Gish and Irene Worth, are in it.
It's a suspenseful film about World War II and the scenes in Paris are particularly gripping.
I've searched in vain for this very fine movie, which I saw many years ago and has clung firmly to my memory.
It's about a cocky young soldier who is sent to kill a French collaborator.
He later develops serious moral qualms about the mission.This film has a fine cast and has some very interesting touches.
An interesting & emotionally powerful war film..
I saw this film on the late show about 25 years ago & haven't seen it since but I still remember much of it vividly.
A soldier is parachuted into occupied France during World War II & is "ordered to kill" a resistance leader who is believed to have been collaborating with the Nazis.
He expresses his doubts to his superiors, but they order him to continue his mission.
Spoiler alertWhat I remember most about this film is the way the idealistic young soldier in manipulated by a wheeler-dealer senior officer who is essentially a self serving bureaucrat.
As it turns out in the film, an innocent man is killed, a young man must live with having killed an innocent harmless man in cold blood.
As for the young man in the film, he had to learn the hard way.
A soldier is sent to France to kill a Nazi sympathizer.
Paul Massie, Eddie Albert, Leslie French, and Irene Worth star in "Orders to Kill," a 1958 film produced and directed by Anthony Asquith.Done in a low-key, realistic way, the story concerns a young American soldier, Gene Summers (Massie) who is chosen to go to France to kill an attorney who was a Resistance member, Lafitte (French) but has become a traitor.
His contact in France is Leonie (Irene Worth).All goes well until Summers actually meets LaFitte, who saves him from a Nazi roundup by hiding him in his office.
Leonie is a hard-nose and insists that he carry out his orders.Talky and slow-moving through a good deal of the film, it changes suddenly and becomes very suspenseful and exciting.
Everyone underplays, making them somehow more realistic in their war-torn surroundings.Everyone is very good, but Irene Worth, a fantastic actress, Leslie French, and Eddie Albert are standouts.
A realistic espionage film about a wartime assassin's dilemma.
I remember being mesmerized by the gritty reality of this movie and the fine portrayal of the agent/assassin as played by Eddie Albert.
It remains what is perhaps one of his most serious roles, and the film reveals a side of his talent rarely revealed in his other movies.
Within the broad theatre of war it focuses on the moral impact of "orders" on a sensitive personality.
The film never goes into an examination of who was responsible for the false intelligence behind the mission.
ORDERS TO KILL looks and feels like a straightforward wartime thriller at the outset.
It features Paul Massie (the Canadian actor best known for playing the lead in THE TWO FACES OF DR.
JEKYLL, a role he no doubt got on the strength of his fine conflicted performance here) as an American agent who is parachuted into occupied France to take down a French traitor whose association with various resistance fighters has seen many of them die.During his early training scenes with the delightfully gruff James Robertson Justice, Massie seems like the ideal man for the job.
Things are a little different in the field: he soon finds himself questioning the man's guilt, and ORDERS TO KILL becomes a very different type of film all of a sudden: an intense 'moral dilemma' movie which puts the protagonist and the viewers through the ringer.The only fault I can find with this film is that it's slightly overlong and some of the early scenes drag a little.
ORDERS TO KILL is a fine thriller without a single action scene in it to distract from the storyline..
This wartime tale directed by Anthony Asquith confronts full-on the essential moral dilemma of the necessity to commit murder in the cause of war.
It does not take place on a battlefield, but in the starker situation of a covert assassination of a man believed to be compromising the Resistance Movement in occupied Paris.
The man chosen to kill the suspected person is played by the young actor Paul Massie, aged 26.
The most powerful performance in this film was delivered by Irene Worth, as the character Léonie.
Massie is sent to Paris to kill the suspect man, and Worth is his contact, with whom some very tense scenes indeed transpire.
Lillian Gish appears briefly early on in the film as Massie's mother, but it is not a significant part.
Eddie Albert is very good as a commanding officer, and James Robertson Justice has immense gravitas and a suitably ominous quality as the man who trains Massie how to kill an individual quietly and quickly by taking off a pair of long socks and turning them into a murder weapon.
Leslie French is superb as the unfortunate Marcel Lafitte, who is wrongly suspected of having betrayed the Resistance, whereas he is not only innocent but a gentle, caring soul who loves his family and his cat and would not hurt a fly.
This film starts very slowly because Asquith and his writers are so keen to make their moral point that they dwell on the minutiae of Massie's recruitment and training to carry out his assignment.
Once the action gets going, the film becomes very tense indeed, and finally it becomes very grim, as we face the moral dilemma.
Asquith was clearly determined to make this film in this way because he was trying to examine the dilemma and drive home its insolubility.
Much of it is filmed on location in Paris, and there are some very fine and atmospheric location shots.
This film evidently meant a great deal to Anthony Asquith, who had a social conscience which he wore somewhat on his sleeve, and we owe him the consideration of listening to his message, which after all is a very worrying one, even if we find it deeply disquieting..
Worth a look at, as it is interesting all the way through with the plot and the acting.
Not the usual war film, and raises some questions for those who are unappreciative (me) of the dilemmas of going to war.
The protagonist starts off all confident in this assignment, and when confronted with the realities of war, he has serious misgivings.The film begins with a terrific opening scene, which gripped me from the start (would have been better in colour), and then moves along to develop the plot.
Mention must be made that Irene Worth, is very good in this movie, and the look of horror on her face when disclosed information she does not want to know is well delivered.
The other main actors are also very good, although I did wonder about James Robertson Justice being included, and there are one or two questionable scenes, which reminded me a little of John Cleese and Monty Python's - "Attack me with a banana sketch", but he does have one particular scene which I am prepared to forgive any others for.If you like the sound of this and wondering if to view or not, then I would say yes, it's worth it.
If 1950's black and white movies about war are not for you, then skip it, although it's not the usual type of war film..
As the Allies are preparing the D-Day invasion, an American bomber pilot (Paul Massie) is recruited to be sent to occupied France to kill a member of the Resistance (Leslie French) who is suspected of supplying the names of fighters to the Germans.
Each part of the film, the recruiting, training and the mission itself, is expertly done.
The film shows the excellent acting of Eddie Albert who plays an American officer who monitors Massie's training and then his deployment on a night flight to be parachuted into occupied France, where he is to be on his own except for his one contact played by Irene Worth, whose part turns out to be the best one in the film.
The title pretty much sums up the dilemma that faces Massie as he's the one ordered to carry out the execution..
During World War II, American-born bomber pilot Paul Massie (as Gene Summers) is sent from Boston to England, then German-occupied Paris.
His mission is to assassinate a man secretly spying for the Nazis.
In the event he is captured, Mr. Massie is trained in the art of interrogation and undercover work, by Eddie Albert (as Major "Mac" McMahon) and James Robertson Justice.
His training complete, Massie is given the French identity "Jean Doumier" and arrives in Paris via parachute...When Massie meets his target, small-time lawyer Leslie French (as Marcel Lafitte), he has second thoughts.
Massie thinks Mr. French may be innocent and shares his reservations with French resistance fighter Irene Worth (as Leonie).
She reminds Massie of his "Orders to Kill"...Some of the build-up is tedious, but this turns out to be an intelligent drama about the morality of war...Note that the American stars' billing is exaggerated; top-billed Eddie Albert is a supporting actor to Massie, who is the star of the film.
The adaptation by Paul Dehn, direction by Anthony Asquith, and cast are excellent.******* Orders to Kill (7/25/58) Anthony Asquith ~ Paul Massie, Eddie Albert, Irene Worth, Lillian Gish.
I would like to obtain this film on video or DVD.
I saw this film years ago and was struck by the difference in killing by pressing a button and dropping bombs or by one-to-one combat.
Although I am not really a pacifist, I do believe that this film makes you think very hard about the futility of war and about how one's actions can desecrate the lives of others.
I saw this film as a fifteen year old when it was first released.
Anthony Asquith,son of the Earl of Oxford,public school and University - educated,was a charming,intelligent and sophisticated man who made films that tended to reflect his personality."Pygmalion","The Winslow Boy","The Browning Version" were all popular with the moviegoers of Middle England who comprised his core audience.But in the late 1950s he suddenly changed tack and produced two extraordinary works debating the nature of courage,moral and physical."Carrington VC" starred David Niven,and "Orders to kill" featured Associated British contract actor Paul Massie.
Canadian - born Mr Massie - slim,aesthetic - looking and sensitive - had a somewhat irregular movie career but won a richly - deserved BAFTA for "Most promising newcomer" for his performance as a French - speaking American flyer sent over to Occupied France to assassinate a Resistance member turned traitor.
He is willing if not happy to kill from 20,000 feet up,but mano a mano is quite a different matter,particularly as the more research he does on his putative victim the more doubts he has about the man's guilt.
"Orders to kill" brings into question the ethics of war just as "Carrington VC" does its effects on the individual.
Will Massie's moral scruples be interpreted as cowardice by London in just the same fashion as would his refusal to fly any more bombing missions on similar grounds?
Not a War Film per se,"Orders to Kill" remains the British Cinema's finest examination of the minutiae of man's conduct in time of conflict.
Generally ignored when Puffin Asquith's movies are discussed,it is criminally neglected and the work of a man of conscience who understood such insubstantial words as "Duty" and "Courage" and wasn't afraid to put a debate about their meaning to the cinema audience..
The U.S. decides that the man, Leslie French, must be a double agent working for the Germans.
The man, Paul Massie, just happens to have lived in the same area of Paris where French lives.
They also teach him various ways of killing quietly.One of training officers, Eddie Albert, is not quite sure that Massie is the right man.
Albert's boss, Johnny Crawford sees no problem and orders the training to carry on.
"Lives are at risk!" Crawford says.Massie is soon ready and dropped outside Paris.
He is to meet with an Underground contact, Irene Worth, who will put him up etc.
While having a drink in the downstairs café, Massie bumps right into French.
French seems like a nice sort, and warns him not to order the rabbit stew as it is really cat.
French offers the man a room in his office upstairs to hide in.Sure enough, the raid happens and several men are grabbed up and hauled away.
Massie spends the night in French's office looking for evidence he is a turncoat.
French returns the next morning and invites Massie to dine with his wife and daughter that evening.
Massie is finding that the more time he spends with his target, the more convinced he is that French is innocent.Massie contact's Worth and asks what he should do?.
The next morning Massie returns to French's office.
When French turns his back to brew up some tea, Massie, belts him with a handy blunt object on the back of the head.
He visits Massie in the hospital and finds that the man is being eaten up by guilt over killing French.
Once Crawford has left, Massie asks Albert for the truth.
Albert tells him that French turned out to be innocent.
Also in the cast, are James Robertson Justice, Sandra Dorne, Lionel Jefferies and Lillian Gish.Canadian Paul Massie won a BAFTA Award for his role in this film.
Though the film builds slowly, it is worth staying till the pay off.
Every Sunday in the UK Talking Pictures, a fairly new channel that screens only movies, publishes its schedule for the next seven days and I go through it checking titles I want to see; when I saw Orders To Kill I thought it would be well worth missing but then I noticed that it was directed by Puffin Asquith which made it almost obligatory.
I wasn't disappointed; Orders To Kill is a fine movie with a moral question at its core.
In brief; a man is recruited to kill a resistance worker suspected of treachery in World War II.
Having met the target by chance he bonds with him and decides he is innocent, says as much to his 'contact' who reminds him he is under orders.
He kills the target who, it turns out, is innocent.
Irene Worth runs away with the picture as the 'contact' whilst newcomer Paul Massie succeeds in conveying the moral dilemma in which he finds himself.
This movie ,in spite of its tragic plot,shows Asquith's infatuation with France :not only the hero is served a delicious quiche Lorraine in one of the first scenes ,but he also used an old French song from long ago;besides, the stand out of his work is arguably English actor Leslie French(!) ,really admirable in the scenes with his pussycat,the victim who can ask why ,unlike the people who die during the bombings .There is also a strange use of this old French folk song from 1792 ,"Cadet Rousselle":no,it's not a Chanson about Revolution;it actually makes its hero an object of ridicule:the first lines go like this: "Cadet Rousselle A Trois Maisons Qui N'Ont Ni Poutres Ni Chevrons " "Cadet Rousselle has got three houses which have neither beams nor rafters (...)it's to put up the swallows..)This choice may be bewildering for a French viewer who may wonder whether they did not choose stuff like " Auprès De Ma blonde" ;probably because the dear lady who taught our hero the FRench language taught him this song and to both of them ,it's a dear memory.That said ,it's disappointing that French is almost never used in France ,even when the Parisians speak between them.The first third,including training with James Robertson Justice ,is a bit slow-moving ,and Mrs Lilian Gish is wasted ;but the movie hits its stride in the second third and grabs the viewer till the end .The principal,Paul Massie, gets good support from Irene Worth as Leonie ,a woman war has hardened ,and particularly Leslie French,whose very moving performance was hailed by French critic Jean Tulard .The screenplay puts the blame on the absurdity of war ;the victim loves cats ("but so does Himmler" Leonie hastens to add).The famous proverb " you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs" does not give a meaning to what he did .You will not forget the little girl who played Cinderella's wicked sister ,and ,in real life ,had to play the part of an orphan of the war. |
tt0807655 | .hack//Roots | ".hack//Roots" follows the tale of Haseo, a black 'Adept Rogue'(a class that can use multiple types of weapons) and member of the "Twilight Brigade",a small guild created within "The World R:2." In the year 2015, the CC Corporation's building burned down, and with it, most of the existing data for "The World." By splicing in data from what would have potentially been another game with what remained of "The World" after the fire, CC Corp. created "The World R:2" and released it in 2016. The main revisions in this release were that the game allowed for guild and PvP(player vs player) play.
Haseo logs into The World R:2 for the first time and falls victim to the PKers (player-killers) that reside within the game. He is saved by Ovan, who prompts him to join the Twilight Brigade alongside Sakisaka, Tabby and Shino, who are in search of finding "The Key of the Twilight." However, a popular guild named "TaN" obstructs the Twilight Brigade in its mission and is attempting to obtain Ovan's unique character data. The Twilight Brigade has discovered special items, known as 'Virus Cores', and believed them to be the path to finding "The Key of the Twilight" and went to find them all. Once the Twilight Brigade had acquired all 6 cores, the guild headed out to use them in one of the "Lost Ground"s, after figuring out that the two were connected to one another.
However, the group discovers that this was all a trap laid by the members of TaN in order to capture Ovan. With Ovan gone and no sign of the Key of the Twilight, the Twilight Brigade disband and previous members, such as B-set and Gord, quit the game entirely. Soon after, Shino is killed within the game by a mysterious PKer named "Tri-Edge". This somehow puts her into a coma in the real world, which devastates Haseo. Haseo then begins training in order to get strong enough to defeat Tri-Edge and save Shino from her real-life coma. Through this ordeal, Haseo becomes obsessed with power and ends up as a Player-Killer-Killer(PKK), in an effort to find information on Tri-edge. When Haseo competes in a special event that promises a special reward, he gains a new power, but his mind is corrupted and he begins to kill PKers with yet more aggression, gaining him the title of "The Terror of Death." | revenge, sci-fi | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1174730 | City Island | Living on City Island, in the Bronx, Vince Rizzo (Andy Garcia), a prison guard, is the father of a dysfunctional family whose members all have secrets. Vince discovers that his secret illegitimate son is now the 24-year-old prison inmate Tony Nardella (Steven Strait) who is being held in the same prison where he works. Without revealing this truth to his family, Vince consequently gets Tony out of prison and employs him as hired help at his own home in order to become closer with his unknowing son. Vince has also been secretly taking acting lessons, taught by Michael Malakov (Alan Arkin), and begins to form a platonic bond with Molly (Emily Mortimer), an aspiring actress.
Meanwhile, Vince's 20-year-old daughter, Vivian (Dominik Garcia-Lorido, the real-life daughter of Andy García, her on-screen father), has not told her family that she has been suspended from college, lost her scholarship, gotten breast implants, and become a stripper to try to pay for her next semester; their youngest teenage child, Vinnie (Ezra Miller), has a secret sexual fetish for feeding women (feederism), and fantasizes about their fat next-door neighbor; and Vince's wife, Joyce (Julianna Margulies), thinking she has lost all marital intimacy, sexually pursues Tony without realizing that he is her stepson.
Vince successfully auditions for a part in a Martin Scorsese film, while his wife and Tony seek each other's sexual attention. Vince, Jr. befriends his fat neighbor, who helps to bring him closer to an overweight girl whom he has been attracted to at school.
Tensions rise as the family's many dysfunctions come to a head. Tony, finally deciding to escape the insanity of the Rizzo household, steals their car to find Vivian working at the strip club. Just before the group is nearly torn apart in a violent outburst, Vince reveals the truth about everything, with Tony discovering in amazement that the dysfunctional family he sought to escape is actually his own. Vivian and the others admit their faults and Vince acknowledges the family's problems with the desire to work them out. The finally relieved group reunites in forgiveness toward one another, welcoming the overwhelmed Tony as a new member of their bizarre but loving family. | entertaining, sentimental | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0449189 | Banaras | A young woman, Shwetambari is the daughter to wealthy parents, Mahendranath and Gayatri Devi respectively and studies at university in the city. She falls in love with a low-caste mystic named Soham (played by Ashmit Patel). Soham, after one meditative session, is illumined by Babaji, his mentor (played by Naseeruddin Shah) and decides there is no harm in falling in love with the girl from the high-caste Brahmin family. This creates a citywide scandal. Shwetambari's parents initially object but eventually support the relationship, despite the objections of orthodox elements. The orthodox elements of the society discourage the relationship actively, driving Shwetambari to depression. She eventually finds salvation in her religious beliefs. Eventually, when she discovers her own mother caused the murder of her fiance, a disheartened Shwetambari leaves the city.
17 years later, Shwetambari, now a philosopher and religious scholar, is torn between returning to her beloved city of Varanasi to see her dying father, and avoiding all the unpleasantness associated with her inter-caste liaison of the past. She returns, which creates turbulence in the mindscape of her so-called self-realized being. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0064652 | Medium Cool | John Cassellis is a television news cameraman. In one of the opening scenes, a group of cameramen and journalists are discussing the ethical responsibilities within their profession: When should filming a gruesome scene end and human responsibility to try to save a life begin? As viewers we are presented with issues such as violence as spectacle, political and social discontent, extreme racism, and class divisions. The film is constantly juggling documentary footage with feature film image. Among his sources, Wexler uses footage from military training camps in Illinois for military troops preparing for planned demonstrations by students and anti-war activists during the Democratic National Convention later that summer.
Cassellis is seemingly hardened to ethical and social issues; he is more concerned with his personal life and pursuing audience-grabbing stories. Yet once Cassellis finds out that his news station has been providing the stories and information gathered by the cameramen and news journalists to the FBI, he becomes enraged. The news station creates an excuse to fire him, and Cassellis is let go. But he soon finds another job free-lancing at the Convention.
In the course of his television job Cassellis meets Eileen and her son, Harold, who had moved from West Virginia to Chicago. Eileen is a single mother whose husband according to their son is in "Vietnam." Eileen tells Cassellis that her husband is dead, but it is unclear whether she really knows that to be the case. While unemployed, Cassellis spends a lot of time with them and grows fond of them both.
The film climaxes with a scene in which Eileen is walking through rioting crowds, based on Wexler's footage of students in Chicago demonstrating during the Democratic National Convention in the summer of 1968. Her son has gone missing and she is desperately seeking Cassellis for help, but he is filming the convention. As a result, the fictional story and real-life brutality merge. The director explained that he planned his principal filming schedule to coincide with the convention, expecting that a riot would occur. The 1968 Democratic National Convention protest activity resulted in a riot. A study team of the President's National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders concluded (in its report Rights in Conflict) that the events "can only be called a police riot" based on massive evidence that "some policemen lost control of themselves under exceedingly provocative circumstances." Following this, Cassellis's and Eileen's paths converge in the middle of a protest, and Cassellis escorts Eileen to his car. As they drive to an undisclosed location, unaware that Harold has returned home, Cassellis accidentally crashes the car into a tree, killing Eileen and critically injuring himself. The final scene, echoing the first, is of a passing driver stopping to photograph the accident, after which he leaves the heavily damaged car behind. | historical | train | wikipedia | Absorbing, thought provoking and, above all, a unique record of an important "place & time", why "Medium Cool" still fails to gain the attention it deserves remains one of life's great mysteries.First off, it's a pretty good if somewhat disjointed story
two "world-wise" middle class news reporters are sent to film the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago and become unwittingly involved in its political demonstrations, the inner city problems that have precipitated them, and the lives of a single mother and her young son in this harsh, confusing and seriously under-privileged world.
Its acting, in particular from Robert Forster as the lead reporter and the 13 year old Harold Blankenship as the son, is excellent and at times so effective that it's difficult to remember you're watching a rigidly sequenced film rather than a social documentary.
Add-in its extensive live footage from the streets of Chicago as the riots develop, taken by the film's camera crew as they themselves are caught-up in a very "real" political drama, its ominous sequencing of the build up of events from a fun "day in the park" for the hippies/yippies to serious "police state" level violence, its equally chilling images of what was going on inside the Convention Hall while all of this was taking place, and the clever and disturbing scenes of the mother's desperate search for her lost son as Wexler films her within the increasingly anarchic crowds of demonstrators & troops actually on the streets at the time, and you've got
something very special.Part film and part documentary, not all of what you think is "real" in "Medium Cool" is, and the lines between live and acted scenes are sometimes confusingly and frustratingly blurred, as in the famous call from one of the camera crew of "look out Haskell this is real" as a tear gas canister lands in front of them, which was in fact over-dubbed afterwards.
Fictional narrative features a Chicago TV news crew intertwined with actual news footage in and around the Democratic Convention of 1968.There is a good balance between the fiction and non-fiction elements in as much as Wexler attempts to make his point.
The fictional story line (a love story) is real enough to keep us watching and deflective enough to make the harsh realities of the non-fiction elements palatable.Attention to detail defines Medium Cool as a very personal film for Wexler.
Sure it meanders a tad, and the stylistics can date, but there's nothing else in any movie ever that compares with the climax, as the actors make their way through actual documentary footage of the 1968 Democratic convention and attendant street battles.
The lack of star names in the cast (Peter Boyle, who appears briefly, was not yet established and, even if he had debuted in John Huston's REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE [1967], lead Robert Forster's role was originally intended for John Cassavetes) certainly helps sell its inherent documentary feel.Though, understandably, most meaningful to people who witnessed these turbulent times first-hand, and Americans in particular, despite its specific time-setting - Chicago 1968 (partly shot at the actual Democrats convention site, the film proved prophetic because the script involved riots breaking out...which is what actually happened!) - many of its concerns are still very much with us!!
Fascinating therefore if slightly overlong - the subplot involving Verna Bloom and Harold Blankenship feels a bit like padding at first (and was actually what remained of a proposed film, with animal interest, about a poor country boy's adjustment to city life!)...but, ultimately, its point is made during the film's latter stages when Bloom goes to look for her missing son - creating an indelible image of a perplexed figure (incongruously dressed in a bright yellow outfit) getting embroiled in all the commotion hitting the streets at that same moment.
The tragic yet ironic ending - presented as matter-of-factly as any of the news items covered by dispassionate TV cameraman Forster - is very effective.This is certainly renowned cinematographer Wexler's most significant directorial effort; his camera-work (some of it hand-held) is simply incredible, as is Paul Golding's editing (which must have been quite a headache and, in fact, he mentions in the Audio Commentary that several scenes remained on the cutting-room floor; pity they weren't available for inclusion on the Paramount DVD - nor, apparently, were the rights to the 2001 documentary about the film, LOOK OUT HASKELL, IT'S REAL: THE MAKING OF 'MEDIUM COOL'!).
Haskell Wexler, a cinematographer by trade, practically invented the technique invented we know today as "cinema verite" with this striking drama that plays so much like a documentary, you'd never guess it was fiction without being told.
It's less a story and more a voyeuristic look into the lives of ordinary people thrust into extraordinary circumstances, in this case reporters who are covering a political convention and other Chicago locals who are just minding their own business when the legendary riots break out at the 1968 Democratic National Convention.Even more groundbreaking is the approach Wexler takes in framing the film's final scenes.
No one knew exactly what would happen, making this perhaps the most creative and timely piece of "improvised" drama in the history of filmmaking up to this point.Every documentary filmmaker who chooses to make his/her film about actions and events rather than simply a bunch of talking heads owes a debt to Wexler and his creative team on "Medium Cool"..
Initially I watched this film because it was directed by Haskell Wexler whose work I admire, and I'm from Chicago and had heard it shows much of the city and the riots of 68.
This film is a mixture of documentary footage and conventional narrative.It tells the story of a tough news camera-man (Robert Forster) who falls for a young widow (Verna Bloom) and befriends her thirteen-year-old son, against the back-drop of the riots in Chicago in 1968.The film utilises both professional actors and non-professionals, to very good effect.
The main flaw in the film is that the love story is not well-handled and often quite dull, the far more interesting events are happening elsewhere.This is a deeply political work and is savagely critical of the callous and cynical media, which distorts people's perceptions of the world.Worth watching for anyone interested in the sixties, political cinema or American independent film.Great soundtrack too..
The state wasn't negotiating at this time, it was brutally sending men off to war and attacking those at home with the hired goons of the police force.It's a great movie which manages to combine fiction and non-fiction and shows us what the sixties were really like.
We hear King's immortal words which have resounded through the decades, and when Forster finally speaks, he says, "God, I love shooting on film." Medium Cool is full of moments like this, where we see or hear something that plugs into what we're truly thinking, disconcertingly enough, at times when what we're thinking seems to obviously be something else.
Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool is one of several movies of the late 1960s and '70s that's conscious of these things about movie audiences, like Seconds, Easy Rider, Mean Streets, Who's That Knocking At My Door, The Graduate, The French Connection, etc.
That's interesting too, but it's not what they are that's significant in this film; it's what they're doing there.Medium Cool is ultimately so seminal, and engaging, owing to the way Wexler braids all these components together.
"Medium Cool is an extraordinary piece of cinematic art of the cinema verite-film style by Haskell Wexler"..
I often like to watch films more than once and I recently did that with Medium Cool, which was originally released on August 27, 1969.The film was directed, written, and cinematography recorded by Haskell Wexler.
He invented and used an unforgettable cinema vérité-style documentary filmmaking technique, as well as combining fictional and non-fictional content.Medium Cool was actor Robert Forster's first film in a lead role.
Medium Cool is one of those films that shows cinematic footage of a nonfictional event in the movie - the 1968 Democratic National Convention protest activity.
Eileen has a 13 year old son named Harold (Harold Blankenship).Ruth (Marianna Hill) is an attractive nurse, who has a relationship with Cassellis.Medium Cool is an extraordinary piece of cinematic art of the cinema verite-film style by Haskell Wexler.
Docudrama-styled film centers on a TV-news cameraman in Chicago (Robert Forster, lean and mean while resembling a young Charles Bronson) and his love/hate relationship with his work, which is constantly being undermined by bureaucratic decision-making from network suits who aren't on the front-lines.
When he finds that the station have been giving his tapes to the FBI to help them track down suspects he quits his job and tries to go alone, leading to his involvement in the Chicago riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention.I only knew a little of this film when I came to watch it so little in fact that I didn't know if it was a docu-drama or a documentary.
However this film is not about John Cassellis as a character in a story it is about a cameraman's conscience, it is about comment and as such it is very interesting and really captures the period while making some very good points in a very even handed manner.The film opens really well with a group of journalists discussing their role and in a way this is what the film is about.
However at times this isn't as good as much as it is interesting and the ending is far, far too obvious and lazy and does an injustice to the intelligence of what has gone before.Because the narrative is pretty weak the cast have very little to really work with and are caught up in the film (much as Wexler was caught up in real events).
On top of this film I heartedly recommend that you find and watch the 'making of' documentary called 'Watch Out Haskell it's Real!' as it really does a great job of fleshing out not only the period but also the characters and their story lines..
MEDIUM COOL is a documentary-like motion picture that contains actual footage of the Democratic National Convention and anti-war demonstrations, which occurred in Chicago in 1968.
It is an art film that plays like watching the evening news.It is exciting both formally, and culturally: not only does it provide a lasting document of the late 1960s counter-culture in conflict with the aging, square America of the Eisenhower era, it more specifically does a fine job of representing the more general cultural conflict of rural people (here white Appalachians) thrust into the Yankee city environment.All this, and the movie is fun to watch, not some intellectualized snorefest.
The film was written and directed by cinematographer Haskell Wexler, so the emphasis, understandably, is on the look of the film, the images, and which is why the story and character development are so sadly lacking.The film centers around a local Chicago cameraman (Robert Forster) and his travails in and around the high-tension scene around the time of the 1968 Democratic Convention, but the general theme that dominates the movie (yes, friends, it's a crusty old message movie) is the way the media controls our lives by controlling what we see and how we see it.
We see Verna Bloom's character tiptoeing behind a police barricade looking for her runaway son (by the way, is a political riot normally where a 13-year-old goes for kicks?), but the introduction of a paid actor into what is essentially news footage undercuts the seriousness of what Wexler is trying to sell.
A TV news cameraman in Chicago find himself becoming personally involved in the violence that erupts around the 1968 Democratic National Convention.Roger Ebert credited Haskell Wexler with masterfully combining multiple levels of filmmaking to create a film that is "important and absorbing".
This unusual film combines fictional narrative with live footage of the turbulent 1968 Democratic convention.The movie made a splash upon first release.
Nonetheless, the sophisticated Cassellis finds Eileen's naïve simplicity appealing, and their little tour of the psychedelic nightclub reveals something of the urban counterculture flourishing at the time.I get the feeling Wexler wasn't sure how to end the quasi-narrative part of the movie, and there, I believe, he stumbles by settling for a clear contrivance.
Even as someone who was personally affected by the momentous political events of the late 1960's, I couldn't appreciate this very disjointed movie when it was released in 1969 and 47 years later I still can't figure it out.The film opens at the scene of a car crash near a freeway ramp.
At the end, I was distracted by the slow passing of a beat up Rambler with the father and his kids inside, but what the heck were they doing there at the end of the movie anyway?From the opening scene on the freeway, we are taken on a very bumpy ride that includes, in no certain order, a roller derby fight, Chicago police preparations for the massive anti-Viet Nam War demonstrations planned for the upcoming 1968 Democratic National Convention, a black cab driver who finds a large sum of money and is mistreated by police in return for his honesty, a very hostile reception by the residents of a South Side Chicago neighborhood to Casellis and his sidekick (played by none other than Peter Bonerz, the dentist from the very popular Bob Newhart Show!), the discovery by Casellis that his bosses are using his film footage to aid FBI investigations of the DNC demonstrators, his subsequent termination, a totally nude romp by Casellis and his nurse girlfriend through his apartment ("I've got neighbors!" he playfully cautions her as she screams in delight), a woman named Eilene (Verna Bloom) and her son who were transplanted from the coal mining region of West Virginia and with whom Casellis becomes involved after his relationship with the naked nurse ends, a visit to a psychedelic nightclub, and the arrival of the DNC itself, including the demonstrations.Did John Cassavettes withdraw from this film because he actually had a schedule conflict or because he thought that the entire project was an incomprehensible mess?
9/11/2011 is probably the wrong time to be writing a review of this ground breaking film, but it was an almost perfect time to re-watch this evocation of some of the painful events of our college years.The "cinema verité" look of this film has taken on a somewhat dated feel with the years, and Robert Forster's intense stares have not gained in stature as examples of great acting - but both still accomplish what they did originally, wrapping us up in the emotions of a world gone slightly mad, being pulled apart by generations unable to agree on how best to defend freedoms both believed they believed in.The riots - youth and police - that marked the 1968 Chicago convention (following the other party's now generally forgotten charade in Miami) were the beginning of something we are only now beginning to recover from in this country.
It is filmed with the characters of a fictional plot going into the real life riots of the 1960s Chicago Democratic Convention.
Medium Cool depicts a cynicism that is very much in line with times.Set in Chicago during the '68 Democrat National Convention, the film follows a dispassionate news cameraman and his relationship with a country woman and her son.
Haskell Wexler, one of the best cinematographers of his time, created with Medium Cool one of the best photographed films of all time.
(Some Spoilers) Straight out of the newspaper headlines from the turbulent 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention that changed the course of politics in America "Medium Cool" has become one of the most influential films to come out of the 1960's that still, some 50 years later, reverberates with audiences today.
Using actual footage of the Chicago anti Vietnam riots during the Democratic Convention as they were happening the movie has a very documentary tone to it with both Robert Forster and Vera Bloom just going with the flow of the action with out any script or direction from the film makers to follow.
Based on the Amount of "Thinking" or "Work" one has to put into the "Message" being Communicated, not to mention the Texture or Form used to Present it.This much Talked About, but Previously Rarely Seen (it is out now on Blu-ray from Criterion) Film was and is a Significant Piece of Art that Bridges the World of the Real and a Surreal World and Creates a Masterpiece of "Cinema-Verite" "Documenting" a Time and Place of such Cultural, Political, and National Zeitgeist that it is Really "Miraculous" that Cinematographer, and First Time Director, Haxell Wexler seems to have been "Blessed" for being in the Right Place at the Right Time.Choosing to Mix "Real Documentary Footage" and Dramatic Recreations of Real Events and Adding a Love Story about a TV Cameraman that is so Immersed in a Chaotic Collision of Gigantic Proportion, that He can not help but be Transformed, and Enlightened to just how much "The Whole World is Watching" what is taking place on the Streets and on TV Screens Everywhere.Robert Forster and Verna Bloom are Memorable and the Film Itself can not be Forgotten both Literally and Figuratively.
This got a lot of attention in its day for some of the cinema verite style filming, and letting Verna Bloom wander around through the riot of the Democratic National Convention...it can be tiresome and confusing at times, but also rather thrilling and moving.
John Cassellis, a news cameraman in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic Convention, is caught up in the political and civil unrest of the times.This is an interesting early film by gifted cinematographer Wexler, which courageously attempts to mix a fictional narrative (Forster and Bloom meet and begin a romance) with real footage of the time (specifically a riot in Grant Park, near the end of the movie). |
tt0037859 | Lady on a Train | San Francisco debutante Nicki Collins goes to visit her aunt in New York. Her father's employee, Haskell, is to meet her and facilitate her stay. Before reaching Grand Central, Nicki's train makes a brief stop and she looks up from reading a mystery by novelist Wayne Morgan—and witnesses a murder in a nearby building.
Upon arrival, she slips away from Haskell and goes to the police, but the desk sergeant, seeing the novel in her hand, assumes she imagined the crime. She decides that Wayne Morgan must be able to solve a murder, finds him, and pesters him to get involved. Following Morgan and his fiancee into a theater, she sees a newsreel about the "accidental" death of shipping magnate Josiah Waring—and recognizes him as the murder victim.
Unable to find the crime scene, Nicki sneaks onto the grounds of Waring's mansion. She is mistaken for Margo Martin, who was expected but has not come. Waring's will is read by his lawyer, Wiggam: Waring's nephews Arnold and Jonathan are not surprised to receive a token $1 inheritance, while the bulk of the estate goes to Margo Martin—his trophy fiancee, a singer at a nightclub he owns. Nicki snoops around the house and takes away a pair of bloody slippers that disprove the story of an accident. Two conspirators in the murder try but fail to stop her: Saunders, who turns out to be the nightclub's manager and another heir, and the chauffeur Danny.
Back with Haskell, Nicki makes another attempt to involve Morgan, phoning him and pretending a man is there attacking her—not realizing that Danny is there and is about to. Before he can, she makes another call, to her father. While she is singing to him, Danny spots the slippers and departs, separately attacking Haskell and Morgan. (Nicki assumes they mistakenly attacked each other.)
For various reasons, everyone goes to the nightclub. Nicki speaks to Margo and becomes suspicious. She locks Margo in a closet, goes on stage, and sings in her place. When freed, Margo tells Saunders she was never interested in the plot and stalks off; she is later murdered.
Arnold and Jonathan make romantic overtures to Nicki, but Saunders has her called backstage. He and Danny admit their involvement in the murder and threaten her, but Morgan breaks into the room and Nicki takes the slippers back. A series of backstage fights follows. Nicki escapes back to the stage and sings again. Morgan learns that one of the people she is sitting with—Arnold, Jonathan, and Wiggam—must be the murderer and manages to warn her. Meanwhile, Morgan's fiancee, thinking he is two-timing her with Nicki, dumps him.
Danny shoots Saunders. Nicki and Morgan leave with the slippers, but are arrested in the morning based on false information from Danny. Nicki tries to present the slippers, but Morgan's valet has them—and proudly shows how clean they now are.
Arnold, Jonathan, and Haskell all arrive at the jail to pay Nicki's bail. Arnold says the Warings would like to meet her and drives her to their company's offices, but nobody is there. They talk about the case and he admits that he had motive, but so did Jonathan, Wiggam, and especially Saunders. Nicki, frightened, manages to get away from him.
Finding Jonathan in the building, she tells him that Arnold is the murderer. They hide in a room—and it is the scene of the crime she saw from the train. Jonathan is the murderer. He confesses braggingly: next he will kill her, frame Arnold, and kill Arnold supposedly while defending Nicki.
Arnold slips into the room and grabs Jonathan's gun, but then Morgan arrives and mistakes the situation, and Jonathan gets it back. As Morgan tries unconvincingly to tell Jonathan that the police will be coming, they do.
In the final scene, Nicki and Wayne Morgan are newlyweds on a train. She is enjoying his newest book so much she tells the porter not to make up their beds until she finishes reading, and Morgan promptly tells her how it ends. | mystery, murder | train | wikipedia | She's made up to look sophisticated as she emotes in a screwball comedy-mystery about a girl who witnesses a murder from her train window and then sets out to find the corpse and the killer with the help of a mystery writer (David Bruce).
Deanna Durbin not only manages to bring comic flair and poise to her inquisitive young lady--she does a nifty job on some torchy night-club numbers: Night and Day and Give Me A Little Kiss, as well as Silent Night for a Christmas scene.
Talents as diverse as Deanna Durbin's charm and singing ability, Edward Everett Horton's flair for screwball comedy, and Dan Duryea's knack for portraying impish, enigmatic characters, are brought together here in a pretty good comic mystery.
Neither the mystery story nor the comedy would have been enough to sustain a movie by itself, but they fit together well, with the help of an assortment of interesting characters and some well-chosen settings.The mystery story is rather like a simplified (and less plausible) version of an Agatha Christie-style plot, and it seems likely that the similarity was intended.
A couple of the settings were done quite nicely, especially the night club/dressing room set, which allowed for some interesting possibilities, and which also fits in pretty well with the story.While it is true that nothing about "Lady On A Train" is exceptional, at the same time it has a lot of small strengths that add up to an enjoyable movie..
The photography is amazing (the snowy Manhattan sets and Ms. Durbin's close-ups are wonderful!) Deanna's vocals on "Night and Day" hint at a sensuality that wasn't present in her other pictures, and her rendition of "Silent Night" is divine.I won't summarize the plot, as it has been done in other comments, just suffice to say that this hilarious whodunit is perfect viewing while curled up with a hot drink on a snowy winter evening!.
This film is without a doubt a star vehicle for Ms. Durbin; I think I counted 7 costume changes, at least 5 different blond hairstyles over the course of the picture and it was well directed by her husband Charles David.
The plot of the picture is that Ms. Durbin sees a murder from her train window and enlists the aid of a mystery writer to solve the crime.
I am a fan of film noir and this film is sort of a combination film noir (good mystery plot, chases in dark alleys), musical (Durbin singing "Silent Night" and "Night and Day" among others)and comedy (many slapstick scenes involving Ms. Durbin as an amateur detective).
Ms. Durbin was probably the most popular star under contract to Universal until Abbott and Costello arrived and this film marked one of the few change of pace roles she was given and she literally shines in the part.
Deanna Durbin is a "Lady on a Train" in this 1945 mystery/comedy also starring David Bruce, Dan Duryea Edward Everett Horton, Ralph Bellamy, Patricia Morison, and George Coulouris.
The film is directed by Durbin's future husband, Charles David.Photographed and wardrobed like the great star she was, Durbin plays Nikki Collins, a débutante who comes to New York to spend the Christmas holidays with her aunt.
Nikki finds herself involved with the victim's money-grubbing family and puts herself in danger.A screwball comedy with the delightful Durbin doing a great job, singing like a dream, and looking fabulous.
"Lady on a Train" is a case in point: her fifth to final film made at age 24 just 3 years before she retired at age 27, is a quirky hybrid of murder mystery, musical, and comedy.
She plays Nikki Collins, a smart young woman, the "Lady", in Charles David's "Lady On A Train", who, from her train compartment, witnesses an unlikely murder in a nearby building.Technically, the film is a whodunit.
But, through sheer force of her charming personality, Deanna Durbin alone makes this film worth watching..
Recently viewed "Lady on a Train" and was surprised to see Deanna Durbin walking along an elevated train track in New York City.
Her singing of "Night & Day" in a Circus Cafe and her great supporting cast with Ralph Bellamy(Dr.in Rosemary's Baby) and Dan Duryea(oldest actor to start a career in acting) was great entertainment.
Deanna Durbin financially helped Universal Pictures over the years, however, her acting roles fell below her standards and she retired and married director Charles David and lives in Paris, France.
So to be thoroughly charmed by Deanna Durbin, you have to inoculate yourself against the dumb plots she was given later in her career.
Deanna Durbin had one of the best singing voices in movies in the 1940s, and a pleasing personality.
She tries to get the train to stop so others can see what she saw, but the people who come in don't see a life and death struggle going on.Yet two days later Durbin is reading the newspaper and sees an item about the death of a major businessman (Thurston Hall).
Sure, the actors tried their best (it did have a pretty impressive supporting cast for Deanna Durbin), but the film often just made little sense.When the film begins, Nikki Collins (Durbin) is on a train bound for New York.
Stars Deanna Durbin, David Bruce, Dan Duryea, Edward Everett Horton, Ralph Bellamy (et al.) all bring seasoned talent aboard.
As in Agatha Christie's tale, 4:51 From Paddington (aka What Mrs. McGillicuddy Saw), Durbin witnesses a murder from her train window.
In one long sequence she impersonates the heiress to his estate, a chanteuse in a posh nightclub; she thus gets to belt out a couple of numbers -- pleasant enough, but nothing like the singing-in-character she managed in Robert Siodmak's Christmas Holiday.
Terrible vehicle for Universal's resident singing star Deanna Durbin (here, at 23, still finding her footing as a womanly actress rather than as a teen starlet) attempts to combine a noir scenario with a comedic, screwball script, keeping Deanna breathless, illogical and dithering for nearly 95 minutes.
Arriving in New York City by train to visit her relatives, Durbin witnesses a murder from her passenger window; naturally, the police are of no help, so she enlists the expertise of a detective stories writer to help her solve the crime.
The movie comes to a screeching halt 3 times to allow star Deanna Durbin a chance to show off her vocals.
It was entertaining in the truest sense of the word, a film with an excellent script, an appealing cast with several very familiar faces and even some singing interludes by Deanna Durbin.
Lady On A Train represents Universal Studios trying to transition Deanna Durbin into more adult roles.
As this involves a mystery, this could have been the plot of a Nancy Drew story.As the New York Central is going down Manhattan's spine taking Deanna on the last leg of her cross country journey she spots what she thinks is a murder in one of the passing apartments.
The victim disinherited his relatives Elizabeth Patterson, Dan Duryea, and Ralph Bellamy and left his estate to nightclub singer Maria Palmer.Deanna just gets deeper and deeper until she solves the mystery.
Some nice standards are given Durbin to sing, Night And Day and Silent Night is sung because the story does take place at Christmas time.
It stars Deanna Durbin, Ralph Bellamy, David Bruce, George Coulouris, Allen Jenkins, Dan Duryea and Edward Everett Horton.
Durbin plays Nikki Collins, a spunky young woman who loves reading detective mysteries, so when she witnesses a murder being committed from her train window seat, she's obviously all of a tingle.
LADY ON A TRAIN (Universal, 1945), directed by Charles David, stars Deanna Durbin in another change of pace from her usual "sweetheart" image of musical films, this time a fine mix of murder mystery and comedy.
Having already given an emotional dramatic performance in Christmas HOLIDAY (1944), playing a troubled girl with a dark past, this time the dark-haired girl becomes a blonde who spends her Christmas holiday stirring up trouble trying to solve a murder she had witnessed.Coming from Chicago by train to spend Christmas in New York with her Aunt Martha, Nikki Collins (Deanna Durbin) a San Francisco débutante and avid reader of murder mysteries, sits in her compartment very much obsessed with her latest book, "The Case of the Headless Bride" by Wayne Morgan.
As the train makes a stop, Nikki looks out her window onto an apartment building where she witnesses a middle-aged man (Thurston Hall) being murdered with a crowbar in an apartment building by the back of a mysterious man seen through the shadows after pulling down the shades.
Going on with her masquerade, she soon encounters Waring's nephews, Jonathan (Ralph Bellamy) and Arnold (Dan Duryea); their outspoken Aunt Charlotte (Elizabeth Patterson); Mr. Saunders (George Coulouris) a mysterious night club owner with his white cat companion; Danny (Allen Jenkins), Saunders' chauffeur; and Mr. Wiggam (Samuel S.
First comes the traditional Christmas song, "Silent Night." Durbin sings it while on the phone with her father (H.H.) from California.
Next comes "Give Me a Little Kiss," performed at the Circus Club where Nikki (Durbin), masquerading the songstress, sings it in a sultry, sexy manner as she crouches around one of its patrons, Wayne Morgan, thus stirring up more trouble between him and his jealous fiancée (Morison).
The third, Cole Porter's immortal, "Night and Day" sung to a dark and moody atmosphere at that same nightclub, with touches of suspense and "film noir" fashion during her performance while knowingly being in constant danger surrounded by any one watching to possibly be the real killer.An impressive supporting cast of Jacqueline De Wit (as Morgan's secretary); Horton, Jenkins, Coulouris, and Patterson, all give capable performances.
He does, however, prove satisfactory playing the harassed author constantly annoyed by Nikki while struggling for a creative story on his next mystery, unaware that he's actually living the character and situations for his book.
As much as the Durbin name and her movies have faded from memory throughout the years, due to lack of television revivals, LADY ON A TRAIN has made it on home video in the 1990s and later displayed onto DVD to assure availability for future generations to endure, especially mystery lovers like the Nikki Collins character.
Deanna Durbin (Nikki) is an avid murder mystery fan.
Not as good as her comedies with Charles Laughton – "It Started With Eve" (1941) and "Because of Him" (1946) or her film noir effort "Christmas Holiday" (1944) in which she actually sings a good song!
Up to Nikki Collins' (Deanna Durbin's) departure from the train at the outset of the story, the plot line closely follows Agatha Christie's "4.50 from Paddington," (1957).
A woman witnesses a murder through the window of her train and enlists a hacky mystery novelist to help her solve the case.
her singing voice isn't that great (and her rendition of "Silent Night" is shoehorned into the story in the most awkward way) but she has some pretty good comedy chops.
The enjoyable supporting cast includes David Bruce, Ralph Bellamy, Dan Duryea and the always delightful Edward Everett Horton.
Ace combo of a bouncy Durbin, a complex murder mystery, noirish lighting, and of course, tuneful songs.
The original story was by Leslie Charteris, creator of "The Saint".Deanna Durbin (as a beautiful blonde) plays scatty Nicki Collins, addicted to crime novels, who sees a murder from her carriage window - she is going by train to spend Christmas in New York with her aunt and uncle.Of course no one believes her so she tries to enlist the help of Wayne Morgan (David Bruce) her favourite crime novelist.
I watched the film last night and had a ball.Deanna Durbin hit the screen as a gawky, talented kid in an MGM one-reeler (Every Sunday, alongside Judy Garland), became the gal who saved Universal via a string of enchanting, well-produced musicals, then with the onset of her adulthood graduated to more mature fare, before retiring to obscurity in France with husband Charles David.In this excellent hybrid of screwball comedy and murder mystery (directed by David), the 24-year-old Durbin is ideally cast as a pleasant, energetic crime fiction fan.
Then, masquerading as a nightclub chanteuse, Deanna performs the sultry Give Me a Little Kiss and Cole Porter's Night and Day, which is cleverly staged and given a complex, tom tom-led arrangement.The script is smart, sharp and inventive, and the whole thing is shot like a dream by Woody Bredell, cinematographer on six other Durbin films, as well as the classic noir The Killers.
Perhaps the Christmas angle could have been hyped up a little in the story, but I've rarely seen a film that looks as Christmassy.The supporting cast is simply as good as it gets.
Edward Everett Horton is perfect as a befuddled yes man charged with chaperoning Durbin, while Allen Jenkins plays it uncharacteristically gruff and tough as the murderer's henchman.
David Bruce, whose career as a leading man was oddly limited, is excellent, entirely lacking vanity as he racks up the laughs.I'd recommend this film to anyone who enjoys classic comedies, or just old movies in general.
Deanna Durbin, grown up and starring in a sort of a noir, with comedy and murder.
Nikki Collins (Durbin) is a society deb from San Francisco coming in on the train for a visit to New York.
And we know Deanna Durbin has grown up when, just before we see "The End," there's a charming moment of sexual innuendo on the train taking Nikki and Morgan, newly married, to San Francisco.
As she looks out the train's window at a stop, probably 125th Street, Nikki sees a murder taking place in a building across from her.
"Lady on a Train" seems to have been a sort of valentine from director Charles David, who was in fact the husband of the star of the picture, Deanna Durbin, and whose marriage to her lasted almost a half a century, something not quite usual among show biz folks.
This film was a discovery when we first saw it because it has a lot going for it, and on second viewing still keeps our interest.Deanna Durbin stopped making films a few years after this picture was completed, a sad loss, indeed, for all her fans.
We are able to hear her sing three songs: "Silent Night", "Give Me a Little Kiss", and an amazing rendition of "Night and Day".The supporting cast does a good job for the director.
" Deanna Durbin Shines In Noir/Comedy ".
Lady on a Train offers a change of pace for actress Deanna Durbin.
Miss Durbin plays a small-town girl visiting New York and as her train pulls into the station, looking out of her window she witnesses a man being bludgeoned.
When this picture was made film noir was in full swing, and this story cleverly uses a screwball comedy approach that is most suitable for the lovely, young Deanna Durbin.
The story of course allows the star most popular for her amazing singing ability to delight audiences with the songs " Silent Night " and a most sultry rendition of " Night and Day." There is also a good amount of suspense focused on the shady murder mystery, which involves a series of strange suspects and some very interesting ulterior motives.
The film has an impressive assortment of actors of the time including, Ralph Bellamy, Dan Duryea, Edward Everett Horton, Allen Jenkins, Patricia Morison, and William Frawley all help to keep the story moving at a good pace.
And while GIRL has two or three "red herring" candidates for the so-called "Real Killer" witnessed by a female train passenger (Blunt's Rachel), LADY's "Nikki" (Deanna Durbin) has at least FOUR bogus murder suspects to muddle her ability to finger the killer she window-peeped from HER Choo-Choo.
It's another Christmas holiday for Deanna Durbin, and this time, she's got a fun script and the perfect atmosphere.
Through the aide and blockage of a superb supporting cast, Durbin turns this into a very entertaining mystery comedy with a few songs added.
Deanna Durbin witnesses a murder when her train from and mystery.
Durbin comes across two unusual nephews, his grieving widow played by a cantankerous Elizabeth Patterson,Edward Everett Horton as the man from her dad's firm selected to watch over her while she is in New York, a mystery writer and his jealous girlfriend and a secretary all create quite a stir here.Masquerading as the singer who was in cahoots with the killers, Durbin was able to display her ever beautiful voice, especially belting out Cole Porter's Night and Day.The ending might be a little tricky to follow, but there is general fun to be had by viewing this film..
***SPOILERS*** It's when San Francisco débutante Nicki Collins, Deanna Durbin, saw a murder being committed while in transit to the Big Apple or NYC she tried her best to get the NYPD who,in it being the Christmas holidays, had much better things on their mind to sliver it.
While trying to get famed mystery writer Wayne Morgan, David Bruce, to find the killer in a local movie-house where his fiancée Joyce Williams, Patricia Morison, was on the screen Nicki to her both shock & surprise saw a newsreel about the tragic death, he fell from a step ladder, of shipping magnet Joseah Waring!
As for Margo, the real one, herself she's later murdered at the night club that she works at by one of Waring outraged, in being left out of his will, relatives.***SPOILERS*** The pretty Canadian Nightingale Deanna Durbin was at her best as she belted out songs like "Silent Night" & "Night & Day" as well as being the damsel in distress but it was the final few minutes of the movie that really made things matter in the reason for old man Waring's brutal murder. |
tt0380538 | Matando Cabos | Jaque is in a terrible situation after being caught having sex with the daughter of the dreaded businessman Cabos. The day after receiving the most savage beating of his life, Jaque is confronted by Mr. Cabos, who accidentally trips and loses consciousness. Jaque then asks his friend, Mudo, to aid him. Leaving Cabos in his office, a childhood friend that now works as the company's janitor, who was betrayed by Cabos then takes revenge by stealing and wearing Mr. Cabos' valuable clothes. When Jaque and Mudo arrive, Cabos is half naked and they take him to the bathroom while they decide what to do. When Cabos' former friend leaves the building to take his car, he is intercepted by two kidnappers who think he is Cabos, one of whom is actually his own son, who wanted to kidnap Cabos to make him pay for what he did to his father. Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Jaque and Mudo decide, in order to avoid a possible accusation to take Cabos with them and then decide what to do with him, so they flee with him in their car. While leaving the parking lot, they cross roads with the kidnappers, stopping on a street light. Both couples have a body in their respective trunks, and feeling nervous, they smile at each other in order to look casual. Then, they both go opposite directions. While driving, Jaque and Mudo get cut off the road by an impolite bus driver. They confront him in a mid-road stand off and insult each other; Jaque calls the driver "cross-eyed", which makes him remember his tumultuous past, being rejected by everyone, including his fiancé, for being cross-eyed. He gets very angry and rams his bus against Jaque's car and flees. The crash causes the trunk to get stuck, and as a consequence, they cannot get Mr. Cabos out of the car. To aid them, Mudo calls his friend, the legendary pro wrestler Ruben "Mascarita" (who hates being called Mascarita) and his sidekick, Tony "the Cannibal", a man-eating dwarf.
They then agree to go to a bar and there decide that the best plan is throw Cabos' body in his house, as a massive party is taking place that evening, and make him believe he drank himself to unconsciousness. After toasting for the plan to work, a rugby player in the bar recognizes "Mascarita" and calls him by that name. A huge fight "Santo" style takes place. While "Mascarita" takes away all of the students in the table, another group of students from a billiards table get mad and provoke him again. "Mascarita" prepares for more, but Tony stops him. "Mascarita" understands and tells Jaque and Mudo to leave with him and let Tony do his thing. They are seen outside the bar while noises and shouts are heard from inside. Tony then exits the places, spitting out a ring, taken from one of the students finger, thus explaining the nickname "Cannibal".
Meanwhile, the kidnappers arrive to a girl's house, leaving the abducted tied in a chair with a bag on his head. They now attempt to call Cabos' house and inform his wife that they have him and ask for ransom. However, the maid is confused about the call and hangs up repeated occasions. After the wife takes the phone, she interprets this as an excuse for her husband not to show up at the party, and hangs up again.
After being worn out from the bar fight, "Mascarita", Mudo and Jaque go to the latter's apartment to change clothes for the parties occasion. While Jaque is selecting a presentable shirt, Mudo and "Mascarita" are annoyed by the neighbor's bird and go to the door and complain. They stay a while waiting for an answer. Then Jaque's girlfriend arrives to argue with him for standing her up and not taking her to her father's party. Angrily, she leaves and takes Jaque's car (with Cabos still in it). When Mudo and "Mascarita" finally hear the neighbor's voice, Mudo flips out and starts screaming for him to shut his bird up. The neighbor then opens his door (after unlocking around five locks) and points two Tec-9's at each of their faces. He explains his emotional bondage with the bird and threatens them to not complain again. After that, Jaque tells them to get going.
Ironically, Jaque's girlfriend, Cabos' daughter, is also the kidnapper's ally's friend. She goes to her house and asks her to join her to her father's party. The kidnapper's leader then appears from their hideout and pretends to be her boyfriend, and the three go to Cabos' party.
In the party a series of mix-ups occur, resulting in the dumping of Cabos' friend by mistake and Cabos being left in Jaque's house. He then returns to his house, and finds his wife having sex with Tony. Tony escapes out the window. Cabos chases him and sees his friend lying in the yard, who wakes up to the sight of an angry Cabos and subsequently receives a golf club to the face. | comedy | train | wikipedia | In Mexico City, the powerful and violent magnate of steel Oscar Cabos (Pedro Armendáriz Jr.) surprises his daughter Paulina (Ana Claudia Talancón) having sex with her boyfriend and his employee Javier "Jaque" (Tony Dalton) and he works Jaque over.
On the next day, Jaque pays a visit to Cabos in his office and the angry man comes with a golf club to hit Jaque again.
Jaque calls his best friend Mudo (Kristoff) to help him, but the janitor Nacho (Pedro Altamirano) finds his boss fainted on the floor and he steals and dresses his clothes and jewels.
Meanwhile, Nacho's son Botcha (Raúl Méndez) and his friend Nico (Gustavo Sánchez Parra) have planned to kidnap Cabos and they are waiting for him in the garage.
When he arrives in the place, the two kidnappers hit him on the back, believing that he is Cabos, and they wear a hood covering his face.
Meanwhile, Jaque and Mudo calls their wrestler friend Ruben "Mascarita" (Joaquín Cosio) and his midget partner Tony 'El Cannibal' (Silverio Palacios) to help them to get rid of Cabos in his birthday party.
But both plans do not work well along the night."Matando Cabos" is a gem of dark humor and one of the funniest comedies that I have recently seen.
This comedy of errors has a wonderful and original screenplay, and the situations are unpredictable and hilarious.
The story of two kidnappings that go badly wrong (but in a very funny way).
"Matando Cabos" is about two kidnappings (among other things) that go very wrong.
On the same night different people decide to get back to him; but things go very wrong, confusion starts and things get mixed up (very mixed up).The movie is funny from start to finish even tragic things can turn into a funny scene.
It's a movie that laughs at the misfortunes of life.
It does have some really violent and sexual scenes (not my favorite) but it is part of the way the movie is done.
I am not sure if foreigners would like it, it is "Mexican" humor.
Inventive, Refreshing and Original Indie Movie from Mexico..
I attended a special screening for this movie and I was quite surprised to see two Mexican aspiring actors writing and starring their own motion picture.
The premise of the movie is that it was done by people under the age of thirty.
This film noir that uses black comedy as well as screwballism is very funny indeed and it is very inventive.
The presence of only two well known actors (Pedro Armendáriz and Ana Claudia Talancón) increases the audience's interest in the plot itself.
One problem that this movie faces is that it has too many things to tell and very little time.
This movie represents Mexican cinema that is well done and that has right support.
'Matando Cabos' is a mixture of the retro, Tarantino and absurd movies.
It's a must to all of us that adored the b-movies of the 70s.The story is not pretentiously developed in a way to be unpredictable, it's more like going out in this trip that you simply don't know what's going to happen next because you simply just don't know, just like in 'Go!'.
In this fashion, 'Matando Cabos' results in an entertaining and hilarious urban adventure.For all of those who are just sick of all those Latin American movies that just try to "portray" the reality of society with stories around prostitution, corruption, crime and injustice, you ought to see this movie.
It's a good way to see that in Latin America they also "just want to have fun"..
Clever Fun. Good characters, well paced, with a tight script full of twist and well placed turns.
In this case I felt like it was more of a good thing instead of "more of the same", sort of like getting a second helping of something great.
The movie does build it's central premise (a series of wild coincidences, characters that are larger than life, the fast paced-all in one night action) on other movies that feature similar elements (Snatch, Pulp Fiction, etc) but because the situations and characters are unique I did not feel ripped off.
I hope it comes out in the US, I would recommend it to anybody that like to be entertained..
I just saw Matando Cabos.
I have sent emails alerting my friends to see it before it leaves movie houses here in Phoenix.
Familiarity with Mexico and its modern culture are a bonus but not requisite to liking this movie.
In many posts, I've noticed people mention movies like Scarface, Reservoir Dogs, Fight Club, and Pulp Fiction.
People, if every movie was that good, then those movies would not be considered great films.
I thought this movie was funny.
Maybe to a lot of people in the poverty ravaged country of Mexico, it's not funny because of the next to life reality of a severed finger and a senseless beating to a sequester victim, but to us in the U.S who have been desensitized by all the smut we see at the movie theaters, this is a great movie.
There were some really funny moments in this movie, including the bus chase scene and the romantic love scene at the end involving el cannibal and Cabos' wife.
A great improvement of Mexican Cinema.
"Matando Cabos" is the title of Alejandro Lozano's debut film, that even when it shares some similitude with American Films, such as "Pulp Fiction" and "Taxi Driver", it stands as a great movie, bringing a refreshing breathe to Mexican commercial cinema.The major attractive of the film lies in its screenplay.
The story is about two best friends, Jaque and Mudo, that are involved on a critical situation when they accidentally kidnap their boss, the sadistic and rich Oscar Cabos, and they hide him on Jaque's car.
Meanwhile, a kidnapper's band, directed by the son of Cabos' ex-best friend, plan to take him to ask for money.
But they take the wrong person and that's how a series of funny events, plagued with a black humor-screenplay, are shown by a bunch of hilarity characters that add a special charm in the movie.Of course, this film is far from been compared to "Amores Perros", "Y tu Mamá También" or "El Crimen del Padre Amaro", which were deeper and focused on complex and even controversial issues.
On the other hand, in "Matando Cabos" we have a well written and light story from the beginning to the end.Finally, it's very remarkable the use of f/x for the car-chase scene filmed in the Estadio Azteca, supervised by people in charge of effects for "Matrix", that is the most expensive scene ever done in Mexican Cinema's history and by the way, the best Mexican action film.
That's the reason why the film was released on summer, because it's able to compete against the mega-budgeted productions.One of the best movies of the Mexican commercial films that vindicates national cinema with its fresh air and leaves the door open for future indie and risky films that are changing the face of Mexican movies.
Great film, excellent casting, very funny and catchy.
Matando Cabos is a smart comedy about two friends that try to get Cabos a powerful and fearful business men in Mexico City to his home after he get hit.
This film although uses a lot of profanity is one of the best comedies produce in Mexico in the last 5 years.
It also establish that Mexican Comedy Cinema can do better things than La Risa en Vacasiones or Corazon de Melon.
This movie is more oriented to a teenage audience, but it sure be fun to people older than 14 years.
Watch this movie give an opportunity to this Mexican Comedy I tell you that your gonna laugh during the whole movie.
"matando cabos"...this is a very good movie, very funny.......
I recommend this movie: "matando cabos" It's a very funny movie, you will forget your problems because you will be laughing since the movie start to the end.
There are more good movies in Mexico, like "Como agua para chocolate" , Nicotina , Amores Perros"., so Mexican people are doing a good job with this movies.
In my opinion, the actors are good, anyway, this kind of movies are good for distraction, laughing, and when you want to have a very good time and want to forget your own problems.
The director did an excellent job with this movie, including the actors were working on it.
Some American movies are boring, and they suppose to make you laugh..
Matando Cabos is a complete tribute to Pulp Fiction and some other American movies, that if it wasn't for the language (spanish) and the little parody of El Santo (which is one of the few highlights of this movie)I wouldn't know that this is a Mexican film.
This movie is done by some fancy kids with the intention to glorify the Tarantino style and a type of American cinema that doesn't need more cheers than the one that has already been giving in the USA, but if you are already out of ideas and you wanted to do a Tarantino dirty stylish Mexican film at least you should have written those typical adapted Reservoir Dogs dialogues strong and smart enough to keep out that boring "we already seen that and better" feeling.
Why all this new self-made Mexican film-makers can't come with original ideas or at least with a homemade tribute?
The movie felt like a sequel of Nicotina (a Mexican copycat of Snatch and Smocking Barrels), it makes me feel like there is no Indio Fernandez, no Almada Brothers, no Pedro Armendariz's father!
All right, there is some good earn funny moments, very chilango moments too, in the movie but where is no substance there is nothing good enough to make our film industry a worthy one, let's not say a good representation of the Mexican way of life with all those cartonish characters like the ones in Matando Cabos..
Excellent piece of movie making!.
If you liked 'Snatch', 'Pulp Fiction' or 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', then you're in for a treat!
This is such a great movie!
I won't say more, but I can tell you, you have to see this movie, it is a perfectly well done piece of movie making and as a bonus you get to see a De Niro's memorable line acted by a Mexican, what can I say?
It's a different, refreshing and funny way of making movies, specially for a Mexican movie.
Diversión garantizada Fun for sureFunny from beginning to end, with great references to the classic Mexican wrestling cinema (el santo) and very interesting characters, being "mascarita" and the cannibal unique, all mix up in a movie that in my opinion didn't had many expectations, but at the end it was all worth, really entertaining.Also, even though the acting from Tony and Kristoff is not Oscar winning, is light but adjusts to the characters, simple and stupid, and don't forget "butcher", a kind of nice psycho trying to avenge his father and being such a funny villain.
This movie is better than a lot of American movies!.
There are some people that only sees sh*t in the Mexican movies nowadays instead o supporting, I mean I don't really think the people of Sundance don't know anything about movies!
The acting is good, the screenplay is hilarious, the fx are quite good, the characters are funny I especially love the "Santo" spoof), the best in show is Joaquin Cosio ("Mascarita"), of course its not the best of the movies but its entertaining and that is something everybody likes right?If there's one thing i have to say bad in this movie is that Ana Claudia Talancon was wasted in the movieSo to all the people stop discriminating your own product and enjoy this movie because its entertaining!.
Hard to believe that this flick currently has an IMDb rating of above 7.The language is Spanish, but it tries so hard to copy Tarantino that there is nothing genuinely Mexican about it.
The two main characters are boring college boys trying to look cool.
They apparently actually wrote this garbage, and like Tarantino in his later movies were vain enough to think that it would be cool to appear on screen despite lacking any acting qualities whatsoever.
Pedro Armendáriz Jr. was funny, but he only had a very small part.
The rest of the cast are about as forgettable as the two writers.Anyway: if you want to see a Spanish language version of a Tarantino movie, watch a Tarantino movie dubbed in Spanish.
If you want to see a good Mexican movie with violence and dark humor, watch El Infierno.
If you want to be bored and annoyed, watch Matando Cabos..
It would be an exaggeration to call this Mexican action-comedy "good." It is disjointed, full of stupid actions on the part of the principles, and the comedic tone is often thrown off by gratuitous violence.
This puts the employee, who happens to be engaged to Sr. Cabos's daughter, in an awkward situation, especially when he goes for help, returns with his co-worker, and finds his still-unconscious boss inexplicably stripped to his underwear.
If "Weekend at Bernie's" had been in Spanish, had two bodies instead of one, and periodically degenerated into graphic violence, it would have been "Matando Cabos."Tony Dalton and Kristoff, who play the two leads, play their characters as a couple of goofballs, and are nothing special.
Nor do Ana Claudia Talancon and Rocio Verdejo, the two main actresses, do anything to distinguish themselves other than look good.
It is Joaquin Cosio and Silverio Palacios, who play the wrestlers Mascarita and Tony the Cannibal, who make the movie.
It actually makes no sense that these two would be willing to spend a night risking their lives for a guy they haven't talked to in years, but that's part of what I liked about the characters.
This is a very entertaining films which is similar in pace and style to Snatch and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels".
It is still a big madcap adventure in which lot of stuff goes.The pace of the movie is fantastic and there is always something happening.
Lot of bad things happen but it is always funny and I don't mean smiling black comedy funny, I mean ha ha funny.Acting is very balanced, there are many good characters but none of the actors have tried to outshine others.
A must see movie if you like Guy Ritchie's brand of cinema..
entertaining, good.
hi, I assume that you are moviegoer, let me tell you that what happens in Mexico is that we Mexicans think that everything that we make, even cinema in this case is "chafa", that means "poorly and badly done".
If a Mexican does something, or attempts to create a product, or actually does it, in this case a movie, then, thankfully not all Mexicans of course, we say that is "chafa", just because it is Mexican.
We Mexicans hate our products and our culture.
I have seen that this happens in some other countries too, not just Mexico.
But hopefully that is changing in Mexico , the proof is that Matando Cabos, did well at the Mexican box office.
Of course this film has its flaws, what movie doesn't, films goals primordially is to entertain, this films achieves this greatly.
assume this and (Mexicans), shut up and help, don't just criticize in a hateful way.
This movie was the good revelation of the week!.
Oscar Cabos is a powerful magnate from Mexico known by his violence towards people who displease him.
However, one day, when Cabo faints, a big confusion is made, with two kidnappers trying to kidnap Cabos and taking the wrong man instead.
Things get really mixed up, specially when Jaque and Mudo try to help Cabos bringing him to his house.''Matando Cabos' was the good surprise of this week for me.
I took this movie to watch after a recommendation of the librarian of my Spanish course and after almost 3 days watching nothing but ordinary movies, I come across this great Mexican movie!
The situations are hilarious (and some of them are creepy, like when Botcha cuts his own father's finger!) and the movie has very good and tense moments.
I don't consider it exactly a comedy, it's more like a mix of an action/ dark comedy movie, but it is VERY worthwhile!I can say that it became one of my favorite Mexican movies of all times!.
Not my kind of comedy,nothing that funny or likable..
these 2 gentlemen also are 2 of the leads.There are very few likable persons in this farce of a mistaken kidnapping.I found nothing funny about the excessive needless violence.Now I do like violent movies,but here it was overdone.
It also needed a more likable kidnap victims.I also like wrestling,the few bits here do not come over.
Great fun, but horrible ending!.
In a visual style reminiscent to "Snatch" and cultural references similar to "Pulp Fiction", Mexico does an attempt at making a neo-noir smash hit comedy.
Having a classic but very funny mix-up plot, you add excellent in-jokes and situations that crack you up all over the night.
Average acting, like Tony Dalton's, added to Kristoff Racynsky's humorous persona makes this a very good piece of Mexican cinema.
As it was expected, the dialog is plagued with cursing, sometimes being funny and others exploiting some curse words way too much.
Tony "the cannibal" was a completely useless character, and all we see him actually do (the bar brawl not included) is him sleeping with Cabos' wife.
I personally would have enjoyed him kicking Cabos' ass when he encounters him in the bedroom, instead of beating his poor friend up.
And I would have loved to see the cross-eyed "microbusero" once again.With some minor flaws, this is the best Maxican film recently. |
tt0047976 | Dementia | A young woman awakens from a nightmare in a run down hotel. She leaves the lodging and wanders into the night. She encounters a dwarf hawking newspapers with the bold headline "Mysterious stabbing." She smiles enigmatically and quickly walks on. In a dark alley, a wino approaches and grabs her. A policeman rescues her and beats up the drunken man as she leaves. Along her way, a pimp, sharply dressed with a pencil-thin mustache, approaches her and cajoles her into escorting a porcine rich man in a chauffeured limousine. As they cruise the through the night, she thinks back to her tragic youth and her abusive father. She had stabbed him to death with a switchblade after he shot and killed her unfaithful mother.
The rich man takes her to bars and nightclubs and finally to his elegant high-rise apartment. He first ignores her as he feasts on an extensive meal. She tempts him, and when he advances on her, she stabs him with her switchblade, pushing the dying man out of an upper story window. As he topples, he grabs a pendant around her neck and it snaps as he plummets. The crazed woman races out of the building onto the street and confronts the body. The dead man's hand still grasps her pendant in an iron grip! She saws it off with her knife and flees with it, as she imagines faceless passersby watching her impassively. Again, a patrol car appears. The same cop, with a strange frozen smile tracks her with a spotlight as she flees on and on. He seems to have her father's face. She runs around a corner, hiding the severed hand in a blind flower girl's basket. The pimp reappears and drags her into a club. An enthusiastic audience watches a jazz band playing. The smiling policeman enters, as the corpse of the rich man lies at the window pointing to his murderess with a bloody stump.
Now everyone knows! The crowd surges forward, encircling her, laughing maniacally. She passes out, reawakening in her dingy hotel room alone. Were all of her encounters a nightmare? She goes to the mirror on the dresser, searching for clues. In her top drawer, she discovers her broken pendant, clutched in the fingers of a severed hand. The camera retreats and moves out into the streets, where a horrified shriek is heard - and the film fades to black. | avant garde, fantasy, murder, cult, violence, flashback, insanity, psychedelic, sadist | train | wikipedia | Were it just a Film Noire murder story, it would still be a very good movie.
There are also the intriguing comparisons one could make between the "silent" version and the narrated one.As a horror movie in-itself, it may appear somewhat cheesy and overstated, but it clearly does not take itself too seriously, and you shouldn't either.
Even at under an hour, this film drags a bit in the middle but has so much going for it that it has to be called a "must-see." Definitely see the dialog-free version (DEMENTIA) before you see the narrated version (DAUGHTER OF HORROR) but do see both of them because the narration by future Tonight Show co-host Ed McMahon is priceless!
Finally after a long wait we can see the original version of "Dementia" which was re released two years later as "Daughter of Horror" , cut by two minutes and featured the notoriously bad voice over by the unknown (outside america) Ed McMahon , which was added as the re releasers thought that the public would not understand what was going on , it did the opposite and has unfairly given the film a bad reputation.
"Dementia" and "Daughter of Horror" (it was given a more salatious title to get audiences in) are both on the disc...with some great extras its worth a look.
I was particularly impressed by the brilliant score by Antheil and sung by Marnie Nixon, later the voice of Maria in the movie West Side Story.Interesting note - In the original movie, The Blob, it is the movie being shown in the movie theater when the kids run in to find their friends.
For those interested in obscure horror films, well worth seeing.After originally seeing it it took almost 10 years to even find a reference to it (partially because of the two names).
Included on the DVD presentation is the re-cut version DAUGHTER OF HORROR, with Ed McMahon (!) providing a hilariously pretentious voice-over that was meant to make the film more accessible to a mainstream audience.
I watched Daughter of Horror, not the original version called Dementia.
One of A Kind, Don't Miss It. Powerful visual style highlights this noir nightmare film, originally made in 1951.
No dialog!!The original director's version (Dementia)is much better than the one with some of the gore cut out, and an intrusive, idiotic Ed McMahon voiceover(Daughter of Darkness).They are both on the DVD, so don't make the mistake of watching the censored "Daughter" version first.Don't miss the highly suggestive "chicken eating" scene.
Anyway, to me, its origins appear puzzling, indeed.All in all, the end result is about as schizoid as the lead female character, combining striking visuals and special effects with amateurish acting and brain-dead narration.
Actually, the visuals suggest that perhaps Welles saw the production before filming Touch of Evil (1957), especially Dementia's skid-row area that resembles Evil's Venice beach locations.Certainly the movie has its cheesy elements.
On the great Kino DVD, the print of "Dementia" is strikingly good; and you get some good information on the film's strange life.>Other than that, this is a one of a kind gem, to say there is nothing else like it is only to get the ball rolling.
It has to be said that the narration courtesy of Ed McMahon is more than a little bit cheesy - some have even compared the film to the 'works' of Ed Wood in that respect (I personally wouldn't go that far) - but his voice-over does have a horrific vibe to it, and it certainly benefits the film.
We then follow this woman throughout the night as she gets involved in a series of activities - things such as encounters with various unsavoury characters and other happenings on the dark streets.The film contains no dialogue, and the only speaking part belongs to the narrator.
In case you ever wondered (and as a true film buff, of course you did) what that strange movie called DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS showing at the cinema being attacked by the blob in THE BLOB is well, this is it!
It used to be called DEMENTIA and was made by a guy named John Parker at approximately the same time as Ed Wood made GLEN OR GLENDA they even employed the same cinematographer.In fact the two films have a lot in common, being both very personal cinematic statements, and also sharing the kind of ineptitude that some critics favor.
In fact, condemnation seems to be what's wrong with this young woman rather than her occupation (she's a prostitute) or sexual orientation, as we are invited to share her disgust, in a series of cuts between "the rich man", who although inexcusably fat and perspiring looks as if he's enjoying his dinner, and the face of our heroine, which is a mask of hate.Also, the fact that her pimp is being characterized in the credits as "the evil one" may lead you to suspect that the filmmaker is not a complete stranger to the idea that the problems of modern society is best solved by Charles Bronson.
Many critics will undoubtedly prefer Parker to Wood, the former exhibiting a style as familiar as it is primitive.Criminals being followed by floodlights (instead of being arrested) or surrounded by maniacally laughing crowds (instead of being lynched) may not make a lot of sense, but I'm sure you'll find it in the curriculum of every motion picture academy in the world, and of course the inclusion of a jam session does not in any way justify a comparison to a beach monster movie.
The young woman isn't pretty, nor is she very happy about herself (or anybody else for that matter) so I suppose it has to be a serious work of art in spite of the crawling severed hands personally, I much prefer to enjoy it on the level of hilariously bad film-making..
Dementia (1955) *** (out of 4) Interesting mix of film noir, horror and German Expressionism has a young woman struggling to make it through one night on skid row.
Thompson who was pure poverty row as he worked on films like Maniac, Glen or Glenda?, Plan 9 From Outer Space and other Ed Wood movies.
As with other "silent" films that are given sound, the atmosphere and overall mood is certainly altered here but it's rather neat hearing McMahon's narration because he sounds so incredibly different than what we're use to hearing..
This review is for the "Daughter of Horror" version.The bulk of this odd little gem consists of close-ups of people making goofy faces at the camera (and moving cigars in and out of their mouths), an unseen woman who seems to be working on trying to sing the classic "Star Trek" theme song (but never quite hits the last couple of notes), and a piano player playing bits of the opera "Carmen" (most noticeably, the Toreador Song).The plot mostly follows the experiences of a (crazy?) woman who may or may not have committed a certain recent crime, but did kill when younger.Oh, and there's a very long scene of a chubby gentleman eating chicken for what seems like several minutes and making his face all nice and shiny with grease.It is advisable that, unless you want to break into giggling fits, that you watch this the FIRST time with all the sound OFF.
(I ask that because hands don't really move hours after they've been removed, DO they?) The most interesting scene is where a wave comes over her and the bits of water look like human fingers going over her (which is shown a few times at the beginning, and a couple of times near the end) which seems to relate to the hand that was removed during the crime.It also seems that the director has a hatred for people who like jazz by making them all look like confused and unstable buffoons.
The atmosphere this film breathes feels like David Lynch's Eraserhead avant-la-lettre, and I wouldn't be surprised if he found some of his inspiration and enthusiasm in Dementia.
'Dementia' is experimental horror film with elements of film noir and expressionist cinema.
Also known as 'Daughter of Horror' but that version includes narration by Ed McMahon.
I personally prefer the original one without it as the narration gives the film slightly Ed Wood vibe.
'Dementia' is not classical horror/slasher/exploitation flick, but it is a wonderful nightmarish trip into the paranoid (and perhaps, guilt ridden) mind of a lonely woman (Adrienne Barrett).
I do believe that a guilty conscious would produce nightmares and maybe even some hallucinations, those that do not feel guilt for their crimes could never experience this.It's kinda a throwback to the era of Silent Films...
The original sound track is brilliant, with music that was composed by George Antheil, an American avant-garde composer who lived from 1900 to 1959.Then some knuckleheads bought the rights to the film and decided it needed some histrionic narration thrown in here and there.
I had never heard of this film before I saw it being shown in a theater in The Blob (1958) whereupon I became interested in seeing this movie, I saw the original version without the voice over which I have read is pretty bad.
The silent version is an absolute must see for fans of silent/horror/noir films.This movie is like the recording of a nightmare; I have never before seen anything like it, and I doubt if I will in the future.
I stayed up to watch it because I have a soft spot for these kinds of pictures: Low budget campy productions with brief flashes of style and genius.Daughter of Horror is a great surprise.
Perhaps that was the point of the whole thing;because there isn't any dialog and the story,well hey the movie is called Daughter of Horror!
Equating madness with evil, Parker follows a disturbed young woman (armed with a switchblade) around Los Angeles at night, where beatniks and goons paw at her while a police detective--who looks just like the woman's dead father--beats a wino to death in front of her.
Alternate version "Daughter of Horror" is narrated by Ed McMahon as Madness incarnate, though the theme of insanity is not treated as a mental illness; instead, it's something a person stumbles into, and then frantically attempts to escape from.
Skip all the subjective "this is a great film" reviews and read the IMDB trailer or the back the KINO videobox (which includes both versions of this flick) which I'll paraphrase: "To the tune of sci-fi score by George Antheil, the camera goes on a sleepwalk through B-Movie hell, all photographed by Will Thompson (who did 'Plan 9 from outer space' & 'Maniac')." You don't know whether to laugh AT the film or WITH it.
Along the way, she goes out with a fat guy who looks like he could be Orson Welles' brother and he later takes a header off a building in one of the only interesting moments in the movie.This is a strange little film that is very cheaply made--and it sure shows.
Then I caught the film itself via the Internet and liked it – albeit watched on a very tiny screen; however, it took me a number of years to purchase the "Special Edition" disc and only managed to re-acquaint myself with the movie in time for this Halloween marathon.
DEMENTIA is not your typical horror film – a succession of nightmarish visuals blending noir, psychology, exploitation and outright surrealism (in fact, some of the images here admirably evoked that notorious Luis Bunuel/Salvador Dali collaboration UN CHIEN ANDALOU [1929]!); equally notable, though, is its depiction of the current jazz/beatnik scene highlighted by George Antheil's nerve-jangling score.
At just under an hour runtime- and with practically no dialogue- this mostly silent, noirish, horror-thriller is beautifully shot- and has more "gore" (a term used lightly here) than you'd expect to see in a film made in the 50's.In it, we follow a young woman out on the prowl for vengeance.
But the narration, and guilt trip she is sent on, kind of throw this into question- making the whole thing seem more like it was meant to be a propaganda piece, teaching the misogynistic patriarchy about the dangers of raising a young feminist-minded daughter.
Dementia is a relatively short (originally running at 61 minutes, but cut to 56) noirish mood piece that begins and ends with the camera slowing zooming into the hotel room window of a damaged woman, the Gamin (meaning street urchin - played by director John Parker's secretary Adrienne Barrett).
These elements, including some very expressionistic acting styles, has led to the film being often compared to Robert Weine's silent masterpiece, Das Cabinet Des Dr Caligari (1920), and whilst Dementia is certainly a competent little shocker, and has some visual flares of insanity, it doesn't really hold up against the German predecessor.
An antidote to the predominant film style of the time, which falsely portrays the Eisenhower-era complete with the technicolor façade With a cyclical narrative, the Gamin finds herself in the same hotel room, waking from a possible nightmare at the end of the film, leaving the mystery of her true identity and a questioning of her level of insanity: Are these visions and city excursions simply a trip through her almost-linear nightmare?
Not many viewers know the name or content of the scary picture the movie audience is watching, except that the title Daughter of Horror appears on the theatre marquee.
It exists in two versions; the Daughter of Horror version is better known in its 1957 re-release, with the narration by Ed McMahon added to the original silent 1953 version known as Dementia.
The performance by non-professional actress Adrienne Barrett is amazing( she was supposed to have been John Parker's secretary ,and told him of a dream she had had, which then became the basis for the screenplay).The whole movie isn't much more than an hour, and has a sort of Twilight Zone crossed with film noir feeling about it.
Utterly bizarre film, whose reputation is known in the annals of 'weird cinema', veritably a silent film, with rib-tickling narration from none other than Ed McMahon(!)has a mute woman(Adrienne Barrett) we follow during a dark journey in a city, as she encounters possible danger and dementia in equal doses.
What I think works for DEMENTIA/DAUGHTER OF HORROR is the way director John Parker presents it as off, an odd atmosphere where nothing seems quite right.
I watched the DAUGHTER OF HORROR version, but I enjoyed McMahon's narration myself because I think it gives the film a oddball charm.
I am completely overwhelmed by how mesmerised I was by this film which I saw in its re-release edition, "Daughter of Horror".
Surrounding her are very unsympathetic; a drunken abusive father, a tramp of a mother, skid row drunks and ultimately a fat wealthy man so gross and so gluttonous that the smirks and disgust that come from Bartlett are riveting with no dialogue and only an occasional shriek of laughter that can best be described as nefarious.The only actor recognizable in this film is Angelo Rossito (ironically of "Freaks") in a bit part as the newspaper seller.
another highlight of the movie is the musical score, jazzy and haunting, yet sinister at the same time because it shows the desperation of these skid-row archetypes attempting to have fun but going nowhere other than a dark abyss.Then, there's the question of how to classify this film.
This surreal horror film was a haunting masterpiece..
Incorporating elements of the avant-grade expressionism with Hollywood film noir, this exploitation film has everything you can wish for, in a smart horror movie.
Directed by John Parker, an aspiring filmmaker, Dementia was originally supposed to be a 10 minute short film; something that Parker could maybe use as a resume piece.
Dementia was also full of classic film noir elements, such as deceitful characters, murder, guilt, horror and inner demons, all mixed into one nightmarish watch.
The movie tells the story of a nocturnal murderous prowling of a young woman (Adrienne Barrett) haunted by homicidal guilt.
While, tame, compare to today's horror films, I can understand why the movie would receive a scant distribution, when it came out.
Whatever, was the reason, the movie had to be cut to fit in the film standards of the time.
Since the original, had no spoken dialogue, the producers felt like, the story might be, too hard to follow, so in Daughter of Horror, they added a wildly arch, throaty narration by then, unknown, voice-actor, Ed McMahon.
***SPOILERS*** Interesting movie about madness and murder that took some two years to be released here in the USA because of the graphic, which was trimmed down, violence in it.Gamine, Adrienne Barrett, has been suffering guilt feeling since both her parents Mom & Pop, Lucille Rowland & Ben Roseman, died tragically when she was a little girl.
"Dementia" is a hopelessly flawed and cheesy movie that hasn't aged well at all, but it is also an interesting and ambitious experiment in film noir and impressionism and fantasy...and I liked it.Oddly, the film it reminded me most of was "Hands Of A Stranger" - partially because it seemed to be the anti-matter opposite of that screen play (in which people NEVER STOP TALKING FOR AN INSTANT), but also because the art direction and set design constantly get in the way of what little plot there is and draw way too much attention to themselves.I saw the "silent" version of this film without the narration, and I will admit that the dialog and narration aren't needed - so heavy handed and symbol-laden are the visuals (and the soundtrack) that words aren't needed to know what's going on.
Daughter of Horror has low-budget, but creatively noir cinematography and a wonderful scene at a jazz club at the end.
Daughter of Horror is truly avant-garde in the way it looks ahead to both the underground films of the sixties as well as the feminist movement. |
tt0057918 | Carry on Cleo | The film opens during Caesar's invasions of Britain, with Mark Antony (Sid James) struggling to lead his armies through miserable weather. At a nearby village, cavemen Horsa (Jim Dale) and Hengist Pod (Kenneth Connor) attempt to alert Boudica of the invasion, but are captured by the Romans.
Once in Rome, Horsa is sold by the slave-trading firm Marcus et Spencius, and Hengist is destined to be thrown to the lions when none agree to buy him. Horsa and Hengist escape and take refuge in the Temple of Vesta. Whilst hiding there, Julius Caesar (Kenneth Williams) arrives to consult the Vestal Virgins, but an attempt is made on his life by his bodyguard, Bilius (David Davenport). In the melee, Horsa kills Bilius and escapes, leaving Hengist to take the credit for saving Caesar's life and to be made Caesar's new bodyguard.
When a power struggle emerges in Egypt, Mark Antony is sent to force Cleopatra (Amanda Barrie) to abdicate in favour of Ptolemy. However, Mark Antony becomes besotted with her, and instead kills Ptolemy off-screen to win her favour. Cleopatra convinces Mark Antony to kill Caesar and become ruler of Rome himself so that they may rule a powerful Roman-Egyptian alliance together. After seducing one another, Mark Antony agrees, and plots to kill Caesar.
Caesar and Hengist travel to Egypt on a galley, along with Agrippa (Francis de Wolff), whom Mark Antony has convinced to kill Caesar. However, Horsa has been re-captured and is now a slave on Caesar's galley. After killing the galley-master (Peter Gilmore), Horsa and the galley slaves kill Agrippa and his fellow assassins and swim to Egypt. Hengist, who had been sent out to fight Agrippa and was unaware of Horsa's presence on board, again takes the credit.
Once at Cleopatra's palace, an Egyptian soothsayer (Jon Pertwee) warns Caesar of the plot to kill him, but Mark Anthony convinces Caesar from fleeing. Instead, Caesar convinces Hengist to change places with him, since Cleopatra and Caesar have never met. On meeting, Cleopatra lures Hengist, who accidentally exposes both Cleopatra and Mark Anthony as would-be assassins. He and Caesar then ally with Horsa, and after defeating Cleopatra's bodyguard Sosages (Tom Clegg) in combat, Hengist and the party flee Egypt. Caesar is returned to Rome, only to be assassinated on the Ides of March. Horsa and Hengist return to Britain, and Mark Antony is left in Egypt to live "one long Saturday night" with Cleopatra. | historical fiction | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0055895 | Days of Wine and Roses | San Francisco public relations executive Joe Clay (Jack Lemmon) meets and falls in love with Kirsten Arnesen (Lee Remick), a secretary. Kirsten is a teetotaler until Joe introduces her to social drinking. She is reluctant at first, but after her first few Brandy Alexanders, she admits that having a drink "made me feel good." Despite the misgivings of Kirsten's father (Charles Bickford), who runs a San Mateo landscaping business, they marry and have a daughter named Debbie.
Joe and Kirsten slowly go from the "two-martini lunch" to full-blown alcoholism. Joe is demoted due to poor performance, and is sent out of town to work on a minor account. Kirsten is alone all day, and finds the best way to pass the time is to drink. While drunk one afternoon, she causes a fire in their apartment and almost kills herself and their child. Joe eventually gets fired, and goes from job to job over the next several years.
One day, Joe walks by a bar and looks at his reflection in the window, and finds to his horror that he barely knows his own face. He goes home and tells Kirsten that they have to stop drinking, and she reluctantly agrees. Seeking escape from their addiction, Joe and Kirsten work together in Mr. Arnesen's business and succeed in staying sober for two months. However, the urges are too strong, and after a late-night drinking binge, Joe destroys his father-in-law's greenhouse and plants while looking for a stashed bottle of liquor.
Joe is committed to a sanitarium, where he suffers from delirium tremens while confined in a straitjacket. After his release, Joe finally gets sober for a while, with the help of Alcoholics Anonymous, a dedicated sponsor named Jim Hungerford (Jack Klugman) and regular AA meetings. He explains to Joe how alcoholics often demonstrate obsessive behavior, pointing out that Kirsten's previous love of chocolate may have been the first sign of an addictive personality, and counsels him that most drinkers hate to drink alone in the company of sober people.
Meanwhile, Kirsten's drinking persists, and she disappears for several days without alerting Joe. Kirsten is eventually located at a nearby motel, drunk, but when Joe tries to help her, he instead ends up drinking again. When their supply runs out, Joe happens upon a liquor store that closed for the night, breaks in, and steals a bottle, resulting in another trip to the sanitarium stripped down and tied to a treatment table. Hungerford appears at his side and warns him that he must keep sober no matter what, even if that means staying away from Kirsten.
Joe finally gets sober, becomes a responsible father to Debbie and holds down a steady job. He tries to make amends with his father-in-law by offering him a payment for past debts and wrongs, but Mr. Arnesen accuses him of being indirectly responsible for Kirsten's alcoholism. After calming down, Arnesen says that Kirsten has been disappearing for long stretches of time and picking up strangers in bars.
One night, after Debbie is asleep, Kirsten, shakily sober for two days, comes to Joe's apartment to attempt a reconciliation. Joe replies that she is welcome back anytime, but only if she stops drinking. Kirsten refuses to admit she's an alcoholic, but does acknowledge that without alcohol, she "can't get over how dirty everything looks." Kirsten sadly advises Joe to give up on her, and leaves. Joe fights the urge to go after her, and looks down the street as she walks away. When Debbie asks "Daddy, will Mommy ever get well?" he replies gently, "I did, didn't I?" Again Joe looks down the street, the bar's flashing sign reflecting in his window. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0365296 | Hair High | A gothic high-school comedy with a Carrie-like story. Cherri (Sarah Silverman) and Rod (Dermot Mulroney) are the high-school king and queen and they justifiably rule their domain. Spud (Eric Gilliland), the new kid in town, accidentally offends both Cherri and Rod and so is forced to become Cherri's slave. Naturally, they immediately hate each other, but later fall in love. Cherri and Spud secretly decide to go to the prom together, and on prom night a rejected Rod forces their car off the road and into the lake. In true 50's ballad style, their car sinks to the bottom of the lake as they share one last kiss. While the bodies of Cherri and Spud lie in a timeless embrace, Rod is successful in thwarting any investigation and is able to get away with murder. On the night of the following year's prom, the car magically comes to life and slowly drives out of the lake with Cherri and Spud, as if nothing had happened, only this time their bodies are in an advanced state of decomposition. Their rusty and water-logged car drives to the prom and just as Rod is about to crown himself new king of the prom, Cherri and Spud enter the ballroom - the spotlight follows them as they cross the dance floor, with all the attendees in shock. As they approach the stage, spiders, bugs, snakes, lizards and fish ooze from their sagging skin and skeletal bodies, and the prom attendees freak as they mount the stairs to the stage. Spud takes the crown and places it on Cherri as the animals attack and devour Rod. | adult comedy, paranormal, violence, absurd, satire, romantic, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0166601 | Mr. Rice's Secret | Owen Walters (Bill Switzer) is 12 and suffers from Hodgkin's disease. He has a group of friends who award points to each other for doing risky or strange acts. Owen's parents want him to befriend Simon, who has leukemia, but he rejects him as he considers Simon to be more ill than he, reminding him of his own mortality. He also rejects his best friend Funnel Head (Zach Lipovsky) to win the approval of bullies.
Owen's mysterious neighbour Mr. Rice dies, and Owen secretly videotapes the funeral to show to his friends. They go to Rice's house to watch it on his video player, and scour through his belongings, finding a letter for Owen. He decodes it with a ring he received from Rice, and finds that it is a series of clues leading to a secret. The boys go looking for the clues, one of which involves exhuming Rice.
Rice appears in flashbacks over the film, including one where he tells Owen "All people, no matter who they are, they all wish they'd appreciated life more. It's what you do in life that's important, not how much time you have." Owen finds the potion of life which allowed Rice to live for 400 years. However, he makes a recovery from his treatment, and instead gives the potion to Simon to save his life. | flashback | train | wikipedia | Death is always a difficult subject to cover in the movies.
Even more so when dealing with terminally ill children.
Mr Rice's Secret succeeds in covering the issues in a sensitive but not mawkish way.
Bowie gives a measured performance as the ancient mystic who befriends a young boy with Hodgkin's disease.
The real star though is Bill Switzer, who excels as the boy fearing death who must learn to love life..
Death is not an easy topic to deal with in movies.
But Mr Rice's secret manages to pull it off, with no problems.
The film is centered around a boy, who while coming to terms with the death of his friend (the 400 year old Mr Rice) is led on a kind of treasure hunt.
When he reaches the end he finds a potion of life, and learns an important lesson.
The boy (played brilliantly by Billy Switzer) is the star of the film (despite it being pushed as a David Bowie film).
The character of his mother (played by Teryl Rothery) could have been explored a little more and been more involved with the plot, but apart from that, it felt well cast and acted.
A must see for when you want to ponder things like the meaning of life..
I thought this was an excellent movie even though I was uncertain about watching it from reading the negative comments.
It really shows a boy learning about what the real meaning of life is.....not how long you live but what you do with the years you have.
The bullying was bad, but not severe, and the young man being bullied is a strong character.
The presence of the mysterious neighbor was a great factor in the boy's adjusting to learning to be sensitive and to enjoy life, not dwell on the down side of it so much.
David Bowie did an excellent job and was probably emphasized because he was Mr Rice and because his is a name that will draw viewers.
I know that is one of the reasons I watched it...and enjoyed it.
He does have a good talent for acting, at least in my opinion.
This is not a heavy movie,although some thought it so.
All the boys were good in their roles and very realistic.
Granted, the idea of "Mr. Rice" is a bit far-fetched, but adds the specialness to the movie.
I have learned to at least give a movie a chance, even though the reviews may not be upbeat about it.
What better friend can a dying boy have than a mysterious neighbor who gives him a really cool ring, which he throws away at the first opportunity?This movie had great potential.
David Bowie exists only in flashback as an avuncular sage who spouts chestnuts about living and dying, and for all that I wish that his screen time had been longer.
Certainly his is the most interesting character in this collection of cliches, and the casting was well done in his case.My main problem with this movie is that it could have been a fantastic story, except it pulls out every cheap sentimental stop along the way.
The story could have been told in many ways other than this one, with its collection of children that are either dying or obnoxious or both, but I suppose that it's just not as interesting or story-worthy when an adult is terminally ill.
Why couldn't any other member of the community that supposedly loved and mourned Mr. Rice have been the recipient of his secret?
The treasure hunt itself is a good device, and one of the best parts of the movie, as are Owen's troubling nightmares and images of death.
I would like to have learned more about Mr. Rice's life...and death.
Instead, we're left with frustrating glimpses of an interesting character, and no real clue why he chose this boy as his best friend.
This is a movie that tries too hard to be too many things (in some places too strongly reminiscent of "Stand By Me"), and in the end really leads the viewer nowhere we haven't been before..
Fantasy and grave-digging might appeal to many kids sense of adventure.
It has secret messages, a code ring, and a mystery--great fun!
There were a lot of places I could see where you could initiate a discussion with your kids--about dying, how to treat other people, the true meaning of friendship, etc.
I found the lead character Owen to be a likable kid, his friend Mr. Rice was cool--I really like David Bowie.
The ending was not a surprise, but expected--maybe not by a kid, a really good movie for parents and kids to watch together.
I'll keep it around for my grandkids to watch when they come over..
Ethereal story combining fantasy and realization of lost hopes..
Mr. Bowie's first few attempts at acting were stiff.
Absolute Beginners was more like a music video than a dramatic story.
Although I own and enjoy Labyrinth, I was hoping to see him in something better than a cartoon character.
His bid for the Elf king was not unwelcome in my view, though he was a little old for the part at the time.
This film shows his mysterious persona at it's best.
I do not want to spoil the story for any "new viewers", so I will not give specific details.
The treasure hunt provides intrigue for the viewer and a sorely needed diversion for a desperate child at the end of all hope.
Learning how to discover the real important things in life.
It shows how a person unbalanced and insecure by illness learns how to trust in himself again and gains a big portion of happiness and stability.
Once again David Bowie pictures an obscure character but now for the good: acting as the sick boy's `god father` more or less..
This film had potential, but I, and I suspect those involved in making it, really have no idea who it was actually aimed at.Simplified too much to appeal to more mature kids (of all ages), too much involvement from rather cardboard parents for any escapism, the moralizing getting in the way of the story too much for younger kids and too obvious for older ones, the "puzzles" far too simply solved.Overall, far too much certainty.
For a movie with this kind of story to succeed, I think a lot more ambiguity and uncertainty is required - hints at what's going on, who the characters are, and what's going to happen, rather than great big illuminated signposts.
A secret best left undisturbed..
This film has proved to be a terrible disappointment.
It lacks any kind of magic or atmosphere one has come to expect from recent children's films.
There is no camera-work to mention, the score seems to be copy/pasted from different public domain musical clips, and if you are expecting to see a good deal of 3D effects, forget it.
Overall it gives the viewer an impression of being a mediocre TV movie from the 80s.
I was looking forward to seeing this film, but completely lost interest after only a few initial shots.
There's just no electricity whatsoever, and the topic of terminally ill children seems to be employed as the last resource to give this film a "social message" and depth it lacks.
I suggest you don't waste your time on that film - there are so much better around..
This could have been an excellent film.
As an ex brit Canadian, I am continually appalled by the standard of Canadian films.
There is just something sooo distinctive about them - you can spot them a mile off - haven't quite figured out what it is - certainly the filming and direction is part of it.
David Bowie was great in his too limited role - could have done with more of him and less of the kid's parents - as the parent of 2 canadian teenagers myself I could see no resemblance to real teenagers.
The language was stilted, the scene was sort of leave it to beaver with attitude - as if the movie was set 20 years ago.
This movie has already been covered by quite a few reviews.
However, the best part of the movie has yet to be mentioned.
A couple of our teenage protagonists have just come back into town and are talking to their friend Owen.
They relate to him a charming story regarding an acquaintance of theirs named Percy.
After a good chuckle by the group of kids, they decided to play a nice game of street hockey.
"Mr. Rice's Secret" is truly one of the most touching and inspirational films of our time..
I'm giving this film a awful score.
It's entertaining to watch just because it is that bad.
There is a scene in the movie where the main character is being made fun of at baseball try outs.
He rushes as the kid making fun of him.
It's honestly funny only because it would never happen in real life.
If you choose to watch this movie that scene is why you should do it.
Other than that is a simply bad movie half fantasy and half real life with unrealistic scenes mixed in.
But totally worth watching for it's suckyness.
First, I think what Mel Morris is looking for that distinguishes the Canadian film is the accent.
No offense to the Canadian folk...it's extremely distinctive.Otherwise, a decent film, and I think the message that is sent in the film is that kids, even 12-13 year-olds who should know better, still can be cruel, even to terminally ill cancer patients who are trying to live out their lives as normally as can be.
The one problem that I have with the film is the lack of adult intervention, especially the fight at the tennis courts and at the Little League tryouts.
Well, it had David Bowie in it.
I rented it for Bowie.
It was like an after school tv special with cussing, vomit, boogers, grave digging, and violence against children with cancer thrown in for added viewing pleasure.One moment you're looking at cute middle class kids playing street hockey and the next scene, you're watching them kick a chemotherapy patient repeatedly in the kidneys.Perhaps I missed the point..
Interesting mystery, Bowie was pretty good.
At the beginning, Mr. Rice is giving Owen a decoder ring, but in the next scene Owen is throwing the ring away.
Mr. Rice has died, and Owen's parents won't even let him go to the funeral.
Later in the treehouse, he wants to show his friends Gilbert, Veg and Funnel Head the tape, but there's a problem.
So they don't believe he was there, and he doesn't get 'points' (the boys get points for each courageous or stupid deed).Veg's father is the real estate agent handling the sale of Mr. Rice's house, which makes it easy for the boys to sneak in.
There, they find clues to Mr. Rice's secret.Simon is a potential friend for Owen, for reasons I won't mention.
But because he has leukemia and has lost his hair, other boys make fun of him.
For that reason and for reasons that would be spoilers, Owen refuses to be Simon's friend.In some ways this resembled 'Stand by Me', though it's not nearly that good.
And I didn't like that movie that much.
Owen showed a lot of intelligence in solving the mystery, and Bill Switzer and Zack Lipovsky were good together in their scenes.
The solution to the mystery made an interesting and inspiring story.David Bowie was good as the middle-aged Mr. Rice, not showing any signs of being a wild rock star, though he was only seen in flashbacks sharing his wisdom with Owen.
Funnel Head's brother Percy more closely resembled Bowie in his younger days; he was quite a colorful character whose help was needed in solving the mystery.This was a family movie, with a minimum of offensive content (there may have been bad language removed for TV).
The worst thing was probably the bullies beating up on those they didn't like.This wasn't bad..
I've come to the habit of going to IMDb to check out reviews b4 watching films, especially lesser known ones.After reading the reviews on this one, which seem to be polar opposites, I decided what the heck, lets take a look.The film was totally unappealing, with all the lead kid characters being obnoxious and reprehensible, including Owen.Another child who has cancer tries to befriend Owen, but Owen repeatedly wants nothing to do with him.
The absolute turn off came when Owen lures this sick boy into a vicious ambush by his friends, where they punch and kick this kid repeatedly.What the heck is going on here?!
And then when Owen is confronted by his father over the role he played in this attack, he turns around and justifies his action and said the kid deserved it...and why?
Owen at first whines about his own mortality, and then defiantly blames the other boy, as if that kid purposely got leukemia so he could constantly remind Owen of his own illness (oh brother!).Hey, I know kids at that age can be cruel, but I don't know anyone (thank God) who would beat up the terminally ill.At this point, I switched channels.Apparently Owen learned NOTHING from Mr. Rice.
I made the mistake of turning the channel back to the movie when Owen and his friend talk to the goon Percy to enlist his help on I don't know what.Percy picks his nose and wipes it on the face of Owen's friend, leaving a visible mark, and then sticks his finger in the kid's mouth (ugghhh!!!).I really don't know how ANYONE could give this movie high marks.
I agree with the reviewer who said this is one SICK and BIZARRE film.IMHO, this is NOT a "must see", or "A deep exploration of a difficult topic", or "sensitive".
Maybe the director was trying to make an object lesson about being compassionate to the terminally ill, but what little I saw of it, it focused on the cruel, and NOT on compassion.As for the "acting", if you could call it that, it was horrible.
The kids from my neighborhood, or any neighborhood, could've done a better job.David Bowie was the one surprising point of sanity and calm in this film, but alas, his time was only a few minutes, and only thru flashbacks.I'm just sorry I even watched this film for as short a time I did.
I admit perhaps, that by not watching the entire thing, I may have missed it's redeeming parts, but the two I mentioned above were enough for me.
And from the other negative reviews, I see there wasn't any redeeming value to this trash.
A sick, bizarre film.
How did they get bowie to be in this?.
***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** This is one of the worst films ever.
The dialogue, acting, and direction are all appalling, but the real problems lie in the story and logic.
First of all, no kid in the world would beat up a friend because they had cancer, or shout "Hey Cancer!" at them.
Not unless the attackers were seriously disturbed, although after living through the event in this film they probably would be.
Why would Bowie's character live in a small canadian suburb if he really was a super being?
Why would the boy develop a suspiciously close and secretive relationship with a strange reclusive man?
Why would bowie's supply of magic potion ("I cannot tell you where or how I got this" why?
because the writers couldn't be bothered to think it out) suddenly begin to run out at the moment the boy turns up?
What boy in their right mind would secretly film the funeral, and then actually dig up the grave of a weird stranger purely on a hint of a hunch.
And what kind of kids would be so easily and casually persuaded to go along with grave digging and corpse tampering?
And the whole treasure hunt which involves gravedigging, breaking and entering and a whole load of other stuff leads the boys to the house where they started!
Why didn't Mr rice just POST them the letter?
He really DID want the boy to die so he could get his body?!?
Watch this film, if only because you have to see it to belive that this is a mainstream kids film..
Bowie Everlasting.
I had never heard of this movie before, and only watched it because David Bowie had top billing.
Complete untruth in advertising: if he was in it for more than ten minutes' screen time, that's a lot.
Which I never imagined David Bowie doing, ever.
We only see Mr. Rice in flashback: no idea of how he died or why, or of what so incredible a being is doing living out his last days in a tiny Canadian town.
When we discover his secret (he's 395 years old), we are given no explanation of how he achieved that (presumably as a result of the magic potion he leaves the young boy who is the cancer-patient protagonist) or why he has decided to not renew his swigging of said potion.
The kid, socked with all these revelations (for which we have not been prepared by the slightest bit of magical foreshadowing), is remarkably blasé about it: Oh, ho-hum, my late neighbor Mr. Rice was 400 years old, cool beans!
And why on earth (or under it) the charming Mr. Rice decided to make a grave robber out of his little neighbor is beyond me.All in all, the lessons are trite, the children are vile and violent little thugs and bullies who badly need a good thrashing, and David Bowie must have just wanted a few light days in Vancouver.
He's always worth watching, though.
This could have been an odd, charming little movie if it had been about Mr. Rice and not about the kid. |
tt1631707 | Enter Nowhere | Enter Nowhere opens with Jody (Sara Paxton) and her dirt bag boyfriend Kevin (Christopher Denham) robbing a convenience store. Jody holds a gun to the cashier (Jesse J. Perez) demanding he open the safe. Cryptically, he tells her that he will do so but doesn't believe she can handle what's inside. Clearly not amused, she shoots and kills him.
With money in her vest, she jumps in her car and drives only to end up at the cabin which is in the middle of nowhere. She doesn't know how she got there but it is there she meets two other people who arrived in a similar fashion. Samantha (Katherine Waterston) is a quiet reserved woman who is quite unnerved about being lost.
Tom (Scott Eastwood) is more vocal and more sarcastic about the situation. Soon, however he like the women becomes frantic over their inability to leave. They even venture into the woods to escape only to return to the cabin. Jody makes the observation that it's like Pac-Man. You go out one door only to arrive on the same board. Tom then questions how to get to the next level.
Things become stranger when the three are convinced they are in different states. Odder still they each believe the year is different. When Samantha tells Jody that it is 1962, she has to catch her breath before stating its 1985. Tom comes in and they both run over to ask him what year it is, he answers 2011.
As the three try to figure out what's going on they see a figure outside. They go outside to see what's going on and are greeted by a soldier with a gun. The man, Hans (Shaun Sipos) is a German soldier (not a Nazi). Luckily, Samantha speaks German but is unable to convince Hans. Hans knocks Tom out and ties him up outside, then ties the women up inside. Hans attempts to find out what's going on but things get hostile as he believes the three are holding back information. He isn't impressed nor does he believe that the three are confused as to how they got there. It is only after a major revelation that he attempts to befriend the trio. Though that isn't the end of the conflict between them, the knowledge they gain assists in determining their collective fate. The film ends with Hans surviving an Allied bombing of Poland, with Hans hiding in a bunker, while Jody, Samantha, and Tom disappear from 1945 and end up in their own timelines. It is later revealed that Samantha is Jody's mother, and that Jody is pregnant with Tom. Hans became an American citizen and turned into a millionaire until his death, leaving a fortune to Samantha, Jody, and her unborn child. | alternate reality, alternate history | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0208003 | Big Momma's House | The film begins in an illegal underground dog-fighting arena in Korea, where an FBI agent, John Maxwell (Paul Giamatti), has been identified. John is ordered to be killed by a Korean mob boss, but is eventually rescued by his undercover partner and master of disguise, Malcolm Turner (Martin Lawrence). Suddenly, a group of FBI agents storm around the arena.
Meanwhile, a criminal named Lester Vesco (Terrence Howard), who was originally serving a life sentence in prison for murder and armed robbery, escapes from his cell by killing the doctor and stealing his car. The FBI assigns Malcolm and John to capture Lester by sending them to small-town Cartersville, Georgia to stake out the house of a heavyset, elderly African American woman, Hattie Mae Pierce (Ella Mitchell; whom her friends call "Big Momma"), the estranged Southern grandmother of Lester's ex-girlfriend, Sherry Pierce (Nia Long), who supposedly aided Lester in his original bank robbery by giving him the key to the vault. After Big Momma unexpectedly leaves town to help her ill friend within a couple of weeks, Malcolm and John sneak into her house to plant security cameras and tap the phones. Sherry later calls Big Momma's house and Malcolm disguises his voice as Big Momma in order to lure Sherry and possibly obtain a confession. The plan works, and Malcolm and John work together on a Big Momma disguise costume before Sherry's arrival the next day.
The next day, Sherry arrives at Big Momma's house with her 10-year-old son, Trent (Jascha Washington). However, Malcolm's inexperience with cooking and strange behavior prompt Sherry to believe that Big Momma might have gone senile. Malcolm also has to deal with Big Momma's lecherous boyfriend, Ben Rawley (Carl Wright), act as midwife for Ritha (Tichina Arnold), who has gone into labor, and attend self-defense classes under Ritha's older brother and dim-witted security guard, Nolan (Anthony Anderson), whom Malcolm handily defeats and humiliates in front of all the other old women.
After Malcolm almost damages the suit during the night, he tries to sneak back to the safe house where he and John are staying to capture Lester. However, Sherry catches him on the porch, and Malcolm poses as a "handyman" after just barely hiding the suit in a bush. Malcolm and John repair the suit, and when Malcolm leaves town with Sherry, John searches the safe house for any trace of the money Lester had stolen from the bank, but to no avail. Malcolm also bonds with Trent when he defends him against the two older guys who bullied Trent and kicked him off the court so they could play. Malcolm and Trent eventually beat the boys at basketball, amazing Nolan and Trent. Malcolm also begins to bond with Sherry and Trent by accompanying them on a fishing trip. After Malcolm returns to the safe house with John that evening, Nolan bursts in and tries to arrest Malcolm and John for dismembering Big Momma. Malcolm and John identify themselves and reluctantly recruit Nolan to help them out, promising Nolan that Malcolm and John will recommend him for a place in the FBI if he succeeds.
Malcolm, Sherry, and Trent go to church, where the Reverend (Cedric the Entertainer) calls on Malcolm to give his testimony. While posing as Big Momma, Malcolm attempts to influence Sherry and Trent by giving them his testimony about the importance of not keeping secrets. While returning to Big Momma's house after mass, Malcolm pulls his gun on Big Momma's surprise birthday party. During the party that evening, the real Big Momma returns home prematurely, whom John tries to stall her. Malcolm accidentally stumbles across the stolen money hidden in Trent's footlocker. Sherry sees this, and tells Malcolm the real story: Lester had merely been playing her for a fool the whole time. Lester wooed Sherry, stole her keys, and got into the vault during the robbery, which Sherry did not tell anyone about her stolen keys out of fear of getting fired. Malcolm goes off to call for his real name to come help them out. In the bathroom, John quietly tells Nolan that the real Big Momma is back, and Nolan accidentally locks Malcolm out of the house to think that he is the real Big Momma.
Meanwhile, Lester finally arrives in Big Momma's house, where he successfully tracked Sherry, Trent, and the money. Lester tries to take Sherry and Trent out of the house with him, but as he allows Sherry to say goodbye to the real Big Momma, Nolan spots Lester's gun and attempts to arrest him. However, he accidentally unloads his own gun which gives Lester the advantage to draw his weapon. Luckily, Malcolm breaks through the window just in time and fights Lester, causing confusion among the partygoers as they see two Big Mommas at once. In the ensuing struggle, Lester shoots John in his right shoulder, and ends up ripping Malcolm's mask during a fistfight to reveal his identity. Nonetheless, Malcolm eventually subdues Lester, who tries to shoot him from behind and is knock out of the window. Sherry and Trent are heartbroken to realize that Malcolm was just an FBI agent the whole time, and they refuse to speak to him, even when the police arrest Lester and paramedics take John to the hospital for a gunshot wounded in his right arm.
In the epilogue, Malcolm goes to church on Sunday morning to testify Sherry, Trent, and Big Momma. Malcolm delivers his confession and heartfelt speech to Sherry and Trent and admits that he genuinely loves them. Big Momma eventually forgives Malcolm with a big, strong hug, and the crowd cheers as Malcolm and Sherry kiss. Malcolm and Sherry invite Trent over for a group hug and the crowd celebrates as Big Momma and the choir sings "Oh Happy Day" during the film's closing credits. | cult, comedy | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0036161 | Minesweeper | Lt. Richard Houston (Richard Arlen) is an officer in the U.S. Navy who deserted during peacetime service to escape gambling debts, and took up life as a hobo. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor spurs him to rejoin the Navy under the assumed name of Jim "Tennessee" Smith. Houston is assigned to serve aboard a minesweeper, where he carries out numerous successful efforts to defuse mines in the San Diego harbor while struggling to keep his identity secret.
Complicating matters, Houston gets involved in a love triangle, competing with Seaman Elliot Nash (Russell Hayden) for the affections of Mary Smith (Jean Parker), niece of Chief Petty Officer "Fixit" Smith (Guinn "Big Boy" Williams), who has taken a liking to Houston. Later, while gambling, Houston overstays his shore leave and Smith, having taken over his position, is killed by a mine.
Confessing to Mary that he was out gambling to get the money to buy an engagement ring, Houston is crestfallen that by his AWOL, he was responsible for the death of his friend. Houston nearly deserts again, but instead returns to his base to take on one last mission. Reporting back to duty and finding that his immediate superior, Lt. Ralph Gilpin (Frank Fenton) has discovered his true identity. Nonetheless, even as a "prisoner-at-large", Houston volunteers to help clear the shipping lanes of mines to ensure a troop ship can safely leave the harbor to join a convoy off to the Pacific.
When Houston and Nash dive in San Diego harbor to find a Japanese mine, the two divers see that the mine reacts to the sound of an aircraft overhead, beginning to rise from its tethered location as the sound waves reach it. Nash relays the information to Lt. Gilpin on the diving launch, but Houston cuts Nash's oxygen line, forcing the crew on the diving launch to pull him up to safety. Operating on his own, he attempts to open the control panel when the mine explodes, killing Houston. On board the diving launch, Nash tells the crew that Houston is a true hero.
Giplin realizes that he can counter the threat of the mines by flying aircraft low over the water where they can be blown up after they rise to the surface. Looking at the cable he received about the deserter, he tears it up and drops it overboard.
A Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat flying at low level triggers the release of the acoustically sensitive mines in San Diego harbor, allowing the minesweepers to blow up each mine. As the operation finishes, the Secretary of the Navy sends a message indicating that the Navy and Marine Corps Medal has been posthumously bestowed on Gunner's Mate First Class James Smith, United States Naval Reserve. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt2654620 | The Strain | In New York City, a Boeing 777 arriving at JFK International Airport "goes dark" shortly after touching down. Unable to establish contact with anyone inside, airport authorities force open the airplane and discover the passengers and crew dead. When authorities suspect a possible contagion, CDC official Dr. Ephraim "Eph" Goodweather is called away from his weekend visitation with his son, Zachary, to investigate. Eph and Dr. Nora Martinez, his colleague and former lover, find no signs of disease on the bodies. A large coffin filled with soil, missing from the plane's manifest, is found in the cargo hold.
Eph finds four survivors aboard the plane: computer programmer Ansel Arbour, attorney Joan Luss, rock star Gabriel Bolivar, and pilot Doyle Redfern. The CDC releases the passengers over Eph's objections when Luss threatens legal action, though Redfern voluntarily stays. Meanwhile, during a total solar eclipse over New York, the creature stowed aboard the plane manages to escape the airport and gain transport into the city. Abraham Setrakian, an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem, realizes what is happening and seeks out Eph and Nora and he urges them to immediately destroy the victims' bodies. Setrakian is arrested for trying to gain access to the morgue.
Over the next 24 hours, the four "survivors" gradually transform into vampires, while many of the "dead" passengers disappear from the morgue and return home to their families, spreading the vampire infection. Eph kills Redfern in self-defense and realizes that Setrakian's earlier warnings were true. Desperate to know what is going on, Eph bails Setrakian out of jail. Meanwhile, Gus Elizalde, a man who was paid by an anonymous man to unwittingly drive the coffin into Manhattan, kills a vampire in Times Square and is arrested, sharing his cell with Setrakian. Gus is urged by Setrakian to kill his friend Felix, who was bitten and infected by the vampire.
Setrakian reveals to Eph and Nora that vampires (Strigoi) are real, and that one of the seven original "Ancients" has come to America to infect its populace. Setrakian has already calculated that the New York infection will overtake the world in six months. He also warns that the seventh Ancient, "the Master," is being aided by a human accomplice. That same day, exterminator Vasily Fet visits a house in Tribeca to capture a rat. Because of similar cases, Fet suspects that something below ground is driving the rat population to the surface.
Following Setrakian's advice, Eph and Nora begin tracking down and dispatching the vampirized passengers. However, the trio are framed for Redfern's murder and forced to flee CDC headquarters. Setrakian explains they have one remaining course of action: because the vampires operate as part of a hive mind, they can contain the infection by destroying the Master. Eph goes to warn Zach and his ex-wife, Kelly, to leave New York; however, Kelly's jealous boyfriend Matt persuades her to ignore Eph's advice and wait out the crisis.
Eph finds evidence linking Eldritch Palmer, a wealthy investment banker, to the CDC. Setrakian, who has had past dealings with Palmer, deduces that Palmer is aiding the Master in exchange for immortality. After dispatching one of the "survivors," the trio are contacted by Fet. When they join forces, Fet quickly absorbs Setrakian's revelation about vampires and says he has found the Master's likely hiding place beneath World Trade Center site.
The Master confronts Eph and claims to have turned Kelly and Zach. Eph rushes to Kelly's house in Queens, where he kills a now-vampiric Matt. Zach appears unharmed, but Kelly is missing. Eph, Setrakian, and Fet enter the Master's lair and kill dozens of new vampires, driving the Master through an escape tunnel to Gabriel Bolivar's mansion. They drive him to the roof, where he is survives being scorched by sunlight before escaping. Setrakian admits that the Master has powers unlike any other vampire and that they now have no way to stop the plague from overtaking Manhattan.
While Gus is being transported out of the city in a police van, Felix turns and attacks the other prisoners. Gus escapes, killing Felix. When he runs home, he finds that his brother and mother have been turned. Gus emerges onto the street and fights several newly turned vampires, until a group of fully mature vampires appear and kill the new ones with specialized weapons. These vampire-hunters abduct Gus and take him to an abandoned mine outside Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where the three New World Ancients prepare their response to the Master's "incursion." They decide Gus, capable of moving about in daylight, will be conscripted as a vampire killer.
Returning to Kelly's home, Eph encounters one final horror: Kelly, now a vampire, is driven by a primal need to find and infect her son. Eph drives her away, knowing that she will never stop pursuing Zach unless she is destroyed. With Zach's help, Eph posts proof of the vampire plague online, and, for the first time in years - as he has been a recovering alcoholic - pours himself a drink. | violence | train | wikipedia | I'll start off by saying that this series compelled me to create an IMDb account.There are many things that makes this show one of my all time favorites: 1) The intense, noir setting 2) No unwanted random scenes (Everything contributes to the plot) 3) Fast paced (the beginning is a little slow but it's very gripping) 4) Del Torro and his direction 5) Great animation and CGI 6) Very believable and rational story line 7) Dark atmosphere and background 8) Apocalypse and survival strategiesI'm a person that enjoys dark, intense setting with good story line and action I love shows like Death Note (anime), Lost, Game of thrones, the 100, etcIf you like any of the above mentioned shows or a thrilling, dark themed apocalyptic series, you're going to absolutely love this!People who are asking so many questions right at the beginning of the show and are calling this stupid, are dumb AF.
The boy/son was hard to watch, he came off bratty & not a great actor (sorry, I know he's a kid) The ending, I won't spoil but was disappointing for a season finale.
Quite obviously they are having difficulty filling a 50 minutes episode.Plot holes are not where it stops, some of the main actors should have been sucked out by the master just on poor performance.
The story is very nice and the effects are quite good for cable television.The acting is nice but is not the main point of the show, some characters are not as believable as they should but generally it is pretty good.Of course I am a little biased since this like apocalypse stuff + vampires + fallen angels and all kind of stuff that I love.Anyhow if you don't like the genre then don't watch it just because of Del Torro.
For those looking for a quick fix, yearning to have it all figured out by the end of the pilot episode, your reviews highlight your frustration and this may not be the show for you.This series has fantastic potential and is off to a great start.
I read the trilogy (I recommend to all whether you watch the series or not - very good!) and while reading I couldn't help but imagine what a great trilogy of movies they would make!
There are so many characters in the books and so many parallel story lines that a series is the only way to do justice to the books - and justice they have done so far with episode one!
As the series True Blood draws to a close this year and thankfully Twilight is concluded, it's high time for a new kind of terrifying vampire - not some handsome man but a scary, deadly, disgusting beast!
For something that started out pretty good to became so damn unbearable, it's unbelievable.Scientifically trying to explain the clearly supernatural is one thing, but the terrible, unreasonable choices characters make is a wholly different.
Their choices to face danger when it's not necessary, to go alone when they'd clearly need help to survive (which they do anyway 'cus 'plot armor'), to overdramatize everything and continue to whine about it for seasons to come, to actively push the boundaries of stupidity...The show started out as a solid 7, maybe even an 8, with an intriguing story, interesting design choices, it was mysterious and even scary, but they managed to ruin it all and turn it into a show where characters have casual conversations and calmly drink themselves under the table while they're under attack from horrors, and spectacularly screw up the solution to mankind's survival, which earned similarly spectacular 1/10 rating from me.With all the terrible choices, plot conveniences, plot holes, plot armor, horrid writing and whatever else, this is just milking the cash-cow now.
Finished 3 seasons, I'm most definitely not going to start the 4th.If you're really interested in the show, watch the first season and then stop right there and forget about it because with each episode, it gets worse and worse.
We are spoilt now on the small screen with great writers delivering extraordinary dialogue, A- List actors weaving their magic and sh*t hot directors pulling it all together in series such as Fargo, True Detective and Breaking Bad. And then there's this crap.
Del Toro said in an interview that he wanted this to be a series, rather than a movie trilogy, as that gave more room for character- and story development.
It actually came to the point whee I started disliking the people I was supposed to care about, and began hoping for them to die (but of course they don't, no matter what).Yet I kept watching, having been led to believe that there only would be three seasons.
I am flabbergasted by how the writers continue to amaze with their story line in each episode.This show is not your typical boring vampire story because it thinks the whole thing differently with gory, scientific and captivating way.The fact that Dracula as we have come to know it was really possessed by an ancient alien makes the story more captivating.
It tries so much to be like The Walking Dead but the acting sucks big time, no story, no anything really.
I have a lot of respect to Guillermo del Toro, he have a real passion for the unknown, the weird and the magical, hell boy was a unique film and a great jumps start, but unfortunately some bad choices prevents his following movies to enter the hall of fame.
Pacific Rim suffered from megalomania and too much mechanical noise.and now came the strain, a series that like del Toro's films could be perfect if only there wasn't any of del Toro's bad choices.first of all - the acting, none of the lead actors is capable to lead the show, they all had experience in supporting roles but none of the charm or the acting ability to stand in the front.
"The master" monster - The same problem with Pan's Labyrinth main monster character happens here too, OK, I get it, del Toro wanted to reanimated the classic (and not sexy) original vampire but the result doesn't project any horror, it's looks ridiculous and disappointing, are we afraid?
I don't think so.so in conclusion, the series could be great if it wasn't for the bad choices del Toro makes, and because we are talking about such a promising director, it's disappointing even more.
You only have to see the first ten minutes of the pilot to understand what I mean, and It really doesn't get better either.You'll spend most of your time screaming at your screen shouting things like "WTF, you dumb f**k!" or "oh..
The only thing I think 90% of people are watching the show for anyway.Don't get me wrong, this movie has a really great premise, and has (had) glimmers of potential.
The first few episodes are a bit misleading (you might think that it's going be very serious and realistic- "oh sweet they're gonna use science to combat the vampirism" NOPE JUST KILL IT LIKE YOU WOULD KILL A ZOMBIE) and you really need to suspend your disbelief a lot.
That being said it's still got plenty of room for improvement if gets green lighted for more seasons.TLDR; Don't go in expecting anything too intelligent but if you're looking for some B-movie-like vampire slaying entertainment then you could do a lot worse.
This show is in many ways very similar to Helix which also have crappy actors, bad script, plot holes unlikable characters but at least it had some suspense.
You wanted to know what happened next, in the season final of the strain I got so bored I fast forward.
That left aside however it's movie quality stuff in a TV series and worth a watch for any horror fan - updated now for the 3rd series, unlike the books which gallop along at an excellent pace this is being drawn out with unnecessary fluff.
The plot revolves around a very unlikeable character who never really seems to develop throughout the series and you never really feel any sort of suspense, and are kinda happy when people get killed off because they were very annoying.The acting is just awful, starting at the top the health inspector is the most likable and interesting character, they somehow make him the most interesting character in the show.
They couldn't even get technology right, I guess they didn't have the budget to get a entry level tech person in there to make writing suggestions, I wish they would just kill her off because she is the MOST annoying character.They should have used CGI for the master vampire, when they FINALLY show him he looks like a rubber puppet, It was laughable and disappointing waiting for that moment only to see a overgrown 'yoda' puppet causing all this so called chaos.
IF this show gets renewed I might give it a second chance for next season, but that is speculation that I will decide to break away from doing work to actually participate in dragging myself through more episodes of boredom and bad acting..
I'm amazed that he can leave a feature film like Pacific Rim with so many flaws and yet produce a stellar show such as this - now heading onto the third and possibly final season - which pulls out all the stops and competes with some of the best dramas out there as a horror show!
The Strain is a slightly new take on the vampire legend in the way that only Del Toro could bring and cleverly connects the present day with legend, lore and historic drama.The premise allows for darkness and evil to grip New York from the troubled projects on up to the highest echelons of the wealthy and influential while the humble and the lost conflict over their own personal adversities.
There are so many characters from different backgrounds that if you never read the novels or comics, you don't know who is truly for good but you'll feel for them, even some of the villains.Portraying the most flawed protagonists that you could ever expect, the likes of Corey Stoll, David Bradley and Kevin Durand slam out perfect performances every time, as do the rest of the cast.
And with support from the likes of Doug Jones, Stephen McHattie, Rupert Penry-Jones, Leslie Hope, Samantha Mathis, Sean Astin and Andrew Divoff, it's like a modern day X-Files on a deadline.Fantastic special effects every time, no expenses spared, strong episodes every time and oodles of intrigue will leave every horror fan binge-watching just to see what happens every next episode.For television this is a solid 10/10!.
I was looking forwards to watching this new series, aka the strain thinking that it would offer something refreshing to the usual humdrum science fiction series we have on our screens these days.
After watching a lot of real amazing series like Lost, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Sex Feed Under, The Walking Dead I have a pretty good idea what good screenplay, good development of characters and good acting means.
I just started watching this show on Hulu and it's quite interesting in the beginning, but after watching the first episode I knew something is really off with the characters and the story line.
You just survived out of the other 200+ passengers of that plane and you obviously got a look of your face/skin, being advised for a quarantine -- then what, just disobey it and come visit your family like what the hell happened to me, I'm going to infect my family/loved ones.
Still some good actors in the batch, even if they are wickedly under-used, such as the criminally under-rated Kevin Durand and the afore-mentioned Stoll.Alas, the "dramatically convenient stupidity" has been cranked up a notch in Ep1 of Season 2 (who goes hunting known vampire master in the dark without backup?) and the intellect of the characters seems to have been largely dialed back this season.
The first two episodes of The Strain are reasonably well paced, offering some genuinely creepy scares with a "hybrid" premise that mixes up the end of world virus/zombie/vampire genres.
I didn't know what this was about but it pulled me in with its dark atmosphere and horror.The Strain focuses on a strange vampire like virus that causes an outbreak in New York City after about hundreds of people aboard an aircraft are strangely dead.
But it is only the first episode and I'm sure, like all shows, the writing picks up and gets much better.
This series started so promising that I was convinced that I am looking at a masterpiece but everything went downhill fast and the finale of season 1 felt like cold shower.
So far, it's badly acted, miss-directed, has a terrible script and where I had high hopes for the special effects, coming from the Director of Pans Labyrinth, I find this series extremely underwhelming.
It's a long time ago that I watched utterly garbage like The Strain.
Zombie-like mind-controlled people - check, omnipresent evil corporation - check, guy who knows what's up, but is ignored - check, kind and smart protagonist who steps out of character to completely ignore "guy who knows what's up" for no apparent reason - check, threat arriving from a foreign country - check.I could go on listing the trademarks of bad writing like the ridiculous ways characters react to blackmail or the completely inconsistent way a biological threat is treated, but anyone who has ever seen a B movie knows what to expect.Despite the above, the show is well shot and acted.
Plain and uninspired plot mixed with a ton of clichés just to see a few moments of cool-looking effects - it is OK if you want to waste some nobrainer time but better spend it on a classic like X-Files or anything else.P.S.: The lowest minimum of review on IMDb is 10 lines so I'm going to spend it on some keywords: ---an attempt to give live to a cardboard main character by trying to add some unnecessary family drama to him ---clichéd special agent pair of a young woman and a man ---clichéd "I told you, you didn't listen" protagonist ---some random worms ---the most clichéd expandable characters available: a goth, a bitch and and asshole ---cliched deadly little girl ---random character behaviour to make plot going ---it's not worth your time.
It's clear that the writer Guillermo del Toro, who is most famous for his work with Hellboy and, my personal favorite, Pan's Labrynth, has taken a lot of inspiration from the very old, Victorian novel, "Dracula." This show has started with great pace, suspense, and good acting.
This kind of agitated me.I'm still eager to watch the rest of the series to see what happens but I definitely would like the show to be one thing rather than throwing in all these different plot points..
So I am really anxious to get around watching the following seasons.The story told in "The Strain" is a story which is driven by a great storyline, script and combination of colorful and detailed characters.
It is a story put together by the fates of random people coming together in the face of utter annihilation at the mercy of a vile vampire who is pulling the strings from behind the scenes - so to speak.The series makes good use of a combination of present and past events, tying together the storyline quite nicely, and bringing the audience up to pace with the events in a very stylish and entertaining manner.I enjoy the whole thrill and sense of lurking doom that permeates the series; at least throughout season one.
And the characters in the series are really nicely fleshed out, rich in detail and story, and that really makes them come off as being actual real people.And also the special effects in "The Strain" did help the series along quite nicely, because the special effects team had put together some very interesting touches to the traditional vampire genre, and totally brought about something new and exciting."The Strain" is a MUST watch for any fans of the horror and vampire genres..
If the following episodes are not only 20 minutes short or paved with fillers I really do not know how they want to fit the high expectations with which they left the viewer after the pilot.I hope the best for this series and will continue this review....
That is why The Strain is a masterpiece of its kind.On every episode it has the proper balance between action & dialogues and on top of this is has amazing flashbacks that shed light to the main charactersOn the contrary Walking Dead is filled more with unnecessary soap opera dialogues and way too less action that makes it boring.Z Nation is way too low budget with many gaps in the scenarioThe Strain also combines elements from both zombies/vampires and Guillermo del Toro as a producer guarantees that one If you really like Blade 2/Hellboy/28 Days Later that is a must see!.
It has a lot of good ideas from other series and movies mixed into the story.
To give credit where it's due, the episode ended well—a scene that could have become an effects bloodbath heavy on worms and proboscises, del Toro presents as a tender father-daughter reunion--like a great horror director he leaves the rest to our imaginations—but given The Strain's assumption that viewers will be perfectly happy to see other people's leftovers presented as a master's chef's weekly special, as a viewer I am not tempted to continue..
OK there are some plot holes that could have done better but this fantastic and looking forward to watch the rest of the series..
Cause the pace did get up, and the acting did got better, and it has gotten to be a fun-to-watch kind of show where the 45 or so minutes don't feel like 65 (as the first few episodes), but more like 35. |
tt1848832 | Crawl | Slim Walding (Paul Holmes), a pompous bar owner, hires a laconic, nameless Croatian (George Shevtsov) to kill an acquaintance over an unpaid debt. The crime is carried out, but the culprit intentionally leaves behind the murder weapon: an antique pistol belonging to Slim (thus framing him for the homicide). However, as the Croatian makes his getaway, he accidentally runs down a stranded motorist. Now burdened with a bloodied corpse and a wrecked vehicle, the murderer seeks refuge at a nearby, isolated house. There, he holds a young woman, Marilyn Burns (Georgina Haig), hostage.
The Croatian then learns that Marilyn's fiancee is the motorist he has killed. In order to make an escape on a motorcycle (the only vehicle at hand), he ventures back to the crash site to retrieve the man's keys. There, the Croatian murders the fiancee, after discovering he is in fact still alive. Later, Slim realises that his prized pistol has been stolen and that he has been set up. Upon learning the Croatian's whereabouts, he heads off looking for revenge. At the house, however, after freeing a gagged and bound Marilyn, Slim is killed when the Croatian unexpectedly attacks him with an axe.
Marilyn, terrified, attempts to escape the house and soon finds herself involved in a cat-and-mouse chase with the mysterious intruder. Eventually, a fight erupts between the two of them, and the Croatian is subsequently shot dead by the hostage he underestimated. | suspenseful, murder | train | wikipedia | I attended a screening of this impressive movie last night at FrightFest in Glasgow, also in attendance were the China Brothers.After reading some critic reviews of the movie where it was described as a "slow burner" etc I prepared myself for 60 minutes of tortuous nothingness followed by 30 minutes of manic catching up before ending in a bang.Crawl was not a slow burner.
Crawl is a brilliantly crafted work of suspense, tension and horror.
From the very beginnings, the China Brothers mould their characters in front of you, building them into solid centerpieces of their film - without giving too much away - the casting of the three main actors in this is perfect, and, given they only had a very limited script to work with, they deliver the tense and suspenseful scenes with powerful ease.Location, actors, storyline, delivery and end product are all perfect, and I look forward to Brothers' future work with great anticipation, as they lavish such care and attention on their work, that they deserve a far wider release with Crawl and future films.Don't miss this if it visits a cinema near you - you won't be disappointed..
As the other reviewer (only other one at this point of time), I did watch this at the Frightfest in Glasgow.
I really liked the suspense the movie created and the filmmakers really did a nice job of capturing intense on film!
While of course the movie could've been over sooner (if not for "movie logic"), this doesn't mean you have to dislike the movie for this suspension of disbelief.I sure hope you don't, because the movie would not be worth anything, if you start thinking like this.
And I know what I'm talking about, because I do have those moments myself sometimes with movies.
But this one was so fantastical, so otherworldly (great cinematography btw), that I didn't watch it as anything other than a tale or a fable (with horror mixed into it of course).While I also wouldn't exactly call it a slow burner, it isn't really fast paced either.
You've got to know that this will not rush through things and will take its time to go places.
I'm a fan of low budget horror films, from Brain dead to The Loved Ones, on to the Irish film Grabbers.
However, this has the feel of a director who thinks he's directing an art movie.
The acting was good, but that's the movies only saving grace.
If you read the online comments on various internet message boards, you'll see phrases like 'a thinking man's horror film' and 'highly atmospheric.' Then, when people - sadly, like me - who simply describe the film as 'boring,' we get criticised for 'only liking the lowest form of film' and 'not appreciating it.' It's about a seedy bar-owner who hires a mysterious hit-man to do away with an out-of-favour colleague.
However, things go wrong and the hit-man ends up stalking a hapless (and overly-perfect, in my opinion) barmaid who works at the bar.I'm afraid, for all the high-brow talk about Crawl, I just found it dull.
These scenes repeat at various intervals all the way through the film and you're just as well fast forwarding them and watching the speeded-up version (as you'll see what's happening at a fraction of the screen-time).I don't just watch Michael Bay films and movies filled with endless car chases.
I do watch other movies where I also have to (occasionally) use my head to figure things out.
However, I just couldn't help but get bored with this.Obviously, judging by the amount of positive praise there is out there for this film, then it has found an audience out there somewhere - I'm just one of those philistines who didn't appreciate it.
1 point is still way too much for this, I watched it because another review said it was great, it really isn't though, unless you have no brain whatsoever.it has a very poor acting & an even worse story, an ending you can see coming from a million miles away even if it's only 1 single shot.
cutting vegetables with eerie violin strokes can be a good thing but not when every living soul knows whats going to happen next.
For me the worst part is the lameness of the story: a guy comes home after a period a being far away to propose to his girl, but his car breaks down within visual distance of their house..
instead of walking the last 3 minutes (that's how long other characters in the movie need for it) he decides to wait for help by standing in the middle of the road & gets run over by some driver who wasn't paying attention.....
The only good thing about this movie is that the main character is a hot chick, but me being a single male i realize that isn't an objective opinion ;p.
One of the dullest so-called thrillers I've seen in a long time, CRAWL has aspirations to be the next classic Aussie movie.
The only good thing I can say about it is that director Paul China clearly knows his movies, but there's being inspired by and ripping off, and CRAWL falls into the latter category.
In various press releases, China and his brother are described as the new Coen Brothers, but CRAWL is more like a Coen Brothers rip-off.The opening scene is about the most memorable bit in it and even that rips off NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN like nobody's business.
After this point we're in BLOOD SIMPLE territory, with a slow-burning plot involving a small cast who come together on one fateful night.
There's no artistry here, no suspense or gripping moments, just a film that eventually becomes silly because it's so po-faced.It doesn't help that the script fails to breathe life into the various uninteresting characters, or that the cast members are singularly unmemorable.
But by far the worst thing about this is the director himself, who has no idea of how to make a thriller work.
I think even I, with zero training in film-making, could have done a better job..
A seedy bar owner hires a mysterious Croatian to commit murder, but a planned double-crossing backfires when a young waitress is taken hostage.
A suspenseful, yet darkly humorous chain of events builds to a bloodcurdling climax.The biggest problem with this film is that it has a silly title.
But it is not obvious to anyone who has not yet seen the film, so it might dissuade them from giving it a chance.There is action, blood and gore.
This Australian neo-noir crime thriller is the film debut by the China brothers.
It is all but impossible to avoid comparisons to "Blood Simple" (1984), the first film by the Coen brothers.
Both films take a simple story about grubby small-time criminals and turn it into an impressive showcase of cinematic style and fluid technique.
The sketchy plot concerns a seedy bar owner (well played by William Garvey) in a rural town who hires an enigmatic Croatian hit-man (George Shevtsov) to murder an old enemy.
Anyone who has ever seen a horror movie knows that searching for an intruder in an empty house is just asking for trouble.
The hit-man, in particular, does all sorts of strange things for no apparent reason.
Instead, the three principals are thrown together by a series of implausible coincidences.There is just one scene with a bit of character development, which also (sort of) explains the enigmatic title.
One of his waitresses owes him money (details are never explained, of course) and she works off $100 of her debt by submissively "giving him the crawl" on all fours then going over his lap for a hard hand spanking.Someday, this film may become a landmark, like "Blood Simple", not for what it delivers, but for what it promises.
The China brothers are clearly bursting with talent and ambition and will almost certainly create some stylish and memorable films in the future.
This one definitely had scary elements to it but by the end of the movie, I had this weird feeling of being mislead.
The whole movie has a very dark comedy feel to it, but it mostly leaves you feeling confused and a little bored.
It's still worth watching because there are some definite creepy situations but overall, nothing new that you probably haven't already seen.Please like me on Facebook!
"Crawl" refers to how time crawls in this movie.
very little intrigue,...action seems to get started but each time momentum dies off with long boring sequences.So "Crawl" refers to how time crawls in this movie.Do yourself a favor, keep your remote handy and your finger on the fast forward button,...one sure sign of whether a movie is good is if you would like to see it again - this is a definite no.Ram. The troubles a little drugs can get you in.
It builds suspense, but is neither a thriller, a horror, a splatter or a comedy, though it's got elements of all.
I found the film an enjoyable and entertaining watch, though no masterpiece.
Highly inspired by both Hitchcock and Coens, to which the film pays homages more than once.We right from the starts meet "the Croatian hit-man", which is a quiet guy of few words, as opposed to the rest of the Australians.
He does a job effectively, but from there it seems to go wrong.Well acted by all, with a bunch of odd characters in some underdeveloped roles, does keep the film from getting a large fanbase, I guess.The film is oddly slow between the action parts.
You think it will bring comedy, when it does not, and you are over and over surprised by what the persons in the film are deciding and doing.
I guess a lot of movie viewing is making us expect what to happen next.
Director Paul China is a British first time director and does have n interesting style.
Wanting to be the Coen Brothers is not that Blood Simple, you know.
The poster image for "Crawl" spawns a whole miscellany of glorifying words and an accumulation of prizes won at random international festivals, but – as secretly feared – the movie itself eventually turned out a terrible disappointment.
I don't know what kind of jury hands over these awards, but I bet they think of themselves as important and knowledgeable cinema experts.
I can name a whole lot of things wrong about "Crawl", but most important key errors would definitely be boredom and pretension.
"Crawl" isn't a so-called slow burner; it's a dead waste!
Some quotes claim that the China brothers (Paul and Benjamin) are as talented as the Coen brothers, but I feel they're just lame wannabe copycats.
The Chinas are probably even less talented than the Coen brothers' most distant cousins from their father's side of the family and "Crawl" can't hold a candle to their amazing debut "Blood Simple" and most certainly not against their widely acclaimed masterpiece "No Country for Old Men".
Even more annoying, however, is Paul China's complete lack of knowledge on how to build atmosphere and/or generate suspense.
You don't create tension just by stretching every scene five times longer than necessary.
Aborting sub plots all of a sudden does not make your movie artistic.
The more I think back about my "Crawl" viewing experience, the more frustrated I get.
It's just a downright inept movie with a retarded plot, and I will illustrate this through three simple bullet points: 1) the events take place in a remote and incredibly small town community.
And secondly, how does the bartender ever think he will get away with conspiracy to murder in a small community where every inhabitant knows about your quarrel with the victim?
2) Nobody, and I really do mean nobody, walks around his/her own house or work place at such slow pace as the people here.
3) If your car breaks down at approximately five minutes walking distance from your destination, you don't aimlessly hang around and throw yourself in front of another car hoping the driver will help!
Truly retarded movie; the only two stars go out to lead actresses Georgina Haig and Lauren Dillon for being so cute..
I'm a big fan of clever movies and sometimes feel the less action the better, but wow is this utter garbage.
Either that or the director thought drawing everything out five times longer than needed was a good substitute for suspense.
Other than the excruciatingly slow pace, and the multiple references to crawling that weren't clever at all the move suffered many other issues.
At the heart was a hit man who was older than my grandfather (easily 80 and looked about as threatening), an idiot fiancé, a overly creepy bar owner (I mean who would work there after the interview?), and a heroine that moved at a snails pace and stared every time there was the slightest noise.
The worse criticism I can give is that the movie was relatively short at just under 80 minutes, but still seemed 40 minutes too long.The acting was decent and the lead actress was very attractive, but the lack of character development made it pretty irrelevant who lived or died.
In short unless you really like slow, painful movies without any payoff skip this clunker..
This is not a horror movie.
This movie should have lasted for forty minutes but again and we get the same shot take over and over again.The plot is some twaddle about a Croatian dude trying to kidnap some woman.
Spoiler alert.The only funny bit in the whole movie regards a chocolate cake left outside a door.
Also it has a good sound track but in the end the movie just leaves you with the thought why did I bother.
An interesting but incomplete effort by first time director Paul China..
The Croatian comes to town and sanctions (kills for hire) the owner of a petrol station, Rusty Sapp.
He gets paid by the Slim Walding (who owns the bar where most of the other characters work) and leaves town.
He's looking for transportation, but Travis had the truck as well as the keys to the old motorcycle.The police come visit Slim Walding about the murder of Rusty Sapp.
Later, Slim and Holly play the spanking game to work off Holly's debt to Slim.
He makes her crawl to him before she gets over his knee, bares her bottom, then spanks her hard.The Croatian goes back and kills what's left of Travis, then steals the engagement ring from the corpse.
Slim finds his gun missing; he figures he's being set up.
He drives to Marilyn's house, finds Travis' blood, Travis' truck, but not Travis.
He sees the blood from the Croatian's wounded leg.
The Croatian comes in and disrupts their conversation.
-----Scores-------Cinematography: 10/10 Excellent.Sound: 8/10 The incidental music was often spot on, but sometimes overbearingly loud.Acting: 7/10 Just fine if one likes the acting style that the Coen brothers favour.Screenplay: 7/10 Just what was the plot against Slim?
How did the Croatian come into play here?
George Shevtsov plays a slow and methodical Croatian hitman.
Through circumstances he ends up broken down at Marilyn's (Georgina Haig) house.
She is an employee of Slim (Paul Holmes) who hired "the Croat" to perform the hit.
At this point we have the home break-in formula.The film utilizes a 1950's suspense thriller soundtrack.
***SPOILERS**** Totally bazaar movie about this creepy Croation hit-man, George Shevtsov,given a job by an sweaty looking Australian bar owner Slim Walding,Paul Holmes,to do in a scuzzy and greasy looking auto mechanic Rusty Sapp,Bob Newman, for welshing on a debt that he owned him.
With the job complete and and Rusty having his brains blown out the Croation leaves the murder weapon at the scene of the crime so the police can find it and frame Walding, whom the gun belonged to, for the murder!
There's just on problem in all this is that as the Croatian was making his getaway he hit and fatally injured biker Joe Travis,Andy Barclay, wrecking his car and leaving him out in the cold.The Croatian looking for a place to stay for the evening finds this house that waitress Marilyn Burns,Georgina Haig, was living in with her boyfriend who just happened to be Joe Travis the person that the Croatian ran down and left for dead.
Desperate to check out of the area before the police arrive the Croatian ties up Marilyn and at the same time goes back to the accident site and murders the brain dead Travis to cover his tracks and leave no witnesses to his crime.
There's also Slim after finding out that his gun is missing and the Croatian stole it to use to murder Rusty and as insurance frame him for it.
Slim after taking a brake in the action and having a game of "The Crawl" with his other waitress Holly,Lauren Dillon,whom he ends up spanking black & blue then goes to Marilyn place, thinking that his gun was there, only to end up getting axed to death by the Croation who was there waiting for him!****SPOILERS**** The films ends with Marilyn getting the upper hand on the Croatian who's too clumsy and uncoordinated, due to the injury he suffered in his car accident,to finish her off.
Off beat movie with long stretches of almost no talking at all as the Croatian bumbles his way through the house after Marilyn slipping and falling in his effort to get and kill her.
As for Marilyn she was lucky that the Croatian seemed to have taken a liking to her and let her escape when she was helplessly tied up and ended up doing the wild and crazy guy in.
That after the Croatian had so many chances to kill her and let just her slip away from him. |
tt0040202 | Call Northside 777 | In Chicago in 1932, during Prohibition, a policeman is murdered inside a speakeasy. Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) and another man are quickly arrested, and are later sentenced to serve 99 years imprisonment each for the killing. Eleven years later, Wiecek's mother (Kasia Orzazewski) puts an ad in the newspaper offering a $5,000 reward for information about the true killers of the police officer.
This leads the city editor of the Chicago Times, Brian Kelly (Lee J. Cobb), to assign reporter P.J. McNeal (James Stewart) to look more closely into the case. McNeal is skeptical at first, believing Wiecek to be guilty. But he starts to change his mind, and meets increased resistance from the police and the state attorney's office, who are unwilling to be proved wrong. This is quickly followed by political pressure from the state capital, where politicians are anxious to end a story that might prove embarrassing to the administration. Eventually, Wiecek is proved innocent by, among other things, the enlarging of a photograph showing the date on a newspaper that proves that a key witness statement was false. In actuality, innocence was determined not as claimed in the film but when it was found out that the prosecution had suppressed the fact that the main witness had initially declared that she could not identify the two men involved in the police shooting. | romantic, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | The case then turns on Stewart's ability to locate a missing witness, his growing belief in Wiecek's innocence and the use of a wire-photo, then a new and unusual technology, to prove that this star witness for the prosecution had been shown the accused--standard illegal police procedure--before she had made her original identification.
Based on a true story, "Call Northside 777" follows P.J. McNeal, a newspaper reporter played by James Stewart, as he investigates a decade old murder case.
Filmed on location in and around Chicago, it tells the story of a newspaperman who comes to believe in the innocence of a convicted criminal when the man's aged mother places an ad in the paper asking for information about the by now almost forgotten crime her son was accused of.At first cynical, the reporter comes to believe the man's story, and arranges for him submit to a lie-detector test, which he passes.
Some 11 years on, tough cookie reporter P.J. McNeal gets involved with the case, the further he delves, the more he believes that Wiecek is innocent, but can he find evidence to back up his belief?Filmed in semi-documentary style by director Henry Hathaway, this James Stewart led noir thriller oozes realism from start to finish.
Based on the real story of the Joe Majczek case in 1933, it's filmed perfectly on location in Chicago {where the actual events happened}, gloriously mood emphasised by Joe MacDonald's superb black & white cinematography, and scored with tonal adroitness by Alfred Newman.
As intrepid Chicago Times reporter McNeal {based on real reporter Jim McGuire who was a Pulitzer Prize winner for his investigative efforts on this case}, James Stewart lays down a marker for the more edgier character roles that would follow for him in the 50s.
Call Northside 777 is in some ways a very interesting film, but it's crime drama, and a surprisingly slow one, filled with talk and persuasion and almost no action, almost no suspense.It does have two first rate actors, the impeccable James Stewart who makes the most of this (and saves the film from mediocrity), and James Lee Cobb playing a news editor, a great secondary to Stewart's role as a determined reporter.
It deals with a hard-boiled Chicago reporter P.J. McNeal (James Stewart) assigned by his publisher (Lee J Cobb) to investigate a strange information .
In fact, in this film it looked like it was a hopeless case for much of the time.The bad news is that the movie just wasn't good enough to add to my film noir collection.
The acting is good....James Stewart playing his usual straight shooter down to earth corny blustery stammering when indignantly angry character.What it lacks is suspense and as another reviewer stated it missed a wonderful scene where the perjuring witness Wanda would be exposed.The denouement involves state of art technology of the time....wired photographs and enlarging techniques.What was needed was a more talented writer to come up with some suspense.It gets a solid 7.RECOMMEND.
The only real witness is a mail carrier, who is oddly dispensed of in the script...Eleven years later, a classified titled "Call Northside 777" is placed in the "Chicago Times" by Mr. Conte's hardworking mother Kasia Orzazewski (as Tillie Wiecek).
CALL NORTHSIDE 777 is a fascinating semi-documentary filmed in realistic style by Henry Hathaway and featuring a fine central performance by JAMES STEWART, as a newspaper reporter anxious to prove that an innocent man is still serving time for a crime he never committed.Others in the cast do their standard good work, including RICHARD CONTE as the wrongly convicted man, LEE J.
But most of the supporting players are no-names who give an authentic feel to all the minor roles, as does the fact that the film uses actual Chicago locations which gives the whole story an added flavor of realism.Although the ending should come as no surprise to anyone aware that justice will be done, getting the solution to an eleven-year old murder is what counts here.
The black & white photography actually enhances the story, giving the appearance of the photographic archival "morgues", maintained by newspapers as a permanent, historical records' file.The casting of Jimmy Stewart as the Chicago Times' Reporter, P.J.McNeal assured a heroic, yet realistic portrayal of a real reporter.
Eleven years after being given life sentences for killing a Chicago cop during the Prohibition years, two shady-seeming guys are still protesting their innocence; propelled by the mother of one of the prisoners, a somewhat-doubtful newspaper reporter writes a series of popular stories which may uncover the truth.
Based on a true story, a Chicago newspaper reporter named McNeal (Stewart) investigates a newspaper ad offering a reward for the killer of a cop that was murdered years ago.
No nonsense crime docudrama, based on a true story, about a reporter (James Stewart) working to find evidence to free a man wrongly convicted of killing a police officer eleven years before.
Released in 1948 - This intense, well-scripted Crime/Drama, starring James Stewart and Richard Conte, was greatly enhanced by excellent location shooting in and around Chicago.Apparently based on actual events, this b&w gem from the glorious 40s was partially shot in a semi-documentary format.Call Northside 777 tells the in-depth tale of hard-nosed news-reporter, P.J. McNeal, at the Chicago Times, who eventually proves that a man who was sentenced to life in prison for shooting down a police officer 11 years earlier was wrongly convicted.As the evidence of this man's innocence begins to slowly take shape, McNeal's skepticism soon turns around as he finds himself going well out of his way in search for justice for this man.This first-rate motion picture was directed by Henry Hathaway whose other notable films include - The Dark Corner, Niagara, and True Grit..
Not just a police procedural, but also a newspaper and justice system procedural, taking the viewer on a sometimes overly painstaking trail through all these processes, integral to James Stewart's reporter character's investigation of the wrongful imprisonment of a Polish immigrant for the murder of a policeman over 10 years before.The film is refreshingly free of the stock (over)dramatic depictions of cases like this, one would hope as much for reasons of respect to the true source story as well as the director's right to find a new way to portray crime stories in post-War Hollywood.
The convicted innocent's line that the problem with being innocent is that you don't know what actually happened at the crime scene (because he wasn't there) is an excellent summation of his and Stewart's predicament in trying to dig up the truth.The acting is really very good, Stewart excellent as the cynical reporter who turns from exploiter to investigator, Lee J Cobb, solid and believable as his crusty, crafty editor and Richard Conte creditably downplaying the potential for hamminess that his "victim" role could have led him to, but there are no weak links here.An influential film then in its use of near-documentary realism to tell its story, it works very well as a cinematic entertainment too, just as it should..
P J McNeal (Stewart)is reporter for the Chicago Times who is asked to look into an advertisement (mentioning a reward for someone who could investigate the case) sent by the mother of the convicted.
As it turned out the person who fingered the man who gunned down Officer Bundy ex-con Frank Wiecek, Richard Conte, was the speakeasy owner Wanda Skutnik, Betty Grade, who had since disappeared from off the face of the earth.It's 12 years later in 1944 that Wiecek's mom Tillie, Kasia Orzazewski, put an ad in a local newspaper, The Chicago Times, offering a $5,000.00 reward-by calling her at Northside 777-for anyone who can come up with evidence exonerating her son in Officer Bundy's murder.
It's now up to McNeal to track this Wanda Skutnik down,if in fact she's still alive, and get her to tell the truth or else Wiecek will spent the rest of his natural life behind bars!***SPOILERS*** Hard hitting film noir crime drama filmed entirely in Chicago that has investigative reporter Jim McNeal turn over every stone to find evidence in proving that Frank Wiecek is innocent in a crime he was convicted of 12 years ago.
One often forgets how great Hathaway was ;his career encompasses such classics as 'lives of a Bengal lancer" "Peter Ibbetson" "kiss of death" or "Niagara " ;"call Northside 777" is as good as these ;it's not really a film noir like " the dark corner" or " kiss of death" ;the villains work behind the scenes.The audience does not side with the hero,a journalist in the first third ,where he appears as a go getter journalist looking for a scoop to boost his career .Little by little,while looking at the other people's plight (the old mom sweeping the floor,the wife trying to recreate a home for her boy,the dignity of the prisoner ),his moral fiber grows and when he begins a last fight against all odds -I've got no more friends,says the mom;(correcting herself)I've still got one friend- faith in God is the only way the prisoner and his mom can still hope - "Call Northside 777" features unforgettable scenes : the lie detector-the viewer has the strange feeling of being in the convict's shoes" - or the enlargement of the news paper -with a good sense of suspense-.Based on a true story.They do not say what happened to the second prisoner after Wiecek's release..
The latter played by Richard Conte has been imprisoned for 99 years in his part with killing a police officer.After Tessie puts an ad in the newspaper offering a reward, reporter Jimmy Stewart becomes interested in the case and does a fabulous job in exposing police corruption, 11 years before, when the murder occurred.Stealing the picture is a terrific supporting performance by Bette Garde, who plays Wanda Skutnik, a speak-easy old broad who identified Wiecek as one of the killers.The picture totally captures the period of Chicago in Polish neighborhoods from 1932-1943.
Call Northside 777 is based on the true story of a newspaper reporter working to free a man sentenced to 99 years in prison for a murder he did not commit.
At first, the reporter for the Chicago newspaper, played by Jimmy Stewart, goes to visit the mother of an guy who's serving 99 years in jail for killing a cop.
James Stewart (reporter James McNeal) starts working on an overwhelmingly hopeless case with all possible odds against him, but he never gives up.It's a heroic tale from real life of a journalist's quest for the truth at any cost with the sole possible award tempting him on being his conviction that the truth finally will prevail.Only the realism of the film of all the dungiest parts of immigrant Chicago and other insights behind the hard walls of the city makes it a classic for all times.
Henry Hathaway directed this film based on a true story about a wrongfully imprisoned man(played by Richard Conte) who was convicted of murdering a policeman in 1932.
After meeting the convict, Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte), McNeal shakes off his natural cynicism and begins to wonder, too."Call Northside 777" gets plaudits for debuting a new and tougher postwar Stewart and as an early example of the realist docudrama school of film-making.
The film leaves open some key questions, though it's only fair to point out that the same was true with the real-life event upon which the movie was based.Conte especially is very good, while Stewart and Cobb play off each other well.
The additional commentary on the DVD by James Ursiniand and Alain Silver is insightful and adds to the full enjoyment of the film and how it was created.While at the same time discouraged at the after-taste of a story that serves to re-affirm the basic tenets of the post-war nihilism, where no one is guilty in a world where basic survival practices fall short of an ideal value system.The 1948 film directed by Henry Hathaway released by Twentieth Century-Fox has plenty to admire and the visuals, acting and script elements all contribute to its appeal.Based on an actual event the whole story supposedly dramatizes documented facts, much of which is leading to a point with no resolution, and leaves us wondering about the truth.The script by Jerome Cady and Jay Dratler feature many technological advances like the new-fangled lie detector test that Richard Conte is strapped to.
The featured bit of technology is a photography wire machine that allows James Stewart to expand a part of a newspaper photo as evidence.The commentary track is a great resource for some of the back-story about why the star James Stuart did the film, and the fact that he was 40 years old- over the hill for leading men of his day.But the substantial content of the story of a man accused of killing a police office and sent to jail for 99 years still remains problematic.The key issue that releases the accused, played by Richard Conte, is a small fact that proves that the finger woman had actually seen the accused before she fingered him- a fact that the police denied.
Henry Hathaway directs this perfect film noir with Stewart in a great role as a reporter on the search for truth and finds himself right in the middle of the re-opening of a ten year old murder case.
Cobb), sees the ad and assigns one of his reporters, P.J. McNeal (James Stewart), to visit Mrs. Wiecek and learn more about the 11-year-old case against her son.
James Stewart is the reporter P.J. McNeal of the Chicago Times who is asked to investigate a newspaper advertisement placed by a Polish Charwoman offering $5000 for evidence that will get her son out of prison after 10 years of incarceration.
James Stewart is a reporter who becomes involved in an old murder case in "Call Northside 777," directed by Henry Hathaway and costarring Lee J.
The film is done semidocumentary style, in black and white, and is based on a true story.Much of the movie is done in a low-key, realistic way, with most of the energy coming from Stewart.
And near the end of the picture, McNeal takes the members of the pardon board to a police photo laboratory, where an enlarged photograph is developed and gives conclusive proof that Wiecek is innocent; as McNeal nervously watches the photo develop, his face lights up and he is elated when the fully-developed picture offers the proof he needs to show to the board."Call Northside 777" was an excellent step-up for James Stewart, and after making a few more less-than-successful movies, he would make another hit with "The Stratton Story" (1949), after which he was back on top in the public eye..
"Call Northside 777" is based on a true story; that of Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte), a blue collar patsy who is framed for the murder of a police officer during the bad IL' days of prohibition in Chicago.
J. McNeal" (James Stewart) is a reporter for a Chicago newspaper who gets handed an assignment to look into a strange add that offers $5000 for information pertaining to a criminal case that was closed 11 years ago.
Directed by Henry Hathaway, the film tells the story of a Chicago reporter, P.J. McNeal (James Stewart) who trying to prove the innocence of a man, Frank Wiecek (Richard Conte) who was wrongly convicted for murder, many years before, of a Chicago Traffic Cop. Without spoiling the movie, too much, while the movie states out on screen, that this is a true story.
Cobb as the stars (although all are outshone by Kasia Orzazweski in the first and most impressive of eight movie appearances), is an unusual film noir in that the lead character in this true-life reconstruction of crime and imprisonment is neither the alleged criminal nor the investigator but the killer's mother, who is handed the script's best lines and its most powerful scenes.The sequence in which out-for-a-story-and-nothing-else reporter James Stewart (who has previously raised her hopes) callously turns down the mother's pleas for help, is one of the most unforgettable moments in the whole history of world cinema.Brilliantly directed by Henry Hathaway, Call Northside 777 is one of those rare movies that really pack a punch..
The best scene in the movie has Jimmy Stewart, as an ace reporter, searching the dingy Polish dives of Chicago's "back of the stockyards" neighborhood in search of Wanda Skutnik, the liar who sent innocent Richard Conte to the slams eleven years ago.
Wiecek(Richard Conte)is arrested and due to confusion with his story charged with the murder.He and another man are found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.All goes quiet for eleven years,until a cleaning lady places an advert in the newspaper offering a five thousand dollar reward for information which will clear her sons name.One of the papers top reporters P.J.Mcneal(James Stewart)is put on the case and meets Mrs.Tillie Wiecek(Kasia Orzazewski).He learns she has been scrubbing floors to get the cash to help her son.At first not believing in his innocence,McNeal runs a sob story about her efforts for her son,which the public love and he begins a weekly serial about the case.McNeal gradually comes to realise there may be more to the story than he first thought and does some investigating of his own.The cast is superb and the story is gripping and will leave you open mouthed at one point or another..
Henry Hathaway's well made docu-drama "Call Northside 777" is a gripping thriller which recounts the true story of two men who were unjustly imprisoned for many years and the newspaper reporter whose actions eventually led to them being exonerated."Chicago Times" editor Brian Kelly (Lee J Cobb) becomes intrigued when he sees a small ad in the newspaper which offers a $5,000 reward for information about the killers of a police officer who'd been shot twelve years earlier. |
tt0074291 | Il Casanova di Federico Fellini | The film opens with a carnival in Venice as a prelude to a series of erotic encounters that follow Giacomo Casanova through the cities of 18th century Europe. It is during this festival that a gigantic bust fails to rise from the water, which is taken as a bad omen. Casanova is then introduced as he defiles a fake nun for the pleasure of a rich voyeur; Casanova succeeds in entertaining him, but he is frustrated that the man finds no interest in his alchemical research and further scheming. As he rows back to mainland, Casanova is arrested, judged and imprisoned by the High Court over his famed debauchery.
During his time in prison, Casanova reminisces of his affair with a seamstress and later on one of her servants, Anna Maria, who is bound by frequent fainting and requires constant bloodletting. He eventually consummates his desire to be with Anna Maria. Back in prison, Casanova escapes through the rooftops and exiles himself from Venice, being taken into the Paris court of the Madame d'Urfé. The Madame, an aged woman, enthralled by Casanova's apparent knowledge of alchemy, wishes to transform her soul into a man's through ritualistic intercourse with him (an act that requires the presence of a younger woman in the room, so that Casanova can get aroused). Casanova then moves to the court of a hunchback, Du Bois, in between taking charge of a beautiful girl—"the love of [his] life"—Henriette. Du Bois puts on a homosexual performance for his guests that unsettles some of his guests and Casanova is brought to tears as Henriette plays some music. The lovers vow fidelity to each other, but the following morning Henriette has disappeared. Du Bois informs Casanova that an emissary of a far-away court has reclaimed Henriette, and she's left her bidding that Casanova not attempt following her.
While in London, an aged Casanova is robbed by two women and he attempts suicide by drowning himself in the Thames. A vision of a giantess and two dwarves distracts him, and he follows them to a Frost fair, where he arm-wrestles the giantess—a princess—and later pays to watch her bathe with the dwarves. Casanova resumes his travelling the following day. He frequents a deranged party at Lord Talou's in Rome, where he wins a bet with a stagecoach driver, Righetto, over how many orgasms he can have in one hour. The competition brings him higher acclaim. In Switzerland he falls in love with an alchemist's daughter, Isabella, who fails to keep up with an appointment to go to Dresden with him; Casanova instead partakes in an orgy within the hostel he's been stranded. In Dresden, he has a brief, chance encounter with his estranged mother in a theater. He then moves to a court in Württemberg, where his desire to be taken seriously as a writer/inventor is frustrated by the court's orgiastic, wild nature. It is here that he meets Rosalba, a mechanical doll with whom he shares a dance and later on goes to bed with.
Times goes by and an old Casanova finds himself librarian to Count Waldstein at his castle in Dux. Life at the castle is more than frustrating for Casanova, as he is made to eat with other servants and does not get the respect nor the food he claims to deserve. Waldstein's manservant, Faulkircher, and his lover Vidarol, make him object of mockery and animosity. A portrait of him is hanged and defecated on. Later on, during a fervent poetry recital, a court member fails to suppress a giggle at Casanova, who, humiliated and disappointed, goes back up to his room. The final scene has a weary, bloodshot Casanova cringeing in an armchair and recounting a recent dream. In this dream, Casanova is back in Venice. He catches a glimpse of the giant bust seen in the beginning of the film, buried under thick layers of ice in the lagoon. He chases the ghosts of his past lovers, all of whom disappear. An ornate stagecoach beckons him to join its passengers. He finally meets with Rosalba, the mechanical doll, once again. They quietly dance with each other. | psychedelic, philosophical, flashback | train | wikipedia | And Casanova, by far Fellin's worst reviewed film, is Fellin's masterpiece-- a sad, funny, wistful, grotesque, Rabelisian epic of a film.In a way, Casanova is a foil to Fellini's earlier classic La Dolce Vita-- the main difference being that the former is more pessimistic in tone, while the latter is enfused with a youthful optimism.
In a way, that's how the films of Fellini have progressed; his earlier films were filled with an almost child-like love for life (albeit with some very dark edges), while his later films became increasingly darker and more depressing.
Strangely enough, Fellini's later films were also his best, both on a technical level, and in terms of thematic depth.Casanova is not only the story of a man, it is also about a whole era-- an era of grand opulence and grand waste.
He is constantly searching for some kind of image of the perfect woman-- an ideal which eventually leads to his own destruction.Casanova is not a film for everyone-- despite having the usual Fellinisque scenes of ribaldry, Casanova is for the most part slowly paced (it reminds me of Kubrick's Barry Lyndon).
It has everything you expect from Fellini - visual clutter; dislocated tonal shifts; childish slapstick in an epic framework; Dionysian outbursts; gaudy sets; ludicrous costumes; messy gags; philosophical ruminations; European picaresque; unforgiving seas; dwarves; arm-wrestling giant princesses; aristocratic orgies; butlers and their catamites; mechanical dolls; hunchbacks and nuns in heat; mocking, otherworldly Nino Rota music; squalid grandeur; sex contests; mists of abyss; noise; the terrifying silences behind the noise.
Many Fellini films burst into confusing crowd activity, the audience lost without a point of identification.Unlike Mosjoukine's amiable and active 1928 Casanova, Donald Sutherland's is not the stud of reputation, but a pompous, long-winded bore, whose sexual technique is uninventive and monotonous.
As he deals with the story of his compatriot, Giacomo Casanova, the emblematic womanizer, he lets emerge a tragic figure, a man prisoner of his dubious reputation, a solitary creature that crawls on patios and lounges of prerevolutionary Europe, among degenerated monarchs and nobles who don't understand what is to come and have fun until boredom, The wretched Fellini hero tries to survive sometimes as stallion, sometimes as metaphysical guru and .
Federico Fellini's Casanova is quite an extraordinary film.I watched it just yesterday,late at night,and I felt charmed.Yes,it looks weird and you hardly understand what it's exactly about,but that's not the point.This film appears to be something like a dream.It's like a string of images which you cannot link using your reason.The atmosphere is magical.You can sense the corruption,the craziness in all those wild parties,the desire for pleasures that hides inside the socially repressed people of that time.Even the music by Nino Rota is weird,but it's hauntingly beautiful and it makes the whole film look like a real dream.The sounds have the power to hypnotize you.That's evident from the start.Clearly,a piece of art.The vision of Casanova in the director's mind.A man obsessed with the female.A man in love with women in general.A man who always looks for the perfect woman.He falls in love too easily,but love always flies from out his arms,leading him to self-destruction.Until he ends up with a doll.The perfect woman.Flawless beauty.Plus,he won't be deserted.You get the sense that he's crazy,that the whole film is crazy,actually.But then you think that it's a dream and you're acting in it,too.Hypnotization...A faraway land,a faraway world..
It is far superior and reflects much more the times and life of Casanova than the Chamberlain film that trudged its way from start to finish.
Though I could hardly bear Satyricon, I consider "Casanova" one of the best films of all time.The surreal nightmare world of Casanova's lost wanderings of the obscure cities of 15th century Europe comes alive and his willing enslavement to his own lust given free reign, in sex scenes which are only disturbing, could leave you wondering if you would be any different given the same freedoms.
Acclaimed director Federico Fellini's film follows Casanova through his various adventures in 18th century Europe.We first meet the charlatan as he entertains an unseen voyeur by defiling a fake nun.
From an aged woman looking to have her soul transformed into that of a man, through sex to Casanova, to cuddling up with a mechanical woman Fellini's Casanova is episodic and surreal.This is cinema as art rather than entertainment but that's not to say that Casanova fails to entertain within its artistic confines.
Director Federico Fellini's Casanova is an exquisite feast for the senses that threatens to become more style than substance if it wasn't for the hugely charismatic performance of Donald Sutherland.Adapted from the autobiography of Giacomo Casanova, the 18th Century adventurer and writer Fellini's masterpiece is by turns dazzling, funny and bewitching.
Little touches such as the turbulent sea Casanova rows upon made up of black plastic sheets add to what Fellini felt was the plasticity of Casanova's life.Original producer Dino De Laurentiis had Robert Redford in mind for the lead, but then more often than not, De Lauentiis was very rarely right in his choices (one only has to look at his career CV as a producer to see what we mean).
Fellini refused the notion of Redford as his film's lead and, after breaking from De Laurentiis as producer Fellini, cast Donald Sutherland instead, having the actor shave the front part of his hair and don a prosthetic nose and chin.Dreamlike and consistently enthralling Fellini's flick encompasses an individual that the noted director disliked intensely however in shooting his script he found some empathy for his lead character.
He amended his initially brutal treatment of Casanova in his script focusing instead on the man's inability to love despite falling in love too easily - the inclusion of the mechanical doll and dream ending were his compensation for this.Magical and absorbing from start to finish Fellini considered this film to be his masterpiece.
And even the the utmost squalour there are great beauties here to admire, for Fellini loves the visual world and expresses it in film with the most original cinematography and the most wonderful stage sets.
"Il Casanova" is probably far from being considered one of Fellini's best works, but it still undoubtedly a very entertaining, funny, visually beautiful film that tells various stories from Giacomo Casanova's life in a Fellini's manner, of cause.
Co-written by Fellini himself like probably all of his other movies, this one enjoys a pretty good, witty script, that was even Oscar nominated.
I found it a real pleasure watching from beginning to the end, although it is not on the same level of perfection as "La Dolce Vita" or 8 1/2, Il Casanova still has a strong touch of Fellini's genius.
If you have ever found yourself watching a movie like Emmanuelle and thinking: "This would be great if it were an 18th century costume drama with less nudity and enough nightmarish surrealism to make even David Lynch weep for mercy," then this is the movie for you.Donald Sutherland plays the infamous Count Fucula, a man who tries to have sex with everything he sees that resembles a female, and whose sexual technique generally consists of laying on top of a woman and bouncing up and down on her like he's humping a trampoline - and all without ever even taking off his pants!Short girls, tall girls, blonde girls, brunettes, girls with hunchbacks, female robots..
The opening gambit, a Carnival in Venice, is onerously undertook to be stupendous and eye-opening, and it is really hard to resist the enthralling allure in Casanova's each and every episode, sex activity is presumably the norm in it, but his on-screen virility brings some visual fatigue pretty soon (due to an R rating) and his action fades into mechanical repetition (certainly, the change of head-wear is a great diversion).
It worked and Casanova made off with one of the many fortunes he made and lost during a life of spontaneous and opportunistic self-invention.Among the most memorable set pieces that Fellini orchestrates is a wonderful dance in exquisite costume at the dinner provided by the hunchback and a young male ballerina.
In Casanova's case his last 12 years were spent writing and revising his major work "The Story of my Life"Fellini chose to give the mood of the movie a certain disappointment as if Casanova was never satisfied and always a depressive in nature, but this does not make sense, as it stands to reason that as a young man part of Casanova's attraction was as a bon vivant, raucous, bawdy, randy and full of life.
However the movie is styled as Fellini's Casanova and the odyssey it depicts - the life of Casanova - has been described as the greatest autobiography ever written.That such a man existed is historical proof that some men are closer to the gods than anyone else.
CASANOVA is visually stunning and features the truly bizarre casting choice of Donald Sutherland as the world's greatest lover.
And that's what I love about it, it's the true story of Casanova, an Rebellious Italian man who using his sexuality to find his place in life, the film does not contain LOADS of nudity, just many aspects of it.
Donald Sutherland is remarkable, and it is intriguing to look at his unimpressed, incurious, lost soul wandering between the splendid masks and suits of the high society which makes Casanova basically another picaresque tale and like La dolce vita and Satyricon totally excessive in every aspect.
Just like the French ambassador who watches the screen Casanova copulating, but leaves before he is about to say something, Fellini refuses the opportunity for the historical character to defend itself.
Casanova is one of my favorite films by Fellini.
Instead of cheap sexual thrills, the sex acts are choreographed in a silly and annoying way while the character of Casanova is buried under so much makeup and prosthetics that Donald Sutherland looks like a ghoul.
I know some of this must have been Fellini's intention, but many viewers will be left completely bored by this sterile performance--especially since Sutherland's lines are all poorly dubbed into Italian and so he neither looks nor sounds like himself!
Considering that in addition to this, that in previous decades Fellini had Masina play characters such as a prostitute and a horribly abused woman, it seems like he may have truly hated his wife and was having this acted out on screen.
I don't consider Casanova one of Fellini's best in the way I do Nights of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2 and Amarcord.
But this argument doesn't hold up very well because 'Casanova' isn't just a name, it became an adjective defining a womanizer, so when the director who expressed to the fullest his lust for women and life's pleasures, makes a film about Casanova, maybe it's because there's something of Casanova in il Maestro, if he doesn't mind.Indeed, for all his nobility, Casanova is a sex-addict, with a constant craving for the weirdest and most grotesquely unusual performances.
The secret is to be aroused and excited by everything, it's a discipline.The score of Nino Rota has something mechanical about it, or experimental, but it fits the tone because Casanova took sex seriously, like an accomplished athlete looking for self-improvement, so a sensual music couldn't have worked.
As the owner of almost all (the available ones) Fellini films - and lover of almost all of them, I would say that to enjoy his 'Casanova' you need to (in order of importance) a) Enjoy the later films of Fellini b) Be accepting of his uniquely strange psyche and film-making of this period c) Enjoy the theatric, especially of the grotesque sort d) Be a fan of Donald Sutherland and d) enjoy period costume.If you are intrigued by the film's title and the certificate 18 rating and are expecting a soft-porn or erotic movie, DON'T click on 'add to basket' - you will be disappointed and I will get upset as your one dalliance into Fellini's World will be tainted...The sex scenes are always clothed and sent up outrageously, with farcical over-humping, shall we say....Fellini is mocking his central character here.
Fellini later cited this epic sprawl as both his worst film and as his most "complete, expressive and courageous".Donald Sutherland, with his Roman nose, shaved forehead and the most elaborate of wigs, looks the very part, so much so, that his flouncing and preening are as much of a star as he is.
Own the DVD at home!) and I like 8 1/2, which, though more navel-gazing, still has something universal to say, and gorgeous visuals to display; but this Casanova (like The City Of Women" before that) reeks of personal fantasies from its director, and in spite of the glowing reviews of some bizarrely entranced people on this forum, I bet very few viewers have been entertained since 1976 by Fellini's gloomy vision of a historical character who -by the way- had a zest for life and wrote about it in such glorious language that 19th century book critics thought Stendhal was the true author of those "Memoires" (I must add: golly, I did read the real Casanova memoirs, "Histoire de Ma Vie", the whole 3 volumes in French, and it was compelling.) The movie is constructed like a wild opera, with the usual cast of Fellinian grotesques romping about in extravagant costumes, on cardboard sets I did not find particularly arresting visually, while the script throws repetitive scenes at the viewer without attempt at coherence for 2 hours.
That's why I watched "Il Casanova di Federico Fellini", based on the autobiography of Giacomo Casanova.Telling what the story in this movie is about isn't exactly difficult, although it's not easy to bring it well either.
And the acting only makes that feeling stronger, although I must say that I appreciated Donald Sutherland in his role as Giacomo Casanova.In the end I believe that this movie will make it very difficult for the average audience to judge it.
Though it's true to say that Fellini's interest in "straight" cinema post-8 ½ did wane slightly, with films like Juliet of the Spirits, Roma, Satyricon and The City of Women all substituting character depth and clear storytelling for grand gestures and theatrical stylisation, there were at least a few of his later films that have aged surprisingly well and can, in some respects, be viewed in hindsight as being as interesting and artistically relevant as those earlier, more acclaimed works.Casanova is one such film, as far as I'm concerned.
The middle-part of the film (in which Casanova falls in with the carnival set and the seductive giantess) drags a little, whilst younger audiences might find some of the more earnest scenes laughable (the ending is particularly touching).Like all of Fellini's films from La Dolce Vita on, the cinematic design is absolutely impeccable, with the director creating his usual (or should that be unusual?) fantasia of abstract architecture, theatrical lighting and seas made of shimmering sheets of plastics, in which he drops characters chosen more for their physical look and presence, rather than their acting ability.
however, he later sleeps with the doll, ultimately beginning the downward spiral that will bring us to the end of the film.The final scenes of Casanova are very vague, and I'm certainly not going to pretend that understood everything that Fellini was trying to say.
Ultimately, the film worked for me because I understood what the director was trying to say in regards to unrequited love and I felt that Sutherland's performance (certainly one of the most neglected performances he gave in the 70's) managed to undercut the more over-bearing elements of Fellini's direction, and gave us a real character filled with pain, fear and emotional contradiction.
It's appeal will no doubt be limited by the theatricality of the design and the stark, caricatured performances, though I feel the film will, regardless, appeal to those viewers who appreciated the director's other key-works from the same era, particularly that nightmarish cornucopia of excess, Satyricon, the free-form reminisces of the picaresque Amarcord, and the grand-allegory of ...And the Ship Sails On. It's also worth a look for Sutherland's central performance as the libidinous wretch, and for anyone who appreciates difficult, highly-visual, European cinema..
Like all Fellini films, Casanova is a long, filmic journey that seems to drag, lacking any real drive; but, isn't that the point?
What were you saying?" "You don't understand, or you don't want to understand?" Although this is much later in the movie, it explains Casanova's inability to love (as Fellini believed your first real love was for your mother).
But no matter who the woman was, his "love" always resorted in sex, both times, the women being completely out of it, and unconscious for the experience.The final scene may be the greatest every filmed by Fellini (on par with the ending of 8½).
In Fellini's Casanova, the viewer follows the legendary seducer, played by a young Donald Sutherland, jumping through several episodes in his life, in a whirlpool of memories, impressions and sex.
It's Federico Fellini's vision of Giacomo Casanova's life and it's completely unique.The film's themes aren't love or the art of seduction, as the name Casanova tends to evoke, but lust and desire as basic human urges.
So viewers will only find a sex machine moving from coitus to coitus, with little concern for the women he beds.The narrative, like in many of this director's films, is fragmentary, and Fellini and his co-screenwriter, Bernardino Zapponi, freely adapted Casanova's autobiography.
Of course in a Fellini film the narrative isn't as important as the visuals and the way each scene is constructed.
Fellini makes up for this by giving every sequence some humour and titillation (the sex scenes may not be the best but are certainly the funniest ever filmed for cinema).
Perhaps this film isn't one of Federico Fellini's essential masterworks, like 8½ and La Dolce Vita, but it's a sexy, tragicomedy still capable of entertaining and inspiring awe. |
tt3141952 | Macbeth | === Act I ===
The play opens amidst thunder and lightning, and the Three Witches decide that their next meeting shall be with Macbeth. In the following scene, a wounded sergeant reports to King Duncan of Scotland that his generals—Macbeth, who is the Thane of Glamis, and Banquo—have just defeated the allied forces of Norway and Ireland, who were led by the traitorous Macdonwald, the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth, the King's kinsman, is praised for his bravery and fighting prowess.
In the following scene, Macbeth and Banquo discuss the weather and their victory. As they wander onto a heath, the Three Witches enter and greet them with prophecies. Though Banquo challenges them first, they address Macbeth, hailing him as "Thane of Glamis," "Thane of Cawdor," and that he shall "be King hereafter." Macbeth appears to be stunned to silence. When Banquo asks of his own fortunes, the witches respond paradoxically, saying that he will be less than Macbeth, yet happier, less successful, yet more. He will father a line of kings though he himself will not be one. While the two men wonder at these pronouncements, the witches vanish, and another thane, Ross, arrives and informs Macbeth of his newly bestowed title: Thane of Cawdor. The first prophecy is thus fulfilled, and Macbeth, previously skeptical, immediately begins to harbour ambitions of becoming king.
King Duncan welcomes and praises Macbeth and Banquo, and declares that he will spend the night at Macbeth's castle at Inverness; he also names his son Malcolm as his heir. Macbeth sends a message ahead to his wife, Lady Macbeth, telling her about the witches' prophecies. Lady Macbeth suffers none of her husband's uncertainty and wishes him to murder Duncan in order to obtain kingship. When Macbeth arrives at Inverness, she overrides all of her husband's objections by challenging his manhood and successfully persuades him to kill the king that very night. He and Lady Macbeth plan to get Duncan's two chamberlains drunk so that they will black out; the next morning they will blame the chamberlains for the murder. They will be defenseless as they will remember nothing.
=== Act II ===
While Duncan is asleep, Macbeth stabs him, despite his doubts and a number of supernatural portents, including a hallucination of a bloody dagger. He is so shaken that Lady Macbeth has to take charge. In accordance with her plan, she frames Duncan's sleeping servants for the murder by placing bloody daggers on them. Early the next morning, Lennox, a Scottish nobleman, and Macduff, the loyal Thane of Fife, arrive. A porter opens the gate and Macbeth leads them to the king's chamber, where Macduff discovers Duncan's body. Macbeth murders the guards to prevent them from professing their innocence, but claims he did so in a fit of anger over their misdeeds. Duncan's sons Malcolm and Donalbain flee to England and Ireland, respectively, fearing that whoever killed Duncan desires their demise as well. The rightful heirs' flight makes them suspects and Macbeth assumes the throne as the new King of Scotland as a kinsman of the dead king. Banquo reveals this to the audience, and while sceptical of the new King Macbeth, he remembers the witches' prophecy about how his own descendants would inherit the throne; this makes him suspicious of Macbeth.
=== Act III ===
Despite his success, Macbeth, also aware of this part of the prophecy, remains uneasy. Macbeth invites Banquo to a royal banquet, where he discovers that Banquo and his young son, Fleance, will be riding out that night. Fearing Banquo's suspicions, Macbeth arranges to have him murdered, by hiring two men to kill them, later sending a Third Murderer. The assassins succeed in killing Banquo, but Fleance escapes. Macbeth becomes furious: he fears that his power remains insecure as long as an heir of Banquo remains alive.
At a banquet, Macbeth invites his lords and Lady Macbeth to a night of drinking and merriment. Banquo's ghost enters and sits in Macbeth's place. Macbeth raves fearfully, startling his guests, as the ghost is only visible to himself. The others panic at the sight of Macbeth raging at an empty chair, until a desperate Lady Macbeth tells them that her husband is merely afflicted with a familiar and harmless malady. The ghost departs and returns once more, causing the same riotous anger and fear in Macbeth. This time, Lady Macbeth tells the lords to leave, and they do so.
=== Act IV ===
Macbeth, disturbed, visits the three witches once more and asks them to reveal the truth of their prophecies to him. To answer his questions, they summon horrible apparitions, each of which offers predictions and further prophecies to put Macbeth's fears at rest. First, they conjure an armoured head, which tells him to beware of Macduff (IV.i.72). Second, a bloody child tells him that no one born of a woman shall be able to harm him. Thirdly, a crowned child holding a tree states that Macbeth will be safe until Great Birnam Wood comes to Dunsinane Hill. Macbeth is relieved and feels secure because he knows that all men are born of women and forests cannot move. Macbeth also asks if Banquo's sons will ever reign in Scotland: the witches conjure a procession of eight crowned kings, all similar in appearance to Banquo, and the last carrying a mirror that reflects even more kings. Macbeth realises that these are all Banquo's descendants having acquired kingship in numerous countries. After the witches perform a mad dance and leave, Lennox enters and tells Macbeth that Macduff has fled to England. Macbeth orders Macduff's castle be seized, and, most cruelly, sends murderers to slaughter Macduff, as well as Macduff's wife and children. Although Macduff is no longer in the castle, everyone in Macduff's castle is put to death, including Lady Macduff and their young son.
=== Act V ===
Meanwhile, Lady Macbeth becomes wracked with guilt from the crimes she and her husband have committed. At night, in the king's palace at Dunsinane, a doctor and a gentlewoman discuss Lady Macbeth's strange habit of sleepwalking. Suddenly, Lady Macbeth enters in a trance with a candle in her hand. Bemoaning the murders of Duncan, Lady Macduff, and Banquo, she tries to wash off imaginary bloodstains from her hands, all the while speaking of the terrible things she knows she pressed her husband to do. She leaves, and the doctor and gentlewoman marvel at her descent into madness. Her belief that nothing can wash away the blood on her hands is an ironic reversal of her earlier claim to Macbeth that "[a] little water clears us of this deed" (II.ii.66).
In England, Macduff is informed by Ross that his "castle is surprised; [his] wife and babes / Savagely slaughter'd" (IV.iii.204–5). When this news of his family's execution reaches him, Macduff is stricken with grief and vows revenge. Prince Malcolm, Duncan's son, has succeeded in raising an army in England, and Macduff joins him as he rides to Scotland to challenge Macbeth's forces. The invasion has the support of the Scottish nobles, who are appalled and frightened by Macbeth's tyrannical and murderous behaviour. Malcolm leads an army, along with Macduff and Englishmen Siward (the Elder), the Earl of Northumberland, against Dunsinane Castle. While encamped in Birnam Wood, the soldiers are ordered to cut down and carry tree limbs to camouflage their numbers.
Before Macbeth's opponents arrive, he receives news that Lady Macbeth has killed herself, causing him to sink into a deep and pessimistic despair and deliver his "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" soliloquy (V.v.17–28). Though he reflects on the brevity and meaninglessness of life, he nevertheless awaits the English and fortifies Dunsinane. He is certain that the witches' prophecies guarantee his invincibility, but is struck with fear when he learns that the English army is advancing on Dunsinane shielded with boughs cut from Birnam Wood, in apparent fulfillment of one of the prophecies.
A battle culminates in Macduff's confrontation with Macbeth, who kills Young Siward in combat. The English forces overwhelm his army and castle. Macbeth boasts that he has no reason to fear Macduff, for he cannot be killed by any man born of woman. Macduff declares that he was "from his mother's womb / Untimely ripp'd" (V.8.15–16), (i.e., born by Caesarean section) and is not "of woman born" (an example of a literary quibble), fulfilling the second prophecy. Macbeth realises too late that he has misinterpreted the witches' words. Though he realises that he is doomed, he continues to fight. Macduff kills and beheads him, thus fulfilling the remaining prophecy.
Macduff carries Macbeth's head onstage and Malcolm discusses how order has been restored. His last reference to Lady Macbeth, however, reveals "'tis thought, by self and violent hands / Took off her life" (V.ix.71–72), but the method of her suicide is undisclosed. Malcolm, now the King of Scotland, declares his benevolent intentions for the country and invites all to see him crowned at Scone.
Although Malcolm, and not Fleance, is placed on the throne, the witches' prophecy concerning Banquo ("Thou shalt get kings") was known to the audience of Shakespeare's time to be true: James VI of Scotland (later also James I of England) was supposedly a descendant of Banquo. | tragedy | train | wikipedia | Shakespeare in Paraguay?. While director considers it as the first adaptation of a Shakespeare play in audiovisual, theater, already had made adaptations of his works. What most stands out in this film, it is the fact with the scant resources available to it. The narrative voice, replacing dialogs and almost no recreation of actions, they took maybe dynamism, but on the other hand, the use of photo montages gave some originality. A good summary of the work, very suitable for literature classes and for approximation of the works of the Bard of Avon. The music, as in all the works of Horace Ojeda Lacognata, helps create climate and environment situations. You can say it's a mature version of his other work: Haile Selassie I: The Rise and Decline of Lion of Judah. Perhaps, in the near future and already over budget and technology, we could see the literature immortal works made into films in this small country, which is Paraguay. |
tt0215369 | Xizao | An aged father known to everyone as Old Liu (played by Zhu Xu) and his younger, mentally challenged son Liu Erming (Jiang Wu) run and live in a traditional bathhouse for men in an old district in Beijing. The bathhouse provides a variety of peripheral services, including haircut, massage, shaving, fire cupping, even old-style pedicure, to a motley group of regular customers, many of whom are retired old Beijingers. The patrons usually spend their entire day, day after day, in the bathhouse, engaging in a game of Chinese chess or cricket fighting. As such, they have formed close bonds not only with one another, but also with Old Liu, who is manager, staff, mediator in squabbles, and marriage consultant all in one. One of the patrons is a man who sings 'O Sole Mio in the shower, but when he goes to sing it in public he loses his ability, until Erming provides him with a shower from a hose. Another patron is Mr. Zhang, whose marriage has been in trouble ever since his wife ran after a thief while naked, and Old Liu arranges a reconciliation by having the man find his wife in the bath. After the bathhouse closes in the evening, Old Liu and Erming go for their daily jog around the neighbourhood, after which they engage in a contest to hold their breath in water as they bathe. Even simple tasks such as cleaning up the bathhouse are tremendous fun for the duo, both of whom behave like little children at these times.
One day, Old Liu's elder son Liu Daming (Pu Cunxin), who left many years ago to seek fortunes in the southern city of Shenzhen, abruptly returns home. Now a successful businessman, Daming had received a postcard from Erming with a drawing of their father lying in bed. Thinking that his father has died, Daming rushed home, only to find it a misunderstanding. However, the father-son ties between Old Liu and Daming appear to be strained, and Daming plans to return to Shenzhen three days later.
When Erming accompanies Daming downtown to reserve a plane ticket, Erming mindlessly wanders off from the area and is nowhere to be seen. After a futile search, Daming returns home to his distressed father, who lashes out at him for not being able to take care of his younger brother. Old Liu laments that having already lost one son (referring to Daming), he cannot afford to lose the other. The next morning, however, Erming is able to find his own way home, to the relief of everyone. Having already postponed his flight, Daming decides to stay one more night.
It rains heavily overnight. While up on the roof fixing leaks, Old Liu catches a cold and falls sick the next morning. Daming volunteers to take over the work in the bathhouse, delaying his return once more. In the next few days, Daming stays on to help in the bathhouse. He even joins in the daily evening jog with his father and Erming. One evening, after coming back from jogging, Old Liu passes away peacefully whilst bathing in the bathtub.
Erming refuses to accept the reality of his father's death and insists on opening the bathhouse every day at the usual time. In the meantime, Daming is planning to bring Erming back to Shenzhen to live with him, but he is worried about his wife's reaction regarding the mentally challenged Erming. He decides to leave Erming in a mental hospital for a couple of weeks whilst he goes back to Shenzhen to make preparations. This is not received well by Erming, however, as he struggles to cope at the mental hospital after fighting with the hospital attendants. In response to the situation, Daming decides to bring Erming back to the bathhouse again and temporarily resume operations.
Meanwhile, the entire district is due to be demolished to make way for commercial development. As removalists begin to move old furniture out of the bathhouse, Erming furiously attempts to stop the removalists from moving out the furniture in an attempt to keep the bathhouse. Eventually, he is convinced by Daming to accept the reality of the situation. The film concludes with a group of old customers gathering in the bathhouse for the last time, removing old paintings and portraits from the walls. Simultaneously, Erming begins nostalgically singing the tune of O Sole Mio as a final farewell to the bathhouse. | comedy | train | wikipedia | On the basis of the preview I'd seen, I went to "Shower" expecting a sweet little comedy; what I found was a profoundly touching drama of family life told in some of the most lush photographic images I've ever been privileged to see.
One moment I'm here, the next I'm in a landscape from the past, just like that....I would not only strongly recommend this film, I would place it among the two or three finest films I've seen in my 60 years.By the way, a couple of years ago another Asian "comedy" was released in the United States as "Shall We Dance?" (Japanese).
It tells a simple story of a family in danger of falling apart as the encroachments of technology and an advancing society make the family-run business increasingly untenable.The acting is wonderful - though none of us in the west are likely to have heard of these actors, we should have long ago - they play their characters with honesty and reverence - these are flawed characters, each with major weaknesses, but with such utter humanity and kindness that it's impossible not to become engaged in the story.We need more films like this - we need more western filmmakers creating films such as this..
This beautiful story of an elder son coming home, and learning to love and be a part of all those things that he left home to get away from, is poignant and moving.
How nice to see a film about people who love each other and are NICE to each other.A funny, touching, heartbreaking, wonderful movie that will make you feel better about the human race, rather than want to retch..
How rare to see a film of this calibre, unafraid of tenderness and caring, but at the same time not maudlin or overtly heavy-handed...and particularly rare when this feeling is among men...in this case, a father and his two grown sons, one retarded, the other estranged and ambitious.
"Shower" is an story about loyalty, about the unstoppable advance of modern world in the detriment of rather traditional and more human ways of life.
A man forced to choose between his successful career in business, his big-city life, his wife, and his retarded young brother.
The actors are enormous, especially the one who performs the role of the retarded boy; and Yang Zhang makes a good job, easy, simple, letting the story just flow by itself.My rate: 8/10.
Almost all of the movie takes place in an old- time bathhouse, with the denizens supplying the humor, pathos, and emotional touches.
It's true as others have stated, how this film really makes it glaringly obvious how lost Hollywood is in it's special effects, overblown emotionalism and over the top climatic endings and have forgotten the essence of a meaningful story told with simple realism.
One aspect that I really enjoyed about the film was the contrast of the two brothers, one so very openly expressive in his childlike way and the other completely stoic but both able to evoke deep emotion.
The story of a man who comes home from his life in the city to his fathers bath house in a small Chinese village.
Talking about the story or the characters will not do them justice.So, I'll just tell you how much I enjoyed watching this movie and how touching and moving the experience was.
For any story, that is the highest form of praise.If you were moved by movies like The King Of Masks or Not One Less, then make sure you see The Shower.
I happened on "Shower" in the foreign film section of my local video store and passed it over several times since from its cover it looked like a farce or comedy.
"Shower" is the story of three(3) men, a father and two(2) adult sons, each coming to terms with life changes as the world around them also continues to change in modern China.
As with many "foreign" films, the Chinese culture itself is one of the most interesting facets of this movie.Beyond the fascinating characteristics of the local, Chinese color giving the setting to this story, is the difficult yet touching relationships between the men and a sole woman involved in the story, all set against the backdrop of a village bathhouse.The family's story moves from estrangement to understanding and made me glad I came to know these people.
A funny and touching story about a father and his two sons.
I had the privilege to see this movie at the Intenational Film Festival of Rotterdam.'Xizhao' or 'Shower' is a $200.000 lowbudget movie about a father and his 2 sons.
The father has a traditional bathhouse somewhere in a traditional Chinese village where local, mostly aged men, come to relax and to go bathing.
To this son the traditional village, the bathhouse and his 'retarded' brother seem strange and annoying, but this changes along the movie.Though the story may sound cheesy or cliche, it's not.
With really great performances, especially of the father and the 'retarded' son (sorry, I don't know their names) and a great story the movie was touching and funny at the same time.If you got a chance to see this movie do it.
A straightforward and simple description of local Chinese customs, by looking at the daily operation of a public bath, run by the old owner and his retarded son, when older son returns home, wrongly believing his father has died.
When old man dies, strong and loyal family ties make older son take charge, so public bath operation is not disrupted.
This is a touching Chinese drama, a story about Shenzhen businessman Da Ming (Cunxin Pu), who goes home to Beijing to see his father and mentally-handicapped Er Ming (Wu Jiang).
Therefore, Da must choose between his family and fortune.The acting was spot-on, expressing realism and drama; the growing relationship between the brothers Da Ming and Wu Jiang was particularly touching and will warm your hearts.The plot was solid and well-paced, touching on each aspect of the characters lives, all stemming from their beloved bathhouse and its magnet for the community.
I often felt troubled when people asked me to recommend some Chinese movies, not because there weren't any good ones, but because those good ones did not depict today's China.
However, the stories in those movies happened many years ago; and these years are the ones that have seen the most dramatic changes of a country in history.My trouble ended with the introduction of Xizao (Shower) in North America.
When economic development and new technologies menace thousand-year-old lifestyles, people, especially the elderlies, become ambivalent towards them.A country with an extraordinary history and tradition experiencing the most rapid development in the world, today's China can be a perfect set for many more good movies.
Although bathhouses like the one in the movie exist in many Chinese cities, you feel more amazed by the changes that China is experiencing when you know this story happened in a metropolis, right?If you want to understand today's China, watch this movie.
This is a film about family bonding, about the necessity to cherish traditions, about the advantages of long-held friendships, and about a public bath house in Beijing.
One cannot imagine what a sleazy wallow American film makers would make out of such a milieu, but director Zhang Yang obviously loves his characters and by the end of the film we have learned to do likewise--including the two old gents who treasure their cockroach fights, the shy stubby guy who belts O Sole Mio under the shower, and the main characters, the owner father and his two sons, one mentally challenged, one estranged; the film is perhaps predictable in its outcome, but who cares?
Because The Shower tells a simple story of family and dear friends in same manner that Hollywood did many years ago, yet has not for some time due to its standing infatuation with the gods of efficiency, PC, and the same old leftist drivel.The Shower is one of the sweetest, most powerful films to grace the screen here at Casa d'Amplitron.
Unless, that is, you were busy watching high-grossing sensible films from Hollywood whose themes concern proper subjects such as surfboard decapitations, exploding helicopters, and face-booted bimbos barking like rabid Teamsters at geek-voiced capons attired sensibly in black rimmed glasses and Gothwear for the Young Condemned.No, my review The Shower don't tell ya much, there, 'bout the it, see?
Director Yang Zhang, with the help of some very nice work by the three principle actors, Xu Zhu as the father, Master Liu; Quanxin Pu as the elder son, Da Ming; and especially Wu Jiang as the irrepressible and lovable younger son, Er Ming, spins a tale that will warm the coldest heart.The film starts with a man taking a shower in an automated booth in the middle of Beijing.
Tell a story about old men at the bathhouse where they get back rubs and massages, where they tell tall tales and reminisce about the good old days, where they can relax and play Chinese chess and stage cricket fights, where the Master is a spry and wise old guy and his assistant is his son, who may be retarded or autistic, but who does his job with glee and an infectious spirit of fun and good will.Enter back on the scene the older son, Da Ming, who is polished, well groomed and taciturn.
But then a crisis ensues and it is during this crisis that Da Ming sees the value of the natural, people-centered life that his father and his brother have been living.And so Yang Zhang reconciles the old and the new, and does so in such a charming manner that I will not object, especially since his style is so neat and so carefully expressed.
One of the nice things he does that I miss in most movies is the way he dovetails the subplots within the larger story so that they are resolved before the picture ends.
He founds that his father is still alive, as well as his old neighborhood and his father old business, the public bathroom.The movie centers around Da Ming's family, and how he has to learn the importance of his father's job, something he always had considered an old tradition that had to die soon.
Also, the movie explores his relationship with Er Ming, who is mentally challenged, and the problems of the small community and how the bathroom is a place that purifies not only their bodies, but also their souls.The two main themes of the movie, the family and the problems of progress, are incredibly well handled, and the movie never loses the point it is trying to make, both themes are very good developed and we get a glimpse of Chinese society and customs.The director, Yang Zhang, tells his tale in a simple way, letting the characters characters do the job.
Zhang has enormous potential, as he can tell a story without the aid of visual flare or camera tricks.The acting is outstanding in its naturalistic approach, everyone acts in a very natural way and it almost looks as if they were real persons being filmed.
The three lead characters give remarkable performances, and Wu Jiang as Er Ming surely steals the show.Even when the movie could had sticked to a patronizing "old days were much better" message, instead it takes an attitude of equilibrium, like saying that progress is good, and we must move on, but we must not forget where we came from, and keep an equilibrium between modern life and the traditions of old.An awesome, and touching film.
Almost the entire film takes place in a public bathhouse in China.
There are no fancy sets, explosion or glamorous people--only fine writing, acting and direction (Hollywood, take note!).An estranged son returns home when he believes his father is dying.
How their relationship changes and where the plot goes from there is exceptional and believable.I was happy to see that not every Chinese movie is an action picture (such as those starring Jet Li or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), as I don't particularly care for these frenetic films.
The Shower as well as Springtime In A Small Town are two wonderful examples of good Chinese films about PEOPLE!.
For a movie with a plot like this I would normally smell "tearjerker" in the first ten minutes and turn it off, but this was very well made, with emotional subtleties, great acting, and some genuinely funny moments.
The story of an adult son visiting his elderly father and retarded brother after a long separation appeared cliched at first, but it proved to be very touching and realistic.
The aspect I like the best however was the way that the bath house was more than just a background for the story.
As the father told the son the story of his wife's family in the northern deserts of china, the element of water and bathing becomes an almost sacred ritual.
Water was so scarce that a simple bath had profound depth and meaning.Overall the film was very effective.
Want to watch a bunch of old Chinese men taking baths, a couple of dimwits, almost no women, bug fights and all with no huge stars, special effects, stunning costumes, great orchestration, big budgets, etc?
In spite of the film's touching and poignant story it remains severely handicapped and will likely have only limited appeal..
Not even hardened cynics can find any flaws in this wonderful setting.Master Liu's mentally handicapped son Er Ming is the second truly powerful character in the movie, coupled with his modern-life brother.
No, definitely not the perfect little life so often depicted in the totally artificial Hollywood movies but rather, the real life complete with real characters each with strengths and weaknesses just like real people in our lives and ourselves.The dynamics of all of these lives, intertwined within the walls of this bathhouse, and particularly its aged owner, are magnificent, heart touching and highly thought provoking.Sit back, relax, and be carried away into the simple and beautiful life.
And the bathhouse is a mere introduction into an intimate male Chinese community where a supposedly better-off son can come to terms with his alienated father and brother.
The affluent and estranged son comes home thinking his father is on his deathbed because of a postcard drawing by his retarded brother.
The Chinese filmmakers wanted to get their point across in such a gentle yet deliberate way that the film sags, at times, from redundancy.
The characters are a father who is very much Old China, an elder son who symbolizes the go getters of the new middle class, and a retarded younger son who lives with the father and helps him run an old-fashioned bathhouse populated by men of the father's generation.
The fascination of the movie for me is simply in how lives are lived in modern China and how universal the family relationships are..
This film was Xizao (US title: Shower), the story of an aging man who owned an old-fashioned bath house, who was simultaneously raising his mentally retarded son, Erming (infectiously delightful Wu Jiang).
He disregarded everything his father believed in: he was a serious young man who lead a modern life, and considered bath houses to be passe.
When Erming gets lost in town one day, he realizes how much his father and even himself, love him and rediscovers the importance of family.He also realizes that the bath house is not solely for relaxation: it is the refuge for several lonely men.
Although he faces a change of heart, the entire town will eventually be torn down.I thought this film was a beautiful portrayal of the magnitude of the love that a family feels for each other.
Although Mandarin Chinese, this film's message and issues (caring for a retarded brother, etc.) are universal.
By no means is this movie the greatest Chinese Cinema I have seen (the current winner is "Farewell My Concubine") but what it does, it does extremely well.The plot of the movie is the well-used "man who comes back to the small town he came from and makes amends with the family he tried to forget".
What is special about this movie is the utter simplicity in which the director and actors tackle the story and characters.
This is a movie about simple people and the simple facets of life, and the actors and director do a wonderful job of convening that.In the same way "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman" left you hungry at the end of the film, so will you yearn for a bath at the end of "Shower.".
Poignant, touching, funny, a great film to watch.
Hollywood can make good films once in awhile, but they can never make a movie so good and simple as this.Rating 8 out of 10..
In the movie Shower, from mainland China's Xian Film Studio directed by Yang Zhang (Spicy Love Soup), this dichotomy of the new and the old is symbolized by the shower and the bath.
The shower is a fast convenience that takes water for granted while the bath and especially the bathhouse is a tranquil way of life.
Liu lives with his mentally slow son Er Ming (wonderfully played by Jiang Wu) who helps out with the daily chores.Shower starts off with an idea by bathhouse denizen He Zheng of an automated shower (reminds me of the automated restrooms in large cities like San Francisco or the suicide booths in Futurama) where you pay your money and get put through an automatic human wash that sprays soap, water and scrubs you to a healthy clean.
There is an emotional flashback scene where Liu talks about Er Ming's mother from the northern province and how much families had to sacrifice just to get enough water for the daughter to take a bath before her wedding day.
It is bittersweet, poignant, funny yet emotional complex movie I have watched several times. |
tt0407732 | Dirty Deeds | High school student Zach Harper (Milo Ventimiglia) sets out to complete the "Dirty Deeds" - an outrageous list of ten challenges that must be completed between dusk and dawn on the Friday night of his high school's homecoming weekend. The only student to complete the entire list, Duncan Rime (Todd Zeile), did so in 1989 when only 8 tasks composed the list. Rimes later reveals that whenever someone completes the entire list, more are added to it.
Zach attempts to complete the deeds for his classmate, Meg Cummings (Lacey Chabert). Meg's younger brother, Kyle (Wes Robinson), wants to do the challenge to earn the respect of the school's jocks, who are constantly bullying him. Meg is concerned for her brother, and insists that Zach stop him from trying to do something so foolish. While Meg had no intention of Zach attempting the deeds in place of her brother, Zach decides to take on the challenge.
The night begins, and Zach easily checks off the first item on the list, drink beer in front of the cops, by pouring a beer into a coffee cup and consuming it in front of them. This way, the cops, who are determined to stop all those who attempt the deeds, have no idea of Zach's intentions of completing the list. As Zach attempts the nine remaining deeds, the jocks do everything in their power to prevent him from completing it. Throughout his crazy night, Zach enlists the help of those around him to accomplish the difficult tasks. Along the way, Zach meets Duncan Rime who tries to warn him about how hollow the victory can be. Afterwards, Zach refuses to continue, but Dan and JD (the tough kid from Deed #2) decide to try to ruin the carnival so that Zach will be blamed. With some last-minute help from Vincent Scarno (the owner of the car from Deed #8), Zach is able to turn the tables in time. In the midst of everything, Zach and Meg begin to develop feelings for each other, and end up falling in love over the list of "Dirty Deeds". | comedy, prank | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0069848 | Carry on Girls | The seaside town of Fircombe is facing a crisis – it's always raining and there's nothing for the tourists to do. Councillor Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) hits on the notion of holding a beauty contest. The mayor, Frederick Bumble (Kenneth Connor), is taken with the idea but feminist councillor Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield) is outraged and storms out of the meeting. The motion is carried in Augusta's absence, and Sidney contacts publicist Peter Potter (Bernard Bresslaw) to help with the organization. Sidney's girlfriend, Connie Philpotts (Joan Sims), runs a local hotel and soon her residents—including the eccentric Mrs Dukes (Joan Hickson) and the Admiral (Peter Butterworth)—are outnumbered by putative models, including diminutive biker Hope Springs (Barbara Windsor) and tall, buxom Dawn Brakes (Margaret Nolan). A catfight orchestrated by Hope provides better newspaper copy than bringing a donkey off the beach which, despite the bucket and spade of hotel employee William (Jack Douglas), ruins the plush carpets. Augusta's son, press photographer Larry (Robin Askwith), is hired to document the donkey stunt and snaps the catfight that has the Mayor losing his trousers, then gulps his way through a nude photo shoot with Dawn. The Mayor's wife, Mildred (Patsy Rowlands), joins Prodworthy's bra-burning movement and plots the downfall of the Miss Fircombe contest on the pier. Peter Potter reluctantly becomes a man in a frock for another publicity gimmick for the television show Women's Things, presented by Cecil Gaybody (Jimmy Logan) and produced by Debra (Sally Geeson). Prodworthy and butch feminist Rosemary (Patricia Franklin) call in the police (David Lodge and Billy Cornelius) to investigate the male pageant contestant but Peter's previously prim girlfriend, Paula (Valerie Leon), has a makeover and turns out to be very buxom and glamorous. and steps into the breach as the mysterious girl. Prodworthy's gang put "Operation Spoilsport" into action, sabotaging the final contest with water, mud and itching powder. With an angry mob after his blood, Sidney makes his escape with Hope on her motorcycle. | adult comedy | train | wikipedia | The only true weakness I would say is the directing and editing, though I would chalk that up to the obvious constraints of making films on a low budget.And, in conclusion, to all those who decry the CARRY ON films as being old sexist rubbish, let me just say, in the words of the late great Sid James: "Knickers!".
Although this film is not the strongest in the series, it does contain the best gag (in my opinion) of any of the films - a devilish one liner from Councillor Fiddler concerning Fircombe's annual rainfall.Bresslaw is inspired as the cross dressing Peter/Paula Potter in a time of much lower political sensitivity.Harmless postcard humour - enjoy it!.
Although it doesn't quite scale the dizzy heights of CARRY ON UP THE KHYBER and does suffer somewhat from an obviously farthing-scraping budget, GIRLS is still vintage stuff from the Carry On crew, with a fast-moving, pun-heavy script from the great Talbot Rothwell ("I want a nice warm room with hot and cold running chambermaids" - Sid James, one of his many classic lines), plenty of memorable characters including the dotty Miss Tewkes, the randy old Admiral, the punch-drunk bellboy...hang on, this is starting to sound like FAWLTY TOWERS!
The rest of the contestants (with the possible exception of future EASTENDER Wendy Richards) look the part, however, and Carry On regular Margaret Nolan is especially memorable as the busty Dawn Brakes, though the PC brigade would no doubt frown on the...er...physical humour the film derives from her buxom presence!
There are some sequences that don't really fit the Carry On mould - the Windsor-Nolan cat-fight, for example, shows signs of desperation, and Kenneth Connor doesn't have enough screen time as the proudly dapper but eternally disgusted Frederick Bumble (a shame, as his performance is note-perfect throughout), but all things considered this is a fine example of seaside postcard humour, and much funnier than the cruder Carry On variations that followed..
Kenneth Connor is the rather inebriated town Mayor, with Sid James (in his usual character type) and June Whitfield (the mother in Absolutely Fabulous) on the committee.
Sid cracks the idea of holding a Beauty contests and soon all the leggy birds that 1973 could offer were swanning down to the sea-side Hotel owned by Joan Sims.
In a run down English seaside town, Sid Fiddler (Sidney James) persuades the pompous mayor (Kenneth Connor) to hold a beauty contest in order to improve it's image.Above average farce in that it is often hilariously funny despite retreading every British sex joke in the book - very saucy and all the better for it.
There is one hilarious moment where Sid James has Barbara Windsor in his room in her nighty and his nagging wife Joan Sims comes in and Sid has to hide her.
The Carry On team was beginning to break up by this stage, but while Sid James, Joan Sims, Barbara Windsor and Kenneth Connor were still there, they could carry the film without Charles Hawtery and Kenneth Williams though they are sadly missed..
It's certainly the sauciest of all the CARRY ON films to date, using the excuse of a beauty contest to reveal the flesh of as many girls as possible, and indeed the fresh beauty of the starlets (in particular Valerie Leon, Margaret Nolan, and Wendy Richard (!)) puts everybody else, the regular team included, into the shade.The story is some silly thing about scheming councillors (Sid James playing himself, and a delightfully stuffy Kenneth Connor) arranging a beauty contest only to have their efforts thwarted by the local women's lib, led by an enjoyable June Whitfield.
But, for better or worse, CARRY ON GIRLS provides one of the most unforgettable set-pieces of all the franchise, and I'm talking about THAT eye-popping cat-fight between Barbara Windsor and Margaret Nolan.
Typical Fun. Except for the absence of Kenneth Williams, I would recommend this film to new fans of the Carry On series, as it is typical of the brand of humor that is a thread of all their films.
The seaside resort town of Fircombe needs a boost so Sidney Fiddler (the always good Sid James) comes up with the idea of a beauty contest.
This latter-day "Carry On" entry doesn't feature such series stalwarts as Kenneth Williams, Hattie Jacques or Charles Hawtrey, but still manages to be great fun if, in no way, a classic.
Council member Sid James (tied up with hotel manageress Joan Sims) decides to drum up business for their modest town by organizing a beauty contest.
Another couple is James' best pal Bernard Bresslaw and his young wife Valerie Leon (initially made to appear frumpy-looking but who eventually undergoes a make-over when, unbeknownst to her spouse, she determines to enter the contest herself out of jealousy).Barbara Windsor is "Miss Easy Rider"(!) and she's involved in rivalry throughout erupting soon enough into a catfight in Sims' hotel lobby with ex-roommate Sally Geeson.
June Whitfield is the feminist council member who opposes the contest; to this end, she engages photographer nephew Robin Askwith (later star of several naughty "Confessions" films I've never watched any, but am on the point of acquiring a few) to cover the preparations in order to uncover some misdeed which would allow her to put a stop to the whole 'debasing' event.
The finale in which the contest is systematically sabotaged by the puritanical female townfolk (including the Mayor's own wife!) is an undeniable highlight of the film but is, essentially, a direct lift from a much earlier entry in the series the superior CARRY ON TEACHER (1959)!.
The seaside resort of Fircombe is struggling to attract the tourists, so Sid Fiddler (Sid James) proposes a beauty contest to draw some much needed punters into the town.
Getting the inept Mayor (Kenneth Connor) to agree was easy enough, but opposition comes in the form of Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield) and her league of feminists.Lurid, smutty and just about average in the pantheon of the Carry On series.
Carry On Girls has its moments, Bernie Bresslaw in drag brings quite a few gags, while Peter Butterworth as a lecherous old man steals the film.Also pleasing for the franchise faithful is that the Sid James and Barbara Windsor (Hope Springs) pairing gets a nice arc befitting the relationship the pair built up during the series.
Beauty contests and feminist whiles are given the treatment in Talbot Rothwell's screenplay, and the dying seaside town in need of a boost has a certain warmth to it (filmed on location in Brighton on England's South Coast).
Setting a Carry On in a UK seaside town seems so obvious—after all, the series had been using the saucy style of humour found on British holiday postcards for years—yet it wasn't until 1973 that the team took a trip to the coast for their 25th film, Carry On Girls.
Set in the rundown resort of Fircombe (actually Brighton), 'Girls' sees Sid James as councillor Sidney Fiddler, who decides to boost the town's failing tourism trade by organising a beauty contest.
However, not everyone is as keen on the idea as Sidney, with the local women's libbers, led by prudish councillor Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield), planning to sabotage the event.Such a plot allows for plenty of innuendo and bare female flesh, with the sexy contestants stripping to their undies, indulging in cat-fights, and occasionally bursting out of their swimming costumes, much to the delight of the town's randy male populace.
Carry On regular Babs Windsor plays Hope Springs, focus of Sid's attention, but being in her mid-30s and a touch wobbly, she is easily eclipsed by most of the other beauties in the show.
Margaret Nolan as busty Dawn Brakes easily outdoes her in the chest department, and when voluptuous beauty Paula Perkins (Valerie Leon) enters the contest, the rest of the girls might as well give up and go home.As well as an endless tirade of fit dolly birds, this caper also provides the obligatory 'man in drag' moment (Bernard Bresslaw entering the competition in one of Sid's crazy publicity stunts), Jack Douglas doing his hilarious 'Tourette's Syndrome' routine (Waheyyy!), the Confessions series' Robin Askwith as a newspaper photographer, and James Logan as the impossibly camp TV presenter Cecil Gaybody.
A bit saucier then the usual Carry on Films, but it's hardly offensive.It has a great cast, and all are on top form, oh my days Joan Hickson literally has me in tears, she is so funny!!
Patsy Rowlands also had a much more substantial part, she was fun.I don't think there was a standout performance, all were on good form, possibly Sid's charisma gives him the edge.Of course it's the finale that you're waiting for, it doesn't disappoint, Peter Butterworth's reactions are hilarious, alright it's not the absolute best entry, but it makes me laugh out loud and i've seen it hundreds of times, 8/10.
And the cast do give it their all, Sid James and June Witfield are a lively pair of adversaries and Kenneth Connor, Joan Sims and Patsy Rowlands are splendid as well.
The plot of the film is about a beauty contest that is held to try and liven up the town and bring more tourists in.
Joan Sims does not have a massive amount of screen time.Peter Butterworth plays the dirty old man of the town funny but not really him.
Though key regulars (Kenneth Williams, Charles Hawtrey, Hattie Jacques) are missing, this film succeeds by giving good roles to those regulars present, and focusing a tight little story on them.
Sid James is always Sid but his character works especially well here, mainly because he is paired with Barbara Windsor in her biggest and probably best Carry On role.
The Mayor's rival is a feminist played by June Whitfield who had main roles in just two of the later Carry On films, but she works really well in them.
Barbara Windsor shows us her assets, Bernard Bresslaw is in drag (again), Kenneth Connor excels in his role of the bumbling Mayor and Jack Douglas twitches his way through the entire film.
So when he suggests to the town's mayor that a beauty contest would be a good way to make money and raise the tourist appeal of the seaside resort.
With a literal bevy of beautiful women in the line up things look like being a winner; however even the best plans cannot account for a mayor unable to keep his trousers on, an angry women's rights group and ill-judged attempts to win publicity.OK, lets be honest here Carry On films are hardly great works of art and even the best films in the series are only crude and funny without being that good by my usual standards.
The ending (a go-kart chase) is a perfect example of the silly material and it just falls in with being as bad as films like the 'Confessions' series a series that makes Carry On films look like Oscar Wilde at his finest!The cast try hard but those that remain of the Carry on regulars find themselves having to work hard to cover the weaknesses in the humour.
Whitfield is average but amusingly dubbed Leon all the way through the film (not sure why!) and the rest of the cast just take off their dresses as requested and add nothing more than lazy sexual 'humour'.A poor entry in the series that sadly just emulates the basic sexual antics and crudities of other British 'comedies' of the period.
Carry On's are hardly that good at the best of times but this film lacks any wit, effort or real laughs.
The story concerns a beauty contest held in the seaside town of Fircombe and the efforts of a group of feminists to disrupt it.
It was a running joke in the series that Windsor was an irresistibly gorgeous sex-siren, although the idea of this rather plain actress as a beauty queen might strike some people as the only funny joke in this film, especially as some of the other contestants, notably Margaret Nolan and Valerie Leon, are genuinely attractive.
One of the Councillors Sid Fidler played by of course Sid James, as come up with idea of having a beauty contest based in there town.
Sid has already managed to convince the Mayor to go with this idea played by Kenneth Connor, while a rival Councillor Ms Prodworthy played by June Whitfield is complete up against this idea who happens to be running a women's right campaign.
Eventually the contest is given the green light and Sid manages to convince his Girlfriend Connie played by Joan Sims to base the competition within her hotel, though she's got to give away the rooms free to the contestants much to her anger.
Eventually all the contestants turn up, one of them being Hope Springs played by Barbara Windsor a previous beauty queen winner who somewhat catches the eye of Sid. The three them all come up with different schemes to make the contest more controversial to get more publicity for the contest.
Which if you haven't seen a basically not a comedy for the family put it that way.Everybody in this is playing there usual role, Sid of course his the scheming dirty old man whose after chasing birds and earning a buck or two.
I admit I've watched Carry On Girls a few times being as it is funny and a perfect film for the lads ;) Most of the Carry On gang are present though I've got to say absents of both Kenneth Williams and Charles Hawtrey is quite noticeable.
Kenneth Williams was unavailable working on a another project, while Hawtrey of course had been sacked from this series, which was probably biggest mistake the series had made.Anyway as I said Girls is a good comedy, give it a look in as Carry On not it's finest hour.
But in Carry On Girls where the subject is a beauty contest there's definitely more of it here than the rest of the series.
Definitely Carry On Girls is Sid James's finest and most leering best.James owns a small hotel with Joan Sims that is not doing all that well.
He sells the mayor of the town Kenneth Connor on the idea though the stodgy Connor has his reservations.What's also around the local feminist June Whitfield who just on principle doesn't care for James's sexist ways.
Between her sabotage and Sid James's eternal quest for any kind of publicity you have the makings of a funny film.That final scene at the beauty pageant is one for the books in the Carry On series.
If you like nubile young female bodies and have a bawdy sense of humor, Carry On Girls is your film..
Sid James plays the hotel owner of a town.
Carry On Girls (1973) was the 25th entry in this staggeringly long-running British comedy film series.
The Carry On's were beginning to slide in popularity at this stage; whereas at one stage at least two or three Carry On films were made per year, by 1973 the production rate had slowed down to just once a year.Charles Hawtrey (who had been disposed of after his drunken antics on the Carry On Abroad set and after continual disagreements with producer Peter Rogers over wanting his name elevated above the title which no Carry On star was ever rewarded), Kenneth Williams and the formidable Hattie Jacques are all sorely missed, but there is surprisingly enough fun, laughter and games to enjoy throughout.In 'Carry On Girls', the typically thin plot is centered around a tacky, end-of-pier beauty contest which immediately faces opposition from the town's women's lib action group, led by Councillor Prodworthy, played marvelously by June Whitfield.
Sid James organises the contest and lets the girls (which includes Margaret Noland and Wendy Richard) stay at the hotel run by his girlfriend, Chloe (Joan Sims) for free!
Sid's eye soon strays onto the bubbly Barbara Windsor whom arrives on a motorbike in complete tomboy mode, yet reveals a far more glamorous, feminine side when taking part in the first promotional photo shoot.The film's climax is where it really scores best with the beauty contest ending in complete disaster.
Silly but great fun.The cast are all on top form, though any scene which Sid James and Barbara Windsor share raises a smile and a laugh with their undeniable chemistry shining through.
This is really Sid and Babs film.Yet again, Joan Sims is underused and unfairly pigeon holed into a supporting performance which she plays straight and efficiently, where as Kenneth Connor plays the town's bumbling Mayor, a blatantly incompetent and pompous figure whom causes some amusement though is mainly the butt of a joke.
She plays the Mayor's frustrated and down-trodden wife to utter comic perfection and her character rebels in the end joining forces with June Whitfield's team of women's lib group.Lovable giant, Bernard Bresslaw pops up as Sid James sidekick in organising the beauty contest.
Here that sauciness is provided by a beauty contest arranged by Sidney Fiddler, councillor in the seaside resort of Fircombe.
Kenneth Connor's performance as the mayor had its moments but for the most part he was out performed by Patsy Rowlands who played his put upon wife.
All the same, this one starts off agreeably enough, with Sid James and Joan Sims perfectly cast as a couple of battling suitors, Jack Douglas as a crazy porter and Margaret Nolan as a buxomly soft- voiced beauty contestant.
Basically local councillor Sidney Fiddler (Sid James) persuades the incompetent Mayor Frederick Bumble (Kenneth Connor) of Firecombe to hold a beauty contest, to improve the town's image.
They face opposition from women's liberationist Augusta Prodworthy (June Whitfield) trying to sabotage the contest, but they do have publicity agent Peter Potter (Bernard Bresslaw) and Palace Hotel owner Connie Philpotts (Joan Sims). |
tt2113636 | Colt 45 | In the town of Red Rock, gun salesman Steve Farrell (Randolph Scott) demonstrates the new Colt .45 repeating pistols to the sheriff who is impressed that the United States government just ordered two thousand of these powerful weapons for the army. The demonstration is interrupted when men arrive to transfer one of the prisoners to another jail. As he's being led away, prisoner Jason Brett (Zachary Scott) grabs the pistols, shoots the sheriff, and escapes, pretending that Farrell was his partner. Convinced that Farrell was involved in the escape, the townspeople arrest the innocent gun salesman. In the coming days, Brett initiates a campaign of robberies and cold blooded murder, with regular guns being no match for his Colt .45 pistols.
Four months later, Farrell is released from jail due to a lack of evidence. The new sheriff offers him a letter clearing him of the charges if he reveals Brett's whereabouts. Reasserting his innocence, Farrell vows to go after Brett to retrieve his guns. Farrell tracks his prey into Texas and comes across a band of Indians whom Brett has killed to provide cover for a stagecoach robbery. The only surrvivor of the attack, Walking Bear (Chief Thundercloud), tells Steve about Brett's plan. As the stagecoach approaches, Steve jumps onto the stage from a rock outcropping just in time to fight off the attack by Brett's gang with his own set of Colt .45s. The only passenger on the stage, Beth Donovan (Ruth Roman), tries to prevent him from fighting off the robbers.
After Brett's gang pulls back and retreats, Farrell stops the stage and notices a white scarf hanging outside the stagecoach window. Believing it to be a signal to the robbers, Farrell suspects that Beth is part of the gang and says he intends to take her to the sheriff. While assisting the wounded stagecoach driver, however, Beth is able to escape on horseback. Farrell does not know that Beth is the wife of Paul Donovan (Lloyd Bridges), one of Brett's associates. Beth returns to her home, which is being used by Brett as a hideout. Although she believes that her husband has been forced to work with Brett, he is actually plotting with the killer to take over the nearby town of Bonanza Creek.
Unknown to the citizens of Bonanza Creek, Sheriff Harris (Alan Hale, Sr.) is working with Brett and his gang. When Farrell arrives in town, Harris agrees to make him his deputy. Harris then rides out to Brett's hideout and reveals that Farrell is in town. Brett and Harris plot an ambush to eliminate Farrell. Meanwhile, Farrell learns Beth's identity. Harris later encourages him to ride out to her house, knowing Brett and his gang will be lying in wait. As he approaches, Brett's gang ride in for the kill, but Farrell is able to evade the ambush with the help of Walking Bear and his fellow Indians, who capture two gang members.
Back at the hideout, Beth overhears Paul plotting with Brett and realizes her husband is actively working with the gang. After she denounces her husband, Paul locks her in a store room. Later, she manages to escape and hurries into town, planning to reveal what she knows to the authorities. Just outside town, Paul tries to stop his wife, and as she rides past him, he shoots her. Hearing the shots, Farrell rides to Beth lying on the ground, takes her in his arms, and rides off seeking refuge with Walking Bear and his people. After being treated for her wound, Beth warns Farrell about Brett's plan to take over Bonanza Creek.
Soon after, the Indians discover Paul's body, shot in the back by a .45. When Farrell learns that the Indians intend to go on the warpath, he tries to talk them out of it, but he and Beth are held captive. When Beth escapes to warn the townspeople, Farrell rides after her. Along the trail, Harris and members of the gang set a trap and capture Farrell, but the Indians come to his rescue and kill his captors. Then they ride to Bonanza Creek and quietly go about killing Brett's men in the streets. The injured Harris makes his way back to town to warn Brett, who's holed up in the jail with Beth as his hostage. When Farrell and the Indians arrive at the jail, the cowardly Brett uses Beth as a shield and tries to escape, but Beth breaks away. Farrell enters the jail alone and sees Brett is out of ammunition. He puts down his .45s and the two men fight. During the struggle, Brett goes for Farrell's guns and Farrell shoots him. Afterwards, Farrell walks out into the street and is embraced by Beth. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0038302 | Anmol Ghadi | Chander and Lata were good kid friends in Jahanabad, Lata being the daughter of a rich family whereas Chander was the son of a poor, widow mother. Lata's parents didn't like Lata being friends with Chander. Renu's family gets transferred to Bombay. At the time of departure Renu gifts her watch to Chander as a memento.
They grow up. Chander goes to Bombay to search Lata. Chander's rich friend Prakash opens a shop for Chander where Chander can earn his livelihood by repairing musical instruments. Prakash's mother doesn't like Prakash spending money for Chander. Lata has turned a writer, her work published under the nickname of "Renu" aka "Renuka Devi", Chander becomes a fan of her work. Basanti is Lata's friend. In one of her novels, Lata writes the story of Childhood friendship of Chander and Lata. Chander reads it and writes a letter to Renu (Lata) to find out how she knows of this story and if she knows Lata, then helping him to find Lata. Reading that letter, Basanti forces Lata to call Chander to meet plotting that Basanti will meet Chander as Lata. Basanti meets Chander there and falls in love with Chander. Chander was carrying the watch gifted by Lata to him all the time, that he loses when Basanti meets him and Basanti locates it. Seeing the watch, Lata recognizes it and recognizes Chander. Basanti feels hurt and blames Lata that she was knowing that Basanti was in love with Chander even then Lata didn't tell her that Chander is the same guy who Lata herself is in love. Lata tells her that she herself was not aware.
Lata's parents contact Prakash for marrying Lata. When Chander Comes to know of it, under the lifetime of obligations of Prakash, he lets go of his love. Chander's mother dies. Prakash gets married to Lata; Chander walks off into the sunset followed by Basanti. | romantic | train | wikipedia | A love-triangle romance. A love-triangle romance with reformist overtones set partly in Bombay. Impoverished hero Chander (Surendra) and rich heroine Laila (Nurjehan) are childhood sweethearts separated when Lailas parents move to Bombay. Later, Chander moves there when his rich friend Prakash (Zahur Raja) finds him work in a musical instruments shop. By then, Lata has become a famous poetess going by the name of Renu and is engaged to Prakash. Latas friend Basanti (Suraiya) falls in love with Chander but he remains true to his childhood girl and walks away into the sunset (with Basanti running after him). Although Mehboob made other triangular romances (Hum Tum Aur Woh, 1938; Najma, 1943 etc.), this film started his investigations of patriarchy, shown as masquerading under eternal values (of Anokhi Ada, 1948; Andaz 1949). Musical hits including Nurjehans best-known songs, e.g. Awaz de kahan hai (with Surendra) and the solos Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi Jawan Hai Mohabbat |
tt0028359 | Thirteen Hours by Air | Airline pilot Jack Gordon (Fred MacMurray) on a flight from New York to San Francisco, is immediately attracted to beautiful passenger Felice Rollins (Joan Bennett). Known as a "lady's man", he bets stewardess Vi Johnson (Ruth Donnelly) that he will take Felice out to dinner that evening. A jewel robbery is in the news and a beautiful blonde is implicated, with Jack suspecting that Felice may be the culprit. On a stop over in Chicago, Jack learns instead that his passenger is a wealthy socialite at odds with another passenger, Count Stephani (Fred Keating). Jack worries that he may have a crisis involving the Count when he finds Stephani has a gun aboard. Other passengers include Dr. Evarts (Brian Donlevy) and Curtis Palmer (Alan Baxter, both of whom seem to be harboring a secret.
Felice is trying to get to San Francisco in order to prevent her sister from marrying the Count's brother, but the flight runs into bad weather. Jack and Freddie Scott (John Howard), his co-pilot are persuaded to fly on but are eventually forced to make an emergency landing. Dr. Evarts tells Jack he is a federal agent pursuing Palmer, a notorious criminal, who now takes the opportunity to shoot Freddie and Dr. Everts, commandeering the aircraft. Jack manages to overcome Palmer, and with the help of Felice, is able to take off and fly to San Francisco. When the flight lands, he is able to have his dinner with Felice, collecting his bet, knowing that he will need the money for a marriage licence. | melodrama | train | wikipedia | A very satisfying flight.
"Thirteen Hours by Air" is a fun little movie that's quick, surprising, and doesn't overstay its welcome.
Mitchell Leisen, an underrated director, is usually associated with screwball comedy or romantic melodrama, and there's a little of each in this film, but it's a pleasant surprise to see that he can handle a brisk thriller as well.
Like most movies featuring airplane trips, it includes a hodgepodge of characters involved in separate plots, but they blend together nicely, and the script includes a few neat twists that are bound to surprise anyone expecting the usual cliches.
MacMurray and Bennett make an appealing team, ZaSu Pitts is, as usual, a joy, and the various airports are designed in an eye-catching art deco style.
It's not a classic, but it's certainly a much better film than I expected, and it deserves to be rescued from whatever deep, dark closet it has been hidden in for too many years..
Right on schedule.
I've a soft spot for this one – it was one of the first films I saw on my brand new cable TV in 1993, and was unexpectedly impressed with it.
However it's essentially primitive set aboard a primitive "aeroplane" and some would say with primitive acting too.
Youngsters might also ask based on this how did powered flight ever take off?
But it's still engrossing and I think surprisingly satisfying bearing in mind all the technical limitations.United Airlines pilot Fred Macmurray is looking and chasing after blonde with a secret Joan Bennett - while minding his own business - partly to win a bet he made partly because he has the hots for her.
She has to get to San Francisco asap for some flighty reason and some other guy's trying half heartedly to stop her, while doctor Brian Donlevy and a dodgy character make evil eyes at each other and a spoilt brat and his keeper Zasu Pitts slapstick about.
Take my word for it that the dialogue is snappy and almost screwball, of the time and occasionally hilarious – why can't modern movies have endless clean smart ass one liners like this one?
Why can't the heroes in modern movies be too gentlemanly to utter the word "toilet" to the heroines like in this one?It's a well scripted inconsequential little melodrama and if you can get past it being a whodunit set on a papier-mâché plane and with cardboard sets you should have a very pleasant 77 minute journey..
High-flying high jinks.
The title 'Thirteen Hours by Air' seems vaguely science-fictionish, because in 1936 it was simply impossible for an airplane to cross the United States in 13 hours.
(Sixteen was more like it.) But this movie seems to be presenting itself as cutting-edge rather than futuristic.Fred MacMurray, slightly less bland than usual, stars as the pilot of the fastest transcontinental 'ship' available.
He's heading from New York to California, and he's all set for chocks-away when along comes blonde Joan Bennett as an heiress who's eager to hop aboard.
She hasn't a ticket, so she hands him a diamond ring the size of a doorknob.All the passengers aboard the flight are very obvious 'characters', ranging over a wide gamut of types.
This sort of thing works very well if the film is a murder mystery, and we've got to guess which of these suspects is the killer.
(In fact, an airplane in flight would be the perfect setting for a 'locked-room' mystery: Agatha Christie used this in one of her novels, but has anyone ever used it in a movie?) There is just a touch of a mystery here, but it isn't a murder.
After the 'plane is in flight, MacMurray learns that some jewel thieves are on the lam: a blonde and her two henchmen.
Could Bennett be the blonde?
It would explain how she got that diamond ring.Among the passengers aboard the flight are a bratty little boy named Waldemar (whom I was hoping would turn out to be a midget police officer, working undercover) and his nursemaid, played by ZaSu Pitts.
I can tolerate Pitts in small doses, but in this movie her character gets airsick in flight ...
giving Pitts an excuse for an overdose of her annoying fluttery gestures.
I was hoping MacMurray would throw her out of the 'plane over the Rocky Mountains.Oh, yeah.
Among the merry passengers is a gun-toting European nobleman, played by Fred Keating with a bad accent.
There are no end of high-flying high jinks along the way, some of them more plausible than others.
There's an exciting sequence in which the 'plane makes a forced landing in a blizzard.
MacMurray's beleaguered pilot gets some help from an unexpected source ...
although, if you read this review carefully, you'll know who I'm talking about.
Ruth Donnelly is quite good, as usual ...
but there ought to be a law against Brian Donlevy and Dean Jagger ever appearing in the same movie.
Both of these actors had about as much screen presence as a block of wood.
Put them both in the same movie, and they resemble the Petrified Forest.
'Thirteen Hours by Air' is about as implausible as 'Airport', but -- like that extremely manipulative movie -- it manages to be quite entertaining without ever being realistic.
I'll rate this movie 8 out of 10, and I enjoyed the flight..
It Seemed Like Thirteen Hours To Watch.
Pilot Fred MacMurray likes the looks of Joan Bennett (which is the last plot point of this movie I enjoyed).
He takes her flight to San Francisco.
But there's been a jewel robbery, and she's tried to pay for her ticket with a ring.
There are people who want the plane to get to San Francisco and people who don't and are willing to get mean about it.
And pretty soon I didn't care much either way.It's an okay flick directed by Mitchell Leisen, who was always good at the visuals in a movie, and could get a decent performance out of Fred MacMurray.
Anyone could get a decent performance out of Fred MacMurray, since except for two movies directed by Billy Wilder, he played the same character in 86 movies and almost four hundred episodes of MY THREE SONS.
The problem is that this movie reeks of it being Hollywood Danger During The Code Era, which means that good will triumph, everyone will live and MacMurray will get Joan Bennett.
So since there are no good jokes -- Zasu Pitts is aboard the plane and I usually love her, but she's so annoying and whiny and futile that I was hoping she'd get shot -- I didn't care.
We've seen the heroic people stranded in a plane a hundred times.
John Farrow liked to make that movie a lot.
We've seen Hollywood Danger and it's real, where people actually die -- think ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS.
There the stakes are high and real.
But this is only Hollywood Danger, so I didn't really care..
13 Hours!
I could get to and back to New York from San Francisco, and be in uptown Manhattan in 12!.
O.K., so that is 2016 flying time, but it's neat to see how they used to do it.
A kid with a jack knife, a mobster with a gun.
No TSA in sight.
Snowstorms, frantic nannies and wisecracking stewardesses.
"Mayday!
Mayday!", pilot Fred McMurray declares, and of course, I interject, "Why, that's the Russian new year!" A series of serious airplane disaster films and a hysterical spoof that is now a classic have added parody to the serious scripts of any film set on an airplane, and this is one of the earliest.Seeing beautiful blonde Joan Bennett getting ready to boars a plane he'll be flying later on, MacMurray vets stewardess Ruth Donnelly he'll get Bennett to accept a date with, but it won't be easy.
Also in board is bratty Benny Bartlett who causes havoc with his mischievous ways, his worried nanny Zasu Pitts, and gangster Fred Keating whom Bennett is desperately trying to prevent his having a meeting with her sister.
The mixture of comedy and melodrama keeps this moving at the most furious of paces, an early example of why disaster films continued to be so popular for decades afterwards.With air travel so completely different 80 years later, this classic (directed by rising director Mitchell Leissen) shows a simpler but rougher time.
The mixture of different types if characters and a wonderfully witty script is like a perfect blend of peanut butter and jelly.
At one point, Pitts claims to be scared out of her skin, and pilot MacMurray promises to make her a rug if she does.
Veteran "it" girl wanna-be Marie Prevost had one of her last film roles in a rather large bit as an airport waitress.
The conclusion was most likely nail biting in 1936, and remains gripping today as well. |
tt0079240 | The First Great Train Robbery | In 1854, Edward Pierce (Sean Connery), a charismatic member of London's high society, is secretly a master thief. He plans to steal a monthly shipment of gold from the London to Folkestone train which is meant as payment for British troops fighting in the Crimean War. The gold is heavily guarded in two heavy safes in the baggage car, each of which has two locks, requiring a total of four keys. Pierce recruits Robert Agar (Donald Sutherland), a pickpocket and screwsman. Pierce's mistress Miriam (Lesley-Anne Down) and his chauffeur Barlow (George Downing) join the plot, and a train guard, Burgess (Michael Elphick), is bribed into participation. The executives of the bank who arrange the gold transport, the manager Mr. Henry Fowler (Malcolm Terris) and the president Mr. Edgar Trent (Alan Webb), each possess a key; the other two are locked in a cabinet at the offices of the South Eastern Railway at the London Bridge train station. In order to hide the robbers' intentions, wax impressions are to be made of each of the keys.
Pierce ingratiates himself with Trent by feigning a shared interest in ratting. He also begins courting Trent's spinster daughter, Elizabeth (Gabrielle Lloyd), to learn the location of her father's key. Pierce and Agar successfully break into Trent's home at night, and make a wax impression of the key before making a clean getaway despite a close call with the butler.
Pierce targets Fowler through his weakness for prostitutes. Miriam reluctantly poses as "Madame Lucienne", a high-class hooker in an exclusive bordello. Miriam meets Fowler and asks him to undress, forcing him to remove the key worn round his neck. While Fowler is distracted by Miriam, Agar makes an impression of his key. Pierce then arranges a phony police raid to rescue Miriam, forcing Fowler to flee to avoid a scandal.
The keys at the train station prove a much harder challenge. After a diversionary tactic with a child pickpocket fails because Agar cannot locate the two Chubb safe keys in the key cabinet, much less wax them in the time available, Pierce decides to use cat burglar Clean Willy (Wayne Sleep) to climb the station's wall, climb down into the station, enter the office via a small hatch in the interior the ceiling, and open the office doors from within. Because Clean Willy is incarcerated at Newgate Prison, Pierce and Agar first have to break him out, using a public execution as a distraction. With Willy's help, the criminals succeed in taking wax impressions of the keys when the night guard takes a scheduled restroom break without detection.
Clean Willy is subsequently arrested after being caught in the act pickpocketing and informs on Pierce. The police use Willy to lure Pierce into a trap, but the master cracksman easily eludes capture. Clean Willy escapes from his captors but is murdered by Barlow on Pierce's orders. The authorities, now aware that the robbery is imminent, increase security by having the baggage car padlocked from the outside until the train arrives at its destination and forbidding passengers to travel in the guard's van. Any container large enough to hold a man must be opened and inspected before it is loaded on the train.
Pierce smuggles Agar into the baggage car disguised as a corpse in a coffin. Pierce plans to reach the car across the coach roofs while the train is under way, but he and Miriam encounter Fowler, who is riding the train to Folkestone to watch over the shipment. After arranging for Miriam to travel in the same compartment as Fowler to divert his attention, Pierce crosses the roof of the train and unlocks the baggage van's door from the outside. He and Agar replace the gold with lead bars and toss the bags of gold off the train at a prearranged point. However, soot from the engine's smoke has stained Pierce's clothes and he is forced to borrow Agar's suit, which is much too small for him. The jacket splits across the back when he disembarks at Folkstone. The police quickly become suspicious and arrest him before he can rejoin his accomplices.
Pierce is put on trial for the robbery. As he exits the courthouse, he receives the adulation of the poorer British masses, who consider him a folk hero for his daring act. In the commotion, a disguised Miriam kisses him full on the mouth, in the process slipping him a key to his handcuffs by invisibly transferring the key from her mouth to his. Agar is also present, disguised as a Police van driver. As Pierce is about to be shoved into the wagon, he frees himself and he and Agar escape, to the jubilation of the crowd and the chagrin of the police. | suspenseful, historical, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1190536 | Black Dynamite | In the 1970s, Black Dynamite, a Vietnam War veteran and former CIA officer, vows to clean up the streets of drug dealers and gangsters after his younger brother Jimmy is killed by a shady organization. O'Leary, Black Dynamite's former army and CIA partner, reinstates him into the agency because they do not want him seeking vengeance by himself. While trying to get to the bottom of Jimmy's murder, he finds out that his brother was actually working undercover for the CIA. Black Dynamite also discovers the shady organization is filling the black orphanages with heroin. He declares war on local drug dealers and successfully cleans up the streets, getting him the affection of Gloria, a black power activist who works at the local orphanage.
After discovering the government's involvement in the drug ring, Black Dynamite steals the ledger belonging to corrupt Congressman James which details illegal shipments to a warehouse. Black Dynamite and his team (consisting of close friend Bullhorn, street hustler Cream Corn, militant leader Saheed, and two militants) storm the warehouse to capture a big shipment. They learn of a top secret operation called "Code Kansas", but there are no drugs in the warehouse; only "Anaconda" brand malt liquor, a government-produced brand that, according to the advertising slogan, "Gives You Ooooooo!". In a diner, they decipher the slogan and uncover "Code Kansas" as a plan to literally emasculate African-American men through Anaconda Malt Liquor, which is formulated to "give (you) a little dick". The militant Gunsmoke, who has fallen victim to the liquor's effect, is killed to put him out of his misery. Returning to the warehouse, Black Dynamite finds O'Leary is part of the evil plan, but is just following orders. He kills O'Leary before acquiring his next lead to find the source of the "Code Kansas" plan.
Black Dynamite heads to Kung Fu Island, where he discovers that his old nemesis, Fiendish Dr. Wu, is responsible for creating the secret formula found in Anaconda Malt Liquor. In a protracted battle which kills Saheed, the two militants, and Bullhorn, Black Dynamite discovers the true identity of the mastermind of the entire operation - the White House.
Black Dynamite then travels to the White House (in the process, Cream Corn is killed by the secret service) and confronts President Richard Nixon, who has been giving the orders from the beginning. When Black Dynamite defeats Nixon in a kung-fu battle and threatens to expose Nixon as the subject of a series of bondage and cross dressing photographs, the president begs to be killed but Black Dynamite refuses and has Nixon watch out for his people. The film concludes with a monologue from Black Dynamite on his quest for justice as Gloria and Pat Nixon watch on rapturously. | murder, cult, violence, flashback, clever, comic, revenge, entertaining, blaxploitation | train | wikipedia | During the fight scenes, Michael jai white's kung fu yell is a spot on impersonation of Jim Kelly's (he of Enter the Dragon fame).Like all the best spoofs, all the actors play it completely straight.
There is an actual story (convoluted and non-sensical but it's there, and even allows long scenes that advance the plot to unfold without a single obvious joke), there are real characters (over-the-top and cliché' but not two-dimensional walking cardboards) and there are action/fighting scenes (enhanced via the same seamless green screen/CG technology used in "Kung-Pow" a few years back) that make this an actual blaxpoitation movie that just happens to be funny because it's being so true and respectful to the genre it represents.
Paying homage to such great films as Shaft, Dolemite, Coffy, and more.The movie centers around Black Dynamite, an ex-C.I.A. Agent / Vietnam Vet / Kung-Fu Master / Pimp / Everyday Bad Ass, who is pulled back in the game when the mob kills his brother and puts the dope on the streets.
Black Dynamite must take his fight from the streets all the way to the top, even if that means taking on The Man himself in the white halls of the Honky House.The film is not only an homage to the stories and themes of blaxploitation films, but also how they where made and the culture behind the genre in a whole.
A good example of this is a scene early on in the film where Black Dynamite is giving a long monologue and a boom mic pops in the shot just above his head.
The majority of films today wish they had a soundtrack half as good as Black Dynamite.If you enjoy the exploitation films of the 70's or movies like Army of Darkness and Grindhouse you're going to love this movie.
I tremendously enjoyed other blaxploitation films such as Jackie Brown(1997), Shaft(1971), Superfly(1972), Coffey(1973), I'm Gonna Git You Sucka(1988), etc, so I eagerly anticipated Black Dynamite when I saw the trailer early last year, and boy did it deliver!.
While recent spoofs have focused on mimicking familiar film scenes or ripping off celebrities with the idiocy of a 10-year-old boy, Black Dynamite is a nostalgic throwback that simultaneously recreates and celebrates the trademarks of the 1970s blaxploitation genre - the jive pimps in garish outfits, the evil politicians, a funky R&B soundtrack, and dialogue laced with expletives, peculiar slang and ethnic slurs.
and its brethren.Michael Jai White plays the titular character of Black Dynamite; a muscular badass with a lot of guns, an expertise in kung fu and a knack for getting women into bed (or anywhere else that suits him).
Not many young comedy fans would be familiar with anything like In Like Flint, but that didn't prevent Austin Powers from becoming an extremely popular franchise.Black Dynamite looks spot-on; as if it were an honest-to-goodness blaxploitation picture that has been sitting in a vault for over thirty years.
'70s blaxploitation pictures were low-budget affairs often made without a great deal of technical skill, and Black Dynamite recreates this film-making incompetency with astonishing, hilarious accuracy.
Shot on era-appropriate stock with matching wardrobe, hairstyles (oh, the hair in this movie), transportation and window dressings, if I didn't know any better I'd have sworn it was an authentic gem from the heyday of "Sweet Sweetback" and "Superfly TNT." Despite paying homage to an era that wasn't exactly known for its realistic portrayal of the world, Black Dynamite somehow manages to be even campier than its forefathers, to great effect.
About an ex soldier fighting to win back his neighbourhood from a powerful drug-lord, the film set about stereotyping and spoofing old classics such as Shaft.This film works on much the same level but is 100% faithful to the classic genre and so perfectly produced, I'd say it's the best Grindhouse Cinema comeback film made, even over the Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez films that restarted the genre.Starring Michael Jai White, who should have been an unrivalled star long before now - Spawn, Universal Soldier 2, The Dark Knight, Blood and Bone - this 70's exploitation comedy mixes racist Afro-American culture stereotypes with outrageous humour, White's outstanding martial arts abilities with absurdly comic gunfights and perfects it with a seamless orchestral soul and funk soundtrack and grindhouse cinema look.Throw in a thousand sexual innuendos, jive-talking one liners, well-placed unedited bloopers and inconsistencies and references to stereotypical black American culture and what you have is a seemingly genuine blaxpoitation film that will have you in hysterics.Black Dynamite is an ex-soldier ex-CIA agent who discovers his brother has been murdered and is coerced into working with the CIA again to get to the bottom of the crime.
But pulling together his old street brothers, all the while trying to romance a charity worker/political protester, he discovers that the CIA and the government are in fact working under the cover of darkness to keep the black man down.The scene goes from street level, to the hills and the shores of LA, to a secret location known as Kung Fu Island and finally to the White House in the funniest comedy I've seen my entire life.Michael Jai White is perfect in the lead role, counting on his maturity, physical prowess and comic ability and timing.
It's a brilliantly funny part of the movie.Michael Jai White pulls off his best performance to date in "Black Dynamite." I reviewed White's good but not great Bone and Blood and mused what White could do with a more sensational role.
This looked clever, fresh and it seemed as if it might actually be really funny.Well, although "Black Dynamite" is head and shoulders above the aforementioned movies, it's still no cigar to classics like "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun".
The movie's got a lot going for itself: Michael Jai White is the find of the year as title character Black Dynamite, the director and the writers pay a lot of attention to details (the hilarious score, the bad editing and picture quality).
'Black Dynamite' is a satire combining elements of martial arts films along with movies featuring a strong black lead character such as 'Shaft.' The story follows Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) as he searches for the man who murdered his brother, pursues a love interest, and discovers a government plot to bring down the black man.
Prior to this movie he starred in 'Spawn' and a few low budget action films, but I think that 'Black Dynamite' is what ultimately solidified his status as a respected actor/writer even with the movie's lack of financial success.Despite his numerous contributions to the movie, Michael Jai White does not completely steal the show.
'Black Dynamite' is full of well known actors including Tommy Davidson, Aresnio Hall, Nicole Sullavin, and Mykelti Williamson who played Bubba Blue in 'Forest Gump.' The supporting characters, dawning names like Creamed Corn, Chicago Wind, Bullhorn, and Tasty Freeze all have their own personalities and quirks thus adding dimension to this retro movie satire.
The mystery of his brothers murder goes beyond his immediate past as Black Dynamite must jump, punch, and kick (simultaneously) against an evil foe from his past.The most wonderful and most brilliant aspects of this film have to be the writing and the acting which are more than perfect for this movie.
The performers all understand the particular style of acting involved, and relish the stilted phrasing and self-conscious speech patterns they are emulating.Michael Jai White is just great as Black Dynamite, the best Vietnam vet kung fu expert the CIA ever had.
One of the genres which seem the most easy to parody is the "blaxploitation", because its exuberant "afros", heroic macho postures and "funky" music from the 70's now seem anachronistic and even innocent.However, those elements are not enough to make a tribute to that iconic cinematographic style; besides of its stylish details, there is a distinct but difficult to precise "taste"...it may be the indubitable racial pride from its stoic heroes; or the tacit message that the White Man ("whitey") will always press the black race for fear to the potential it could get if it had authentic freedom; or maybe it is the absence of cynicism what magically becomes this simple stories into the purest distillation of "cool" I have seen on screen.I think the film Balck Dynamite captures that "taste" pretty well, at the same time it is very entertaining; however, some of the humor from it does not work very well.I suppose that the comparisons between Black Dynamite and the excellent Undercover Brother will be unavoidable, because they do not only walk on the same stylish field, but their stories also have elements in common.However, there is a fundamental difference: Undercover Brother is a caricature of the "blaxploitation" cinema which appropriately exaggerates every detail from the genre, while Black Dynamite is a very competent action film which occasionally has unnecessary humor on the screenplay.Do not misunderstand me...Balck Dynamite certainly made me laugh because of its correct mockery of the clichés established on classic movies such as Shaft (1971), Foxy Brown and Superfly; however, there are other occasions in which the humor feels out of place (Was it necessary to show the ghost of Abraham Lincoln?).Anyway, I liked this movie pretty much, specially thanks to the presence in the leading role of actor Michael Jai White, whose overflowing charisma, histrionic talent and genuine ability for the martial arts (those who have seen his "lost scenes" in Kill Bill 2 will perfectly know what I am talking about) should make him to work on more movies.I think that (if we do not count his short role on The Dark Knight), the most famous movie he has been involved in is the mediocre Spawn, where he did not have the opportunity to show his dramatic ability.I hope that his perfect development in Black Dynamite will open more doors in the career of this talented but underrated actor.In the supporting cast, we have Arsenio Hall and the brilliant character actors Bookem Woodbine, Phil Morris and Tucker Smallwood bringing energetic and credible performances.And the fans of Pam Grier's will be impressed by Sally Richardson, who seems a worthy successor of the feminist and racial icon director and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino made a tribute to in Jackie Brown.Black Dynamite is not a great film, but I enjoyed it pretty much, so I recommend it with confidence..
Loving parody of '70s blaxploitation flicks starring tough guy Michael Jai White as a Shaft-like superstud, Vietnam vet, ex-CIA crimefighter named Black Dynamite.
When his brother is mysteriously killed, former CIA operative Black Dynamite (Michael Jai White) hits the streets for answers.Eventually, the trail leads to the government, and their plan to add a chemical to a new brand of malt liquor that will shrink the junk of every African-American man.
But Black Dynamite and his crew (Tommy Davidson, Phil Morris, Byron Minns) are unprepared for the real perpetrator behind this cultural shriveling - a cross-dressing President Richard Nixon.Outlandish as it is hilarious, this salute to 1970s Kung Fu and blaxploitation movies pays homage to the much-maligned genres while lampooning both to a T.Besides, if US genital size decreases, America will no longer be a threat to China.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca.
Don't interrupt me when I am doing my Kung Fu. The parody genre is one that has sadly fizzled out with movies like "Date Movie", "Meet the Spartans", "Superhero Movie", and the recent "Stan Hellsing." Thank God that director Scott Sanders has come back from his ten year hiatus to give us the parody film "Black Dynamite." Taking all the things that were great about the "Dolemite" movies and flicks such as "Superfly" and then mixing it with the intelligent comedy of "I'm Gonna Get You Sucka." "Black Dynamite" is a parody done right.
Comedy!But not just in dark and or black humor, but in intelligent and deliberate mistakes in the editing and many other aspects of the film that just add so much charm.The original musical score is a real standout, timing is perfect and the actors where perfectly chosen to suit the roles.If there is anything i can criticize this movie about was its fatal lack of advertising and very limited release.This movie has a wide audience appeal among adults and even late teen ages Dust off your afro and headband on and prepare for a solid ride through the 70's, a flawless grind house spoof.4 1/2 stars out of 5.
When Michael Jai Whites character Black Dynamite used his very powerful Martial skills to fight against other powerful guys who he didn't like and annoyed him, it was awesome to watch because the power of those kicks, punches, grapples etc were absolutely brilliant.
I really like Michael Jai White and have never seen him do comedy before, but if this is an example of his best comical work, I'd respectfully suggest he stay with the action genre.I just can't really see the point of homaging 70's blaxploitation films, by making an exact copy in all respects.
And I was more than genuinely surprised with seeing Michael Jai White in the lead role, but he did this phenomenally well, and this really is a great achievement in his belt of movie performances.If you haven't already seen "Black Dynamite", then I can strongly suggest that you take the time to do so, should you be given the chance.
Michael Jai White's creation Black Dynamite is the best satire of the blaxsploitation genre and one of the funniest movies I have ever seen in recent memory.
As someone who loves this kind of film, Black Dynamite is by far the best satire or spoof of the genre.
And personally, I think that BD completes its mission even more successfully, because there is so much going on in virtually every scene, that this demands several more viewings before you catch all the sight gags, double-entendres and intentionally bad dialogue AND acting.Hatched from the twisted minds of director Scott Sanders, actor/writer Byron Minns and most significantly, actor/writer/stunt performer Michael Jai White - "BLACK DYNAMITE hizself!" - this is the jam-packed, titty-stacked, pimp-smacked tale of what happens when BD's wayward brother, Reggie, is murdered in cold blood by "Da Man!" It only LOOKS like a hit done by fellow drug dealers, but it's up to Our Hero to find out who is flooding the ghetto streets with junk and malt liquor that makes you go "Woooooooo!", save the kids from a life of drugs and violence, avenge his brother's murder and take down "Da Man" - who, of course, we know is behind it all.The most remarkable thing about this note-perfect satire is that it gets everything RIGHT.
The one liners are also great in this and I liked Michael Jai White's presence in some of his movies but he is really great with his role in this and hilarious to watch, including the fight scenes.
Admittedly, Michael Jai White does a fantastic job of replicating the macho moves of many a classic blaxploitation hero, and the fashion and style of the film is spot on, but the humour just isn't as great as I had been led to believe.Don't get me wrong, I'm not just some dumb honky who can't appreciate the magic of a big 70s afro, a jive-talking' pimp in a velvet suit, or a sweet soul-sister with a cleavage you could lose a Buick in, but you can get all that from the real deal—what I wanted from Black Dynamite was some decent belly laughs, and they're in short supply here.I guess my main problem is that there's little point in simply mocking the conventions of a genre that is pretty ridiculous in the first place.
Michael Jai White plays Black Dynamite, an action hero intent on cleaning up the ghetto, keeping smack out of the orphanages and taking it to the man, in the funniest film of the year.
Nevertheless, Black Dynamite plays up the cheesiness just right creating a heavily quotable and all around great watch.My only problem is that there is one unavoidable problem when it comes to a film like this.
Michael Jai White is good looking, can movie fight, and looks like an action hero so the whole concept of a spoof of the blacksploitation genre is gone right there because he looks as good or better than any of the originals (superfly, dolemite, hammer, or 3 the hard way).
There's not one scene in this film that isn't at least funny or amusing, and there are many where it is gut-bustingly hilarious.Some of this is just simply credited to Michael Jai White, an actor who I never thought would be one to be adept at comedy (he also was co-writer), who channels the spirit of Rudy Ray Moore to a tee while creating his own iconic 'mofo' whose reputation precedes him everywhere he goes- including when he just goes to a park and a two kids come up to him: "Black Dynamite, you're my Daddy" "Yeah, me too, that's what Mommy said." "Oh no, there's someone else named that..." He is a big comedic stroke of genius here, but everyone around him gets the tone down so well.
Michael Jai White is Black Dynamite, a former government agent now neighborhood enforcer out for revenge when finds out his brother has been killed by The Man. That's the premise of this movie and that's all you really need to know.
As both a tribute to and spoof of the Blaxploitation genre, Black Dynamite is pitch perfect, but also a fun story in its own right.
. .Yeah, it's the greatest spoof I've ever seen.A send-up of '70s blaxploitation, "Black Dynamite" takes all of the clichés of the genre and pays loving homage to the extreme.
Hillarious parody of Blaxploitation movies from 60s and 70s.Michael Jai White stars as Black Dynamite.
Well, I tell you, just like "The Man" tells Black Dynamite at the climax confrontation: "there's a perfect, reasonable explanation".By now, you're probably familiar with the fact that BD spoofs the blaxploitation movies, in a similar way Airplane did with the disaster films. |
tt0068920 | Antony and Cleopatra | Mark Antony – one of the triumvirs of the Roman Republic, along with Octavius and Lepidus – has neglected his soldierly duties after being beguiled by Egypt's Queen, Cleopatra. He ignores Rome's domestic problems, including the fact that his third wife Fulvia rebelled against Octavius and then died.
Octavius calls Antony back to Rome from Alexandria to help him fight against Sextus Pompey, Menecrates, and Menas, three notorious pirates of the Mediterranean. At Alexandria, Cleopatra begs Antony not to go, and though he repeatedly affirms his deep passionate love for her, he eventually leaves.
The triumvirs meet in Rome, where Antony and Octavius put to rest, for now, their disagreements. Octavius' general, Agrippa, suggests that Antony should marry Octavius's sister, Octavia, in order to cement the friendly bond between the two men. Antony accepts. Antony's lieutenant Enobarbus, though, knows that Octavia can never satisfy him after Cleopatra. In a famous passage, he describes Cleopatra's charms: "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale / Her infinite variety: other women cloy / The appetites they feed, but she makes hungry / Where most she satisfies."
A soothsayer warns Antony that he is sure to lose if he ever tries to fight Octavius.
In Egypt, Cleopatra learns of Antony's marriage to Octavia and takes furious revenge upon the messenger that brings her the news. She grows content only when her courtiers assure her that Octavia is homely: short, low-browed, round-faced and with bad hair.
Before battle, the triumvirs parley with Sextus Pompey, and offer him a truce. He can retain Sicily and Sardinia, but he must help them "rid the sea of pirates" and send them tributes. After some hesitation Sextus agrees. They engage in a drunken celebration on Sextus' galley, though the austere Octavius leaves early and sober from the party. Menas suggests to Sextus that he kill the three triumvirs and make himself ruler of the Roman Republic, but he refuses, finding it dishonourable. After Antony departs Rome for Athens, Octavius and Lepidus break their truce with Sextus and war against him. This is unapproved by Antony, and he is furious.
Antony returns to Alexandria and crowns Cleopatra and himself as rulers of Egypt and the eastern third of the Roman Republic (which was Antony's share as one of the triumvirs). He accuses Octavius of not giving him his fair share of Sextus' lands, and is angry that Lepidus, whom Octavius has imprisoned, is out of the triumvirate. Octavius agrees to the former demand, but otherwise is very displeased with what Antony has done.
Antony prepares to battle Octavius. Enobarbus urges Antony to fight on land, where he has the advantage, instead of by sea, where the navy of Octavius is lighter, more mobile and better manned. Antony refuses, since Octavius has dared him to fight at sea. Cleopatra pledges her fleet to aid Antony. However, during the Battle of Actium off the western coast of Greece, Cleopatra flees with her sixty ships, and Antony follows her, leaving his forces to ruin. Ashamed of what he has done for the love of Cleopatra, Antony reproaches her for making him a coward, but also sets this true and deep love above all else, saying "Give me a kiss; even this repays me."
Octavius sends a messenger to ask Cleopatra to give up Antony and come over to his side. She hesitates, and flirts with the messenger, when Antony walks in and angrily denounces her behavior. He sends the messenger to be whipped. Eventually, he forgives Cleopatra and pledges to fight another battle for her, this time on land.
On the eve of the battle, Antony's soldiers hear strange portents, which they interpret as the god Hercules abandoning his protection of Antony. Furthermore, Enobarbus, Antony's long-serving lieutenant, deserts him and goes over to Octavius' side. Rather than confiscating Enobarbus' goods, which Enobarbus did not take with him when he fled, Antony orders them to be sent to Enobarbus. Enobarbus is so overwhelmed by Antony's generosity, and so ashamed of his own disloyalty, that he dies from a broken heart.
Antony loses the battle as his troops desert en masse and he denounces Cleopatra: "This foul Egyptian hath betrayed me." He resolves to kill her for the treachery. Cleopatra decides that the only way to win back Antony's love is to send him word that she killed herself, dying with his name on her lips. She locks herself in her monument, and awaits Antony's return.
Her plan fails: rather than rushing back in remorse to see the "dead" Cleopatra, Antony decides that his own life is no longer worth living. He begs one of his aides, Eros, to run him through with a sword, but Eros cannot bear to do it and kills himself. Antony admires Eros' courage and attempts to do the same, but only succeeds in wounding himself. In great pain, he learns that Cleopatra is indeed alive. He is hoisted up to her in her monument and dies in her arms.
Octavius goes to Cleopatra trying to persuade her to surrender. She angrily refuses since she can imagine nothing worse than being led in chains through the streets of Rome, proclaimed a villain for the ages. She imagines that "the quick comedians / Extemporally will stage us, and present / Our Alexandrian revels: Antony / Shall be brought drunken forth, and I shall see / Some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness / I' th' posture of a whore." This speech is full of dramatic irony, because in Shakespeare's time Cleopatra really was played by a "squeaking boy" and Shakespeare's play does depict Antony's drunken revels.
Cleopatra is betrayed and taken into custody by the Romans. She gives Octavius what she claims is a complete account of her wealth but is betrayed by her treasurer, who claims she is holding treasure back. Octavius reassures her that he is not interested in her wealth, but Dolabella warns her that he intends to parade her at his triumph.
Cleopatra kills herself using the poison of an asp. She dies calmly and ecstatically, imagining how she will meet Antony again in the afterlife. Her serving maids, Iras and Charmian, die also, with Iras dying from heartbreak and Charmian killing herself with another asp. Octavius discovers the dead bodies and experiences conflicting emotions. Antony's and Cleopatra's deaths leave him free to become the first Roman Emperor, but he also feels some kind of sympathy for them: "She shall be buried by her Antony. / No grave upon the earth shall clip in it / A pair so famous..." He orders a public military funeral. | tragedy, violence, murder | train | wikipedia | Charlton Heston worked very hard in "Anthony and Cleopatra" an adaptation of Shakespeare scripted by himself .
Heston is the director too, and the movie is a wonderful experience of filmmaking, a true labour of love, with some fault, perhaps, but full of energetic sequences .
Heston knows very well the Shakespeare original, and he express in the screen all the strenght , all the fascination of the shakesperian text .
"Anthony and Cleopatra" was filmed in Spain , with a marvellous soundtrack and a great camera work .
Anthony and Cleopatra with Charleston Heston.
When I first saw this film I liked it very much except for Hildegard Neils performance as Cleopatra.
You could see why Antony would be attracted to her over the sedate but beautiful Octavia.This is a terrific film and grossly under rated.
If you can get ahold of the 20 year + old VHS tape and you like either Shakespeare or Charlton Heston, then get it.
The Richard Johnson/ Janet Suzeman version is good, especially Patrick Stewart, but that was a TV production- this is a film.
Instead you get lots of scenes filmed on location (by that I mean outdoors, not a set thats suppose to be outdoors), action scenes involving gladiators and a honest to goodness depiction of the Battle of Actium (ok, they reused some Ben-Hur footage in parts, but its still not bad for the time), and a musical soundtrack.
The cast is great, and Heston is perfect as Antony.
The actress playing Cleopatra gets criticism from some, but I think she did a great job as well.
Charleton Heston is excellent as Mark Antony.
There is a sunny delightful brightness to this play/film, that cannot be portrayed on the stage.
British/Spanish co-production played , written and directed by Charlton Heston.
After Julius Caesar to be killed by Bruto and Casio , in Roman empire happens the second triumvirate : Marc Anthony (Charlton Heston) commands Egypt , Lepido (Fernando Rey) rules Africa and Octavio Augustus (John Castle) governs over Rome and Hispania .
After the death of Julius , Cleopatra (Hildegard Neil , though Irene Papas was runner-up for the role and Heston wanted to cast Diana Rigg, who had co-starred with him in Julius Caesar) queen of Egypt , becomes infatuated with Marcus Antonius .
Cleopatra who seduced the conqueror Julius to gain a kingdom , now she pins her hopes on rash Mark Anthony and then he is wedded to Cleopatra , but things don't turn out so well and they are defeated by Octavio Augustus in Actium .Co-production England/Switzerland/Spain by Rank Organisation and Izaro Films .
Imposing sets , lavish costumes , good stars , massive scope , opulent interiors , including great spectacle of crowd scenes well staged by Joe Canutt who was Heston's stunt stand-in for Ben-Hur, most notably during the famous chariot race .
This is a special version of the Egyptian temptress's lust for Marco Antonio after Julius Caesar's death and results to be an intermittently extravaganza by Charlton Heston who is a tower of strength , as always .
Charlton ¨Chuck¨ seem to be enjoying herself in the lead character in this hokey , spectacular as well as theatrical adaptation based on Shakespeare's play .This marked the third and final time Charlton Heston would play Mark Antony , he did so previously in Julius Caesar and also in Julius Caesar .
Superb British/Spanish support cast such as Eric Porter , Peter Arne , Julian Glover , Douglas Wilmer , Warren Clarke , Freddie Jones as Pompey and Juan Luis Galiardo , Sancho Gracia , Aldo Sambrell and Fernando Rey who was wounded by an armour dressed by Heston .
In Cabo De Gata was filmed a naval battle in which took part two ships .Other films dealing with the infamous Egyptian Queen and her Roman lovers saga are the following : Silent version ¨Cleopatra¨ with Theda Bara ; ¨Caesar and Cleopatra¨ by Gabriel Pascal with Claude Rains , Vivien Leigh and Flora Robson , ¨Cleopatra¨ by Cecil B De Mille with Claudette Colbert , Warren William and Henry Wilconson ; ¨Cleopatra¨ by Joseph L .
Heston managed to "open up" the play without losing the intimacy of the love story.
When the wounded Antony looks up to Cleopatra's tomb and cries "I am dying Egypte, dying!" I got it.
The passions of such great leaders shake nations to their core.This one is about Heston, on the verge of losing his matinée idol status by 1974 but with the acting seasoning of more than two decades.
He tackles Shakespeare and brings his own experiences of filming Julius Ceasar, El Cid and Ben Hur to the table.It is a labour of love indeed, but also one of determination.
I bought this movie knowing it didn't have a big success in its time and also it didn't receive good critics.
So I didn't hope a very good movie and the only reason to buy it is because I'm a big fan of Charlton Heston (even I don't like Shakespeare).
This title is great because it combines the loyalty (and love) to Shakespeare with the sense of entertainment for the big screen.
And the result is powerful: maybe the actress who plays Cleopatra is not the best for this character (although she is a good actress), but Heston and the rest of the cast are wonderful, the same as the soundtrack and the way to adapt the original material.
In Fraser Heston's forward to his father's Anthony And Cleopatra that is on the DVD that I just bought he mentions that his father was ever mindful of the mammoth Elizabeth Taylor film that only came out nine years earlier.
He wanted to do something different and in that I felt that Charlton Heston failed.
Not that this is not a good production, it most certainly is, but it did not break any new ground in that regard in the way that Laurence Olivier's Shakespeare films had done.
Heston is a stalwart and resolute Mark Antony who for the first time in his pantheon of classical heroes on the screen is really quite the fool, but a fool for love as history has brought Antony down to us.
He terribly underestimates Octavian played by John Castle who is best known as Prince Geoffrey of Anjou in The Lion In Winter.
Heston marries Carmen Sevilla as Octavia and Castle thinks him and his following tied to the Caesar family.
But Heston has a yen for Hildegarde Neil who is every bit as beguiling and seductive as Elizabeth Taylor or Claudette Colbert ever were as Cleopatra.
Fraser Heston's narrative tells us how.Antony And Cleopatra is a fine production, not the best Shakespeare adaption, but still quite good.
Good Adaptation of Shakespeare's Play.
I personally enjoy this version of Shakespeare's play in film form.
It's beautifully filmed, directed, edited, acted out, written and the costuming and the sets are lavish.
But each of us are entitled to have our on opinions about Heston and this film adaptation.I personally feel this film is a worthy entry in to the epic historical drama realm.
He is without a doubt one of the greatest actors of all time, but what was he thinking when he made this movie.
It proves that not even Heston can make a Shakespeare story interesting.
This is by far THE WORST Heston movie that I've ever seen.
If you are a Shakespeare fan maybe you'll find this movie entertaining, but if you're not don't waste your time, you'll regret it in the long run..
The Yang and the Yin. Ever since I studied it at school, I have regarded "Antony and Cleopatra" as one of Shakespeare's greatest plays.
This is the only feature film adaptation to have been made of it in the sound era, although there were two silent versions and there have been several made for television.
There was, of course, the 1963 epic "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor, but although the second part of that film told essentially the same story it did not use Shakespeare's dialogue.Fortunately, the late Charlton Heston shared my love of the play and decided to film it with himself as Antony.
He originally asked another great Shakespearean, Orson Welles, to direct, and then also took on the role of director when Welles turned it down.
He was only to direct one more feature film, "Mother Lode", although he also directed a made-for-television version of "A Man for All Seasons".Despite the title, there are actually three people at the heart of this drama, the third being Octavius Caesar, Antony's political rival.
Budgetary considerations, however, may have precluded this.Caesar is the prime example in the play of Roman values, Cleopatra of Egyptian ones.
Antony, who wants both political power and the love of Cleopatra, is caught between the two.
At one point Caesar tries to heal their political rift by organising a marriage between Antony and his sister Octavia, but we know this will never work.
Although she is beautiful and virtuous, Octavia is too much the Roman maiden, and too much her brother's sister, for her ever to be a serious rival to Cleopatra in Antony's affections.I think that Heston plays Antony in the right way, emphasising the fact that his character is not just caught between love and ambition but is also caught between two worlds.
Among the supporting cast mention must be made of Eric Porter as Antony's lieutenant Enobarbus, who starts off as a cynical observer of events but then becomes a tragic hero in his own right when he has to decide between remaining loyal to his old friend Antony and throwing in his lot with Caesar, who appears certain to emerge victorious.There will always be controversy about Cleopatra's ethnicity; the historical character was of Greek descent and therefore probably Caucasian in appearance, but lines in the play itself suggest that Shakespeare thought of her as a black African, and she is sometimes played by black actresses in modern stage productions.
In 1972, however, a love affair between a white Antony and a black Cleopatra would have been controversial, at least in America, and the role went to the British actress Hildegarde Neil.
(The previous year, in "The Omega Man", Heston had played a character in a romantic relationship with a black woman, but in that film their love was only one small element in the story.
In "Antony and Cleopatra" the love between the title characters is the whole point of the play).
Neil certainly had the looks for the part, and speaks her lines well, but I felt that she lacked the sensuality and seductive allure which Taylor brought to the role.The film was not well-received by the critics when it first came out and only had a limited release in the US.
Unlike some particularly grating Shakespeare adaptations of recent years, Charlton Heston's overlooked "Antony & Cleopatra" manages to work as cinema and as an adaptation of a work by the world's most famous playwright.
The production values-- giant panoramas, expensive battle sequences, glorious period costumes-- are staggering, and Heston comports himself quite well in the triple role of screenwriter/director/actor.
Not that I intend to use all my Shakespeare film reviews to bash Kenneth Branagh, but compared to Heston, he's awful, unpalatable in all three capacities.
He is that anyway, but even Heston's just-decent acting is well balanced by his expert direction of others.
The exception to that is Hildegard Neil, an awful Cleopatra.
John Castle's performance as Caesar is obviously the best in the film, but still doesn't touch Roddy McDowall's bold, furious, intense Octavian in the Liz Taylor mega-film.
And Hildegard Neil really drags the movie down a bit, although she's not as bad as everyone says.
This is Shakespeare lite in the sense that the play has been cut to fit a movie, not a play.
It has been done quite well and the balance between movie and classic play is well proportioned.Where the movie excels is in the locations, the epic battles and the camera work.
It serves as a fine introduction should anyone wish to experience the original text.The actors are all in good form and make the lines serve their character.
An ego production is still an ego production even when the names are big and the intentions honorable.One has to respect Charlton Heston all the more, whatever his politics (which one need not respect at all) for wanting to prove himself as a real actor in the worst way even after all his success in overblown performances in various Hollywood epics.
I hear you saying "that's exactly the way he did prove it," but no, as limited as this film proved with Heston using Shakespeare and other famous plays to get his own production company going in anticipation of the fast approaching days when real roles wouldn't be forthcoming, it isn't the disaster it might have been (how frustrating, though, that a genuinely great American Shakespearean like Orson Welles had to struggle for years to finance his Shakespeare while financiers lined up for "Moses" with relative alacrity).
In this case don't blame Shakespeare, 'though it's not one of the best in his canon, but Heston's adaptation and the limited budget he had to work with.One could *almost* forgive the obvious miniatures for the sea battles and the toy pyramid (Cleopatra's tomb - whose doll house proportions are emphasized by an idiotic pull back shot from the air at the end!) for the generally solid performances of the no-name cast, SOME of whom went on to solid stage careers.
Best of the lot, John Castle as Octavian Caesar, is very good indeed.
Heston himself, adapter, director and star, is certainly no worse an Antony than Marlon Brando's miscast attempt in 1953's JULIUS CAESAR (or might not have been if he had had a decent director to reign him in), but we realize we're in Heston-ego-silliness before the credits are even over and the overblown score is all but trumpeting (french horning?) "WE'RE SERIOUS" as a herald's horse barges through market sellers' tables and immediately after when Heston does the first of several literal "bodice ripping" scenes chewing scenery and scattering the pearls he's wearing just because news has arrived from Rome.
If Heston, the director, can't quite make sense of "The Battle of Actium" sequence, he comes closer than many directors and serious historians have before him.
The Cleopatra Heston found he could afford, Hildegarde Neil, is more hampered by a passing resemblance halfway between Elizabeth Taylor and Sally Kellerman than any actual failings of her own or her director.If the viewer is willing to indulge the excesses of a star just starting to show serious age and unaware how silly the film mannerisms picked up in a career as "star" could look as he tried to segue into a seniority as a serious actor, this ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA can be worth its two and a half hours screen time.
Heston only played on Broadway four times in his career - appearances ranging from 1947 to 1960 - but the only time the show he graced managed to run longer than a single week (a fate which must have wounded) was his first appearance, in a Katherine Cornell production of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, in which Heston played the tiny role of Proculeius, one of Caesar's (Octavian's) soldiers who has two fine brief scenes with Cleopatra near the end of the play, for a very respectable 126 performances under Guthrie McClintic's direction.
It was an experience which clearly stayed with him for the rest of his life (and he did well by the actor in his role in this film).
It's his and our loss that McClintic wasn't around to direct the star for this film as well.Certainly worth having, but don't expect Olivier..
Charlton Heston Takes Control -- And Has Marc Antony Mummified!.
Charlton Heston is my hero, and always will be.
But this version of ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA does not belong in his highlights reel, even if he directed and saw it as the highpoint of his career.There are some bright touches.
It's no accident that Jane got to play Cleopatra herself a few years later, and she was sensational!
(Colin Blakely was a better Antony, too, much more passionate and emotional than Chuck Heston.) Freddie Jones is funny and poignant as the broken down has-been, Pompey.
Historically, Sextus Pompey's father was the supreme ruler in Rome, long before Caesar, Octavian, or Antony.
Watch him emerge from the surf bawling curses at the cowardly Cleopatra, after her ill-timed flight has cost the forces of Antony everything.
Go Dim Go!Now I love Charlton Heston.
But Antony is so many things that Charlton Heston doesn't understand and can't project on the screen.
You never see the drunken Antony, the good-time guy who loves getting down and dirty with the soldiers, with the slaves, with whoever is around.
Antony is a brave soldier, but he's also warm, impulsive, sensual, and charming, and those are things you just don't do well on screen.Even the death scene suffers from Chuck's determination to stay in control.
Shakespeare chose to show Antony bungle his suicide, so that in his final agony he could be helpless in Cleopatra's arms.
It's a well filmed play, but not a great movie..
This movie does a better than average job of turning a Shakespeare play into a movie, but it doesn't succeed well as a movie.
With the exception of Heston, who seemed to be spend the first third of the movie smiling at some joke that rest of the cast weren't in on, I thought the acting was good.
The script was faithful to the play - actually too faithful - and this is why this was a so-so movie.
If Cleopatra makes hungry where she most satisfies, this film satisfies if we had been left hungry for more. |
tt0299930 | Gigli | Larry Gigli (Ben Affleck) is a low-ranking Los Angeles mobster who isn't nearly as tough as he likes to act. Louis (Lenny Venito), a higher-ranking member of Gigli's organization, commands Gigli to kidnap the mentally challenged younger brother of a powerful federal prosecutor to use as a bargaining chip to save New York-based mob boss Starkman (Al Pacino) from prison. Gigli successfully convinces the young man, Brian (Justin Bartha), to go off with him by promising to take him "to the Baywatch", apparently a reference to the television show of that name, which seems to be Brian's singular obsession. Louis does not trust Gigli to get the job done right, so he hires a woman calling herself Ricki (Jennifer Lopez) to take charge.
Gigli is attracted to Ricki, but he resents both Louis' lack of faith in him and having to take orders from a woman. He is also frustrated by Brian's insistence on going to "the Baywatch" and by Ricki's being lesbian. A suspicious detective (Christopher Walken) comes to the apartment to question Gigli in reference to Brian's disappearance. Gigli is further annoyed when his mother (Lainie Kazan) takes an immediate liking to Ricki and when the two women team up to needle him.
The events take a darker turn when Gigli and Ricki receive orders to cut off Brian's thumb, something that neither wants to do. Worse, Ricki's ex-girlfriend, Robin (Missy Crider), shows up at Gigli's apartment, accusing Ricki of changing sexual orientation prompting her to attempt suicide by slitting her wrists and is rushed to the hospital, where she thankfully survives. While over there, Gigli sneaks into the morgue and cuts off a corpse's thumb, which he sends to the prosecutor as Brian's thumb. Gigli and Ricki go back to Gigli's apartment, where Gigli confesses his love and the two sleep together.
They are summoned to meet with the mob's boss. Starkman reveals that he did not approve of the plan to kidnap a federal prosecutor's brother or the order to cut off Brian's thumb. He nevertheless rages at them because the thumb they sent didn't match Brian's fingerprint and therefore not only failed to increase pressure on the prosecutor but even undermined the organization's credibility. Starkman then kills Louis, presumably in retaliation for the kidnapping and associated scrutiny by law enforcement. Starkman is about to kill Ricki and Gigli as well, but Ricki talks him out of it by pointing out that only they know where Brian is and only they can silence Brian and prevent him from revealing the involvement of Starkman's organization in the kidnapping or even accusing Starkman of having been personally involved. They leave Starkman's, decide to leave the mob, and discuss taking Brian back to where they found him. On the way, they discover Baywatch (or a similarly themed show or film) shooting an episode on the beach. Brian begs to be let off there and finally they consent.
Gigli convinces Ricki to take his car to escape to parts unknown; but at the last minute, Ricki returns to pick up Gigli, and they leave town together and a life of crime.
All of the characters are transformed by the episode. Louis's mob is disrupted, Gigli has dropped his hyper-masculine facade, Ricki has a heterosexual fling with Gigli, and Brian gradually emerges from his shell, noticing other people and conversing. | cult | train | wikipedia | `Awful', `Hopeless', `Terrible', `Benifer's Gate'.These are the words I read from some of North America's most respected film critics in my research before viewing the debacle Gigli starring Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
Ricky has an ex-lover show up at the house and attempt suicide, the gangsters ask for the thumb of the prisoner sent to the prosecutor, Gigli has to rush to his mothers house and learns that good ole ma knows all about lesbians and throughout the film we are constantly annoyed by conversations between Gigli and his crime boss, Lenny over the phone.
So I began to wonder why this film in particular ended up on everyone's poop list even though there were plenty of worse films people were throwing good money at (Boat Trip, Bad Boys II, Masked and Anonymous).
In my opinion, and I do not think I am wrong, if Lopez had a small nude scene and / or the movie was done as an independent film for under 2 or 3 million, Gigli would have been a giant success.
You're left to ponder the short term agony weighed up against the long term benefit as Martin Brest's story unfolds with the principle characters of a unlikeable, emotionally and sexually retarded thug with a soft centre (a fat Affleck), a lesbian who isn't really a lesbian because you can be converted to heterosexuality by an emotionally and sexually retarded thug and an actually retarded man who was probably supposed to be a Rainman-type character who redeems Affleck's arrogant meathead but is in fact a cringe inducing, self-harm facilitating caricature of the mentally handicapped.
Witness, if you can, the Penis Vs. Vagina scene in which Affleck argues the case for the male genitals or the tear jerking moment in which the soft hearted Affleck, having given the Mentally Handicapped Brian relationship advice, looks on like a proud father as his new friends woos an Australian bombshell during the filming of a Baywatch beach party.
Lopez is awful; someone who has done this crime comedy style movie before should have been much better but she acts like she is in a simpering rom-com.
Walken is good but his character appears and disappears without reason, Pacino is much better simply because he does his menacing `woo-ha' thing and is very effective.Overall this is not the `worst film ever made', those who tell you that have clearly have a limited viewing experience; many of the reviews were made harsher by the back lash against the whole Bennifer thing.
I borrowed my friend's Gigli DVD to see if the movie was really as bad as the ratings and other comments here will indicate.
That ranking was undeserved, as the movie does have decent technical aspects (editing, sound) relative to Manos and Future War. Its good to see Gigli settling a little further down the list.
J-Lo is just too famous for anyone to see her as gay, not to mention, she never acts like it in the film.As for Ben, he's really bad too.
That's basically like Gigli, a movie that's not particularly good as a whole, but has some knockout individual scenes.First off, let's be honest...it's not as bad as we've been led to believe.
Watching this movie is akin to having an annoying roommate who keeps changing the channel between Rain Man, Prizzi's Honor, Chasing Amy, a failed sitcom about hit men, and any play with one set and no budget.Why do I kinda like this movie then?
Much worse than Gigli, which has some redeeming qualities, these movies didn't seem to find their way to the IMDB's bottom 100 of all time.
Aside from the glaring contrast between these movies from the same time frame, we aren't here to talk about them.Gigli does feature Affleck at his worst (and I know he can and has done a lot better); however, Jennifer Lopez was surprisingly good in this movie.
It's no masterpiece, and has some serious failings, but also dodges most obvious clichés and has some major high points.The Affleck/Lopez pairing actually works quite well - I never really bought them as mob goons (him more than her), but as an on screen couple they work, and their characters as a whole come out as quite well rounded (just not their occupations).It suffers from being too long, and the ending especially should have been a lot tighter, but that merely places it into the "average" bracket, not the "unimaginably awful" as some people would have you believe.
But while Ben Affleck was a bit of a horror, Jennifer Lopez shone (in terms of sexual appeal) throughout the film.One of the weakest parts of the film for me was the fact that they had a romantic relationship even though she was a lesbian.
From beginning to end, I though GIGLI was very enjoyable, well acted, well written with great diologue, and had a good pace.Ben Affleck was having a good time with his role.
(MEET JOE BLACK, A very underrated film) I get the feeling that he won't be able to direct another movie for a long time.
I just thought the movie had a nice story, some funny dialog, and actually deserved better than it got from fans.
I like this Film, I don't know what's should be so wrong with this Film, that many People on IMDb gave this movie such a bad reputation.
While these actors have probably been miscast, and the suject of the kidnap in this filmmakes this movie an uncomfortable mix of tenderness and gangster grit there are some good scanes here - which can surely not be said of clunkers like"Rude Awakening" "Hardware" "Graveyard Shift""1969" and a million others which are far worse, but without merit of top name talent to even make the memorable enough to dispise.It's not real good, but it sure dosen't deserve a spot in the bottom 100, let alone the bottom 15..
There are a handful of scenes this film - most notably Al Pacino's cameo - which really make the movie worth your time.
Bad Things Happen to Good Movies.
Maybe I had the advantage of having no expectations whatsoever, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film.It's not a cinematic triumph, nobody's going to get an Oscar, though Al Pacino (as always) probably deserves one for chewing up the scenery.
I think people had two fundamental problems with the movie: it wasn't an action movie (and everyone's on an action sugar-high after a dozen or so summer action films) and the female lead was a lesbian.
For the most part what they talked about was intriguing.It's a shame, but bad things sometimes happen to perfectly good movies.
I found the film somewhat emotional due to the cruelty Larry Gigli puts the poor disabled kid through (I have two kids of my own, and to even imagine talking to them like he does to the kid in this movie is heartbreaking) and the ending where the kid finally gets to see "the Baywatch" made me somewhat misty-eyed.
I thought there many funny moments in this movie and Jennifer Lopez was very good.
Of course, comparison's to "Chasing Amy" are inevitable, but just as worthy as comparing "Kill Bill" with "Hard to Kill." Watch the movie and you'll probably leave thinking what's the big deal.
Walken and Pacino are not the same as they used to be (I've talked about that before).Ben Affleck is the main star as Larry Gigli, a kind of gangster that works doing jobs that include killing people, taking money and other stuff.
I don't know if the retards are the ones that stand out in films where hardly the rest does (I'm talking about Leonardo Di Caprio's character in "What's eating Gilbert Grape"), but he gives a measured performance, without exceeding in something we've seen tons of times before.
Justin Bartha gives a stellar performance as a psychologically challenged person that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are assigned to protect in Gigli.The film is well shot by veteran cinematographer Robert Elswit.
Nevertheless, I tell anyone who will listen that I have seen the movie and even OWN the DVD and (after they stop giggling), I offer it up for them to watch so that they can come to their own conclusion, which I'm guessing many people have NOT done.
I think the whole Bennifer thing caused some kind of mass hysteria and people have ripped Gigli for reasons that don't have much to do with the movie.It WAS tiresome, in some ways.
If you took the same plot with two different actors, I don't think you would have seen such an outcry of hate.The biggest problem is that Gigli is supposed to be a Bad Ass Tough Guy hitman, but we never see that from him.
I've known guys like Larry Gigli and I think Ben created a very adorable and realistic character in Larry.So why is this movie sooooo hated?.
And fact: Pretty much all of them absolutely suck.So imagine how I must have felt when I heard that Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, were chosen to play in a role in a film that tries to rip off The Godfather.
It's in the painful excruciatingly bad, almost like puncture wounds being inflicted in the cinema area.Manos The Hands Of Fate, may still be the worst movie of all time but it has got some powerful competition from Gigli.
At the time this was released Bennifer (as they were called) were all over the press non-stop and I think that annoyed people and made some give it a 1 just because it turned into a fad doing so, a lot without seeing it before (similar to THE INTERVIEW where people gave it a 10 because they claimed threats from North Korea if releasing it)This was before Ben Affleck was a respected actor and filmmaker in Hollywood, he was sort of the laughing stock around those days (unfairly IMO but such it was)And I think a lot of people went into the movie just looking for flaws, and yes this movie has flaws but if you go into a movie looking for flaws how could you possibly enjoy the rest of it?And I strongly think the positives outweighs the negativesAnd maybe they were expecting a action-comedy?
I know that the Swedish DVD I own has it listed as a action-comedy with J Lo and Ben both carrying guns on the coverThis is NOT a action-movie, it's a feel-good drama-comedy really, and a darn good one too if you ask mePositives:-Entertaining performances from J Lo and Ben -Funny dialog for the morepart -Nice well-played dramatic moments as well -Awfully underrated performance from Justin Bartha -Killer soundtrack -Good coming of age story -Jennifer Lopez is more stunning than everNegatives:-Christopher Walkens super-bizarre 2 scene performance where he pronounces words very oddly -The sex talk which there is a lot of can at times admittedly be a little cringe-worthy -Affleck and especially Lopez are a little too nice to be truly believable as tough criminalsBut yeah that's about it overall a very enjoyable movie and laugh at me if you want but I usually cry a teardrop or 2 in the end of the movie.
Some of the movies critics love like As Good As It Gets are much worse than this.
Affleck's performance in particular struck me as unforgettably real, and I , once again, I had to keep telling myself that Ben was just an actor, and not a real-life street thug.JLo's impersonation of Ricki, a sweet-voiced lesbian gangster, is quite simply out of this world.
But more likely people wanted to jump on the "Dump on the Hollywood Couple That Everyone Loved to Hate" Bandwagon.Look, _Gigli's_ not fabulous, but it's not bad.
It's not a marquee movie.I think it's worth it for the good parts, if only to see just how wrong bad hype can be.Wait for the video if you want or see a matinee, but give it a chance.
If you don't love hearing endlessly about Ben and J-Lo, you may very well have a hard time sitting through this one.For some reason that I don't pretend to understand, Ben and J-Lo each play hardened gangsters in Gigli (named after Affleck's character, who in turn is named such for no apparent reason), with Gigli a slightly younger and cockier thug while Ricki (Lopez) is sent along to keep an eye on him.
This part of the story I won't go into much, since it plays no role in the movie except to have a wispy string of plot along which to string lots of cute scenes with Ben, Jennifer, and, as Gigli charmingly calls him, `the retard.' The criminal plot in this movie is completely meaningless, it bobs it's ugly head above the surface briefly every 20 minutes or so just to remind you that it's there, and then disappears so Ben and Jennifer and argue over the superiorities of their respective genitalia.The reason that I say that the romance is the best part of the movie is because this is a film that follows every standard cliché which should lead up to the typical odd-couple forced together by their work, so completely different that they can hardly stand each other, only to grow on and toward each other and ultimately reach some sweet, happy middle ground so they can kiss at the end with the sunset in the background while the orchestra picks up.
The ability of the characters to forget what they're doing for extended periods of time is remarkable.So like I mentioned earlier, the crime portion of this movie is completely pointless except for three things - lots of cute scenes with the three main characters (I should say the one main character, played by Justin Bartha, and the two supporting characters, Ben and Jen), the cameo from Christopher Walken, and the cameo from Al Pacino, both of which are so good that they diminish the rest of the film beneath the weight of their presence.
You can tell how much thought was put into the film by such things as the fact that Affleck's character has a weird name literally for absolutely no other reason than to provide him a couple of opportunities to explain how to pronounce it (`It rhymes with `really...').
The look on his face is priceless.I firmly believe that it's important to watch the really bad movies in order to truly appreciate the really good ones, and it's no secret that Gigli is definitely one of the bad ones.
Lo and Ben over the past year, they derided it without ever seeing it.I defy all the people rating "Gigli" as the worst movie ever (worse than "Manos"????): come clean.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are simply not believable as 'tough' gangsters.
Looking at the movie, I think he thought and tried to make a "True Romance" like movie but the movie misses all the elements that a movie needs to be a good one.Still the movie was mildly entertaining at times.
I was once again not impressed with Ben Affleck, but the scene with Jennifer Lopez doing yoga and talking about the most wonderful part of the human body was as good as it gets without there being actual sex.
I found Gigli to be funny and, well....a good little movie.
Gigli's problem is that it isn't exceptional in other areas, so there is nothing in the film to offset the terrible dialog.Bad dialog is a real problem in movies.
Gigli, named the worst movie of 2003, understandable in some ways, but I have to say from what I was expecting, this is not the worst film I have ever seen.
First off, this movie was made during the time of the media craze of Bennifer, so it made it kind of annoying to see these two together again, but it's mostly Ben and Jennifer's acting "abilities" that kill the film.
Now somehow this was turned into a ridiculous romantic comedy.Now Gigli like I said is not the worst movie I've seen, but it is a bad one.
Everyone hates this film, even its stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez.
OK so it's not the worst film ever made its more like the 786th worst ever made, which considering how many movies there are that is saying quite a lot.
I almost did not watch this movie after reading and hearing all of the bad reviews.
I am so happy I went with my instinct to see it knowing I liked Jennifer Lopez movies.
I did not care for Ben Affleck's character, but that is more about him as an actor and a person than the movie.
Jennifer was great as always, but I do think there was just not the right connection with Ben and maybe that is why people disliked the movie.
I'm not much of a Jennifer Lopez fan, but I do like Ben Affleck for starring in Argo, which I really loved.
1. Not only that suicidal people don't do it in a way that is shown in the movie, but also it looks like she just wanted attention.
It takes a truly horrible movie to become a great comedy, while Gigli is just bad enough to be boring without becoming funny.
The first point to highlight in this movie is a question: Why Al Pacino, Christopher Walker, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck accept such a cheesy and corny screenplay?
The characters of Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are so ridiculous that spoil any story.
Ben Affleck begins the movie as a tough guy, followed by a spoiled son, a romantic guy and ending like a good man.
A lowly thug named Larry Gigli (Ben Affleck) is hired to kidnap and watch over a mentally retarded young man named Brian (Justin Bartha).
Who the hell could ever like this movie?This piece of crap has absolutely no positive points, except for the fact that it had Al Pacino in it. |
tt0380268 | Cocaine Cowboys | Cocaine Cowboys chronicles the development of the illegal drug trade in Miami during the 1970s and 1980s with interviews of both law enforcement and organized crime leaders, in addition to news footage from the era. The film reveals that in the 1960s and early 1970s, marijuana was the primary import drug into the region. During the 1970s, marijuana imports were replaced by the much more lucrative cocaine imports; as more cocaine was smuggled into the United States, the price dropped, allowing it to turn "blue collar" and become accessible to a wider market.
Drug importers reveal several of the different methods used to import the drug into Florida. The primary methods of transport were aircraft or boats. The drug importers also reveal the complexity of their importation methods. The logistics involved included the purchase and financing of legitimate businesses to provide cover for illegal operations, the use of sophisticated electronic homing devices, and other elaborate transportation schemes.
The film also addresses the difficulty importers sometimes had storing all the money they made, resulting in their setting up a relationship with Noriega in Panama, as well as buying up entire neighborhoods of houses, putting money into infrastructure, as well as investing in side projects, such as race horses.
The distribution networks were also highly elaborate, and many people were involved locally and nationally in the consumption of the imported cocaine. Importers reveal that condominiums were purchased near particular ocean waterways to provide a monitoring post for U.S. Coast Guard and local police patrol boats, and high-tech radio equipment was used to monitor the radio frequencies of federal, state, and local authorities in order to warn incoming boats and airplanes.
The film reveals that much of the economic growth which took place in Miami during this period was a benefit of the drug trade. As members of the drug trade made immense amounts of money, this money flowed in large amounts into legitimate businesses. Consequently, drug money indirectly financed the construction of many of the modern high-rise buildings in southern Florida. Later, when law enforcement pressure drove many major players out of the picture, numerous high-end stores and businesses closed because of plummeting sales.
Also documented in the film is the gangland violence associated with the trade. The interviewees in the film argue that Griselda Blanco, an infamous crime family matriarch, played a major role in the history of the drug trade in Miami and other cities across America. It was the lawless and corrupt atmosphere, primarily from Blanco's operations, that led to the gangsters' being dubbed the "Cocaine Cowboys". | violence, action, murder | train | wikipedia | This was a spectacular depiction of the life and times of Miami in it's criminal hay day.
I witnessed the carnage first hand as a member of federal law enforcement and this documentary hits the nail squarely on the head.
just like Miami at that time.
This was one of the few documentaries that told the stories of both sides of the struggle.
I can understand why people may find this documentary offensive or cheap, politically correct agendas have a way of skewing reason.
This documentary was an excellent depiction of the times..
Although I had the opportunity to see the unfinished version of what is sure to be an award-winning film, I was thoroughly impressed by Cocaine Cowboys.
Without giving anything away, let me just say that this film refrains from the type of overly preachy or overly glorified view of the cocaine business in the late 1970's and 1980's.
A nice balance of character analysis mixed with an abundance of archival data kept my interest throughout the experience...and I walked out of the theater feeling as though I really learned a great deal, not only about historical occurrences, and their impact on a few central characters or society as a whole; rather, I left the cinema with a grasp of the time period from many different perspectives: Columbian drug lords, Cocaine transporters and dealers, special task force members assigned to find the aforementioned groups, local media then and now, land developers, vacationers, car salesmen, and your average Miamian.
You could blow into town with $500 dollars in your pocket, and the next things you know, you are burying millions in your bag yard, driving the hottest cars, have two or three cigarette boats, a string of race horse, and land all the way up to horse country in Marion County.
The Miami skyline was booming with two dozen construction cranes operating, cars were selling like hotcakes, and there was no trace of the recession that was occurring elsewhere in the US.But, then came the 80s and there were 100,000 illegal Colombians in Miami and Castro had just flushed Cuba's toilet and dumped his criminals into the city in the Mariel boat lift.
War began between the drug dealers on these two sides, and it came to the attention of Reagan and Bush that there was a problem in Miami that affected the whole country.Long before I got attracted to Carl Hiaasen's fiction, I was reading his columns from the Miami Herald.
Miami had become Dodge City and Chicago during Prohibition to the tenth power.This is the story of those two decades in Miami and the results today - a booming international city built on cocaine.
This was what happened to Miami with cocaine in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a story told exhilaratingly in Billy Corbern's fast-moving documentary 'Cocaine Cowboys'.
Still, it's an amazing story, one that seems more fit to video games than to real life, and its epilogue was the construction of much of the modern city with the proceeds from the trade..
I was born post the cocaine era so I did not know how incredibly different the laws were during that time.
This documentary gives so much insight into this high-speed world of drugs.
Documentary Film-making as Tabloid Journalism.
Cocaine Cowboys is narrowly focused on how Miami became the drug capital and the most dangerous city in the United States during the late 1970s and the early 1980s.
The film is lasciviously fascinated with the lavish lifestyle and the grotesque violence generated by the drug trade.
Fans of TV's Miami Vice and Brian de Palma's Scarface are advised to rush to a theatre playing this film.
They'll find that the real-life models of the fictional villains are even more flamboyant and vicious (the life of Griselda "the godmother" Blanco could be turned into a nifty fiction film).
Shots of piles of cash and large stashes of cocaine are used as would-be punctuation marks; and there are more snapshots of bloody, perforated bodies than you've ever seen in your life.Cocaine Cowboys is documentary film-making as tabloid journalism.
Towards the latter stages, Cocaine Cowboys strains to present Miami as "the city that cocaine built" by hyperbolically describing late-70s Miami as a "sleepy hamlet".
The real Miami Vice, or so they Claim..
A very stylized documentary, for a very stylized period of time, Cocaine Cowboys takes us into the world of Miami between 1970 and 1980.
Using plush diversions with still images The Kid Stays in the Picture made popular, Cocaine Cowboys shows the immense changes Miami went through as it discovered the drug cocaine.
Primarily interviewing three of the main names during this drug and blood soaked era, this film delves into a world filled with money, women and more importantly cocaine.
As the film informs us, the Colombian Cartel made over ten billion dollars during their escapades in the Miami area, not only for themselves, but for the Americans helping them distribute.The characters that are being interviewed, including an inmate captured for over twenty murders, never so much as flinch as they describe in detail, brutal murders.
This documentary does lack some of the more interesting comparisons director Billy Corben does brag about in his advertising for the film.
Saying that it is the true story behind Scarface and Miami Vice, Cocaine Cowboys barely touches on these comparisons, and seems to bring the most interest from these brief allegories.Despite this small short coming, the rest of the film is entertaining and educational, especially for a native Floridian like myself.
I never really knew how large this business was in Miami until I watched this true rendition of the over fantasized films it claims to be the inspiration for.
Cocaine Cowboys is a great movie.
Never has a viewer gotten to experience the real cocaine world until now.
Interviews with a top hit-man/enforcer, a pioneer pilot, kingpin, and tons of stock footage make this film completely unique.The sequel, Cocaine Cowboys 2 - Hustlin With The Godmother,is going to be even better.
There is an advance screening June 20, 2008 at the CineVegas Film Festival and this time around the documentary has worldwide distribution checkout www.charlescosby.com for some pictures of Griselda Blanco and Charles Cosby..
With only this one word you could best express the movie Cocaine Cowboys.
I really liked that the “authors” told us also numbers, strategies, trading, techniques … everything what you could join with drug mafiosos.
Prisoners told us how they were laughing about films in cinema or TV (for example Miami Vice) and they characterized it as stupidity.
It is interesting that you are not bored, also because brutal shots (police photos), which you can see a lot in the film.
If you want to know something more about drug cartels, Cocaine Cowboys is the right movie for you..
Fast-paced and entertaining retelling of Miami's 'Cocaine Wars'.
Anyone familiar with the story of Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel will know how the mass manufacturing and distribution of cocaine turned Colombia into a war zone, with top politicians and judges routinely assassinated, and gang wars spilling violence onto the streets on a daily basis.
Billy Corben's documentary Cocaine Cowboys focuses on the effect the most fashionable drug of the 80s had on Miami, which was the main entry point for masses of imported cocaine.
Soon enough, the city once seen as the holiday spot for retired old folks was turned into the richest place in the world, with luxury car dealerships and expensive jewellery shops popping up all over, and of course, lots and lots of banks.
The sudden boom was all down to cocaine consumption, and this came with a heavy price.Corben tells the story using a variety of interviews, news reports, archive footage and photographs, lending a voice to everyone from smugglers, enforcers, politicians and law enforcement.
The most fascinating insight is given by pilots Jon Roberts and Mickey Munday, who decided to get into the drug trade early on, making an unfathomable fortune in the process.
They offer entertaining anecdotes about their experiences, and were making so much money that they lived in little fear of getting caught, even buying their own airports to import the goods in complete secrecy.
The main threat came from the cartel itself, which was so powerful and far-reaching that one foot out of line and you were dead, often by way of horrific torture.The film's final third focuses heavily on the 'Cocaine Wars' that became so out-of-hand and brazen that it led to military intervention.
It's a mind-blowing tale of how one drug can have such a devastating effect on a country, and it's told in a fast-paced, almost coked-up fashion, with the clever use of subtle animation to make stills feel alive, and a wealth of shocking and revealing archive footage to paint a clear picture of a city in crisis.
I often attempt to describe what it was like there to friends: the Haitian boat people, the Liberty City riots, the Mariel boat lift and the Colombian drug trade.
Prior to seeing "Cocaine Cowboys", the best I could do was tell them "watch 'Scarface'...with the exception of the final scene over-the-top hokey shootout, it was dead on." "Cocaine Cowboys" captures the true picture of the era there.
This was followed by an ad for Lanson's, a high end men's clothier, advertising a bullet proof men's dinner jacket, "What the best dressed Miamian is wearing." Driving down Flagler St. in Miami, you see a bus stop bench with an ad on the back: "Protectar usted y su familia" punctuated with pictures of an automatic pistol and a machine gun.
The movie speaks for itself just like "Scarface".
The movie does credit the cocaine "business" with cash infusion into the area and the resulting uplift of the overall economy.
However, it omits the psychological impact on ordinary citizens, who saw little of the cocaine bucks: fear of getting caught in a crossfire and the depression of living in a combat zone.
I gave the movie a "9" only because it was a documentary and had no plot, no real acting.
I wanted to like Cocaine Cowboys a more intriguing documentary than I did.
It lacks no influence in terms of its information in the world of big-stakes crime of a period that seems long ago within a thirty-year time frame.
I liked hearing details in the stories, like the car towing company the dealers had as their back-up when driving around the cocaine shipments.
I don't mind in the theory of it how one goes into a cocaine documentary making it a fast-pace story.
True Hollywood story more than anything- than more traditional documentaries.
And the one guy who's interviewed most (I forget his name, he's the ex-big time Miami coke dealer with the mustache) adds to the annoyance factor after a while; somehow one might find the guy more interesting in smaller doses, not as the one blabbering and bragging for 45 minutes of the film until it gets to the gun-blazing Columbians.It might be worth a little bit of time if on TV, where it has more of a tabloid edge on things (if whatever edge I can't say for certain).
But I'd much rather take on a book two or re-watch Blow or good parts of Scarface or Miami Vice to get a better dramatized take on the facts than see it all the way through again..
I not only saw the documentary, I lived it, I became a Metro Dade county police officer in Aug of 1980 and retired in 2002, I was on the scene of at least half the drug related killings pictured in the video, and a whole lot more that were not.
As if that weren't enough, I also went to High school with the quintessential Cocaine Cowboy Mickey Munday, oddly enough I didn't make the connection till I watched this video 50 something years later, I recall him as a redheaded nerd who the girls wanted nothing to do with, if they had only known that one day he would be buying entire neighborhoods and burying trash bags full of 20s and hundreds..
2006 Version: What I liked most about this "documentary", is that there is no voice-over that says us what to thing and it is just testimony of people who were in "the game" at the time.
But when you add great editing, fantastic 80's soundtrack and footage you get story, that puts lot of movies like Scarface to shame.
I have problem calling this a documentary, because lot of testimonies, especially from the people involved in drug trafficking are pretty unreliable.
You will understand what made Miami so special and you gonna see the bigger picture behind the city.
'The true story that inspired Scarface'.
Um...isn't Scarface a remake of a film from the 30s?
And wasn't the bulk of Scarface's writing and production already complete by the time this documentary really gets to any story in it's chronological order?
If you have seen the episode of The Simpsons in which Homer is interviewed on TV by Godfrey Jones then you'll know what I mean.Credit must be given to the crew for actually managing to track down the majority of the drug dealing scum and murderers for honest and open interviews.
But with practically no archive footage to work with the film looks incredibly bland.
It's also way too long and you'll be looking at your watch by the 80-minute mark.A sequel is in production (oh, lucky us) detailing the life of the Psycho Woman in charge of it all, but you'll excuse me if I have more interesting things to do, like licking the dust from the skirting board behind the radiator..
Cocaine Cowboys is for you..
Leaving no tired coke dealer cliché untouched, this film will be coming soon to a wannabe rapper or drug dealer's DVD player soon...
The truth can be ugly.This just in, apparently a lot of money was made in the 80s selling cocaine in Miami.
Wow. I know that's a lightning bolt to most people but if you've seen one movie about cocaine sales you know it will not be complete with out 20 minutes of cash piling up montages and police photos of bloody bodies.
Apparently the film makers only had access to a few photos of the people they are talking about and interviewing as you keep seeing the same photos over and over again.
The documentary style of this does seem to be hijacked from several other more recent films.
You find out all kinds of things about Griselda Blanco and her henchmen all of it basically the heresay of convicted felons and washed up out of the game former drug dealers.
While the stories told are fantastic they seem plausible in this insane world the cocaine cash cow of the 80s.
This film is disgracefully exploitative and frankly really not that interesting or as shocking as they seem to give themselves credit for.
This film hits all of the key cliché's when making a film about drugs, pointless violence, over glamorization of the endless amounts of money and basically ignoring the fact that most of these losers being interviewed seem almost too happy to tell you in an unflinching way how they shot someone or did this or that making all of this cash, meanwhile all they are in the end are idiots that didn't know when to quit.
Congratulations dirt-bags.I really feel the best way to see this film is cruising A1A in Diddy's SUV between endless Scarface and Carlito's Way viewings.
Cocaine Cowboys a beautiful shot film, if you are into heavy 80's news style, but the overall documentary is boring.
The story is told in a bland way, the interviewees boring and the substance nonexistent.
Great documentary, important history, ties both series, Narcos, and El Chapo together, great for getting it all in perspective.There's no glorifying the drug smuggling, just explaining how and why they did it, and how it still affects the USA.Having the actual smugglers speak in this type of expose is rare..
The Miami that we know of today was built with drug money.
Just reading that sentence can be downright depressing, but the story behind it is one that is oddly (maybe perversely) fascinating.Directed by Billy Corben, "Cocaine Cowboys" examines Miami's turbulent transition from a sleepy vacation town to a beachside Metropolis, financed by cocaine revenues and victims of a truly nasty drug war.
Using testimonials from several key figures in the importing of drugs, we get a detailed depiction of the violence that spilled onto Miami streets.
What's staggering about the late 1970s (when the go-go party scene was in full swing in South Florida) is that while the rest of the United States was slogging through hard economic times, Miami was flourishing, due to the incredible infusion of cash into the city's economy.
Luxury cars were flying off the lots, and the scads of loose cash were eventually funneled into real estate, leading to the construction of Miami's brand-new glittering skyline.
The insane materialistic excess of the time is part of what makes "Cocaine Cowboys" so seductive.
The situation would prove dire enough to demand presidential attention, and a new ramped-up brand of law enforcement was born, taking the fight back to Blanco and the Colombians."Cocaine Cowboys" is one big thrill, aided (in no small part) by flashy imagery and editing, and even a score by Jan Hammer that keeps us reminded of the coastal paradise patrolled by Crockett and Tubbs.
This is probably one of the best documentaries I have seen.
I remember witnessing the drug culture during that time frame.
It was amazing to watch this movie and marry the story to what I saw in my youth.
I remember about when the drug of choice switched from a relatively harmless weed (debatable I agree) to such a destructive choice as cocaine, but I did not know the all the reasons. |
tt0444781 | Deewane Huye Paagal | Karan (Shahid Kapoor) is a shy and nerdy canteen boy and college student, running a café with his friend Murugan (Johnny Lever), and Tanya (Rimi Sen) is a student in the same college. She is the most popular girl on campus. Karan is in love with Tanya but is too shy to tell her. After he musters some courage and rescues her step-brother from some goons, he catches her attention and is eventually able to invite her to a fake birthday party. On her way there, Tanya witnesses the murder of a scientist, Khurana (Om Puri) by his evil twin brother, the underworld don Mehboob, and as a result is forced to flee the country to save her own life, since the law had been bought out by the very same killers. The scientist had stored a secret code in a stuffed toy, a parrot, now being sought by Mehboob, and Khurana was able to hide the toy in Tanya's car before being killed. Unawares, Tanya leaves the toy at home before fleeing the country, and the toy is later picked up by Karan, ignorant of Tanya's fate.
Three years later, still in love with Tanya, but depressed by her sudden and complete disappearance, Karan stumbles across old schoolmates of hers at a café, and learns from them that she had been living in Dubai all this time. Karan coaxes Murugan to help him track down Tanya in Dubai. They enlist the aid of a local hustler and bounty hunter, Rocky (Akshay Kumar).
Rocky travels to Dubai, where his friend Babloo (Vijay Raaz) has already tracked down Tanya, who has become Natasha, a successful singer and performer. Rocky and Babloo stakeout Natasha's villa to make sure they are on the right track, but as soon as Rocky spots Natasha, it's love at first sight. While he has Natasha under surveillance, Karan and Murugan arrive at the Dubai airport from India. Faced with a potential competitor to woo Natasha, Rocky attempts to eliminate Karan from the picture by lying to him about Tanya. He says that Tanya had taken up drinking and smoking, had had two husbands, six children and also an affair with a gangster, with whom she had a further illegitimate child. He further lies that Tanya had been left wheelchair bound after a drunk driving accident. Karan is heartbroken to hear all this, and decides to go back to Mumbai. He is about to board his flight, when at the last moment, he spots a picture of Tanya as Natasha on a club advertisement printed across an airport Taxi. He is overjoyed, and assumes that Rocky made a mistake, not being aware that Rocky is in fact trying to deceive him.
Things are about to get more complicated, since not only has Rocky to contend with Karan, there are two other people already in her life, trying to catch her in their web of deceit. Local plumber, Sanju Malvani (Sunil Shetty) has been currying favours for Natasha by pretending to be a paraplegic on crutches. Every time Natasha meets someone she likes, Sanju eliminates the competitor using a unique trick. He edits and prints out a fake newspaper featuring an article showing that person as a crook, and comes over to Natasha and shares "the news" with her while acting all shocked himself, thus earning her admiration. On the other hand, there is Tanya's physically disabled live-in friend Tommy (Paresh Rawal), who also has a soft spot for her. Having heard of the death of Tanya's disabled brother a year ago, Tommy has since faked being run over in a car accident and now acts like he himself is disabled and mentally challenged, thus managing to stay close to Natasha by seamlessly filling in the void left behind by her deceased brother.
Nonetheless, Rocky begins his attempted seduction of Natasha. Having wired the villa, and thus overheard what Natasha craves in a man, Rocky shows up at the local shopping mall, pretending to be an architect. Natasha, who is shopping at the mall, is ambushed in the parking lot by a bunch of thugs (who it later transpires are simply mugs hired by Rocky himself). Rocky intervenes, and after seemingly beating the living daylights out of the supposed thugs (the scene is similar to Jean-Claude Van Damme's introductory action sequence from Hard Target (1993)), introduces himself to Natasha, and proceeds to show himself off as a charming professional with a heart of gold. Somewhat awed, Natasha offers Rocky an invitation for tea later in the evening, which he accepts.
When Rocky arrives at her villa later in the evening, he is confronted by several obstacles, Natasha's sister Sweety (Supriya Pilgaonkar), the jealous Tommy and the family's pet dog. Rocky is easily able to charm Sweety, but has to drug the dog, who dies due to an overdose while the sisters are making Rocky a drink in the kitchen. Crisis is avoided when Rocky is able to revive the dog by electrocution using wiring from a lamp in the living room. The parties then quickly depart to the grand opening of Natasha's latest album at a social event, where Rocky now comes face to face with Sanju, who puts Rocky on the spot right away, as he himself is pretending to be an architect!
With Natasha and company under surveillance, Rocky now intercepts Sanju trying to discredit him at Natasha's home. Later, when the shocked Natasha confronts Rocky about him being an alleged impostor, Rocky is able to fast-talk his way out of the situation and convince the gullible Natasha that he is indeed not an architect, but a captain on a ship, something his mother does not approve of, thus the ruse. Tommy, however behaves in a somewhat jealous manner and puts Rocky in a confusing situation, involving him jumping on Rocky's back and then accusing the latter of having twisted and bitten his arm. A food bill from a bar drops out of Tommy's pocket during his supposed accusation. This arouses Rocky's suspicions about his supposed "condition".
The next day using that food bill, Rocky and Babloo track down Tommy at a local disco where, unaware that he is being followed, Tommy shows up every week, for a little fun and dance away from his daily existence as a fake disabled victim. Rocky confronts Tommy while he is on the disco floor and threatens to expose him in front of Natasha. At the end, Rocky lets Tommy go, on the condition that the latter will no longer attempt to get in his way of seducing Natasha.
The scene now shifts to the harbour, where Rocky has invited Natasha over for a cruise. While he is coddling her on the harbour front, Natasha spots Karan and Murugan sitting at the grounds. Unaware that Karan is in Dubai searching for her, she is overjoyed to see an old friend from her past. She introduces Karan to Rocky, unaware that they know each other quite well already! Karan, however, seeing Rocky and Natasha all smiles and happy, simply wants to leave them alone out of his love for Tanya. He just wants her to be happy, even if it is with Rocky and not himself, much to Murugan's frustration. While he tries to leave the scene, pretending that he and Murugan have a flight to catch, Natasha convinces Karan to stay one more night in Dubai, and come over for dinner later in the day.
Sanju shows up later at the party, and pulls Natasha aside to reveal his latest newspaper creation, showing Rocky as an international crook, murderer and serial killer wanted by many crime agencies the world over, whose M.O, as Sanju explains is to trap and seduce innocent girls like Natasha and then destroy their lives. Rocky overhears the conversation and while Natasha is occupied elsewhere, chases Sanju outside in the club parking lot. Sanju drops the pre tense of being crippled, throws his crutches on the ground, and runs for dear life. Later, Rocky, Sanju and Tommy are seen sitting in a bar nearby after a confrontation, exposing each other as fraudsters and having a drink together, cursing their luck at the emergence of Karan as the new love in Natasha'a life.
With Rocky having bugged Natasha again, the trio now listen to Natasha's views about them and find out, in a hilarious manner, that all is not what it seems, since she views Sanju as a brother like figure, Tommy as something similar to her deceased brother, and Rocky as a fraud and murderer. They then go to Natasha's house, where she is having coffee with Karan. Rocky uses a gun to shoot some specially medicated pills into the drawing room to be consumed by the dog. One of them is consumed by the dog, but the other is consumed by Sweety. The effects are hilarious as Sweety suddenly becomes hyperactive and so does the dog. Confusion ensues as the dog attacks Karan and he ends up throwing it out the window.
The next day, Karan goes to Natasha's house to propose to her and finds that she has been sent an anonymous letter, informing her that he indeed had hired Rocky to follow her. In a spate of anger, she sends him out of the house. Later, when he goes to Rocky's house to confront him about this, he finds Sanju and Tommy there as well, who also reveal themselves to have been conning Natasha. Further, Sanju reveals that he had written the anonymous letter to Natasha and goes on to reveal his trick with the newspapers, disgusting Karan. Meanwhile, Mehboob and his family, including Sunny, (his illegitimate son, who has also been obsessed with Tanya since college) arrive at Natasha's house and interrogate her about the stuffed toy. Realising that his father had used his obsession to track down Natasha, Sunny turns on his father and kidnaps her. Sweety informs Sanju about this and he along with Rocky, Karan and Tommy follow them after having gotten directions from Murugan, who happened to see them from a taxi. The chase takes them to the middle of a desert, where after some confusion, it is revealed that Khurana had stored the code of a vault in the stuffed toy. The vault had carried a secret solution, two drops of which could decrease a person's age by 25 years. The night Khurana had died, he had found that his brother wanted to use the formula for his own consumption and had tried to escape in Natasha's car as she had been passing by. He had slipped the toy into a package, a birthday present she had been carrying for Karan's fake birthday dinner, thus explaining how he had the toy. Khurana used the toy to counteract his forgetfulness. Natasha sent him out of the car at first, but, undergoing a change of heart, had gone back later just in time to witness Mehboob's son Baljeet kill Khurana.
Rocky intervenes and cleverly destroys the toy after having it speak the code into Natasha's ear, making sure she cannot be killed, the code being in her mind now. A gunfight ensues, during which Natasha discovers Tommy and Sanju's deceit, much to her shock and disgust. After the commotion, Baljeet, wanting the solution all for himself, to sell to a Chinese buyer and make millions, kidnaps Natasha. Rocky and Sanju follow them on bikes and finally manage to catch up with them. After beating up all the men, they take Natasha to her house where a further argument ensues as to who should be more worthy of Natasha. The argument ends when Karan arrives with Raj Sinha (Aftab Shivdasani) and tells Natasha about Sanju's newspaper scams (which the latter confesses), one of which had exposed Raj as a drug dealer and addict earlier. Raj and Natasha are reunited. Wishing them luck, Karan leaves in sadness after the others are left cursing.
Natasha realises her love for Karan and stops him as he is leaving, saying that she and Raj had had no future ever since their earlier break up. She then accepts and reciprocates his love and they finally unite. This tearful union is once again being witnessed by a grumbling Rocky, Sanju and Tommy along with Sunny. Rocky impatiently tells them to stop cursing and asks them to admit to the fact that they were never worthy enough for her. He then turns to Babloo and suggests, in a whisper, that they try to find out where Karan and Tanya are going for their honeymoon and they eagerly put on a pair of earphones. In the last frame, the camera pans to Tanya and Karan walking away towards the sunset, hand in hand.
At the end, the narrator says that after all the effort he had undertaken to acquire the solution, Mehboob had become too overexcited and had consumed the whole quantity instead of two drops. He had ended up becoming a baby and Sunny unwittingly became his father. The film ends as the narrator requests the audience not to forget him. | murder | train | wikipedia | Silly....
Based on the 1998 American cult movie 'There's Something About Mary', Vikram Bhatt's 'Deewane Huye Paagal' is a silly film, that doesn't pay the correct homage to the film it adores.Remember Ben Stiller sterling performance in 'There's Something About Mary', Diaz's charm, the witty dialog placed wonderfully in the screenplay and super direction.
Sadly, 'Deewane Huye Paagal' is a letdown by very silly jokes, characters, dialog and mediocre direction.The film begins ably, but loses energy 60-minutes in the film.
The culmination is the biggest downer.
It's plain bad.
Bhatt is a pro when it comes to making Horror films, and after watching this film, your assured that Comedy isn't his favorite dish.In the acting department, Shahid Kapoor is mechanical.
One could've never imagined that he would transform into a caliber that would even nod a film like 'Kaminey' and perform superbly.
An actor who has taken Giant Strides!
Akshay Kumar is over-the-top, but that's the demand of the character.
Sunil Shetty is good.
Rimi Sen looks stunning and plays her part nicely.
Paresh Rawal hams.
Johnny Lever is his usual self.
Vijay Raaz stands out, a true scene-stealer.
Vivek Oberoi's interpretation of a Narrator is an eye-sore.On the whole, not much left to talk about.
Verdict: Strictly Average!.
Pretty decent!.
Well I must say I quite enjoyed the movie even though I was expecting it to be another one of those boring comedies with the same story line.
Well the movie is a rip-off of There's Something About Mary.
The whole plot and characters are similar.
So I give it very low points for originality.
But I have to admit, that although the storyline was not original, the jokes fitted into the story were pretty hilarious.
Paresh Rawal is well used in this film, along with some pretty good scenes from Sunil Shetty, Johnny Lever and other members of the film.I enjoyed it much much more than Garam Masala, and it really won't be a BIG waste of time if you go watch it.
I'd recommend it if you really have the time.
It is entertaining..
Jokes picked up from 'Something About Marry' Straight Up!!.
If you haven't watched 'There's Something About Marry' then you might enjoy this lame movie ....
Lame because every joke is lifted directly off 'Something About Marry'.Seems like nothing original is left in Indian film industry (or may be very little).
Stay away from this piece of junk, watch 'There's Something About Marry' and you'll laugh throughout the movie.
After watching the original you can watch 'DHP' just to compare how cheesy it is!!
Its sad to see that good actors like OM Puri are working in such movies.
As far as other actors are concerned they are ordinary actors not like Amir or Shahrukh who like to work in quality movies only..
There Is Something About Tanya.
Despite being an Indianized version of There Is Something About Mary, DHP is a really entertaining film.
So, you get the idea of the story.Akshay Kumar is really good in the film.
Paresh Rawal is also good, but not as much as he was in Awara Paagal Deewana or Hera Pheri.
Shahid Kapoor and Rimii Sen give decent performances.
Johnny Lever and Vijay Raaz are good in their supporting roles.
Good to see Johnny Lever back in his comedic form.But it is Suniel Shetty who is the surprise packet in DHP.
Good see him in a good role.
He makes the best use of it.
He has plenty of scenes where he manages to raise some of the biggest laughs.On the whole, DHP is a thoroughly enjoyable entertainer.
Good doses of comedy, gloss, music and stunts..
a really funny movie!.
I was really excited when I heard about Deewane Huye Paagal because it is the sequel to Awara Paagal Deewana, which is one of my favorite comedies, so I couldn't wait to see it.
And I'll tell you that when I did, I thought it was hilarious!!
The story is nicely developed, and even though there are a lot of characters, somehow, the plot never becomes confusing.Performances, out of all the actors, were very good!
Akshay Kumar is great, once again, and you find yourself laughing out loud at the way he acts and his dialogues!
Shahid Kapoor plays the character of a very shy and innocent guy well, and he's easy to root for in the movie.
I can't say anything specifically about Rimi Sen except that she was good.
Sunil Shetty proves that he can do comedy.
I loved his character and all of his dialogues.
And last but not least, one of the funniest actors around, Paresh Rawal, is wonderful once again!
Awara Paagal Deewana and Deewane Huye Paagal-both very fun comedies!.
Best comedy film of 2005.
I enjoyed this watchable film it was so hilarious there was lots of good action good comedy and good actingAkshay Kumar is excellent as the funny hero Shahid did wellActress did good in her movie Other were much decent My rating 10/10 or 5/5 *****\***** or **********\**********.
Karan loves Tanya ,but here is also the gang of mad lovers who can do anything to win Tanya's heart.Here is a don who has his own agenda..
PERFORMANCES: Akshay,Paresh,and Sunil are excellent in their roles.But , Shahid hasn't much to do and Rimi also.
In supporting cast there is Johny Lever( not really funny),OmPuri ,but they are not funny.DIRECTION and STORY: After Awara Paagal Deewana(2002) Vikram Bhatt's direction is average this time but he handles the weak story well.Story is not new but have good comic elements.
FINAL VERDICT: If you have watched Awara Paagal Deewana ,watch this one also for good entertainment.
BEST SCENES:(1) watch out for the first meeting of Sunil and Paresh in film you will guaranteed a laugh.(2) watch where Akshay tells Shahid about Rimi's marriage..
Complete Rip off of "Something about Mary".
my title says it all.
This movie is funny and good to pass time with but the constant rips of S.A.M keep u turned off.
Hollywood need to start suing Bollywood for all its rip off even if those rips and originals both suck.
"Akshay Kumar has returned back to some really good acting after a terrible mess in Garam Masala.
"Akshay Kumar has returned back to some really good acting after a terrible mess in Garam Masala.
Paresh Rawal is well used in this film, along with some pretty good scenes from Sunil Shetty, Johnny Lever and other members of the film." is true as said by other user also true is was said about "SUNIEL SHETTY WAS AMAZING LIKE PARESH RAWAL.
HE MOVES HIS THAT NO ONE CAN MOVE BODY LIKE HE DID.
THAT WHY HE IS A MACHO MAN OF BOLLYWOOD AND KING OF TOP ACTION." also written by other user I'm doing this to make up the stupid 10 line rule complete BS..
Worth It. I would say Paresh Rawal repeated his acts from Awara Pagal Dewana.Best performance in the movie was by Vijay Raz I think.
Johnny Lever after a long time was not given much scope.
Akshay Kumar was 1st rate in comedy.
I have not watched SOMETHING ABOUT MARRY but everyone told me that the story of this flick is lifted from that Hollywood Movie.
Which is nothing new.
Vikram Bhatt's Awaara Pagal Dewana was also inspired from Hollywood's "The Whole 9 Yards".
Still I liked it.
Garam Masala and this cannot be compared as Priyadarshan makes Comedies on error.
Which is lovely style in Bollywood.
Vikram Bhatt did well but Songs were Just about OK.
Anu Malik's singing is not what i look forward to..
One real bad remake.
I walked out of the film, i paid 9 dollars to watch one of the years worst comedies.
The acting was horrid in the film.
Akshay Kumars excessive crotch banging and Sunil Shetty's horrible portrayal of Tucker from something about Mary would make anyone wan to walk out.
This is definitely the worst American remake ever.
The songs weren't even original one was the beat of Kevin Littles hug me hug me and the other of jazzy b's dil lutiya.
The best song would be the remix of Chakle Chakle, thats it and it might be stolen too.
I walked into the theater thinking this should be good because its the Hera Pheri cast, but two hours into it i stopped hoping for something funny and original to come out.
I say watch the film on DVD, you might even think you've wasted your money there..
Movie was just too irritating.
If you haven't watched 'There's something about Mary', you might enjoy the story of the movie.
Only the 'scientist' variable is an added component to the story.Akshay was too irritating after the first 15 minutes of his intro.
But I was impressed with Johnny Lever's comedy rather than Paresh Rawal.There are too much off unnecessary stunts in the movie, which is plainly meant to show off and does not add anything to the movie scenario.But I was impressed that they did not take a complete rip off of the original movie, but made a few stitches in the movie..
Deewane Paagal Nahi Hue. After the success of APD, The team Akshay, Suneil, Aftab(cameo), Paresh Rawal, Music Director Anu Malik, Producer Firoz Nadiadwala and Director return with Deewane Huye Paagal.
The film is a remake of There's Something About Mary(1998) which is a cult comedy and very famous in Hollywood, In fact earlier it was remade in Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat(2001) by Rajiv Rai but he changed it into a romantic film and it flopped, Vikram Bhatt however keeps it a comedy.
Vikram Bhatt is known to make remakes, his most films were remakes.
The film released in 2005 just few weeks after the success of GARAM MASALA when Akshay Kumar's comedies were successful but surprisingly it failed to work.
Perhaps the promotions gave people an indication that it was an out n out comedy but because it was a romantic comedy it didn't work?
The film starts off on a slow note, the initial scenes are hardly that good and the irritating narration of Vivek Oberoi is painful, The fun starts once Akshay is introduced.
Compared to that film, Here Vikram Bhatt adds lot of action, more slapstick comedy and song and dance.
There are some scenes copied same to same like the dog scenes which are not too funny in recreation, There also add a new character of Paresh Rawal,Johny Lever which weren't there in the original.
Some scenes are funny like Akshay's escapades, The scene when the truth is revealed of characters and the chaos But the added subplot of Suresh Menon, Om Puri doesn't really evoke mirth In fact the comedy at several portions is too slapsticky and the ending focuses more on action like APD and the end just like the original but more overdone is okay.Direction by Vikram Bhatt is good Music by Anu Malik is good, Chakle Chakle which is a copy of an English song is okay, It's sung by Anu Malik and he is good Anu Malik also lends his voice for Mere Jaane Jigar and sings superbly The best song is Aisi Umar MeinAkshay Kumar dominates the show, Unlike in APD where Paresh dominated He does a superb job in a comic role, Those days Akshay Kumar's comic bone was getting utilised a lot after the success of MSK and Garam Masala.
Shahid Kapur is decent but is mostly overshadowed by others.
Rimii Sen is annoyingly dubbed and doesn't look good, blame it on her make up and all she doesn't look fit for the role, but her acting is okay Suneil Shetty overdoes his walking to add to the fun of the character but he does provide some funny moments.
Paresh Rawal gets some funny scenes but it's nothing great unlike in APD.
Johny Lever is funny, but irritates at times Suresh Menon annoys, Om Puri is as usual, Supriya is funny Asrani and other sre okay.
Below average compared to the original....
While it is not a complete ripoff of the Hollywood blockbuster from Farrelly brothers (There is Something about Mary), it is largely based on it.
The whole Ompuri/Magic formula angle does not work and is totally unnecessary.
However the biggest annoyance is Vivek Oberoi popping in and out at the narrator (played by the Farrelly brothers themselves in the original).
Similar material would have been gold in Priyadarshan's hand.
Akshay and Paresh Rawal are the only performers of any notice in the movie, rest of the cast is poor to average in terms of performance.
Shahid Kapur was particularly disappointing playing the role Ben Stiller played in the original, no laughs for him at all!!
Anu Malik is no longer the music director he once was a decade or so ago, he has not delivered a knockout soundtrack in ages.
Overall it might be best to re-watch the original; a definite miss for everyone who is not a hard-core Akshay Kumar/Paresh Rawal comedy fan..
Audience hue Pagal.
One of the horrible movie I have ever watched.
I saw this movie in Mumbai, my last ever picture in Mumbai.
I paid Rs. 200/- to watch the movie and the movie wasn't worth 25/- even.Akshay hams too much in the movie so are Sunil, Paresh & all others.
The only saving grace of the movie was Rimi Sen who was fresh out from Dhoom then.
She certainly is improving film after film.
She was good in Hungama.
She plays the same kind of role.
In Hungama there were two guys after her.
In this movie, there are seven characters who are after her.
I don't want to waste my time writing review of the movie coz there is no story altogether.A must skip. |
tt0163488 | Robot Wars | By 2041, North America has been ravaged by "the great toxic gas scare of 1993": large swaths of land have been turned into inhospitable desert, where bands of raiders called "Centros" attack transports. The former United States have been assimilated into a Western bloc called the North Hemi. The opposing Eastern bloc is known as the Eastern Alliance, and the North Hemi is planning to salvage its economy by manufacturing defense robots called "mini-megs" for the Eastern Alliance. These robots would be smaller offshoots of giant "mega-robots", once ubiquitous in warfare but now reduced to a single specimen, the MRAS-2 (which looks like a mechanized scorpion).
MRAS-2 conducts tours for civilians, and carries laser assault weapons to defend itself. It is operated by Drake (Don Michael Paul) and his copilot Stumpy (James Staley). During a transport run, Drake's mech is ambushed by Centros. Drake opts for a defensive strategy, but his boss Rooney orders him to attack so he can show off the robot to general Wa-Lee (Danny Kamekona), a visiting dignitary from the Eastern Alliance sent to negotiate the purchase of the mini-megs. The violent rocking motions of the mech during the battle cause an archaeologist passenger, Leda (Barbara Crampton), to drop and break her valuable specimens. When Drake brings the robot to port, Leda angrily confronts him about the specimens, but he dismisses her with flirtatious remarks.
Drake is summoned to Rooney's office, and shows him a recovered Centro weapon which appears to be of Eastern alliance origin. Drake deduces that the Eastern alliance is conspiring with the Centros, but Rooney disbelieves him. Drake pressures Rooney to stop the MRAS-2 tours to avoid risking more lives, and when his boss refuses, Drake vows to quit piloting the robot. Meanwhile, Leda has met with her journalist friend Anne, and exposes some suspicious activity going on in Crystal Vista, a perfectly preserved 20th-century town that survived the toxic gas scare: the town is built on a layer of 21st-century materials which are impenetrable to satellite imaging, and she has found components similar to those of the old MEGA-1 robot, which was supposedly dismantled.
Later, Wa-Lee holds a traditional fighting ceremony and invites Drake, who apparently has long-standing animosity against him, to fight. Drake accepts, and knocks Wa-Lee down before the battle begins proper, cementing the tension between them. Drake then makes good on his promise to Rooney and gives up pilot duty to volunteer for a special op against the Centros; there he recovers more Eastern-manufactured equipment. Despite Drake's insistence that the MRAS-2 is under threat from Centros, Rooney allows the tour to proceed, and even has Wa-Lee taught how to pilot the robot as a courtesy. At a bar later on, Stumpy tells Drake that his grandfather was part of an effort to hide MEGA-1. Meanwhile, Leda and Anne have ridden the MRAS-2 to Crystal Vista. There, they go underground through the basement of a schoolhouse, and find the micron transponders of the MEGA-1. Anne returns to catch the MRAS-2 return trip, while Leda stays behind to continue the investigation.
Suddenly, Centros appear and chase Leda. She escapes for a while, and the rest of the Centros head for the Crystal Vista robot port. There, they join Wa-Lee's officers in a mutiny and kill the North Hemi security, proving Drake right about the Eastern alliance's duplicity. Wa-Lee hijacks the MRAS-2, taking the passengers hostage, and begins destroying strategic targets. Rooney pleads with Drake and Stumpy to retake the robot, and they agree upon learning that the Centros have captured Leda. The general heads for Crystal Vista to kill Drake, who has freed Leda, found the MEGA-1 intact, reactivated it and is now piloting it.
The two robots meet in the desert and begin fighting. Drake removes the MRAS-2's cabin, saving the passengers, and eventually manages to subdue the general. The film ends happily as he and Leda admit their attraction to each other. | non fiction | train | wikipedia | supremely enjoyable!.
A truly excellent and enjoyable piece of entertainment!A battle of skill, design, tactic, intelligence and raw robot power.
Very fast-paced and dynamic, with no useless and vulgar theatrics typical of american "wrestling" shows..
American TV Execs take note.
I managed to catch an episode of this wonderful show purely by accident.
We decided to stay home one Saturday afternoon, and as we were flipping around the channels, we happened across it.
The first thing I heard was the voice of the host, Craig Charles, that I immediately recognized from another wonderful show, Red Dwarf.
My girlfriend was ready to keep on going around the dial, but I wanted to watch, mainly because I like Craig so much.
He's just plain cool!
So we watched the show, and it was amazing!
It's like...as we Americans talk about how it'd be cool to do this or that, and it's usually just talk, the Brits are getting out into the garage, and actually building this stuff, and finding their way onto international television, as well!Hey, I'm gonna have to subscribe to TV Guide so I can find out when and where this shows going to be on again.Peace!.
Great show about Robots.
It's a great show, robots fighting each other.
Then there are the house robots...
very strong robots.
All robots have to move through a course and fight each other, at the end of the show there's a finale.
The best robot's are fighting each other and the house robots are also there..
Do we get a different announcer in th USA?.
I've watched a couple episodes on the Science channel in the USA and have given up on it because the announcer is horrible.
Way way too much fake excitement.
I suspect we get an "Americanized" version and the UK original broadcasts have a better announcer.
I also agree with other reviewers that the arena is too busy.
Too many matches are decided by one robot ending up in the pit.
Robot battles should be decided by how the robots stack up against each other not which one falls in a hole first.
I enjoy the creativity shown by some of the builders but I can't stand the lame announcer and it doesn't work to have the sound off either.
My wife suggestes they should have one of the British or Scottish golf announcers do the fight commentary.
Obnoxious.
Confusing and un-entertaining..
The hype of Battlebots turned up to 11.
At least with Battlebots you can fast forward to the interesting parts.
Namely the fights.
With Robot Wars the obnoxious "radio voice" announcer never shuts up and the fight is not so much operator skill and builder creativity as random metal boxes running into each other with other stuff happening.
A classic example of not understanding what makes a show entertaining and turning up every other factor.
The producers should be taken out and beaten with a pneumatic cylinder..
Fantastic entertainment!.
At the moment in Australia we are in the non-ratings period so all kinds of unfamiliar shows are showing up at odd times.
Most are dreck, 'Robot Wars' isn't.
It's actually one of the most entertaining TV shows I've seen in quite a while.
The basic idea is that contestants build their own "robots" (remote controlled fighting machine on wheels) which then battle each other in a ring.
The ring contains obstacles, "house robots" which can attack at certain times, and a pit in which you must attempt to push your opponent's robot.
Simple concept, but highly addictive viewing!
Maybe I'll get sick of it after a few more weeks, but right now I'm hooked.
Great fun.
Great fun.
They don't make shows like this any more - and that's a great pity.
This is a game show where people bring in the robots they have made and fight them while trying to not get killed by the house robots.
It's kind of like boxing or pro-wrestling when nobody actually gets hurt so the robots fight violently and then everyone is quite civilized after.
It's entertainment for the whole family.
In fact, whole families often run their teams including grandparents and little kids.
It's also inspirational to get kids interested in engineering and computers.
They have a really funny announcer too.The USA versions are fun but this is more fun.
They haveIf you can catch this on reruns, try it.
You may well like it.Oh, my fav's are Razer (of course) and Bigger Brother..
Too much "candy" taking away from the real fun.
Robot Wars (2016) has a lot of potential but the biggest problem is they fill the arena with entirely too much extra stuff with, what I assume is, the intent of making things more dramatic.
The problem is that this show is about a battle between two robots and some hazards are desired but when the arena has as many as this one has it really takes away from the actual function of the robots themselves and it forces the robots to not have room to get away and use strategy.
I'm also not a fan of the constant replays and edited battles....
The cameras simply don't follow the action the way they should and this also takes away from the actual battle going on..
I was at the original Robot Wars at Fort Mason San Francisco.
This show angered me from the start, and the only reason I'm coming out of retirement to review this thing was because it took an all inclusive event started by an ILM employee, and turned it into this faux kid friendly event, complete with three or four supermassive "arena bots" that you could never beat because of the restrictions on design parameters.I was at the 1995 Robot Wars, I was also at the 1997 Robot Wars where Bio Hazard took out everyone, even the much feared La Machine.
I remember Joel Hodgson from Mystery Science Theatre 3000 as the Master of Ceremonies, being freaked out by the 300 pound Snake-bot build by the guy who had built "the Master" the previous two years.
I remember Joel Hodgson taking a dollar from the guy sitting next to me and trying to auction it off to the audience during down time between matches.
I remember San Francisco's fire inspector looking none-too happy as he quite literally was inspecting the place (at some point it was SRO).
None of the energy, none of the excitement, none of the engineering creativity that was at Fort Mason San Francisco from 1995 to 1997 was in this TV show.
It simply wasn't.What this TV show had was "Dave Lister" popping off smiles and kid friendly witticisms in a venue that was so restrictive as to be obnoxious.
You had no chance of taking on the in show arena bots, even though that was part of the challenge.
And you couldn't use any of the more effective techniques that were developed by the Fort Mason participants.I'm sorry the creator of the event lost creative control.
I'm sorry his idea got sold to some outfit in the UK that did a half baked high-restrictive version of the San Francisco competition.
I'm sorry all that creative Bay Area and American energy got truncated in what seems like a revenge plot for the Revolutionary War. And, worse yet, I'm sorry the show got revitalized last year much to the chagrin of all.If you see blurays or DVDs of this thing for sale, pass them up, and check out the American Robot Wars videos on YouTube.Avoid this trash..
Astonishing!.
When I was about 5 or 6 my dad told me about a TV show he'd seen that he thought I might enjoy.
So we sat down to watch Robot Wars; it was love at first sight and it's remained my favorite TV show ever since.The show presents some amazingly designed machines and we get to see them all destroy each other in some truly spectacular battles.
In addition to the contestant robots, there are also the legendary house robots.
All Hail Sir Killalot!I was absolutely gutted when Robot Wars was taken off the air but those 12 years were worth the wait to see the brand new series.It was quite different to the original series but I don't think that was necessarily a bad thing.
It would definitely have not been the same without the watchful eye of judge Noel Sharkey or the enthusiastic commentary of Jonathan Pearce.
If you have an interest in engineering, then Robot Wars is definitely a show you would enjoy.Sadly this programme has once again been pulled from our screens but we can only hope that it'll return again one day.......
Find a skip.
The new series (2016/17)is now compered by Dara O'Brian (or is that NO'Brain) complete and utter rubbish.
The original premise for this show was brill but i think they should have left this in the skip..
The US show Battlebots makes this show look cheap and tacky.
it's pretty hard to do a review, because they insist on ten lines or more.
Thats a pretty tall order for this show.
The robots are basically crap, i mean come on guys ....
MDF robots in 2016.
Five seconds and it was in the log pile.
what i have seen so far, most of the machines (use the word loosely) have large pneumatic tyres, well exposed and easily damaged and the Christmas special with celebrities (again use the word sparingly) was even worse..
As i said find a skip :0).
Trash.
The first battle starts 30 minutes in.
This turd fest lived too long..
Great Show.
Great Show.
'Robot Wars' was a highly entertaining piece of TV.
It was actually a serious sport of sorts, but hyped into very provocative entertainment.Contenstants pitted their designing skills and combative wits against each other with contraptions that they had lovingly crafted and built.
For most it was a short, shredding debacle.
The hours and hours of time and ingenuity all too often ended in peremptory and almost heart-rending destruction.We saw some amazing machines, each employing a preferred asset: armour, speed, weapons, or a combination, and some mighty conflicts took place.
Sometimes victory was to no avail.
The programme employed a variety of extremely robust 'house' robots that were not above trashing the winner.I think the series reached its own natural, evolutionary conclusion.
In the arms-race, machines became so potent and well-designed that they could safely progress no further.A sadly-missed and highly entertaining effort, though - largely courtesy of Joe Public.
These were Britons who really did had talent..
Destruction at it's best.
For me this was part of my schedule on a Friday, I was only nine or ten and this show excited me and my brothers.Contestants design robots and well, fight..It's full of rage and anarchy as robots slice, chop, and blow through each other to get go the finals, but the contestants not only have to worry about their opponents and the trap's within the arena floor, but the infamous 'House Robots', the worst of the worst.
How, we jumped in joy if a contestant accidentally entered the space of Matilda, Shunt, Dead Metal (My personal favourite) or Sir Killalot.Great memories...
Good entertainment.
A very short summary.Granny's revenge is trash.Razer is the ultimate robot, it seems to be able to go through anything with it's lethal injections.
The way it lost against tornado was a travesty.
Without the shielding tornado would have been torn apart.
Whoever built razer is a genius.Wheelie big cheese was a good robot, never really seen a robot blasted out of the arena before.
Wish it would have settled under grannys revenge and hand shanked it right through the roof.
Sick of that crap robot.9/10 for entertainment.
Good series. |
tt0127288 | Six Ways to Sunday | 18-year-old Harry (Norman Reedus), is an innocent, bashful burger boy who lives with his overly attentive mother Kate. Harry's father left the family sometime before the events of the film, leaving Kate for another man. They live in a ratty old apartment, where Kate treats her son like a child, even going as far to draw his bath water and connect a wire to his reading lamp, shutting it off when Harry is busy to get his attention. One day, Arnie (Adrien Brody), Harry's oldest and best friend, goes to a strip club, where the boss owes Arnie's mob boss money. Harry watches as Arnie beats the owner, and snaps, releasing his rage out on the owner, pummeling him to the point where Arnie has to pull Harry off to avoid killing him. Outside, both are visibly shocked by Harry's outburst, but Harry is shocked and confused at the fact that he liked it. Not long after, Arnie's boss Abie Pinkwise, meets the two at a local diner, where he remarks how much potential Harry has in the mob business. He invites Harry to become his apprentice, and Harry accepts. After leaving, Arnie attempts a heist at a small store, but backfires when the clerk holds him at gun point, sending him to jail. When Harry is told to ditch a car (evidence in a homicide), by his bosses, he leaves evidence (a magazine with his name on it), and a witness. He is arrested but is proven to be loyal to his employers by keeping silent, despite being beaten by the police. Now trusting him, the bosses get him out of jail and take him out to celebrate at a brothel. When alone with one of the women, Harry is un-aroused, and timidly asks the prostitute if he seems normal. When he answers that he doesn't feel that way for neither men nor women, she gently replies that she isn't the kind of professional he should be talking to. He goes home dejected, and when his mother smells perfume on him the first signs of her jealous tendencies begin to show.
As the months pass Abie shows Harry the ropes but when faced with killing someone, Harry hesitates, but ultimately does the crime, letting himself go as he did when beating the strip club owner. That night, upset by what he did, Harry goes to Louis Varga's house, only to find it empty, sans for Iris, his Hungarian maid. She offers him coffee, and it is here where Harry's alter-ego Madden (Holter Graham), appears. With Madden in control, Harry frightens Iris and thus causes her to quit. Angry, Mr. Varga makes Harry apologize to Iris, and makes Harry say he is in love with her to prompt her to come back under Mr. Varga's employment. Hesitantly, Iris accepts Harry's timid offer and the two begin dating, with Harry actually falling in love with Iris along the way, much to his mother's anger and jealousy.
When Harry finds a house that he likes, he is set on moving into it as a means to escape his mother's controlling nature, but when she moves with him, she decorates the house as a replica of their old apartment, much to her sons anger. Arnie is then released from prison, and Harry hopes to get him back in the game as their getaway driver for a new hit coming up. However, the hit goes awry when it is revealed far too late that the man to be killed by both Harry and Abie, is actually Abie's long-lost uncle. Devastated, Abie pauses long enough for the police to be called, which is where Arnie flees. Abie and Harry manage to escape. While Abie grieves at home, falling off the wagon after years of sobriety, Harry and "Madden" meet up again and this leads him to Iris' house, where the consummate their relationship. Arnie then comes forward with the promise of immunity, and flips on Harry and Abie. Both Abie and Harry keep quiet during the interrogation.
The mob has the three released, but now that it is clear that Arnie is a liability and cannot be trusted, Mr. Varga orders Abie and Harry to kill him. When Abie hesitates, still drinking and distraught over his uncle, Harry kills Arnie himself, despite his friend's pleading. Once again, in this blood-lust haze, Harry seeks comfort with Iris. At Arnie's funeral, Mr. Varga reminds Harry that when Abie drinks, he starts talking, and this makes him a liability. Mr. Varga hints that they may need to kill Abie to keep him silent. When Kate finds Iris' hair in Harry's underwear, he admits to having a girlfriend and Kate calmly says she would like to meet her. The stress puts a strain on Iris and Harry's sex life, and even "Madden's one-track mind" is of no use (during past sexual encounters, Harry has only had sex with Iris under Madden's persona). Worried for Harry's mental health, Iris resolves they really try, without Madden's help. The two go to a hotel, where they make love after Harry has her put on a mourning veil. At the family dinner where Iris was to meet Kate, things seem to be going well, until Kate has her son go out for ginger ale, leaving the two women alone. When Harry returns he finds Iris gone, his mother having driven her away in a jealous rage. Harry admits that he may be in love with Iris and is about to go after her when his mother stops him. Harry remains home and breaks off contact with Iris, his mother's hold over him stronger than ever.
Despite the fact that Abie has stopped drinking and is no longer a threat, Mr. Varga orders Harry to kill Abie anyway. Harry kills Abie with the same ice-pick he gave Harry earlier in the film, in front of a diner full of witnesses. More upset than ever, Madden is revealed again, and though he goes to first Iris, then a brothel for relief, he turns to his mother. It is revealed though flashbacks that Madden is truly Harry. Harry then has sex with Kate, who proclaims that she had waited "so long" for this.
The next morning is mundane, Harry takes his usual bath while his mother is in the kitchen. He hears a thud and goes to investigate, and there finds his mother hanging from the ceiling thinking she killed herself (Harry actually killed her, but his mental state won't let him notice). Mr. Varga calls Harry to inform him that they are relocating elsewhere, as Harry's act in the diner put them all under danger of arrest. Harry, clearly distraught from Kate's death, says that he will take his mother's corpse with him, and that she will "not get in the way" of their escape. Disturbed, Mr. Varga agrees to pick him up, only to attempt to kill him when Harry gets into the backseat. Harry draws his own gun and shoots both Mr. Varga and his henchman dead and takes the car to the bus station.
Iris, who had left the city for California to be with her brother, is delighted to have Harry going with her. They sit on the bus, overjoyed to breakaway from the city and the mob altogether. Harry looks away across the seat with a smile, and shows Kate's body bag resting casually in the seat. | violence, comedy, murder | train | wikipedia | Six Ways To Sunday is billed as a black comedy.
It is fraught with great characters, situations, and relationships.
It is a psychological study that plumbs the depths of a mother/son relationship that effects or determines almost everything that happens in the movie --- good and bad.
The film tells the story of young man from a depressed area who gets into a life crime.
At this point I would like to recognize Mr. Reedus' portrayal of Harry, the naive, gentle, and submissive but simultaneously worldly, aggressive, and violent young man was done deftly and beautifully.
The film also sheds light on other human relationships involving love and hate, passion and coldness, and loyalty and betrayal.
The film was written and directed by Adam Bernstein.
Although there was one situation that I did not find believable which did not detract from the film, Six Ways To Sunday was compelling from beginning to end.
A word of caution, the film is deserving of its "R" rating due to some extreme violence and exploring an incestuous relationship.
If you do not get a chance to see this film in the theaters, it is well worth renting.
Norman Reedus gives an exceptional performance as Harry.
Debbie Harry as his mother is appropriately frumpy and chilling (with one amazing transformation scene - you had to see coming!).
If director Adam Bernstein seems to run out of steam at the very conclusion - that's okay, since the ride is almost always much more interesting than the destination.See this movie!.
If you are a big Debbie Harry/Blondie fan, this movie is for you.
I can't get over how great of an actress she is, and some of the "things" she does and says in this movie.
She even has a flashback to when she was younger, and she's singing like she did in Blondie, not to mention that in one scene, the Blondie song "Sunday Girl" is playing in the background."Six Ways to Sunday" is about a kid, Harry Odum, who finds connections to make money by working for the mob.
He lives with his mother Kate (Debbie Harry), and has a very close relationship with her.
(Later in the movie, you'll see just how "close" they are!) This is a very dark comedy, great acting, great story, a great movie.
Movies require you to think too.Please watch this if you get the chance.
And like I said, Debbie Harry is terrific in this movie, as well as the rest of the cast.
And when the film is over, and you watch the screen fade to black after the last scene as the credits roll, you'll think, "what a move.".
As Far As I Know, Its Tip Top. This masterful creation is bound to have any viewer thinking about it for some time after the credits roll.
Thinking especially about the complex character of Harry Odum played by Norman Reedus - that's complex in more than one sense of the word.
Adam Bernstein does an amazing job of plotting out the character development of Harry Odum throughout the story.
His is a character that undergoes much change throughout the film and there is never a point where the viewer can pinpoint to say that Harry Odum has displayed an excessively overt transformation.
The transition from a young fledgling who is still bathed and nurtured by his mother to a cold blooded killer for the Mafia happens quite smoothly.
Smoother than you would probably think possible until you see this film.
As well, Deborah Harry gave a pleasant performance as his incestuous mother.As you may have guessed, any film dealing with the Mafia, incest, and a complex character with a complex is not a light natured film.
In fact the mood gets quite dark at times and Adam Bernstein does a lovely job of keeping this dim air present throughout.
This includes everything from the depressing industrial set town that the story takes place in, to the gloomy rooms that the scenes are shot in, to the dark lighting in many of the scenes, to the fitting music, all the way to the disparaging words and attitudes of the characters.
This is an odd film to watch, we have all seen movies with overprotective mothers, but nothing quite like this.I really liked the way that pieces were filled in as the movie progressed, as they slot into place you feel relief that the confusion has gone and dumb for not working it out before.Sterling performances from Debbie Harry and Norman Reedus.This movie hangs around in your head for a while after watching it, you don't know whether to laugh at the black humour or be disgusted by it.I really liked the ending though, so if you can handle the violence and all - stick with it you won't be disappointed.
Debbie Harry gives the best performance as a mother obsessed with her son.
The film is mainly about a young boy joining the mob to earn money.
He has a split personality, likes his Mom too much and falls in love but is essentially an alright guy, if not a little warped.
A very underrated film, worth watching if only for Debbie Harry..
Debbie Harry's really good, and so is everyone else.
This movie is definitely not a comedy(not like other people think).
It's more like drama or crime thriller or even in some parts a romance bot not a comedy.
There was to many violent, shocking and even sad scenes to call it comedy.
Some people really live this way and it's more sad than funny.
Anyway the movie is great.
Anyway the movie is great.
Deborah Harry was great.
Althau she get quite unusual role(her character reminded me Orsons mother from Desperate Housewives) but she managed her role perfectly.
This is really unusual film and it's worth your time.
Produced by Jonathan Demme and based on the novel PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG MAN DROWNING, SIX WAYS TO Sunday (6WtS) follows the adventures of Harold "Harry" Odum (Norman Reedus), a young man pinned so tightly under his mother's thumb he can barely move.
On Harry's road of, er, self-discovery, he evolves (for lack of a better term) from mama's boy to hit man for the local Jewish mob.
Even more mind-boggling, his smothering mom is played by an eerily effective Deborah Harry!
(Deborah Harry Odum?
:-) Although she gets to sing in flashbacks (and Blondie's "Sunday Girl" is used to nice effect in a diner scene.
In fact, music is used well in this film overall, especially The Feminine Complex's charmingly Petula Clarkesque "Love Love Love"), for the most part Harry is startlingly different from her Blondie front-woman persona, both physically and personality-wise.
Directed by Adam Bernstein, who's gone on to excellent work on RESCUE ME and other edgy TV series, 6WtS boasts a cast as talented as it is eclectic.
Norman Reedus manages to be boyish and intense at the same time, as well as looking like the positive result of an eccentric geneticist's attempt to create a hybrid of Ewan McGregor, Leonardo DiCaprio, and a young Gary Sinise.
There are also memorable turns by Isaac Hayes as a cop (listen for his rendition of "What A Friend We Have in Mother" during the opening scenes), Jerry Adler (best known in our household as Woody Allen and Diane Keaton's mysterious neighbor Mr. House in MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY) as the Jewish mob's equivalent of the capo di tutti capi, and Elina Löwensohn (NADJA, SCHINDLER'S LIST) as the girl Harry loves, reminding me of a sort of wistful, downtrodden Audrey Hepburn.
For my money, the most entertaining scenes belong to Adrien Brody, and not just because I'm a fan of his.
Brody channels his inner Ali G as Harry's childhood friend Arnie Finklestein, an inept gangsta wannabe who tries to look and act like a homeboy with hilarious results -- but nobody's laughing when he chickens out and flees the scene during one of Harry's hits...
6WtS isn't for all tastes, but if you like your crime comedies weird, dark and twisted, it's at least worth a rental..
This film is wonderfully original..
It is a true dark comedy that is beautifully shot and chock full of disturbingly funny moments.
Anyone with a sense of humor should love this film.
Good movie..
A very good movie about a talented young man who crosses ethnic and social barriers to become a success in a family owned-business.This is the kind of movie which reaffirms my faith in America.
It goes to show how hard work, dedication, and a few unresolved psychoses can still be the ticket which takes a young man from relative obscurity and a dead-end life to a successful and rewarding career..
This was the first film I ever saw Norman Reedus in, and his performance immediately captivated me.
This film is so excellent I watched it twice.
It's also darkly funny, which adds to the uniqueness and originality of the movie.
If you've never seen this movie, rent it.
"Six Ways To Sunday" Stratosphere Entertainment cut a rousing trailer for this film.
While a dangerous concept, expectations can also taint your feelings toward a film when it's all said and done.
Henry Thomas look alike Norman Reedus stars as a Harry, a simple kid with an unusually touchy feely mother (Deborah Harry) who stumbles into the world of the mob.
Becoming rich and dangerous in short amount of time, Harry begins to feel his world closing in around him.
Mixing equal doses of "Goodfellas", "Psycho", and maybe "Spanking The Monkey", "Six Ways" is not an easy film to dismiss.
Boasting a solid cast of diverse names (Isaac Hayes as a cop, personal fave Elina Lowensohn as the love interest), the film is an eclectic collection of themes.
Sadly, the film doesn't really know what to do with him.
The narrative blatantly falls apart in the final act and the blood is shed in great amounts, something that just isn't needed for success.
Debbie Harry is a hoot as the domineering mother.
I also really liked the glum setting of Long Island in the fall.I see very clearly why this movie might rub people the wrong way.
If you don't buy the concept, you ain't gonna stay with the movie.
It makes the film seem better than it probably is.----------- 7.
Intriguing and weird...Deborah Harry shines!.
This is a movie unlike any other I've seen.
Bizarre undertones create an intriguing psychological tension throughout the film.
Deborah Harry is PERFECTION as the uncomfortably close mother of a young guy who is drawn to mob life and gets in too deep.
Truly unique and haunting, and directed with style.The other review of this film obviously didn't get it.
There is dark comedy throughout, and some brutally violent scenes...perhaps that's confusing to viewers who need special effects and pre-fab soundtracks.
Great soundtrack, offbeat cast.This is a pretty violent film, so not for the faint of heart, although the violence is treated in a really interesting way..
This is one of the weirdest movies I've seen, but I have to say that I liked it.
It's definitely not for people who only like mainstream type movies.
There is some "uncomfortable" (LOL) subject matter within this film, however, I always seem to find the humor in these things.
Throughout the movie Jon Demme and the other film makers picked apart a seriously diseased mind with great writing.
Since his mother prostituted herself she made it seem like sex was such a terrible thing, that he would not do it (so his mind invented madden to do it for him).
Not only was he crazy, but at the end you finally find out that his mother was truly the crazy one and he was just a naive boy in love.I recommend this movie to anyone who likes good script.
Really Funny Film.
Debbie Harry is a great actress as well as a singer/songwriter.
She is great as the child obsessed Mother of Harold.
Harrold is now working for the Mafia to support his bizarre mother, Kate.Thouroughly Enjoyed this film, one of Harry's better better ones..
Acting is terrible, there is no plot whatsoever, there is no point whatsoever, i felt robbed after i rented this movie.
a disgrace for terrible movies!
"Six Ways to Sunday" begins with the Isaac Hayes rendition of 'What A Friend We Have in Mother' and shows a piece of electrical wire running from the mother's bedroom to that of her son's.
This is a disturbing film by Jonathan Demme, taken from a novel called 'Portrait of a Young Man Drowning', but it is also fun to watch because the film is understated enough that you are guessing all along which way it might be going.
Harry Odom is a young man who could be a cross between the Malcolm McDowell character in "A Clockwork Orange" and Norman Bates.
He has an affliction, he isn't sure about his own sexuality because his dominating mother, Kate, insures that he be devoted solely to her, to the point of bathing him herself and controlling the light switch in his room while constantly reminding him of the deadbeat father that left them.
He appears to be a loner but he has a special friend, Madden, an imagined alter ego who lusts whereas Harry can't.
Could Iris be a put-on, is the Uncle Max character real, and will Harry really go through with rubbing Abie out?
By film's end, Harry has turned into a cold blooded murderer but we also see a twisted redemption - an anti-hero who is able to walk away with his girl and with his affliction.
The cast is not particularly outstanding, Deborah Harry as Kate and Norman Reedus as Harry, but the integrity of the film doesn't depend on the acting as much as on the joy of peeling away at the story layer by layer until there is nothing left..
One weird movie.
Six Ways to Sunday is definitely one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen, but I loved it at the same time.
Norman Reedus is one of my favorite actors so every movie he is in he does an amazing job.
He played an 18 year old boy named Harry Odum, who is pretty much babied by his mother.
Blondie, also known as Deborah Harry, did a great job as an over protective mother.
I think my mom is over protective, but she doesn't even come close to how Deborah Harry's character is.It's a dark comedy with some bloody scenes and if you can handle some awkward moments then rent it for sure.
"Six ways to Sunday" is not a 'funny gangster's flick' where the important plot is not if the boy is cold-blooded or not...
This movie is a psychological view of the violence triggered by a real ill sexual life.
I personally think you have to be screwed In the head to appreciate this movie....
I really enjoyed this movie.
I mean come on people Issac Hayes and Debbie Harry, we're talking Chef and Blondie, how cool is that?
A truly great dark comedy.
This is a great film.
This is a great film.
One of the most entertaining, bizarre comedies that I have seen in a long time.
I would highly recommend it to those who can appreciate out-of-the-ordinary cinema.Debbie Harry shines as the overly attentive mother while Norman Reedus does a wonderful job as her son.
I just kept wondering what could possibly be next in this film.
It's one of those films you start watching and after 10 minutes you think its really interesting and innovative and dazzling and then after 11 minutes till the end you realise it's annoying.
I'm sure the director's intentions were true in trying to make a slick looking piece of cinema, but the tedious batman-style camera tilts, the endless flashbacks, the fizzy editing and cheap effects leave little to chew on as its all been seen and done a lot better in any MTV video and that's the root of the problem as this film strives to attain those 'heights'!
Go back to film school and learn about the greats - Ozu & Tarkovsky & Visconti - if you want to discover dazzling cinematography without resorting to gimmicks.
So...Kid with violent blackouts handles himself nicely as a heavy for a mob boss, betraying his best mate in the process (a laughable Adrien Brody) whilst struggling with his Oedipul relationship with mad-mom (Debbie Harry) and his flowering romance with limping geek-maid (Elina Lowenson).
I watched this movie which I really thought had a promising beginning but then it just led me to feel disappointed in the end.
The problem I think with this film was that the director was trying a bit to hard to make this film weird and original.
There were too many flashbacks and too many bad "effects" which got me annoyed through the film.
I love Debbie Harry and Isaac Hayes but they disappointed me in this film, they could of done much better.
This film seemed promising in the beginning, dragging in the middle and then disappointing in the end.
The film could never beat Stanley Kubrick's geniousness when it comes to controversial matters, weirdness and originality in movies..
If we disregard from the fact that poor boy was with mental disorder because of his crazy mother, the movie was one of the best I've ever seen.
Great performance by Norman Reedus again, this man knows how to gets under your skin.
I like this one and it definitely was worth it for me!
I found a lot of great quotes too, like "Respect one thing, trust another.
You can't trust cats." I watched with interest from the beginning to the end,and it was good.
I think he had to kill her, and that was the only miss in the movie.
After all he was just a victim of misunderstood love, and that makes him even more liked for all who watch. |
tt1857913 | Bai she chuan shuo | The film starts with Abbott Fahai and his assistant Neng Ren heading towards a blizzard through a magical door. An ice harpy appears at the top of the mountains and turns the impetuous Neng Ren into an ice statue. She then reveals her past and reasons to kill all men. Unable to persuade the ice harpy to turn over a new leaf, Fahai is forced to fight her. The battle ends with Fahai capturing the ice harpy using a demon trapper, which releases Neng Ren from ice. Neng Ren is then tasked to confine the ice harpy at Lei Feng Pagoda, and the master and assistant head back to the door which disappears after closing behind them. At the Pagoda, Neng Ren transfers the ice harpy from the demon trapper into the magic circle, which holds other trapped demons in it.
On the other side of the mountain, two female snake demons (Qingqing and Susu) are playing around, enjoying their time when they spot a physician, Xu Xian, picking herbs at the foot of the mountain with his friends. Qingqing, being a playful snake, scares him, causing him to fall into the lake below. Susu, being gentler, assumes human form and kisses Xu Xian which allows Vital Essence to flow from her into his body thus saving him. Soon, Xu Xian wakes up and tells his friends about being kissed by a beautiful girl, which only makes them laugh.
After finding a victim of a bat demon, Fahai and Neng Ren leave the temple immediately to subdue the bat demon to avoid more casualties. Xu Xian comes across them and offers a boat ride to the city. Susu starts thinking about the day she kissed Xu Xian and decides to head to the city to find him. Meanwhile, while Qingqing is exploring the city, she came across Neng Ren and decided to help him subdue the bat demon by revealing its location. Neng Ren defeats the bat demon's cohorts, but is unable to subdue the bat demon king who bites him. Though he is subsequently saved by Fahai, Neng Ren starts turning into a bat demon himself the next day and decides to run away.
In the meanwhile, after a series of pranks, Xu Xian recognizes Susu and they spend the night together, which is rather unfortunate for Xu Xian because he does not know that he was making love to a snake in a human form.
Neng Ren is found by Qinqing and the two befriend each other. They realize that Neng Ren, despite becoming a bat demon, still has all his human taste for human food, and most of his human qualities. Meanwhile, Xu Xian and Susu wed. Shortly after Fahai saw that Xu Xian's medicines has mysterious substance after that, he gives Xu Xian a dagger that can kill demons. Susu is then chased by Fahai, who tells her to leave Xu Xian and sparing her. Which She doesn't, which causes Fahai and his disciples to invade her and Xu Xian's cottage. Susu fights the battle in her snake form, but is stabbed by Xu Xian unaware of her true identity. Susu escapes but is gravely injured. Xu Xian, after realizing what he has done, decides to get the spirit root to heal her.
Helped by Susu's friend, a mouse, Xu Xian manages to retrieve a root kept inside the Lei Feng Pagoda that could save Susu, but is possessed by demons as a result of this. Fahai and the other monks capture Xu Xian and prepare to cast spells to banish the demons from his body. Susu recovers and she goes to find Xu Xian along with Qinqing. They are confronted by Fahai, who tries to explain to them that the spell should not be broken before it is complete. Susu however does not believe him and accuses him of trying to separate them so the two sisters start battling Fahai. After countless wounds Fahai lies back exhausted. As he looks around he sees Neng Ren helping to save his former colleagues, the monks of the temple who were trying to complete the spell to release Xu Xian from the demons. He looks up at the sky and questions whether he was right to have been a demon hunter all his life.
Susu releases Xu Xian from the spell after which Xu Xian does not have any memory of Susu. Susu blames this on Fahai, after which they have one last battle. Fahai manages to trap Susu in the temple of Lei Feng Pagoda. At this point, Susu repents and asks to see Xu Xian just one last time, as she could accepted any punishments as long as she could see him for the last time. Simultaneously, Fahai gets the answer to his question and understands what he must do. Filled with the divine spirit, he lifts up the pagoda to allow Susu's last wish to come true.
After a brief reunion with Xu Xian, she tells him of her story of having meditated for a thousand years before she met him. She tells him that it was all worth less than a moment with him, that even he doesn't remember her, her memory of love with him is enough, and that even if she has to die or live with pain, she won't regret how much she has to suffer to see him one last time. She kisses him, causing him to remember everything. As the pair go to kiss one last time Susu is sucked back into the temple, leaving Xu Xian chasing her as both cry and reach out for each other.
Qingqing, watching all this from a distance with Neng Ren, tells him that she doesn't want to love anyone as her sister loved Xu Xian, and leaves saying that he will never be a true bat demon anyway.
After this, we see Xu Xian picking herbs around the temple and inside Susu has returned to her true form as a white snake trapped inside the temple. Fahai is seen walking the mountainside when suddenly Neng Ren (now a complete bat demon) appears alongside him. Throwing him an apple to eat Fahai tells him that his new look suits him, and they continue on the journey together again. | paranormal, revenge, fantasy, romantic | train | wikipedia | A thousand year old white snake spirit and a young simple herbalist falls in love.
While I see the flaws that some reviewers point out, the CGI and fantasy settings were so beautiful and Jet Li's fight sequences so breathtakingly spectacular, that I loved this movie!!
The Sorcerer and The White Snake is a rare gem, it is a love story told through art.
Tony Ching Siu-Tung directs this update of a film that chronicles the romance of a White Snake spirit and a mortal man, which of course is forbidden by lore, and a monk who goes between them.
Tony is no stranger to martial arts fantasy films with a few already under his belt, such as notable flicks like Swordsman III and the Chinese Ghost Story series, which coincidentally also got remade by Wilson Yip recently, so we're in good hands for what would be a broad based special effects extravaganza that unfortunately had its hokey moments.Those familiar with the White Snake fable will find some broad elements that resemble that tale being told here, such as Madam White Snake Su Su (Eva Huang) who with her sister Qing Qing the Green Snake (Charlene Choi) chanced upon the poor though honest herb collector and aspiring healer/physician wannabe Xu Xian (Raymond Lam).
The opening scene of the film sets the expectation of what this duo is capable of, with Fa Hai naturally being the more experienced and highly skilled catcher, versus his more bumbling protégé in here for tragic comedy, in a big bang special effects extravaganza as they go up against Vivian Hsu's cameo appearance as a demon decked in flowing red robes.
Soon enough Neng Ren will form yet a smaller romantic subplot with Qing Qing, while Fa Hai could be looked on as the true nemesis in the film for his adamant stubbornness in wanting to break up Xu Xian and Su Su, and destroy the latter for yet another feather in the cap for a job well done.Curiously, this version of the Madam White Snake story seemed to want to adapt the Disney formula, where you'd have smaller animal sidekicks that talk pop up now and then to try and lighten the mood, or play pivotal roles for the protagonists.
And true to Disney's formula as well is the general lack of blood in its action, which reportedly had Jet Li do more kung fu poses than he would have imagined necessary, but the romantic core of the film definitely took a backseat when the filmmakers decided to focus on martial arts and special effects to wow an audience.Which isn't a bad thing when you extrapolate its message to talk about how an older generation dead set and stubborn in their ways sometimes fail to allow what they're prejudiced about to continue with their knowledge.
It isn't enough to not meddle in other's affairs, but it's necessary to eradicate something from even existing, which is exactly what Fa Hai did during his initial big fight with Su Su that ended with a warning that if he should see her again the gloves would be off, and the next thing you know he's assembled his disciples to go snake hunting in an ambush of her home.On the effects front, it's time to sit up and take notice what the Asian effects company are finally able to pull off since the days of terrible rendering seen in True Legend.
While certain shots were unfortunate rip-offs from films such as 2012 with its massive floodwaters overwhelming huge mountains, there were others that more than made up for its lack of originality, and the bamboo forest, which all self respecting martial arts film must feature, had an interesting spin thanks to effects bringing to life something I've yet to see involving fox spirits and bamboo shoot hideouts and seduction.And if copying is a form of flattery, then whatever Zack Snyder did in 300 with its stylistic fights, have been done to death in other films and this one as well, with its slow motion, spin around being prominently over used, that I would have given up an arm for a straight fight between the exponents, which couldn't be possible since Jet Li's the only bona fide martial artist, with the rest being posers with heavy reliance on wire work.
Even the climatic battle between Fa Hai and two snakes looked very much like D-War's and Endhiran's, with effects making the sparring session look very much epic.I would have liked a stronger story that provided more focus between Madam White Snake and Xu Xian, but that is something to be found in predecessor films.
Award-winning movie superstar Jet Li plays the role of a stern but compassionate master monk battling to save humans from being devoured by demons.
The master monk tries to protect a naive TCM physician (played by Hong Kong's hunky star Raymond Lam) from a thousand-year-old White Snake (Eva Huang) who had transformed herself into a beautiful woman, and mayhem ensues.Speaking of which, the CGI and other special effects utilized in the movie are simply gorgeous.
And, we have not even included the stellar cast of actors and actresses, ranging from Eva Huang (Stephen Chow's Kungfu Hustle), Wen Zhang (Stephen Chow's record-breaking box office hit Journey to the West - Conquering the Demons), Charlene Choi (Hong Kong's highly popular pop duo Twins) to Vivian Hsu (Taiwan's well-known singer, model and actress).For fans of The Forbidden Kingdom (Jackie Chan and Jet Li), Reign of Assassins (directed by John Woo, title song by BBC World Music award winner Sa Ding Ding, and starring Michelle Yeoh) and Storm Warriors (directed by Pang Brothers and starring Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng), you shall be delighted by this fantastic fantasy movie...pardon the pun.See the extended trailer (over 6 mins) on Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKNxI0IqAfM.
This is another adaptation of the White Snake myth of forbidden love between humans and demons but the good news is that it is hyped up with so much CGI wizardry that it looks almost like an "Avatar" clone, complete with copious amounts of 'wire-fu'.
However, the bad news is that director Tony Chin sees it fit to keep the film's IQ at kiddie level with talking mice and clownish rabbits.What's more is that Jet Li, obviously the star attraction here, is caught in a difficult position, having to mouth silly lines and perform unintentionally funny stunts instead of actual kungfu.Like in A Chinese Ghost Story, we have a tale of young herbalist Xu Xian (Raymond Lam) and a thousand-year-old snake demon (played by Eva Huang Shengyi).
After that, she continues to pursue him, against the advice of her close friend Green Snake (Charlene Choi) - until he agrees to marry her.The match is against the law of nature and sorcerer Fa Hai (Jet Li) of Jinshang temple has sworn to trap and slay all such demons before they wreak havoc on the villagers.
Trouble is, the kind-hearted Xu Xian has befriended the sorcerer monk and slaying the White Snake would hurt her innocent hubby.The spectacular opening sequences of a battle between Fa Hai and the Ice Witch (Vivian Hsu) gives us a taste of what is to come.
The animation is a bit tacky though, considering how far CGI has gone today.Still, the make-or-break factor in any romance flick is the performance of its leads and here Eva Huang and Raymond Lam are not just a good-looking couple but they managed to look like young lovers.
To bash a movie because the CGI is a little choppy and Jet Li fights magically instead of kicking behinds seems the height of triviality.The Legend of the White Snake starts a long time ago, way before there was a written version.
The film, though, presents it as a total love story where the White Snake and her sister are benevolent demons who visit the human world and eventually fall for two guys.
The natural order, represented by the Buddhist monk Fahai, a non compromising demon hunter, doesn't allow this type of union and eventually it all escalates into a bad CGI extravaganza.I thought the morality of the story was a little bit confusing, but complex, worthy of a script.
Popularizes a Chinese legend that I knew nothing about, shows people that a film can have a complex story that is not just black and white, stars really cute Chinese ladies and in end was quite entertaining for me.
I did find the ending a bit overuse of CGI to a point where I almost lost what was actually happening, but the love story portrayed by Raymond and Shengyi swiftly pulled me back to their reality and it was simply spectacular.
Put aside the CGI stuff, put aside a "regular" storyline, put aside all you want but let me put this one thing right on: Hardly any other movie moved me and moved me to tears like this one did.While I clearly felt the relations to the chinese ghost story movies I had no idea about how romantic and deeply moving this is going to be.
Although so many eastern movies feature intense emotional attention this one goes ahead on step for me: Emotional scenes come off real, with a real meaning, going deep down, not many words needed.I do not remember seeing any other the other character besides Jet Li in other movies so I have no relation to them, having an easy time saying the played their roles very well I never had a moment of disbelieve.
similar to the unforgettable Chinese ghost love story but they have improve since then 20 so years after this is the new generation of CGI effects ...I love the part the snake pointed out some spirits are not all bad and human can be worse...
Run Forrest Run!This movie has the most ridiculous storyline and monkeys can act better than all the cast of this movie.This movie just isn't worse than the Tree of Life.Jet Li plays a really minor role and is just there to attract poor innocents looking for a Jet Li action movie.The story can be abstractly described as: "Almost naked goddess suddenly without no reason whatsoever falls in love with retarded looking mortal."That's how retarded the plot is.So, if I didn't make it clear thus far: RUN AWAY.
This movie is based on a classic Chinese folk tale "Madame White Snake".
In the very first fight scene between White Snake (Shengyi Huang) and Abott Fahai (Jet Li) he issues an ultimatum to leave but gives Xu Xian (Raymond Lam) a dagger knowing it could kill Xu Xian's wife.
But it turns out to be more of a love story between a demon snake woman that can transform herself into human form falling for a male human herbalist.
Overall this is a movie with a dull story with romance that is far from being original with CGI spell fighting that isn't all that entertaining to watch.
Sadly, Li isn't enough to save what soon becomes a mire of inanity and endless fantasy drivel about a romance between a snake demon woman and the human who has the misfortune to fall in love with her.
The tone is vapid and silly throughout, and the film is clearly aimed at child viewers with its extremely poor CGI effects and silly fight sequences.The thing that surprises me most about this movie is how poorly judged it is when it comes to sympathising with the characters.
She's just a brat, and it's a shame that her character never receives the ass-whupping that she so clearly deserves.As for Jet, well, he's gone on record to complain about this movie; in the first place, he was told he wouldn't have much fighting to do (pretty much all his scenes involve fighting), and secondly, he found the action scenes hard to film because he had to go easy on his opponents while they beat the hell out of him.
Put simply, although the Jet Li character is set up as the protagonist during the early stages of the film, the scenes with the two snakes also set them up as heroic, caring, wonderful creatures.
But then when the monk continually goes out of his way to make life difficult for the White Snake simply because she is a different kind of living thing to him, it is just too much.Jet Li will be happy to know that until he publicly states that he is sorry for this film or that he regrets having played this character, I will never watch another film with him in it again.
A true monk and Master never isolate true lovers or hearts !I am strongly disagree with a story and imagined character of the Master Jet li in the Movie.Even all the Budhas(Sidhartha Gautama, Bodhi Dharama etc.) were non-violent by nature and never broke anyone's heart.How can a Budhist Master could isolate lovers, break hearts and be violent on a lover(white snake) who is just fighting for her love ?
meh even Old 2003 Special effect was a lot better and look more realist this is clearly "Hey man wanna see some glowing ball on top of a still picture" The Chemistry between the two leading actor/actress was lacking compare to the original White snake story.
Buddhist Monk and Abbot Fahai (Jet Li) and his disciple Neng Ren (Zhang Wen) are demon hunters, among other things; White Snake (Shengyi Huang) and Green Snake (Charlene Choi) are sister demons, one a bit of a romantic and the other rather mischievous.
Is it any wonder, after such a kiss, that White Snake and Xu Xian fall in love?
But nothing good can come of the relationship between a human and a demon, and Abbot Fahai is determined to separate the couple, even at the cost of wreaking havoc in the temple and the world....Jet Li is as likable and harmonious as ever in this role, one where he is able to employ his considerable martial arts skills while maintaining the quietude and serenity of a monk; Zhang Wen's disciple provides some excellent comic relief as he "grows" from hapless monk to, well, demon; and the two sister snakes are suitably sinuous and lovely.
We're pretty sure many of you will agree that seeing Jet Li's name on the poster of this action fantasy epic is enough to convince you to catch this movie- after all, besides Donnie Yen, we can't think of a bigger martial arts actor in Asia today.
What's more, ever since announcing that 'Fearless' would be his last 'wushu' movie back in 2006, Jet Li hasn't been as prolific as before- his previous leading role was in the tearjerker 'Ocean Heaven'- so this latest represents a return of sorts to the kind of movie that we love to see him in.The tale here is a familiar Chinese fable about the forbidden romance between a simple kind-hearted man and a snake demon who takes the form of a beautiful woman (previous screen incarnations include the Shaw Bros' 'Madam White Snake' and Tsui Hark's 'Green Snake').
And like action maestro and sometimes-director Tony Ching Siu-Tong's directorial debut 'A Chinese Ghost Story', it is set amidst a fantasy world where both humans and demons roam, with the latter taking on human form to deceive the former.
An action-packed opening sequence where Jet Li's sorcerer-monk Fahai- together with his protégé Neng Ren (Wen Zhang)- defeats the dangerously alluring Ice Witch (Vivian Hsu) establishes the malevolent nature of the demons, as well as Fahai's mission to vanquish those who threaten the lives of humans.
It also serves as fair warning that this latest adaptation of the 'White Snake' legend is not simply an '80s-throwback (a la Wilson Yip's remake of 'A Chinese Ghost Story' earlier this year), but rather a 21st- century treatment using the latest advances in CGI to create some lavish backdrops for the multiple elaborate action sequences.
Still, the strength in Tony Ching's film lies not in its showcase of modern-day CG techniques, but rather in its old-fashioned love story between 'White Snake' Bai Suzhen (Eva Huang) and young herbalist Xu Xian (Raymond Lam).
And of course, given the rarity of watching Jet Li in action on the big screen these days, 'The Sorcerer and the White Snake' deserves to be seen by his fans- even if it may not be his best work..
This was a good action packed film with stunning special effects and CGI.
The film featured a love struck demon snake who falls in love with a mortal man.
Then comes a series of beautiful faces showing scenes of our white snake character.
In whole, the movie has it all: funny lines, corny moments, tear- jerking love story, fanciful scenery, break-the-ground tear-the-sky fighting scenes, and last but not least, beautifully sexy young ladies.
A demon white snake (Shengyi Huang) becomes smitten by a herbalist (Raymond Lam) and uses her life force to help him and the humans.
The Sorcerer (Jet Li)does not condone the presence of the white snake demon, even though she helps humans.
It is clearly marketed as a Jet Li film but even though he plays a major character, Abbot Fahai, he isn't the most important character
these are Xu Xian and Susu, played by Raymond Lam and Shengyi Huang respectively.
The animal effects are good but unfortunately the CGI used in most of the action scenes is a bit too obvious.
Overall, The Sorcerer and the White Snake was an enjoyable movie due its "forbidden love" theme.
Unfortunately, the movie follows the pattern of most forbidden love stories by ending in a way that is bittersweet at best.
Perhaps the action lovers will watch this movie solely because Jet Li is in it.
The movie does its best to cater to the romantics and those seeking a little more than just a love story.
CGI version of the legend of the white snake.
This movie is based on an old Chinese legend about a white snake that turned into a woman and falling in love with a man.There are other versions of this story made into movies. |
tt0026187 | The Casino Murder Case | Gentleman detective Philo Vance (Paul Lukas) begins an investigation when he receives an anonymous letter stating that society man Lynn Llewellyn (Donald Cook) will be in danger when he appears at the casino owned by his uncle, Kinkaid (Arthur Byron). Vance visits the Llewellyn estate, which is run by Mrs. Priscilla Kinkaid-Llewellyn (Alison Skipworth), the matriarch of the household, and stumbles into one of the family's many quarrels. At the end of the bitter quarrel, which involves Mrs. Llewellyn's son Lynn and his wife Virginia (Louise Henry), Virginia announces that she has decided to leave the house and go to Chicago. During the tiff, Vance and Doris (Rosalind Russell), Mrs. Llewellyn's secretary, are introduced to each other and Doris immediately takes a liking to Vance.
Vance takes Doris to his home, where he and District Attorney Markham (Purnell Pratt) show her the mysterious letter. Doris immediately recognizes the return address as being that of the Llewellyn's townhouse in Closter and notices that the letter was typed on her typewriter. Vance assigns Sergeant Heath (Ted Healy) to help stake out the casino that night, but their presence does not prevent Lynn from suddenly collapsing at the card table. At the same time, Doris informs Vance that Virginia has died at the Llewellyn house. Markham begins his investigation of the murder by questioning Mrs. Llewellyn, who recalls having quarrelled with Virginia before she was poisoned, and Amelia (Isabel Jewell), Mrs. Llewellyn's daughter, who admits that she too had a spat with Virginia. Meanwhile, Doris finds Mrs. Llewellyn's recently altered will, in which she disinherited Kinkaid, making it apparent that Lynn and Amelia would be the only ones who would benefit from Mrs. Llewellyn's death.
Other clues begin to surface, including Kinkaid's unusual collection of books on chemistry and poisons, and a loaded gun found in Virginia's bedroom. Soon after Lynn's recovery, Mrs. Llewellyn is found dead of an apparent suicide with a note, bearing her signature, in which she confesses to Virginia's murder. Not convinced that the mystery has been solved, Vance pursues his theory that Mrs. Llewellyn may have been poisoned by heavy water, which leads him to Kinkaid's secret laboratory, where he and Doris are captured and held at gunpoint by Kinkaid. Vance and Doris escape, but Vance does not believe that Kinkaid is the murderer, thinking instead that he is merely one of many decoys set up by the real killer to lead the investigation astray.
The real killer turns out to be Lynn, who has lured Vance and Doris to the Closter townhouse to kill them. But before Lynn completes his "perfect crime," Vance reads from a letter he wrote earlier in which he detailed his theory about the killings. In it, Vance names Lynn as the murderer, calling him a rich, ego-maniacal weakling, who, being tired of his wife, poisoned her and threw the blame on his uncle, whom he despised. After hearing Vance's summary of the murder plot, Lynn tells his captors that he has arranged to pin Vance and Doris' forthcoming murder on Kinkaid. However, when Lynn shoots Vance, Heath and others emerge from behind a door where they have been recording Lynn's confession and arrest him. After thanking Becky, Mrs. Llewellyn's maid (Louise Fazenda), for loading Lynn's gun with blanks, Vance resumes his romance with Doris. | mystery, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | In the wake of the success of The Thin Man, the studios began to churn out scads of little mystery movies that are really more like screwball comedies than problems in deduction or thrillers.
This is a pretty good sample of the type, with Rosalind Russell showing a flair for the genre that would be exploited in His Girl Friday.
It even takes about 15 minutes or so before anyone gets murdered.Paul Luckas is fine as the sleuth in the picture.
Any resemblance between him and the Philo Vance depicted in the series of novels by S.S. Van Dine is a coincidence.
This Philo is charming, polite, and doesn't mind when Roz complains that his mystery stories are wordy and complicated.
And shouldn't come as a surprise that this Philo is more seems more interested in Roz than the mystery at hand.
An absurd unfolding murder mystery and a miscast Paul Lukas is offset by some nice comic relief..
As good an actor as Paul Lukas is, his accent destroys the illusion that he's the great American detective, Philo Vance, and I was conscious of that throughout.
The murder mystery gets off to a good start, but then falters when Vance speculates that perhaps it was "heavy water" that was used as the poison, since it was not known if that substance was poisonous.
And Charles Sellon is the coroner always complaining about the inconsiderate murder victims getting bumped off just when he's trying to sleep.
Paul Lukas as Philo.
Philo Vance has been played by a number of actors over the years, everyone from Wilfred Hyde-White to William Powell, who portrayed the detective the most.
In "The Casino Murder Case," it's Paul Lukas' turn to have a go at it.
Rosalind Russell is the young woman here, and she does a fine job.I'm not familiar with Philo Vance in the books so I can't comment on Lukas' portrayal in comparison.
Lukas is a wonderful and very likable actor, but I think that in the hands of someone like William Powell, the humor would have been mined a little bit more.
Lukas isn't heavy-handed in any way, it's just that this type of role isn't a perfect fit for him.
Rosalind Russell saves this movie from being just another '30s mystery out of the mystery machine.
Paul Lukas, despite his panache is not a good Philo Vance because of his accent.
This is more of a romantic "screwball comedy" type of film than a mystery, but taken in that aspect, it's pretty good.
The chemistry between the unflappable Russell and Mr. Lukas is really neat, although in the novels romance never got in the way of a good murder.
The Casino Murder Case is worth viewing if for nothing but to watch Rosalind Russell on top of her game..
With a traditional murder-mystery detective plot, clearly written as a pulp novel before being transferred to the screen, this film abounds with idiosyncratic characters and overly dramatic actors.
Not to mention a delectable performance by Rosalind Russell.The factors all come together for this film, and if you take it for its backdated surface value, you won't be wasting your time.
All played Philo Vance in the movies up to 1935 when Lukas took his turn as the urbane, suave American detective Philo Vance.
I really like Lukas as an actor, but I must agree with a previous review that stated how distracting his accent was and how much it affects his character's credibility.
This time around, Vance gets a note warning him that a member of a rich family is going to be killed at a family-owned casino.
Russell is really quite good as she has an excellent tough for light comedy - which this is undoubtedly more so than a mystery.
The mystery at times almost seems to be in the way of some cute comedy sketches between various secondary characters only to be explained with some hugely wild plot contrivance dealing with hard water!
While Lukas and the mystery are not up to what I usually expect from a Philo Vance film, the film is saved because the end resolution is at the very least interestingly inventive and there are some really fine character performances by Russell, William Demarest,Louise Fazenda, Isabel Jewell, Ted Healey, Leo G.
Carroll, and two that really stand out for me - Charles Sellon as the always put-upon coroner(he keeps busy in this one) and the ever impregnable Eric Blore( a master of sophisticated comedy for man-servants)..
Thus spake Paul Lukas during an uncharacteristic serious moment in this very entertaining, almost light-hearted entry in the Philo Vance canon, this one by MGM.The play's the thing, right?
There were lots of red herrings and the screenwriters take a few liberties with our credulity, but I thought that, on balance, this was one of the better murder mysteries to come out of Hollywood in the 30's, or any other period for that matter.William Powell spoiled the Philo Vance character for us.
And Paul Lukas is a pale imitation, to be sure, try as he might.
But MGM surrounded him with some of the best supporting and character actors available, among them Rosalind Russell, Donald Cook, Isabel Jewell, Eric Blore and the incomparable Allison Skipworth.
Not bad mystery enhanced by Rosalind Russell's presence.
One of many films with Philo Vance as the protagonist but the only one with Paul Lukas as the famed detective.
As for the mystery it's not terribly hard to figure out but it's stylishly shot with a good supporting cast..
In his one and only time playing S.S. Van Dine's fictional detective Paul Lukas plays a continental Philo, as charming as ever with a mind like a steel trap.
Not quite William Powell or Warren William the best of the Vances.The reason why so many actors played Vance is that the estate of S.S. Van Dine sold the novels one at a time to various studios.
Paramount, Warner Brothers, MGM, and last the B picture studio PRC all filmed various Vance stores of varying quality.Lukas gets himself involved with the Llewellyn family when he receives a note saying that Donald Cook will be killed at his uncle's casino that night.
It takes a while, but Vance has to work through a maze of false clues before solving this one.One of the near victims is Rosalind Russell who said that this B film marked the first time she was given star billing in a film.
She wasn't particularly fond of The Casino Murder Case, but in fact it did lead to better parts for her.Some of the others in the cast are Ted Healy as the garrulous Sergeant Heath, Louise Fazenda as a nosy maid, Isabell Jewell as an alcoholic daughter, Allison Skipworth as the family matriarch, Arthur Byron as the casino owner and Skipworth's brother, Leo G.
Carroll as the butler, and Eric Blore as Lukas's valet.
We see too little of him in The Casino Murder Case.
The cast all perform as typed.Charles Sellon plays the Medical Examiner Dr. Doremus.
Heavy-handed explanations don't help this Philo Vance yarn....
PAUL LUKAS stars as Philo Vance in this trifle designed to entertain audiences with an intriguing murder mystery laced with comedy.
The comedy is just so-so and the mystery is weighed down by some heavy-handed explanations involving "heavy water", a most curious plot device and one that Agatha Christie mercifully never thought of as a poison.ALISON SKIPWORTH is a wealthy eccentric woman whose murder prompts the arrival of Philo Vance on the scene.
ISABEL JEWELL overacts in her usual style as the woman's daughter, while ROSALIND RUSSELL does considerably better as another household relative.
CARROLL handles his butler role efficiently and LOUISE FAZENDA is just slightly annoying as an eaves-dropping maid assigned most of the comedy relief.The mystery elements are handled in okay fashion but the use of "heavy water" as a plot device seems totally far-fetched.
PAUL LUKAS does rather nicely as Philo Vance but it takes awhile to get used to him in the role often played by more debonair types.Nothing special, but passes the time pleasantly..
This is the eighth Philo Vance mystery film, and the only one starring Paul Lukas as Vance.
Under the influence of the first 'Thin Man' film, which came out the year before, the Philo Vance series here has undergone a drastic image 'makeover', to try to emulate the new William Powell series and compete with it.
The producers realized that William Powell's new series enjoyed popularity partially because of these factors, which provided audiences with an enjoyable fantasy of affluence in the wake of the horrible Great Depression.
This Vance film suffers from the replacement of Didier Girardot as the coroner with a truly irritating grumpy old man (Charles Sellon), so that the comic elements of the character of the coroner are entirely lost.
Paul Lukas is always a very congenial and watchable actor, and it is good to have a Vance film with him in it.
He is very sophisticated and his slight Hungarian accent, which goes unexplained in the story of course, adds that touch of cosmopolitanism which always benefits characters such as Philo Vance.
Lukas is a much warmer Vance than Powell, Rathbone, or William were, but less mischievous than Powell and less humorous than William.
This film is greatly lightened-up by the sparkling appearance of Rosalind Russell as the female lead.
This film perhaps marks a slight ad-Vance..
Paul Lukas was memorable in The Lady Vanishes and some other films, but not playing Philo Vance.
The Casino Murder Case is an enjoyable melodramatic murder mystery with three problems: his European accent, and the fact there's not much casino in the story and no murder there either.
Did they have Bela Lugosi audition for the part too?!To the background of some incongruous opening music Vance gets called in to protect a man threatened with an "awful tragedy" at a casino, when there finds the murder of the man's bitchy wife takes place at their home.
Lukas also found a spunky sidekick in Rosalind Russell and had some nice patter with her but her snooty British accent jarred a little as well!
In bit parts William Demarest was perfect as a shyster auctioneer and Leo Carroll was fascinating to watch as a slapstick servant, but Eric Blore as Vance's gurning butler was sadly underused here.
Favorite bit: Lukas and Russell on the phone as the tragedy unfolds.If you don't like detective potboilers from the '30's my advice is to Skip It. For those of us that do, it must be a lot better if you don't know your Vance, but it's an excellent watch even if you do.
Unexciting entry in the Philo Vance series.
Considering the previous entries in the Philo Vance series had interesting plots, this one is a big step down on that front.
Paul Lukas plays Philo and, as you might expect, is woefully miscast.
I've been critical of Philo Vance films before because the character doesn't seem to have distinct personality traits all his own like most of the other great movie detectives of the '30s and '40s.
Apparently he does in the original books but in the films his personality changes to match whatever actor is playing him that time.
Vance was played by many actors so the series lacked consistency on his characterization.
At no point did I get into the film or root for Vance and that was in large part due to Lukas' disconnected performance.There are problems with the rest of the cast, as well.
Rosalind Russell seems to be trying to channel Myrna Loy but it doesn't work.
Eric Blore's butler shtick has worked much better in other films than it does here.
Also missing is Etienne Girardot, who played coroner Dr. Doremus and provided great laughs in the last two Vance films before this.
Just not a great cast or film.
Really Bad. Casino Murder Case, The (1935) * (out of 4) Paul Lukas takes over the role of Philo Vance and gets involved with a strange family whose members keep getting poisoned.
Lukas is incredibly boring in the lead and I'm not just saying this because he isn't as good as the men who played the part previously.
Even on his own Lukas brings nothing to the role and he actually makes Vance quite boring and dull.
The supporting cast isn't any better and they all come off with very poor performances including Ted Healy (with his Stooges).
Rosalind Russell once described this movie as "A real bomb!
Paul Lukas came off a distinct second best in all comparisons with William Powell's interpretations of Philo Vance (and of course in Powell's 1930 "Benson Murder Case", Lukas plays one of the principal suspects).
High-grade mystery, despite an arguably miscast Philo Vance.
A complicated mystery that keeps you in the dark but plays fair with the attentive viewer, an above-average cast (Isabel Jewell is especially memorable), and some clever jabs at the "long-winded" speech patterns of Vance himself make this one of the best films featuring this fictional detective that I've seen.
It's true that Paul Lukas' rather heavy foreign accent makes him an odd choice for the role of Philo Vance, but his performance is otherwise quite good, and combined with the film's other strengths, that's enough to overcome this particular handicap.
One of these series that never seem to catch on despite many films in the series were the Philo Vance films.
Now a few of them were very good and the series seemed to be going very well at first but unfortunately there was never a single actor to carry the films--and there were many different Philo Vances which confused the public and prevented their acceptance.
As I said, it started well and those with William Powell were excellent, but after several films the studios replaced him with a wide variety of stars that never quite had the elegance and charm of Powell.
Warren William (also of the Lone Wolf series), Grant Richards, Basil Rathbone, William Wright, Edmund Lowe and many others tried to fill his shoes, but with only indifferent results.About the strangest of the stars to play the role, though, was Paul Lukas.
Now Lukas WAS a good actor but unfortunately he was also Hungarian and sounded much like Bela Lugosi!!
This was definitely NOT the Philo Vance the public had come to expect, as he'd always been played by Americans or Brits!
As a result, no matter how much Lukas tried, the film was bound to fail and I think it's among the worst of the Vance films I have seen.
The studio also managed to waste poor old Eric Blore who usually is a great supporting character who infuses some needed humor into a film.
Here, he simply wasn't given a chance to get laughs or contribute much to the film.The plot itself wasn't bad, and the conclusion worked very well because I loved the bad guy's maniacal laugh as well as the way that Vance arranged for this guy to be killed, not captured!
These interesting and off-beat aspects of the film manage to help the overall effort to be watchable, but that is all.FYI--Watch and listen to a young Rosalind Russell showing off her British accent.
. as for some reason THE CASINO MURDER CASE shares its #646 rating number with something called MOLLY MOO-COW AND THE BUTTERFLIES.
Like the fiasco in Flint, there turns out to be TWO toxic agents at work during THE CASINO MURDER CASE.
However, viewers need not worry that this film is as political as Flint's Sad Saga, since the movie fatalities are NOT Poor People, and their demise does not involve a self-proclaimed "Businessman Bean Counter Governor," Emergency Managers, or top state health officials trying to hide a man-made epidemic coming out of public water taps as the Death Toll continues to rise.
(Some of the middle managers are facing criminal trials right now, but the masterminds are getting off as Scot Free as a Saudi Prince.) Rather than lead and Legionnaire's Disease, the suspect agents in THE CASINO MURDER CASE turn out to be "Heavy Water" and purposely tainted Eye Wash, though crass mercenary considerations are as much of a motive here as they'd later prove to be in Flint.
However, in These Trouble Times, perhaps MOLLY MOO-COW AND THE BUTTERFLIES would be a more soothing watch then THE CASINO MURDER CASE..
Even the Book of the Month Club honored some books as "selections." The first book THE BENSON MURDER CASE was never filmed under that title, but then several books in succession found their way into cinema history.
The last book THE WINTER MURDER CASE was unfinished at the time of Wright's death.
The absolute joke of the series was THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE with the real life Gracie Allen as a character leading "Fido" (played by Warren William) around by the nose.
Anyway, this film under review with Paul Lukas and Roz Russell is more in the THIN MAN vein, as opposed to the more respectable THE KENNEL MURDER CASE.
Many reviewers here have talked about Lukas and his European accent (the Vance of the novels was a pure WASP, but even more intelligent, educated and insufferably arrogant than can be imagined -- a true wish fulfillment figure for the author), and others have commented on the absurdity of the plot where the murderer turns out to be a raving lunatic.
But instead of repeating what has already been noted, I want to single out Eric Blore who plays "Currie" -- Vance's man servant.
Blore is one of those little noticed supporting players who took up only a few minutes in every film he was in, but still managed to make an impression.
Can't recommend the film as a mystery; but as a time server with seeing Russell (not looking all that glamorous, admittedly) before her step up the movie ladder, it may be worth the while. |
tt0105271 | Roja | In Srinagar, a Kashmiri terrorist, Wasim Khan (Shiva Rindani), is captured by a team led by Colonel Rayappa (Nassar). In South India, 18-year old Roja (Madhoo) is a simple village girl born and brought up in Sundarapandiapuram in Tirunelveli district in southern Tamil Nadu. Roja fervently wishes that her sister Shenbagam's (Vaishnavi) marriage proposal with Rishi Kumar (Arvind Swamy), a cryptologist working with the R.A.W. of India, goes smoothly. Unknown to her and her family, Shenbagam is in love with the son of her paternal aunt.
When Rishi wishes to speak to Shenbagam alone, she gathers enough courage to convey this and politely asks him to reject her in front of her parents, to which he obliges. To everyone’s surprise Rishi requests Roja's hand in marriage instead. Being unaware of Shenbagam's love affair, Roja is not willing to accept Rishi's proposal as she believes that he is the best match for Shenbagam but she marries Rishi, and the couple go to live in Madras while Shenbagam marries her cousin.
Initially Roja does not like what Rishi did, but when she learns of Shenbagam's love affair and consequent rejection of Rishi, she apologizes and starts seeing him in a new light. Love blossoms, and life is blissful for the couple for a short while. Meanwhile, due to the illness of his Chief, Rishi is assigned to an army communications center in Baramulla to intercept military intelligence. The couple find themselves in a beautiful yet alien land. Roja's world turns upside down when Rishi is abducted by terrorists whose agenda is to separate Kashmir from India and free their leader, Wasim Khan, from judicial custody.
Faced with the daunting task of rescuing her husband, Roja runs from pillar to post, pleading with politicians and the military for help. Further complicating matters is the communication gap: She can't speak their language, and they can't speak hers. Meanwhile, Rishi, held captive by a group of terrorists led by Liaqat (Pankaj Kapoor), an associate to Wasim Khan, tries to reason with the terrorists, about their misdirected motive for the liberation of Kashmir. Liaqat's sister shows a little compassion towards him. Initially, when Roja’s efforts fail, the Indian government denies any negotiations with the terrorists for the release of Rishi in the media.
The angered terrorists attempt to burn an Indian flag. Rishi risks his life to put out the fire and shows the terrorist how much the country means to him, a regular citizen. When Liaqat’s younger brother, who with a few other youths from his village sent across the border to Pakistan for training, is shot by the Pakistan Army, Liaqat’s strong belief is shaken, but he still manages to convince himself of the cause. Consequently, Roja’s efforts to apprise the politicians of her suffering and pain are successful as a minister pities her and offers to help.
Much to the chagrin of Rayappa, the government decides to release Wasim Khan in exchange for Rishi. Rishi, not wanting to be used as a pawn to release a dangerous terrorist, gets help from the sympathetic Liaqat’s sister and escapes — with Liaqat and his men chasing him. Rayappa, Roja and other army officers get to the hostage exchange spot with Wasim Khan, but Liaqat does not show up. The Army locks Wasim Khan up in the prison.
Rishi has managed to get close to the exchange spot on his own after evading the terrorists. During his escape, Rishi kills two terrorists. Liaqat catches up with him and holds him at gun point. Rishi reasons with Liaqat further and convinces him that his war is immoral. Liaqat lets Rishi go and he goes to the exchange spot. Liaqat escapes from the Indian Army. Rishi and Roja are united once again. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
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